A while back, I saw Captain Marvel in theaters. I thought it was excellent, while my husband the movie critic / apparent expert on everything thought it was overhyped. I talked to my co-worker who loved it as well and we discussed how many Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies we would have to watch until Avengers : Endgame comes out. This got me to thinking about how many face masks I would be doing during these movies- and which ones I would do. This then led me to wonder, I wonder what kind of face mask Captain America would use? Would he even use one? Tony Stark would definitely use one. Okoye definitely practices self-care. But the burning question is - which character would use which mask? I've used a lot of masks in my life and I've narrowed down some good character/mask combos.




Captain America - The OG Avenger. He's old school, doesn't like anything complicated, yet is always clean cut and has pristine skin. So how does he do it? He's got Queen Helene's Mint Julep mask. Readily available, reliable, uncomplicated.

Iron Man - Tony Stark is the master of all things boujee and luxurious in the MCU. I picture him using the Peter Thomas Roth 24K Gold Mask Pure Luxury Lift & Firm Mask. This mask is designed to help re-energize skin and minimize the look of the aging effects of stress. I mean, what else would you use after flying a Nuke through a wormhole into outer space? So stressful. 

Hulk - Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay. Strong, effective, and green. Clogged pores? SMASH. 

Thor - Skyn Iceland Arctic Hydration Rubberizing Mask. This peel off mask supercharges skin stressed and depleted skin with an instant dose of hydration. Kind of like how Stormbreaker destroys the Children of Thano's army with one swing. 

Black Window - A deadly assassin that you can always count on to have your back. The perfect match for Black Widow is the Origins Clear Improvement mask, a black charcoal mask that is gentle and non-drying to the skin but deadly to pore-clogging bacteria. 

Hawkeye - He's a tough one; the silent, underrated avenger. I've decided to make him the Summer Fridays Jet Lag mask. This is a mask that you don't think you need but once you try it, you see how valuable it really is. Not to mention that the motto for the mask is 'Give your skin some time off'. Hawkeye loves to spend time with his family when he's not saving the world - he probably wasn't a fan of being on house arrest after Civil War, but what else is there to do besides mask??

Antman - Antman is one of my favorite Avengers. His mask would be the Origin's Out of Trouble 10-Minute Mask. Quick and easily outmaneuvers potential breakouts, yet calming and non-irritating to the skin. Perfect for Scott Lang, a witty microscopic cat-burglar with a big heart. Also usually saves the day.. HINT. 

Nebula - Ole Henrickson Cold Plunge Pore Mask: A detoxifying, cooling clay mask that instantly reduces the look of pores, smooths skin texture, and controls oil all day. Despite her cool exterior, Nebula really cares about her family and will help them any way she can. This mask is perfect for her. Also because it's blue, don't @ me. 

Okoye - Okoye is my favorite character from Wakanda. She is tough, loyal, and charasmatic. The perfect mask for her would be Kiehl's Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Mask, which is An energizing radiance mask that helps visibly brighten dull, fatigued skin - much like how Okoye will also protect those that she is loyal to. 

Captain Marvel - The most powerful MCU character should have a mask of the same caliber. The Drunk Elephant Sukari Babyfacial is one of the strongest and most effective chemical exfoliants on the market. Babyfacial delivers incredible brightening and enzymatic action, improves skin’s elastic feel, and reveals the look of a more even, radiant, baby-soft complexion. Your skin will glow like Captain Marvel's quantum bands. 

Thanos - Some would argue that Thanos is the real hero of the story - I'd say it's up for debate. Thanos is a character that has spent ages searching the universe for the infinity stones to achieve his goal of establishing "balance". He probably hasn't ever had time for a face mask- until now. As he's sitting on his little bachelor planet, he can finally indulge in a little bit of self-care. The mask for Thanos would be the Tatcha Violet-C Radiance Mask. Lord knows he needs only the best things to help relieve signs of aging. After all, wouldn't your skin be stressed after literally wiping out half the universe? 

I may not be the most active person in the world (I'm working on it), but I do appreciate all the beauty that our National Parks have to offer in America. From April 20-28, the National Park Service and National Park Foundation encourage everyone to celebrate our nation's most treasured spots. While I have not yet experienced popular attractions such as Yellowstone and Jackson Hole (you can see my friend Melanie's awesome posts about Yellowstone and others here), I did experience one of Florida's most remote and truly beautiful National Parks on my honeymoon to Key West.

Let me introduce you to my latest obsession: cycling shorts. In my teenage years, these were reserved purely for the chicken-legged teenage boys who ran cross country. These days, the Kardashians are wearing them and people are losing their minds. Thankfully, the Kardashians were not the ones to invent this trend, just like they didn't invent big butts, full lips, breathing, etc. However, they did play a large part in reviving and updating the classic cycling short look. A lot of inspiration has been coming from the late Princess Diana. Her go-to casual outfit was a pullover sweatshirt, cycling shorts, tube socks, and athletic shoes. This was the perfect look for Diana, who was often referred to as 'the people's princess' due to her philanthropy and being relatable to her subjects.

