Hey hey!

So by the looks of my bun in the sun… I’m operating at like 40% gray, right? I figure I’m going to hit a threshold where the orange/red will be tewww much, and I’ll have to let it go, let it gray. But I don’t want to salt and pepper!!!! I want to go STORM or go home!

I’m clearly over-due for a henna treatment.  I’ve been doing about once-a-month for more than a few years, and only in the front, and only on the roots… only God knows what the back of my head looks like. But what you can’t see on Zoom don’t matter!

My mix is simple and fast– about a cup of henna powder, cooled, strong Black tea, and a little honey + conditioner.  I leave it in (on dry hair) for an hour or two, and then rinse, condition, and style.  Nothing like the old days!

Do you still henna? At what point do you think I should just say ‘eff it’ and rock the gray?! 

“Your skin is the result of the spirit behind it.” – Pharrell 

It’s been a little more than two months since I started using Pharrell’s Humanrace skincare line, and I’m genuinely impressed.  The line consists of 3 easy products/steps-  Rice Powder Cleanser ($32), Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator ($46), and Humidifying Cream ($48).  You can get the whole set for $100, which is what I did the first time, but I let that Rice Powder Cleanser sit for a few weeks before finding the courage to add it to the rotation! I’m happy I did, too.  ‘Cause now, it IS the rotation.

Humidifying Cream

An avid Cetaphil and Cerave user, I instantly fell for the simplicity and familiarity of the fragrance-free, super thicc, Humidifying Cream.  What I love most about it is how rich it is without looking greasy.  It leaves me with a healthy, matte finish, but my skin, to the touch, is dewy af. It’s honestly like Florida humidity in a jar.  I use it every night, and some mornings.  If you only want to try one thing from the line, this is it!

Key Ingredients (from Incidecoder.com):

Anti-acne: Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
Antioxidant: Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp (Snow Mushroom) Extract, Centella Asiatica (Tiger) Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E)
Cell-communicating ingredient: Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
Skin brightening: Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
Skin-identical ingredient: Glycerin, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate
Soothing: Centella Asiatica (Tiger) Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment

Ingredients

Aqua/​Water/​Eau, Glycerin, Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Isononyl Isononanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Palmitic Acid, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Water, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp (Snow Mushroom) Extract, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica (Tiger) Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Juice, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water, Betaine, Stearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Maltodextrin, Carbomer, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Levulinate, Myristic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum

Rice Powder Cleanser

I remember Pharrell saying in an interview that he loves AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic acid, etc) and that he exfoliates, ‘like a mad man!‘  So I gave it a try, once a day, in the morning. It comes out of the bottle looking like bentonite clay (for those of you that remember that throw back!) but once mixed with a little water, it lathers and creates a beautiful and gentle exfoliating cleanser.  It’s a rice-based powder, and they promise it won’t rip or tear your skin- “Kaolin clay detoxifies while snow mushroom extract hydrates, so your skin is not stripped of its natural moisture.” After more than a month using it in the mornings, I can say that it has given my skin a plumper look and feel, and has rid me of the dead skin I usually have around my chin area.  I also think it makes my two serums (Mad Hippie’s Vitamin C and Vitamin A) more effective because they can actually penetrate, now!  I will continue to use this as my cleanser! Holy Grail status, for sure.

Key Ingredients (from Incidecoder.com):

Antioxidant: Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp (Snow Mushroom) Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E)
Skin-identical ingredient: Glycerin
Soothing: Allantoin

Ingredients:

Kaolin (Clay), Oryza Sativa (Rice) Powder, Dicalcium Phosphate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Aqua/​Water/​Eau, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Chloride, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp (Snow Mushroom) Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Saccharomyces/​Rice Ferment Filtrate, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Allantoin, Vaccinium Myrtillus (Bilberry) Fruit Extract, Betaine, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Geranium Robertianum Extract, Coconut Acid, Glycerin, Heterotheca Inuloides (Arnica) Flower Extract, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Ethylhexylglycerin

Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator 

The Exfoliator, while awesome, hasn’t shown superior results like other treatments I’ve tried. While I’ve bought it twice, I’m not sure I’d need to buy it again.  With the Rice Powder Cleanser in my rotation, it feels redundant, and I’d rather use my other, less-abrasive Glycolic acid treatments, instead.

Key Ingredients (from Incidecoder.com):

Exfoliant: Glycolic Acid (8%), Lactobacillus/​Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Fruit Ferment Extract
Skin-identical ingredient: Glycerin, Sodium PCA
Soothing: Panthenol (Vitamin B5)

Ingredients:

Aqua/​Water/​Eau, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid (8%), Isononyl Isononanoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Powder, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Potassium Hydroxide, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Water, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf (Lotus) Extract, Lactobacillus/​Papaya Fruit Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/​Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/​Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Fruit Ferment Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Geranium Robertianum Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Sodium PCA, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus (Bilberry) Fruit Extract, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Leuconostoc/​Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hectorite (Clay), Xanthan Gum, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Levulinate

That’s all I got! What say you? Have you tried the line? 

“It’s as if you’ve been running, and beside you is a train, and you ran and you ran and you ran, and you never got to where you had to go, and then you became tired, but you had to run some more because your destination was far away.

