December 11, 2020
Violet Grey hoes holiday, wearable tech for sounder sleep, the easiest way to remove blackheads *ever* and an organic produce delivery service that doesn't disappoint.
Violet Grey has the ULTIMATE beauty holiday gift
If you had asked me when Chanukah was before yesterday, I would have bet my life that it fell late this year—as in the last week of December. I have absolutely no idea why I was so convinced I had several weeks before I had to deal with another holiday, but of course my son was the one who brought this miscalculation to my attention. Good thing I took care of my husband’s gifts between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and it’s an even better thing that my son has requested cash.
What do I want for Chanukah? In terms of beauty gifts, I would basically drop dead if I got Violet Grey’s High Maintenance Set—but with a price tag of $5,275, that’s most definitely not going to happen. I’m sure you’re wondering what you get in such an extravagant curation of products that’s designed to stock your vanity (and the rest of your bathroom) with the best of the best, so here’s the list (and the products I’ve personally tried):
Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser
Erno Laszlow Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar
Caudalie Beauty Elixir (IBB-approved!)
U Beauty Resurfacing Compound (IBB-approved!)
Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum (IBB-approved!)
Melanie Simon Skincare Serum C
BeautyStat Universal C Eye Perfector (IBB-approved!)
Shani Darden Weightless Oil-Free Moisturizer
Dr. Barbara Sturm Sun Drops
APA Beauty APA Lip Loofah
La Mer The Lip Balm (IBB-approved!)
Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water Cloths
IS Clinical Warming Honey Cleanser
Royal Fern Phytoactive Skin Perfecting Essence
Victoria Beckham by Augustinus Bader Cell Rejuvenating Power Serum
Suzanne Kaufmann Eye Cream Line A
Kristina Holey x Marie Veronique Barrier Restore Serum
Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum
Augustinus Bader The Cream
111Skin Infusion Lip Mask and Plumping Duo Stick
Koh Gen Do Pure Cotton
Dr. Dennis Gross DRX Spectralite Faceware Pro
Sisley-Paris Black Rose Cream Mask (IBB-approved!)
111Skin Sub-Zero De-Puffing Eye Mask
ZIIP Beauty Nano Current Device (IBB-approved!)
Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mask
Joanna Vargas Exfoliating Mask
BeautyBio GloPro Microneedling Regeneration Tool
111Skin Y Theorem Bio Cellulose Facial Mask
Hanacure All-in-One Facial Starter Kit (IBB-approved!)
Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel (IBB-approved!)
KNC Beauty All Natural Collagen Infused Lip Mask (IBB-approved!)
Mutha Body Butter
C & The Moon Malibu Made Body Scrub
Sisley-Paris White Ginger Contouring for Legs
Nécessaire The Body Wash
The Nue Co. Skin Filter
The Nue Co. Sleep Drops
Slip Sleep Mask
Slip Silk Queen Pillowcase (IBB-approved!)
Omorovicza Nourishing Hand Cream
Byredo Rinse Free Hand Wash (IBB-approved!)
Byredo Hand Wash
Byredo Hand Lotion
Tweezerman Rockhard Cuticle Nipper (IBB-approved!)
Tweezerman Stainless Steel Fingernail Clipper (IBB-approved!)
Violet Grey stickers (to help you label your skincare steps)
Violet Grey small makeup bag
I mean, is that insane??? Even if this is out of your holiday gift budget, be sure to check out Violet Grey’s other amazing gift sets… There’s literally something for everyone!
My latest tool for (more) sound sleep
Once upon a time I was a pretty good sleeper. As many of you can probably relate, it all kind of went downhill when I was pregnant with my son—especially during the last few months when I literally felt like I was going to pop and couldn’t ever get comfortable (even with the body pillow my husband still makes fun of although it went in the trash over 12 years ago). Then there were the six or so months before my son slept through the night, and the several years after that when the baby monitor was a fixture on my nightstand. Sleep became even more challenging after my mom died, yet I had no choice other than to learn to live with it (and prescription-based intervention helped a bit). But once COVID happened, forget it. At the beginning of the pandemic I had vivid dreams about people standing too close to me, being at large gatherings where no one was wearing a mask and basically everything else that I’m afraid of when I’m awake and outside of my house.
That’s when I started to play rain sounds to help me fall asleep. My favorite was “distant thunderstorms,” but my dog (who is freaks the f out when it rains) would flee the room if she happened to be in bed with me. That made me feel bad so I tried pink noise, and although it definitely helped me doze off, I didn’t feel any sort of meditative benefits. (I also do a breathing exercise where I inhale for 5 counts, hold my breath for seven counts and exhale for eight counts.) I know, this all sounds like a lot of work—but I’ll basically do anything to get a good night’s sleep.
When I got Amazon’s Halo wellness tracker, it offers several “labs” geared toward nutrition, physical activity, mindfulness and, of course, sleep. I immediately tried the “sound bath” challenge, not knowing exactly what to expect—but I’m so happy I did.
