Home Spa Day with Kai

Taking time to truly relax seems like a rare experience these days, yet it is so important. Since my move to California, I have tried to set a new intention for work-life balance, which includes time to read and just chill, sans screens. In an age where we are uber connected and constantly updated, I find myself yearning for some restorative offline time. The Universe must have heard my pledge, because a home and beauty brand just up the the coast from me in Malibu recently reached out to collaborate. I instantly said yes and began to craft my at home spa day with their intoxicating signature gardenia scent... Kai. 

As a Malibu-based company, Kai is very connected to the beauty of the world around them. All of their products are paraben, sulfate, phthalate and phosphate-free. They are also a cruelty-free brand that is made in the USA. All of these things attracted me to Kai, along with the quality of their products. 

An assortment of a few of my favorite things... RADIANT ROSEWATER by Shiva Rose (thank you Garden Collage!), KAI SKYLIGHT CANDLE, EXTRAORDINARY FACE OIL by Circ Cell, KAI LINEN SPRAY, NECKLACE AND EARRINGS by Padgett Hoke #madeinUSA

At Home Spa Day Essentials

• Relaxing music. I like to play the Spotify playlists under 'Chill' where you will find a classic Spa Treatment list and something a bit more hip with the Mellow Beats Playlist.
• A Kai Candle and Kai Reed Diffuser to set the stage with a fresh gardenia scent.
• Hot water + fresh lemon. Simple and satisfying.
• Good reads. I recently read Super Rich: A Guide to Having it All by Russell Simmons and really enjoyed the connection of spiritual mindfulness with the work you do. A great reminder to give freely to the world the gift you have to give and it will all work out beautifully.
• Healthy snacks. Fresh fruit and snap peas are my go-to snacks these days and are perfect for keeping digestion light.

The Perfect Bath

I love to unwind with a bath, and over the years I have learned a few things that make baths not only enjoyable but beneficial. 

• Run a bath at a temperature that feels warm (but doesn't scald) when you hold your elbow under the stream of water. This usually ensures a perfect temperature.
• Add Kai Bathing Bubbles or Body Wash for a delicious smell and some fun bubbles.
• Add one half cup to one cup of epsom salts to help pull toxins out and ease sore muscles.
• Drop five to ten drops of argan oil for an extra level of hydration that soaks into your skin.
• Use the Kai Body Buffer to gently scrub away dead skin cells and increase circulation for a healthy glow.
• Add rose petals for a special touch.
• When you get out of the bath try to air dry and let the oils soak in. Follow up by misting Kai Body Glow on arms and legs and rub in for added moisture that is lighter than lotion, yet still hydrating. Perfect for summer.

Clothing by Averti. #madeinLA #naturalfibers Check out this post to see more from Averti. 

Jewelry by Padgett Hoke. #madeinUSA

Photos: Davis Bell (thank you, thank you!) Many thanks to Kai for sponsoring this post.

Book & Beauty Review: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

If you have read or seen Eat Pray Love, you are well acquainted with Elizabeth Gilbert. A talented writer with a well defined voice that makes you feel as though you are in her inner circle and she is sharing her most intimate thoughts with only you. Her new book, Big Magic, is more of the same- deep realizations shared in her signature humorous dialog with some heavy hitting truths that are soul resonating.

BOOK REVIEW

Big Magic feels and reads like a TED Talk- which will either annoy or inspire you, and probably do both. And the inspiration part is worth it. From the beginning Gilbert takes us on a journey to explore and explain her creative process using stories and analogies. The stories illustrate her theory of Big Magic and how it works. She shares her experiences with ideas (big and small) that seem to visit her and ask to co-create. If she is open and ready- bam! they become a team and start to work to bring whatever that idea is into material being. If not, the idea moves on to someone else- still seeking to be created. It is a beautiful way of seeing the world and our role to co-create with ideas of inspiration. It also helps to show us we are not meant to attach to just one idea, but to remain open to many ideas and stay in creative flow throughout our lives in participation with them.

A must-read for creatives types, Big Magic uplifts with stories of success and guides us through the trials of fear and failure to a powerful place of understanding. 

