Sacred Vessel Restoration

Speaker 1 00:00:00 Hey guys. Today we are talking with naturally Petra about skincare and overall health and I am so excited for you guys to hear this conversation. A few things to pay attention to. We're going to talk about the importance of skin, the importance of sunscreen. Just because you have melanin skin does not mean it's not important. Okay. And how has your faith, or particularly our faith, impacted the way that we care for our bodies in life? Keeping in mind that stewardship is not limited just to your finances. I hope you enjoy this. Listen and we'll be back soon. Hey, beautiful. My name is Angelica Artis, and in this podcast, we're focused on bringing together wellness and God's will to create a strong foundation for every aspect of life. Body, mind and spirit. Hey, Simona. How are you doing today?

Speaker 2 00:01:15 I'm great. Angelica, how are you?

Speaker 1 00:01:17 I am so good. I am so excited to have you here as a guest for the podcast. today we are going to kind of talk about skincare and makeup.

Speaker 1 00:01:29 I have seen you with a full face of makeup glowing completely, and I have seen you with no makeup on and your skin is gorgeous. so I just kind of wanted to talk to you a little bit today, and, like, how did you. So first question for you. When did was your first experience with skincare and makeup and how did you kind of discover how important it was for you.

Speaker 2 00:02:02 That's so interesting because, not to the extent that I am, but my mom was very engaged with beauty and taking care of your skin. in fact, she used to sell Avon back in the day that the little miniature cute lipsticks and all that kind of stuff. So, you know, it was fun times. but I was an avid swimmer. Like, eight hours a day. Easy. Me and my little brother and I remember one day we came home from the pool, and my mother was always this person, like, the kind of information guru. She was always reading both of my parents and educators, and we was in ministry as well.

Speaker 2 00:02:39 But, she said, we have to ban you from the pool for a few days. And we were like, what? You know, oh, that's what we do every day. And she said, no, you have to start wearing sunblock now. And back in that day. You know, Andrea, you kind of I have daughters that are almost 30, so, you know, my age. So I'm just saying, like our culture in the African-American community, when thinking about something like we have, we have melanin, blah, blah, blah, blah. You know, we just stand and we're good. But she had been reading up on it and she was playing around 12 and she started me on sunblock. Fast forward to me getting into the beauty industry. Later on, I found out one of the number one anti-aging skincare products is sunblock. So I didn't necessarily know that that was going to be a Segway for me later on, but it was my mother that kind of put me in the consciousness of looking your best.

Speaker 2 00:03:39 When I got an age, she would say, you know, make sure you wear your lipstick, you know, check them in before I went out the door, but that I never forgot about being put on sunblock at that age. And that was like my first segway into being serious and intentional about skin and what it means to protect it and how important it is to protect it. Even though it was a complete like contradiction to our culture at the time. So, And also, as far as the makeup in my sister was in theater, every aspect she my sister, literally my older sister, older sister had hands in every area of the theater. She had expertise in literacy. Amazing actress. You know, she could do the makeup side. She could set building all the parts. And so me being like an elementary school, she would be doing makeup, you know, if it was on the stage or whatever. And I was just so curious about it, and I didn't even realize that something was budding in me at that time.

Speaker 2 00:04:40 I was so impressed. And it just became like, started with lip gloss and like what they called junior high school, which tells you my age too. And don't say that before middle school. So then I started trying it myself, and then it started when I started doing my friend's makeup, you know, it just kept going and going and going. but that's kind of how it started for me. And then in college, I took stage makeup, which showed me how to do characters and aging and all the different things, and making clown faces and animal things, all those things. And so it was something that just kept bugging and bugging over time. Does that make.

Speaker 1 00:05:22 Sense? That's amazing. It does. So you got your information about, sunscreen? Well, before I did, I met an esthetician. You know, massage therapy. We get to meet all of the health and beauty experts at some point. And one of my esthetician was like, you're not wearing sunscreen. What's wrong with you? And I was like, do you see how dark my skin is? I don't need sunscreen.

Speaker 1 00:05:45 I'm good. She was like, it provides some level of protection. Yes, but you still need that sunscreen. And I have been faithful since she posted me in in high capital letters about that. That's right.

Speaker 2 00:06:01 Because that's me. I'm on board with that. I am a certified skincare specialist. I am not an institution, but I'm certified by an institution as a skincare specialist. So I literally where somebody 65 days a year on my face, back of my neck, my chest, neck, everything. It's like a non-negotiable. Yeah. So.

