Parental Arts
Rajni Jacques On Staying Home With Style
Mama of two, Fashion Director at Allure and founder of @theekindred, Rajni Jacques talks getting dressed, carving out me-time and the beauty products she is loving during quarantine.
How have you approached getting dressed while on lock-down? Has this moment changed the way you think about fashion or self-expression or surprised you in any way?
The approach is very simple. Wear comfortable clothing. I'm a jeans girl and I've only worn a pair once! I wear a lot of silk pajama pants, comfy sweats, ribbed tanks, and plushy tees. This moment has not changed the way I used to dress because I was very lax and easy in my dressing beforehand. My self expression comes from my usual "red lip," how I wear my hair, and the accessories. But I do have to say I am looking forward to dressing up and going somewhere when we can go out. I feel like it will be exciting to get dressed again.
And what about for your children, Diego and Lucienne? How do you approach dressing them? Or how do they like to do it?
Dressing them for the home is pretty simple. Everything is about comfort (and color)! There's a lot of t-shirts and sweatpants. Soft fabrics that they can move in. Loose fitting dresses for Lucienne and bloomer shorts. Diego is really into a sweatsuit set and track pants. They don't want to wear anything too fussy...because all they do is run around and jump around.
In your interview with Into the Gloss, you talked about working to maintain your independence from your children, through your work, going out with friends, your husband, etc, and how easy it would be to get lost in caregiving. Now is a time where certainly those boundaries are blurred and it is harder and harder to carve out time for ourselves. How are you doing this now and what advice would you give to mothers who may be struggling during this all-in time?
It's very hard because it seems like all those things went away. We are with each other 24/7. But I do take about an hour to do me—meaning work out and/or just meditate (just closing my eyes and having silence for at least ten minutes). Honestly, sometimes I just lay in the bed and rest for ten minutes and do some stretches afterward. My advice, and I had to learn it for myself, is to give yourself some leeway. We can't do it all. We might mess up. But we have good intentions. But also take some time for yourself...even if it is ten minutes.
And what about your beauty routine? Has it changed during lockdown or is make-up something that can affect your mood or change the way you feel, even if you aren't going anywhere? Can you share three products you are loving now?
My beauty routine has gotten an upgrade due to having more time to pamper my skin. Not to mention I drink more water. Makeup can affect my mood for sure. For the most part there is no makeup, just creams, scrubs, and serums to make my skin supple and dewey. But if I do put makeup on it's usually something simple like tinted lip gloss, highlighter, and a little mascara! I love Glossier Future Dew, Fenty Matchstick Shimmer in Rum and the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence.
Can you tell us more about TheeKindred and how you have been staying creative during this time?
TheeKindred is something I started about three months ago. It's a platform to celebrate community... for young women, women, and femmes. It's about style, beauty, culture and shining a spotlight on people (especially creatives) pushing it forward. TheeKindred also emphasizes mentorship and finding the tribe of people that will help you grow. Female friendships are a powerful thing. TheeKindred wants to big-up women who have forged a path for themselves, on their own. When I started TheeKindred it was supposed to be a social platform that expressed all the sentiments I previously spoke about visually, but also a catalyst for creating experiential moments like panels, social meet ups, etc. But obviously we had to halt all the gathering aspects due to the lock down from COVID-19. But I'm working on ways to pivot as well as get back on track when we can.
How has it been working from home with little ones in tow? Do you have any WFH tips or routines? Any Zoom beauty hacks?
It's been fun and chaotic all at once. My husband and I usually take turns to who is covering since we are both working from home. We try and schedule our meetings in a way that one has them while the other works. I'm not gonna lie, I'm usually a No Video Zoomer, because I am multi-tasking or doing something for the kids. But once in a while you'll see my face! The only Zoom beauty hack I do is lip gloss before going on and a mist spray—it wakes up my face!
We are trying to focus on the little things and the silver linings keeping us sane. Can you name a few you are counting on now?
Netflix, Hulu, Zoom exercise classes, pistachios, getting kisses from my kiddies in the morning, and good sleep.
