The Natural Beauty of Heather Lilleston

Health & beauty are two things that perfectly describe my friend Heather Lilleston. She has been teaching yoga and meditation since 2003 and travels the world leading “Yoga for Bad People” retreats. While in between Italy and Portugal workshops she came to Provence for a few days of down time and rosé. 

When we first met, I spent the day photographing her in Montauk where she was spending the summer. Before that I’d never been quite so taken by someone with such a confident natural beauty. She really lives in her bones and skin and wears her sureness in herself almost like armor. It’s incredibly beautiful to experience. She’s amazing and real, and grounded and the way the light falls on her bone structure is the stuff photographer’s dreams are made of. 

I’m not about to run of and become a yogi but I take what I can from a woman whose job it is to be true body and soul. Aside from yoga and meditation here are some other tools in her beauty arsenal… 


For her health:

She takes Milk ThistleChlorella Manna tabletsWellness FormulaHoney Gardens Elderberry Syrup with Apple Cider Vinegar and PropolisManuka Honey Throat Dropscalms forte homeopathic sleep aid


Beauty routine:

Chantecaille Just Skin tinted moisturizer with spf, La Solution 10 de Chanel face lotion, Dr Tung’s smart floss, Goldfaden MD Sun Visor Sunscreen Mist, Linne Purify Face Wash and MaskGoop Exfoliating Instant FacialSoleil Toujours Perpetual Radiance Eye Glow Illuminator with spfChanel mascaraSurratt Eye Brow PencilMoroccan Oil Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner

My Favorite Beauty Products

Years ago I committed to wearing as little makeup as possible and with that came an obsession with great beauty products. I do think beauty starts from within, how you feel about yourself, the joy you have inside you, your confidence. Then let’s be really honest, what you eat and drink and your genetics play a large role. When I take a break from alcohol my skin just becomes instantly more glowy. The rest is just making the best with what you’ve got. These are the beauty products I swear by after years of trying everything from fancy expensive miracle creams, to french beauty brands, all natural remedies, beauty press trips, and getting the real dirt from beauty editors who know all. This is what I buy… and sometimes cry when I run out of.

The Face Products I swear by

Vintner’s Daughter – I think of this as taking your daily vitimens for your face. Made from the world’s most nutrient rich botanicals and essential oils it’s a face serum / oil that leaves you healthy, glowy and not like an oil slick. I found the scent to be quite strong, just FYI, but in a good floral way.

Crème de la Mer – La Mer’s classic moisturizing cream has a cult following for a reason. I have very sensitive skin, very rosey cheeks, and this is the absolute best for balancing my face. A little goes a long way, it’s very thick and creamy, so one jar will last a while which is good because the price tag is brutal. But like my mother always said, it’s cheaper than plastic surgery. 

Binu Binu Hibiscus Cleansing Balm– I actually use this specifically for removing eye makeup. It’s so soft and nourishing it is better than any dedicated makeup remover I’ve ever tried and make from natural goodness! 

Shiva Rose Pearl Milk Cleanser– I love oil based cleansers after years of stripping my skin and agitating it. Why I’m loyal to Shiva’s is because of the subtile natural exfoliant which I like to think are just millions of tiny pearls. This cleanser leaves your face feeling softened and hydrated after washing. 

Algenist Algae Brightening Mask– I do face masks a few times a week and always on Sunday, this mask is hands down my favorite. I’ve been a fan for years now, leaves my skin balanced and glowy. 

May Lindstrom Botanical Facial Mist– A pure luxury item but I think of this as therapy in a bottle. When I spray this jasmine garden mist on my face every morning and evening I am instantly transported to a magical garden, I call it my Monet’s Garden spray, and it really, truly makes me feel joy and inspiration every time in my soul. 

French Girl Organics Rose Lip Polish– I keep this little jar in the shower and use it every time to scrub my lips into plump softness. Smells SO good. 

Aerin Rose Lip Conditioner- Another product I’ve bought time and time again because it is both a lip conditioner and has a very subtle natural pink hue I like to just wear as lip stick too. 

