gentle cleansers...Kimberly Sayer

I came across Kimberly Sayer products while I was visiting my friend Hazel Grace in Santa Monica, C.A.. Hazel had a gentle facial cleanser that had the best aroma to it. She described the aroma as "like her moms fresh baked lemon cookies". She lived near Palmettos, which sells a wide range of products, so I walked over to pick some up for myself. I have also seen Kimberly Sayer products sold at Whole Foods Market.

This product is perfect for sensitive skin and below are a few highlights from the website.
This gentle creamy cleanser with a base of Soy, Seaweed and Lavender Oil, removes surface impurities and deep cleanses clogged pores. Gentle enough to remove make up, it won’t dry or irritate the delicate eye tissue. Wonderful fresh aroma leaves the skin feeling clean and refreshed.

I really like this quote from the Kimberly Sayer site as well, The use of man made chemicals in skincare negate ingredients essential functions, therefore minimizing the effects. True organic products are absorbed by the skin, identified as food, therefore achieving maximum results for your skin. Something to think about...

at the spa...

Photos courtesy of great jones spa website.
Great Jones Spa is a holistic spa in downtown Manhattan. My favorite time to go is in the middle of winter when my skin is dry and I am chilled to the bone. They offer many different services and use my favorite Jurlique products. What makes this spa so amazing (and worth the steep price tag) is the wet bar. Free if you're having a service done. Approximately 50$ a la carte.
In the wet bar you will find...

• river rock sauna
• chakra-light steam bath
• thermal hot tub
• cold plunge bath
• elixirs
  
• waiting area

I encourage a visit to the website to see what they are all about and definitely visit the wet bar in the winter with some friends or solo for a very heated experience.
book your appointment.....

29 Great Jones Street, NYC 10012 tel.: 212.505.3185

time for a mask...

I love this very affordable organic strawberry yogurt face mask, it hydrates and brightens the face while gently exfoliating the skin with natural fruit and lactic acids. This mask is a good option for people with sensitive skin because it exfoliates so gently. What I love is how hydrated my skin feels afterwards, I don't feel like I need to apply any moisturizer.

To do: Apply any organic ( face strawberry yogurt such as Stoneyfield Farms or Brown Cow) over your face and neck area, let sit for 15-30 minutes, remove with warm towel then rinse throughly. Amazing soft hydrated skin!

a little Sunday inspiration...

So came across this tear that I realized could be a blueprint for yet another one of my dream bathing spaces. Maybe I will continue to do Sunday inspiration posts?? I definitely would have to move out of NYC I guess for this space...a bathroom like this would never be found on my 5th floor walk up! (or could it...)


I am in Paris right now for an extended vacation and am seeing many amazingly inspirational shops, objects and spaces. I ran across these succulents all planted in moss and clear pots. I think I would love to fill the above space with plants similar to these to create a "outdoor shower" type feel...

Vert, new eco-luxe beauty product store...

I was skimming the articles on Hugg when this write up in the LA Times caught my eye. A new eco-luxe beauty product store opened in Venice, C.A. called Vert. Opened by Renata Helfman (pictured above). She only stocks eco friendly, upscale products. Like the article says, you no longer have to buy a $70 face cream while in the grocery store. Hmm I think I like that concept... I can't wait to check it out, until then I need my local Cali friends let me know how it is! Read the latimes.com article...

new organic skincare line...nude

Thanks to my connected roommate Sabrina, I found amazing new products in my shower by nude. Nude is a wonderful organic skincare line from the UK and soon be avaliable in the US launching at Barneys. My favorite were the facial scrub (pictured below) and the Monoi body oil. Also from the nude website I pulled a good summary of what they are all about...and I loved their opening question which is something we should all ask ourselves!! Considering our skin such a large part of our body!

Why do we feed our skin chemicals we would never consider eating?

nude is free from the chemicals you would rather your body didn’t absorb.

Our first priority is to formulate without ingredients which are irritating to the skin or potentially harmful to the body and we have minimised our use of preservatives by using airless packaging. Where necessary, we have selected a safe, non-irritating, synthetic preservative because the natural option caused skin irritation.

We will always choose organic ingredients wherever possible. However, some of the advanced ingredients we use, such as peptides from milk, simply aren’t available organically.

nude has not conducted, or commissioned any animal testing on ingredients or products and we actively support the development of alternative ingredient testing methods through sponsorship of the UK charity FRAME.

