Formulating Hair Regime

Illustrations by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

It's been quite some time since i've talked about my hair care routine! Many things have changed, from swapping out this product with that product or treating my hair differently. The one thing that has been constant is my hair's health and strength. Last time I talked about my hair care routine was when I introduced Belle Bar Organics products, in March! Still using a lot of their products but i've been experimenting with more ingredients lately. My hair seems to fare better with a little bit of silicones in it's life, I know all of the strictly "curly girl method-ers" are going to be at me for that! But that is something you learn along the way, not every head reacts to the same products/ ingredients.

My Most Loved Gym Essentials, Right Now

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

I’ve been a regular gym frequenter for a few years now and i would say that recently I’ve finally fallen back into a good routine with it. I’m quite particular with what I use and wear to the gym and I’m always so interested in what other people use to make their workouts even better as it’s something that is so personal to each of us. In 2015 I earned my CPT through the International Sports Sciences Association to help empower and motivate others with fitness! While training people, full time has it's ups and downs, right now, my main focus is what works for me, my workouts and wellness. 

As someone who frequents the gym, I have built quite a workout routine with essentials that I take with me all the time to and from the gym. Check them out! 

Travelling While Natural

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

We should be so blessed to be able to get out there and explore other cultures and immerse ourselves in it. To travel and worry about your hair though, that's not enjoyable! Been there, done that. Whenever I've travelled in the past, I just kept my hair twists and updos and while that was cute back then, I yearn for something more "grown & sexy" (insert crying/ laughing emoji) for my new adventures! I'm trying to push myself away from protective styling as a habit and only concern myself with it on lazy days. I get too comfortable and leave my hair in a bun or twists for days! I'm planning some exciting trips ahead and I know I'm not bunning it! Here are a few tips for travelling while natural because hair should never get in the way of excitement!

Greenify- ing My Home

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

I have always wanted a garden, but having an actual garden, outdoors sort of intimidated me of starting one from scratch. Luckily there's lots of research out there for the budding green thumb and other options such as houseplants! I have settled with creating an urban jungle in my home, happily! Plants in the privacy of  my home help me build my confidence and technique, but where do you start? Which plants will survive in my care? After thorough research, I figured out what would work in my home.

Sundress Season

Photos by Jeff Davis 

First and foremost, apologies for the lack of posts! Between stress, building a business, working 9-5 and trying to decorate my home, all I want to do is sleep!!!! As much as I love my job, I've been thinking of ways to create a passive income because I believe it's important to keep an extra layer of security and of course for various life goals. I'll talk more on that in other post, aside from that the weather lately has been quite insane. What is there to do when the weather reads between 100- 110 degrees fahrenheit?! My answer: wear comfortable clothing.

To Straighten or Not To Straighten?

Illustrated By Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Every once in a while, I want to show off a new look because let’s face it: the shrinkage is real and wash and go's get boring. However, straightening my natural hair has always been a touchy subject since putting any sort of heat on it is usually a major no-no. I've experienced heat damage before, where a few of my curls wouldn't curl like the rest. I eventually trimmed it off but it was a learning lesson in what my hair could and could not take. Preventing heat damage and growing healthy hair is a big reason many women transition their tresses to natural, myself included.

As someone who has worn her hair mostly straight throughout my childhood, it feels great to rock my kinky hair in all it's natural glory. I feel a new found confidence! There is always the longstanding debate about whether straight hair is inherently "better," especially in communities of color. You don't even want to know the reactions I get when I walk into a salon and request a blow out!

Politics aside, there's no shame in switching it up (at the end of the day, it’s your hair). Whatever look you choose, just make sure you're tracking the health of your hair and understanding what works best to avoid damage in the long run. Here are a few of my best tips to straightening your kinky crown....

Beauty Bit, Self Care

Illustrated By Jacqueline Davis Moranti

A question I ask myself a lot lately is what is self- care? Is it purely just taking yourself to the spa for a massage and mani- pedi? Is it going to the hair dresser for a new cut or style? Is self- care simply just a shopping spree at your favorite mall? Something my friends, and family would ask me many times is how I was doing, and I genuinely didn't have answer. It has been quite frustrating because knowing exactly who you are, what you feel, and what your body needs all seem like things that should come to you naturally. You are, if anything, the main expert of you. But in all honesty, do any of us know exactly what we need at any given moment? Knowing yourself requires a lot of hard work. Think about it, the amount of sleep, plus physical activity, plus protein, and all the sorts of things you actually need (or need to put up with) depends on your individual lifestyle, add in any health conditions you might have, and your simple personal preferences. That's a surprisingly large amount of stuff that does take some work to pay attention to—and many of us aren't used to do doing that especially me! In the end I know it 's all worth it, because knowing exactly what your mind and physical body will react to, both negative and positive is crucial to reach whatever goals you have set in place. 

To achieve that, I've been swapping out my usual morning routine for self- care practices. 

Musical Notes

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Let me start off by saying apologies for the lack in updating the past few months. I've been keeping myself pretty low key and focused. My SO and I have been busy moving into our first home and furnishing it. From new living room pieces to beautiful new, modern appliances. I've even discovered a new hobby of mine aside from interior decorating, plants! With all this movement and excitement, I've been using music as a form of entertainment, preoccupation and a soundtrack to all my thoughts.

Mothers

Illustrated By Jacqueline Davis Moranti 

It hasn't been until recently that I started realizing how important family is. For me as a woman of South American descent, most of my family unfortunately do not live in the same country. As a kid I always wondered why my family's reunions were always so small and then going to friends' family reunions were such a big difference. Growing up in the Dominican culture taught me a lot, especially about mothers. As I've grown older, I've come to understand my mother so much more and vice versa. The way a family grows stronger with time, it is a beautiful way of blooming. My mother is inevitably getting older, even though her spirit is so young that she may seem not much older than myself! I know time flies and I want to make the most of the time that I have with her, she is in fact, my favorite person. And I owe so much of who I am to her. As an adult, I want to give her everything. Even more than what she has given me. Because she definitely deserves it. My family life is a unique experience, and I feel blessed to say that it is mine.

