I used to think toners were a huge waste of money. Why not just wipe my face with a damp $20 bill and throw it in the trash? What could a light mist possibly do for my skin that my cream or oil or serum wasn’t already doing better? Well, I was wrong. Turns out, […]

Have you ever wondered why your favorite balm or cream is sometimes a slightly different texture or color? Ever wondered why scents vary the tiniest bit from batch to batch of your favorite body oil? Or why the color of a serum isn’t quite the same as it looked in the picture you saw online? […]

When people find out I’m a beauty writer, there are some questions I get asked A LOT: What’s the best product for my teen’s acne? (I always suggest a gentle routine the kid in question will actually stick to, for starters, using products from Osmia Organics) Just tell me the magical serum that will make […]

There is no way, if you’re reading this, that you have not already heard (and read!) a ton about COVID-19 and the pandemic of this novel coronavirus. So I’m not going to give you more facts, or try to make you feel calm about it, or freak you out about it. Because it’s here, and […]

If you read our Top 3 Staff Picks of 2018 post last year, you’ll recall how hard it was for me to write. Choosing only three favorite items to shout out was like asking me to choose a favorite child. Impossible. I’m a true product junkie! So this year, I’ve narrowed it down for myself […]

I love to travel, but I’m often torn between wanting to go to new places where I’ve never been before, and wanting to go back to beloved spots I have previously visited and loved. For example, as a kid, my family went to South Carolina every summer. I could see every inch of our house […]

Thanksgiving is probably my most favorite holiday — the family gatherings, seeing old friends, watching kids jump in the leaves. You’ll notice that the food part of Thanksgiving didn’t rank on my list, and it’s because, until recently, I wasn’t really into Thanksgiving food. I mean, I’ll eat turkey, that’s fine. And if there’s a […]

This may sound strange, but I’m a BIG fan of aging. I love it! I love birthdays and getting older and celebrating another year completed. I mean, not to get too dark, but consider the alternative! Aging is living— there’s no way around it! But just because I love living and I feel lucky to […]

When I was a little kid, for no reason other than wanting some extra attention one day, I decided—and proclaimed— that I was allergic to lavender. I have no idea where I got this concept or the inspiration to choose lavender, specifically. I only know that, at the time, it seemed like a great idea. […]

In the beauty industry, we put a lot of focus on the new. What’s the hot new product? What new innovations did such-and-such brand incorporate into their products? What is the new color of the season? The new, trendy smell, the new, cool ingredient, the new “it” category. You’ve seen it all, I’m sure, whether […]