How to Protect Yourself This Flu Season

'Sponsored by The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' 

Getting the flu vaccine this season will help protect you and your family from the flu. It's essential to protect yourself during this pandemic. I will never forget when the flu put me in the hospital when I was a kid. We were on vacation in San Francisco, and I got the flu so bad I needed an IV, and I puked in a stairwell somewhere in a parking lot. Needless to say, I spent 90% of that trip in bed and in the hospital. I need to go back as an adult and truly experience San Fran, but I would recommend getting vaccinated before you do!

The flu is very serious.

Between COVID-19 and the flu, they were the worst viruses I've ever had. After my trip, I made sure to get vaccinated per my doctor's recommendation to help protect myself since I am someone who struggles with an autoimmune disease. Here are some Flu Facts to put things into perspective:

• There were 952 (147 pediatric, 805 adult) flu-related hospitalizations reported for the 2019-20 flu season. (Source)
• This included six pediatric flu-related deaths in Michigan for 2019-20. (Source)
• Nationally, 187 flu-related pediatric deaths were reported for the 2019-20 flu season. (Source)

The flu vaccination prevents an estimated 4.4 million influenza-related illnesses and helps keep over 58,000 people out of the hospital each year.

The best way to protect against the flu is to get a flu vaccine every flu season. Here are some ways I keep myself healthy during cold and flu season: 

Vitamin D: 

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that works to strengthen the immune system and reduces your risk of colds and flu. Vitamin D is especially essential for people of color. "Melanin, which causes skin pigmentation, lowers the skin's ability to make vitamin D in response to sunlight exposure. Some studies show that older adults with darker skin are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency." (Source WebMD) It's especially essential during the winter to take vitamin D since we live in Michigan and have limited sun exposure in the cold winter months. I take 5000IUD as recommended by my doctor. 

Vitamin C:

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that supports cellular function and helps the immune system fight off infection. I like to take Liposomal vitamin c for increased absorption and bioavailability. Pure Encapsulations is one of my go-to brands for vitamin C and many other supplements. 

Stay Hydrated: 

I never remember to drink water, and my body hates me for it. I always feel better when my body is fully hydrated, so make sure you drink enough water for your body. I shoot for a gallon a day. If you hate the taste of water, try adding Liquid IV to enhance the taste and add some additional electrolytes. 

Probiotics: 

I take a probiotic every day to keep my gut in check. So many health issues stem from your gut being imbalanced. Taking a probiotic will help balance and restore your gut and, in turn, boost your immune system all year round! I take Seed Probiotics every day. 

To learn more about the Flu vaccine, head to the MDHHS website for more information.

What It’s Like Having COVID-19 and What Helped Me Through It

Sponsored by The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services 

I get so many questions about my COVID -19 experience, and lately, I've had many people asking how it started and how I got through it, so I figured I would outline my symptom timeline and some things that helped me feel better. Let’s #SpreadHopeNotCOVID! 

Looking back, I started to show symptoms on a Sunday. I was having trouble breathing, but I thought it was just allergies. Little did I know it would be downhill from there. I have an autoimmune disease, I am at risk, so if you are at risk or worried about contracting COVID-19, I hope sharing my story can help you!

Monday, I woke up and wasn't feeling myself, but I still went to work again, just thinking I was having some sinus issues because of my allergies. As I walked into the building I started to feel worse by the minute. I wasn't in the building an hour before I told my boss I needed to go home because I was starting to feel sick to my stomach. On the drive home, I ended up vomiting on the highway all over my car (let's not talk about the cleaning bill). I had to pull over on the side of the road and I'm honestly surprised I made it home. From then on out, I was bedridden for 3 days. Thankfully the vomiting only lasted a day, but it moved to diarrhea shortly after.      I couldn't eat, and I couldn't even lift my head to watch TV or move out of bed. It was the sickest I've been in forever. 

The only things that got me through the first 3 days were white & blue Gatorade, saltine crackers, bone broth, and my mom calling to check on me every 5 minutes.  