I am always trying new products for example, I love the oils from Buly 1803 but not loyal yet to one particular variety. I always try something new each time I visit their shop in Paris.  I also try different facial mists that I apply repeatedly throughout the day in summer and winter to stay hydrated. Since it’s for maintenance, it does not need to be as luxurious as May’s. The one I use most often is Mario Badescu facial spray and at a whopping $7 the price is right for mass consumption.

 

The makeup kit for a minimalist

Chantecaille Liquid Lumiere- An anti-aging face illuminator I SWEAR by. I only use it on the bridge of my nose, cheek bones, bow of up lip but that’s how I get those crazy highlights in my #ProvenceSelfPortraitSeries on my face. 

Bronzer- I actually use Tata Harper‘s Very Bronzing Contour which I LOVE but they are not going to make it anymore and so I can’t link and I’m spiraling into despair of it. I need a good natural, creamy recommendation!  

Chantecaille Faux Clis Mascara– From the description it sounds like whoa but it’s actually the most lovely, natural, elongating but light mascara I’ve ever tried and it smells like roses so… duh. I think I’m going on 3 years exclusive with this. 

Olio E Osso No. 3 Crimson– For my cheeks and lips! Natural, easy, two for one and lasts forever. This is the color closest to my natural cheek blush tone, goes on light. 

Lips- I have been wearing this duo for years, I can’t count how many times I’ve had to reply on instagram what my lipstick is. I start with a base of NARS Cruella which is thick and matte then give a top swipe of MAC Lady Danger which is a really bright orangey red but layered over the deeper NARS base makes a nice classic warm tone. 

Concealer / foundation- I don’t cover my face in foundation but if I’m really going for a polished put together look I’ll do a little bit of very light coverage under my eyes, on any redness I might have at that moment. I’m currently using Clarins BB Skin Detox Fluid but I’m not particularly loyal to it. It’s just light and easy.  

I also use an eyebrow pencil but i’m not particular about a brand or style yet. I just buy whatever whenever I run out until I find something life changing. I’m currently using one by Laura Mercier

The hair strategy

I say strategy because I think the success of my hair has more to do with my technique than products. First of all, I do not use styling products. I use a shampoo and conditioner and then a dry shampoo in-between washings. 

As far as products I’m currently using System Professional personalized haircare after an amazing detailed hair analysis experience. It is a hydrating shampoo and conditioner. For dry shampoo I am using Furterer which has been great. I just found it at my local French pharmacy. I’ve also used Dry Bar’s dry shampoo many times. This is what I want to try next when I am back stateside. 

I wash my hair once, sometimes twice a week. I like to keep a natural balance of my own oils, I like having messy dirty french hair. When I do wash it I let it airdry. Heat is the enemy for healthy hair. Considering I am growing out my hair for my portrait series, it’s about to my belly button, this has been a big game changer in keeping it healthy. I mean, I do miss a good blow out. For those of you who have followed me since my New York days, you know what I mean.

Sylvain le Hen hair pin– This has replaced all other hair tools for me. I use this every single day and even sleep with my hair pinned up with it. After I clean my hair and it’s about dry I’ll wrap it into a low bun and pin it with this. When I wake up the next morning I have soft natural waves. This is also what I use to pin my hair back when I’m working and for chic buns, it’s just the best!

Once a week I will curl my hair using a 1inch ceramic curling iron to make waves ( like this with fresh clean hair, like this with week old dirty hair). I have been using the same one for over a decade! I got it when I was an assistant to the photo editor of a fashion magazine straight out of college and the beauty department had one of their “cleaning out the closet sales” for the editors. The logo has been worn off but it’s seriously the best and I would die if I lost it. I only have to curl it once a week because during the day when I’m working and overnight when I’m sleeping I twirl my hair into a low bun and it maintains the curl this way. 

For the Body

Buly 1803 dry body oil in Damask Rose – As many of you know I am OBSESSED with this product. I use it everyday, sometimes twice a day, and always, always, always to get that highlight in my self portraits. I love it so much I bought three last time I was in Paris to be sure not to run out before my next trip. 

