Sanaa Lathan Answers 8 Questions About Her Favorite Things And Now We’re BFFs
Sanaa Lathan has been out here securing the Netflix Bag, and is starring in one of their newest series, Hit & Run. The new action thriller follows a happily married man whose life is turned upside down after his wife is killed in a mysterious hit-and-run accident in Tel Aviv. Enter Lathan—the main character's former flame who helps him figure out the answer to one increasingly difficult question: Who killed his wife?
Chiiiiile.
Her character, Naomi, is an investigative journalist who is doesn't play with the people, m'kay? And our girl has been enjoying her new role wholeheartedly, telling Glamour:
"I knew right away that it was going to be a good show. There are a lot of twists and turns."
TheLove & Basketballactor teases, revealing that she especially loves thrillers despite having starred in almost every genre. And soon she'll be adding another thing to her résumé: This year she'll be directing a feature film. I see you!
While discussing her latest career moves and being the effortlessly amazing Sanaa, she even shared a few of her favorite things (which I'm always admittedly a sucker for). Here's what we've learned about our leading lady:
Her go-to dog outfits.
The actress admitted that she's basically like us and dresses her dogs up too (when she can).
"She hates clothes. There are some pictures of her on my Instagram from when I was shooting in New York and it got really cold. I got her a little down jacket and she looked like she was so miserable…. She's so funny. But she doesn't like the clothes, so we have gotten her some like pink rhinestone collars and little harnesses."
Her most used app:
Because none of us like to truly admit to checking our social media accounts as soon as we wake up (and a hundred times more throughout the day), she went with a close second.
"I'm addicted to Amazon Prime. I get boxes all the time that I don't even open. And then when I open them, I don't even remember ordering them. I'll wake up sometimes in the middle of the night and order stuff. It's kind of bad. I need to work on that. I like to order this gum that I chew called Spry. It doesn't have the aspartame in it or sugar, but I'm a little obsessed with it. It's made with a different kind of sweetener. It's not as bad for you."
Her most listened to playlist (she shared the link with us too!):
"I have one Apple Playlist called Feels, which is kind of a midtempo that they update every week. I'm constantly getting what's new. Sometimes I listen to pop. Sometimes I listen to R&B. Sometimes I listen to oldies. I'm truly eclectic. When I'm working, I either have silence or there's one that's called Pure Focus and it has no words, but it's kind of cool. You have a little ambient music, but you don't have to be distracted by the words."
Her comfiest pair of shoes:
The comfortable shoes heard around the world, are a fave of Sanaa's as well.
"I ordered another pair of Birkenstocks because they're falling apart. I don't know what it is. They're not the cutest, but I have to get in them as soon as I get home. I had a black patent leather one that just fell apart, and I just ordered another one so I could have a backup. They mold to your feet or something. It feels good."
Her favorite skincare product:
Now, you guys know that around the xoNecole offices, we love to discuss skincare. So when we hear of new finds, we have to share!
"I like this organic canola oil. It's on Amazon and it's called Camellia. It's from Sweet Essentials and it's $13.99. I have it all over my house; throughout the day I put it on my face and it's so silky. It makes your skin so supple and moisturized. I love it."
Buy this product here for only $14!
The drink always in her fridge:
Sanaa chuckles at the thought of her answer and reveals:
"The LaCroix LimonCello is my thing to the point where my mom was like, 'You drink too much of that.' It doesn't have sugar, but I have a little bit of an addiction. At least it's better than soda. I also love Watermelon Wonder Synergy kombucha."
Her wellness routine:
"I try to meditate every day. I do transcendental meditation, but I believe they all have benefits. I started meditating seriously about six or seven years ago because I went through a really traumatic period where I wasn't handling, processing all of that well, and started having panic attacks.
"I had a friend who died suddenly, and it was just a lot. Instead of dealing with it, I kind of just kept working and it caught up with me. I wanted to address it holistically, so I started doing this practice. As soon as I started meditating, it kind of went away. Now it's just part of my life."
Self-care is the best care.
What she's reading:
The book on her bedside, is actually of one she is directing in her debut.
"I'm going to direct one of the books that I'm reading now. It's called 'On the Come Up' by Angie Thomas. She's the same writer who wrote The Hate U Give—a New York Times best-selling author. It's a coming-of-age story, about a 16-year-old rapper who is finding her voice. It's a beautiful script. We'll be shooting later this year, and I'm super excited about it."
As a huge fan of Brown Sugar, can't wait to catch this one.
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Stay tuned for what Sanaa has coming up in her career, but in the meantime, here's the trailer of her current Netflix show, Hit and Run.
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Featured image by Jim Spellman/Getty Images
Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Blac Chyna Opens Up About Her Initial Fear To Share Her Spiritual Journey With Others
Watching Angela “Blac Chyna” White’s transformation in real-time has truly been a sight to see. It wasn’t that long ago that she announced that she was reversing her cosmetic surgeries in an effort to go back to who she was before the world came to know her as Blac Chyna. In previous interviews, she stated that she was dissolving her facial and lip fillers, removing her breast implants, and getting a butt reduction, as well as removing the dimple piercings that enhanced her fame and controversial tattoos.
In a recent Tamron Hall interview, the mother of two said that she has “fully recovered” from the procedures. She is also celebrating one year of sobriety and opened up about being worried about how her new journey would be received by others.
“I’ve been in the entertainment industry for so long, right, and of course, like, you know, coming out, I’m like young, I’m gonna do wild things as we all have,” she said.
“...I feel like by me being vocal and showing everybody you can change your life and things can get better, like through myself, that right there is an accomplishment, and that’s a part of freedom, too.”
But as she started on her journey, many people have shown her grace, which is something she’s grateful for. “And then the fact that people have been showing me grace, it’s like amazing,” she said. “And I feel like when I did it, I just did it. It was more so like spiritual thing and I feel like people see that, and I’ve always been like my authentic self, so what you see is kinda what you get with me, and that’s just kinda what it is.”
Chyna, who recently received an honorary doctorate from Sacramento Theology Seminary and Bible College, has also repaired her relationship with her mom, Tokyo Toni. The social media celebrity surprised her daughter on the Tamron Hall Show. Prior to the sentimental surprise, Chyna dished on the reconciliation and having a better understanding of her mom.
“I must say, some of the things I have to take accountability for because, like my actions. As a mother, you don’t want to see your daughter doing certain things ‘cause it’s like it doesn’t matter what my past was or what we’re going through, I didn’t raise you that way,” she admitted. “So, it’s like, okay, maybe I was a little bit wrong. Maybe I was acting out a little bit. But I feel like as we grow older, I kinda see more, and I understand more.”
Chyna will be starring in season two of Fox's reality competition show Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.
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