FoodFashionFolly

Does everybody know about Wool and the Gang? The funny thing is, I love their sweaters that aren’t made of wool, a fiber that makes me itch like crazy and shrinks in the washer to doll-size. I yearn for the cozy look of wool, but I won’t go near synthetics like acrylic (cheap-looking, -feeling, -wearing, -washing), and cashmere that thick and heavy is a fortune. Enter Wool and the Gang’s non-wool sweaters, often a perfect proportion of cotton to alpaca for both chunky texture and surprising warmth. They’re mostly one-size, normally a red flag for bad fit, but their loose, stretchy quality makes them flattering on a range of body types: they drape on angles and cling to curves. (There are men’s and unisex styles as well as women’s.) I throw them in the washer AND dryer; I leave them balled in closet corners; nothing fazes their New York-Paris casual cool. They’re available on the Wool site, specialty boutiques (the list is always changing but includes retailers like Creatures of Comfort), and Madewell, which carries a few items a season (there’s one on sale right now with free shipping)!

I generally don’t like cleansers with physical exfoliants (like those horribly sharp-edged ground apricot kernels) as they just painfully scratch your healthy skin and do a really uneven job (if at all) of actually removing the dead layer. I prefer chemical exfoliants like acids (fruit, salicylic, glycolic, alpha hydroxy) which are less crude and more even in their effects.

But I make an exception for suki face exfoliate foaming cleanser. The sugar crystals dissolve fairly quickly as you add water, so you get the sensation of serious scrubbing without the harsh abrasion. The foaming action makes your skin feel all-American clean but leaves it remarkably soft and moisturized. (Nearly all other facial cleansers fall into a Sophie’s choice of foaming types that strip you dry or milky types that coat you in a lingering film.) The lemongrass scent is refreshing. The list of ingredients is short, sweet, and natural. The simple glass jar packaging is sturdy, modern, and pleasant to hold and to see in your cabinet.

It takes a few tries to get the hang of using it (which means scooping out the right amount of paste and emulsifying it with the right amount of water), but once you do, you’ll be amazed at how well a cleanser can perform (considering the low expectations for one compared to a moisturizer, say). The line isn’t widely distributed, but you can find it in Whole Foods Body stores and online at Birchbox.

Don’t buy Bounty paper towels when you can buy Viva. It really is “soft and strong like cloth” compared to the other rough and flimsy brand. It absorbs far more liquid and stays together when sopping wet. It’s densely woven so that it wipes dust and crumbs convincingly on the first pass. It’s thick and cushiony enough to cradle overripe fruit for picnics. In the bath, I use them to wipe mirrors, to clean and buff nails, and to dry wet hair gently into smooth curls. The higher quality means I need fewer sheets for any task. AND they only come in smooth solid classic white, not those cheesy dimpled patterns or hideous floral prints. Nobody, but nobody, is PASSIONATE about Bounty. But I do get excited over Viva.

REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask: It’s the one with the orange label in this ‘natural’ skincare line, appropriate because the thick paste, dispensed from an airtight pump, smells citrusy and feels slightly grainy, like bitter oranges were ground up to make it. The mask will make your face tingle slightly as the acids slough off dead skin, so it’s not for sensitive types. After using the enclosed cloth to wipe and rinse, your skin does look clearer and brighter. At Whole Foods Body and Sephora.

Clark’s Botanicals Intense Radiance Mask: This creamy white clay is somehow always cool to the touch (even at steamy bathroom temperatures). It’s mattifying but, unlike most treatments for oily/combination skin, also hydrating and calming. The hefty hunter-green jar with white lettering is beautiful, like the product of a modern apothecary. Use the mask as a skin-brightening ritual before a night out, or for an afternoon of at-home beauty maintenance. You can find it among the crammed shelves at Chelsea’s old-school New London Pharmacy or at new beauty site Birchbox.

boscia Luminizing Black Mask: Like a pore strip for your entire face, except that it actually works. The mask squeezes out of the upright tube as a shiny black gel but dries to an ultra-thin film that’s so flexible yet strong that you can remove it in one piece. There’s something strangely satisfying about peeling it off. (Be sure to steer clear of your brows and hairline, or else you’ll lose those too.) It leaves your skin significantly smoother. Online or in stores at Sephora.