December 27, 2019
Don't ski without Dr. Sturm, up your eye-makeup game with Tom Ford, scent your space with non-toxic fragrance, keep your stress in check and pay extra attention to your extremities.
Don't hit the slopes without this skin protectant
It’s 2pm the Friday before Christmas, which means holiday break is officially underway! We never travel this time of year since my husband and I are from up North and everyone comes down to Florida to see us, but we’re definitely in the minority. I wish we were headed to colder climes since the mercury has yet to dip below 60—and if I was the first skincare product I’d pack would be Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Ski Cream. Created in conjunction with the luxury alpine-apparel brand Perfect Moment (which I’ll admit I’m not familiar with since cold-weather balance sports and I don’t really get along), this is just what you need to shield your skin from high-altitude environmental assaults.
Created with your skin’s barrier in mind, this rich protective cream forms a barrier that insulates your skin from extreme cold, wind and the visible redness and irritation that usually come along with frigid climate conditions. The hydrating ingredients in this water-in-oil formula include shea butter, jojoba oil and sunflower extract, plus soothing edelweiss extract (maybe I should watch The Sound of Music for the thousandth time over break) and a calming blend of balloon vine and black currant oils.
So for all of you heading to Aspen, Tahoe or a fancy chalet in the Swiss Alps, use this if you don’t want to sidle up to the bar for an apres-ski cocktail all red in the face. And even if you’re staying put for the holidays, I hope everyone enjoys a little much-needed time off surrounded by family and friends! xoxo
Tom Ford's latest is not for the faint of heart
You’ll be hard-pressed to find any woman (or man—it’s almost 2020 after all) who would want Tom Ford in their makeup bag. And just when you thought he won the product-naming game with Fucking Fabulous, meet the Extreme Badass collection.
As a whole, these products are pretty much the polar opposite of no-makeup makeup, but the mascara would make just about anyone happy. With a waterproof, smudge-proof, humidity-resistant formula that delivers major volume, definition and separation, it just may render extensions obsolete.
I don’t think it’s possible to have too many Tom Ford Eye Quads (although my bank account may disagree), and the Badass version can go in several different directions. With sheer, shimmer and matte shades, you can go with a light wash of color for day or layer on the intensity for night. (Tip: Wet your eyeshadow brush before applying for maximum color payoff.)
Though definitely not for everyone (myself included), the Badass Lid Lacquer is about as bold of a makeup statement you can make. I’m all for a glossy eye—but this is next level. Remember Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman in Batman Returns? If you have a love for latex and want your eyes to shine (literally) with the blackest of blacks you should definitely try it. In fact, I dare you… Let’s see who’s really a badass out there!
The campaign shot for the collection actually looks wearable—but a professional makeup artist definitely helps!
Home fragrance just got a lot cleaner
I’m kind of obsessed with my house smelling good, and it takes ongoing effort to offset the sometimes not-so-alluring scents associated with near-constant cooking and living with two testosterone machines. I always have at least one candle burning in my house and I there are reed diffusers in all of our bathrooms—but I’m rather particular about the specific aromas I like them to impart. I am not into candles that smell like food (whether vanilla, fruit or the like), and tend to lean toward woody or laundry-like fragrances that evoke a sense of freshness and clean. That’s why I was so excited to learn that Clean (the brand behind one of my favorite every-day personal scents) introduced Clean Space, a home-fragrance line that channels the almost-indiscernible scents I love so much.
Featuring candles, reed diffusers and linen/room sprays, this eco-conscious and sustainable range will make you want to cozy up in your space and never leave. Available in “Warm Cotton,” “Rain” and “Fresh Linens,” I couldn’t possibly pick one favorite. Best of all, everything is free of parabens, phthalates, petrolatum and other chemicals that you probably don’t want floating around in the air you breathe. Oh, and you can totally repurpose the glass jars once you’ve finished a candle or diffuser oil to minimize waste. Think of it as a treat for your nose and the environment as well!
If you need a little help in the stress-handling department...
This may (or may not) come as a shock, but I have stress-management issues. We all have good days and bad days, but it takes a lot of effort for me to keep my state of mind in balance. Between mommy-ing, working for myself (and a laundry list of clients), tending to the house and handling the endless to-do list necessary for keeping a family humming along, sometimes I feel like I’m burning the candle at both ends and on the verge of a nervous breakdown. When this happens, something as (kind of) innocuous as my son leaving his shoes in the kitchen can send me over the edge. (I know I’m not alone here.)
I use several mechanisms to keep my stress in check. Exercise is huge, as is carving out “me-time” (although these two often overlap). If there’s a museum exhibition I don’t want to miss or a vintage store I want to check out, I go solo with zero guilt whatsoever. And, of course, there’s vodka and wine.
I also use CBD—in basically any form I can get my hands on. After educating myself on the benefits of adaptogens, I started working these herbs into my oral wellness routine as well. (Four Sigmatic offers lots of awesome ways to get them in your body and on your skin). Then I came across a supplement that includes CBD and the adaptogen ashwagandha (which I don’t think I’ll ever be able to spell correctly the first time around). It’s called HempFusion Stress Support—and I’m on my second bottle. My husband may not agree, but I definitely think it helps take the edge off, at least to the point that I won’t go postal if my son accumulates a full set of glassware upstairs.
Obviously I can’t say that these supplements are solely responsible for being able to let more things go, since countless other factors come into play. But you know how the tachometer in your car measures the engine’s RPMs? My baseline used to teeter on the red zone, but now I’d say I’m down to a 5 most of the time—and it’s a much better place to be.
A little extra love for your legs, hands and feet
Net-a-Porter does more than take a sizable chunk of my hard-earned money, and it serves as a launch pad for burgeoning British beauty brands as well. One of the latest to make its debut is Margaret Dabbs London, a line of luxury of products for the feet, legs and hands. Born from their ever-growing collection of clinics in the U.K., Spain and Dubai where the well-heeled head for cutting-edge treatments like medical pedicures, luxury foot therapy, hand-rejuvenating laser treatments and more, consider this the name to know for healthy, ageless extremities.
Not heading across the pond anytime soon? Fret not, because you can recreate an indulgent Margaret Dabbs experience at home with just a few clicks. Formulated with nourishing emu oil and natural botanicals, this line runs the gamut from hand and foot creams to leg scrubs, serums and masks designed to soothe your soles, give you glowing gams and turn back the clock on your hands.
If you’re not sure where to start, the 3 Steps to Fabulous Feet Kit features the Professional Foot File, Exfoliating Foot Mousse and Intensive Hydrating Foot Lotion to give you smooth soles in a snap.
If hand-care is more your jam, the Fabulous Hands Discovery Kit comes packed with mini-sizes of Nourishing Hand Wash, Exfoliating Hand Scrub, Intensive Hydrating Hand Lotion and antibacterial Hand Cleansing Gel, which is perfect for maintaining baby-soft hands all winter long.
And if you’re already thinking about spring (or live in a warm-weather climate), you’ll definitely want to check out the Refining Glow Leg Spray for a circulation-stimulating boost that puts the spring back in your step along with long-lasting radiance that makes your legs look like a million bucks.