#affordable vegan intimate woman care | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

shelleyseale · 5 years ago

Text

9 Great Finds for Summer

From new style staples to smart hair and skincare to ways to amp up that summer soirée, these 9 finds will help get you through the summer season in fab form.

Ah, summer. Sun in our face, wind in our hair, flowing fashions and travel...lots and lots of travel! Such an eagerly anticipated and exceedingly enjoyed season indubitably ushers in an array of covet-worthy beauty and style solutions and, lucky for you, I’ve found nine fine ones among them.

William Henry ‘Zurich’ Design Money Clips

Photo Courtesy of William Henry First are the stunningly gorgeous money clips from William Henry, a luxury jewelry and accessory brand. The company’s Zurich design money clips are stellar for summer. This striking ‘Raven’ design features a hand-forged 'brain wave' Damascus frame by Chad Nichols, inlaid with carbon fiber and a blazing red topaz. A beautiful engraving is bright cut against the matte-finished background. The Zurich ‘Panama’ design features hand-forging by Mike Sakmar using an ancient Japanese art used to decorate samurai swords. The inlay is cocobolo wood, punctuated with smoky quartz. Its engraving is also bright cut against the matte-finished background. Only 1,000 pieces of this special design are available. The Zurich ‘Talon’ money clip features a hand-carved sterling silver frame, inlaid with Kingman turquoise and a white topaz gemstone. This exquisite piece is another limited edition with just 250 available. Known for its meticulous use of classic natural materials, precious metals, gemstones, and state-of-the-art alloys, William Henry is a benchmark luxury brand that has an upper echelon following world-wide. Just visit the “Proud Owners” section of its web site to see what entertainment power players like Harrison Ford, Nick Jonas, Jared Leto, Laurence Fishburne, John Varvatos, Luke Bryan, Pierce Brosnan, and Adrien Brody own from the company’s collections. Evan A-list ladies like Cameron Diaz have bought this brand’s baubles.

Photo Courtesy of William Henry

Kut from the Kloth Apparel

Embodying the summer season and spirit of California overall, Kut from the Kloth is a vibrant, contemporary lifestyle brand. With innovative fabrics, a flawless fit and sophisticated style, the Kut collection is designed with your busy life in mind so you can confidently go from day to play. They recently debuted the go-anywhere “vacation vibes” line of ultra-fashionable travel staples designed for easy packing, wearing and washing. In fact, you can vacation with on-trend pieces created to wear right out of the suitcase. An online boutique beloved for blending modern trends with coastal flavor, Kut from the Kloth makes couture-inspired fashion both accessible and affordable. Their essential summer escape collection is great for jet-setters who want to look like a million bucks and still have plenty of cocktail cash. Short-sleeved button-ups feature palm fronds and pastel pinstripes, perfect underneath a soft, quilted sweatshirt or white denim jacket for chilly evenings. So feel those vacation vibes of delicate florals in shades of pink, coral and yellow that’ll help you stand out in the crowd.

Metalicious Silver Shark Tooth Necklace

Photo Courtesy of Metalicious Thanks to the Metalicious line of luxury jewelry made from recycled metals, ocean-lovers can tell people their wearing the tooth of a maneater! The company’s Small Silver Shark Tooth Necklace is cast in sterling silver from an original shark tooth, then oxidized to bring out the details and give it a soft finish. Available with choice of a 17", 20" or 22" sterling curb chain to ensure it falls in that perfect spot on your necklace, the shark tooth pendant itself is 1" long x 3/4" wide. I like this piece because it can be edgy and sophisticated, but sweet and subtle also. It looks like a work of modern art! You can wear this every day, mixing and matching it with various looks. Metalicious sources recycled metals and ethically mined gemstones to create meaningful, handcrafted heirlooms that adhere to strict environmental and sustainability standards. Also charity-minded, the company donates a portion of its profits to City Harvest, a non-profit organization that provides meals to over 1.4 million New Yorkers a year.

