HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: UNDER $50

My gift guide for her was all about buying one to two quality things that will last forever—  investment pieces (with the exception of a few budget friendly items). The men’s guide had a mix of investment and budget items. 

Here is a quick gift guide for your last minute purchases or if you’re looking for items that are a little more budget friendly!

3 for her

3 for him 

3 for the little 

01. Monogrammed phone case - I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, I love a good monogramed item. It’s timeless. this monogrammed phone case is on my Christmas list! (wink, wink, Carman)

02.  Cocokind Holiday set  - oil + bath bombs to ensure she gets a little TLC during this holiday season. 

03. Kinfolk Home book - intentional interiors + slow living, two concepts we love in our household. (another book on sustainable living I love, here).

04. Ceramic Phone Amplifier  - get a little more organic with the gadget lover in your life and give them this hand made ceramic phone amplifier that will look beautiful wherever you put it. 

05. Coffee  - every single year I get Carman a nice bag of coffee (and usually some other coffee apparatus that he wants). this is one of his favorite blends.  

06. To-go mug  - I love a good themed gift - if you pick up a bag of coffee, be sure to grab a nice mug to round out the gift. 

07. Lion Rattle - the cutest little lion rattle + organic and sustainably sourced materials! 

08. Nesting Bowls - this bad boys are on our baby registry! 

09. Plush toy - could Sly the sloth be any more adorable? picture this fuzzy friend being your little’s new best friend. 

That concludes all my holiday gift guides for this season! I hope you enjoyed them and hope they helped eliminate some of the guessing games that comes with shopping during this time!

Happy shopping + Happy Holidays! 

xx

SK

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talking beauty, my no makeup makeup

I love an effortless every day look. I like my skin to look like skin and for my makeup to act as enhancements rather than covering anything up.

(I’d also rather sleep as long as possible, so my beauty routine needs to be quick and effective.)

All women have their book of skincare / makeup secrets and we’re all curious about “what she’s using”. So I thought I’d share a few of my secrets and products that swear by for my  daily routine. 

We all want to look and feel out best with minimal effort. So I partnered with Ever beauty to show you how I get out the door in 5 minutes! 

I treat my skincare as my foundation so that I can wear a little on my skin as possible. I use a few different oils every morning / night to help keep my skin clear, even and glows.

What I used before this video to prep my skin:

Valentia Rosehip oil 

Valentia Prickly Pear oil (under eyes)

Herbivore Botanicals jade roller 

Glossier Balm.com in Rose

(other products on rotation in my skincare routine that are worth noting:

caudalie beauty elixir, caudalie oil cleanser, caudalie brightening essence, true botanicals renew oil, herbivore botanicals orchid oil, glossier milky jelly, glossier bounce serum, glossier priming moisturizer. )

Enjoy! xx

SK

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My Favorite Sustainable + Eco-Friendly Brands: for earth day

It’s Earth Day! While every day is, in fact, a day to care for our earth, today is celebrated world wide to help demonstrate and support environmental protection.





So pop on Plant Earth, let the soothing voice of David Attenborough rumble on in the background while you read on for my favorite sustainable brands and some of my favorite ways to practice environmently friendly habits.





I’ve discussed and documented in great detail (and will continue to) my effort to pare down my closet / beauty cabinet / kitchen cabinets / and life in general to the quality essentials. Through this journey, I have shifted my focus toward designers and brands that practice sustainable habits and leaned toward organic/natural fabrics and ingredients. I’m doing my research and have adjusted my shopping mentality to include a checklist of requirements from where we are investing our money. Things like factory practices, packaging, fabric content, etc all go into helping me decide where I want to shop and who I want to give my money to.

Besides the newer sustainable and ethically based brands that are popping up, second-hand and vintage shopping is one of my favorite ways to shop sustainably and help further the recycling process! I look for timeless pieces made of quality and durable (and ideally, natural!) fabrics when I’m on the hunt - while also keeping my eye out for those one of a kind pieces that make your style, your style. (Read more on vintage + second hand shopping here!)

Without further adieu, see below for my favorite sustainable brands!

CLOTHING:

EVERLANE : I’ll sing Everlane’s praises until the cows come home. They make quality basics that every closet should contain. They don’t buy into trends, they take their time and make the pieces that matter, well. They also don’t mark up their prices like other companies do - so not only are you getting ethically made items, they’re affordable too.