Montale Deep Rose– I currently have six different brands of rose perfume in my vanity! I find one, I buy it, I try it for a few weeks before I make a decision. However, the best rose scent in the world in my opinion is by Montale. Made in Grasse, France it is powerful and true. It’s better for a city scent because it’s strong enough, I actually wear something else in Provence more subtle but this has been my go to for years and will continue to be my favorite scent in the world for roses. The brand actually has many rose scented perfumes with subtle differences so it’s worth a visit to their shop in Paris. *NOTE, I hate with a passion the bottle design, it’s so insulting to the scenes and does not at all match the loveliness of what’s inside which is why I never instagram it sadly. So just look past that. 

Rose de Damas Buly 1803 Perfume– This is my Provence scent. It’s a water-based perfume so you can wear it in your hair, on your clothes and skin without worry of drying them out or stains. It’s a softer, more powered rose scent and is incredibly sensual. 

This is everything I love and use daily. It would be wonderful to hear about your favorite products you are really loyal to and return to again and again!

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The System Professional EnergyCode Mapping Experience

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I am someone who really tries to elevate my natural beauty as best as possible. Starting with my skin years ago, I threw away all my foundation, and now I’m attempting the same with my hair. I have very long, thick hair and I go once every six months to get my hair trimmed. That’s a long time in-between cuts so I try to keep my hair as healthy as possible.

There has never been one perfect haircare line for all hair types. Mine has never been colored, is oily at the top and dry on the ends, very heavy and naturally very straight. I like shine, I like smooth movement and I like lift at the roots. This is probably different from your haircare needs. So why do we all buy the same product?

System Professional invited me to experience their scientific analysis which is a consultation to find a customized combination of products that are determined by your EnergyCode. The goal for System Professional is always the same: to restore the lipid balance and keratin in your hair to its best, healthiest, natural state. The products each of us needs to achieve that is going to be different. This realization was their breakthrough moment and why they developed, over many years, this approach to personalized haircare.

During the consultation, the specialist examines your hair from look and feel, down to the microscopic level using a special app and microscopic camera developed to examine your scalp, root and hair structure. They also ask a series of questions from how you treat your hair, to lifestyle and styling tools you use. This information all goes into their app and reveals the products and treatments you need to achieve your healthiest hair yet. My EnergyCode prescribed a hydrating shampoo, repairing conditioner and a reconstructive elixer.

Next they walk you through your transformation. The experience is wonderful and like nothing I’ve ever had before, from the amazing brush they use to massage your scalp and comb your hair while shampooing, to even performing some of the treatment outside the sink. My conditioner and elixer were applied and massaged into my hair at a chair sitting up, then later rinsed out.

One of my favorite elements of this bespoke approach to haircare is that you end up with your own signature scent. Each product has a similar floriental base note and complimentary top notes, resulting in a customized fragrance for your specific system.

After the treatment, the stylist did the most simple, low heat blowout using just a flat brush, which I was sure would make my hair look like a broom stick, but it didn’t! I absolutely LOVED the result. No styling products; no crazy tangled high heat round brush blow out; just beautiful, natural hair with great volume and movement. Exactly as I wished for. 

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Above, a small sampling of the products that are available for any system.

Below, samples of scents used to mix throughout the line, from florals to citrus notes and spices, that all make-up your own unique scent. 

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Below, while at the Lanserhof Tegernsee spa, I got to chat with sisters Poppy and Chloe Delevingne who are ambassadors for this new approach to haircare by System Professional. We all shared our unique EnergyCode and product diagnosis. What I really found amazing was that Poppy has been bleaching her hair blonde for years and her hair looked thick, voluminous and healthy! She said it was a disaster, brittle and broken, until she started using her System Professional. 

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Below, my consultation begins! First an interview on my haircare routine, then we look at the health of my hair from scalp, root to ends. The app then outputs my unique EnergyCode so my stylist can begin my treatment.

 

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Below, the experience with the stylist was unlike any other I’ve ever had. I LOVED the water hairbrush she used to massage my scalp and brush my hair during the shampooing. The next two steps were done sitting up in the stylist chair before a final rinse. 

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Above, the three System Professional products that suit my haircare needs. 

Below, the fastest, simplest blowout with the most natural, beautiful results! Meaning, I can easily recreate this at home and know with each in-salon treatment I’m restoring my hair. 

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You can now go in for your own consultation and receive your unique EnergyCode at luxury salons nationwide, which I highly encourage you to try! It was such a great experience learning about my hair and seeing the immediate results!

