Tag: Beauty

Every day is Earth Day

~ cdelacuadra ~ 1 Comment

With Earth month coming to a close, I had a chance to reflect on the Earth-friendly products and habits I’ve been gradually swapping into my household routines — and it turns out there are quite a few! Over the past year or two I’ve tried to make small changes here and there, and I am super proud that they have added up to a much more eco-conscious home. None of these are particularly arduous changes, mostly just products swaps, but all together they can make a big difference!

Conscia is an all-natural shampoo and conditioner brand that makes their luxurious cleansing stones without water or plastic. Their products are cruelty-free, smell amazing, cleanse and nourish beautifully, and come packaged oh-so-sweetly in furoshiki cloths rather than plastic. Eco-friendly, salon-grade, and luxuriously pampering haircare all in one package is actually possible! Conscia has done it! Luckily for you, they are offering 20% off your purchase with code EARTH at checkout through the end of the month. With the bar soap I talked about here, you’re well on your way to a plastic-free shower experience.

Suri toothbrushes are one of the more recent items we’ve tried, and I could not be happier so far. I was using a Quip brush before, but the need for a new battery every few months started to feel wasteful, even though their packaging was recyclable and it was only the brush head that needed replacing rather than a whole new toothbrush. Enter Suri. Their brush heads are made from plant-based corn starch and their bristles are made from castor-oil, which are bio-based rather than plastic, they recycle the heads for free in the UK and US, and the body of their brushes are made from long-lasting, easily-recycled aluminum. Plus their batteries are rechargeable, and their brushes are repairable for life! Of course, all that would be moot if they didn’t work well, but I can honestly say my teeth have never felt cleaner from at-home brushing. Sold! Also, get 16% through this week for Earth Day.

After using typical 5-blade razors my whole adult life, I was extremely skeptical of a single-blade safety razor. BUT, Oui the People’s beautiful rose-gold iteration, made in Germany and weighted to perfection, has made me a true believer. I have never had such a smooth shave! My legs feel like silk, I really do have fewer ingrowns, and I might actually have to shave a little less often? I am amazed. The fact that the blades are recyclable and the razor is built to last with zero plastic components is icing on this silky-smooth cake. Yes and please.

I have yet to be able to live the dream of an in-unit washer and dryer. Ever since I went to college I have schlepped jugs of laundry detergent and big loads of laundry out to coin operated washers and dryers. Earth Breeze detergent is the eco-friendly laundry detergent I have been waiting for my whole life. No joke. Their vegan, animal-friendly formula comes in sheets rather than a liquid in heavy plastic jugs, and they really do get my laundry clean. A slim envelope of eco-sheets is delivered to my door, I have them on auto-ship so I don’t have to remember to buy more, and they have a fresh scent that doesn’t linger in a cloying way. No plastic jugs = a happier earth, plus every purchase of Laundry Detergent Eco Sheets donates ten washes to distressed and displaced families in need. Free shipping and 100% money back guarantee means this is a no-risk option to try. I use these with wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. No chemicals in my clothes AND they are cheaper and more sustainable!

Reel toilet paper was an easy swap to make. It is available at Target so I can just pick it up with my usual sundries, has 100% plastic-free packaging, and is made of bamboo so it is entirely tree-free, biodegradable, and sustainable. Not linty at all. Very absorbent. Just a really good toilet paper that is kinder to the Earth in the process.

Also available at Target are Grove cleaning products. I tried and liked them years ago but struggled with Grove’s website and their subscription model, so buying what I need at Target works great for me now! They work well, are formulated with mostly plant-based ingredients, come in reusable bottles and concentrated refills, offer great scents made with real essential oils, and make for a healthy home. Yes to all!

Ilia makeup is one of my go-tos. I love their Super Serum Skin Tint with SPF 40 — it gives just the right amount of tint along with clean, skin-loving ingredients. Also, their ethos for clean, skincare-powered makeup is one I appreciate wholeheartedly. Not only do they make clean beauty products in sustainable packaging, but they do so with an eye for women’s natural beauty, in every shade. Bravo!

I hope this list of tried-and-true products helps inspire you to make some of your own eco-conscious purchases. Happy Earth Month!

I confess

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment
via @hairnlove

I stalked her
in the grocery store: her crown
of snowy braids held in place by a great silver clip,
her erect bearing, radiating tenderness,
watching
the way she placed yogurt and avocados in her
basket,
beaming peace like the North Star.
I wanted to ask, “What aisle did you find
your serenity in, do you know
how to be married for fifty years or how to live
alone,
excuse me for interrupting, but you seem to
possess
some knowledge that makes the earth turn and
burn on its axis—”
But we don’t request such things from strangers
nowadays. So I said, “I love your hair.”

