Garden Party
Hi everyone, happy Wednesday!
March will be here in just a few short weeks, heralding the arrival of spring and also the one-year anniversary of the pandemic’s complete and total disruption of our lives. But let’s focus on the former and not the latter, shall we? :’) Today I’m offering up these nature-inspired picks that bring a little bit of the botanical world into your home — hopefully they can serve a reminder that as cold and dark things are now, better days are just on the horizon.
Flower Power
DAISY CHAINMAILLE TOP - DAUPHINETTE
Dauphinette’s delightfully dreamy earrings have been on my wishlist for a while now; founder Olivia Cheng gathers fruits and flowers from her garden and encases them in resin, ensuring they remain fresh for eternity. But it was this utterly ethereal top that really made my jaw drop. Strung together from over 200 individually preserved flowers, this floral chainmaille is the sartorial incarnation of a daisy chain; it looks like something the fairy queen Titania would wear. Perhaps not a garment for everyday, but perfect for napping on a mossy, sun-dappled forest floor and falling in love with a donkey.
Raw Beauty
I’m not all that precious about what I put on my face — I’m happy to slather on a cocktail of unpronounceable chemicals so long as they make me look good — but there is something charmingly primitive about using natural ingredients to enhance yourself (think Cleopatra and her berry lipstick.) Mango People updates this concept for modern times; founder Sravya Kalyanapu infuses her highlighters, bronzers, and multi-use sticks with garden-variety materials such as avocado oil, pomegranate seed, mango butter, and candelilla wax. I’m a big proponent of 3-in-1 products (a quick, easy, and cohesive eye/cheek/lip look? Count me in!), so I’m super excited to try this one, which uses pigments derived from foods like radish, cherries, and blackcurrants for a pop of color.
In High Spirits
SPICE 94, GARDEN 108, GROVE 42 TRIO - SEEDLIP
According to Thingtesting, interest in alcohol-free alternatives has surged during the pandemic, and I can see why; I want to relax with my friends over Zoom with a nice cocktail and the new Bachelor ep, but there’s just something way too sad about getting drunk alone in my room, even when I have virtual company. With more and more people flirting with the sober-curious lifestyle, a flood of natural, non-alcoholic aperitif brands have risen to meet the demand. I’m especially curious about Seedlip, which produces plant-based liquor substitutes using all-natural ingredients such as hay, ginger, peas, and lemongrass. Now I know it may sound like a fancier version of infused water, but it’s not supposed to stand on its own, it’s meant to be incorporated into a variety of mocktails. Time to brush up on my mixology skills!
Tried one of my recs and loved it (or hated it)? Wanna get something cool on my radar? Drop me a line at kittylguo@gmail.com or swing by my Twitter @kitguo!