Here’s to happier, healthier, hair.  

For more information on System Professional salons please visit SystemProfessional.com

A Hair Revolution by System Professional

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I have been waiting for System Professional to launch in the U.S. since I was jetted off to an exclusive German health spa to experience the unique personalized world of their EnergyCode Mapping analysis for your hair.

I have never in my life had such a bespoke haircare treatment designed for my specific hair needs. By combining years of scientific research and new technology, they have created virtually limitless possibilities to suit each person’s desired results. No longer will we all be using the exact same shampoo and styling tools, we will have our own unique code tailored to our personal needs!

See the process of EnergyCode Mapping and my incredible hair transformation so you too know what to expect in your own journey. From the analyzation of your hair on a microscopic level, to defining your EnergyCode and how it restores your hair to its most natural beautiful state in our video Kevin shot while I enjoyed the full beauty treatment!

For more information on System Professional salons please visit SystemProfessional.com

Buly 1803

A reivew of the luxurious french beauty brand Buly 1803.

Every time I have come to France there is always an excitement to go explore the pharmacies here. Unlike in the states where that basically means a medicine counter, here the pharmacy is where you can not only find any cure for what ails you, but a whole pandora’s box of new French beauty products we are not familiar with in the states or possibly do not even have back home.  But then I discovered something new in Paris… something truly magical:

Buly 1803.

Like a pharmacy fit for a French King, it is the fantasy of what Paris used to be. Feeding my complete obsession with natural beauty products this place became instantly beloved.

When your modern day shoes walk across the crest marked tiled floors of their petite atelier on Rue Bonaparte in the sixth arrondissement you are immediately filled with wonderment as you gracefully float back in time to an era of beauty products that were made from real ingredients. Walls of oak cabinets filled like an apothecary of everything you ever needed and some you didn’t even know existed. Marble candles, essential oils, the most beautiful watercolor painted ceramic bottles of water-based perfumes and soaps, all made in the tradition of nineteenth-century craftsmanship.

Originally named after its creator and famed perfumer, Jean-Vincent Bully, today’s rebirth brought back to life by Ramdane Touhami and his wife Victoire de Taillac-Touhami, named Buly 1803, was named after the year Jean-Vincent Bully first opened his shop in Paris“with a respect for the past and a curiosity for the present.”

Though they are most known for their perfumes past and present, I gravitated to the Huile Antique damask rose scented dry body oil. After stepping out of my shower or bath, this is the most wonderful body oil I have ever experienced. Instead of leaving you oily it absorbs into your skin making it soft and luminous with a subtle scent of roses. I am 100% hooked on this product.

My second discovery was not one I was anticipating. Over a glass counter there was a mirage of antique looking little jars of oils. I discussed with the shopgirl the characteristics of my facial skin and I told her that I had a mild rosacea that drove me insane, especially considering I typically try not to wear makeup and I want my skin to be as balanced as possible to feel confident naked. She suggested I try the Safflower Seed Oil and at only 26 euros I was happy to. I’ve been using it now before bed and in the morning for almost two weeks and the redness in my skin has never been so calm! It’s so simple and so much cheaper than the unnatural laser procedure my dermatologist suggested.

Perhaps the most charming characteristic of this very small shop is the old desk that rests demurely by the soft window light where sits a calligrapher to customize your purchase with your name or monogram. If you are looking for a truly unique experience and very Parisian gift for yourself or to bring back to someone, I highly recommend taking a step back in time here.

Images from this story were taken in my home in Provence. 

A reivew of the luxurious french beauty brand Buly 1803. Continue reading “Buly 1803”

Discovering the Power of Kérastase’s Aura Botanica in Morocco

Kerastase_Morocco__000Traveling to Morocco is always a special treat. The coastal African country is rich in traditions of simple daily life with beautiful scents, inspiring riads, amazing tagines, the BEST mint tea and of course, exotic markets. But it’s also known for something else… something you can only find here deep in the dry forests of the Moroccan countryside: Argan Oil. It was this highly effective moisturizing oil that Kérastase sent us to discover for ourselves.