Spring Cleaning

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Winter is finally looking like it's coming to an end, the days are longer, the layers are lighter and i'm sneezing a little bit more! With the dawn of the new spring season comes the daunting task to 'spring clean' and not just your wardrobe but also skin/ hair routine. As a naturally kinky/ coily haired woman, switching up my routine can be quite overwhelming because you don't quite know what to expect since naturally textured hair can have a mind of it's own! Honestly, having coily hair is a lot of work, not even going to lie! Additionally, the fact that people tend to take women of color less seriously when their hair isn’t "maintained" and there you have a nice cocktail of social, societal, and personal pressures to look "decent" at all times. Even today, in 2019, hair is still constantly politicized, which is ridiculous to say the least, but at the same time, we don’t really have a choice but to take good care of our hair because of how different it is. Hair routines are a big part of being a WOC since our hair is part of our identity. You have to take care of your waves, kinks, and curls. And adjusting your hair care routine for the season is just as equally important. This season I'm taking it a bit further by trying to stick to all natural products for my hair, for which i'm secretly telling myself, "Buckle up, cuz this venture is going to be a long ride!"

Pink Is Not Cancelled

Photos by Derrick Hogue

As we all know by now, Living Coral was named the Pantone color of the year. And honestly i'm not impressed with that one! That’s not to say that the luminous pastels and bright neons are going anywhere. In fact, if fashion week’s recent runway shows and this years’ red carpet looks are any indication, colors like marigold, fiery reds, bold blues, and vibrant pink will be on everyone’s style radar. Pink is and will always be my forever color, it's feminine, chic, modern, playful, and undeniably a strong stand out color! For me pink is the color of women independence, and it's no surprise that it's a popular color for the month of March!

Sleep Or Bust

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Lately I feel like i've been hearing a lot of talk about "circadian rhythms." Probably because half of America barely get's the adequate amount of sleep, including myself. At best, I usually bank on 6 steady hours of sleep before my body decides to wake me up before the alarm goes off. Sleep experts say that we need no more and no less than 8 consecutive hours of sleep to feel energized, accomplish our goals, go for gold, etcetera. But sleeping is much harder than that! With the LED screens that we're constantly staring at, all the work to be done, who actually sleeps?! There are essentially 5 stages of sleep, but what happens to our bodies and minds when we go to sleep? The most important stage being REM.

Hair Care Lately

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

I may be biased in saying this, but I believe curly/ kinky/ coily hair is the best hair! As a member of this hair group community, I think highly textured hair is where the party is. However, as many curly and coily haired gals can attest, maintenance can be brutal. Using countless products that do nothing, going on an endless search for that holy grail product, battling frizz and buildup, and hairstyles that just don't work. Sometimes changing your routine can feel daunting but the benefit is that it can revamp those dull hair days and keep your wild mane looking glamorous and frizzless. Keep reading to find out my latest hair care routine!

Fit Style Destination

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

As a fitness buff, I tend to wear more workout gear than "normal" clothes. Between working out and just working, it's hard for me to get properly dressed and honestly care to get dressed. Therefore, I tend to be "that" girl in the friend group! When I stumbled upon Carbon38, a site that caters to fashion forward women who love athletic gear, I was in heaven!

New Year, New Motivation

Photos by Derrick Hogue 

With the new year ahead of us, and the holidays behind, it's time to focus on yourself. Let 2019 be the year of a healthier lifestyle. Winter can be brutal, but playing catch up on your fitness routine is even worse come spring time! If we're anything like our furry friends, we tend to eat a little extra and pack on the pounds a bit, to stay warm until the warmer seasons. It's understandably scientifically  natural, but it's also imperative that we don't burrow into a cave, aka the couch, and get our bodies moving! Believe me, I understand the logic of not wanting to "suffer" in the cold or feel the least bit of the wintery air upon our skin, thankfully there are options to keep yourself warm and stylish throughout winter!

Personal Essay #14

Illustrated By Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Change is hard. It doesn't matter how adventurous you are or how "ready" you think you are for it. It's always challenging especially once you notice it begin to happen. I truly believe we all desperately want change and then when it happens we freak TF out and start to back pedal because maybe somewhere deep down inside, we didn't think it was actually ever going to happen. Or maybe we just like to complain all the time and blame external forces for the situations we have become complacent in.

Hello 2019

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Here we are, smack dab into the new year of 2019. I couldn't be much happier that it's a new year, I have a lot of high expectations but only because 2018 was an interesting year. There were some lows, there were some highs, but after getting through the deeply emotional stuff, i'm much stronger now. I feel much more free with my feelings and mind coming into this new year, even though I got here with a few struggles and tears in tow because of reasons too personal to speak about in detail here. I'm happy to have gotten through them by being focused and in control of my own pursuit of happiness. My own happiness. The most important strength I have gained this year, is having control over what influences me from the outside. Not everyone around you is going to be a positive influence, thats just reality. There is anxiety, stress, frustrations, and judgements all within us all the time, unconsciously. Difference is in how we reflect these things on the outside, how we interpret them, and how we work to turn them around. This past year, I learned the hard way. It was difficult but it was also the best way for me, controlling my emotions through the tough situations. And if I couldn't control a situation coming at me from the outside, then it was is best for me to walk away or move on from the things that felt negative for me. Maturing is learning when drama is not needed in ones life, harping on negativity is never worth mulling over.