In-The-Air Skincare

Not to be that person, but I was doing sheet masks on planes before it was mainstream. The year: 2016. Place: the second leg of an American Airlines flight. Occasion: a family trip to Cabo San Lucas. My older sister, seated next to me, watched in horror as I peeled open a Sephora Collection mask (of the rose variety, obviously, for its moisturizing properties) and applied it my visage mid-flight.

The online beauty community, in all of its openness and its frontiersman spirit, has over the past year or two normalized the ritual on mid-flight beauty routines. I’m also convinced the miniatures lined up at the Sephora checkout section was staged in partnership with some major air travel conglomerate. However, the perils of drying airplane air on one’s complexion is no conspiracy, so in the spirit of the busiest travel season of the year, I’ve rounded up our favorite travel-friendly beauty products. Bonus: they’re all available in travel size so they won’t get confiscated by TSA.

1. Flaunt by Lauren Napier cleansing wipes

These wipes are individually packaged and will take up amazingly little space inside your carry-on cosmetics case. They’re packed with nourishing fruit extracts tailored to prevent the havoc extended travel can wreak on your complexion. I can also attest to their ability to remove light face and eye makeup!

2. Herbivore Botanicals Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Facial Mist

Imagine the stuffy smell of stagnant airplane cabin air. Now, imagine luxuriating in a decadent cloud of hydrating rose and coconut water. Not only does this all-natural mist smell lovely (and not overpowering, might I add), it also preps clean skin for the moisturizer that follows.

3. FIRST AID BEAUTY Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration Mini

This whipped cream moisturizer layers beautifully with oil and serums even when you’re not cruising at an altitude of 3000 feet. It’s formulated specifically for stressed out skin, so it’s instantly soothing and it absorbs quickly for a no-mess, no-fuss application.

4. Herbivore Botanicals Mini Facial Oil Trio

If you, like myself, prefer to look like oil slick prior to your nighty slumber, then these mini facial oil droppers come highly recommended. The dropper makes these easy to apply, so if you’re stuck in your seat because the stranger sitting in the aisle has fallen asleep and you’re too shy to wake him up, your skin won’t suffer.

5. Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

If you thought a standard lip balm was going to cut it, you thought wrong. This mask is meant to be worn overnight, but it also serves well as an intense lip treatment, even if you don’t catch some z’s on your trip.

I also hope you remembered to pick up one of those huge 1.5 liter European water bottles before you boarded you flight home, because those tiny little cups the flight attendants hand out aren’t going to cut it! Key learnings? Hydration, from the inside out, is the trick to make sure you return from your holiday travels looking as radiant on the surface as those days off make you feel on the inside.

Essentialist

Facine for Club Monaco Small Satchel, Anniel for Club Monaco Heeled Velvet Flats, both sold out

Fewer but better. This philosophy has all but permeated my social circles, both in real life an online (isn't it also crazy that we now need to differentiate the two?). I can't say I prescribe to this mantra completely and fully, not just yet anyway.  I have, however, learned the benefits of investing in two things: shoes and bags. After been burned one time too many by cheap pieces, I decided to make a change for the better. I've also, over the past year or so, become a small bag woman. I remember how I used to only carry satchels that would fit my DSLR, notebook, some snacks, and maybe even an extra pair of shoes if I was going to work. Now, my iPhone 7 has replaced my camera and lens, and I live in grandma heels that can seamlessly transition from work to play. This means my bags are smaller, easier to wield and hold only the essentials. I swear, I'm not complaining. If there ever were a burden to be lifted off my shoulders, this would be it.

On A Mission to Feed the World

FEED High Tide Pouch and FEED 10 Pouch

Lauren in the Peibi Top, Ryta Pant and carrying the FEED High Tide Pouch

FEED 1 Bag

Inside the Little Cupcake Bakeshop on Prince St.

Another February is coming to a close, and I have a feeling that conquering this last stretch of winter will be hard on all of us here in New York. Morale is low. Even on a good day, it can be hard to step outside of yourself, and hard to acknowledge the privilege you have, despite how ill-willed our nation's leadership may be. We have clean, running water; heat in the winter so overwhelming we actually have to open our windows to let some of that heat out in order to make our apartments bearable; fresh food and ripe product is on market stands around every corner. It's for this reason that I admire Lauren Bush and other women like her, women who are able to step outside of themselves and recognize that our privilege and freedom is better used to lift other up. She's on a mission to feed the world.

Photos by me for Club Monaco

Botanic

Flashback to a warm summer day at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. We've reached the tail end of winter and I all I want is to feel the warmth of the sun on my bare shoulders.