With my travel companions Samantha from California, Yoshiko from Japan, and Marie-Laure from France we landed together in Agadir and began our journey to the Argan forest along the rocky cliffside of the African coast. The farther we ventured from Agadir, the more mountainous and wild the landscape became until the goats were in the trees and acres and acres of Argan trees were all we could see.

We arrived to a co-op run by all women. It is here Kérastase has empowered these women to help them source and produce the highest quality Argan oil for the new Kérastase Aura Botanica haircare range. The process is anything but simple and is quite time consuming. First, women collect the fallen Argan nuts off the ground then leave them in piles to dry for months in the sun. The outer shell is then removed and hand sorted. The nuts move from each group of women to the next, generations mixed from young to old, and on joyous afternoons the women will chant traditional Moroccan songs while they work in harmony.

The next stage is the hardest, I would know because they made me try it! I ended up smashing my fingers more than cracking the hard shell of the Argan nut. With precision and centuries old technique, the women using a rock and a stone, smash the hard outer shell revealing a very delicate, white, almost almond-like nut in the core. Sorted again by hand, the best nuts make it to the pressing phase where the Argan oil that is so powerful for hair, skin and nails is extracted and filtered. This oil, from these photos below, are what make up the key natural ingredient of Kérastase’s Aura Botanica.

“The new Aura Botanica range is made for the woman who believes that responsibility is a must, performance a right and glowing, healthy hair is the essence of self-expression.” -Kérastase

Continue reading “Discovering the Power of Kérastase’s Aura Botanica in Morocco”

NARCISO Eau de Parfum Poudrée

In a delicate skin toned bottle, fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez created a new perfume inspired by sensuality. The sensuality of skin, the delicacy of fragrance, the seduction of memory evoked through scent. True to the designer’s cosmopolitan and minimalistic style, the perfume has a mature femininity. It’s a sophisticated confidence which to me is above all things, sexy.

NARCISO Eau de Parfum Poudrée is velvety, powdery musk. A floral bouquet of Bulgarian rose and white jasmine balanced with a woody vetiver and cedar.

“With the original NARCISO fragrance, I wanted to create an extremely sexy fragrance. NARCISO Eau de Parfum Poudrée captures feminity and its core in an even more seductive way. It is both tender and powerful – and immediately addictive.”

– Narciso Rodriguez

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CHANEL N°5 L’EAU

When I think of CHANEL, naturally I think of France and, more specifically, I think of Paris with her white walls and perfectly designed boulevards. But CHANEL is more than one place. It’s more than a fashion house, it’s a lifestyle. If you could live CHANEL, what kind of woman would you be?

You’d probably be the kind of woman who understands heritage, craftsmanship, quality, and artistry. You are confident and current, timeless and unforgettable, you possess a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’… You definitely possess a bottle of CHANEL N° 5 (and so did your mother, and possibly her mother). Perfume, like memories, can thread together our lives, taking us to places like a mystical time traveling fairy. I know, one day, the smell of fresh garden roses will remind my children and my grandchildren of me long after I’m gone. I hope those memories bring back love.

As all things CHANEL does, its perfume is created to perfection, with the highest quality ingredients, and is, of course, made in France. There is no place better in the world to manufacture perfume than on the beautiful French Riviera in Grasse, the cradle of French Perfumery since the 17th century. For over 170 years the fields you see depicted in this story have been owned by the same family, who have passed down knowledge from generation to generation; grandfathers working side by side with sons and grandsons. You can feel the heritage and deep rooted love walking the lanes of endless roses. For the past 30 years CHANEL has had a sole partnership with this family estate. It is here where they recently brought us to experience the 5th interpretation of CHANEL N° 5 called L’EAU, or water in French. According to CHANEL,N°5 L’EAU is not a cologne. Nor is it a diluted version of the original fragrance for, at CHANEL, each variation is a genuine olfactory creation. N°5 L’EAU is the N°5 of today. A composition under the banner of modernity, with freshness as its leitmotif. L’EAU, for water is essential. L’EAU, in praise of simplicity.”

When I arrived to the property I was struck with the overwhelming scent of roses. It was truly the most intoxicating smell I’ve ever experienced. Pure, intense, lovely; it completely wrapped around you, like being covered in nature’s kisses. Nothing will ever compare to the scent of those fields. I walked for hours among the rows of pink roses at different stages in their delicately blooming life span, the perfectly French light dancing warm and golden set against a blue sky. It was ideal bliss. Off in the distance, the chateau sits, proud and historic, like a fairytale from my childhood storybooks. I was, to put it simply, in heaven… even the photos can’t do it justice this time.