Ekster 3.0 Parliament Smart Wallet

Photo Courtesy of Ekster After reportedly raising over $1,000,000 in their previous crowd- funding campaign, Ekster, the world’s largest smart wallet brand, has launched their latest edition perfect for discerning men: the Ekster 3.0. This time they have engineered both the slimmest and the first voice-activated smart wallet to date. Owners can now call their wallet, find it on a map or even make use of the widespread Chipolo community to help locate their missing belongings easier than ever before. Battery issues are also no longer a problem due to Ekster’s patented solar-powered tracking solution, which on a full charge can last up to two whole months. These identity theft, RFID- blocking wallets also look extremely handsome. They’re held together by handcrafted premium leather for a luxury look and feel, while the design provides instant card access whenever necessary.

Dining Elevated Utensil ‘Uplifts’

Create a more stylish table setting and eat smarter at your summer soirées with the help of Dining Elevated Uplifts. These offer a cleaner, more sophisticated dining experience by elegantly raising all flatware and cutlery above a table's surface. Similar to a chopstick rest, Uplifts elevate western-style utensils to establish an improved aesthetic and hygienic standard. Uplifts look, feel and function better than the traditional table setups. Supported by research from the University of Arkansas and showcased by the National Environmental Health Association, Dining Elevated brings the highest level of food safety to hospitality. Featured on Top Chef and reportedly showcased in some of the finest hotels and restaurants, Uplifts are a game-changing addition to place setting design that the world never realized it always needed. Of course, there are a myriad to styled, materials and designs available to suit your desired aesthetic and complement your tableware.

Bloomers Frosé and More

Courtesy of Bloomers Frosé Bloomers Frosé is a vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free and kosher non-alcoholic mixer that’s ready to use and enjoy. They enable anyone to whip up an icy-smooth version of their favorite beverage in just minutes—important when you’d rather be poolside soaking up those rays. Bloomers Frosé makes it simple to take different variations of Rosé, Prosecco, Sparkling Wine, Sauvignon Blanc and spirits to the next level with easy-to-create frozen concoctions that are sure to please both intimate groups and large crowds, alike. Because what summer gathering is complete without the frozen beverage brigade? There are also brand new, low-calorie and low-sugar formulas offered by the company so, for those who want to keep their summer bod in check, there are plentiful options on that front as well.

Gleamin Vitamin C Clay Mask

Photo Courtesy of Gleamin Gleamin is a yellow Australian Vitamin C Clay mask that's helping women worldwide achieve a natural glow! In fact, all over Instagram customers are talking about how this skincare solution has helped their skin tremendously, which is part of the reason this product actually sold out at least twice since it launched. The product is formulated from 100% vegan, natural and ethically-sourced ingredients like Yellow Clay, Aloe Vera, Turmeric, Kakadu Plum, Desert Lime, and Finger Lime Caviar. It’s designed to banish dark spots and hyperpigmentation, replacing these areas with a natural brightness. This Vitamin C-infused Clay Mask also revitalizes skin and replenishes moisture thanks to the Aloe Vera, while turmeric enhances and revives skin tone. Native to Australia, the Desert Lime, Kakadu Plum, and Finger Lime Caviar ingredients are among the richest known sources of Vitamin C. Together, this trio fights acne, heals imperfections, evens the skin tone, and prevents future breakouts. It’s especially helpful for users with deep skin tones. Gleamin offers a Glow-and-Go single kit that features a 60 gram jar of the vitamin c clay mask, plus a brightening brush, for just $39.99. Value-minded customers can even save 25% if they purchase the Glow-and-Go Duo package that includes two masks and two brushes, available for $59.99. And, the company offers free shipping on all orders, so gotta love that!

Herban Body Care

Imagine being able to hand-make soaps and elixirs from scratch, like a batch of fresh-baked cookies or homemade soup. Using only plant-based and concentrated formulas, you’d mix organic ingredients with herbs and essential oils from around the world. Now imagine if these soaps incorporated only body-nurturing ingredients which possess healing properties and promote a feeling of rejuvenation for all skin types. No need to get out the mixing bowl for such hand-crafted skincare, as you can turn to Herban, instead. Their collections are unisex and their custom-molded versions of different soap varietals are even featured at high-end wellness retreats and boutique hotels around the United States. All of their formulas are created in-house, so you never have to worry about outsourced ingredients. Particularly popular items include their Plant Bar soap and Salted Butter moisture scrubs. The company’s name has significant meaning as well. Breaking it down: Herb - they use herbs in all of the formulas; Ban - they ban all chemicals from their formulas; Her – it’s "her" company (woman owned); and Herban - originally targeting an underground urban culture. The line is also entirely gift-worthy!