Speaker 1 00:06:24 So how long have you been a certified skincare professional? And what is one of the biggest things, aside from sunscreen, that people don't know, that you feel like they should know about caring for their skin.

Speaker 2 00:06:39 Okay, so it's I'm in the industry that's been over 35 years now, so I'm really been steeped in skincare, and they've always been a marriage to me just to throw their skincare and makeup together, not one or the other. Well, if there was one on the other with the skincare and not the makeup.

Speaker 2 00:06:57 Even though I'm a certified makeup artist, I want to speak to the African American community first, if I can, about that. and this is sort of like the sunscreen, but not directly, but the information and the science behind what I'm about to say. So we would say stuff like black don't crack or whatever. All that stuff we say. and we lean, like I said, heavy into the melanin. But the truth is, is that the melanocytes that produce melanin are sensory, meaning that they sense damage. And so if you're unevenly exposed to the sun, if you have a sensitivity to something in the elements or an out, your skin has an allergic reaction to something, or there's some type of sensitivity your skin is experiencing. The melanocytes decide to fight for you, and they rush to the surface in a cluster, which means a Hyperpigmentation spot for some type of discoloration on the surface of your skin. even when men go to the barbershop, they get that clean little thing that they all cleaned up.

Speaker 2 00:08:06 Then the barber does that masculine thing and just that burn on the end, it's burning. There shouldn't be any alcohol. And you see men with that dark shadow. That's the melanocytes rushing to the surface to protect them. But what we see is a dark like shadow, which is really like almost a burn. So I also work for the Art of shaving, too, which is like men's skincare and properly shaving. Right. So I'm saying that we need to understand what the melanin is all about so we can properly take care of our skin. Also, we have the other people who are oily, so I only need to put moisturizer on because I'm all I got. My face is greasy, so I just know the surface of your skin still needs hydration. I'm oily, but if you don't take care of the surface. You'll have just wiping the oil off, or no more than your skin is literally starving. You know, literally. Another thing is, is that people also feel like I can just wash my face with water.

Speaker 2 00:09:09 And I grew up getting Vaseline slathered on my face. And no, Vaseline protects it, and petroleum protects it does not hydrate. You need to wash your skin and exfoliate the dead skin cells that collect daily. Because God is amazing. Our skin is regenerating, but we gotta get the dead skin cells off so our true skin can come forward so you can even hydrate it properly. So, the other thing is you have to drink water, and even if you have dry skin, you still got to drink a lot of water. It doesn't mean that the water inside it's going to hydrate your skin. But if you are safe, you are an oily person and you don't drink water, or you're even a dry skin person. You don't drink water. Your body will look. And I know that I'm talking to a professional here, so you know your body will seek to hydrate your skin from the inside first. But if there's no water inside of your body, it's going to bring oil to the front, to the surface, and you're going to get a blackhead and a Whitehead, and you're going to be like, why am I have all this stuff on my face? The other thing is, your skin is a part of your excretory system, the part of your body that eliminates waste.

Speaker 2 00:10:26 So if you're not drinking water, that waste and the toxins coming right out on your skin, and you'll be trying to go to the dermatologist and all these things to fix your face, well, you just need to drink some water. And the good part is, the things that work for your skin work for your body too.

Speaker 1 00:10:44 I think something that a lot of us don't realize, even though we may have some kind of knowledge of it is that our skin is the largest organ of our body. Like your entire body is covered by skin and there are multiple layers to your skin. So if you aren't taking care of your body when over 80% of your body is water. Some stuff ain't gonna work right. Namely your skin.

Speaker 2 00:11:11 That's no, seriously. You know. Because even when I have people in the chair, I'm like, don't just drink water. Don't just drink water for good skin. But you know it. Like you said, your organs, the different layers, like all of it works together, you know? I guess so because I'm like, people like, this is not part of health.

Speaker 2 00:11:27 And, well, something like it is because everything you do good for you, the things you do good for your skin will also be good for your body. So it actually does. It's a marriage. It works together. So, the other thing is like really, it's important to properly the best thing you can do for your skin is daily maintenance. A lot of people don't want to get facial. I'm like, yeah, that's excellent, but we're really blessed. Your skin is daily maintenance. Cleansing, moisturizing serums are amazing. Those places where your skin has some deficiencies or your skin is just fatigue from life. Serums will help bring that back. Us only people. If you kind of like lean towards having a toner, help us get rid of that extra oil and dirt. And sometimes the cleanser might not always pick up. But if you just can kind of do those basic steps morning and night, of just cleansing and moisturizing. also, when you start hitting around those ages of like 30 ish, your, your collagen synthesis slows down, almost comes to a complete stop.