The new fragrance is wonderful. It’s timeless like the original N° 5 but modernized perfectly. Less musky, more vibrant. Less suited, more feminine. It’s all I wore while on my journey through Provence, and what I wear at home to travel back to this place… my heaven on earth.

Something that my friend, artist, and archaeologist Jean Pierre Soalhat said to me on my recent visit to Provence, “Our future is inside of our past.”  I believe this quote truly represents the heritage of Chanel’s brand, their perfumes, and certainly the driving force behind behind L’EAU, modernity guided by tradition. The memories that a perfect scent creates, reflect moments in our lives, the lives of our loved ones, memories that lead into our future and last forever.

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The May Bloom: Rose de Mai

40-50 tons of roses are produced in a season, handpicked by farmers. The blooms begin the last week of April and throughout the month of May.  At first light, every morning at 7am the buds will begin to bloom, two days after they have opened up their beautiful petals, they must be picked. The lifespan of one rose bush is 15-20 years.

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“And then, like a second wind, you can already hear the rustle of flowers. It sounds like the whisper of trembling tulle. Rose melds with oxygenated jasmine and a new fraction of ylang ylang, more modern than ever. You are plunged into the heart of the bouquet with a delectable dizziness that gives the impression of contact with each petal, its velvety touch, its fleshiness, its delicate lace, its changing shape.” -The house of CHANELCHANEL_No_5_LEAU_05 Continue reading “CHANEL N°5 L’EAU”

Shiva Rose

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Fresh off a trip to Provence, I found myself immersed daily in roses.  I love roses. From perfume to food to decor, I am constantly surrounding myself in these delicate expressions of nature.

When my beautifully botanic friend Shiva Rose launched her non-toxic, chemical free skin care line, which is made in small batches to insure optimal integrity, I knew it was going to have some powerful rose moments. My gateway drug was the Radiant Rosewater spray and now I’m covering my entire body in this lovely line. I am quite sensitive to energy and I have to say, the energy in these products emit positivity and that positivity goes right onto your skin and into your soul.

I’m deeply into skincare these days as I have pared-down my use of makeup, opting for more natural beauty. When you can’t hide your skin behind foundation and powder tricks, you have to make it naturally look as good as you are trying to fake it with the application of makeup. Smooth, even tone, and naturally glowing. It honestly even took me some time to get used to looking at the natural texture of my skin!

I’ve been experimenting with different beauty lines and currently I’ve been focusing on Shiva Rose. Overall, I say these beautiful products are great for the woman who wants mega moisture and natural scents delivered through a bouquet of essential oils and topped off with a lot of happy spirit juju.

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The Gentle Cleanser-

Pearl Milk Cleanser might be my favorite of all Shiva Rose’s products. It’s a face wash that doesn’t strip your face bare of it’s natural balance. It feels calming and hydrating to use with a very delicate natural exfoliant from black willow bark and luminizing elixir from the pearl powder, your face comes out clean and radiant. Shiva is not just about the physical aspects of beauty but how it ties to the inner spirit and this gentle fresh scent cleanser really does feel uplifting. Continue reading “Shiva Rose”

Tata Harper

Trying the all natural beauty line Tata Harper

A few months ago my sister-in-law tagged me in an Instagram post belonging to the brand Tata Harper that she had fallen in love with. I was unfamiliar so I poked around for a bit- oh you’re handmade in Vermont- oh you’re all natural & non-toxic- oh you are a real environmentally sustainable business… ok, ok, you’re cool. But then I got busy and forgot until a recent trip to ABC home (fav home store in NYC btw.) where they carry her line. So I tried it on my hands, played with the lotions, and smeared on some Love Potion. As the day worn on I kept smelling my hands, it was intoxicating.

