Sometimes, we could all use a gentle reminder that we are, indeed, awesome and deserving of the very best things life has to offer. That's why one brand came up with the perfect way for you to remember this and treat yourself like the flawless being that you are. Thanks to Melody Godfred and Samira Far of Fred and Far, there is now a ring that you can wear on your pinky as a pinky promise to yourself to treat yourself with care and love.
The pinky ring retails starting at $150 for your choice of 14k yellow, white, or rose gold, and the stone is made from white sapphire. And just in case you thought it couldn't be any sweeter, the white sapphire is "conflict free," which means they're not made in impoverished working environments. This ring is, for all intents and purposes, a magnet for positive vibes.
To get a taste of what self-love and care is all about, we talked to the founders Melody and Samantha about what it actually means to take care of yourself, how to find love, and how you can treat yourself like the royalty you are.Teen Vogue: Why did you decide to make this ring?
Melody Godfred: The ring was born from personal necessity, and from recognizing a need. We realized that for women, self-sacrifice is a trend, and "self-care" at times is treated like a dirty word. I created the first ring for myself, and then together we launched this concept to create a community of women committed to self-love.
TV: What do you wish you could tell your high school self about love?
MG: My high school self was always looking for love (and oftentimes in all the wrong places). I desired love from others so intensely that it became the focal point of my life in many ways. I bent myself out of shape trying to be what I thought I needed to be to receive love. I would tell my high school self that love is not something you go out into the world looking for. It starts from within. When you love yourself, love invariably finds its way to you. You become a magnet, instead of having to constantly be caught up in the chase.
TV: Why is self-love important?
MG: Self love is fuel. It energizes you, and as a result energizes everything and everyone around you. Another benefit of self love is that it doesn't require you to control anyone else's behavior. It doesn't require that you wait to receive it. When you practice self love, you become completely empowered. You begin to change yourself for the better, and everything around you follows suit. It's like a dance: if you change your step, your partner will too. Self love is about being in a beautiful dance with your best, brightest self.
TV: What is the “pinky promise” element of this?
MG: The pinky promise is historically the most sacred bond you could make. To break it, could mean losing your finger (or so goes Japanese lore). We believe that when you wear the Self-Love Pinky Ring, you are making a pinky promise to yourself. You commit to honoring, choosing and remembering yourself on a daily basis. It's also a great way to get your best friends involved in self-love with you. We've had many customers make the pinky promise with a friend.
TV: What are your 3 best self-care tips?
MG: For me, self care doesn't come naturally. So the first tip is to schedule self care so that it becomes part of your daily routine. That way you can't wiggle out of it. From my reminder to get my weekly blowout, to exercise and time with friends, I schedule it in so I commit to it as fully as I do to my work or my family.
Samira Far: Self-care means being in touch with my body and my heart. I spend time with myself every morning — you can call it a meditation of sorts — and check in with my body. I ask how I am feeling. I allow myself to move, maybe dance, maybe punch the air, maybe cry. I allow feelings to move through me, so that I can be connected to myself for the rest of the day. I find that when I am connected to my feelings, I know when to exercise, what to eat and what I want to say to people I interact with. Being connected brings everything else into alignment to stay fit, healthy and focused.
Another point of self-care that most people don't think about is long-term self-care. I look at my beauty products, my daily bathing regiment, my workouts, and the people I surround myself with and ask myself if it will help me be healthier and livelier long term, or if it is just a short-term cover-up. For this reason, I totally avoid face makeup and eye concealer, for example. I feel it creates more dryness and pore congestion and ultimately will not allow my skin to breath to be healthy long term.