Speaker 2 00:12:33 So you want to start doing stuff like eye cream before you hit that 30 or right on that age, because this is the area that's the thinnest on your face. It's like on the skin graft. Your face is your skin is like this, that your eyes. And it's like this. So tiredness, fatigue, Technology. Science's just whatever. Stare at the screens all day. It's going to hit this area. So you want to always use your ring fingers and start using eye cream. So just just do the things. You will literally preserve youthfulness. And if you want to say this vein, it's not available at once. Who doesn't want to look good? That's part of loving yourself. Just do the things that preserve you and take care of you like you. Eat and drink. Exercise. Do what you gotta do for your skin too.

Speaker 1 00:13:18 That is so good. So you mentioned a couple steps in the skincare routine. So what is your full skincare routine? What do you do from the moment you wash your face? Or do you have a step you do before you wash your face?

Speaker 2 00:13:32 Yes, I do, and that's an excellent question.

Speaker 2 00:13:34 You on point. So most not all I do. I do work for Mac cosmetics and our face wash does break down makeup. But even with that I encourage people that wear makeup I use a makeup wipe to get the makeup off my face first. That's not a cleansing step that is literally breaking down and moving the makeup. 1 or 2 wipes. You know how much it takes. And then I wash my face. And then every other day I incorporate a facial scrub that exfoliates. And I see every other day because I have sensitive skin, not oily. A lot of oily people don't have sensitive skin and use harsher products, so it may have a strange combination of sensitive oily skin. So I use a gentle exfoliator every other day in combination with my face wash. I like face washes because I know sometimes dry skin people might use tissue off, but I like to feel the water and the lather so I wash my face really good. I do not ever not use a toner on a cotton ball.

Speaker 2 00:14:44 After that I always it strips off, the extra Maybe they're all there, maybe you might have missed or whatever you cleansed. Your face also brings your balance back to its proper balance, which helps your skin operate correctly. Right after that, I'm going into my eye cream going into my serum. Even if I use a moisturizer that has SPF, I always use it at least SPF 50 on my face. Once again, the back of my neck in front of my neck and all of my chest area. So that's really my that's my skincare every single day.

Speaker 1 00:15:23 Oh, I love it. that is, you keep mentioning this for routine and I so I don't know if I mentioned it, but the theme for season one, in caring for this vessel, this wonderful vessel that God has blessed us with, is things I wish I'd known before I turned 29. My 29th birthday is around the corner. Yeah. Creeping up okay.

Speaker 2 00:15:46 Yeah, I love that I am proper.

Speaker 1 00:15:48 Skincare is so important. Yes.

Speaker 2 00:15:51 Like you could literally look like that 20 years from now.

Speaker 1 00:15:55 Seriously, I'm talking.

Speaker 2 00:15:57 To you doing.

Speaker 1 00:15:57 It because my mama and my grandmama aged well.

Speaker 2 00:16:00 You doing all the things I'm telling you? Yes, yes, we do have melanin. Yes, we might be age a little slower, but the help, I'm telling you, it's important. And it's just it's part of us being good stewards over ourselves. Especially. We know we are, you know, we are people of God, and stewardship should apply to everything. The other thing I just want to throw in real quick is when you use eye cream. The other good part is because we are a society that does a lot of screams and we deal with stress, whatever. I feel like a lot of us carry stress in this area just in general. Just that motion of doing eye cream, even on yourself, it releases a lot of that. It's that blood flowing. So that's another thing I just want to plug right there.

Speaker 1 00:16:43 I know that you are a busy woman.

Speaker 1 00:16:46 We we engage in some of the same activities because of our church, but we also have completely separate lives. How do you manage the proper skincare routine? And almost always having a full face, like how do you do it all?

Speaker 2 00:17:03 I love it. one thing I want to throw out there to, let me just throw this towards women first, if you don't mind, since we know you're a woman, I know women. you have pride yourself. You have to prioritize yourself. Women will seriously take care of everybody else. Have this long list, and sometimes you're not even on the list that you have. Or you squeeze yourself into the little slot, and you try to do everything you can for yourself in this small window. So, yeah, which if it means for me, I'm telling you, I do not like rushing does not make you feel good. It don't make me feel good. I don't like being stretched. I like to ease into Monday, so that means me getting a bit.