—Alison Luterman

I stumbled across this beautiful poem by Alison Luterman recently, and it resonated with me so much. The delicate admiration of one woman for another, for youth to the grace of age-won wisdom — it is a luminous meditation of a small moment in time that left me thoughtful and uplifted. May you also find a sweet, pensive state of grace this week.

Wonderful small things

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

This is becoming a year of wonderful small things.  The big things have been overwhelming, to say the least: we are still in the middle of a worsening pandemic, our government continues to make our country a hateful and divisive place, Black Lives Matter is still not considered a universal truth, police brutality is an ongoing issue… there is so much for us to cope with.  To remind myself that it is still worthwhile to get out of bed every day, I am trying to remember the small things.  This way I will always have something to look forward to, to enjoy, or to revel in.  A particularly good lunch.  Snuggles with my pups in the morning.  The way the light filters into my bedroom on a weekend afternoon as I lay down for a nap.  A package out for delivery.  It’s these kinds of tiny daily joys that help me keep perspective, and keep me fueled to keep fighting for a better world.

Each time I venture out to Trader Joe’s for much-needed groceries, I buy a bunch of silver dollar eucalyptus leaves. I love having fresh greenery in my home, and it feels like a luxury even though it only costs $4. Plus, they last forever compared to cut flowers!

The new perfume I ordered arrived this week.  ‘REPLICA’ Lazy Sunday Morning is a unique scent that somehow perfectly captures the feeling of fresh crisp sheets on a breezy, sunny morning.  I sampled this perfume on my last outing with friends before the pandemic really hit, so it carries thoughts of dear friendships as well as idyllic lazy mornings.

Also, I was so happy to receive the Rain + Bow necklace I ordered a few weeks ago.  It is weighty and so well made, the packaging was so sweet with it’s little extras, and it is a wonderful daily reminder that I am always in the process of overcoming.  Also I am thrilled that a $10 for every necklace sold is donated to Mental Health America.

Be well, stay safe, and don’t forget to wear a mask. We’ll get through this. Little joys are there for us to find, even though it may seem bleak right now.

Blushing

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

Something about the start of a new season always gets me a little restless and a lot inspired, and lately I’ve been drawn to all things blush. It just feels so summery to me — bright, quirky interiors, sun-kissed cheeks, cotton candy, sandy shores, Popsicle-stained lips, juicy watermelon… I could go on and on. Here is some blush-hued inspiration for you going into the weekend, while I ponder what little rearrangements I might make around the house for summer. Enjoy!

Via: vtwonen oliver bonas coco kelley glow recipe my scandinavian home (x2) milk decoration michael godmer home designing lonny glossier sarah sherman samuel via sfgirlbybay

Beauty picks

~ cdelacuadra ~ 2 Comments

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What better time than Valentine’s Day to talk beauty?  Whether you’re getting ready for a night out with a special someone or staying in and pampering yourself (or both!), here are some of my very favorite tried-and-trues.  I am rather picky when it comes to beauty products, so hopefully you’ll find these as excellent as I do.  Trust.

Skin Care

Glow Butter

I have to credit the excellent Andrea Linett with this find.  Kimberly Howell created this amazing skin balm that I love love love.  It is deeply moisturizing, healing, and revivifying for both face and body.  Did I mention it is handmade and all natural?  Jojoba, avocado, and coconut oils along with tupelo beeswax make for a luxurious, glow-inducing, well… Glow Butter!

Elta MD UV Facial Broad-Spectrum SPF 30 Plus

This is the ONLY sunscreen I have managed to use on a regular basis.  It feels more like a moisturizer and has none of that terrible sunscreen-y smell I loathe.  10/10 will buy repeatedly.

Fresh Rose Face Mask

My favorite face mask, this rosy gel is soothing, moisturizing, brightening, and all-around lovely.  My skin always feels supple and refreshed afterwards, which I love.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

Even my husband loves Fresh’s cushy lip balm — he says it is the only balm that makes his chapped lips feel more comfortable right away, which I agree with wholeheartedly.  I’ve tried a few of the tinted options, but I always come back to the original clear formula.  Why mess with perfection?

Clinique Self-Heating Blackhead Extractor

My skin tends towards blackheads on my nose and chin, but I have never had much luck with products to combat them.  Enter the Self-Heating Blackhead Extractor by Clinique.  It is a little creamy, a little scrub-y, and heats up like magic when you get it wet.  It even has a funny bumpy scrubby little massage tool built right into the cap.  All of these things together somehow have combined to create a product that miraculously cleans out my pores like none other.

