Now this is my cup of tea! Big Ellovi fan over here. They burst onto the scene a few years ago with Butter, a balmy salve made with only six ingredients. It’s an absolutely glorious concentration of oils and butters that saturates your body with moisture. You can even use it on your face, too, as moisturizer or makeup remover. It was an instant love connection for me. Fast forward a few line extensions and now we have Blossom Butter. Or as I like to call it, a cup of chamomile tea for your body. I mean, truly. It’s made with Italian chamomile and cold-pressed tangerine peel so it’s actually the real thing. If you close your eyes and breathe in, it’s as if you are curled up with a mug of tea that’s going to lull you to sleep. A little goes a long way, so resist the urge to dig in and slather. Butter breaks down into an oily texture when it meets your skin so you don’t need as much as you think. My perfect evening is a hot bath, coat of Blossom Butter and a dozen or so pages of Bluets to send me off into dreamland. I think I will tonight!
I’m not ready to completely debrief on this yet but I’m in the middle of a semi-cleanse that is working. I say semi because I allow alcohol on my cleanses. IT’S SUMMER! And who are you people that can give that up?! I started this cleanse on accident and I’ve just being winging it ever since. I’ve essentially ditched most carbs and am going heavy on juice, lean protein and fruits and veggies. It may be the longest I’ve ever been able to stick with a plan and I’m feeling great. Like suspiciously great given I’m avoiding nearly all of the things I love. I’ve even tapped into this spiritual side of myself that makes decisions based on energy and vibes. I find myself saying yes more and being very cheerful at times I should be a basket case. We really are what we eat, no doubt. Now seems like the appropriate time to tell you about the new Ellovi Tinted Lip Butter. Isn’t she purty? It’s a sheer red tint that comes from the red root of alkanet, a Mediterranean flower. The color is barely there but gives lips a little something extra. Like you just bit your lips and got a natural flush. Ellovi is built on a very simple premise – your skin is like a sponge so let’s only give it the most pure and nutritional ingredients. There are three products in the line, the Tinted being the latest, and each has only six ingredients. And the best part = a tube is only $5.
I devoured a tub of Ellovi Body Butter pretty intensely last fall. It is a hidden gem among the sea of body moisturizers out there. The concentrated balm did wonderful hydrating things to my skin and smelled like a tropical destination — but not at all in that manufactured way that can give you a headache. I’ve got a serious soft spot for companies like Ellovi that want nothing to do with artificial ingredients and fillers that are in so many of our personal care products. And, they really outdid themselves with the new Lip Butter. Like the Body Butter, it has six ingredients. In this case, Hawaiian coconut, sunflower, hemp, macadamia, marula and shea butter. It melts onto your lips and easily destroys any dryness, in a very lasting way. Plus, it’s only $5 (with free shipping!) so I don’t feel guilty about using way more than I need to. I dig the pocket-friendly skinny tube but have been stashing it in my mini Baggu wedge for easy purse access!
I think we’re all pretty jazzed that it’s October. I’ve seen this quote from the Anne of Green Gables author no fewer than a dozen times this week in my Instagram and Pinterest feeds. October is pretty magical, though. What’s not to love about the first real chill of fall and leaves changing colors? Here’s everything I’m loving for the month ahead!
Feminine fragrance. Once September wraps, it’s time to retire my summer scent. I’ve been looking for an ultra-feminine fragrance for fall, in part to balance out the “boyfriend” style wardrobe I love in the fall. Oversized everything is just so cozy! When I was previewing the new beauty floor at Macy’s a few weeks ago, I spritzed on the new Estee Lauder Modern Muse. The ladies at the counter explained to me how there are two different scent profiles that you may pick up, depending on your body chemistry. There’s the woodsy vanilla and amber musk side or jasmine and dewy citrus. The jasmine hit me right away and I’ve been wearing it every day since.
Glittery nails. I’m obsessed with the butter LONDON “Rock Your Colour” glitters for fall, especially Indigo Punk and the rust-colored Brown Sugar. Just look at this color! When the sun hits them, they glisten like crazy.
Balms, butters and more balms. With the cooler temps, I’m all in with balms. After a steamy bath, I slather my entire body in them. Ellovi Butter, rich in coconut, macadamia, marula, hemp and shea (those are the only five ingredients!), melts into skin like, well…butter. It’s not heavy at all, making it the perfect October balm. I’ve started to test theTammy Fender Intensive Repair Balm and so far, it lives up to all the praise it has earned. And I’ve discovered the perfect alternative to Aquaphor with CV SkinLabs Restorative Balm. It’s packed with anti-histamine, -oxidants and -inflammatories so it actually heals and soothes!
Cherry lips. Just a tint of red is what you’ll get fromFresh Sugar Cherry. Add a messy bun and a chambray shirt and it’s like you walked out of a J. Crew catalog.
Exfoliation. My cleansing ritual is getting a major upgrade this month. I’ve started to use May Lindstrom The Clean Dirt, a blend of cleansing clays, spices and salts that you blend with water to activate. It’s like microderm at home but your skin is soft and plump afterward instead of “scrubbed.”
Boy shirts. I love men’s flannel shirts and am counting down the days until I can wear them on the regular. The more fem version from Madewell is majorly inspiring me. And, I spy a budget version of that skirt at Target. How cute would this outfit be with tights and boots?