Speaker 2 00:17:48 535 you know, having my friend meditation first and everything like that, trying to get my stuff, my clothes and stuff ready the day before, or leaving a time in the morning where I'm not rushing to think about that. You know, having sort of idea in my mind, even if I didn't put it out, but kind of before I go to sleep, it's in my mind already. And because this is what I do, I feel like I should represent it. So a lot of my passion and my drive about having the full faith and taking care of is taking care of my skin is like, I do not want to be a hypocrite. If I'm talking to you, I want to be talking to you from a real place. Like if I'm telling you to do it, I'm the first partaker. But I literally get up extra early before I have to present myself to take the time to properly care for my kid. I literally get up and drink like, 33oz of water every morning and take 1000mg of vitamin C first thing every morning.

Speaker 2 00:18:48 That's what I do. Yeah. Vitamin C plus plug antioxidant helps you fight radicals.

Speaker 1 00:18:54 And vitamin D.

Speaker 2 00:18:55 And vitamin D, it helps you fight the free radicals. Helps you. You know, your immune system. It's just it's just good for you. And like you said, I take multivitamins too. But to your point, yeah, especially women. We need that vitamin D. But I'm saying like, it's my commitment to myself, even to God, to be a good steward and not and to really represent what he's given me. Well, to do it. And so, like I literally said it where I have my worship music playing when I'm doing my makeup, you know, it's it's it's a, it's a moment. It's my it's my time. Let me throw this in. I have a thing on my page. It talks about the self-care, self-love, benefits of doing your own makeup. So in that moment, it's all about slowing. Like at the beginning of my day, after I'm putting God first and then then me, then I come in.

Speaker 2 00:19:43 I love on me first so that all throughout the day when I'm pouring out everything, everybody else, I've already taken care of me. So in that moment when I'm putting my makeup on, my focus is on me. I learned that it gives me a very like, like a clarity, focusing on putting my makeup on. It settles my mind. It gives me like this real focused place of serenity. I can worship, I can pray in the process, and it just settles me. It's relaxing, you know, it just kind of ministers to me. Even sometimes when other people speak up, they say, I feel like I'm getting a facial. So I do that for me, you know? So it's for me and it's for those who I'm called to touch with what I've been given, that I need to be representative of everything I'm going to pour into them first. So it comes from a real place, and people can feel that, you know, they can feel it's like you just saying stuff and you're not really like, I know that you're really about what you're doing because I feel it.

Speaker 2 00:20:41 I feel the love, I feel the desire for you, from you to, to help people to to touch them in a way and use your gifted hands to make them feel better, to get out the kinks, to help them to relax and release pain shouldn't be there. I feel it and I feel the love behind it. So even back to you. Like I feel like you represent that, you know? And it's a blessing.

Speaker 1 00:21:06 You've mentioned it a couple times, this stewardship. and I think one of the, the downfalls of our community of believers in Christ is that sometimes we get so stuck on stewardship, we don't realize that it's not just for finances, it's for your health. It's for your relationships. It's for spending time outside. Like, we shouldn't take these things for granted. and they can all be small acts of worship. So yeah. Question for you. How has your. Well, two questions actually. First one How have you spent the majority of your life as a Christian, or have you? Recently come to it? I know everybody comes to God at different ages, at different stages in life.

Speaker 2 00:21:57 That's a good question. Did you want to ask the second part too, or do you want to go? Let me go ahead and ask that.

Speaker 1 00:22:02 I'm going to ask the second part afterwards.

Speaker 3 00:22:03 All right.

Speaker 2 00:22:04 So I am what they call a PK. And no, I didn't learn. I'm being honest with you. I didn't learn that term until I was an adult. Because the truth is, my parents taught me servanthood and love. My father, a great pastor, a great man of God. My mother, a great woman of God. Both educators as well. So I grew up in a Christian home, and I was one of those kids that went to Sunday school every day. And every Sunday. I got saved when I was nine. You know, we served, but I didn't fully understand true relationship with God. And when I look back, I see how God was dealing with me. But as far as really knowing for myself, I came to understanding that this is my faith.

Speaker 2 00:22:55 Probably around like 23 or 24. And I was still going to church. And so I had my time in a backslidden college, and, I had a reason. But if I had talked to my dad, I would have he would have helped me. and that was for me seeing a good witness from somebody that was a leader in church. but I just kind of took it to heart and didn't really discuss it with my dad, and I should have, but it was almost that place that you don't want to throw somebody under the bus to the same time. But anyhow, that's beside the point. But I'm saying, my parents instilled, a sacred reverence for God into me, and I'm so grateful for that because it's kept me through different denominations that I've been under. But Like I said, it was around around 2324. And I said, this is my faith now. And, I have stayed in the faith from that point. And I'm saying I haven't made mistakes and fallen or whatever, but I have stayed with God and stayed in the will of God from then till now.