Fur Oil

Thank you, Emma Watson, for spreading the news of Fur Oil far and wide.  This spherical bottle of smoothing, soothing, quick-drying oil is a truly wonderful thing if you ever deal with ingrown hairs.  Buy a bottle now and thank me (and Emma Watson) later.

Makeup

I am pretty minimal when it comes to makeup these days, but there are a handful of items I reach for every day without fail.

Rimmel Provocalips in Kiss Me You Fool

This 16-hour lip color really delivers, and is a great price to boot.  I hate applying lipstick throughout the day but also feel like a ghost without any lip color, so this liquid lipstick/balm combo is the answer to my flutist prayers.  It really doesn’t budge — food-proof, kiss-proof, holding-an-instrument-to-my-lips proof — and it comes in the perfect red.  Sold.

Glossier Boy Brow and Lash Slick

Most days I don’t use much eye makeup, opting for a strong lip instead.  I swipe on Boy Brow and Lash Slick daily, though, for the perfect wide-awake eye.  Mandatory feature:  Lash Slick never ever clumps.

Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek in Rally

If I go the extra mile (or minute) and opt for blush, my favorite go-to is Milk Makeup’s Lip + Cheek.  Rally is the perfect bright fuchsia pink to brighten my face a bit, and the creamy stick couldn’t be easier to use.  It is also super natural-looking — their formula just melts into skin like a dream.

There you have it!  My most favorite, tried-and-true beauty products.  Go slather on that delightful Rose Mask, kick up your heels in your fuzziest slippers, and enjoy.

 

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Feeling beautiful

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

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Apologies for my absence this week, but I have had a terrible cold.  I’m hoping to be back in action fully next week, but in the meantime, I wanted to share a resonant piece about beauty that I stumbled across this morning:

“… Here are some activities where I feel intuitively beautiful and feminine – Walking through the Minneapolis Institute of Art alone. Writing and creating in an afternoon coffee shop. Talking with my girlfriends late at night, long after the persuasion of sleep has crept in. I feel most beautiful when interacting with this life that surrounds us. So I’m trying to do more of that. Because the image I keep hoping to see in the mirror? She’s never going to show up. But still, without fail, I greet her within me every single day – she is the way I respond to art and humanity. She is the rare and precious awareness that comes only when studying something that is distinctly outside of myself. I want to learn more of her. And it’s not going to happen while looking into the empty reflection of my bathroom mirror. So why would I bother to look there at all?”

–Anna Jeter via Wit & Delight

It made me think about how I feel vs. how I look, and how important it is to feel good in my body.  Here’s to a weekend full of feeling beautiful in and of ourselves.

 

I’m impressed

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Here and there lately I have come across items or products that I am really impressed by.  As in, the-only-version-I-want-to-use-in-the-foreseeable-future impressed.  Clouds part, the sun shines brightly, singing ensues… you get the gist.  In no particular order, here are some items that I have discovered, used, and now love.

Quip toothbrush and Livionex dental gel

Oral hygiene seems like a very un-sexy thing to be excited about, but between my Quip electric toothbrush and the amazing Livionex tooth gel Brennan raved about on Into the Gloss, my teeth have never felt cleaner each day.  And with the option for an automated refill subscription, I don’t have to worry about trying to remember how long it’s been since I last swapped out my toothbrush.  Ain’t nobody got time for that.   ̶A̶l̶s̶o̶,̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶g̶o̶l̶d̶ ̶Q̶u̶i̶p̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶t̶t̶y̶.̶

Zojirushi steel mug

This mug means business.  I’d make a cup of tea at work and promptly forget about it, only to be greeted by a barely-warm cup of regret an hour later.  Not only is this insulated travel mug sleek and minimal-looking, but it keeps my tea piping hot (sometimes too hot!) all day, closes securely, and even latches so I know it won’t spill in my bag.  The lid also comes apart for easy cleaning, yet securely reassembles.  And it comes in the perfect shade of pink.

Glow Butter

After reading a couple, ahem, glowing reviews of Kimberly Howell’s Glow Butter, I decided to give it a try.  Handmade?  Pure botanicals?  All-natural beauty and luminosity?  Yes and please!  I was hopeful and dubious all at once, but months later, I am a convert.  I have noticed a real improvement to my skin’s texture and radiance, and I rarely wear foundation anymore.  My skin is not airbrushed-magazine-ad perfect, but it looks like healthy skin, and I love that.

Any products you swear by?  I’d be fascinated to hear!  It is so satisfying to find a product that just works.