Anna and Mandi Vakili talk crystals, gratitude journals and their lockdown beauty routines

We love a bit of self-care and all this time at home has really given us an excuse to look after ourselves inside and out. Each week, we'll be asking the celeb lot to share their self-care routines, because taking care of yourself is more important than ever.

Anna Vakili was one of Love Island's stand-out stars and is now best known for her oh-so relatable podcast 'Reality Check' and serving fashion lewks on the 'gram. We caught up with her and younger sister Mandi who is also an influencer and has worked for big brands including Select Fashion and Missy Empire.

The sisters werestruck down with Coronavirusover the Christmas period and are finally feeling back to their usual selves.

"It was the worst illness I’ve ever had in my life, that’s all I can describe it as. It was just horrible. I was in tears from the head pain and the lack of energy." Anna told heat.

The pair talk gratitude diaries, self-care Sunday and their goals for 2021...

On mental health:

Mandi: We’re going for a walk everyday and we have to, especially after being so sick.

Anna: We were stuck in the house for way too long… bed bound, basically!

Mandi: When we went on our first few walks [after being ill with coronavirus] we had aches and pains like we’d been to the gym! But walks are so important for our mental health. We made a decision for our mental health to be more healthy. Even though it feels really good eating what you want and enjoying it and we did that for the last few months.

Anna: It was spiralling out of control!

Mandi: Yeah, it almost makes you feel slobbish and even more low on energy. To help our mental health, we decided let's just be more healthy. I was baking every day to pass the time, but I was eating the whole cake. I was like, ‘we’re going to have to stop this!”

Anna: It’s about eating the right foods, you’re looking after your body and not just giving it lots of rubbish. It’s been a week and I actually feel so much happier. Also, I’ve bought you a gratitude book, Mandi, it’s on the way! I started writing down my gratitude in the morning.

Mandi: Oh you’ve become one of them ones now have you?

Anna: I don’t go on about it on my Instagram, but it felt really nice. I feel like that’s a good thing to do for your mental health. So, if you wake up in the morning and write down all the things you are grateful for.

On lockdown beauty

Anna: It’s such a good time to do those hair masks, to let your nails breathe… I would have taken out my extensions if I could have! If you can do it, it’s the perfect time because no-one is going anywhere.

Mandi: I’ve had short hair for years and got extensions put in just before this lockdown and it was completely pointless! I always keep my face wet and moisturised. I bought all these manicure and pedicure sets so I can learn to do them on my own. I’m not washing my hair as much. The natural oils from your scalp are really good for your hair follicles… I mean, what better opportunity to not wash your hair than this lockdown.

Anna: I love puttingcastor oilin my hair overnight and washing it out the next morning.

On dealing with negativity online

Anna: Yesterday I woke up to fake news of me on the press [Vicky Pattison allegedly told of an 'awkward red carpet encounter with Anna] and I had a few trolls message me about the fake news and I was like, “woah!” It was so weird and it did affect me for the first half of the day, I’m not going to lie. It’s always going to piss you off if there are lies circulating about you.

Mandi: You have to just let it go, it comes with the territory of being out there in the public eye.

Anna: I came across this quote online that made me realise, it was something to do with if you have a certain amount of money and someone stole £10, would you give away the rest? You wouldn’t give away the rest to get revenge. That’s the same with time, if someone takes up 10 seconds of your time with negativity, you’re not going to give them the rest of your day.

Mandi: I think having trolls, in a way, is a compliment because you have to be pissing someone off. You must be doing well to piss them off!

On crystals:

[The sisters both laugh.]

Anna: Basically, we got some crystals and then we got coronavirus!

Mandi: Everything went to sh-t when we got those crystals, so we got rid of them! Someone messaged me on Instagram like, “the reason all your problems are happening is because of these crystals!” So we swept up all the crystals in the house and put them in the bin. Then everything went back to normal!

Anna: Maybe we had some bad crystals…

On skincare

Anna: Every morning and every night I cleanse tone and moisturise.

Mandi: I moisturise all throughout the day, everytime I touch my face it’s wet.

Anna: Mandi also reminds us when we’re going for our walk to make sure we put on our SPF on our face, even when it’s not sunny.

Mandi: We’re at that age now. But if you’re younger, you should be wearing it anyway. I wish I had been wearing it since I was at school, I probably wouldn’t have a single line!

Anna: People think they should only wear it when they’re in Dubai or a hot country.

Mandi: Even if there’s no sun, always wear your SPF! Loads of water. I try and push myself to drink 2 litres a day. That’s really important.

Anna: I love the Weleda Skin Food, it’s amazing for really dry skin. It’s a bit pricey, but I also loveLa Mer, it’s really good. I also love this lip balm [holds it up to the camera] it’s the Elizabeth Arden eight hour lip balm.

On New Year’s resolutions

Anna: My New Year’s resolutions were to produce more YouTube content, like do two YouTube videos a month, which I am going to do. Have a healthier lifestyle, which I have been doing so far. To put my mental health first and I want to fix my posture, because I slouch really bad. Oh and to learn a dance.

Mandi: To learn a dance?

Anna: I’ve always wanted to learn a dance! Not a routine, but a type of dance. I’ve always wanted to and when dance classes open again, I’m going to do that.

Mandi: I didn’t make any.

Anna: Mandi is one of those people who’s like, “what’s the difference between a new year and last year!”

Mandi: If after the first two months you don’t reach your expectations then you almost feel like you’ve failed yourself and your whole year is written off. I just thought this year I’m going to make it simple.

Anna: I like the idea of a new year and a fresh start.

Mandi: It’s also a new day tomorrow!

Quickfire round:

Shows your currently binging on:

Anna: I've been recently watching Louis Theroux's documentaries.

Mandi: Omg, I love him! He's a big recommendation for this lockdown.

Favourite candle?

Mandi: Diptyque! I love the Baies one.

Go-to cuppa?

Mandi: Mine is a coffee with oat milk.

Anna: Same, we're boring and very alike.

Best place for loungewear?

Mandi: Select Fashion.We did an edit with them and honestly the quality is so amazing.

Anna: I was literally wearing the same Select Fashion loungewear for four days in a row, it became a bit gross.

Shop Anna and Mandi's self-care favourites:

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In other news, the Vakili sisters revealed their ride-or-die brow gel during a YouTube tutorial and it's the one fromAnastasia Beverly Hills.

Anna admitted that she "absolutely loved the product" before claiming it's the "best" brow gel out there and even went on to say that it's "better than" brow lamentation.

Mandi went on to add, "We discovered it years ago and we've never stopped".

Brb, off to buy ten.