Speaker 1 00:24:03 I think it is so important for us as believers to be so honest, because we overcome by the words of our testimony, I love God. but I'm not perfect and my life doesn't always reflect that I love God, I have had to lay at the altar and be like, God, I'm sorry I stretched you out, I grieved you, I may have led someone away from you. Give me the opportunity to lead them back to you, or put someone else in their path that will lead them to you. Because I messed up today.

Speaker 3 00:24:33 That's real.

Speaker 1 00:24:36 And it's so beautiful to have a community of people that can be so honest in that moment and say, hey, I'm not always perfect, I'm striving, but I'm still on this earth. So very clearly God's not done with me yet, whatever he has for.

Speaker 3 00:24:48 Me to do.

Speaker 1 00:24:52 so how is your understanding and and your life of faith affected how you understand caring for yourself? kind of. Back to stewardship. What what changes have you made or experienced through life that make you choose to care for yourself better or differently because of your understanding that this vessel that we live in is not our own?

Speaker 2 00:25:20 You are preaching right now, girl.

Speaker 2 00:25:22 I'm telling you right now. that's. I'm so glad that you asked me that question. a lot of people say stuff like, you don't know why I pray like that, but I'm telling you, being multiple gifted boxer. Too much is given, much is required. I had an imbalance with that around 26. Yeah, somewhere around that age. being a person who was always in music ministry, very strong penetration, dance ministry, and just serving, you know, prayer ministry, all those things. And so there was a time in my walk where I was in a professional gospel choir, I was in the choir of my church. I was leading the dance ministry and sometimes the professional choir, they would ask me to minister dance at an event. We were going to sing and sing and all that stuff. And so it probably sounds crazy. And it was because I collapsed totally was in my bed one night and could not get up. Couldn't reach over the phone to tell somebody to come see if I didn't know what was happening.

Speaker 2 00:26:34 But it's like my body just shut down. I couldn't even function. And then it was like, thought I was like having a heart attack when I was just hyperventilating because I was too stressed out. I'm saying that to say that, and that that wasn't actually the first time. The first time I was in college when I was being crazy, tried not, hadn't learned how to love myself, forget, you know, thinking I was cute, you know, wanting to be skinny when I was naturally thick, not really eating properly and stuff like that. And in the marching band and all kind of at practicing, I had majorette marching to practice, practicing how he, you know, collapse, could hear people talking, couldn't do nothing to my body temperature so high. Probably should have had a stroke or something. And they had to put me in a tub of ice cold like ice. And the the, athletic, mad sportsman. Yeah. But you know, but I'm saying that that super trying to be super person and not take care of yourself.

Speaker 2 00:27:36 It will. Your youth does not preserve you from that. I'm a witness. I tell young people. Stop! Don't play with it. Don't think that youth is the answer to everything. You gotta ask to do the work. You gotta take the vitamins. You gotta drink the water. You gotta eat balanced meals. So fast forward now. I, ended up in domestic violence. Had to, you know, kind of start over, run for my life, do what I had to do. I kind of have to put it in a nutshell, because it would be here forever if I tried to tell the whole testimony. But in the midst of fighting for my children and all those things, the level of stress, working long hours in ministry and everything like that, I started having grandma seizures out of nowhere. This was like 2017. This wasn't that long ago. I didn't realize I was working so hard when I was single parent, trying to make sure my daughter was good and still in this fight.

Speaker 2 00:28:27 It's constant fight with my ex-husband. Just an unnecessary just fight, just craziness. Once again, please forgive me. Has put it in a nutshell. Because we will be here forever. But when I went to when I finally had to toss it in front of John Rogers, he said, know all the reasons why people have seizures. You don't have any of them. You don't have epilepsy. You don't have it in your DNA. You went through all these different conditions, he said. You are literally exhausted, sleep deprived, exhausted. You said you your body is literally completely fatigued. Vitamin D low to your point. Earlier we talked about, iron load just depleted and it got to the point where it got so violent that I got stuck because I was the one. It was one time, I don't know, after even had found out I had regular neurology appointments back to back to back. The teachers were getting increasingly violent. So I don't even remember this whole that they had to tell me what happened.