Pura D'or Hair Care

Photo Courtesy of Pura D'Or Get the shiny, chic hair with voluminous undertones that you can flaunt all summer long with the help of Pura D'or Hair Care. This brand features proprietary blend of organic extracts and oils helps heal your hair. With ingredients like Tea Tree Oil, Ylang Ylang, Lavender, Vanilla, among other natural vitamins and nutrients, there is no shortage of quality that helps to get the job done quite effectively. This cold press, preservation-harvested oil, known for centuries as pure gold, fuses inside each formula to help solve problems like thinning hair and hair loss due to breakage and dandruff. With products such as Hair Thinning Therapy Shampoo & Conditioner, Energizing Scalp Serum, Volumizing Styling Spray and Moisturizing Masque, Smoothing Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner, Smoothing Therapy Cream, Curl Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner and Curl Therapy Cream, take your next step to healthier hair this summer, all season long. Rest assured that, o matter what your particular hair challenges might be, there is a Pura D'or formula with a solution just for you. ~~~ ***Some or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or service(s) detailed above may have been provided or arranged at no cost to accommodate this review, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way.*** Read the full article

0 notes

recessanger91-blog · 6 years ago

Text

What I’m Into: July 2018

Whew – we snuck this monthly favorites list in right before the door to July closed on us! With summer in full swing, I feel like I have only half as much time as I did in the fall and winter. But this month, I wanted to share some of my favorite new finds as well as some old favorites, so grab a peach iced tea (*wink to the Broken Record subscribers*) and don’t forget to share your favorite products from July in the comments!

Soapbox

It has been a total joy to follow this brand from its inception through a full rebrand, the results of which are obviously stunning. They sent me a press package last year and I have been sudsing up with their body wash and hair care on and off for months! My hair really likes it, the body wash is my current favorite (I suggest the Sea Minerals body wash to e v e r y o n e), and there are tons of products I haven’t even tried yet!

This brand caught my eye because, while Soapbox has brutally high standards for their ingredients, the prices are incredibly reasonable. That bundle above, for example, is only $31.95 – for everything. That’s a hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, and bodywash – for $32. Sort of a screamin’ deal.

Their packaging has undergone a major upgrade, and if you’re picky about your soaps and hair cleansing products, get ready for this laundry list of Soapbox ethical qualities:

Paraben-Free

Gluten-Free

Cruelty-Free

Vegan

Made in the USA

Many Fair-Trade ingredients

Sulfate-Free Shampoo

Recyclable Packaging

1-for-1 Charitable Donation through Clean the World

That last one is my favorite! 1-for-1 means that, with every soap purchase, Soapbox donates a bar of soap to someone in need. (Soap = Hope!) Soap is at the top of the list for many shelters around the country due to its constant use, and Soapbox focuses their efforts on domestic aid, which is something I haven’t seen very often among 1-for-1 brands.

Each bottle has a unique Hope Code that you can input into the Soapbox website to see exactly where the donation from your bottle of soap or hair stuff is going. You can find Soapbox products at Rite Aid and Walgreens all over the country. They’re even easy to find in my little, dumb, island town! If you see some on the shelves, pick it up, but if you don’t see it on your local shelves, don’t worry! It’s all on Amazon for you, as well as on the Soapbox website!

Timberland Earthkeepers

I’m always on the quest for good shoes. Currently, I have a very modest collection of less than 10 pairs of shoes which, if you knew me in my SPEND ALL THE MONEY days, should come as a shock. I think I topped out at 64 pairs of shoes, at one point. My closet looked like a robot Christmas tree lot with all of my shoe trees scattered around. It wasn’t good, and the shoes were mostly low quality (“affordable”) dress shoes that I wore to the job I hated. Starting B&B changed all of that, and raised my standards for “good shoes” about 5000%.