For Paris

Berlin: New Deli Yoga

Recently, I haven't been able to get the warm interior of New Deli Yoga out of my mind. My first official Berlin breakfast was in the cultural center of Kreuzberg. New Deli Yoga is a yoga studio fused with a cafe, and is essentially a Pinterest board come to life, Despite its minimalist interior, the hand written menus and chalkboards scrawled with specials were personal touches that made this place especially inviting. I had an awesome musli bowl and an exceptional iced coffee with my traveling mates before we embarked on a trip to see the remaining portions of the Berlin wall, which is just down the road.

Baby Went To Amsterdam

With buildings that are built to lean ever so slightly, canals that have replaced avenues, and bridges lined with flowers and bicycles, Amsterdam is a city straight out of a storybook. I was incredibly and unexpectedly charmed by a city that despite having quite the reputation, I ultimately knew so little about. Did you know the building that line the canals are not leaning because they're sinking into the ground? Older homes in Amsterdam have tall and narrow staircases, so these houses were accommodated with gables and hooks. These pull were used to lift items such as furniture to the upper levels. These buildings also lean forward slightly to keep whatever the gable is lifting from colliding with the facade. It's so resourceful and adorable at the same time, I can barely stand it.

With its narrow, winding streets and bridges, Amsterdam was essentially built for bikes. They lined every railing on every bridge on every street. My friend and I chose to walk everywhere, so that we could soak in every ounce of the city, but by the end of each day we found our selves wishing for set of wheels to carry our tired feet home.

A self-guided tour of courtyards in Jordaan, the most scenic neighborhood, led us to the most quaint private gardens. Outside of the courtyards, streets were lined with art galleries, artsy boutiques and charming coffee shops, so basically I'd move there in a heartbeat.

Our tiny rented apartment was in the heart of the red light district, which seemed rather safe despite its seedy reputation. Nothing could beat the view we had walking home at night from one of the many waterfront bars or low-key clubs, with the lights reflecting on the waters of the canals, a vision straight out of storybook. 

9th and Elm: Geometric

Lovmely necklaces courtesy of 9th & Elm

As of late, I've been nurturing a new-found interest in supporting local and independent designers. I think it all began after a lovely interview with a local soap maker for a store profile article, but I've been actively exploring the extremely creative and talented individuals who produce beautiful products right in this city. In a similar vein, 9th & Elm brings together a curated collection of independently designed and handmade goods. As with other popular flash sale sites, the product you'll find on 9th & Elm is limited in quantity and only for sale for a finite period of time.

In about a week after my order, I recieved a package with two beautiful delicate necklaces from Lovmely. One pendant is plated in 14k gold, while the other is cut out of raw brass, but I'm sure they'll layer beautifully. While I was drawn to the eclectic collection of jewelry, 9th & Elm also carries collections of clothing, housewares and personalized gifts. And you can bet they're all super adorable.

Double Denim DIY: Metallic Tuxedo Stripe

One of my last DIY tutorials for the Style Section was actually the brainchild of my assistant editor, who was unimpressed by the outcome of Refinery29's Denim Cutoff Cheap Challenge. The contributors must have been running low on their creative juices, because they all seemed to settle for the most basic edits, like cutting and cuffing. Jenn insisted we could do better, so you be the judge. Check out our Double Denim DIY Challenge over at The Triangle.

P.S. I was left to my own devices when it came to taking these photos, and lucky for me, my remote battery was dead! What you see above were some of the most awkward and difficult selfies I've ever had to take. There was a lot of twisting, craning and couch climbing. 

In Berlin: Part I

If there was a single city I could say I felt I didn't explore efficiently, it would definitely be Berlin. I joined a group of friends who had just begun to undertake the incredible task of visiting 11 countries in 13 days. Berlin was their second stop after Munich, and in an effort to add to my country tally I joined them on their German adventure. 

Much of the city's historical structure were destroyed as a result of heavy bombing during WWII, leaving a decent portion of the city's architectural landscape dominated by brutalist and functional modern artchitecture. Brandenburg Gate in Pariser Platz was an obvious and stunning exception. It's no wonder it serves as an essential trademark for the nation.

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Equally as stunning in its design, much more moving in its intent, was the Holocaust Memorial. The systematic rise and fall of the cement monoliths were meant to invoke "an uneasy sense of order," an elegant yet slightly disturbing reference to a tragic past. 

I guess it turned out our self-guided tour of the city was primarily fueled by its architectural landscape. We were supposed to visit the Reichstag dome, but me being me, I booked our tickets for the evening after we were scheduled to leave! And despite being in yet another new and unfamiliar environment, I found the familiar food to be sort of comforting. Growing up with a grandmother with a penchant for German recipes, I realized I've come to associate schnitzels and spaetzle with my childhood, to a certain extent. I'm sure, as I was filling my plate with a heaping spoonful of homemade spaetzle and gravy, I never would have guessed I'd been eating a plate of the same stuff on a sidewalk in Germany. 

Next up: Part II