Category: Mariposa Sisters picks

Categories
Empower Women Lists and Tips Mariposa Sisters picks Women empowering women women in power

Influential Women You Should Be Following on Instagram

Photo courtesy of Canva

With nowhere to go, my time on social media has greatly increased over the past several months. I spend far too much time scrolling through Instagram and not enough time reading books and practicing self-care. However, I have made it my mission to fill my timeline with women who inspire me to do better. Here are three really awesome women that you need to be following.

 

AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez)

 

Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, better known as AOC, has made quite a name for herself over the past couple of years. She gained nation-wide recognition after winning the Democratic Party’s primary election for New York’s 14th congressional district in 2018. She beat Joe Crowley, who was a 10-term incumbent, off of a grassroots campaign and then beat Republican Anthony Pappas in the general election later that year. You can watch it all play out in the documentary Knock Down the House on Netflix. Since then, her social media following has grown exponentially. If you scroll through her Instagram account you’ll see that it’s filled with inspiring messages, both political and non-political. She fights for a wide range of progressive policies, and her inspiring speeches have a way of making you want to fight with her. 

 

Rachel Elizabeth Cargle

 

Rachel Elizabeth Cargle is a public academic, writer, and lecturer who focuses on “providing intellectual discourse, tools, and resources that explore the intersection of race and womanhood,” according to her website. As a woman of color herself, she saw a need for change and founded the Loveland Foundation, which is a non-profit that works to boost access to therapy for black women. She also created The Great Unlearn which is an online learning platform that highlights academics of color. It’s a place where people can go and become more educated about ways in which they can take action.  Cargle now uses her personal Instagram to encourage people to understand and speak out against racism in our society. Her posts are filled with inspiring words that every woman needs to hear.

 

Glennon Doyle

 

Author and philanthropist Glennon Doyle recently gained recognition after she published her third book Untamed. Her female-empowering memoir details the freedom she felt once she discovered she needed to stop listening to how the world told her to live and began living for herself. The inspirational read will definitely have you feeling like you can do absolutely anything. Doyle also created Together Rising, which is a non-profit organization that “transforms collective heartbreak into effective action.” From helping children in refugee camps to the opioid crisis, Doyle’s foundation has touched it all. Her Instagram is filled with inspiring quotes and life-lessons to give you that extra push when you’re feeling down. Lately, she’s been inspiring people around the world to vote, while also posting funny light-hearted videos of her and her wife Abby Wambach.

 

Author: Ashli Ellerman 

Categories
Empower Women Entertainment Lists and Tips Mariposa Sisters picks

10 Motivating Girl-Power Anthems

Photo courtesy of Canva

In need of some female empowerment during this rough season of life? We’ve got you covered with this list of inspiring songs to add to your playlist. 

 

 

“This Girl is on Fire”- Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys sings about being free and bold in her hit song. The metaphorical line “This girl is on fire” reflects the singers’ feelings about being a woman in this, often times, unforgiving world.

 

Standout lyrics: “Oh, we got our feet on the ground/ And we’re not burning it down/ Oh, got our head in the clouds/ And we’re not coming down”

 

 

“Fight song”- Rachel Platten

This empowering track is sure to get any girl feeling inspired. Rachel Platten encourages, not only herself, but other women to believe in themselves and be strong.

 

Standout lyrics: “This is my fight song/Take back my life song/Prove I’m alright song”

 

 

“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”- Kelly Clarkson

This confidence anthem is not only empowering, but also encourages women who are healing from heartbreak that “What doesn’t kill you… makes you stronger.”

 

Standout lyrics: “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger/Stand a little taller/ Doesn’t mean I’m lonely when I’m alone/ What doesn’t kill you makes a fighter/Footsteps even lighter/ Doesn’t mean I’m over ’cause you’re gone

 

 

“Run the World (Girls)”- Beyonce

Queen B reminds everyone who’s really in charge with her hit song. The upbeat track will have you singing along with it’s repetitive statement “Who run the world? Girls”

 

Standout lyrics: “My persuasion can build a nation/ Endless power, with our love we can devour”

 

 

“The Man”- Taylor Swift

Taylor swift reflects on the double standard between men and women and how different life would be if she were a man.