BEAUTY REVIEW

Off on Spring Break? This book is a great companion read. Short chapters and lots of fun stories strung together with Gilbert's wise realizations. Just be sure to pack a bottle of water and some sunscreen because you may get pulled in while at the beach and lose track of time. Here are my suggestions for safe and effective sunscreens:

THE HONEST COMPANY SUNSCREEN SPRAY SPF 30 ($13.95)

SUNTEGRITY BODY SPF 30 ($36.00)

SUN BUM SPF 30 FACE STICK (14.99)

COOLA BABY SPF 50 UNSCENTED SUNSCREEN MOISTURIZER ($36.00)

Beauty Arsenal: The Winter Edit

Surviving the dryness of winter may feel impossible at times but is definitely doable with the right products. After many a winter spent in the cold ski resort town of Jackson Hole, WY I have found my way to a winter beauty routine that works. If you are living in an uber dry climate like mine, I suggest following my regimen to a tee. If you are graced by an environment that is a bit more forgiving with some humidity in the air and warmer temps, you may want to play around and adjust accordingly by eliminating a hydrating step or two.

face

CLEASE: I find using a cleansing balm is much more nourishing than a gel and works wonderfully when used with a warm wash cloth to remove makeup. The cleansing balm by BeautyCounter is awesome. Very moisturizing without leaving behind a heavy residue. 

MOISTURIZE: All of winter skincare can be summed up in one word- moisturize! In super dry climates a few layers may be required to help quench your skin's thirst. Here's my program:

1. Mix daily face moisturizer with face oil (equal parts) and rub into face until absorbed. I am loving the Tracie Martyn face cream and mix it with whatever oil I have on hand: Beauty Counter, Little Barn Apothecary and KlurSkin.

2. Apply an eye cream. The area around your eyes is more sensitive than the rest of your face and so a cream that is light and still moisturizing is best. I'm currently hooked on the one by Circ Cell.

3. Apply thick cream layer to face. After letting the face oil and cream mixture set in, I follow up with a thick cream like the one from Circ Cell (ER3 Creme). Some days I don't need this extra layer and some days I really do.

4. Seal in moisture with hyluronic acid. You can now buy hyluronic acid on its own (tho some creams do come with it) and apply it over your moisturizers to seal in hydration. Hyluronic acid carries 10x its weight in moisture and so really help to keep skin plum and supple.

5.. Protect skin with SPF. Next I apply my Suntegrity SPF 30 Tinted Moisturizer. The tint evens out my skin without giving a 'made up' look and I know I am protected for any time spent outside.

6. At night I forgo the SPF and instead add a serum into the program as my first step after I have cleansed my skin and before I apply the oil and cream mixture. My current obsession is the Firming Serum from Tracie Martyn. It smells amazing and is super effective at reducing fine lines and giving an overall lift.

7. Give your lips some love by applying a natural lip balm that is moisturizing, like the one from Erbaviva. 

body & hair

For body, I apply the same formula for my face- but with body products- and mix body lotion with body oil after the shower to seal in moisture. If you do this while your skin is still damp you will absorb that much more moisture. 

Stay fresh with a light spray deodorant. Perfect for slipping under your garment and giving a refresher spritz, the deodorant from Erbaviva is one of my favorites and helps freshen everything.

I am constantly fighting the good fight of static hair during the winter. My newest solution is to apply a lightweight hair mask at night which adds extra hydration and help keep things under control without making my hair greasy. One that I have found works really well is the Perfect Hair Day Night Treatment by Living Proof. I also use a pump of this to calm things down after giving my hair a bit of curl and brushing it out. The leave-in conditioner is light enough to absorb instantly and tame fly-aways for a more pulled together look. This has become my go-to move before heading out to dinner after styling my hair.

The other thing I do with my hair is wash it less. Have you ever noticed how fluffy and static-y it gets when you have super clean hair? I wash about every three days and touch up my roots with hair powder or dry shampoo from Kloraine on the days I don't wash. It saves a lot of hair styling time too.