The exhaustion from having COVID lasted for 2-3 weeks after my symptoms started. I didn't have the energy to do anything, and luckily that was when the lockdown first started so I didn't need to go back into the office. It was important to stay hydrated and get lots of rest during that time. 

I called my doctor to see if I had COVID and to get a COVID test but since this was back in March and we didn't have enough information on the virus and they told me it sounded like I had a stomach bug so I should stay at home. Now looking back I definitely had COVID -19 since we now know more, 9 months into this pandemic. 

Now that I've had COVID-19, I understand the importance of wearing your mask. Masking up and continuing to stay 6 feet from others are our best chances to avoid bringing the virus home. While there are a lot of things we can’t do right now, there are still a lot of important things we can do! Continue to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer if a sink isn’t available. Cover your mouth or nose when you cough or sneeze, as these can spray droplets up to 27 feet. Scientists and doctors agree wearing a mask can help reduce the spread by 70%. I'll continue to do my part and wear my mask for as long as needed to keep businesses open and help keep myself and others protected during this global pandemic. 

Stopping COVID-19 may be as simple as picking up the phone. I know getting a positive result can be scary, but it’s important to share that information as soon as possible with those you have come into contact with. To stop the spread of COVID-19, Michiganders must work together, and contact tracing plays a critical role. Contact tracing is the process of contacting everyone in Michigan who has had contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19. If you get a call from 866-806-3447, MI COVID HELP or your local health department, please answer and give any information that could help keep your community safe.

Have you had COVID-19 and if so, what were your symptoms?  

Sephora Holiday Sale Recommendations 2020

 

Why I wear a Mask (Plus Tips to Avoid & Treat Mask Acne)

 Sponsored by The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

This year has been a whirlwind to say the least. I had COVID-19 in March and it was not fun. I was in bed for almost two weeks and it was the worst virus I've had in my 30 years of life. With that being said, I refuse to live in fear, which is why I choose to wear a mask. I have an autoimmune disease, so I understand the importance of wearing a mask to protect myself and the people around me. I have a lot of immunocompromised friends and family, which is why I mask up. We cannot afford to go backward. I'm partnering with The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for the Spread Hope, Not COVID campaign to encourage you to wear your mask and social distance to help slow the spread of COVID-19. 

Scientists say wearing a mask decreases the spread by at least 70%... That’s crazy! Not only am I wearing a mask when I’m out and about, but I’m maintaining at least 6 feet of distance from others who aren’t in my household. Everyone has droplets in their coughs and sneezes. Droplets also spread when we talk or raise our voice. These droplets can carry COVID-19 to other people. Those coughs spray droplets at least 6 feet. Sneezes travel as far as 27 feet. These droplets can land on your face or in your mouth, eyes and nose. Make sure you cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or upper sleeve. Let’s #SpreadHopeNotCOVID! 

Maskne Issues

With this being the 9th month of this pandemic, I've unfortunately struggled with “maskne,” acne caused by something constantly touching your face (like a mask). It’s vital to wear a mask when out and about, as 40% of those with COVID are asymptomatic. That means one out of every two people with COVID are spreading it without even knowing it! Wearing your mask doesn’t have to come at a cost. I know many of you have struggled with the same thing, so I'm going to share a few tips and tricks I've found to combat those pesky pimples.

Wash Your Mask

If you aren't washing your mask, what are you doing? I know it's hard to remember to wash your mask when you keep it in your car, but I always keep at least two masks in the car, one in my purse and one in my gym bag. If I workout or wear makeup while wearing my mask, I ALWAYS wash it right after. I purchased a pack of cute masks from Kitsch. I highly recommend wearing a reusable mask if you’re able to. It's better for the environment! They have the cutest masks, and they come in a pack of three! I would recommend getting a mask for every day of the week and on Sunday, just throw them in a laundry bag and wash them with your regular laundry or hand wash them with your regular acne face wash if you have sensitive skin.