In desperate need of some summer shoes – for both staying cool in the heat and getting into trouble – I took to Poshmark. After a while, I noticed that the shoes in my “Likes” had a noticeable bias towards Timberland Earthkeepers, which I had absolutely never worn before. I knew of Timberland boots because, hi, I was alive in the 1990s and early 2000s. What I didn’t know was the scope of their designs, and how incredibly ethical this brand is trying to be.

Timberland Earthkeepers, specifically, use at least 50% recyclable materials. The leather (yes, real leather) is from a company that is rated Silver for improved energy, waste and water management. The fabric shaft is made with “Bionic canvas” which contains recycled PET (aka plastic bottles) and the rubber sole is also partially recycled! Considering this info was secondary to me falling in love with the shoes designs, I can say I’m pretty damn pleased with my newfound favorite shoe brand.

Timberland Earthkeeper Authentics Canvas Fold-Down Boots in Folkstone Grey

These were the first Timberland shoes I pulled the trigger on, and they single-handedly got me hooked on the brand. While these boots typically sell for around $100 brand new, the pair I found on Poshmark were in amazing condition for only $23.

Sure, they had some loved spots and a couple minimal scuffs, but they were already broken in for me, and they look even better when they’ve been loved for a few months.

The leather part of these boots is a beautiful blue-grey color, and the canvas looks almost like linen. Another feature that is adorable, but that I regularly ignore, is that these boots are lined with a super cute, blue floral fabric, so if you’re the type that likes to flip the top of the boots down, there is an adorable design element built-in to help make that as cute as possible.

Timberland Earthkeeper Greenside Sandals

After losing my sandals in a pool-noodle stealing operation in Mexico, I was in desperate need for a pair that would withstand my shenanigans for 2018. That means they need to be well-made with high-quality materials, be easy to throw on and kick off, and go with everything from dress shorts to a swimsuit coverup. Luckily, Timberland Earthkeepers came to the rescue – again, via Poshmark.

After stumbling upon exactly one pair of these sandals, I knew I had to act fast. They are cute as hell, made with strong materials, have a slip-on back strap, and are extremely versatile. Unlike the boots, which had many styles and colors available in my size on Poshmark, these were a one-of-a-kind find, so I contacted the seller ASAP and haggled the price of these down to a measly $27.

In hindsight, I should have taken a picture of the soles because Timberland makes some tough-ass shoes. The soles of these sandals are nearly identical to the Timberland boots that I got. They look like they’re ready to carry you through a construction zone – with a kitten wedge.

Have you tried Timberland Earthkeepers? Am I late to this party? I’m already looking to expand my collection because the high heels and dress shoes in the Timberland collections are screaming my name!

2 Dope Queens

Mindy Tucker/HBO

If you’re not privy to this existentially funny duo, you better wise up. Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson are a comedians turned podcasters turned legendary show hosts, and their eponymous series on HBO just got renewed for four more hour-long specials!

These two women make me wish I lived 1,000 miles closer to my best friends. Each one of their shows is an intimate peek into not only their friendship, but what life is like as a black woman living in New York City. Speckled between Phoebe and Jessica’s hilarious banter and BFF-arguments are special guests. There are a handful of stand-up comics that get to present a small set, and each episode has a non-comedian guest that shows up just to chat with the girls and participate in a little activity. For example, they bring out a full brunch spread, complete with cocktails, before bringing out the Queen of Brunch herself, Sarah Jessica Parker, who is adorable. Together, the 2 Dope Queen educate a curious and eager SJP about the ins and outs of black hair. It’s a must-watch!

Sans Sucre Baking Mixes

No matter how many times I have tried to stay on a healthy eating streak, my sweet tooth always sabotages me. I can’t get rid of it! Moreover, I don’t really want to get rid of it. Not only do I love baking and desserts, but if I can’t spend this life indulging in delicious things, then what’s the point? Luckily, there are tons of products and brands who are trying to ease the tension between sweet teeth and healthy lifestyles. San Sucre is one of those brands and, if you speak even mild, back-of-the-food-label French, you can probably figure out why.

