December 2012
1 post
4 tags
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...
7 tags
November 2012
5 posts
2 tags
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...
2 tags
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...
2 tags
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...
2 tags
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...
October 2012
1 post
2 tags
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...
September 2012
1 post
6 tags