Avoid Touching Your Face

I know it's hard to not fiddle with your mask. They can be irritating, but you should avoid touching your face regardless of the mask. If you're struggling with acne, adding more bacteria onto your face will just cause more problems and put you more at risk of getting sick. Touching your mask can actually increase your risk of getting COVID-19 if your hands aren’t clean. Always remember to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water aren’t available, use hand sanitizer until you can get to a sink to wash up. You should also avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, nose and mouth to prevent the spread of bacteria. 

Limit Makeup

Ok, I know this sounds weird coming from me, the makeup queen, but if you can avoid wearing makeup while wearing a mask, it will help breakouts. I like applying eye makeup and a little concealer when I want to feel fancy for a nice night out at the grocery store LOL. But in all seriousness, the mask is great for hiding imperfections and acne treatments! I go out with pimple patches and masks on all the time, and who would know? Especially at a six-foot distance. It’s important to stay at least six feet away from others who aren’t in your household, as droplets from a cough or sneeze, or even someone talking, can travel that distance easily. Just skip the makeup altogether! You don't need it!

Wash Your Face!! 

If you wear a mask every day, but you don't wash your face every day, you're just asking for problems! Especially if you struggle with acne like me. You want to always wash your face after wearing a mask. I like to use a glycolic face wash, and if I can't wash my face right after a workout or wearing my mask for a few hours, you can use a salicylic acid spray and spray it on your face and mask to help keep pimples away (I got that tip from Dr. Pimple Popper)!

Treatment 

Now is a perfect time to simplify your skincare routine. I've simplified my routine so much during quarantine, and it made all the difference in how my skin looks! I'll do another post on my routine, but the one thing that's really helped with my acne has been adding retinol into my routine every day. I love the Differin gel for a good affordable retinoid that's great for acne-prone skin.

For more information about preventing the spread of COVID-19, please visit the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services website. And remember to Spread Hope, Not COVID!

My Curly Hair Routine

If you want to know how I style my 3B curls, you're in the right place! 

My hair went through a rough patch recently, and I'm not sure if it had anything to do with the Deva curl debacle, but I guess we'll never know! I did what everyone questioning Devacurl should do, and I threw all my products in a bag and stopped using them until we know what's happening. Those products are too expensive to risk your hair falling out people! So since I can't use Deva curl anymore, I needed to find a new routine, and luckily I discovered so many amazing and affordable new brands and products to try! 

Watch My Curly Hair Routine Here

Shower: I like to keep my shower routine simple. I use the Not Your Mothers Curl Talk Scalp Care Cleansing Oil first to remove any dirt and buildup from my hair and scalp. Then I follow up with either a conditioner or a deep conditioning mask. I've been enjoying the Cantu TXTR Conditioner, and the Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Deep Conditioner.

Style: I've downsized my styling routine. I used to use a lot of products, and now I make it short. I start with curl cream. I work that through my hair section by section. I usually section my hair into 4 sections once I've parted my hair. The curl creams I love are the Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Defining Cream, Shea moisture Yuca and Plantain Styling Milk & my current favorite is the Aveda Curl Enhancer. To lock in the style, I use my tried and true the Shea Moisture Daily Hydration Gel. If I need some additional definition on humid days, I will use the Curly Blueberry Bliss Gel.

Dry: For added volume, I use the IGK first class dry shampoo after I diffuse using the Dyson Blowdryer. This is a trick I learned from Bianca Renee Today, and I'm obsessed with how it makes my hair look! Once my hair is completely dry, I'll go in and spray the dry shampoo on my roots and work it in for some added volume. My hair can fall flat at the roots, and this added step is exactly what my hair needed!!

Shop All Products Mentioned Below:

Sephora Summer Bonus Event - 20% off!

So we all know, at this point, I spend way too much money at Sephora. Sephora knows I spend way too much in their store, but I keep coming back for more. I'm internally a makeup junkie! The second I have a new product in my hand I cant wait to swatch and try everything on! The 2019 Sephora Summer Bonus event is going on now. If you aren't signed up for the Sephora Beauty Insider program now is a great time to sign up! You can shop the sale now through the 27th of August. It's a great time to try something new or stock up on your holy grails! I placed a massive haul during this sale, so keep reading to find out what I purchased! 