It’s kind of hard to explain a sound bath, but it’s defined as “a meditative experience where those in attendance are ‘bathed’ in sound waves.” (To me, I imagine it’s what a Buddhist monastery would sound like—not that I’ve ever been to a Buddhist monastery.) The sounds include instruments like gongs, singing bowls, chimes, tuning forks and even human voices, but I don’t like someone talking to me when I’m trying to fall asleep.
I go to sleep before my husband every night, and I set a timer so my sound bath turns off after 45 minutes. I didn’t think he even knew what I was doing until I overheard a conversation between him and my son one morning that went a little bit like this: Dude, Mommy’s listening to some crazy shit to go to sleep. It’s like gongs and bells—I have no idea what’s going on in there when she goes to bed.
Regardless, I love my sound bath so much that I keep doing the same Halo challenge over and over again. My sleep quality has remained steady since I started (hovering around 60, which is considered fair—but far from great), but I have to blame 2020 for at least some (if not all) of my issues.
To kick off the weekend, here’s a good one I found on YouTube… Do yourself a favor and try it—at least once! (And BTW, I totally want to be this lady when I grow up.)
Say bye-bye to blackheads
I try to avoid over-inspecting my pores, because if I do I usually wind up spending a good chunk of time going to town on blackheads. If things get really bad a clarifying mask usually does the trick, but that requires finding time that I often don’t have. So when I learned about a solution that you apply with a Q-Tip that literally lets you wipe away blackheads I didn’t wait a second to order it—and it truly works.
Elina Organics’ Pore Purifying Oxygen Solution may be one of the best product purchases I’ve made within the last few months, and I can’t see myself ever being without it (at least as long as I have blackheads). Infused with oxygen, hydrogen, colloidal silver and “energetic imprints of amethyst” (which sounds a little out there), this liquid dissolves the dirt, oil and debris in your pores, allowing you to simply wipe it away after letting it sit on your skin for a minute. (The formula also has antiseptic properties that just might help prevent breakouts.) I couldn’t believe my eyes when I took a really close look at my pores after the first time I used it!
For those of us with tween and teens whose hormones are starting to make their presence known (both on their skin and in their attitudes), this solution is great for them, too. My son won’t let me go near his face (and he refuses to understand that it’s NOT OK to walk around with a giant whitehead), but I’m fairly certain he would tolerate giving this a try on his nose.
How I stay stocked with fresh fruit and veggies
I am the queen of backstock (if I may say so myself), and I thank my mom for teaching me the “two system.” This simply means that when one food, pantry or household item is in use, there’s a back-up at the ready—and as soon as I start the back-up, a new one is purchased in its place. (It only took about 15 years, but my husband finally knows to add items to the shopping list when he finishes something.)
I’m also really good at meal planning, but with a caveat. Though I may know what we’re having as a dinner entrée every night, I’m really bad at coordinating fresh veggies for sides. The main issue is that they’ll often go bad by the end of the week—and I really hate wasting food. BUT, I recently tried Misfits Market and now I have my fresh produce for the week sorted.
I’ve come to look forward to my weekly deliveries of organic produce, and of course there’s a twist… This subscription service “rescues” vegetables that for some reason or another can’t be sold in a supermarket—but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them (other than they may look a little funny). Yes, a huge dump of fruits and vegetables at once requires some prep upon arrival to maximize longevity, but I’ve found the work is well worth it. The best part is that you get to choose what you get—but it’s first come, first served so I jump on that at 4pm on the dot each Thursday before the most popular produce sells out.
Here’s what I got this week:
Mini seedless cucumbers: OMG, they are so cute!
Cilantro: I’ll be making Thai zoodles with chicken and spicy peanut sauce this week.
Sweet potatoes: I love that these last awhile before I have to decide what to do with them.
Eggplant: I found an easy, amazing recipe a few weeks ago.
Spaghetti squash: I pre-roast and have it in the fridge for a quick dinner side.
Mixed head lettuce: Because salad.
Gold beets: My husband loves beets, so I’ll roast them, cube them and maybe even throw them in my own salad.
Red D'anjou pears: If these don’t get eaten by the end of the week, I’ll make a simple cobbler.
Limes: We always need limes.
Lemons: We always need lemons.
Fuji apples: I cut these up so there’s always a healthy snack within reach. (A squeeze of lemon juice prevents them from turning brown.)
Zucchini: I just spiralized them so they’re ready when I want to make the Thai zoodles.
How much do you think all of this would cost at Whole Foods or the supermarket? A heck of a lot more than $27.50—right? And they all come direct to your doorstep in eco-friendly insulated packaging so everything is super-fresh. Not only does it feel good to be eating more fruit and vegetables, I like knowing that I’m helping to prevent food waste and support farmers who otherwise wouldn’t be able to sell their produce. BTW, you can cancel at any time, so why not give it a try?