Tag: PRIMP

How to Keep From Getting Emotionally Drained During the Holidays

Published on by Lee1 Comment

I wouldn’t call myself a big Kacey Musgraves fan, only because I don’t know much about her besides her iconic Met Gala 2019 look. I am, however, obsessed with all things Christmas, so I simply had to watch her special on Amazon Prime. Always a fan of new versions of my favorite holiday classics, I listened intently to the songs she selected, but one specific song struck a chord (pun intended). Amidst Let it Snow and Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Kacey sang Christmas Makes Me Cry. And full disclosure, it kinda did make me cry.

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Here’s the truth: while the holidays are undoubtedly the most wonderful time of the year, it can also feel stressed, lonely, and yes, even make you cry. Sure, spending time with loved ones is great, giving feels good, and Elisa & Marcela is the best movie of all time. However, all of the parties, the shopping, and the questions from nosy aunts about when you’re getting married/having children/settling down can get draining.

Now is the part in the story where I burst out into a rendition of Where Are You Christmas as I contemplate what has happened to the true meaning à la Cindy Lou Who. I’ll spare you from my awful singing voice (ask my coworkers!), and instead, give you tips so you can enjoy the holidays. If all you want for Christmas is an uninterrupted nap, here are seven ways to avoid getting emotionally drained this season.

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Keep up the parts of your daily routine that make you feel good

When it comes to your consistent daily routine, make a list of the non-negotiable: does exercising every day keep you from getting stressed out? Does a morning meditation center you, or a strict 10:30 pm bedtime makes you feel like yourself the next day? Whatever the most important part of your daily routine is, make sure you stick to it.

Prioritize “recharge” time

Even if you’re a self-diagnosed extrovert through and through, we all need alone time to recharge and gain energy or find peace. Stay in for a night if you feel like you’re starting to dread what’s on your calendar, or push back dinner plans to take a relaxing bath. Even if you’re visiting family and feel like you have no space, try to wake up a little earlier than everyone else to go for a run or read in a quiet place.

Determine what about the holidays makes you happy

We all have lots of traditions and plans that we want to fit in each holiday season, but very few of these things on our to-do lists make us happy. Make a list of your top goals for the season. Is it to spend time with family members you don’t get to see often? Is it to contribute to your community or help those in need? Is it to make memories with your children? For the next few weeks, keep your goals in mind and only say yes to the events, invitations, and traditions that help you reach those goals. Permit yourself to let go of everything else.

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Buy presents in bulk

For all of your coworkers, kids’ teachers, and party hosts, have a go-to gift on hand that you buy in advance, so you don’t have to spend too much time and energy shopping for each person or gift exchange. Save the long lines, big crowds, and steep prices for the closest loved ones in your life. Planning will also help you stick to a budget, reducing money stress that usually comes as the season goes on.

Eat, drink, and be merry… intuitively

The mind and body are inextricably linked. Yes, it’s important to give yourself proper nourishment (mindful eating is the key!), but the guilt you put on yourself is worse for your body than any peppermint stick or cheese soufflé could be. There will be a lot of indulgences this season, and you should not feel guilty for sipping on eggnog or having a slice of grandma’s pecan pie. Enjoy the “worth-it moments” that represent traditions or bring you closer to loved ones. Stop eating when you’re no longer hungry, listen to what your body needs, and put some leafy greens next to the mashed potatoes and casserole on your plate.

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Rethink your expectations

One reason that the season can feel draining is that it seems so “magical” and hyped up that it very rarely lives up to expectations. Maybe you pictured being in love this time of year and are single, or you envisioned a perfect Christmas Eve dinner, but your cousins fought the whole time, or maybe you didn’t have time to fit in all you wanted to do. Stop thinking of the season as the greeting card version, and enjoy all the little moments that are unique to you. Remember that “forced happiness” (i.e. trying to get into the holiday spirit when you’re just not feeling it) is not real happiness, and can make you sadder or more anxious.

Focus on giving instead of what you’re lacking

So giving is the ultimate virtue of Christmas, but it runs much deeper than with gifts. It may sound counterintuitive, but whatever you feel you’re missing or stressed about not having (whether it’s time, money, or companionship), give it away. If you’re feeling like you’re tight on money, give $5 to a charity or buy toys and snow boots for a holiday drive. If you’re feeling lonely this season, figure out how you can give love: call your mom, check-in on a friend who’s having a hard time, or invite your elderly neighbor over for dinner.

