The Science of Survival: The Prickly Pear Cactus and Its Healing Beauty Benefits

 

Timeless Beauty Rituals That Still Inspire Us Today

 

The Beauty of the Ritual

 

Foundations That Stand Up to the Heat

 

Summer has always been one of my favorite seasons, sun drenched long days, golden hour content shoots, Leo (birthday) season and that undeniable glow that only July can bring. But let’s be real: as much as I love the warmth, my skin doesn’t always agree. Between the humidity, sweat, and long hours outside filming or running errands, I’ve been on a never ending quest to find a foundation that can hold its own without slipping off by noon. Over the years, I’ve tested and tried countless formulas, some flopped within minutes of stepping outside, while others surprised me and became year-round staples. I’m sharing the foundations that truly have earned their keep when the heat is relentless in the swelter.

Dewy Skin, Simplified: Your 4-Night Skin Cycling Routine with Glow Recipe

 

Sunscreen: The Beauty Secret You’re Probably Skipping

 

If I had to reveal just one beauty secret, the kind that’s made the biggest difference in my skin’s texture, clarity, and glow, it would be this: wearing sunscreen daily! And yes, I mean every. single. day. Rain or shine, indoors or outside, sunscreen is the real MVP in my skincare routine. Also let´s let go of the old timey thinking that because you’re a person of color, you don’t need sunscreen, that myth has been debunked!

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.

A Menu For Your Skin

Illustrated By Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Most of us know, to have a flawless complexion we need to have a skincare regimen for day and night. For me, it's essential to have a regimented routine especially because many of my family members suffer from adult acne. Sometimes we get lazy and use a makeup wipe or a facial wash without correctly removing the makeup from our skin, been there- done that! Sorry ladies and gents, but in order to have firm and glowing skin we need a little more than a wipe. Here is a menu of skincare needs to incorporate into our day and night skincare routine especially now that that the weather is getting significantly cooler!

Read My Lips

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

As a busy bee, you can most likely find me on the move from one place to another. Because of that I don't often get the joy to discover new makeup products but when I do, I really enjoy the chance mixing up my routine. I am obsessed with makeup, mostly because it gives anyone a chance to enhance their natural beauty and also because it's fun! I tend to focus on lips when it comes to makeup looks, so when Almay reached out with their new metallic lip glosses I was already prepping my lips!

Beauty Bit, Daytime Skincare

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Routines are ever changing, especially when it comes to skincare. Young women and men are always seeking to find that holy grail product that they can't live without, I myself am always on the look out. While I may have a few haircare and makeup products that I absolutely can't live without, my skincare regime changes as often as the season does. Skin is finicky and subject to change without a days notice which is why I'm always having to adjust. My skin, especially during the summer months tends to be on the oilier side which means I have to work on controlling that before anything else. You can't have "poppin" makeup with bad skin so check out what I do to keep the skin at bay.

Beauty Bit, Micellar Waters

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

I've read many beauty articles that claim French women have the best skincare, i've always wondered why that is? Could it be their effortlessly simple makeup routine, or their natural glow from within, dew? I've actually learned recently that their secret weapon of choice is micellar water, this magical water is a skincare game changer and I knew I had to try it out for myself!

Beauty Bit, Fall Skin Redo

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

As the season changes, so does my wardrobe and as my wardrobe changes with the seasons, so does my skin care routine. Colder weather means drier skin, or at least for me it does! With that said, I have to make sure to keep my skin looking and feeling dewy. One of the best ways I work on achieving that goal is by keeping my routine hands free, or mostly hands free which means having an arsenal of brushes and sponges around to keep my face from picking up any unwanted extra oils. When it comes to my makeup routine it's makeup brushes galore (more on that soon!) but for washing my face one face towel just wasn't enough. That's where the Clarisonic Mia 1 comes in!

Beauty Bit, Autumn Rotation

Illustrated By Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Let's be honest, perfect skin is a myth! With everything that we do to try to achieve that perfect glowing, smooth, pore less complexion how can there actually be perfection? For my skin I definitely go through a process. From different types of exfoliators to moisturizers and brushes, don't even get me started on how many different kinds of primers and serums I have, whole other blog post! If ever there were a perfect time to figure out your skincare routine, it would be at the start of a new season! Here's a look at what I've added to my rotation....

How To Fake The Wake

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Admit it, you're busy. It's ok to come to that realization, we all have things to do and things we want to accomplish. Mornings are tough, from avoiding the snooze button to making sure you look somewhat well groomed, you also need to make sure you get out the door on time! Incessant Netflix Originals and Hulu Show marathons, to demanding deadlines and passion projects, it's easy to understand why morning feel like a necessary evil. Unfortunately sleeping starts to feel like a thing of the past as you get older, like an elusive product of a special club that you're not a member of. I do my best to get as much REM sleep in but alas, life gets in the way. Time is precious and that's why I've figured out how to mask the sleeplessness because no one likes to hear, "You look tired!" Here's how I wakey- wakey....

SPF Easy

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

It's no secret that using spf infused products is essential to maintaining great skin for years. For those of you that don't know, too much sun can cause really bad long term problems for your skin. Might as well love the skin you're in and take care of it! As soon as the weather hits a stable 60 degree and sunny temperature I start to switch out my skin care products for other products with spf in it. That also includes body products too. While I like to consider myself a sun worshipper, I also make sure to know all the facts about too much sun. As you know, the sun causes pigmentation wrinkles, skin cancer, all of that is enough to send me running to my local department store for some adjustments to my skincare! I've been adding this special ingredient to my beauty ritual for years, yes my product rotation has greatly changed but my views on skincare are greatly cemented into my brain, thanks mom! Take a look at my current rotation!