So the main question running through your head right now is why did you decide to start a blog? Well, in order for me to get to that answer, we’ll have to look back in time.

Let’s rewind back a few years. In 2014, my life was as close to perfect as it could get. I graduated high school with honors and was going to my dream school. Even though I was 12 hours away from my home and my family, I adjusted quickly. I broke out of my shyness and found a group of friends and even a boyfriend, who I was insanely, ridiculously in love with. When I wasn’t busy slaying my exams in the classroom, I was out embracing the HBCU lifestyle by twerking at crowded house parties and spending quality time with my man on the front steps of my dorm. I mean, ya girl had it all: beauty, brains, and a fine educated black man?

Chile, please. Be real

Okay, so maybe I exaggerated a little bit. But for the most part, life was good.

So…what happened then? What changed?

Well, like most 20-somethings who leave home way too soon, the pressures and realities of adulthood hit me like a truck. Everything was changing too much, too quickly. My dream school turned out to be less than dreamy (it was actually hell on Earth, but that’s a whole different story altogether), my once pristine GPA was steadily falling, and my once perfect relationship turned out to be toxic. To make things even worse, my depression and anxiety came back full force. I started isolating myself from my friends by ignoring calls and texts, I was always mad at my boyfriend, and I stopped putting effort into my appearance because “it’s not like anyone ever cares enough to notice anyways”. For some reason, I continued to deny that anything was wrong and tried to force myself to carry on as normal.

My breaking point was around April or May of last year, when I began to purposely harm myself. I was starving myself and on my worst days, I would cut. I was determined that my life wasn’t worth living anymore. It seemed like I was making mistakes left and right, and all of my meaningful relationships were falling apart. Worried out of her mind, my mother demanded I stay home for the summer and longer if needed, just until I felt stable enough to go back. Looking back, that was the best decision I could have ever made, because once I got home, I was able to get the counseling and help that I needed, along with the added support of my mom and grandmother.

So why did I decide to start a blog? Because I know that there’s people out there who feel the same way I felt and I want them to know that they’re not alone. I want them to be able to have a safe haven to come to when they need support or just a good laugh. I chose to make my blog focus on beauty and mental health because makeup was one of the first hobbies I surrounded myself with when I started getting help. It taught me how to love myself again. So to all my lovelies that are going through tough times, just take a deep breath, pray about it, grab a glass of Henny and relax: things get better.

**If you need to speak to someone immediately, please utilize any of the links below**

IMAlive

Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Suicide Hotline (This page also has international hotlines as well)