 

Standout lyrics: “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can/ Wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man/ And I’m so sick of them coming at me again/ ‘Cause if I was a man, then I’d be the man”

 

 

“God is a Woman”- Ariana Grande

Mega-star Ariana Grande sings about female sexual liberation in her hit single. She makes a bold statement with her metaphorical idea that “God is a woman.” 

 

Standout lyrics: “When all is said and done/ You’ll believe God is a woman”

 

 

“Rare”- Selena Gomez

This self-empowerment anthem is all about showing yourself some love when it seems like no one else is. Selena Gomez’s inspiring lyrics remind women that they are uniquely wonderful and special.

 

Standout lyrics: “It feels like you don’t care/ Why don’t you recognize I’m so rare?”

 

 

“Good as Hell”- Lizzo

Lizzo reminds girls they don’t need a man to feel good about themselves in her upbeat hit. She emphasizes the fact that focusing on yourself will change your life.

 

Standout lyrics: “You know you a star, you can touch the sky/ I know that it’s hard, but you have to try”

 

 

“Beautiful”- Christina Aguilera

This timeless classic touches the soul and encourages women to realize the importance of their inner beauty. Christina Aguilera belts lyrics about accepting herself despite what people might say.

 

Standout lyrics: “I am beautiful/ In every single way/ Yes words can’t bring me down, oh no/ So don’t you bring me down today”

 

 

“Man! I Feel Like A Woman”- Shania Twain

Last but certainly not least, Shania Twain’s hit song might be the most notable girl-power anthem on this list. Twain sings about letting loose and having fun as a reminder to all women that it’s ok to be yourself.

 

Standout lyrics: “Color my hair, do what I dare/ Oh-oh-oh, I wanna be free/ Yeah, to feel the way I feel/ Man! I feel like a woman!

 

Author: Ashli Ellerman

Categories
Beauty Lists and Tips Mariposa Sisters picks Women empowering women

Eden Beauty Glam

Photo courtesy of Eden Beauty Glam

Women around the world come in all different shapes and sizes, but sometimes that doesn’t seem to be reflected in the fashion industry. According to a Glamour article, “plus-size women represent 68% of shoppers,” so why is it that when we go shopping, the majority of what we see are clothes made for girls who are a size two?

 

A recent Forbes article called for the fashion industry to stop treating plus-size women as different from smaller-sized women. Women in the article said they didn’t want to see anymore “online-only collections” and wanted more “models who represent a diversity of shapes.”

 

Women’s clothing boutique Eden Beauty Glam is a great example of a company that provides for women of all shapes and sizes.

 

Eden Beauty Glam’s “About Us” page reads: “Fashion can mean so many things to different people. We aren’t all the same, so, of course, our styles of clothing and accessories are different. Each individual can choose to dress down or fancy but only you get to decide what that means.”

 

The clothing site is owned by a woman of color who has incorporated a wide variety of items within the online boutique. There is basic apparel, such as blouses, bottoms, and dresses, but then there are also many accessories, including jewelry, sunglasses, and hats. And, they even have cute little masks to combat the current pandemic.

 

**We have a 10% off code for you to use at Eden Beauty Glam. Click the link to search the site for your perfect outfit!

 

Author: Ashli Ellerman

Categories
Lists and Tips Mariposa Sisters picks women in power

4 Women-Owned Skincare Brands

Graphic by Khala Clarke photo courtesy of Canva.

As a woman, skin care is an essential part of life. Keeping my skin healthy has always been a big priority of mine, so I rounded up a list of a few of my favorite skincare brands that also happen to be created by women.