While this is the classic way to wear cycling shorts, ways to style them have evolved in 2019. They are not only limited to athleisure, but mixing with band t-shirts and soft blouses creates effortless looks that can transition from day to night. It's also a great way for me to get away with a black-on-black outfit in the summer without dying of heatstroke.


Here I've style 3 outfits with different kinds of cycling shorts. Not going to lie, the first one is inspired by Dena Smith, the Leo Queen behind Leo With Cancer and the creator of the cult beauty favorite, Leo Oil. While these all align with my personal style, each look is very different and can cater to many different kinds of personal style. (Click the photo for deetz) Find the style that works best for you. Play with patterns, texture, layering, and accessories. In fashion, rules are meant to be broken. Nothing is off limits!

I recently acquired my first pair of cycling shorts this past weekend. I styled them with one of my favorite graphic tees and white Adidas to go to a concert in Wynwood, Miami - I was cool, comfortable, and felt very stylish all evening without feeling overdone. This will probably be my go-to look for the summer. I could also get away with it year-round because, well, Florida.

T-Shirt / Pizza Party Printing Shorts / EleVen by Venus Sneakers / Adidas Bag / Rebecca Minkoff / Similar Here

If you are interested in trying out this look and want to know some good places to shop, check out these options. Most fast fashion places like H&M and Target will likely have these, but if you want good quality, sustainable items, I recommend these:

LHLL Store

EleVen by Venus (these have pockets!)

Girlfriend Collective

Outdoor Voices

I'm all for the movement in social media lately aiming towards 'self care'. However, I feel like a lot of people assume that this just means taking a hot bath with a face mask and eating your favorite comfort foods. Granted, while I think taking time to pamper yourself is PART of self care, I also think it's important to really sit down with yourself and figure out what you really need long term. For some people, like me, this can mean asking for help when a face mask may just not be enough to lift the spirits.

I have undergone major life changes in the past 6 months. I got married in September to the man of my dreams, and I've dealt with the shifting trials and tribulations of working for a small startup company. While a lot of these changes are positive, there are also a lot of things to adjust to. Marriage is not always easy - society and social media has conditioned us to believe that marriage is a a constant blissful weekend of shopping, cleaning, brunching, and cuddling. It's also a lot of work- remember, you and your partner are both only human. Sometimes you come home from work in a bad mood and take it out on your partner. Sometimes they get upset at you for not washing their favorite pants with your load of laundry. While these are all 'sometimes', the feeling of knowing that something is forever can make the difficult times feel that much more difficult. I also live in Florida, while the rest of my family and friends live in Chicago. It is hard being away from them for long periods of time, especially when times are difficult. In addition to all these feelings, we moved locations at work which caused every day issues that are normally easily resolved to be amplified and 10x more stressful than ever. I would shoot out of bed every morning in a panic to check my work email, and sometimes would even cry- something that I've never done in a work environment.

While it's normal to feel down every now and then, I noticed that I was down all the time. starting around New Years. I couldn't sleep very well, had little appetite, and no motivation to do anything that I didn't have to. My husband would try to help, but just didn't have the right words. One day I woke up and looked in the mirror, and didn't like the person I had become. I wanted to be a good wife, a productive worker, and most importantly, happy with myself. I decided to make an appointment to see some mental health professionals, and have them evaluate me to see what the best treatment. Whether this is medication, therapy, etc I am open to any options - my appointment is at the end of the month, so I'll try to keep the journey updated through my social media channels. I also downloaded Headspace, an app that a co-worker recommended for me. They have daily meditation sessions that can help you sleep, help with stress, etc. In addition to this, I began to avoid even looking at my phone at all first thing in the morning. I've decided to get myself ready for work, eat breakfast, have tea and then check my phone/emails once I got to work. There was no point in frantically checking emails while I was still in my pajamas- I wouldn't be able to do anything until I got to my office, so why make myself anxious? Subtle changes like this can make a world of difference.

While I love a good bath, rom-coms, ice cream, and epic skincare routines, I think an important part of self care that people are missing is taking the time to advocate for yourself and ask for help when you need it. No one is going to do this for you - it's a bitter pill to swallow at first, but with the increasing awareness around mental health, I feel a bit more confident in asking for the help that I need and have probably needed for a long time. I am not a doctor or expert on mental health, but I hope that if you are reading this and have similar feelings. you can find resources for your self care. Many college and high school campuses, and even certain employers offer counseling service free/included with tuition. Take advantage of these services. It is the most important thing in the world to really take care of yourself, and ultimately love yourself. Don't wait.