But all the while there was this train, and then in a flash of insight you learned, that all you had to do was to stop running and get on the train and it would carry you.

You found the river of Love, and everywhere you looked, you looked not with human eyes anymore, but with an acceptance, a Love, quite different from any kind of Love the world had known. It was an impartial Love, a free flowing unquestioning Love, an unselfed Love. It was not a human Love, it asked nothing in return. It recognized the divinity in every person, It loved Its neighbor as Itself, and whenever the human might fail, the realization of that all present divine Love, would become an inspiring, overpowering power to remove the illusion, that the material consciousness had placed there.

There was a single-pointed purpose, and it was this— the only religion that could ever be on this earth, the one religion, is the Will of God. The religion, this will, is Love. There is no other religion in your heart, and following that will of God, the human self, the false image and likeness, was overcome.”

– adapted from Herb Fitch’s talk on The Thunder of Silence

With you in, on and AS this train,
Nik

Outfit Details:
Fabletics Sweatshirt & Leggings / Jefferson Lane Sweater on C

The weather seems to have a mind of its own recently, going from warm and balmy over the weekend, to cool and cloudy with a chance of rain today. When the latter occurs, I sometimes find myself staying in my comfiest slip-on styles all day long. My loungewear collection includes an assortment of soft, light-weight separates, matching sets, and relaxed, low-key dresses. Whether you’re looking to refresh a loungewear wardrobe, or simply add a new piece or two, see below for some of my favorite soft and cozy styles to wear now and into spring.

Half-Zip Sweatshirt

I love the springtime green hue of this sweatshirt  – perfect to wear around the house with jeans or matching sweatpants.

Kimono Pajama Set

This comfy kimono style pajama set makes for wonderful weekend loungewear as well. Add a pair of slip-ons like these and you’re all set.

Floral Sweatpants

It wouldn’t feel like spring without springtime flowers! These floral sweatpants are super light, with a matching sweatshirt to complete the set.

The post Take It Easy appeared first on Julia Berolzheimer.

Say goodbye to lackluster relationships this month, because things are (finally) starting to heat up. On March 3, Mars, the Planet of Action and Desire, is leaving stubborn Taurus to make its way into playful Gemini, April 23. This transit is ushering in some super flirty energy, so fire up your dating apps or carve out some intimate time for you and your partner — things are about to get hot.

Stephanie Powell, head of content for Astrology.com, says that this transit is perfect for amping up the playful, witty banter with your romantic partners. When Mars is in Gemini, “we aren’t drawn toward surface-level attractions, we want someone who can entice our mind and intellect with sharp and engaging words,” Powell says. “There’s also an increase in intellectual stimulation — the ability to learn from a partner and hold a dynamic conversation becomes even more important.” Gemini loves thought-provoking dialogue, so when Mars moves into this sign, we’re often more turned on by someone’s wit than their looks.

If great conversation is something that your partnership is currently lacking in, Powell says that this transit might bring that issue to the forefront. Even if you don’t usually have deep talks with your partner, try watching a controversial documentary or tuning into what’s happening in pop culture to get the dialogue flowing; during this transit, it can double as foreplay.

Although things are getting steamy over the next month, we’ll be a little all over the place, so try to keep yourself centered and grounded. “The key with Mars in this sign will be to not start too many projects, leaving everything unfinished,” says Leslie Hale, psychic astrologer for Keen.com. “If we can conquer this tendency, we can accomplish a great deal.” Some ways to keep yourself centered: Meditate for a few minutes each morning, make to-do lists each day, and keep your schedule simple so you don’t lose track of important projects.

Gemini carries an airy energy, but Mars in the sign of the twin brings that vibe down to earth, making us want to take tangible actions, says Lisa Stardust, an astrologer based in New York City. “Being that Mars will now be orbiting the North Node of Destiny in Gemini, it’s a wonderful time to assert our needs and desires,” Stardust says. “The caveat is that Mars in Gemini can be heavy handed with words,” she adds. “There’s a chance that we will all say mean things in the heat of the moment, most of which we’ll want to take back after we express our sentiments and stand up for ourselves.” Be extra-careful about putting your foot in your mouth on March 23, when Mercury and Mars square off.

Another date to look out for, according to Powell, is March 22. But this one’s a bit luckier: Mars will form a supportive trine to Saturn in Aquarius. “Although Gemini’s nature can be a little indecisive and non-committal at times, this interaction tasks us with aligning our commitments with our actions,” she says. “If you’re looking to take action toward partnership, this is definitely a DTR moment.”

As April approaches, Powell warns that Mars will stir up a bit of confusion as it squares off against Neptune, the Planet of Illusion and Fantasy. “While this can be a hyper-romantic time, we’re not seeing the full picture,” she says. On April 9 in particular, “Mars and Neptune’s square will make us feel stuck and unable to take action,” Stardust says. The best thing we can do for ourselves during this time is to persevere and push forward in whatever ways we can. The steps you’re able to take during this time may feel small, but don’t discount them — you’re still making moves. And whatever work you do will really pay off once the tense square passes.

While Mars is in Gemini, our words have power — power to persuade, power to seduce, and power to help us get what we want. So while we’ll want to use our words wisely, it’s also a great time to speak up in our romantic lives, our personal relationships, and our careers. The world is listening.

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