I spent an inordinate amount of time to find the sweet spot where authenticity and inconspicuousness meet on the internet, just to find two products that met my criteria: An all natural, creamy textured, cacao based and scented body butter. Considering today’s industry trends, this implies a market gap in the all natural, luxury skin care market.
Read MoreAs one of the most powerful mind-altering potions on the planet, Ayahuasca is commonly misunderstood- perceived as a drug, or at best a door into mysticism. While there is some truth to both perceptions, neither give a hint to the powerful healing potential on the psyche or to the endless possibilities for self-knowledge and expansion of consciousness. The end result being a new attitude towards each situation of the past, present, or future: Open, sensitive, intelligent, and void of negative emotion.
Read MoreWhile Korean brands may have pioneered marketing mushroom magic in commercial skincare, breakthrough labels are emerging from the US, making waves with unique product stories that seamlessly merge concepts of wellness, clean beauty, and a spin on the natural ingredient narrative to include “adaptogens”.
Read MoreIs the activated charcoal craze worth all the hype? Or is it mostly linked to the intrigue of the weirdness factor? For beauty products the answer is YES, if combined with the right ingredients activated charcoal can meet specific skin and scalp needs BEAUTIFULLY. When I noticed I had accumulated more than 3 charcoal + botanical beauty products on my bathroom counter, I realized a theme was born- so here is the 411 on some fabulous products and a new initiative by Sephora to promote green cosmetics called “Clean at Sephora”
Read MoreI love the discovery of under-the-radar, independent, indie brands whose products fulfill a seemingly intangible promise: All-natural, truly effective product that genuinely reflects the purpose driven values of the founders. Little Barn Apothecary, Oxalis Apothecary, and Poppy Austin are the brand that rose to the top of my list for the toners I was looking for, along with the appeal of the rest of the assortment. These niche brands tell a story and create a sense of community through their philosophy, unique voices, and ingredients.
Read MoreAuthenticity and transparency when capitalizing on the appeal of what is natural, pure, and pretty. What began as a simple exercise of sorting through the clutter of the recent surge in rosewater toners transformed into a project entwined with aspects of chemistry and shadowy nomenclature nuances. And although it should not come as a surprise- price is no guarantee for a product that fulfills its brand promise of “pure and natural”, or even quality. It is no wonder that in this context, micro/indie newcomers with the ability to create strong product-to-customer connections and provide a stronger sense transparency may be changing the rules the of the marketing game. And as an added benefit- crafting products with love light, and bliss.
Read More
Many of us create absurd justifications for overworking. At best, I justified it as a necessary means to success, but most of the time I was just compulsively acting on my own personal drive to deliver above expectations, and a fixation with an element perfectionism- setting up an abstract idea in my mind of what I should be able to do, that had no relationship with what I actually needed to do. With the ever increasing demands of corporations in the face of shrinking resources, the excess results in counter productivity and potential loss of valuable employees. One of the worst element of demotivation is being in a situation in which no matter what is delivered and accomplished- it is never enough.
Read MoreIncreased focus on the relationship between well-being + productivity and emotional intelligence + career success is providing a broader perspective on the concept of productivity and how we should treat our bodies to get there. My personal experience with caffeine and a high stress job taught me that there is a very fine line between a habit providing a benevolent mental boost, and a stress inducing addiction resulting in anxiety, decreased productivity and less than optimal performance.
Read MoreSocial media has made sharing ideas and creativity easier than ever, with innovative fashion bloggers taking the lead on communicating the art of their personal styles through beautifully formatted images, either tagged with the brand names or links to buy directly. As consumers increasingly look to these Instagram stars to shop for "looks" rather than specific articles, the question is whether this phenomenon is inspiring people to try and create their own personal style, or is it just further feeding "fast fashion" by facilitating on line purchasing and rapid trend proliferation?
Read MoreRosewater is being spritzed all over the increasingly mainstream natural beauty world.
The growing appeal of the simplicity of nature’s secrets is an obvious factor to this growth, but could the mystique of ancient worlds past also be part of the trend? Whatever the reason, when it comes to finding hair products based on this miracle tonic, products are limited and elusive.
Read MoreAmazon’s purchase of Whole Foods has people reeling over the potential consequences- notably how Amazon go technology and automation could affect the shopping experience. People are talking much less about a trend moving in the opposite direction: More human interaction within innovative concepts that bring culture, well-being, and a sense of community to less elitist versions (ie: Space Ninety 8) of concept stores such as LeClaireur, 10 Corso Como, and Colette.
Read MoreBreathwork (under the umbrella of Mental Wellness) has been cited as “The biggest future trend, period” by the 2017 Global Wellness Summit. “Just Breathe” is on its way to becoming a branded philosophy for the central truth of a well-lived life of BALANCE; similar to how “mindfulness” has become a brand for paying attention to metrospirituals.
Read MoreThe key message during the Fashion Revolution week (April 24-29) is that by simply asking the question- “who made my clothes?” to the brands we buy, we can make a difference to incite reform. Besides the informative panel on sustainable fashion, the clothing swap was fun, and it was exciting to have access to designers and their work at the pre-launch stage (more to come in a future post). In sum, I feel lucky to have been introduced to a movement where individuals can have an impact just by changing a thought pattern- think before buying, and ask questions…
Read MoreSephora is doing a great job at providing such a broad range of brand positioning with the “best of” of such a niche product segment. My only complaint is the lack of accessibility to test the 100% natural products only available on line. This a growing segment- ESPECIALLY for the dry shampoo segment where the chemicals have a potentially higher impact and the where the consumer aversion towards chemicals is intensifying..
Read MoreYesterday’s event “A Mindful Miami” - a mass meditation for Mother Earth held at Brickell City Center, was beautifully executed. The orchestra alone of the mystical instruments to induce sound healing, was a rare and exceptional pleasure for the senses. The talented facilitators used them to provide an atmosphere of well-being, relaxation, and to raise spiritual vibrations.
Read MoreOne simple beauty product can effectively serve so many purposes. Regardless of how you choose to use rosewater, it’s difficult to go wrong with the essence of a flower that has influenced the way we think about romance, health, beauty and luxury for thousands of years.
Read MoreUK bloggers were found to be far more commercially successful than others across Europe. The study was conducted by IPREX using a Pan-Regional “Blogbarometer” and found that 93% of bloggers in the UK had been contacted for PR and marketing purposes, compared to just 68% in Europe. And, 49% of UK bloggers earned revenue from blogging versus 16% in Europe, and only 9% in the US.
Read MoreI had become so intensely rooted in my seat on the hamster wheel and fixated on controlling the situation, that I did not realize I was on a train traveling in the wrong direction.
Read More