REFORMATION :  While on the pricier side,  Ref pieces add some style to your basics. When I’m looking for spring dresses, I go to Ref. I love to sprinkle in a few pieces here and there that give the vintage, European flair that I’m looking for.  It also must be noted that I believe they carry the white t-shirt of my dreams —  jury is still out for the #1 tee, but their’s is my current favorite.


WHIMSY AND ROW : They go the extra mile when it comes to being eco-friendly. They use deadstock fabric, no fabric goes to waste, no plastic is used for packing or shipping, no water, recyclable packing materials and they make small batch items. If there was an award, they’d be gunning for it. Plus they make some of my favorite easy dresses and a pair of pants that could rival the beloved Jesse Kamm pants you see everywhere (for half the cost!).


NISOLO : Any pair of shoes you need can be found here at Nisolo. They make all the classic styles you need to round out your closet and they do it ethically! Their producers receive beyond fair trade wages, healthcare, and a healthy work environment.


OUTDOORVOICES + GIRLFRIEND COLLECTIVE : When it comes to my workout / athletic wear, I don’t want a bunch of logos, neon colors, and non-ethically made pieces. I want sturdy, quality and sustainably made items that are cute. Cue, Outdoor Voices and Girlfriend Collective. Not skimping on style, while producing items you can feel good about wearing. Girlfriend Collective makes their gear out of used water bottles, recycling them into your new favorite leggings!


LEVIS : As if this one needs explaining. Your classic denim needs from a forward thinking brand. Levis will stand the test of time - they have a worker well-being initiative and use a production technique that uses far less water than the traditional methods from their rivals. Go one step further and get yourself a pair of vintage Levis that have been getting broken in for 15+ years and will continue to wear well for years to come.

other honorable mentions include: Matter Prints, Lacausa, Cuyana, Hack With Design,  ADay, Eileen Fisher, Raven + Lily, Christy Dawn and for your online second hand shopping needs - Depop and Poshmark!

BEAUTY:

RMS : Made from all raw, food grade and organic materials to create a truly natural product! These are made to enhance your skin instead of masking it and that is something I am looking for when I'm looking for makeup. All their products are completely non-toxic and actually nourish your skin which is top of mind when you're putting things on your face!


HERBIVORE BOTANICALS :  This Seattle based husband and wife duo (Carman, can we do this? You’ve already got the Seattle part covered) created a skincare line that uses only the highest quality, cold pressed oils. They use all natural ingredients like clays and stones to help restore and bring out your best skin yet. I’m a huge fan and will purchase anything they make because their pure, highly concentrated products yield results at an affordable price (and I’m all about supporting a husband and wife duo!).


TRUE BOTANICALS : All organic, this luxurious company creates some of my favorite non-toxic, (also) highly concentrated oils. The Renew oil is an ‘expensive’ product that is worth it.


SUNDAYS : Don’t forget about your nails! When switching over to an (almost) all natural routine, you can’t forget about all the nasty chemicals hiding in your nail polishes. I love Sundays’ color selection and the fact that they dedicated the time to perfecting their formula (and it shows!). They make premium non-toxic nail polishes right here in the USA.


other honorable mentions : Biossance, Lashfood, Ilia Beauty, Lilah B, Indie Lee, Ursa Major,  Caudalie, Red Earth Beauty.

HOME:


COYUCHI : In case you missed it, I did an entire post on how much I love Coyuchi and their organic linens. Read the full post here!


PARACHUTE : Like Coyuchi, Parachute delivers premium quality textiles that are held to the highest standards. They produce textiles that are free from harmful substances and chemicals - and not to mention the most beautiful linens and color schemes.


THE CITIZENRY :  Straight out of my home-town, Dallas, The Citizenry is a company that boosts a collection of individuals, artisans and designers that handcraft their items. They make small batch items inspired by all different cultures.


METHOD + SEVENTH GENERATION : To keep a clean house while keeping toxins at bay, we look to Method and Seventh Generation for our cleaning supplies. They’re both made with  safe, non-toxic ingredients and essential oils. They’re effective, safe, and biodegradable!


other honorable mentions : Buffy, The Now Candles, PLANTS, West Elm,  Cozy Earth Bedding, Vitruvi.

Other ways we like to celebrate Earth Day every day :

01. Being conscious of our energy use! Our apartment has a lot of windows with great natural light - this helps us use minimal electricity during the day (we don’t even turn on any lights until after sunset)! Other ways you can be conscious of energy use is to make sure you turn all the lights off when you leave a room, using energy efficient light bulbs, walking instead of driving, and being aware of your thermostat! 

