Recently, it was spring break for my kids. We had plans– all outdoors, of course– and then, as has been all-too common this winter in California, it rained. We still did what we could, but as a lot of our plans were rained out, we had to find other things to do. After a few […]

You know that friend you have, the one you can always call when you want to be told “no,” or to be talked out of doing something? I am not that friend. I’m never going to talk you out of getting a new beauty product (unless, of course, it has toxic-laden ingredients or is covered […]

After all these years as a beauty writer, I have occasionally thought about designing my own line of makeup. I haven’t ever seriously considered it, but I’ve wondered what it would be like. Every lipstick shade would be brown-based and have shimmer. There would be tons of bright pink blush and mascara that builds nicely […]

I’m not proud to admit this, but I have a long history of not taking as good care of my teeth as I should. Let me back up and explain that I had significant dental issues as a young kid, but, as my teeth/mouth have been relatively low-maintenance since I got my braces off 28 […]

By now, you’ve no doubt seen several variations of the “beach body” meme: “How do you get a beach body? Have a body Take it to the beach Congratulations, you have a beach body! I love this meme for many reasons; dismantling the oppressive patriarchy that has, for generations, told women they had to look […]

One doesn’t usually expect a skincare line made for sensitive and acne-prone skin to also be luxurious and rich, but such is the beautiful paradox of The Other Skincare Company. The brand was created with the goal to establish and maintain a healthy skin barrier, which is one of those concepts that a lot of […]

(Read all the way to the end for details on how to win your own 3-piece d’still travel set!) Three time zones. Two cameras. One fantastic conversation! On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of talking to Ula Blocksage, founder and formulator of d’still. I have written about the brand in the past, here in this piece […]

I thought I never needed to “meet” another new skincare brand– what could one offer me that I don’t already have and love from Maya Chia, Josh Rosebrook, One Love Organics, Leahlani, Tata Harper, etc.? It turns out that my capacity for loving new skincare brands is like my feelings about my kids. When I had […]

You all. I think I’m finally growing up. This assignment, which used to be my least favorite because it’s so challenging has, this year, become my *most* favorite BECAUSE it’s so challenging! I might really be an actual adult at last! This is our FOURTH Annual Staff Picks Best Of roundup and I’m finally embracing […]

What is more delicious than slipping into a cozy sweatshirt and slathering yourself with a moisturizing balm? Add a cup of coffee and either a romance novel (don’t knock it– they’ve come a long way) or a Parks and Rec marathon (I subscribe to Peacock just for the ability to do this), and you have […]