I’ve been pretty happy with my beauty routine and wasn’t looking for a change until one morning I read this article and downloaded the app Think Dirty and started going through my beauty cabinet. Nothing I owned was considered “safe” by this app. Huh… I thought. So, what if I tried something that was considered totally safe? Then I remembered Tata Harper. I looked them up on the app and it passed with flying colors so I ordered a starter kit complete with cleaner, serum, moisturizer, nutrient complex (oil), face mask, and lip balm. annnnnnnnd I also ordered the Love Potion which is actually what I wear to bed now and in the mornings when I spend time in my little garden

I’m going on two weeks now with this as my skincare routine. At first you notice that it’s different from what we are used to. The face wash isn’t foaming and lathering, the moisturizer isn’t thick and creamy… instead it’s better. The face wash doesn’t strip your skin of moisture and smells like you went for a walk in a garden. The serum and moisturizer are not greasy and absorb so easily into your face which also smell like a walk in the garden and considering I really like walks in the garden this is just great. When I first used the resurfacing mask I smeared it on and thought.. that’s it? Nothing is happening. But after 20 minutes when I washed it off my skin had never looked healthier. It took a couple of days for my lips to adjust to the new lip balm situation but now I LOVE the Be True lip treatment. It restored a natural lip-color that had long faded, my lips don’t dry out in-between applications, and the sheen it provides is so pretty that often times I just use it instead of lipstick.

This is what I’ve come to find out with using all the Tata Harper products: it restores a natural color balance in your skin, keeps you moisturized and super glowy which I love love love. The best part about it though? It makes me feel good to know that what I’m putting on my skin every single day is not going to hurt it. The only sad part about Tata Harper is that I don’t own every single product she makes. Choosing is so hard when it’s all so good.

I know… it’s not cheap. But as my mom once said to me, “it’s cheaper than plastic surgery.” So there you go.

Trying the all natural beauty line Tata Harper Trying the all natural beauty line Tata HarperBelow, after I finish my morning beauty routine with not a stitch of makeup in my Ari Dein slipTrying the all natural beauty line Tata HarperMore beauty stories HERE.

The Stowaway

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It came as no surprise to me when I caught wind that my friend Chelsa was starting a new makeup line. Her knowledge about beauty and products comes from years of being a makeup artist and working for brands such as Clinique and Bobbi Brown. I’ve personally worked with Chelsa many times on beauty stories in the past, remember when we did this tutorial on the bold lip or how to look “berry” romantic?…

So, I was curious, does the world need another line of makeup? 

Yes! 

but why?

Because our lives have changed from the sort of women who had time to sit at a formal vanity and “put on our face” to women who are now busier than ever, on the go, and care more about what products are made of than pretty packaging.

Chelsa explained to me, “The makeup industry is a bit in the dark. We all think about the food we eat and where it comes from now but we don’t ask ourselves, what’s in our makeup?” Part of Chesla’s initiative with Stowaway is to have those honest conversations about beauty products and educate women on what they are paying top dollar for and, this is something I never even thought about, that your makeup DOES expire. Would you drink expired milk? I don’t think so, so why is it ok to smear expired makeup on our skin?

Stowaway lets you never have to worry about your makeup expiring because it’s designed by size to be used up before that date approaches. It’s 1/2 the size, 1/2 the price and literally does all the thinking for you so you can concentrate on more important things like Barre Method at 7am, breakfast meeting at 9, getting through the workday, that social event after work, dinner with the love interest and some of you can throw a few kid’s schedules on top of that too right?… all the while looking great incase we come upon a perfect selfie moment.

Here is the other thing Chelsa educated me on-

The U.S. only bans 11 items from being allowed in cosmetics while Europe bans over 1,300! Stowaway  is committed to holding themselves to the highest standards in the beauty industry by following Europe’s lead and being EU compliant. When I asked her if the products were all-natural then she explained to me that “all-natural” isn’t exactly the answer but rather a trendy marketing term. I mean, Mc Donalds uses “all-natural” and sure potatoes come from the ground but….. ANYWAY. There are really great man-made advances in beauty that are 100% safe. Stowaway lists all the ingredients in each of their products HERE.

But what I love most about Stowaway personally is the size. They easily fit into your gym bag, clutch, purse, carry-on, camera bag, or pocket. In that beautiful minimalist approach to life we are now embracing (we’ve all read this by now right?) I can pack the Stowaway kit of their 6 go-to basics and find myself free to focus on life, wherever the day may take me.