Sans Sucre makes quick and easy baking mixes that have no added sugar. This makes the nutrition facts on a box of brownies look less like fudgy indulgences and more like a small-to-medium granola bar. Recently, I made the Milk Chocolate Brownie mix (around $5 per box) and was pretty impressed with both how easy it was to make and how delicious they were once they were done!

These turned out so incredibly good for being only 80 calories per serving, and they were much lighter than your average full-fat, full-sugar brownie which can feel super heavy and dense. They required exactly three ingredients: the baking mix, water, and 2T of oil. Yes, two tablespoons of oil for an entire batch of no sugar added brownies. That good, very-brownie-like sweetness comes from Stevia! Could this be love?

In addition to brownies, you can find coffee cake mixes, cinnamon “sugar” sprinkles and even no-sugar-added fudge mixes! San Sucre also sent over all kinds of mousse and pie filling mixes, including (but most certainly not limited to): key lime pie, cheesecake, chocolate mousse, and lemon mousse. Plus, the mousse and filling mixes are no added sugar and low fat! So far, I’ve tried nearly all of the brownies they have to offer, but expect to hear from me again when I dive into these!

If you want to try some for yourself, you can find Sans Sucre baking mixes at lots of different stores, but grab them super easily from Amazon!

That’s it for me this month – now it’s your turn! What have you been loving in July?

Probably watching Netflix.

Source: http://brokeandbeautiful.com/2018/what-im-into-july-2018/

0 notes

vdbstore-blog · 7 years ago

Text

New Post has been published on Vintage Designer Handbags Online | Vintage Preowned Chanel Luxury Designer Brands Bags & Accessories

New Post has been published on http://vintagedesignerhandbagsonline.com/gwyneth-glows-like-a-radioactive-swan-my-day-at-the-goop-festival-life-and-style/

'Gwyneth glows like a radioactive swan' – my day at the Goop festival | Life and style

Culver City, Los Angeles, is socked in by haze, and a line of women in black athleisure – more blondes than one is accustomed to seeing in one place at one time – stretches down the block. Each has paid between $500 and $1500 (£390 and £1,175) to stand in this line and attend In Goop Health: Presented by Goop, the inaugural “health and wellness expo” of Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand, Goop.

People are excited, a little nervous and giddy. It feels as if we are waiting for the bus to summer camp, if your summer camp gives out free lube and Nicole Richie is there. At 9am the beefy security team parts and we pour into a courtyard where employees sort us into more lines based on how much we have paid to be here. Colour-coded bracelets indicate whether you are a Lapis ($500), Amethyst ($1,000) or Clear Quartz ($1,500) Gooper. More money means more activities: a foam roller workout, a “sound bath”, even lunch with “GP” herself in the “Collagen Garden”. Apparently, a prohibitively expensive, celebrity-studded self-help salon isn’t exclusive enough: the very rich can’t have fun without a little class hierarchy.

We pass into a second courtyard, which offers clusters of tasteful white furniture ringed by a variety of “wellness adventures”. In one corner, you can sit cross-legged on a cushion and the “resident Goop shaman” will tell you which crystal you “need”. In the opposite corner is a woman who will photograph your aura in a little tent. There is an oxygen bar and an IV drip station. And there is food, of course, just in very small pieces: tiny vegan doughnuts, quinoa and lox swaddled in seaweed, ladles of unsalted bone broth, fruit.

I take a lap of the courtyard and the cavernous hangar where we will be spending the next nine hours (there is no re-entry). Inside, interspersed among the Goop-approved matcha and coconut-water stalls, is the Goop Marketplace, where attendees can buy face potions, rolling pins and Tory Burch’s new line of active wear. For $55, you can buy one of the jade eggs that Goop famously suggested women carry around in their vaginas. Or, a rose quartz egg, if you have “seen results with the jade egg and want to take your practice a step further”. I head back outside and get in line for the shaman.

