In About Face, xoNecole gets the 411 on IGers who give us #skincaregoals on the daily. Here they break down their beauty routines on the inside and out, as well as the highly coveted products that grace their shelves and their skin.
Laticia Rolle is more than just a gorgeous face on your explore page, she's also skincare goals. As a 32-year-old entrepreneur, actress and model, we don't know how she does it, but Rolle is able to keep herself snatched and her skin absolutely flawless while on the go in Los Angeles.
"I live for a living and do everything that makes my soul happy," the Tress hats founder told xoNecole. The multi-hyphenated professional is an entrepreneur who loves "learning new things every single day," and acting allows her "to go deeper within and explore my depth." She also gets to "empower incredible women through sharing extraordinary women's stories" as a podcast host. "I love women---I love us. I love empowering and helping women to harness their story," Laticia proudly added.
In this installment of "About Face", the Girl, We Got This podcast host discusses the importance of eating good for good skin, listening to a good vinyl record in the morning and thankfully not being tender-headed in her early childhood memories.
Her relationship with beauty and skincare…
"My relationship with beauty and skincare strengthened when I turned 30. I started my self-love journey around that time and taking care of me and the skin I'm in became priority."
My views on skincare and beauty evolved when...
"Skincare for me has changed drastically for me over the years! I remember growing up using Noxzema and that Apricot Scrub from St. Ives thinking I was taking care of my skin – remember that? Now I would never touch either product due to its ingredients. Today, I use skincare that is clean and intentional for my skin. My view on beauty has always been loving every part of how God created me, naturally. Beauty is me, Beauty is you. I define my beauty, I am beautiful and it took me about 32 years to finally own and step into all of me."
My morning routine consists of...
"Every morning is beautiful for me. I start every morning waking up and thanking God for my breath and for the ability to be able to experience the day. I go downstairs, light some incense, play some vinyl---Nina Simone is on this AM, make some hot tea and oatmeal and enjoy breakfast looking out my window. I meditate for about five minutes and crochet one row of a blanket I'm making right now. Then I go upstairs, do my four-step morning skin routine, get fly, and start the day. Morning rituals are key for me."
My skincare routine consists of…
"First I need to shout out my esthetician Natalia Armonik of Just Perfect in Los Angeles. She has changed my life and created the best skincare routine for my skin. Because of her I don't need botox, nothing, just consistent upkeep and use of products. My go-to products are Viktoria Deann Balancing Cleanser, Bella Skin Beauty Toner and Beauty Serum, Viktoria Deann collagen serum and peptide acne serum, and DNA Skin Institute Mineral Gel and Vitamin A."
Courtesy of Laticia Rolle
"My view on beauty has always been loving every part of how God created me, naturally. Beauty is me, Beauty is you. I define my beauty, I am beautiful and it took me about 32 years to finally own and step into all of me."
My AM skincare routine looks like…
"Every morning I cleanse my face with my cleanser---sometimes I double cleanse. I use my toner next to make sure I get a good, deep clean. After that I apply my peptides from Viktoria De'Ann, the collagen and acne serums. I finish with applying Bella Skin Beauty Serum. I finish with my eye serums from Viktoria De'Ann and apply sunblock to protect my skin."
My evening routine consists of...
"To unwind in the evenings, I love to take bubble baths, turn on Sade, and just breathe. Sometimes I'll meditate or read a good book in the bath, and that gets me feeling so good. The last good read I think you should def read is All About Love by Bell Hooks."
My PM skincare routine looks like...
"At night, I'm double cleansing with my cleanser and using the toner to get deep. Cleaning your skin and taking your makeup off at night is crucial. I don't care how tired you are. I then apply my vitamin A and mineral gel serum, and finish with my beauty serum and eye serum. Pat it all in nice, and off to dream sweet."
How my skincare changes for the seasons…
"My skincare routine doesn't change up with seasons unless my skin gets dry in colder climates. I just make sure to moisturize more often and always have Chapstick on deck."
My go-to makeup look consists of…
"I do wear makeup, but not day to day. My go-to makeup is pretty simple and quick: Mascara---like three coats---curl lashes, concealer under the eyes, a little pop of blush on my cheekbones and a little shimmer eyeshadow in the corner of my lids, and I'm good to go. I dig the natural, 'no-makeup' makeup look."
Courtesy of Laticia Rolle
"Taking care of my mind, body and soul has changed my life. I take care of my interior world in order to shine on the exterior, that's where my beauty begins."
How I approach beauty from the inside out…
"Taking care of my mind, body and soul has changed my life. I take care of my interior world in order to shine on the exterior, that's where my beauty begins. Therapy has unlocked a lot of emotional issues for me that I struggled internally with and after discovering more about myself I was able to learn who I am as a woman and shed old parts of me that allowed me to step into my power.
"Putting myself first and not pleasing people has been a huge act of self-love. Movement is key daily, whether I'm dancing, yoga, running or boxing, I got to take care of my body and move daily. Loving myself, truly madly deeply has allowed my beauty to shine."
What self-care looks like to me…
"Therapy, bubble baths, bomb ass playlists, going for walks and writing and reading poetry."
My travel skincare routine looks like…
"My skincare routine doesn't switch up when I travel. The key to having good skin for me is being consistent with my skincare routine and being aware of what foods I'm digesting. Eat good and keep your routine down pat and you're destined to shine daily."
Courtesy of Laticia Rolle
"Eat good and keep your routine down pat and you're destined to shine daily."
My earliest beauty memory…
"My earliest beauty memory would be my mom doing me and my two sisters' hair before school every morning. I remember we would have to comb our hair and she would have us kneel down, one by one, in front of her dresser, and she would do our hair in cool ponytails or braids. Let's just say I'm not tender-headed, thanks to my mom."
My most significant beauty lesson…
"My most significant beauty lesson for my hair would be to use Olaplex when your curls need moisture. Olaplex always brings my curls back to life, best hydration ever. For skin, my best lesson is to use toner after you cleanse, because cleansing doesn't always clean and get deep in the pores."
For more Laticia, follow her on Instagram and support her TRESS hat designs on their official Instagram account.
Featured Image Courtesy of Laticia Rolle
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Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
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Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
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