Hey beauties, did ya miss me?! Happy new year to you all; I told y'all that I would be back for 2018, and here I am!!! I’m sitting here sipping some peppermint tea on this super cold evening, enjoying this time of year. I hate the weather, but this time of the year is one of my favorites because it’s a time for renewal. A fresh take for some, and like catching your second wind for others; something about the energy is just really good for me during these times for the most part. One of the things I can’t ignore, though, is that the holidays are also a time of struggle for so many. Whether it be mental, financial, or emotional struggle, this time of year is abundant. I figured now was the perfect time to hit on that point I made about shit we’ll be doing in 2018: being selfish.

Step 1 in being selfish is self care, my loves, so that’s what we’re gonna get into today. Self care is not all about actions, and I believe that’s where many of us fall short in utilizing self care to it’s fullest capacity. I think that people have romanticized the idea of self care; we don’t talk about what it really means to take care of self. What I want you to do when thinking about self care is to keep in mind those things that you need so badly. This includes the physical, mental, emotional, and financial. What is it going to take you to get to the place you need to be in these areas? Setting aside time to do the work that it is going to take to get you there is, in my opinion, one of the most important types of self care. So for me, I know that I want to be 15 pounds lighter than I am now; sitting down the other day and ordering a cleanse system is a step in the right direction. If I actually use the damn thing (I'm going to, I think lol), that will be a form of self care. Doing things today that will put me where I want to be in all areas of my life is an unspoken form of self care that I didn’t see many women mention when I asked all of my lovely friends about self care. (Thanks for answering me, my luvs.)

With that being said, self care can be beautiful and less painful than doing all the necessary stuff I just mentioned up there. So I have put together a short list of my top four self care activities, and I'm even gonna drop some suggestions to get you started on each one. It is purely a coincidence that they all begin with the letter B lol; the universe just worked it out like that, ahhkay?!

1. Baths

The first on my list is Baths. Yes, taking a real fancy-schmancy bath can really have you stepping out feeling like you just found your inner Beyonce and are ready to conquer the world. The key to it is using some special soaps, bath bombs, lighting some candles — you can even throw some epsom salt in there if you're old school. Lol no seriously, taking some time out every once in a while with a luxury bath is a cost-effective way to get your self care on. Below are some links to different businesses where you can order bath bombs and soaps for your bath time.

Shea Butter & Soaps
Oils & more
Bath Bombs

2. Books

Next on my list is books; books are probably my favorite because reading is something I absolutely love to do!! Like there is nothing like curling up on the couch while home alone with some yummy snacks—tacos if ya nasty! I prefer the old throwback physical books but there are so many options now. Books can be downloaded on your iPad or even read to you using audible. This year some really amazing books came out by some really boss ass black women!! I will certainly be reading them all at some point this year.

Gabrielle Union's We're Going to Need More Wine
Tiffany Haddish's The Last Black Unicorn
Auntie Jennifer's The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir

3. Boxes

The third thing on my list is boxes!! The coolest thing I found out about a couple years ago is subscription boxes; I’m sure you have all heard of them and most probably even have some. (Tell me about them in the comments.) What I love about subscription boxes is that they put you on a schedule for self care. You know that no matter what, each month you will be receiving some goods that are just for you!!!! Check out these ones that I think are just amazing…

Izzy & Liv

4. Boudoir

The last thing on my list is boudoir sessions!! I do makeup for a couple photographers that offer boudoir sessions, and through doing so, I’ve learned just how powerful these sessions are for everyone involved. There have been times where the client cried when she saw herself in the mirror or when seeing her photos. Boudoir is usually pushed as a sexy photo shoot you do to gift your partner the photos and while that’s certainly nice, I wish more people talked about how empowering and even healing they can be. I think next month I will be doing a full article on boudoir because it means just that much to me.

BRITTNEY TAYLOR

I am a freelance makeup artist located in Cameron, North Carolina. I have been working in this area for three years doing event makeup, as well as print and some runway. This year I will be working to build a bridal artistry business that will be fully mobile. I studied makeup artistry at makeup artist studios in Richmond, Virginia, and from there developed my aesthetic. I spend a lot of time studying past artists, as well as trends today. I believe that everyone is beautiful, and my job is to enhance that!