Things I spent way too much money on this week.....

Tools 

So let's start with the big-ticket item. I bought the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer. I've been eyeing this thing forever, and I figured now is the time to bite the bullet. This hair dryer retails for $399, but with my 20% off and how fast it dries your hair I could justify the investment. The real purpose for this purchase was because I'm trying the love with my hair. I can't seem to figure it out no matter how much I whisper sweet nothings into it. The Dyson is supposed to cut my dry time in half and for a curly girl that's HUGE! Could you imagine being able to get up in the morning and do a wash n go without being late? I'm honestly so excited. I can't wait to do a blog post about it once I test it out for a few weeks. 

I also stocked up on beauty blenders or personal use and in my freelancing kit. I love to use different brands of beauty sponges but I usually come back to the beauty blender. They last the longest for me. Sephora had a pretty in pink gift set with 3 beauty blenders for $45 ($60 value) and I made the mistake of not picking this up during the last sale and I did regret that decision. Unfortunately, this gift set is currently sold out but I will let you know when its back in stock on my Instagram so be sure you're following me over there! 

Skincare

I decided to pick up a few more products from the Ordinary Brand. I've been loving my Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA & their AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution. I'm so impressed with the quality and affordability of their brand so far so I cannot wait to try a few more. I decided to pick up their Retinol, acne solution and rosehip oil. I currently use a $100 retinol so if the Ordinary retinol works I will be shouting from the rooftop! I'm almost out of my rosehip oil I bought on Amazon and let me tell you I cannot live without rosehip oil now! I put it on my face every night and it has helped my skin so much! Fine line, wrinkles, texture, acne, hyperpigmentation, you name it it does it all.  So, I figured I would try a new brand when I ran out and you couldn't beat the Ordinary price and with the VIB discount ontop it was a steal!

Foundation

I picked up 2 foundations during the sale: The Anastasia Beverly Hills Luminous Foundation & the Fenty Pro Filt'r hydrating long-wear foundation. I'm hoping to have better luck this time around with the Fenty foundation because I still haven't been able to find my shade in their matter foundation. 

Concealer

I only bought one concealer this year because you know I'm picky when it comes to covering my soup bowls. I decided to try the Benefit Boi-ing cakeless concealer. The packaging is adorable and their marketing always gets me. I really hope this product work well for me! 

Setting Sprays & Powders

Jackie Aina made me buy the Farsali Rose gold 24K skin mist and all those persuasive beauty gurus on Instagram convinced me to try the MILK makeup blur and set matte loose setting powder. Clearly, I was influenced (see what I did there?). 

Holy Grail Restocks

Every sale, I always stock up on my favorite brow pencil: the Benefit Precisely, My brow pencil in shade #5. Nothing makes my brows look better and nothing works better in the morning when I'm running out the door. 

Alright, so I think I spent enough money this week. I cannot wait to get these products in the mail so I can start testing everything! Let me know if you would like to see a blog post, video or IGTV featuring any products I mentioned today. 

Watch my Sephora Recommendations videos HERE 

Click Here to watch!

Click Here to Watch


Disclaimers: all product pictures are from sephora.com this post is not sponsored but I do use some affiliate likes

LA Travel Diary Part 1

This year I was invited to go to Beautycon. Ever since I started on youtube, it has been on my bucket list to go to BeautyCon let alone invited as talent! So needless to say I was over the moon when I was asked and regardless, it was a great excuse to go to LA! My boyfriend and I decided to make a trip out of it and get to LA a few days early to explore and let me tell you...I'm in love! I feel so motivated and inspired after spending a long weekend in the city, and as an introvert, cities usually aren't my thing. Let me take you along and show you all the fantastic food and fun we had in Los Angeles, CA! 

Day 1 Los Angeles

We landed at LAX around 8 am and hit the ground running! We Ubered to our hotel dropped off our bags and decided to hike Runyon Canyon and the Hollywood sign. It's a great way to adjust to the 3 hour time difference. We left Detroit at 7 am and landed in LA around 8 am! It's the perfect scenario to getting the most out of your vacation! 