Marsh Mallow and Jojoba...

• Natural conditioners marsh mallow and larch extracts soften and detangle
• Macadamia nut and jojoba oils nourish and moisturize
• Burdock root, neem, nettle and rosemary extracts renew and invigorate hair follicles and scalp
• Apple cider vinegar restores shine and prevents build-up

Find more info on the Dr.Hauschka website.

water...and yes, more water

Bottom line, water makes up 60-65% of our body weight and is needed for everything; without water of bodies cannot function efficiently. Our emotional, metal and physical health is often affected when we do not drink enough water.
Drinking 8-10 8oz glasses of water a day has a stunning effect on the skin, relieving the body of toxins and helping flush out debris therefore helping the skin reach its optimum glow.

Most importantly, remember to drink before you're thirsty. These SIGG bottles are great for keeping nearby and saving on plastic bottle waste.

healing herbal baths...

There is nothing more healing and relaxing than a nice warm bath. Adding different essential oils can enhance the whole bathing experience. Try to create a bathing routine, meaning bathing the same time everyday or the same day every week. It is also important to make sure you are not rushed for time and are in an environment that has little distractions. Each person has different habits and relaxation requirements so it may take more than one bath to find yourself fully able to relax. Below are a few of my favorite healing oils to add, feel free to mix, depending on your mood.

Lavender: Relaxes muscles and soothes nerves. Perfect for when you are stressed, angry or scared. Lavender also has a cooling element, great for warm summer nights. Lavender is also great for soothing skin rashes.


Rosemary: Promotes circulation while warming, rejuvenating and relaxing the body. Perfect for people who just can't seem to get warm enough! Rosemary oil also is good in the winter because it helps brighten and restore color in the skin.


Sage: Sooths and opens up the lungs, neutralizing negative thoughts and emotions. Sage cleanses the body tissues of sadness and fear. Sage also can help treat body acne.

a little something for the moms...

Photo courtesy of brownbagbotanicals.com
I have received a lot of response from new mothers and mothers to be about products and spa services so I will try in include posts as often as possible to offer a little something for the moms! I am not a mother myself so any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
A friend of mine recommended products from Brown Bag. I love their site and philosophy. They have great Shea Butter products, I would suggest Lavender Orange Shea Butter, sounds delightful...

the natural glow....

A translucent liquid bronze concentrate for the face from Dr.Hauschka. This is a great bronzer that can be mixed with moisturizer, sunscreen or worn alone. What is really nice is after applied the bronzer is still sheer enough that your true skin color is still visible.

Made from mineral pigments, plant extracts and oils.

make it glow...

A deeply moisturising and energising organic body oil from Jo Wood Organics. Active plant extracts of gingko, guarana and ginseng encourage circulation so that oxygen and nutrients can make their way into your cells and toxins can make their way out, leaving you feeling refreshed and revived. The anti-oxidants in apricot and grapeseed oils protect the skin against damaging free radicals, and Arctic bilberry, a rare and precious oil rich in essential fatty acids and vitamin E, soothes and replenishes dry skin, leaving it supple, soft and smooth.

This body oil is pricey though! About 100$ so below is something that I find just as Luxurious, the shelf appeal is not as nice though ;). Available at Origins and now 95% Organic!



Massage all body oils into your body after a bath or shower while your skin is still damp and warm, or add to a nice warm bath...

a quick hydrater....

Its time to try the Rosewater Freshener from Australian organic skincare line Jurlique. This spay toner is an easy way to hydrate the skin through out the day or apply before you put on moisturizer in the morning. I find the rose petal scent irresistible!

AMBRETTE 9

Above photo courtesy of LeLabofragrances.com.
A wonderful alcohol-free perfume, mixed-up in one of my favorite shops, Le Labo. This scent is baby-friendly but is wonderful to use even if you don't have little ones but have grown to appreciate alcohol-free scents.
Everything about this place is wonderful from the website to the shop to the employees. And as you can see below, they will customize your perfume with your name, making this a great gift as well.

233 Elizabeth St. NY, NY

Also smaller perfume bars at...

Colette, 213 rue St-Honore 74009, Paris
Barneys, San Francisco, CA