First thing you do when you wake up/go to bed?
When I wake up the first thing I do is stretch- try to get my body awake so I can feel real and ready for the day. Before bed I refill my water bottle and drink the entire thing and will chug the entire thing. I’ve become obsessed with making sure water is last or first thing I’m putting in my body when ending or starting the day. It’s small but makes a huge difference in how you feel.
Any ritual health/beauty/wellness routines or products?
My sister is a beauty guru so I take a lot of tips from her. Ever since social distancing happened and I had to come home from NYC, my skin has gotten a lot better using tumeric based soaps and natural oils- there’s a jojoba oil base I put on twice a day for a glow and a refreshing lemon based oil I use in the AM. I’m big on movement for wellness and making myself feel beautiful- I stretch twice a day or whenever I’m anxious. This year I’ve gotten into pole dancing as an effort of reclamation of the body. Nothing has ever made me feel more beautiful.
Favorite feature(s) on yourself and why?
I have very long ligaments that I really like because sometimes I’ll feel like a contortionist which is fun. My top feature would probably be my gap between my front teeth. I used to hate it and even tried self-closing in middle school. I love it now. I hope we all love ourselves a little more than in middle school.
How do your job, lifestyle, and background affect your routine?
I’m an artist. Filmmaking and writing are my primary mediums. However, my past work for the last year has been executive assisting with a private art dealer. More recently, I’ve been collaborating with a LES Museum on archival footage. In between classes and work and meetings, I try and find somewhere to sit outside. Most of my ideas and energy refuels occur when I’m alone. So, I’ll grab my notebook, play some quiet tunes, and relax. I usually don’t have a lot of time on my own so I really have to make sure to reclaim that space for me on a normal day. I look at a lot of screens while working which is not amazing for my eyesight. So, sometimes u gotta press play on a playlist then just hide your phone. It’s best for you.
What do you do to stay healthy?
I move. I definitely think no one knows your body like you do. It’s best to listen to it firsthand. I played sports and did theater throughout my middle to high school. So I’ve gathered a lot of great ways to ground myself from top to bottom. I generally eat healthy because I need the energy- my moms always been a great cook so I’ve always been a kid who ate her veggies. Also, I walk A LOT. It’s a great time to think, observe, and get a healthy heart.
Any cultural tips/tricks you've learned from family and/or friends?
I was born and bred in Rhode Island, which is also known as The Ocean State. The water is my second home- I’d say, as a double water sign too. There’s so much healing resources and energy in the water. My mom is just an extremely put together woman who has always been on the wellness track for as long as I can remember. Pretty sure she read The Alchemist and The Secret before me. She taught me to write down things you love about yourself and affirmations. To read them and set intentions. My friends are super chill. I probably have the least amount of chill because I get super anxious sometimes but one of them will turn to me and say something like “It’s all relative, bro.” and I’m like yeah! Ground yourself! Reminder of all the good before the bad. Breathe.
How do you choose beauty products?
100% based on how the brand represents and interacts with Black women. Especially, in beauty. There’s so much not made for my skin, for my undertones. I base off that and reviews from friends. I usually pick one product I love and stick with it for a while until I find a new one. But when you know something morally and technically works for you, you know.
What is your cultural and/or ethnic background?
Black. But more specifically, my mom is Irish and Creole. She is mixed. My father is Cape Verdean. Black.
How do your culture, ethnicity and identity intersect and affect your beauty preferences (or grievances)?
I went to a majority White school for a big chunk of my life. We all hear “European beauty standards don’t define you.” until you’re sitting amongst 100 of those personified standards and you’re the only person of color. It honestly took me until my second year of college to even start to understand what I looked like. It’s hard because of the global systems we exist within- how to untangle all you’ve learned and start fresh. Luckily, I grew up around some amazing women of color. I have three older sisters and a bad ass mama. They remind me everyday of who I am. As do the people I surround myself with. It’s something I write about a lot to help me understand myself- I really love Bell Hooks’ words, too. There’s a lot of freedom in her criticisms of beauty.
If you were to create the perfect beauty/wellness product for yourself, what would it be?
Like, some kind of plant based exfoliating scrub that could cleanse my skin but also be used in a tea- hopefully could detox and wake me up in the morning but hydrate me at night. It takes me a while to fully wake up and sometimes I just want to run out the door and start my day.