02. Reducing your trash!  Recycling paper, glass, and plastic responsibly! Reuse things in your household like reusable shopping bags, glass water bottles, and getting creative with things that could serve a new purpose. Look for things like reusable cloths for cleaning instead of paper towels, a microfiber duster instead of one time use ones and if you’re into it, you can also compost your food scraps! 

03.  Buying in bulk and storing in glass! I love how organized things look when they’re stored in glass containers, but I’m also cutting back on packaged things when I buy in bulk and store them this way! Things like rice, coffee, noodles, cereals, beans, floor, sugar etc can all be purchased in bulk at places like Sprouts and Whole Foods! 

04. GETTING OUTSIDE! The best way to help you appreciate this beautiful earth that we have been given is to get outside and enjoy it. We are blessed to live in Los Angeles which allows us to enjoy the weather 98% of the time. We've got mountains, beaches, deserts and snow all at our fingertips. But wherever you are, you can enjoy nature in whatever way the weather allows! We love going on long walks through our neighborhood, choosing an outdoor picnic instead of eating inside, reading at the park instead of the living room, hiking, etc. 

Now get outside and immerse yourself in nature!

Happy Earth Day from our home to yours

XX,

SK

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On Natural(ish) Beauty

My mom is really the one that introduced me to beauty, she's obsessed with all of the 'best of' beauty lists in Allure and the other magazines. We're always sending each other screen-shots of products or asking if the other has heard of a new brand and if we should try it. Because of that, I've always loved the decadence of beauty products. I’ve always been fascinated with different products, or watching other women’s beauty routines and learning from them. When I was younger, I would study my mom and Mimi’s rhythms when it came time to apply makeup or slather on creams and oils at night. Taking note of the discarded Elizabeth Arden capsules and under eye creams gently applied and always always always “worked upward and out”. 

I also grew up working in a business surrounded by beauty products and makeup artists. To this day, sitting in the makeup chair and learning all kinds of tricks and secret products is one of my favorite parts of the job. 

More recently, I’ve become super interested in transparency, natural based products, and better understanding what exactly I’m putting on my face and on my body. 

 In my research and transition into a more natural routine, I learned that the US does not have as strict of a regulation process as Europe. There are about 2000+ ingredients considered illegal to put in skincare/makeup/fragrance in Europe, whereas the US only bans 11 of those. I’ve always had to be more careful with skincare products because of my sensitive skin - but I had no idea how lax our system was. 

I’ve come across a lot of great brands in this transition — like Biossance (who actually does ban all 2000 ingredients that are considered illegal in Europe), True Botanicals, Lilah B, RMS, etc. All of these brands have purity in mind. A less is more mentality - less chemicals, fake ingredients, toxins and more natural ingredients that our skin actually wants. I would say my routine now falls to about a 70:30 ratio of natural vs not completely natural products. 

For everyday makeup, Neutrogena Healthy Lash is my go to mascara lately, plus some Glossier Stretch Concealer, which I love. I’ll highlight with RMS Living Luminizer or Glossier Haloscope then add Glossier Cloud Paint for blush and finish everything off with a spritz or two of either Liliah B’s Aglow face mist or the True Botanicals mist. If I need some color on my lips (which, according to my mom, you always need color on your lips) I’ll use a GenG lipstick or the Korres lip pots. 

I haven’t found an all natural mascara that I love yet. My mom and I consider ourselves to be mascara savants. We’ve tried a lot of mascaras over the years. But natural mascaras are a little tricky — they usually flake or smudge easier — I don’t need it to be waterproof, but it needs to make it through the day and then be easy to take off. On my list of natural mascaras to try are: Juice Beauty's, RMS, and the Lashfood mascara (I’ve been using the serum for my lashes and brows and I’m in love). 

Speaking of brows, they are a non-negotiable step in the routine. I’ve always had relatively dark and thick eyebrows, but every once in a while I’ll get a spot where a few hairs have fallen out and it's more noticeable because they’re so dark. I’ve been using Lashfood's brow serum for maybe 4 weeks now and it’s so great. Helps fill in the spots and it's natural and organic (Plume also has a great serum for lashes/brows). I usually fill in the outer edges of my brows with a little powder and sweep some of Glossier’s Boy Brow over them. Lashfood also has an eyebrow gel that I want to try too. 