Speaker 2 00:29:33 long story short, I got stuck in the last of several back to back seizures in the seizure contorted state over 24 hours in ICU. I do not recall any of it. Should have been brain damaged. Should have had functional motor skills. Should not be able to do a lot of things. But God literally only thing I can say is God just kept me from it. So that's why I apologize for how I praise I'm not because I shouldn't be able to, and I'm saying it. To say it literally was me not taking care of myself. I allowed the stress of life to interfere with that, and I was determined that I wasn't going to let that ever happen again. I reflected back on those other two things I told you all about, and I was like, okay, God, that mercy on me. And he healed me. So I gotta make sure I never let that happen again. He's giving me, you know, I'm an energetic person. He's blessing you my age to be very energetic and be very able to move and work out and things.

Speaker 2 00:30:40 So and I exercise, I, you know, I do all the things. but I'm my doctor told me then he said, he said, no, you're busy. He said, that's who you are. That's who you're always going to be. He said, but you got to make sure you rest. And so there are times if I just shut down, it's because it's like. Because I'm like, I can. Now I know my body. And it's important to know your body when I feel certain things, it's like, there's times when I'm off, I don't even get dressed because I'm like, I'm. I ran around the church a hundred times. I've been working out. I had a long day at work, you know, hard, you know, we had events at work and working out, working, work. You know, I'm just. I'm serious. So I'd be like, you ain't doing nothing today. And God dealt me and told me, you don't rest. I'll make you rest.

Speaker 2 00:31:33 I'm like, I prefer to do it the other way because I don't know what that's going to look like sometimes. And I'm not trying to be funny. I'm saying like. It's nothing to be played with, you know? And when I got to sit down like a father, first of all, God bless you, the doctor like that. Let's talk about that. He set me down like a daughter. And he said literally, basically, there's nothing wrong with me. That the dosage of vitamin D they had to put me on was like some ridiculous prescription strength. You understand what I'm saying? Like it was bad. So if that helps somebody hope you help somebody seriously, like, don't don't do that. And don't rely on your youth either. Don't play with it. Drink that water. Let the organs be good, you know. So.

Speaker 1 00:32:26 Listen, let.

Speaker 3 00:32:27 Me just so you keep on saying that.

Speaker 1 00:32:31 So it is. No, it's so good. One of the things. So being a massage therapist leads you.

Speaker 1 00:32:43 not everybody that is in massage therapy is here for the science. And there are very many different ways that people come to massage therapy. And so I love it for a lot of reasons. One of those is that you get exposed to the hippie culture of massage therapy, which is Earth is healing. Now God created the earth, and anything God created has some good properties to it. Okay, we understand where the power comes from. It comes from God. Let me be very clear on that. Okay, but that said, your girl has become a hippie. I will go get a blanket or not and lay in the grass in the sun, and I feel like I've had some energy shots. I feel like I've had a great meal. I hop up and I just got energy. And then my dad came home one day and I was laying in the grass in the front yard, and he was like, what are you doing? I was like, feeling better, okay, I'm hungry and I'm waiting for you for dinner.

Speaker 1 00:33:45 So I'm going to lay in the grass and let my body get.

Speaker 3 00:33:47 Some food from the sun real.

Speaker 1 00:33:49 Quick, like.

Speaker 3 00:33:49 A plant. That's right.

Speaker 1 00:33:52 But it's amazing. I tell my clients something I tell my clients is if you don't give your body rest, like those days where you don't get dressed, you don't do your makeup, you relax, your body will take it from you. And more often than not, when your body takes the downtime it needs, you end up with chronic illnesses that you could have avoided if you cared for yourself properly. And it's longer than if you had just given yourself a day to rest.

Speaker 2 00:34:26 Come on.

Speaker 3 00:34:27 Here.

Speaker 1 00:34:27 Chronic illnesses don't.

Speaker 3 00:34:28 End. Come on, come on.

Speaker 1 00:34:31 However, you can sit around.

Speaker 3 00:34:33 The house for.

Speaker 1 00:34:33 12 hours and.

Speaker 3 00:34:34 Get everything you needed.

Speaker 2 00:34:36 I'm seriously. That is so true. And like me having, I feel like God gave me second or third or fourth behind me chances. I was like, okay, we're not I'm not doing this.

Speaker 2 00:34:46 Like, we're going to fix this. We're going to get this together. And to your point, earlier, like we knew that since I kept mentioning stewardship, like I need me to do what God wants me to do, I need me to be good, to do what God wants me to do. I cannot be a vessel to him if I'm not together to be a vessel. You know what I'm saying? And even like I call what you just what you just mentioned. I call that a vitamin D bath. There was one time I was just feeling drained. I said, you know what? I had a girl I needed. I've been inside too long. I need to just get out in the sun. And that is so important. It does make you feel better. That direct vitamin D light from the sun is something. Ooh, Is something that you really have to, like, take time to do. If you just go stand on your porch or whatever. Whatever. Like you said, lay in the grass.

