The Beauty & Wellness Devices I Still Use (And Actually Swear By)

 

A Vegan Mucin Game Saver

 

All designs by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

There are moments in your skincare journey when everything just clicks, when your routine stops feeling like a rotation of random products, and it just starts working like a system. For me, that shift happened when I started focusing on my skin's barrier health, hydration, and intentional layering. Instead of chasing trends, I began building a routine that adapts to what my skin actually needs. And somewhere in that process, ONE product quietly became the foundation of it all: Glow Recipe Prickly Pear Cactus Mucin Serum!

Why One Cleanse Was Never Enough, and How My Skin Told Me

 

My Favorite Beauty & Skincare Finds of 2025

All graphics by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

 

2025 quietly cured me of my beauty product hoarding habit and honestly, I didn’t see that coming. I’ve always loved the ritual of trying something new: the promise of glow, the thrill of a fresh tube, the belief that this product might be the one! Butttttt somewhere between half-used serums crowding my shelf and blushes bought purely on vibes, I hit a mental wall. I didn’t want more steps, more clutter, or more “miracle” claims. I wanted products that could keep up with my real life, the rushed mornings, the late nights, the days where self care needed to be efficient but still feel indulgent. Beauty stopped being about the chase and started feeling more like a relationship: something built on trust, consistency, and small moments of pleasure. The products that stood out this year weren’t loud or flashy. They didn’t beg for attention. They just worked quietly, reliably, and in a way that made my routines feel intentional instead of overwhelming. These are the ones that earned their place by showing up, day after day, exactly when I needed them!

Winter Arc Body Care Routine

All Graphics by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

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

 

Hydration vs. Clarifying Shampoo: Which One Are You In Need of?

I’ll never forget the first time I realized my hair needed different kinds of care depending on the day. On one wash day, I reached for a co-washing conditioner (I used to wash my hair/scalp with conditioner….never again), hoping it would revive my dry curls after a week of protective styling, only to find that no matter how much conditioner I used afterward, my hair still felt heavy and dull. A few days later, I switched to a clarifying shampoo, and suddenly my curls bounced back, soft, defined, and full of life! That’s when it clicked: my natural coily hair doesn’t just need moisture, it also needs balance. Learning when to reach for hydration versus when to hit reset with a clarifying formula completely transformed my routine, and Pattern Beauty’s Hydration Shampoo and Clarifying Shampoo have become my go-to duo for keeping my coils thriving! Both are essentials for a healthy wash routine, but knowing when to use which can make all the difference in how your coils thrive.

Timeless Beauty Rituals That Still Inspire Us Today

 

Your Summer Lip Wardrobe: My Favorite Balms & Oils for a Hydrated Glow

 

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

 

My Favorite Perfumes for Spring/Summer 2025

 

Coils, Curls & Care with Pattern Beauty

 

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!

My Body Contouring Experience

 

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Working in the fitness industry, there's a lot of pride and also timidness that goes with it. On one hand, you're prideful for the knowledge and experience you have a trainer/ instructor to teach your clients how to achieve their "dream" bodies. Then on the other hand, you start to criticize yourself for not having achieved the body that you're "dream" body. As someone who's been in the fitness industry since 2015, one fitness figure competition and teaching various group fitness classes, I still pick myself a part. I know I suffer from body dysmorphia, I work on it every single day by how I train myself, how I eat and how I speak and think of myself and I speak that into existence with my clients. When I learned about body contouring, I was intrigued and yet very skeptical. I thought, "there's no way that you can get the results of liposuction without going under the knife?!" Or is there?

Glow Getter

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

The beginning of the year has a way with reminding us to reset and refresh. This time of year can be invigorating—a time when you think anything is possible and you have some momentum and inspiration to really go for it. As you focus on big goals like maybe finishing a new passion project, learning a new language or discovering a new hobby, there is something you can do to face this fresh new perspective with a little extra pizzazz, get a fresh new face (by boosting the one you already have that is)! After all you have to put your best face forward. Just like makeup, a good skincare routine can enhance your features and best part is you can integrate glowing additions without having to go to a spa or break your budget.

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.

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!

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. 

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!"