Using Lashfood's Eyelash Enhancer

For skincare, I’ve mostly transitioned into completely natural based products. I take my makeup off with coconut oil, cleanse with a natural cleansing oil and then use True Botanicals Renew Oil at night. I was using the Biossance Probiotic Moisturizer during the summer because it’s so light, but now that the weather is changing I’ve switched to a thicker cream because I love to start with a very moisturized base before makeup. Now as a day moisturizer, I either use Glossier Priming Moisturizer, (which isn’t completely natural but it’s hypoallergenic and paraben/fragrance free!) Embryolisse, or Dr. Jart’s Ceramidin Cream (also formulated without a lot of harmful ingredients).   

I haven’t found a cleanser I feel committed to yet, but I’ve got my eye on the Youth to the People cleanser because it looks like a green juice for your face and I’m into that. 

I love face masks for the process. It’s a relaxing act of self-care that I really enjoy, but I wasn’t sure if they really did anything — until it came to the Herbivore Blue Tansy mask (+ Lapis Oil!). I am obsessed with this stuff lately. It’s natural and effective. I'm excited to try more of their products. I really want to try the Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask because it sounds so luxurious, but the price seems a little steep for a face mask. (All in the name of self care and plump skin, right?)

 I also love baths. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: I am a woman who loves a hot, Epsom salt-filled bath. It’s the pièce de ré·sis·tance to the end of my day - I treat it as a prize and I look forward to a great bath at the end of (almost) every day. 

My overall approach to beauty is simple, I try not to over do it in any way, I just want to be thoughtful about it.  And while I’m trying to pare down my overall accumulation of products, there are so many new natural brands out there and I have a curious mind (and face). As much as I love playing at Sephora, I tend to stick to products once I like them. I’m also trying to finish products before buying something new to try, but that will be a hard habit to kick considering my mom’s beauty cabinet could be featured at Sephora. 

*For all your Glossier needs, head to the SHOP section of the blog and click 'GLOSSIER' - new Glossier girls get 20% off*



SHOP MY BEAUTY STAPLES

xx
SK

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beauty lessons from mom

Sophia Coppola's beauty cabinet / line drawing by Frédéric Forest

I’m very thankful and proud to say that my mom is one of my best friends. She is the most incredible woman I know. I could write an entire book on all the wonderful things she has done for everyone that comes into contact with her, and how great she is. An Ode To Shelli.  (Also, hi mom)

Today I am writing about the beauty lessons that I learned from her. 

My maternal grandmother - Mimi,  was such a beautiful and glamorous woman.  She could have been a movie star. When I was growing up, she worked for Elizabeth Arden. She always smelled of Red Door perfume, swore by the gold capsules and never left the house without lipstick on. She was always ‘done up to the nines’ - it’s one of the things you had to love about her, because she didn’t need a lick of makeup, but you wouldn’t catch her without it. 

My mother is every bit as beautiful. Ask my little brother, she’s the mom his friends talk about. But not only is she beautiful on the outside, she’s the most loving and that makes her all the more lovely. Her motto has always been ‘Less Is More’.  This goes for life, and beauty. While my Mimi loved glitz and glamour, my mom leaned toward natural and glowy and that is what has always inspired my version of glamour and my natural beauty routine. 

Here are a few of the beauty lessons I learned from my mom:

“Always wear sun screen” - a lesson she learned after spending too many years in the sun. 

“Eyelashes, Eyelashes, Eyelashes” - my mom is queen of the ‘double curl’. Curl your lashes for a few seconds before you sweep on mascara, and a light (emphasis on the light to protect your lashes) curl after mascara to perk them up even more. 

“Keep some color on your lips” - clearly a lesson that will get passed on for generations to come. I never understood the necessity of a little lip color until recently. Now that I’m in on the secret, I’m never looking back. It doesn’t have to be ‘Mimi red’, but a little blotted stain or sweep of a light color goes a long way in waking your face up and tying it all together. 

“Natural is best” - this goes for any and all things beauty. Makeup, hair, etc. Don’t force anything. Learn to love your hair, eyebrows and all of the above. Learn how to work with it, not against it.

“A good bath can cure anything” - My mom can tackle anything life throws at her. It’s a trait I admire - she can handle anything. But after she’s through being super woman, she takes a long, hot, bubble bath. That’s her secret. That’s her answer to a lot of questions too - “Take a deep breath, think about it, and then take a bath” 

Listen to your mom, she knows best.    

xx,

SK

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BEAUTY INTRO

Welcome to the beauty section of From the Heart and the home! This category is pretty self explanatory. Here, I will post about all things beauty. My routine(s), beauty advice, products, brands I love, and of course, GLOSSIER. 

Make room in your top shelf for recommendations! I apologize in advance to your wallets.

xx,

SK

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