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As cliché as it sounds, giving is magical. Not just for all the reasons you learned as a little kid about making other people feel good (don’t get me wrong, that’s still important!!), but because it’s one of the few things (if not the thing) that has the power to transform how your life looks like to you. Start focusing on what you do have, instead of what you don’t.

How do you keep up your mental health during the holidays?

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Fall/Winter Is A Great Time To Gain Some (Hair) Inches

Published on by Lee3 Comments

Not too long ago, a girlfriend of mine sent me a picture of her hair. After the shoot, about a decade of being natural, she decided that she wanted to get another perm and chile, her hair is all down her back. After I cursed her out (because she never struggles with hair growth while my tale is a bit different), I decided to use her as inspiration as I’m still on the journey to grow mine out. So far, its’ looking like this winter is going to do more for my hair than this past and summer did. And a big part of that is because I’m focused on implementing some fall/winter hair hacks that I learned about a couple of years ago, but I wasn’t the most consistent back then.

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If one of your 2021 goals is to gain a few more inches come, say, March, I’ve got 10 tips that could have you actually being the envy of your friends when it comes to hair length retention.

1. Eat More Vitamin C

healthline.com

First up, consider adding more foods that are high in Vitamin C into your diet. There are a couple of reasons why this is a good idea, as far as your hair is concerned. For one thing, Vitamin C is loaded with antioxidants that can help to reduce oxidative stress; that’s the kind of stress that can affect hair growth (and not in a good way) over time.

Another cool thing about Vitamin C is it helps to trigger the production of collagen. That’s a good thing because collagen is what helps to hold your hair follicles and the dermal layer of your hair together, so that your hair is able to retain length. Some Vitamin C foods that are in season this time of the year include broccoli, oranges, Brussel sprouts, kiwi, butternut squash, leafy greens and pears.

2. Do an Herbal Tea Rinse

I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if something that you’re drinking more of, right through here, are herbal teas. Aside from a cup of hot cocoa, there are few things that feel more warm and comforting than tea on a chilly day. Well, the next time you’re making some, make enough to create an herbal rinse for your beautiful hair. Remember, herbal tea is full of all kinds of nutrients so, pouring some of it onto your hair will help to promote healthy hair growth.

For instance, if you go with black tea, it can decrease the hormones in your body that may be triggering hair loss (black tea can reduce hair shedding too). Sage tea is able to prevent oil build-up on your scalp. Rosemary tea is known to increase hair growth. Green tea is the ultimate scalp soother. Peppermint tea stimulates your scalp and increases blood circulation. All you need to do is put two cups of water into a pot and add 2-3 tea bags of your preferred tea. Once the water is boiling, turn down the heat and let the tea steep for 15 minutes. Then, once it has cooled completely, pour the tea onto your hair after washing and conditioning it. Let the tea sit for 30 minutes and then rinse a final time with cool water (it will help to seal your cuticles). Your hair will instantly feel softer and your scalp will feel revived.

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3. Massage Your Scalp with Bergamot Oil

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One of the best ways to de-stress is to give yourself a scalp massage. It can also benefit your hair in the long run because it helps to increase blood circulation to your scalp which ultimately encourages hair growth over time. If you want to really pamper your locks, warm up a little bit of bergamot oil. This spicy-yet-citrusy oil contains anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties that can help to soothe an irritated scalp and keep a healthy scalp in great shape, so that long-term growth can transpire. Just mix 5-7 drops of the oil into one-fourth cup of a carrier oil like almond, grapeseed or coconut. Zap the mixture in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, put some on your fingertips and then use your fingertips to gently massage your scalp for 15 minutes or so. It will feel heavenly and your scalp will only benefit from you doing it.

4. Turn the Heat Down

Because there is oftentimes less humidity during the colder seasons (more on that in sec), the less heat that you apply to your hair the better. Now, as someone who is team blowout, I’m not saying that you should go without your blow dryer or flat iron entirely. However, make sure that you use styling tools that are made out of ceramic, that you stay around a medium-level of heat, that you apply a thermal heat protectant and that you keep the “less is more” approach from now until spring. Heat-damaged hair is irreparable. The only real solution is to cut it off. If you keep that in mind, each and every time that you apply heat to your tresses, it should help you to constantly handle your hair with extreme care.

