No-Makeup Makeup
I don’t wear a lot of makeup. My beauty philosophy is simple: less is more. I have a basic make-up ritual I follow most days. It’s always the same thing: curl my eyelashes, mascara, some definition for my brows, a little blush, and maybe some foundation to even out my skin tone. I like my makeup to look natural because I want to see my skin, but really I want to see me, underneath.
California Dreamin’
This East Coast gal has a confession to make: I’ve got a major crush on California. My heart may belong to a white clapboard saltbox home, but I could really get behind a bogevelia-covered beach bungalow. Don’t worry, I’m not moving, even if the weather is perfect and they have an unlimited supply of ripe avocados.
Impromptu Entertaining
One of my biggest inspirations for entertaining comes from a scene in Breakfast at Tiffany’s where Holly slips a handwritten note under Paul’s door inviting him over for drinks. I love everything about it—the personal note, the impromptu invite, the throw-it-all-together-at-the-last-minute attitude. As a recovering perfectionist and a chronic over thinker, spontaneous entertaining is one of the sharpest tools in my h(om)e practice because it asks me to go with the flow.
Rituals On Display
There are tiny little rituals in my day that are so important and yet so mundane, I wouldn’t necessarily think to celebrate them. Putting on my jewelry, for example, brings a sense of purpose to my day. The way my favorite hand cream smells grounds me in the comfort of a familiar scent but also lifts my spirits. These seemingly unimportant moments in my day are actually quite meaningful; they string together and create meaning.
The Story of Things
I think it was their shape that caught my eye. All of those angles drenched in shiny lacquer. Standing there in the middle of CB2 staring at them, I was transported to a handsome library drenched in dark navy walls with antique leather chairs and brass finishes. I could see the boxes resting on a shelf next to a collection of wine-colored books; the gold lettering on their bindings seemed to play off of the reflective lacquer of their hexagonal neighbors. As I stood in that library studying the boxes, wondering what was inside, I imagined what they would look like on a low, wide coffee table in a sun drenched living room in a Hampton’s beach house. Inside, there would be seashells.
Signature Scent
My first signature scent was Anaïs Anaïs by Cacharel. It was actually the first perfume I ever wore, a gift from my French foreign exchange student when I was fifteen. I felt an immediate connection with the scent, probably because it was from France. I can’t explain it, though. It was as if the perfume understood me. Anaïs Anaïs became my aura, following me around, preceding me—explaining me to the world. At a time when I struggled to be myself, my signature scent empowered me to be me.
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Love Letters
Life is busy, a reality to which many of us have reluctantly conceded. What pains me the most about busyness is its warped sense of priorities. Somehow, and for no good reason, the people and rituals I cherish get pushed to the back of the line. Raise your hand if you can relate. I try hard not to take my relationships for granted, but it happens. And while one of the calling cards of true friendship is that it doesn’t require a lot of maintenance, it’s important to reach out and show the people you love how much they mean to you.