Thanksgiving makeup with a side of Cranberry lips

Balancing a festive look with a modern sensibility seems daunting, but with this season's lip stain trend it's one of the easiest looks to pull off! All you need is a great lip color in a berry hue (cranberry red for lighter skin tones moving into the deeper blackberry purples for richer skin tones). Follow this step by step tutorial for a Thanksgiving look that's family appropriate- whether you are with yours or his- and brings a little something special to the table.

For my T-Day outfit, I usually pair jeans with a sweater and tee underneath, and layer on a scarf that might double as a blanket during my flight, as well as a puffy jacket that ensures I'll be warm without bulk. I find a low heeled boot is the perfect travel shoe. It's comfortable enough to wear all day and is perfect for any arrivals in snow. Finally, I cannot travel without a tote. A great carryall to stash work, mags, overnight toiletries (just in case you get stuck somewhere) and snacks makes traveling so much better. What are your travel must-haves? 

Thanksgiving beauty look

1. Create a fresh face base. This look is all about the lips, so to keep this look fresh you'll want to use a lighter application to create even skin tone and naturally healthy looking skin that isn't mask like. The key is to start with well hydrated skin by using a thick cream. After traveling, you may even need the extra hydration! Apply a layer of thick cream and let soak in for about ten minutes. This is also a great time to moisturize lips with lip balm. Put a dollop of foundation on the back of your hand and mix with a touch more of your face cream. Apply to face- really massaging it in. Add foundation with fingertips (tapping into skin) to red areas around the T-zone (nose, sides of nose, around mouth and under eyes). Brush any remaining foundation on your hand over eyelids.

2. Bronze or sculpt. Using a cream bronzer, add a touch of color below your cheekbones and at temples of forehead, as well as a touch under nose and bottom section at the front of the chin. Blend well.

3. Highlight. Using a cream illuminizer, apply to cheekbones, brow bones, cupid's bow, down bridge of nose and just above eyebrows. Blend well.

4. Brush brows and lightly fill in any gaps with a pencil (should be one shade lighter than your eyebrow hair). Brush through any applied color and shape into natural shape.

5. Eyes. Choose a neutral brown, mauve or grey color shadow. Also pick out a brown or grey eyeliner pencil that you can easily smudge into lashes. Start with the pencil and with small dashes line upper lid from the outer corner in. Using a stiff pointed brush, smudge pencil into lashes and slightly up lid. With a medium fluffy eye shadow brush, apply eye shadow at outer corner and pull in over lid and towards the inner corner. Stay light handed with the eyeshadow to avoid creating a heavy smokey eye. It should bring in a bit of color, but not be the focus of the look. Curl lashes and apply one to two coats mascara. Try to lengthen and separate lashes.

6.  Cheeks. Choose a color that is fresh and natural looking- rose pink or peachy. Swirl a small amount onto blush brush and tap off extra. With a light hand, apply at apples of cheeks and blend up and out as well as slightly down into bronzer. Layer lightly until desired effect is reached.

7. Cranberry Lips. Using a tissue, blot off lip balm. Warm your lip stain on your middle finger and press into lips. Lip stains are not meant to be perfect. Press in layers of color until you reach the hue you want. Then, go back in with a brush with a touch of stain on it and touch up any areas that need help (ie: corners of the mouth and outline). 

Going to give this makeup look a try? What other holiday looks do you love and fall back on? Would love to hear what beauty looks you are leaning into this Thanksgiving. 

shop this look with eco chic products below

Wintertime Skincare Swap-out

With the change of seasons, comes the change of skincare. The cooler drier climate of winter can be harsh on skin, but with the right products its the perfect time to nourish it. I love to use oils, balms and heavier lotions to seal in moisture during the dry season. My absolute essentials for winter include the Face Oil from Little Barn Apothecary and Weleda's Skin Food. I also like to do a weekly mask (which I sleep in overnight) with a serum underneath (both from Tracie Martyn). Not neglecting eyes or lips, I use products specific to their delicate skin to keep them supple and happy. I'm loving the eye cream from Circ Cell and BeautyCoutner's Lip Balm. Finally, I consciously up my water intake and make hot water with fresh lemon throughout the day to stay warm and hydrated. What changes do you make moving into winter?