 

 

1. Summer Fridays

 

This skincare company was started by two women who spent years “searching for something with good-for-you ingredients.” Co-founders Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Gores Ireland were once just two girls who loved blogging about beauty when they decided to team up and create something of their own.  According to their website, their first product was their iconic Jet Lag Mask, which has now become one of their top-sellers. Summer Fridays has built up quite an array of products since the company began. From lip balm to cleansers, there’s something for all of your beauty needs.

 

 

2. Drunk Elephant

 

Drunk Elephant has become widely popular in recent years, and it was started by a woman who just wanted to fix her own skin care issues. Tiffany Masterson searched high and low for the perfect products and began learning about specific ingredients that affected her skin. She labeled these ingredients the “Suspicious 6” and set out to create her own skincare brand that didn’t have any of those six ingredients in them. Drunk Elephant has numerous products for different types of skin care needs. Some of the brand’s most popular items include, the Protini Polypeptide Moisturizer, the C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum and the T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Resurfacing Night Serum.

 

 

3. Glossier

 

Though this brand isn’t strictly skincare, Glossier’s story is similar to others on this list. The company was founded in 2014 with a beauty website called Into The Gloss, which became their “source for inspiration and information.” Founder Emily Weiss “wanted to make beauty as much of an element of personal style as fashion” when she set out to start the beauty line. If you’re into following beauty influencers, then you’ve definitely heard about Glossier products. Items, such as their skin salve Balm Dotcom and their brow pomade Boy Brow, have become cult favorites in the beauty guru community. 

 

 

4. Tatcha

 

Victoria Tsai created this luxury skincare company after traveling East and learning about Japanese beauty. According to the brand’s website, the line’s ingredients were literally discovered in an ancient Japanese text. The skincare line’s key ingredient is Hadasei-3, “a trinity of anti-aging superfoods born from the Japanese diet, and the basis for the original geisha beauty rituals: green tea, rice and algae.” Tatcha also partners with Room to Read to fund girls’ education in Asia and Africa. Some of the skincare line’s most popular products include, The Water Cream and the Luminous Dewy Skin Mist.

 

Author: Ashli Ellerman

Categories
Entertainment Lists and Tips Mariposa Sisters picks Women empowering women

4 Spooky shows with powerful women leads you should watch just in time for Halloween!

Graphic by Khala Clarke

1. Lovecraft Country 

This HBO horror drama television series is needless to say, the most horrifying yet interesting show I’ve probably ever watched. Based on the novel Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff, the show is filled with supernatural elements like witchcraft, ghosts, time-travel and more. Each episode takes the audience on an emotional roller coaster keeping each viewer hooked as the plot thickens. You just never know what might happen next in this blockbuster. 

 

Jurnee Smollett stars as Letitia, a young black woman from the south, who joins her longtime friend Atticus (played by Jonathan Majors) and his uncle George (played by Courtney B. Vance) in a quest to find his father set in the Jim Crow and racist era of the 1950’s.

 

In the show Letitia is a photographer who displays a vast aptitude of independence & power while still embodying her feminine nature in the manner she cares for others especially Atticus. Letitia is what I would consider a fierce powerful Black woman!

 

 

2. The Haunting of Hill House

This Netflix supernatural horror drama TV series is an all-time favorite around this time of year. The show follows five siblings as their past haunts them. Bouncing back and forth from the past to the present showing flashbacks of the siblings paranormal experiences. The show is not only terrifying but captivating with its enticing actors and its extraordinary visuals. This show will definitely give you a good scare.

 

The show starring many great actresses such as  Carla Gugino who played Olivia Crain, Elizabeth Reaser and Lulu Wilson as Shirley Crain Harris, Kate Siegel and Mckenna Grace playing Theodora  aka “Theo” Crain and Victoria Pedretti and Violet McGraw as Eleanor “Nell” Crain Vance, who I thought was the most captivating character. 

