Here Are A Few Of My Favorite Things!
SELF CARE DURING COVID-19
Sis, self care and pampering has been exceptionally difficult during Covid-19. I mean let’s be real, everything was shut down for mooooonths! Many of us had to get creative by using ingenuity and YouTube to keep up with our personal grooming that we would have typically outsourced. And though salons and spas have now opened up slowly in most parts of the United States, many of us continue to take precautions and social distance from personal care shops.
Ephesians 5:29 reminds us that “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church”. So, we are empowered by scripture to not only nourish, but cherish our body. Christ loved the church sacrificially, totally, and unconditionally, so likewise, self care may require some sacrifice from us, and certainly grace.
As we discussed in the last post, self care is necessary in order to be able to love others and bring your best to every area of your life. It is critical that you are filled, so you can pour into others. You are worth the sacrifice, time, and commitment. So, even in the midst of a global pandemic, you must ensure that you can still enjoy the personal grooming and pampering that you need to feel cared for and put together.
SELF CARE FROM HOME
Sis, an important part of self care is being able to take care of our hair, nails, skin, and just de-stress. With our inability to get professional services to do these things for us during a significant portion of this year, we’ve had to become the professionals, and do it ourselves. WAWOO! Thank God for YouTube to teach us what we don’t know, and also online shopping to drop it right at our doorsteps.
Both have been my saving grace! I have to admit that I have previous experience doing some of these self pampering items, such as my hair and nails, from home prior to covid; but I am by no means a professional. LOL. Far from it actually. But by trial and error, & putting some time aside for myself I have been able to look and feel pampered throughout the pandemic.
I have many beauty items that have been go-to items during this time, but below I have compiled a list of some of my favorite home self care items that you can also try in order to pamper yourself pretty right from your home.
FAVORITE THINGS: SELF CARE FROM HOME
Bath & Body Works Lavender & Vanilla Pillow Mist (Sleep) - This Pillow Mist is part of Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Collection, Sleep. There were times during the corona virus that I struggled with getting my best sleep due to running such a precarious schedule, and still going to work every day. And as we discussed in our last blog post, sleep is an important component of self care. So I started exploring ways in which I could help myself get better sleep. And I remembered that back in Grad School, I would use this pillow mist all the time. It will not only leave your room smelling amazing, but it aids in a relaxing and easy bedtime experience. And to add to my bedtime routine, I most times use the complimenting body wash as well.
Bath & Body Works Eucalyptus Spearmint Body Oil (Stress Relief) - My absolute favorite is actually the Bath & Body Works Eucalyptus Tea Body Oil -- check your local store for it. This is part of their Aromatherapy Collection, Stress Relief. The natural oils and fragrance truly helps to bring on some stress relief. You can use it as a body oil after your evening shower/bath. And for my married Sisters, it doubles as a great massage oil also. Put your husband’s fingers to good use to assist with your self care.
Back and Neck Massager with Heat (Stress Relief) - One of the ways I love to relieve stress is going for a massage, but Covid-19 ended that. I found this awesome massager that I have been able to gift to some of the ladies in my life. You can use it on your neck, shoulder, back, waist, thighs, and really any part of your body. It’s portable, which is great and it has multiple adjustable levels and also has heat settings. Sometimes you just need to sit and enjoy that kneading filling on the parts of your body that have excess tension; and Sis, this massager definitely does the job!
Facial Face Mask Paper Sheet (Skincare) - With not being able to get to any spas due to the coronavirus, we still want to be able to do some at-home facials ourselves. These at-home masks have been a favorite to try. They are easy to apply and you get a mix of different types in the pack -- from smooth and soften to cleanse and moisturize. It’s a great way to sneak in a little R&R, by putting on your face mask and laying down for a moment with some soft music playing in the background. It’s surprising how great you can feel afterwards when you take a few moments to treat your skin with some care.
Tea Tumbler with Infuser (Hydration) - Speaking of skin, remember how we talked about drinking plenty of water in the last blog post. Well this bottle gives you the opportunity to have some fun with your water. You can use it to have fruit infused water during the day. And the taste of citrus and berries can definitely add some character to your water. But my favorite part about the bottle is that you can drink hot beverages from it as well. As an avid tea drinker, the ability to be able to drink my favorite loose leaf teas from this bottle, while on the go, is an added bonus. It’s a two-for-one; so exciting!
Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds (Exercise) - Team Apple, you all have your Airpods, but as a loyal Team Android member, I have always had a difficult time finding the right earpiece to be my partner on walks and while working out. But during corona, I found these amazing earbuds. They are comfortable and easy to use. I can literally keep them on through a workout and into the shower, while still jamming -- since they are also waterproof. And it’s excellent for phone calls as well. All my Team Android Sisters, you’ve got to get this in your life. And for my Team Apple Sisters who are not a fan of the Airpods, or would like a more economical option, these earbuds are iPhone compatible as well.
Pre-Stretched Braiding Hair (Hair) - Back in the days I used to braid my own hair. Especially when I wanted to save money in undergrad and grad school. I was never a pro, but was able to make do when I needed to. I still occasionally do my own hair, especially when I want to try a new hairstyle. Coronavirus made me embrace all my rusty hair styling skills. LOL. I love single braids as a protective style, so I wanted to put them in during this time. The braiders always pre-stretch the hair to give it a natural look when I get it professionally done, but I by no means have that skill figured out (nor the time -- it’s time consuming). So I was thrilled to find hair that was already pre-stretched. And this one has 8 packs in 1! For my Sisters that love to do Box Braids or Senegales Twist, grab a pack of this hair and give it a go (see braids to the right, after about 4 or 5 weeks). If you are a crochet kind-of-girl, you can use this for a crotchet hairstyle as well. YouTube is our friend! So if you need some tips in doing an easy install you can definitely find a lot of great tutorials on there. You can do it! Give it a try!
Brazilian Afro Kinky Curly Clip In Hair Extensions (Hair) - This was by far one of my favorite hairstyles during coronavirus. I love to do my own sew-in weaves, and these clip-ins gave me the same look in less than half the time. And I love that the hair was my natural texture and also human hair. I cornrowed my own hair with a little bit of leave-out in the front and I was able to clip the hair in 10-20 minutes. You can do this without cornrowing and just clipping right into your hair row-by-row as well. Care for it like you would your natural tresses; I used leave-in conditioner and hair moisturizer in it almost every day (see picture to the left for the finished look). And to get the natural blend, a simple twist out did the job. For my Sisters with straight hair, try out these clip-ins as an alternative for a natural look as well.
Dipping Powder Nail Starter Kit (Nails) - So I’ve always loved doing dipping powder since before the pandemic. So when all the nail salons shut down, I already had all the tools I needed to stay manicured. My favorite starter kit is by Sally Hansen, and I had purchased different color powders from her line over the years. But when corona happened and all the shelves in the stores got wiped out, I found this great new set to add more colors to my collection. I also really like the polishes that come in this set more, as their process to complete the look is simpler than the Sally Hansen set. For the Sis, that’s always on the go, this dries almost immediately, so you don’t have to spend that extra time waiting for it to dry. My pro tip would be to use a thin layer of the polish when you are dipping to allow for a natural look and feel.
Magnetic Eyeliner and Lashes Kit (Beauty) - I’m not a big glam and lash girl all the time. But I do love to spice things up every now and then and during celebratory seasons. With corona lurking, there was no way I could go get my individual lashes applied professionally. And using glue on lashes can be so messy and tricky sometimes. So, I found these awesome magnetic lashes. After doing research to ensure that they were not harmful to the eye and were safe, I purchased a set! I love that there are different lengths and fullness to take you from a natural day look to a dramatic evening look. It’s literally as easy as putting on eyeliner and then sticking them on top. They are easy to care for and are reusable. Give it a try for your next social distance gathering.
THE HEART OF SELF CARE
Remember that self care is a mandate and a commandment from God. We have a responsibility as Chayil Women to be obedient. And from a natural perspective, we know how great we feel when we walk out of the hair salon or the spa. There is usually an extra bounce in our step. Let’s not allow covid to steal that small joy from us. It may seem minor, it may seem superficial; but those are the small acts of kindness to yourself that will pay off in a big way to your body holistically. And that is the heart of self care - showing kindness to yourself.
But those are the small acts of kindness to yourself that will pay off in a big way to your body holistically.
So Sis, my challenge for you this weekend is to pick one or two of your favorite items from the list above, click the hyperlink, and treat yourself! Schedule a pampering session for some at-home care, try them out for yourself, and add a comment below of how you enjoyed that pampering experience. Also, share in the comment section below your favorite at-home self care item that you have been using during this season.
For the purposes of full disclosure, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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