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5. At the Same Time, Apply Some Steam

On the flip side, something that can definitely do wonders for you hair is applying steam to it. Think of it as being a humidifier for your hair. Since you already know that you need to work a little overtime to make sure that you replenish the moisture that fall and winter zaps out, steaming your hair can help to lift the cuticles of your hair, so that water is able to deeply penetrate your tresses, giving it more elasticity and making it more manageable too. As a bonus, if you know that you struggle with dry scalp, steaming your hair can also soothe your scalp while increasing blood circulation to it too.

Some people steam their hair by putting a plastic bag over it and standing in a hot shower for about 10 minutes. Or, if you’d prefer to use a literal hair steamer, there are some good ones on the market that are less than a hundred bucks. I’ve got one of them for you right here.

6. Make Sure Water Is the First Ingredient in Your Hair Products

You might think that cold wet weather would equal your hair getting a lot of moisture, yet actually, that isn’t really the case. As the temperatures begin to drop, oftentimes that results in low humidity. Then, if you add to that cold harsh winds and then the central heat going up in your house in order to keep your body warm, again, it’s very easy for your hair to become zapped from the moisture that it requires in order to remain healthy and avoid breakage.

That’s why, if you do happen to be a bit of a product junkie, it’s a good idea to look for items that list water as its first (or at the very least, second) ingredient on its label. That way, you can be certain it’s something that is full of moisture that can help to keep your hair protected.

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7. Keep Your Ends Off of Your Clothes

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Personally, my favorite time of the year is the fall/winter. I like the beauty of the season. I also like how it provides us with the opportunity to layers our clothing like nobody’s business! Still, with all of the flannel, tweed, velvet, wool and corduroy that a lot of us are rocking, when we wear our hair in a style where our ends are constantly rubbing against the fabric—whew, that can not only zap moisture out of our hair but it can lead to constantly snagging (and fairy knots and breakage) too. So, as much as you can, try and style your hair in a way where it’s not rubbing against all of your fashionable wear. Also, on wash day, make sure to seal your ends. The more extra conditioner your ends receive (because they are the oldest part of your hair ‘n all), the better.

8. Invest in Some Baobab Oil 

Speaking of your ends, an oil that doesn’t get brought up much (tell me if you’ve heard of it in the comments) is baobab oil. Oh, but it should. Baobab oil is great because it’s loaded with fatty acids, Vitamin E, calcium, tannins (which are basically tea compounds) and beta-carotene (which is a precursor to Vitamin A). Something else that’s dope about this particular oil is it’s loaded with antioxidants and inflammatory properties. All of this works together to strengthen weak hair cuticles, deeply moisturize your strands and “feed” hair follicles, so that your hair can grow healthy and strong. Applying a little bit of this oil every morning and night to your ends can help to protect them from the bitter cold that can try and zap the moisture out of your tresses.

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9. Be Careful with the Hair Accessories

Remember what I said about how certain fabrics can dry your hair and snag your ends? Some hair accessories that are currently all the rage are hair clips, velvet hairbands, and fancy hairpins. Those things and a dope fedora are never gonna go out of style. Those are all prone to do some pulling and snagging too, so just make sure that, before putting them onto your head that you dab a bit of a light oil (like sweet almond, avocado or jojoba) and that you’re extra gentle when taking them out. Oh, and that you definitely don’t sleep with any hair accessories on your head. Oh, one more—that you make sure your wool hats are lined with satin.

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10. Wear More Wigs

So long as you’ve got on a quality wig and you take extremely good care of the hair that is underneath it (check out ” This Is The Way To Properly Care For Your Hair While Rockin’ A Wig” ), I think fall and winter are the perfect times to become Regine (the real ones know what I’m referring to) and rock your wig out! It’s a great way to keep your hands out of your head, protect your hair from the harsh weather elements and give your tresses the stressless time that it needs in order to grow. Plus, what keeps your hair warmer, right? Definitely bless yourself with a wig in the next couple of weeks. Watch your hair thrive because you did. Enjoy these next couple of seasons, sis. From head to toe. Literally.

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10 Apps That Make Adulting a LITTLE LESS STRESSFUL

Published on by Lee2 Comments

Just like beauty and life hacks, yes, there’s an app for that. From front-door service to neighborhood alerts, we have the knowledge and tools at our fingertips to ease our daily routines with just one swipe. The apps we use can a) drain our bank account (Postmates, we’re looking at you) or b) today’s focus, make our lives way easier. Below, we’re highlighting the apps we use nonstop to make adulting a little less stressful. Scroll on for a peek at what’s on the BeautyLeeBar team’s phones.