Probiotic juices are flowing. Photograph: Kolasinski/BFA/Rex/Shutterstock

Turns out, the shaman is a little backed up, so they are scheduling appointments instead. A friendly employee writes my name on a clipboard and tells me to come back at 4.05pm. The line for aura photography is even longer. I wait about 10 minutes before a staffer announces that the schedule is full and we are all fired from the line, but we can check back later. That’s fine. Everyone is feeling good. Employees weave through the crowd with trays of probiotic juice. I decide I like the Goop expo. It is silly, but most of us seem to be in on the joke – like Dungeons and Dragons for your vaginal flora. Why not?

I don’t believe that my proximity to crystals (or lack thereof) has any effect on my wellbeing, but I don’t think it is interesting or sophisticated to mock people who do. These women are having fun. They are sitting on pillows and connecting with each other. It is the kind of spontaneously intimate conversation that happens among women all the time, dressed up in the language of magic and, sure, monetised.

As long as you are not promising miracles and swapping carnelian for childhood vaccines, organising your inner life around crystals doesn’t seem much different than organising it around “bullet journalling”. There is a line, of course, between having fun with rocks and exploiting people’s fears for profit, and I am expecting to approach that soon enough.

I wander back inside and there she is, gliding through the Bulletproof Coffee line like our priestess. Here is just a true fact: Gwyneth glows like a radioactive swan. She emits light. She would be great in a power outage. Though the FAQ specifically directed attendees to wear athleisure (with a link to the Goop store’s athleisure page – just to be helpful!), Gwyneth appears to be wearing a sirocco of flower petals. She leads us, her flock, into the auditorium and the real show begins.

After a brief history of Goop (“I started to wonder: Why do we all not feel well? Why is there so much cancer? Why are we all so tired?”), Paltrow introduces her personal physician, Dr Habib Sadeghi, DO. He talks for an hour about “cosmic flow”; his left testicle; the “magnificence” of Gwyneth (“I’ve been down and I’ve touched her feet … and I’ll do it again”); and his belief that “consciousness precedes phenotypic expression”, which means, basically, that all ailments are on some level psychosomatic and your ovarian cysts are really just little nodules of emotion – or something.

Women connecting with themselves. Photograph: Salangsang/BFA/Rex/Shutterstock

The next panel, on gut health, counters Sadeghi’s consciousness theory with the assertion that all human illnesses are caused by antibiotics, ibuprofen, caesarean sections and legumes. The human gut is a rich rainforest, they say. Antibiotics are “napalm”, and taking one ibuprofen is “like swallowing a hand grenade”. Someone relates an anecdote about a marathon runner who had to get a faecal transplant from her fat niece, and it made the marathon runner fat. In mice, faecal transplants have been found to make fat mice thin, and anxious mice calm. Oh, my God, I realise. Paltrow is going to start selling her own poop.

Dr Steven Gundry, author of The Plant Paradox, reveals that from January to June inclusive, he consumes all his calories between 6pm and 8pm, because “we evolved to search for food all day and then fast”. It’s funny how our understanding of human evolution – of the point at which we were once our truest selves – can shift according to which restrictive diet is on-trend that day. Next to each of our chairs is a complementary bottle of hot-pink, watermelon-flavoured water, sickly-sweet with Stevia. You know, just like the cavemen used to drink.

Gundry argues that human beings aren’t meant to eat any plants native to North America, because we are native to “Africa, Europe and Asia”. At one point, Dr Amy Myers casually distinguishes between the gut bacteria Asian people need (because “they” eat a lot of seaweed) and the gut bacteria that “we” need. You don’t have to glance around the room to know who “we” are.

In Goop Health is shockingly white – even to me, a blond, white person who went in expecting whiteness. Obviously, this is anecdotal – I haven’t conducted a census – but I don’t recall seeing more than 10 people of colour among the attendees, and that’s a generous estimate. The panellists are almost exclusively white. I wonder if anyone at Goop brought up the lack of diversity in their speakers during the planning stages, or anticipated this criticism. But to acknowledge it would be to acknowledge politics, and In Goop Health stays as far away from politics as it can get.

