I spent the bulk of the week in Utah with Oak Essentials, a beautiful skincare brand founded by a pioneer of the California-cool aesthetic, Jenni Kayne. I pulled out suede and fringe, rode a horse, and basked in the glory of the Western sun. I love skincare because it makes me feel good and because it’s a deeply personal and sensorial ritual I get to do everyday. I admit that it’s one of the only few activities when I don’t think about anything else and for that, my skincare routine deserves its flowers. Oak Essentials’ entire ethos is based around this idea of skincare as ritual, something so deeply personal and almost sacred. Yes, we love skincare because it makes us look good but it’s just as much about this experience that should be beautiful, loving, and self-honoring. The products are rooted in nature and so ~naturally~ they smell incredible and are packed with deeply nourishing ingredients that make your skin shine to the heavens. My skin, despite the dry weather in Utah, truly never looked better. I realize this all seems to be predicated on the fact that I just got back from a luxurious brand trip, but I am deeply passionate about this brand and want to gift the entire line to my mom (and really just any person I love so deeply) because the products feel like a warm hug.
That trip sparked in me something a little more emotional and visceral. It reminded me so much of the time I’ve spent in New Mexico over the past two years, a place I can definitively say is my most favorite corner of the world. A place that feels so sacred and spiritual that I am hesitant to go back so as to not tarnish the memories I have to hold onto. During this work trip, I’d often zoom out on Google maps just to visualize how close I was to Northern New Mexico and imagine all the various scenarios that would involve me derailing my plans to go back to New York to go to Santa Fe instead. The fantasy of it was sufficient enough to appease my longing for the time being. There is something so special about the high desert, the vastness of the mountains that on one side appear lush and green and on the other rocky and red. It was my own little Proustian moment. The feeling of being so utterly displaced and lonely that it’s actually kind of comforting. I don’t do drugs but I imagine that that must be a feeling one experiences when on them. Feeling so out of body and surrendering to one’s current reality. It’s just your mind and your body making sense of each other.
I read this essay called ‘The Crane Wife’ by C.J. Hauser. Then I read it again. And now I’m sharing it with you :)
I rewatched ‘An Education’, a film I remember watching on the plane some years ago and not fully being able to appreciate what a masterpiece it is. I watched it again two years ago. While in Utah, I watched it again for the third time and I am most certain it is one of my favorite films of all time. It’s an aching coming-of-age tale of romantic (mis)adventure, of identity, of glamor, of betrayal. As I approach 30, I feel like I’m coming-of-age for a second, more dramatic time. I’m relearning all these facets of myself, my interests, that often compete with each other: my partaking in materialism versus my deep longing for a simpler life, my lover girl attachment versus my supreme adequacy in being alone, my disdain for people with bad taste versus my empathy for everyone just doing their best. I could write an entire essay on this film, and maybe I will. Please watch it if you haven’t already. Carey Mulligan is also my forever dream woman.
I had a day of pampering with CHANEL Beauty at WSA (not that I needed any more modalities of self-care for the week). I finally got to experience the signature Ricari Studios lymphatic treatment, thanks to CHANEL. The treatment basically entails a big machine with various parts stimulating your skin and deep tissue for an experience that is sculpting, revitalizing, and relaxing all at once. CHANEL Sublimage products were used for the facial component and my god was it blissful. It doesn’t look like it’s capable of it, but this machine made me fall asleep.
I then hopped on over to the makeup chair of celebrity makeup artist Tyron Machhausen who does some of my favorite faces (Anne Hathaway! Gracie Abrams! Margaret Qualley!) for a beautiful, dewy, summery complexion. Honored! I was reminded that CHANEL LES BEIGES is definitively my favorite color makeup line for the summer. It’s comprised of formulas and shades that mimic the easy, carefree, warm nature of summer we love so much.
I discovered Saint Laurent’s SS25 campaign called ‘An Ordinary Day’ (I know it’s about a month old now) which pretty much epitomizes what this summer is all about for me. Saint Laurent is one of those fashion houses I don’t pay attention to so much, for no particular reason other than I’m not too well-versed in their lore and the creative direction, though striking and obviously defined, doesn’t compel me enough to be a consumer. BUT! This campaign shot by Martin Parr turns the ordinary into something so very beautiful. My summers of the past have included extravagant trips to Europe, luxurious hotels, and much decadence but this year, I’m kind of just going with the flow and potentially even paring it back to channel this instead: fresh orange juice in the morning, jam on toast, farmer’s market hauls in my luxury handbag, and hanging out in a garden with my friends—all while looking impeccable and sexy.
I had another astrology session to determine where I’ll be spending my 30th birthday. A big one for many reasons beyond the number/decade 30. My commitment to a meaningful solar return should be no surprise here—my trip to Rome last year proved to be great success!!!!! I’m spending this year in New York and I’m truly so relieved I don’t need to plan a 72-hour international trip to manifest all my hopes and dreams for the year. I get to be with my friends in an environment I know and love so well! I feel old and young and wise and dumb and I’m going to be crying a lot for the next month, I’m sure of it!
xoxo
thank you for sharing the essay "the crane wife". I read it and shared it with so many of my friends. I'm gonna think about it for a very long time. You don't often come by essays that make such an impact