This article is in partnership with Ulta Beauty.
Fall is here y'all and since my hair is natural and chemically-treated with color, I need all the moisture I can get! When choosing any haircare line, my two main goals are to keep my hair moisturized and protect my color and Ulta Beauty has me covered with their Gorgeous Hair Event.
As one of their biggest sales of the year, you can expect up to 50% off of brands like PATTERN Beauty, The Mane Choice, and so much more. Their sale is available online, curbside pickup, and in-store now until Oct. 24. Make sure you grab your mask and hand sanitizer and get everything you need for half the price.
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
My hair is professionally colored so I can't be lazy with my maintenance to keep these edges, my color, and curls on point and I was so hype to try Black-owned brand, tgin's Rose Water collection––oh and the entire tgin line is on sale this Sunday, Oct. 18 at 50% off for 24 hours only! I heard some amazing things about the collection and had been wanting to try it for FAHEVA so, like all wash days, I started with a really dirty puff and got to werk!
Here's how I created my perfect wash and go using the tgin line from Ulta Beauty:
Step One:
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Since my hair is color-treated, the shampoo I use has to be hydrating yet gentle enough to not strip my color. So I washed my hair with the tgin Rose Water Sulfate-Free Hydrating Shampoo in medium sections with lukewarm water twice. The first thing I noticed was how amazing it smelled and secondly, I noticed how my hair still felt hydrated and it gave a luxurious lather, honey! My hair was super soft after I rinsed it out and my curls were already popping with NO product on it!
Step Two:
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Next, I deep conditioned with the tgin Rose Water Hydrating Mask and was in love! The best part of a mask is its slip which made unclumping tangles super easy. I parted my hair into 6 sections and applied the mask to each section while saturating each section with water to make the product spread evenly. A friendly tip: more water = less product (and more coins in your wallet).
Step Three:
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Then, I placed my hair under a plastic bag (think greenhouse method) and sat under a hair dryer for 15 to 20 minutes so that the hair mask can really penetrate my hair. Moisture is key for natural hair with color!
Step Four:
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
After rinsing out the Hydrating Mask, I followed up with the tgin Rose Water Leave-In Conditioner which seals in moisture and adds shine. Mind you, I haven't done a wash and go in forever so I really had to take my time to detangle section by section while rewetting my hair as needed so that the product distributes evenly. We don't have time for breakage boo.
Step Five:
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Detangling with a wide-tooth comb during this step is better because it cuts down on potentially having to detangle before and after the deep conditioning process. It's easier just to do it when you're about to style your hair and cuts down on breakage which is key to maintaining length retention.
After detangling each section, I applied the Rose Water Curl Setting Mousse for definition and used a Denman brush to further detangle and smooth out my curls. I could already tell this wash and go was about to be lit!
Step Six:
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Next, I allowed my hair to air dry for about an hour, and then while slightly damp, I diffused the ends and then went in with a concentrated nozzle to stretch out my roots (making sure to not mess up my curls). Then I picked out with my PATTERN Hair Pick and was veryyyyy happy with how my hair turned out!
The Final Look:
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Although the quarantine life has me grateful that I don't have to do my hair as often, it has made styling my hair a big ole treat, especially when it turns out bomb! I would definitely try the tgin Rose Water collection again because my hair clearly loved it and my color was still vibrant afterward. I'm so grateful to still be able to celebrate my curls, quarantine or not!
To shop all of my faves from the Ulta Beauty Gorgeous Hair Event, scroll below!
tgin Rose Water Sulfate-Free Hydrating Shampoo (Saturday, Oct. 18 - 50% Off)
Ulta
Regular Price: $14.99
Sale Price:
tgin Rose Water Leave-In Conditioner (Saturday, Oct. 18 - 50% Off)
Ulta
Regular Price: $14.99
Sale Price:
tgin Rose Water Hydrating Mask (Saturday, Oct. 18 - 50% Off)
Ulta
Regular Price: $17.99
Sale Price:
Rose Water Curl Defining Mousse (Saturday, Oct. 18 - 50% Off)
Ulta
Regular Price: $11.99
Sale Price:
Watch the defined wash-n-go on color-treated hair tutorial below:
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Featured image by Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com.
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Kayla Nicole is among xoNecole’s It Girl 100 Class of 2025, powered by SheaMoisture, recognized in the Viral Voices category for her work in media and the trends she sets on our timelines, all while prioritizing her own mental and physical health. As she puts it: “Yes, I’m curating conversations on my podcast The Pre-Game, and cultivating community with my wellness brand Tribe Therepē.”
Despite being the frequent topic of conversation online, Kayla Nicole says she’s learning to take advantage of her growing social media platform without becoming consumed by it. “I refuse to let the internet consume me. It’s supposed to be a resource and tool for connection, so if it becomes anything beyond that I will log out,” she says.
On The Pre-Game, which launched earlier this year, she has positioned herself as listeners “homegirl.” “There’s definitely a delicate dance between being genuine and oversharing, and I’ve had to learn that the hard way. Now I share from a place of reflection, not reaction,” she says. “If it can help someone feel seen or less alone, I’ll talk about it within reason. But I’ve certainly learned to protect parts of my life that I cherish most. I share what serves connection but doesn’t cost me peace.
"I refuse to let the internet consume me. It’s supposed to be a resource and tool for connection, so if it becomes anything beyond that I will log out."
Credit: Malcolm Roberson
Throughout each episode, she sips a cocktail and addresses trending topics (even when they involve herself). It’s a platform the Pepperdine University alumnus has been preparing to have since she graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism, with a concentration in political science.
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Tap into the full It Girl 100 Class of 2025 and meet all the women changing game this year and beyond. See the full list here.
Featured image by Malcolm Roberson
Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
___
Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
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