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Mint: Budgeting made simple. Mint syncs with your bank account to track and file your spending activity through digestible graphs. Dare we say it makes figuring out your finances fun?

Citizen: Receive live safety notifications about what’s going on in your neighborhood through the Citizen’s emergency response system. Consider this the digital version of being a nosy neighbor (all in the name of safety, of course).

Venmo: What was life even like before the convenience of Venmo? Send and receive money with three simple clicks.

Flo: Never worry about when your cycle starts/ends again. Flo makes it easy to track menstruation and menopause through its user-friendly calendar. It also offers quizzes to educate about and monitor women’s health. The app Clue is another great option for ovulation tracking.

Happy, Not Perfect: Prioritize self-care with this guided meditation app. Use your smartphone to reduce stress and anxiety. It’s a great way to start or end your day.

EWG/Skin Deep: A free app that gives you access to a database that ranks ingredients in skincare and beauty products so you can avoid dangerous chemicals and toxins.

Planta: Planta keeps track of when you watered your plants and reminds you when to water based on the type of plant. It also gives you tips on how to care for your greenery. You can even lookup plants by uploading a photo. And if your plant dies, they create a plant graveyard for you, lol.

Canva: The graphic design editing app has templates for invites, resumes, business cards—anything you can think of. Step up your next hosting duties with an easy-to-create invitation.

Hopper: If you’re not already using Hopper to watch for airline tickets, let today be the day you download it. After you’ve selected a destination and date range, it alerts you when flight prices jump and are at their lowest. Book your next trip the smart and savvy way.

Co-Star: If you’re into astrology, this is a gem. It sends push notifications and one-liners for the day.

What apps do you use to make your life less chaotic? We want to know in the comments.

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WHY YOU EAT WHEN YOU’RE BORED AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP!

Published on by Lee2 Comments

YOU’RE NOT HUNGRY, YOU’RE BORED.

Don’t be a victim of mindless snacking (I’m talking to myself too… “Why did I buy those m&m peanuts again?” *face palm*)

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5 Tips to Curb Those Cravings

1 | MAKE SURE YOU’RE EATING ACTUAL MEALS DURING THE DAY.

This may mean that you have to plan your meals in advance. Eating actual meals (and meal planning) will ensure that you’re getting enough protein, fats, and carbs to sustain you between meals. It’s when you don’t have that in-between sustenance that you start snacking…

Ever notice how restricting food intake all day leads to eating a whole pizza, half a sleeve of oreos and some Ben & Jerry’s at night? That’s because the body is meant to eat small meals throughout the day so it doesn’t think it’s starving to death.

2 | DRINK MORE WATER.

People often confuse hunger for thirst. Symptoms of thirst are very similar to that of hunger and the same part of the brain is responsible for both. The next time you sense that you’re hungry, take a moment to ask yourself the following 2 things:

♡. When was the last time I ate something? 

If you’ve eaten within the last 2 hours, you’re probably not hungry.

♡. When was the last time I drank water?

If it’s been over an hour, you’re probably thirsty.

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3 | IDENTIFY YOUR HUNGER CUES.

 Late night snacking while binging Netflix is not acceptable.

Start tracking the times you crave food. This is where a food journal can come in handy. Make a column for the times you crave food and a column for the times you eat, in addition to what you eat or drink throughout the day. This will help to identify patterns that can illuminate what’s a mindless craving vs what is actually hunger.

4 | BRUSH YOUR TEETH

Your taste buds are triggered to hunger receptors in the stomach-brain connection (it’s all connected). For many people, the hunger satiation receptors don’t “go off” until all the taste buds have been stimulated. Ever noticed how after a huge dinner, you somehow miraculously have room for dessert? That’s because your “sweet” taste buds weren’t stimulated enough during dinner, so your brain thinks you have room for it, when in truth, you are stuffed.

Brushing your teeth can give your taste buds the kick in the pants that they need to signal to your stomach-brain connection that you’re good, and that no, you do not need that snack.

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5 | ALWAYS REMEMBER BWYFWSBF: BUT WOULD YOU FUCK WITH SOME BROCCOLI FIRST? 

When all else fails, this one never does. It’s simple and it’ll help you check yourself.

If you’re desperate enough to eat broccoli, then you’re actually hungry. If you’re not, you’re probably just bored.

Drink some water, go for a walk and/or organize something. Your brain is lacking stimulation, so do something that’ll occupy it with mindful activities. Studies have even shown that playing Candy Crush Saga can help curb bored-hunger. You’ve got options. Pick one.

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