BLUE SOAP. Where in the world is best for you to live? OK THE STORE. Recent skincare/sephora finds (trust me I scour the accounts of the top artists in the field)!! Ais the artist. GIFT IDEAS.
FIVE
Welcome. Took a wee break but we're back! Hope you all had a nice little holiday break. It's that time between Thanksgiving and New Years where we have no idea what is happening! Yay
1.BLUE SOAP
I heard about this soap via Esther King's TikTok (she is hilarious), she does videos like "things hot girls in LA are currently obsessed with" and "hot girl products that sad boys also like." She also goes into her friends homes and shows what they are currently using etc, she is also an actress and comedian and overall a great follow. AND apparently this blue soap has a cult following, I already put my order in and think it would make a great gift. It is a buffing soap and is supposed to make your skin glass smooth and based on the rave reviews, I can't wait to try it.
"Made for areas of the body that would benefit from weekly moderate-to-intense physical exfoliation, including those with keratosis pilaris (“KP”), stubborn ingrown hairs, and rough, bumpy texture. Or you can enjoy the Buffing Bar for no specific reason—like a happy bear rubbing its back against a tree. Whatever the reason, dead skin and excess keratin are thoroughly sloughed away, releasing trapped hairs and revealing the soft, newer skin below after each use."
They also have this gift set which I think looks amazing, it includes 2 bars of the blue soap, smoothing gel exfoliant (we do chemical peels on our face but our body needs love too, I have heard amazing things about this as well) and the daily toning lotion. Beautiful products. Byrdie, Refinery29 and Allure agree!!
2.ASTROLOGY MAPPING
Turn away now if this is too woo woo for you but if you are into astrology or know someone who is, this could be a great gift for yourself or a friend/family member. I came across Sheera via Liz Moody’s Instagram and was intrigued. If you are looking to move or wanting to plan a trip or just curious about where in the world you may thrive career wise, love wise, emotionally etc etc, this could be a sign. It sounds very interesting! Included more screenshots below, you can DM her to set up an appt. It is also very affordable.
If you are into magically worldly witchy stuff, I also highly recommend this Tarot card set, it’s beautifully illustrated and good for beginners and dinner parties!
3.OK THE STORE
I recently popped into OK the store here in LA and it was truly a great gift store. They have an online presence as well and I highly suggest checking them out. I first heard about this store through Paige Wassel’s YouTube (if you are at all interested in interior design or home items, I highly recommend her videos, I literally have binged watched all of them). Here are some finds from OK, they have an amazing jewelry collection.
The selection is much better at the actual store so if you are in LA, definitely stop by! They also have an amazing brass matches holder (it is not online but it’s similar to this one). It’s super pricey so if anyone finds a cheaper version, let me know in the comments!
4.RECENT SKINCARE/MAKEUP FINDS OH YES
One of my favorite topics!!!! Here is a whole set of favorites I have discovered and they are vetted and just really good.
Let’s start with Make Up Forever lip liners, they are THE best lip liners. If you are at all interested in makeup, please follow Katie Jane Hughes, she is an incredible makeup artist and how I discovered my favorite lip liner in color Endless Cacao, the color Anywhere Caffeine is also a great color (Hailey Bieber supposedly uses this color).
Also love this Hourglass volumizing glossy balm (discovered via TikTok), the Merit tinted lip oil, the Westman Atelier dewy foundation drops (this is INSANE and makes your skin look like a filter), the Merit bronze balm is also great for contouring, the OG Charlotte Tilbury contour wand (nothing can beat this), Kosas creamy concealer is the only concealer you need and the best foundation brush.
For skincare recommendations, the two I very much trust are Charlotte Palermino and Nikki DeRoest. Charlotte recommends amazing sunscreens, usually from Japan or Europe since we have shit FDA rules about sunscreen here in the US. I recently picked up this sunscreen after hearing her rave reviews, it’s also very affordable. SUNSCREEN IS KEY.
I also have used her brand Dieux’s moisturize and LOVE it. Can’t reccomend more. Charlotte lists all her favorite items here but a few of my favs are below:
LED light therapy mask, BeautyStat Vitamin C, Squalane resurfacing night serum (squalane is YES), Boum Boum milk, Paula’s Choice liquid exfoliant, Dieux eye mask, humidifier (to keep that skin hydrated!), NuFace (on my Christmas list) and the Dieux moisturizer I mentioned above.
I also found the brand Allies of Skin through Nikki DeRoest (mentioned above) and swear by their products- specifically the vitamin c and pigmentation corrector. Just look at her skin!!
5.AIS THE ARTIST
Ais is an incredible artist, she (not positive if it is a she or he from their Instagram) does not have a website but you can purchase their pieces through Instagram. I can’t find much more information on them but if you are looking to purchase an up and coming artist piece, now is the time!
A few other gift ideas before farewell, these extra long candle sticks (recommended by Jenna Lyons), a natural wine making class (this one is in LA but I am sure they have them in other places), WTFATC (an extremely cool vintage soccer company woo WORLD CUP), natural wine club membership and these vintage Japanese matches paired with Japanese Sumac wax candles.
Goodbye for now!