Speaker 2 00:35:37 Because, like, we live in New York, even though people think there's no trees and stuff in New York, we would literally go to this place without asking how far. Lay out, blanket out and have lunch right there on the grass. And that was like one of my favorite things to do. And you, just like you said, you feel amazing after like you had an energy shot. You just like, whew.

Speaker 3 00:35:56 You know.

Speaker 2 00:35:57 So yes, I bear witness to that.

Speaker 3 00:35:59 And I'll fill you up.

Speaker 2 00:36:01 I'm telling you, any time you want to just go out in the park, just be like, you don't have to be bad.

Speaker 3 00:36:05 Let's do this.

Speaker 2 00:36:06 So yes.

Speaker 1 00:36:08 So I we have covered a lot of information. what is something? Is there anything that you really want people to know about their skincare, their makeup routines, their health and wellness? that we haven't covered.

Speaker 2 00:36:25 I, we have definitely been exhausted in what we've been saying, I think one thing I really want to say is being in this industry, I have to just throw this in, and I know you can bear witness to it because of what you probably experienced.

Speaker 2 00:36:44 And as a massage therapist, you have to understand how all this relates to also to your mental and emotional health. And I'm saying that to say when you are loving on yourself and you're making those right choices, it builds something else in you and enhances your mental emotional health. And I'm saying that to say that I've had women, one of my biggest passions about this industry, I've had women sit in my chair and I'm going to use you for an example who is just gorgeous as you. But if I had a blindfold on and listen to them talk about themselves, I would swear some kind of beast, a monster sitting in the chair. And that thing breaks my heart. And so when you start understanding, okay, me, you know, I'm naturally Petra. I'm a thug. What that means in here for a second. That means I forget to charge by God. And I don't want to go too long. I gave my gift back to God because I needed to know for myself that it was him.

Speaker 2 00:37:53 In it I live. He went on a fast for a week and did not make up and turn down my plate. And when I told you about that time, it was my faith because I was like, I need to know since I'm here now with you guys, how does this part work? And when God finished with me, he told me that the devil gave me no creative ability that came from him and he's going to show me how to do it. Now fast forward back to where I started.

Speaker 1 00:38:18 Yes, that part.

Speaker 2 00:38:20 There's already beauty before I touch and my charge is to enhance what's already there. And so if you start my I want to say be intentional because people will listen to me. And I've seen women listen to listen, and I've seen those women that apply have amazing results. And I've seen those that just keep listening and keep not being proactive and intentional about doing something for them, thinking that it's an extra thing when it's not an extra thing. And I'm saying embrace it as a part of how you're supposed to live.

Speaker 2 00:38:55 And I'm saying when you start doing that, something's going to happen to you to where those places where you don't necessarily have done people's makeup. And this one lady, I tell this story real quick. In New York, she was I was she's she's an elder in the ministry graduating, getting her master's. And I'm doing her makeup for graduation, you know. And so I naturally and also my gifting and exhortation, I'm talking to you while I'm doing your face. And if I'm, I'm saying things about your features, I'm saying things about your past. I'm gonna be constantly telling you good things about yourself, and I'm just going to do that. That's just what it's going to be. When I finish her face and I was like, he looks up. She looked in the mirror and she said she got ready to start crying. She started speaking in tongues. I had this backup for a minute. Now I'm like, God, this is not fair. You've been doing this to me. Now we pray for this.

Speaker 3 00:39:45 So I'm sitting there like, oh.

Speaker 2 00:39:46 Lord, what's happening right now? And she said, no, wait a minute. I said, well, try not to cry. I said, but if you if it runs, I face it, maybe it ain't gonna run, but I'm like, with the tears run, I'll put you on the back. So she started telling me how you don't understand God is the potter. She said that he is in your hands. And when we're broken, you start to put our makeup on and talk to us. You literally are fixing those cracks that are in us that we don't even realize that they were there. And I never, ever felt this beautiful before. You just kept saying it. And she said, I didn't understand when you just kept telling me how beautiful I am. And then all of a sudden I started receiving it. And so I'm saying that when you start taking care of yourself and look at makeup as an enhancement, as I enhance you up, I don't make you up because you're already made beautiful, you're already fearfully and wonderfully made and who you are as a person.

