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xoGift Guide 2019: Gifts For The Self-Care Enthusiast
Self-care looks different for everyone. Most importantly, self-care should include meeting your own needs, mentally and physically first, so that you can meet the needs of the outside world. It's less about self-indulgence and more about self-preservation. This catalog is dedicated to the self-care enthusiast AND the significant other who could use a little more self-care.
We decided to compile this list because no matter who you're gifting, they need some self-care items in their life. One can never have enough self-care. 2020 = self-full, not selfish. Shop on for some amazing recharging goodies!
Me Time: Dead Sea Soaking Salt
heritage1933
The benefits of scheduling me time are endless. Adding these bath salts to your scheduled bath will relax your body, ease stress, relieve pain and muscle cramps while also exfoliating dead skin. Prada's social media guru Candace Marie told us that she takes a bubble bath every single day as a form of self-care. "Because it makes me stop and say, 'This is my time.'"
Self-Care: A Day and Night Reflection Journal
Amazon
Tip: Self-reflecting three times a day makes for a happier soul. And this journal will keep you focused and aligned by jotting down your reflections. According to Insight Editions, "The journal offers a space to commit to your self-care routine with intention and dedication—helping you develop positive thinking, overcome challenging and stressful experiences and negative emotions, and cultivate a general sense of well-being and a healthy lifestyle." $13 sounds amazing for such a great product; talk about a good coin spent.
Tata Harper Aromatic Stress Treatment
Tata Harper's Aromatic Stress Treatment really creates a soothing feeling that promotes inner peace and serenity. A little goes a long way and it even aids troublesome migraines. With ingredients like bergamot, neroli, and sandalwood, it inspires a calming balance to soothe feelings of anxiety and stress.
The Gravity Blanket
I have added this item to my wish list because it's reminiscent of a forever hug. Many weighted blankets use Deep Touch Pressure (DTP) or Deep Pressure Stimulation (DPS) to improve relaxation with weighted materials like plastic pelts. Many consumers say that the beauty of the weighted blanket, or gravity blanket, is how it creates a comfortable cocoon that recreates the magic of getting a warm hug.
SELF CARE Candle for Self Love & Well-Being
Setting intentions are a major key in your self-care journey. ScentualGoddess.com is here to help you get it done with her Self-Care candle. The lid even reads inspirational affirmations to read aloud while burning the handmade soy candle.
Simple Pleasures Luxury Robe & Spa Set
Keep it simple with a luxury robe and spa set for that special loved one. This set has everything you need to create an at-home spa experience. From the body wash, bubble bath, bath soap, body scrub, body lotion to the plush bath robe, you can kick back, relax and ease your mind.
2020 Book'd & Black Planner
Book'd
Scheduling me time may sound extra but for most people, if you don't write it down, you can't make it plain. We are kind of obsessed with this specific planner because it's blackity-black-black. Not to mention, it also has pages devoted to Weekly Sections for: Call/Email/Follow-up, Sweat Plan, Prayer Target, Self-Care and Weekly Gratitude/Reflections Section. Planning daily practices of self-love and self-care while also maintaining a healthy work schedule can increase productivity and serenity.
Slip Pure Silk Pillow and Mask Travel Set
Slip
Whether you're on the road or in the sky, you'll need some help preventing bedhead and sleep creases. This set was made for travel but you can use the sleep mask for your daily night routine. We are sure the travel aficionado who uses trips around the globe as a self-care tool will love this gift.
Moon Essential Oil Diffuser
Urban Outfitters
Quickly transform your space, work or home, into a soothing zone of zen with a Moon Essential Oil Diffuser. It improves air quality, adding moisture to eliminate dryness while simultaneously enhancing the mood with the beautiful light to relieve fatigue and inspire creativity.
PLANT Apothecary GET HAPPY Bodywash
Don't worry, GET HAPPY or GET IT ON! Using geranium and peppermint, PLANT Apothecary created body washes to alleviate oiliness and dehydration. The luxurious lather and perfect scent wakes you up and covers you in pure happiness. It's perfect for the self-care babe that has sensitive skin as you can use this product from head to toe.
Want more stories like this? Sign up for our newsletter here and check out the related reads below:
7 Home Decor Choices That Promote Wellness
What Self-Care Looks Like To Black Girl Beautiful Founder Nikia Phoenix
How This Business Owner Is Loving Herself Through Fibroids
Featured image by Shutterstock
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Joce Blake is a womanist who loves fashion, Beyonce and Hot Cheetos. The sophistiratchet enthusiast is based in Brooklyn, NY but has southern belle roots as she was born and raised in Memphis, TN. Keep up with her on Instagram @joce_blake and on Twitter @SaraJessicaBee.
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
Feature image courtesy
Mariee Revere On Her History-Making Million-Dollar Sales And The Future Of MoonXCosmetics
If the name Mariee Revere sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard of her beauty and skincare brand, MoonXCosmetics, or you may have heard about her history-making achievement of making $1.8 million in less than eight minutes. But before starting her million-dollar brand, Mariee was just a teenager trying to cure her acne.
While she grew up in the skincare capital of the world, South Korea, Mariee didn't really experience breakouts until her senior year of high school. Like many people who get their first breakout, she didn't know what to do, and there weren't many products out there at that time. So she decided to experiment. What she didn't know was that what she came up with would ultimately be her ticket to success.
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
Photo courtesy
When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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