Since we are being super honest here I opted to NOT beauty retouch Chesla’s skin into some sort of idea of beauty industry perfection so you can see the real product in action, the way we actually look IRL. Also, full disclosure, I was not paid for this post, I am 100% in love with Stowaway #fangirl and all my friends are too. So, this is just a love letter.

Here’s the real pretty part: Chelsa broke it down into three different looks using only three products to get the woman on the go through our busy day-

 

The Post Workout Look

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1. Creaseless Concealer

2. Radiant Complextion Beauty Balm

3. Defined Lash Mascara

Continue reading “The Stowaway”

Natural Sculptures

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A few years back I met Bess Wyrick. She was doing a floral instillation in Gramercy Park’s Rose Bar — a giant hanging skeleton made from white flowers. I had always thought about flowers in the sense of arrangements but never really in the form of a live sculpture. There is something I really love about the idea of creating art that can only last and be appreciated for a short amount of time before its organic nature recycles back into the earth. An amazing example of that is in the whimsical work of Patrick Dougherty which blows me away.

Whenever Bess is in New York we try to collaborate. Most recently I asked Caroline to come by the studio and pose for me, something we have been doing together for years now. Bess, being the sculptor she is, created this spring garden nymph moment around Caroline’s delicate body which, to me, is reminiscent of the fleeting weeks when we get to dance under the pink shade of the cherry blooms before nature moves on to the green gardens of summer.

This May I’m going to be heading out to L.A. to spend a weekend retreat at Rose Story Farm (remember how we had roses shipped from them for this beautiful shoot?!) with Bess doing a workshop on flower arranging and creative expression. It’s going to be a lovely group of women, so think about joining us if you out in L.A.! More info on the workshop can be found here.

Happy Spring!

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The Female Nude

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I am a woman. I am aware of my body like any normal human being. It’s not a surprise, just look at the images served up to us. Everyone is beautiful, happy, young, thin… they have the perfect (insert your own personal thoughts here) stomach, eye brows, waist, legs, hips- sometimes it feels like an impossible treadmill of perfect we will never really achieve because of genetics, because we have real life and real work and can’t spend the amount of time it takes to achieve “perfection”.

But really, what is perfect?

I’ve always be interested in shooting nudes. I started in college. The body is one of the most beautiful, natural things about life. The way it changes, the way it gives life, the way each is our own and that is what makes us special. I wouldn’t take my grandmother’s wrinkles away, or Dad’s loving soft hugs, or seeing my sister-in-law’s body change carrying the amazing twins my family adores. I would not say that I have had body issues all my life, but as I’ve gotten older I had to learn to look in the mirror and teach myself to stop judging the way I look compared to other people.

As a photographer I look for what is photogenic from people to places to the design of a still life. I’m not going to lie, I love tall beautiful thin fashion models. They are like illustrations of illusions of an idea of who we think we are or could be. Fantasy is part of the fun, photographing that fantasy is one of the things that I love most.

However…

There is a place for curves too. Curves are incredible. When our model Jourdan walked in I was honestly first taken back by her personality. Her confidence. Confidence is the one of the greatest quality anyone can possess. She was cool, smart, comfortable in her own skin. She was one of the least self-deprecating models I’ve ever worked with. When we started making photographs a lot changed for me. Not only as a photographer but as a woman. Maybe even more importantly as a woman. Here was a human, not afraid to let me photograph her with nothing to hide behind, no character to portray, no fantasy story to tell, it was just her. In the moment. In the light. Just the way she is.

After this shoot I had a mix of emotions. Her body, so beautiful, so photographic in its shapes and contours was in one word: inspiring. She made me realize that the female form in any shape and size is incredible. To have curves, softness, confidence was true beauty. She represented to me what being a woman was all about. I understood why Renior and Matisse painted the way they did and I saw that beauty too. I was so proud to be a woman and in my personal life, more confident about the size of my chest and softness around my stomach. If wrinkles show the hand of time and the life that was lived, curves show the fertility of it and the raw attraction of humanity.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that women come in many fascinating forms and, at this sitting, I saw beauty in a way that should be more often seen.

Here’s to the beautiful form we call being a WOMAN.

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