Speaker 2 00:40:43 How God made you to look is all for a purpose. And you have to. As you start to embrace who you are and how important it is to take care of yourself. And when you think about putting on makeup, you think about this. All the beautiful features here, and I'm just plugged in to enhance what I already see. And I will say that I believe with all my heart the best makeup is enhancing what's already there, not trying to create something that's not. So I'm saying your mental and emotional health, I believe, is improved by caring for yourself, by prioritizing and being a steward over your skin, over your body, over even your beauty. Makeup doesn't have to be a full beat. If lip gloss and lip liner makes you feel good. Boom, that's your makeup. I don't feel like you gotta do all that I do, I'm saying. Makeup is for you, and I really want to plug that for me. It's for you. If you sit in front of somebody and they're not focused on you, get up and leave.

Speaker 2 00:41:43 When a Jerrica sticks in my chair and she says, I'm not really wanting to have all this and that, this is what I like. That I my job is to listen and deliver what you want, what makes you happy. If later on you say, oh, I'm not ready to try that. I'm not going to sit somebody in a chair. And when they ask me to make up who's conservative and do cartwheels on this. But what am I gonna do? That's that's not who they are. So your beauty and all your of who you are. You gotta hone in and value that. And part of that is your stewardship over your health, your stewardship over your skin. Your face is your image. The first thing everybody sees is your face. You ought to just make sure it's good with or without makeup skin, like you said. You know, we consecrate or just a lot of children I have. I don't wear makeup. I need an eye like makeup. But I'm totally confident to walk around with my makeup on and my skin is cared for.

Speaker 1 00:42:52 And still glow.

Speaker 2 00:42:54 And I'm glad you said that. I'm. No, I'm glad you're saying no. It's not just. Oh, she's not makeup. And I'm gonna tell you the truth. The makeup look so much better on well-maintained skin. People that come to you and don't take care of skin. Nigga, we do a photo shoot and I'm not playing. I'm so serious. And you're working extra hard trying to cultivate smoothness that's not there just because of not taking care of yourself. Yeah, that's very like if. Why would you walk around with layers of dead skin cells on your face? Your skin can't even breathe. Your skin. Your skin is suffocating. I had someone texting me yesterday. She said, girl, I'm almost out of my ice cream. And she said. And the black circles are gone. Because she took what I told her. She hasn't had it. But for a couple of months. You hear me? So I'm saying like, yeah, don't you owe yourself that? You know, so I hope that, all made sense and was an answer to what you wanted me to say.

Speaker 1 00:44:00 This was so good. I know I've said so good so many times today, but it was so good. so you mentioned. Naturally, Petra, but I need you to shameless plug your business, because I've seen your work, and it's amazing. So I need anyone that sees this podcast also.

Speaker 2 00:44:18 But see what I appreciate that I am at naturally. Petra on Instagram. And I kind of guide people to that age more than anything. I'm Simona. Petra Ross on Facebook, but the real, place to look at my professional work is on at naturally Petra on Instagram. And like I said, I'm a makeup artist. I have over 35 years in the industry. I'm constantly growing as an artist. I never put a cap on myself. I'm always learning and growing and growing and finding new ways of doing things. So, but I'm that artist that's going to look at you and see all the beauty you already have and enhance what I see. I've done makeup on every level. I've worked in film, television, fashion, all of it.

Speaker 2 00:45:10 editorial. I work for photographers and photography studios as a makeup artist. So my my experience is extensive. and I and I care and I my, my effort is to bring the best out of you. You tell me what you want. That's what I am there to deliver. I also have another page called At Pages of Beauty, which, talks about what beauty is really all about. So. But as an artist at National Picture, it's where it's at. And we're going to be doing some more fun things with that also. tutorial instructional. I do like tutorials. I've done tutorials on zoom for people that live out of town. always there to help you with your questions are about how to bring your best place forward. Those women I tell women all the time, I gotta do this. Plus stop watching those videos that like, they got 37 steps to your face. Come on. Like, really? The artistry is phenomenal. I'm not hating. I promise you, the artistry is amazing.

Speaker 2 00:46:12 But for the everyday woman that's trying to do something for herself to make herself look good. But she's not going to an artist or an event. I can show you ways to do a complete look, and you can get it done in 15 minutes or less. It's possible. Okay, so don't get over. Yeah. Don't get overwhelmed when you see that they're doing a certain kind of artistry and it's amazing. Like I said, but to bring it to a more practical level for the everyday woman, we can do that. It's possible.