Rajni Jacques is the Fashion Director at Allure and founder of @theekindred. You can follow her on instagram @rajni_jacques.
The approach is very simple. Wear comfortable clothing. I'm a jeans girl and I've only worn a pair once! I wear a lot of silk pajama pants, comfy sweats, ribbed tanks, and plushy tees. This moment has not changed the way I used to dress because I was very lax and easy in my dressing beforehand. My self expression comes from my usual "red lip," how I wear my hair, and the accessories. But I do have to say I am looking forward to dressing up and going somewhere when we can go out. I feel like it will be exciting to get dressed again.
And what about for your children, Diego and Lucienne? How do you approach dressing them? Or how do they like to do it?
Dressing them for the home is pretty simple. Everything is about comfort (and color)! There's a lot of t-shirts and sweatpants. Soft fabrics that they can move in. Loose fitting dresses for Lucienne and bloomer shorts. Diego is really into a sweatsuit set and track pants. They don't want to wear anything too fussy...because all they do is run around and jump around.
In your interview with Into the Gloss, you talked about working to maintain your independence from your children, through your work, going out with friends, your husband, etc, and how easy it would be to get lost in caregiving. Now is a time where certainly those boundaries are blurred and it is harder and harder to carve out time for ourselves. How are you doing this now and what advice would you give to mothers who may be struggling during this all-in time?
It's very hard because it seems like all those things went away. We are with each other 24/7. But I do take about an hour to do me—meaning work out and/or just meditate (just closing my eyes and having silence for at least ten minutes). Honestly, sometimes I just lay in the bed and rest for ten minutes and do some stretches afterward. My advice, and I had to learn it for myself, is to give yourself some leeway. We can't do it all. We might mess up. But we have good intentions. But also take some time for yourself...even if it is ten minutes.
And what about your beauty routine? Has it changed during lockdown or is make-up something that can affect your mood or change the way you feel, even if you aren't going anywhere? Can you share three products you are loving now?
My beauty routine has gotten an upgrade due to having more time to pamper my skin. Not to mention I drink more water. Makeup can affect my mood for sure. For the most part there is no makeup, just creams, scrubs, and serums to make my skin supple and dewey. But if I do put makeup on it's usually something simple like tinted lip gloss, highlighter, and a little mascara! I love Glossier Future Dew, Fenty Matchstick Shimmer in Rum and the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence.
Can you tell us more about TheeKindred and how you have been staying creative during this time?
TheeKindred is something I started about three months ago. It's a platform to celebrate community... for young women, women, and femmes. It's about style, beauty, culture and shining a spotlight on people (especially creatives) pushing it forward. TheeKindred also emphasizes mentorship and finding the tribe of people that will help you grow. Female friendships are a powerful thing. TheeKindred wants to big-up women who have forged a path for themselves, on their own. When I started TheeKindred it was supposed to be a social platform that expressed all the sentiments I previously spoke about visually, but also a catalyst for creating experiential moments like panels, social meet ups, etc. But obviously we had to halt all the gathering aspects due to the lock down from COVID-19. But I'm working on ways to pivot as well as get back on track when we can.
How has it been working from home with little ones in tow? Do you have any WFH tips or routines? Any Zoom beauty hacks?
It's been fun and chaotic all at once. My husband and I usually take turns to who is covering since we are both working from home. We try and schedule our meetings in a way that one has them while the other works. I'm not gonna lie, I'm usually a No Video Zoomer, because I am multi-tasking or doing something for the kids. But once in a while you'll see my face! The only Zoom beauty hack I do is lip gloss before going on and a mist spray—it wakes up my face!
We are trying to focus on the little things and the silver linings keeping us sane. Can you name a few you are counting on now?
Netflix, Hulu, Zoom exercise classes, pistachios, getting kisses from my kiddies in the morning, and good sleep.
Rajni Jacques is the Fashion Director at Allure and founder of @theekindred. You can follow her on instagram @rajni_jacques.