Lindy West at Goop in Health. Photograph: Lindy West

However, an event supposedly focused “on being and achieving the optimal versions of ourselves”, as Paltrow put it during her welcome address, cannot truly be depoliticised. You can’t honestly address “wellness” – the things people need to be well – without addressing poverty and systemic racism, disability access and affordable healthcare, paid family leave and food insecurity, contraception and abortion, sex work and the war against drugs and mass incarceration. Unless, of course, you are only talking about the wellness of people whose lives are untouched by all of those forces. That is, the wellness of people who are disproportionately well already.

Towards the end of his speech, Sadeghi tells a story about an epiphany he had in the anatomy lab. He says he discovered that the first valve of the heart flows straight back into the heart: “Selfish little organ there! No, no, not selfish – self-honouring. Wooo! What a difference! I could never give anything to anybody – ask my beloved wife – until I take care of me. Until my needs are met. Right? Right? When you fly down, the first thing that they tell you is that before you put the mask on anybody else, put it on yourself.”

I hear that idea repeated over and over again at the Goop conference – take care of yourself so you can take care of others. Put your mask on first. Hold space for yourself. Be entitled. Take. At a certain point, it begins to feel less like self-care and more like rationalisation. I don’t know anything about the personal lives of the women at In Goop Health – who they give money to, what hardships they have endured, why they were drawn to this event – and every person I interact with is funny and smart and kind and self-aware. But it is self-evident and measurable that white people in the US, in general, are assiduous about the first part of that equation (caring for ourselves) and less than attentive to the second (caring for others).

It is OK to love skin cream and crystals. It is normal and forgivable to be afraid of dying, afraid of cancer, afraid of losing your youth and beauty and the currency they confer. We have no other currency for women. I understand why people spend their lives searching for that one magic supplement, that one bit of lore that will turn their “lifestyle” around and make them small and perfect and valuable for ever. I also understand, especially at this moment in history, why people long to step outside of politics for a day and eat kale-flavoured ice cream (real, not satire, actually good) in a warehouse full of Galadriels. But the idea that anything is apolitical is an illusion accessible only to a very few. And the absolute least the Galadriel-in-chief ought to do is acknowledge that.

The kale-flavoured ice-cream was actually good. Photograph: Lindy West

At 4.05pm I dash outside for my shaman appointment, only to be told they are running about an hour behind. “Should I come back in an hour,” I ask. “I mean, you could try,” the woman says in a way that means, “No”, or maybe, “Not with that bracelet”.

For her keynote to close the day, Paltrow purports to dissect the complexities and woes of being a working mother with a panel of famous gal pals: Cameron Diaz, Tory Burch, Nicole Richie and Miranda Kerr. How do they do it? How do they have it all? The women deliver a bounty of platitudes about ambition, female friendship, self-care, their mothers and sticking to one’s “practice”. They are charming and humble. Richie is funny. But at no point do any of them say the words: “I HAVE LOTS AND LOTS OF MONEY AND A STAFF.” In the context of a conversation about the challenges facing working mothers, the omission is, frankly, bizarre. It is a basic responsibility of the privileged to refrain from taking credit for our own good fortune. They might as well have been reading from Ivanka Trump’s book proposal. As with all the other panels, they do not take questions.

There is one moment I can’t stop thinking about. Near the end, Kerr casually mentions that she once tried leech therapy as part of her wellness practice: “One was on my coccyx because it’s really good to, like, detox the body, rejuvenate the body … I had a leech facial as well. And I kept the leeches. They’re in my koi pond.”

I am fat. I was the fattest person at the Goop expo. Strangers regularly contact me to tell me that I’m unhealthy and I’m going to die. A sampler from my emails:

“Being obese is NOT OK. It is associated with many health risks including: diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and premature death. Go lose some weight you fat slob, and do it before you go on disability so we don’t have to pay for you.”

“I don’t know what sort of message you are trying to send out to young girls/women, but that it is OK to be obese, and it is some sort of feminist sin to want to keep to a natural healthy shape can’t be a good one.”

Kerr’s body is almost certainly what those people mean when they say “a natural healthy shape”, because our society conflates conventional beauty with health. But, I don’t know – I might be fat, but I’ve never felt like I needed to get an IV drip on a patio in Culver City or put leeches on my butt to suck out toxins, and I’m grateful for that.

I guess Goop did make me feel well after all.

Source link

#Fashion

0 notes