So for the past 3 months we all were probably stuffing our faces with popcorn or chips, or popcorn and chips, while switching between Twitter, the Gram, and TikTok – while stressed eye scrolling hunted down any new coronavirus update.  I don’t think I ever watched CNN so much in my life-and the worst part is-I became addicted.  It wasn’t until about 2 months in that I had to get a grip and stop being so obsessed with hearing the news non-stop.  I clearly remember looking in the mirror and saying self, there are better alternatives to watching COVID updates all day long.

Surprisingly, quarantining didn’t phase me because I’m a straight-up home body-LOL.  So I was good and if I needed a breath of fresh air, well, there was always my Lanai.  I tell you, those trips to the Supermarket got tired really fast because I felt like I was literally a Chef-but this unfortunately resulted in me not enjoying cooking anymore.  Why, because I wasn’t cooking for pleasure anymore.  Maintaining a six-foot distance, and the combo of wearing a mask while fogging up my glasses presented quite the ordeal. I must say that I welcomed every remedy for keeping this virus at “Bay”.  What I did know of based on my Caribbean roots was the benefits of drinking ginger tea and  lemon daily.  I tell you, the paranoia is still real because you could literally be a walking carrier and not even know it.  So keeping our lungs healthy, and abnormal numbers of hand washing became and still is relevant to fighting off COVID-19.

Washing hands (with 50 shades of soap and water) was the most critical component to help curtail contamination, along with drenching them with hand sanitizer as soon as you leave a store or finish pumping gas-yes, it was and still is our new normal.  What was my only reprieve from all this? Well since our essential caregivers were no longer open for business, it was time to perfect my craft in caring for my skin, and hair, and nails.  Thank goodness the skincare routine wasn’t new to me, and actually, I have been doing my own hair for the past 10 years now.  But, it became really daunting when your options were taken away. So, many of us were looking pretty disheveled to say the least.  I think even my puppy at one point was like “Harpo, where is my Mama” because there was no makeup, no wig, no lashes, no nails done-thank goodness I still smelled the same so she could recognize me that way. Tha struggle was REAL!

If you didn’t have a basic skin care regimen all along (I’m pretty sure everyone has one now) you were definitely in for a rude awakening.  However, the best part was allowing yourself to just escape for a bit from what our lives had become.  Pampering, even if it wasn’t received in a salon was indeed necessary and actually felt really good even if it was being self-administered. While discovering that frequent hand washing totally dried out your skin (no surprise there), wearing masks for longer periods started to be unpleasant because it meant having materials rub against your cheek and mouth area on a regular.  This may have caused some irritation so exfoliating and moisturizing daily was even more necessary now. Not to mention as the summer got here, you became overheated really quick with your nose and mouth covered. Being cute also wasn’t a priority as the lipstick game was on hiatus because why bother-your lips were covered anyway.  But, the gram kept us entertained with the flood of #at-home nail and hair makeovers.  What was the lesson learned here?  Many didn’t realize that they were really pretty stellar at doing these services on themselves at home.  In fact,  we may not need to go to the salons that frequently after this pandemic-NOT. Well, it was just a thought.

I’ve come a long way since the shift in the world’s paradigm. Number one, you can reshape the world and save a life by staying at home, and doing nothing but washing your hands. Secondly, I avidly want to love on and feel my face more than pretty much anything else in life. Not forgetting the tension, skincare routines can provide much-needed distraction and fickleness. Women beating their face with makeup or dressing to the nine’s were always being judged. But with this lock-down, less interactions with the world and the social pressures that come with it may just have been what we really needed. So, if you dared not to leave your house without makeup before, and be seen in your sweats everyday both inside and out of the house, you totally embraced it now.

For me, in its own way, self-quarantining  has made me much more confident in an unexpected way. I won’t say that I won’t ever wear makeup again, because it’s a love of mine.  However, this  experience has shown me that going outdoors without makeup is ok too. Can I get an amen? 

COVID has also emphasized that caring for self is pivotal as it should be, and that being self- sufficient is necessary. We live in a world that allows us to be very spoiled and think that not having means we lack keeping up with the Joneses. What a lesson learned! What better time to show your self some extra loving.  When is comes to skincare, start with a simple facial cleansing and use tools like a Facial Cleansing Brush that removes dead skin cells and increase collagen.  Moisturize, and use serums that leave you free of blemishes, and keeps your skin hydrated, and supple to the touch.  Other skincare must-haves includes, sunscreen, Vitamin C, essential oils, and drinking water regularly. The best part is, I no longer don’t have the time to treat my journey with #hyperpigmentation.  I have sufficient time to observe the actual benefits and am LOVING IT.  Alright Beauties, no excuses!

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Be safe y’all!

“Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you”