 

All the women and young girls played powerful roles in this series, truly embodying their  characters, the ladies gave the audience the experience of true terror.

 

 

3. The Haunting of Bly Manor

This new Netflix series is a supernatural horror drama spin-off series of The Haunting of the Hill House. The two series have different storylines as The Haunting of Bly Manor is about a young woman who is hired by a man after a tragic event occurs and he’s left with his niece and nephew. The young woman Danielle aka “Dani” Clayton is played by Victoria Pedretti who also played in The Haunting of the Hill House. She takes care of the children at the family’s country house which is the Bly estate, where she begins to have a chilling experience as she starts to see ghosts. 

 

In fact, many of the characters in this series were characters in The Haunting of the Hill House, Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel, Carla Gugino, and Catherine Parker all play new characters within this series but they are also many other great actors in this series, a lot of which are great actresses. 

 

Although this show does play as a spin-off of The Haunting on the Hill House, the two shows are very different. Both shows will definitely give you a good scare with a great storyline to follow but The Haunting of Bly Manor is different as it is a chilling story that won’t have you jumping out of your seat but will make you want to sleep with the light on. 

 

 

4. Ratched

This Netflix drama/psychological thriller is by far one of my favorite new series not only because it stars the amazing Sarah Paulson, but because it is truly unconventional. Full of suspense, with the revelations of trilling and shocking truths, Ratched is sure to keep its audience on their toes with every episode.

 

The show follows nurse Mildred Ratched (played by Sarah Paulson), who makes her way to Northern California in the late 1940s to get a job at a recently popular psychiatric hospital. This hospital has begun experimental treatment on its patients and as a nurse, Mildred portrays herself to be the perfect employee, but underneath it all she despises the horrific practices. Mildred is also there to save her foster brother who was sent to the asylum after murdering several priests. 

 

Sara Paulson and other women in the series like Cynthia Nixon, who plays Gwendolyn Briggs the Governor’s press secretary and campaign manager, As well as Judy Davis who plays Nurse Betsy Bucket, the head nurse at Lucia State Hospital and Ratched’s foe turned into a friend.  

 

This gory show will have you squirming in your seat and turning your mind upside down. 

 

Author: Khala Clarke 

Categories
Empower Women Entertainment Mariposa Sisters picks

7 Must-See Biopics about Iconic/Bad Ass Women

Graphic By Khala Clarke

 

If you’re in need of some inspiration from some seriously powerful women, then check out one of these biopics. From artists to politicians, there is bound to be a motivational story you can relate to on this list.

 

Frida

 

If you don’t know who Frida Kahlo is, then this film is a must-see. Kahlo is quite possibly the most well-known Mexican painter of all time. She’s known for her autobiographical self-portraits which incorporated issues of class, gender and heritage. Frida tells the inspiring story of how her grave injury led to her love of painting. It follows her entire life as both a political activist and talented artist, as well as her love story with Diego Rivera. Salma Hayek portrays the legendary Kahlo in this hit biopic and was nominated for an Oscar for the role. 

 

The Iron Lady

 

This film details the life of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Meryl Streep portrays Thatcher, who became the first female prime minister, and longest serving, in the UK. The Iron Lady depicts Thatcher’s fight against both class and gender stereotypes as a female politician. Though the film has mixed reviews, Streep won both an Oscar and a Golden Globe  for her magnificent portrayal of Thatcher. 

 

Erin Brockovich

 

Julia Roberts plays Erin Brockovich in this inspiring film. The movie begins with Brockovich in a not-so-good situation. She’s an unemployed single mother who is being sued due to a traffic accident. She eventually gets hired as a legal assistant by her own lawyer and single-handedly takes down a huge energy corporation by uncovering their involvement in a water contamination incident. Roberts went on to win an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her role.

