We’re always on the lookout for the latest and greatest, here are some of the the things that our team loves this season:
The Handmaid’s Tale (on HULU): Beyond the timely thematic elements, the cinematography and visuals of this series are gorgeous and stunning, and the acting by the entire cast is masterful. The first 3 episodes were released last week and were so engrossing that we watched them all in one sitting. If you haven’t caught onto The Handmaid’s Tale, we can’t recommend it enough.
MAISON MARGIELA ‘Replica – Tea Escape’: We’re not fans of traditional fragrances that are filled with artificial fragrance for 2 reasons: 1) after the initial top notes fade, they all have the same lab-made smell, 2) even when they are not strong, the synthetic fragrance gets nauseating. For a while our team was exclusively Frederic Malle, which although not ‘natural’ by any means, had options that used higher concentrations of natural plant fragrance and smaller concentrations of synthetics than others. Then we received a few bottles from the Margiela Replica fragrance collection and to our delight, there were a lot of options that were similarly agreeable. All fragrances in the Replica line are highly unique and evocative. Tea Escape is an excellent, crisp, light fragrance meant to capture quiet reflection from a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, translation: it’s relaxing, calming, and sophisticated. Perfect for summer.
YÜLI Pure Mask: We’ve been loving this mask ever since we got it a few weeks ago on the advice of many beauty bloggers who rave about this line. This is one of those masks that comes as a powder and will turn into the cream paste in the photo above. What that means is all the ingredients maintain their freshness and are purposeful, so the mask you put on will not have preservatives or fillers that don’t do anything for your skin. We’ve used powder masks before and this one just feels a step above, from the finely milled texture that turns into a pillowy soft silky cream, to the subtle rose fragrance. What we love most has to be the array of soothing botanicals guided by Traditional Chinese Medicine principles which instantly lower skin surface temperature thanks to mung beans and matcha that have a ‘cooling qi’ energy that balances inflammation, irritation, redness and breakouts. This mask lasts a long time and will be much needed as the summer heats up.
BKR Water Bottles – in Spiked: Having a good water bottle to use throughout the day is crucial. BKR is easily the coolest line in the game. Their execution that covers all the bases with non-toxic glass water bottles covered in protective and high-end designed silicon sleeves that have won them acclaim from celebrities and green lifestyle gurus alike. This line exemplifies the meeting of form and function. Their Spiked series is particularly eye catching, and we’d be able to buy a few more Spiked bottles if we got a dollar for every time a fellow gym-goer asked us where they could get these bottles. Because the bottles are so functional and come in a variety of designs and sizes, they’ll fit into virtually any lifestyle so you’ll actually look forward to using them and taking them with you throughout your day. BKR introduces new collections every season, which not only keeps the designs fresh but also turns us into collectors.
Jade Roller: We’re still getting the hang of jade rollers but already dig the instantly cooling feel of smoothing the much lauded gemstone over tired muscles. This is supposed to increase stimulation, drain lymph nodes and help with under eye puffiness. Our favorite way to use it is in conjunction with oil cleansing and then rinsing off afterward. This helps to tone and prep the facial muscles under the skin. Although we can’t attest to long term benefits, our team has reported that the cooling and stimulating properties have done wonders for the under eye and reducing overall facial puffiness.
Common Projects White & Black Achilles Retro Low Sneakers: Summer calls for classic white sneakers and we’ve been obsessively scouring the options for the perfect high-end pair. We dig Common Projects which are manufactured in the same factory as the quintessential Lanvin sneakers and share a similar design language. Their Achilles Retro Low Sneakers are versatile whether you’re dressing up or down, and the black heel tab along with metallic gold number stamp add a touch of character that provides an invigorating yet still refrained take on the classic white sneaker.
Silk Pillowcases: If you’re a side sleeper or stomach sleeper, get on the silk pillowcase train! It’ll only be a matter of time until your pillows accentuate developing lines on your face. Luckily we’ve changed our pillowcases to silk pillowcases, which have been something of a beauty editor’s secret for beauty sleep as they’re hypoallergenic, incredibly soft (won’t create creases/lines on your face), and have the most gentle texture. No matter how much twisting and turning there was throughout the night, not a single line or crease appeared in the morning. Some team members with sensitive skin also reported less redness on their skin than sleeping on 100% cotton pillowcases. If you do pick up silk pillowcases, make sure you pick one made from natural mulberry silk (like the one we recommend, available in a variety of colors) which is a breathable, organic fiber that is much better for skin.