Don't be like us and not charge your phone before the hike because you'll want to take a bunch of pictures. The view of Los Angeles from Runyon Canyon is breathtaking. I would love to live in the hills and hike Runyon Canyon every week; I would be so fit! I'm pretty sure I burned over 3,000 calories that day. 

Outfit Details 
Fabletics Shorts Wearing size M | Fabletics Top Wearing size M | Zoe High Impact Sports Bra Fabletics Sports Bra Wearing size L  | Nike Roche 8.5 Shoes  | Quay Cafe Racer Sunglasses in Black Sunglasses | Smartwatch Fitbit Versa Outfit Details

After hiking for a few hours, we were hot and tired, so we decided to go back to our hotel and take a nap. We ended up going out later that night for dinner and drinks at this fantastic Ramen place. I'd never had authentic Ramen so I figured LA would be the perfect place to try it. I think Ramen is my new favorite comfort food. If you go to JINYA you need to get the thick noodles, the thin noodles are amazing but trust me when I say the thick noodles are where it's at! I got the chicken Ramen, and it was just enough spice for me. I added cilantro, bean sprouts, and seaweed, it was divine! 

Restaurant: JINYA Ramen Bar (DTLA)

Day 2 Malibu & Rodeo Drive

Malibu was magical. Honestly, it was the most beautiful place I've been to California so far. I love the mix of mountain and beach views. It reminded me so much of Italy. We took a uber out to Malibu from LA which took about 40 minutes. It was so worth it not to physically drive in LA traffic (and I thought Detroit traffic was terrible). We decided last minute not to rent a car, and it was a great choice. Ubers are so common in LA, and we were able to see everything we wanted and have the option to day drink if we wanted...I mean, it is vacation after all! I found this highly rated restaurant on the pier called Malibu Farm, and it was everything I hoped for and more. Great views, excellent service, and most importantly, quality fresh food! We ordered the nachos to start, and then we split a burger, and a salad and everything was perfect. 

Restaurant: Malibu Farm

Outfit Details
Dress: Princess Polly Red Ditsy Floral Print Shift Dress | Jacket: Princess polly Zak Denim Jacket | Shoes: Tory Burch Miller Flip Flop | Sunglasses: Le Specs Air Heart 51mm Cat Eye Sunglasses

BLT kale caesar & grass-fed beef burger

Drink: Jalapeño

Drink: Watermelon

Appetizer: malibu blue nachos

We ended the day by going to Rodeo drive, where I quickly changed out my dress into something more comfortable. Louis Vuitton was having some sort of gallery at one of their stores, so we went inside and looked at all the amazing pieces they had on display. I'll take any excuse to go into the Louis Vuitton store and drool over a designer handbag and what better place to do it then Rodeo Drive? We walked up and down Rodeo window shopping and looking for any famous faces we could find. Once I felt myself getting hangry, we started looking for a place to eat. We decided to try Villa Blanca, one of Lisa Vanderpumps restaurants. I'm a huge fan of the show VanderPump Rules, so I had to visit one of her restaurants while we were in LA. My first choice was TomTom, but since they're so new, they didn't have anything available. When we arrived I immediately gott a glass of chardonnay (standard), and we started off with an appetizer (which was delicious) but honestly... everything was downhill from there. My meal tasted like someone boiled chicken, poured a can of cream of chicken on top and added some noodles & veggies for some flair. It had no flavor and was honestly disgusting. My boyfriend ordered a burger, and he also said he wasn't impressed. I asked the waiter what he recommended, and he said he likes red sauce better, but I'm not a red sauce kinda girl. I live for a good cream sauce so I decided on a cream-based dish. I mean how to do mess up a cream sauce? So needless to say I was let down by the experience. I'm not sure if any of her other restaurants are better, but I'm nervous to try them after my first LVP restaurant experience. 

Rodeo Drive 

Villa Blanca

Part 2 coming soon!