 

Selena

 

Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla was an award winning artist in the Latin music scene, but she had her life taken from her at an early age. In Selena, Jennifer Lopez depicts Quintanilla’s road to fame and to finding love. However, right on the brink of mainstream success, she is tragically murdered by her good friend. This was Lopez’s breakout role, and it is still regarded as one of her best.

 

Jackie

 

As a Jackie Kennedy fan, this biopic has to be one of my favorites on the list. Natalie Portman portrays former First Lady and international icon Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in this moving film. It follows Onassis’ life after her husband John F. Kennedy is assassinated. She must pick up the pieces and keep going, all while the entire world is watching. From the funeral to her departure from the white house, Portman, who was nominated for an Oscar, gives a chilling performance as the famous First Lady.

 

The Queen

 

This film depicts Queen Elizabeth II’s controversial response to Princess Diana’s death. The real-life events that took place during this time somewhat negatively impacted the public’s view of the Queen, so this film offers an interesting look into what was really going on. Helen Mirren portrays Queen Elizabeth’s ongoing battle between privately mourning versus publicly mourning the late princess. Mirren went on to win both an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her role.7 Must-See Biopics about Iconic/Bad Ass Women.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

 

This inspiring film tells the story of how an Afircan-American woman’s cells were used to create the first immortal human cell line that would change the course of cancer treatment forever. Oprah Winfrey plays Deborah Lacks, Henrietta’s daughter, as she embarks on a journey to learn more about her deceased mother. The groundbreaking story was nominated for a Primetime Emmy and Winfrey’s portrayal was well-received by critics. 

 

Author: Ashli Ellerman

Categories
Entertainment Lists and Tips Mariposa Sisters picks

5 Podcasts Created by Women You Need to be Listening to

Graphic by Khala Clarke

1.  My Favorite Murder

 

As a true crime fan, My Favorite Murder is one of, if not my favorite, podcast of all time. The true crime comedy podcast is hosted by the hilarious duo Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. The two women teamed up in 2016 to create a light-hearted, yet captivating show where they tell stories about their favorite murders. They also invite fans to send in stories about their hometown murders, so there is never a shortage of chilling topics. The witty banter mixed with true crime stories makes for a more entertaining podcast. These women never fail to make you both laugh and shudder from terror in each episode.

 

2. The Michelle Obama Podcast

 

Former First Lady Michelle Obama just recently started her hit-podcast where she discusses all things relationships, wellness and life. She had her husband Barack Obama on her very first episode, and the two dove deep into today’s current issues. Michelle offers her unique view on the world as the former president’s wife but also makes the podcast her own. She invites many special people in her life, such as her brother and best friends to talk about anything and everything. Fingers crossed she decides to do another season.

 

3. Office Ladies

 

This is another fun, light-hearted podcast for serious fans of The Office. Co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, AKA Pam and Angela, teamed up to give fans an in-depth look into each episode of The Office. While Office Ladies is still rather new, it continuously sits on top of the charts each week. The two women give listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the making of specific episodes, and fans are eating it up.

 

4. Call Your Girlfriend

 

If you want a mix of pop-culture and politics, then Call Your Girlfriend is a good place to start. Best friends Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman began their podcast in 2014 as a way to discuss topics surrounding women. Aminatou lives in Brooklyn and Friedman lives in Los Angeles, so they record their podcast by calling each other weekly. The two often highlight other women and discuss topics surrounding feminism, women’s wellness, friendship, etc. You name it, they talk about it. They have honest, real conversations about life and are not afraid to speak their minds when it comes to important issues. The women-led podcast is also produced by Gina Delvac.

 

5. Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations

 

When I think of super inspiring women, Oprah is one of the first people to pop into my head, and I think a lot of people would agree. In her podcast, Oprah interviews all different types of people from all different walks of life and invites listeners to “awaken, discover and connect to the deeper meaning of the world around you.” It’s basically like a self-help book but in podcast form. So, if you’re in need of a pick-me-up, this is the podcast for you.

 

Author: Ashli Ellerman