The Wonders of the Weekend
A dream mask, a nearly magical overnight serum, better stretching, and memories of meeting a countess
Hello Gorgeous!
I’m tired. Really, really tired. For me it often feels like there’s often a sprint this time of year to catch up with everything I still haven’t caught up with.
I’m excited to take a breather, but as the late great Dame Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham on Downton Abbey, said “At my age, one must ration one’s excitement."
I’ll temper my own excitement and won’t plan too much to do except try to pamper myself a bit more.
If you have time over the weekend, you might enjoy checking these out:
Weekend treats to try:
The Dream Mask by Mantle. While I normally don’t love products that try to plump any part of my body, I love the actual ultra-plumping properties of this mask. Here’s what else it does. Niacinamide refines the look of pores while bakuchiol tackles pigmentation. Drop in the trifecta of hyaluronic acid, sea buckthorn and vitamin E, it boosts collagen production while you sleep. One thing, this isn’t a heavy greasy mask, it’s more like a slightly heavy gel. ($79, on mantleskin.us)
milk_shake incredible milk. I received a fun box filled with all of this cult brand’s best sellers and I was blown away by this one. Milk_shake incredible milk is leave-in spray mask hair treatment that performs does everything from protecting your color to shielding hair fromUV rays. It detangles in a way that doesn’t leave my hair droopy and gets rid of the look of frizz and split ends. ($26, milkshakehair.com)
Olay Super Serum. I was planning an Olay appreciation post, but am putting it on hold for a short while. But I do think you should check out this powerhouse of a serum this weekend. Remember when we talked about actives AKA active ingredients? This may be a drugstore product, but it works like the best of the designer serums. It targets five main concerns ranging from uneven skin texture and hyperpigmentation to irritation and parched skin. Does it work? Why, yes. Yes, it does. I’d advise applying it with a light hand if you have sensitive skin. In addition to niacinamide, glycerin and peptides, there’s also salicylic and lactic acids which can irritate sensitive skin. (Prices vary, but about $33 right now at Target).
Stretch with CastleFlexx. It’s taken me a while to really get a grip on this one (groan-inducing pun intentional), but now that I’ve been using it for a few months, I can happily recommend it. If you’ve been looking to stretch more after endless hours sitting at your desk, this could be a great tool for you. It’s made with a cork weighted bar, so you have something to hold onto. And after you use it for a while, you’ll notice that your flexibility improves. The best part for me was that I could start to hold stretches for longer and in a more supported way. Keep in mind that there’s definitely a learning curve with this one. (About $249,Castleflexx.com).
And some chocolate for Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins next week. While it’s traditional to eat apples dipped in honey (and honey cake, and honey cookies…you get the idea) to ensure that you have a sweet year, I’m thinking of starting a new tradition that involves chocolate as well. Clearly I’m not alone since chocolatier extraordinaire Max Brenner recently launched their Rosh Hashanah 18 piece praline gift set. Come to think of it, I’m not going to wait til next week. We’ll be indulging in these over the weekend! ($29.90, shopmaxbrenner.com)
I think you can skip this:
Incidentally, I started watching Grotesquerie, the new Ryan Murphy horror show starring the always watchable Niecy Nash-Betts.
People are often surprised to find out that I’m a fan of horror movies/TV. They’re even more surprised to find out that as part of my training to become a makeup artist, I specialized in special effects makeup. So watching shows like this is often fun for me to try to see where the blood and gore were spattered or painted on, and what’s added on in the editing process.
I love the fact that this show blends faith and faithlessness and the ultimate horrors in life. I love the fact that the characters don’t look the way we might expect them to and certainly don’t live perfect lives. I’m just a little queasy at the endless carnage. I know it’s called Grotesquerie, but I’m weary of the American fascination with serial killers.
Maybe stream reruns of Downton Abbey instead. (And scroll down for a fun memory of when I met Lady Carnarvon of the real Downtown Abbey castle).
So, what about you? Any fun or relaxing plans over the weekend? I’d love to hear about it in the comments, or drop me a line.
Rachel, Your beauty concierge 💋
Meanwhile, here’s some fun in honor of Dame Maggie. A few years back I sipped gin with the actual Countess of Carnarvon, who lives in and runs Highclere Castle of Downton Abbey fame. I haven’t written for Ladders in ages, but here’s a fun article I wrote about branding lessons learned from Downton/Lady Carnarvon. One of the more interesting things Lady Carnarvon told me was that the castle is so huge and so expensive to run, that she can only buy one new light fixture at a time and most of the castle stays dark.