As the world turns, we must keep styling and profiling - no matter where we are working. The first three months of 2020 have been trying. But like the lit black women we are, we will continue to believe that greater is coming, and we will make it through. We always do. I mean, our ancestors conquered worse.
Many of us have been encouraged or forced to work from home. No matter the circumstance, it's a privilege. It may seem like it's the perfect time to chill and relax, but it is essential to continue to be productive. When working from home, some things to keep in mind include:
- Keep a consistent routine.
- Time management is important.
- Schedule breaks.
- Listen to your body.
- Stay positive.
- To-do lists are your best friend.
- When using Zoom to video conference, try out the "Touch Up My Appearance" filter.
xoNecole/Instagram
We want you to have a divine work from home space and routine that includes showing up in modish outfits that are both comfortable and stylish. Some will say that dressing up to work from home is silly, but there's a way to choose uncomplicated lewks. Most of all, we want to differentiate what we wear to work and what we wear to bed because it helps our brain understand when to be productive and when to lounge.
Ahead, find getups seen on some of our favorite style innovators that are attainable when working from home.
Want more stories like this? Sign up for our weekly newsletter here to receive our latest articles and news straight to your inbox.
Featured image courtesy of @monroesteele/Instagram
- Make Your Home Sacred Space Productivity - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›
- What To Wear To The Office - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›
- Work from Home: The Clothing You Need Now | Nordstrom ›
- 5 Work From Home Outfits That are Comfortable and Chic | Vogue ›
- What to Wear When You Work From Home, According to Editors ... ›
- 9 stylish work-from-home outfits that will inspire you to actually get ... ›
- The 5 Best Work-From-Home Outfit Ideas—and What to Avoid | Who ... ›
RELATED
During the Los Angeles tour stop, which spanned three dates on May 21, May 23, with the finale on May 24, xoNecole had the opportunity to test out the glosses included in this soft launch, as SZA revealed in a statement that "this is just the start of other lip products, including plans to launch stains, liners, and creams all inspired by SZA's “infamous layered lip combinations.”
Courtesy
So, what is included in the first Not Beauty launch?
The current Not Beauty products available are lip glosses that come in three shades: In the Flesh, Strawberry Jelly, and Quartz.
During my visit to the first LA Not Beauty pop-up activation, I not only had the chance to purchase all three glosses but also took a peek inside the blow-up log tent. Inside, fans got to experience SZA’s love for nature and her fascination with bugs, which are prominently featured in her performances for this tour. At one point, she even had human preying mantis prancing across the stage y'all.
There were blow-up photos of the beauty that is SZA for fans (myself included) to take photos, but in wooden-like tree trunks were a deeper dive into some of the ingredients featured in her products and their benefits.
For example, the glosses feature Hi-Shine Lip Jelly and Shea Butter as key ingredients and some of the listed benefits included are:
- Shea Butter - “A powerhouse ingredient, offering both functional and nourishing benefits.”
- Hi-Shine Lip Jelly (featured in the In the Flesh shade) - “Formula glides on with perfect adhesion to the lips without stickiness).
Courtesy
What are in the products?
Featured in an orange package, with images of a bug and flower on the side, the back of the box reads: “It’s NOT BEAUTY, it just works. Developed by Solána “SZA” Rowe.
As someone who never leaves home without a good lip gloss, I loved how compact the wood panel packaging is. Perfect to slip into my purse, or in the case of the show at SoFi Stadium, into my pocket when I’m not carrying a bag.
Because I’m a sucker for a good black and brown lip liner and clear gloss combo, I decided to wear the Quartz flavor on night one of the Grand National Tour LA stop, and it did not disappoint. I’ll admit, it’s light weight feel made me nervous because it felt like there was nothing on my lips. However, when I checked my lips in my compact mirror several times throughout the night, I was shocked to find that my gloss was still intact. I only reapplied once out of the habit of looking cute and applying my gloss, but not necessity.
Here are some of the ingredients featured, but not limited to, in the Quartz flavor.
- Polyisoubutene
- Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea)Butter
- Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
- Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
- Tocopherol
Courtesy
Lip prep
I’m a simple girl who loves to stay true to her roots. So ahead of the show, I stopped by a local Inglewood Beauty Supply store and grabbed a Black and Brown shade lip pencil for just under $2 a piece.
Shading the outline of my lips with the black pencil first, I used the brown to lightly fill the inside of my lips before applying my Quartz Not Beauty shade gloss.
How to apply
There’s truly no right or wrong way to apply lip gloss (in my opinion), with this being a brush applicator sort of product, I simply untwisted the top and swiped the gloss around my top and bottom lip generously.
Courtesy
Results
Again, my Not Beauty Quartz product stayed on my lips from the start of the show, which began with a fire DJ set from LA’s very own, Mustard, to the conclusion when Kendrick and SZA reunited on stage to send us home to their duet, “luther,” featured on the rapper's GNX album.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image courtesy
