December 25, 2020
The energy bars that keep me going, winter-appropriate bronzers, not-so-standard candle and how to prevent screen time from damaging your skin.
Everything about these energy bars is different—in a good way
Spontaneity and fun are especially hard to come by these days, so I’ll grab any opportunity to try something new or different (within reason). Since the pandemic began, these occasions have been mostly driven by new products or “customer experiences”—and I’m stumbled upon several that will probably remain part of my life after COVID is behind us.
About a month ago I found enjoyment in a rather unexpected form: Verb energy bars. With a promotion that let me try a starter kit of four flavors and only pay for shipping, I figured I had nothing to lose. In fact, I was so pleased that my second shipment is on the way.
First of all, these bars are delicious. I tried (and loved) the Vanilla Latte, Coconut Chai and Lemon Raspberry (unfortunately my son stole the Salted Peanut Butter), which made it really hard to decide which flavors to get in my next delivery. Unlike other bars that I generally use as meal replacement, I consider these more “snack size” since they only have 90 calories—and they’re perfect for topping off my tummy before starting an intermittent fast. Each gluten-free bar has as much green tea-derived caffeine as a cup of espresso, so they make for a nice, light, energizing bite when I have early tennis, too.
When I initially ordered my starter pack, I had no idea that the shopping experience would be unlike any I’ve had before (and I do a lot of online shopping).
A: All transactions are made over text. (Save your unique number in your contacts in case you want to reorder sooner—although there’s a “main” number you can use if you lose yours.) They text you a few days before you’re “due” for your next order—but you can skip it, change flavors or opt out altogether. (You get your tracking number this way, too.)
B: You’re talking to a real person every time, not a bot.
C: They’ll send you pictures of dogs. I would have ordered more even without this perk, but this really sealed the deal for me.
I got the Vanilla Latte, Lemon Raspberry and Salted Peanut Butter for my next order, and decided to try the new Cookie Butter—because how could that possibly be bad? I’m excited to bring some to tennis for my girls next week because I’ve been talking them up so much (and I have a feeling they’ll be hooked, too). Since we’re usually excited just to see each other to begin with, I’m not sure how our coach is going to feel about us being extra hyped-up on top of our usual chattiness (and silliness)… We shall see!
Warm up your complexion even if it’s cold outside
I’m one of those people who uses bronzer every time I actually put on makeup. I can’t even remember when this habit began, and I’ve been loyal to Chanel’s Soleil Tan de Chanel for the past few years—which I actually just learned (while writing this) has been rebranded as Les Beige Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream. (No biggie, as long as I know I can still get my hands on it.)
But when Kosas launched The Sun Show Bronzer, I started itching for a powder-based formula again, and I ultimately bought it after Thanksgiving when it was 30% off. Since I fall in the “medium” spectrum for the brand’s Tinted Face Oil, I went with the medium “Golden Bronze” for the powder. Obviously it’s hard to get an accurate sense of color online, and I was really surprised how dark this shade is—I should have definitely gone for the light “Soft Bronze.” (I actually just might add this to my collection as well.)
But with this said, I can totally make it work, I just have to be extra light-handed and make sure I do a good job at blending. It has just the right amount of radiance-enhancing shimmer (without being too sparkly) and it totally gives my skin a fresh, sun-kissed boost (without the UV damage).
Just because it may be cold (and snowy) where you are, that doesn’t mean you have to look like you’ve been trapped inside for months—although many of us have. You’d be surprised at what a big difference a little extra golden glow can make, and there’s no reason to reserve the radiant skin for when you leave the house.
A better candle to give this holiday season
Fun fact about me: I’m always happy to receive a fancy candle as a gift—but I don’t like giving them. I usually put a good amount of thought in my gifting as I truly enjoy the challenge of finding the perfect present for a specific recipient. (And most of the time, I get it right—or at least I think I do.)
I wouldn’t be writing this if there wasn’t a “but,” and in this case the exception is Siblings—however you have to do a little more than unbox and light it. These sustainable candle kits come with scented wax and a wick that you can use in any vessel to actually make your own candle, and it sounds like a lot of fun to me. Although I save old candle jars to store everything from pens on my desk to makeup brushes on my vanity, in this case the options are virtually endless.
Available in Bergamot-White Rose-Oakmoss, Coconut Milk-Fresh Fig-Sandalwood, Clove-Lavender-Cedarwood, Honeysuckle-Peony-Amber and Orange-Grapefruit-Lemon—and with a price tag of $22—these kits help you pick a great gift that also gives its recipient an activity to do. Love it!
Protect your skin against tech-induced damage
If you’re reading this, your skin is being bathed in blue light… Although this may sound like a new relaxing spa-like treatment, it’s actually the complete opposite. Similar to how the sun emits UV rays, computer, phone and tablet screens throw off damaging rays of their own—and dermatologists are sounding the alarm, especially since screen-time has skyrocketed since the pandemic began.
So there’s never been a better time to try a product that can help protect your skin when you go down those Instagram rabbit holes. Foster’s Lab’s Anti-Tech Serum does just this, and throws in a bunch of other skincare benefits you’d probably like, too. Serving up antioxidants like cacao seed extract and vitamin C along with the natural retinol alternative bakuchiol, this serum does the jobs of several other products with just one step. But I’m most excited about a novel skincare ingredient called biphenyl azepanyl methanone (or BAM), which is designed to help off-set the effects that stress (and the hormone cortisol the body produces in response) can have on the skin and its collagen. And let’s admit, 2020 has been the most stressful year ever.
Believe me, I get about 100 emails a day about new products, but this one caught my attention. And then when I saw that renowned cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson touted this serum’s potential for helping to improve skin texture and tone, I knew I was looking at something legit. (He’s the formulator behind my go-to BeautyStat Universal C Skin Definer and Universal C Eye Protector.)
With vaccinations officially underway, there’s finally light at the end of the tunnel we’ve all been in since March and we can breathe a sign of relief that our lives will eventually get back normal. How is your skin going to look when that happens?