It's that time again for another round of innovative self-care practices. This time we will take one last look back at 2020 (Bye Felicia), in a lighthearted way, and the products that got me through the horrors of quarantine. From a self-care perspective, I am not the only female that was forced to let go of her beauty rituals. Not only did I have to alter my self-care routines, I had to reinvent them. Due to the constraints of COVID-19, many people lost their jobs and income for some time; many are still struggling. I even had to make significant changes and cutbacks in spending and scale down my lifestyle because my contract gigs were cancelled or rescheduled. These setbacks and social restraints led me to get real creative with my budget. My regular self-care regime involves hair and nails. So I want to talk about the three best beauty and fashion products out there that got me through quarantine.
Let's start with my nails. How many of us pay to go to the nail salon every 2-3 weeks? Raise your hands. My preference has always been gel nails. I go to my usual salon and get my gel manicure and once a month a pedicure. As long as I have the money for it; I will do it until I die. There is a certain psychology about your hands. People notice your hands more often than you think. As a professional, I've noticed when I do public speaking, I use my hands a lot. So to me, it means a lot that my hands look presentable. There is a theory that having clean, well-manicured hands means that you are perceived as more trustworthy; and, if you use your hands to communicate, you are being open and honest. Hmm. Good to know that my caring for my nails is not in vain. After two weeks into the first month of quarantine, I started to research ways to do my own nails and I found a great product that I highly recommend. It's inexpensive and I still use it today: CND Vinylux. This is a long wear top coat that you can put over any nail polish and it will last 5-7 days. Sometimes it will last longer depending on how often you use your hands and how. Repeated hand washing due to COVID can make it difficult. If you are not doing dishes everyday gloveless or giving your kids nightly baths, it may last longer. I've noticed that when I use a high quality nail polish like OPI it will last longer than a week. The brand also makes nail polish but I found that even dollar store nail polish will work with this top coat and they don't have as many colors. This topcoat costs $10.00. I suggest doing two coats and making sure that you coat tips of nails. Excellent product and your nails look salon quality. Also, it's always good to invest in a small manicure kit for nail emergencies; we all have them.
Next, I want to pay special homage to the mighty black leggings. The year 2020 was definitely the year of Zoom meetings. I had a few professional meetings via Zoom or Skype and I didn't feel comfortable clothed only from the waist up. I mean no shame in that game, but I always feel the need to be presentable even if its through a video chat or going to the store. My mom told me a funny story about my brother and his friend’s zoom call with the court. My brother is an attorney. He had to attend a court hearing with his colleague since they both were working the case. My brother, working from home, and his colleague suited up the top half but down below was a different show. My brother had his boxers on and his friend ugly sweatpants. I laughed and now you know our family shame. I just can't be that carefree. I chose to ride out quarantine in black leggings or yoga pants. Black leggings should be in every girl's wardrobe because they are cheap and versatile. You don't have to spend a lot to get the most out of your black leggings. You can do them dressy or chill. The vibe is progressive. My personal preference is if you can afford a good pair of leggings, like Spanx or Yoga pants like Lululemon, than invest because you will get your money's worth. I also have a great pair of leggings I got for $5.00 at Old Navy. You can wear these in many ways.
The pants in the pictures were on sale for about $25.00 at Ann Taylor Loft. I wore my black leggings at home and out running errands during quarantine. I didn't necessarily wear them dressy during quarantine, but it's always a good budget friendly option. The first picture, I chose a dressy look with a cami and sweater blazer. The middle picture, I chose to go casual by adding a v-neck white tee and jean jacket. Day to night; Night to day. The last picture, I chose to wear them with my riding boots and a big sweater. Now that we can get out more, it's a great date night outfit. You can't go wrong with black leggings!
Finally, let's talk hair! My hair is a complicated thing. I have very course, thick hair and stylists either love it or are intimidated by it. I've had hair stylists cut my hair and I would catch them trying to thin it out. I would go into a rage because they were being sneaky and didn't know how to cut such thick wavy hair. So my hair has always been my irritant. One day, I saw a profile picture my friend, with similar woe stories about her hair, posted on social media and I told her, "Your hair looked great." She said she got a blow brush. She explained that it's a brush that blows hot air like a blow dryer but through some sort of magic gives you a miraculous blowout. The important note is not all blow brushes will give you great results. The one that I think is the best is the Revlon Blow Brush. It is absolutely amazing! The cost is around $50.00 or less. My hair is so hard to blow out and I couldn't go get blow outs or see my hairdresser and this was a lifesaver. It literally makes your hair feel like silk no matter what type of hair you have. I usually wear my hair with loose curls because blowouts are long and tiresome. I have so much hair and this tool makes it easier to wear straight. *Tip* Use on low setting only. High may get too hot.
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