November 14, 2018 at 06:30PM Racking your brain for gift ideas that are the perfect combination of thoughtful, useful, and unique is pretty much the most stressful part of the holiday season. But if you’re retreating to the bath to recover from epic internet gift-scrolling, you may have already found your answer. Pictured: Beautycounter founder Gregg Renfrew As in, self care. To curate the ultimate guide, we asked Gregg Renfrew, founder of clean-beauty brand Beautycounter, to share the products she’s actually gifting to her loved ones this year—and her recommendations are legit. Just like she founded Beautycounter on the premise that women deserve products that make them look and feel good (and aren’t harmful to their health), she applies the same philosophy when she’s shopping for the women in her life. “Giving a gift they are going to love that’s also good for them is so much more compelling than a bottle of wine or cocktail napkins,” she says. “It shows that you care.” Consider that an automatic holiday win. Scroll down for her self-care holiday gift guide—and click the hotspots to read more about why she picked each gift. @import url(“https://www.wellandgood.com/wp-content/plugins/imagelinks/lib/imagelinks.theme.dark.css?ver=imagelinks”); Beautycounter Charcoal Essentials With a purifying charcoal cleanser and clay mask, this is the detoxifying skin-care set she’ll be using through the New Year. Buy Now $49 Beautycounter Shimmer & Shine Body Set The women in your life already shine on the inside thanks to their glowing personalities, but this set of skin-care essentials will help with their outer glow. With
Month: November 2018
Quiz: How to find the elevated holiday home scent that matches your aesthetic
November 14, 2018 at 06:30PM In the same way a signature fragrance is somehow always the extra it-factor you’re after, a warm, down-to-earth home scent can instantly elevate your space for the holidays—even your annual Love Actually viewing party. And you can do it all without overpowering diffusers or artificial room sprays, because Caldrea does it for you. The essential-oil-based line of candles, cleaners, and soaps transforms everyday tasks—from wiping down the counters after meal prep to washing a week’s load of leggings—into a luxury situation. When’s the last time you could say that about doing laundry? Plus, you don’t have to choose between the standard evergreen tree or fresh-baked-cookie scents to add some holiday spirit to your candle rotation. Caldrea tap complex blends of refreshingly unique notes like basil, ginger, and sea salt for a more adult-take on seasonal cheer. Now all that’s left to do is find the right one for you. Take the quiz below to find your ideal holiday home aroma based on your style—and shop the made-for-you aromatherapeutic essentials. @import url(“https://www.wellandgood.com/wp-content/plugins/imagelinks/lib/imagelinks.theme.default.css?ver=imagelinks”); Ginger Pomelo Hand Soap You like your space like your fave holiday dessert (ahem, gingersnaps): soothing, memory-evoking, and with an unexpected touch. Here, that comes in the form of top notes of grapefruit, pomelo, and yuzu citrus for a spa-level experience every time you wash your hands. Buy Now $12 Ginger Pomelo Dish Soap This biodegradable dish soap fights grease with soap bark extract so efficiently, it will convince you that an extra side of green beans and
The clean fragrance to match your outfit for every holiday party this season
November 14, 2018 at 06:30PM If it’s the fifth year in a row you’re staring at a fridge full of holiday event invitations (friends, family, office, repeat), it’s a safe bet you’re in some need of a closet revamp—or at least some sartorial inspiration. But beyond an upgraded party look—which, don’t worry, is covered below—the quickest way to perk up your style is actually through scent. From evergreen candles to fresh-baked cookies, the holidays are a totally evocative aromatic experience, so why not experiment with your own fragrance, too? CLEAN Reserve—the luxuriously blended fragrances that contain sustainable, give-back ingredients—makes that an easy proposition. Because everything from the bottle itself to the packaging it comes in is created with sustainability in mind, you’ll be supporting the environment—and spreading feel-good vibes—with every spritz. Scroll down for inspo on clean fragrances to wear for every holiday party—plus shop the curated looks. For the office cocktail party… At the one function of the year when you get to see your co-workers in a dressed-up version of your usual workday uniform (or, if you work at Well+Good, not in leggings), you want to go for something statement-making yet sophisticated. Opt for a knee-length dress and printed mules that say I’m professional and fun. To match your classy vibes, spritz on CLEAN Reserve’s Acqua Neroli. This illuminating scent blends sustainably sourced mandarin and fresh neroli, with notes of creamy sandalwood that linger on your skin. Pull together the floral-inspired look with tortoiseshell flower earrings. Ready, set, network. SHOP HOLIDAY PARTY
Follow this email template to get your boss to reply within 5 minutes flat
November 14, 2018 at 01:38PM Sending a flawless email is kinda like the fine art of the workplace: Your sign-offs, pronouns, and overall tone all matter. If you want to ensure that your boss answers your message ASAP though, there’s one easy trick you’ll want to keep in your back pocket: Start your email with an easily answerable yes or no question. Or in other words: Propose an answer (one that you also might like) and give them the ability to green light it or offer a different solution. Although your instinct may be to follow your salutation with a bit of small talk (How are you?), one writer from The Cut says that front-loading your email with a super-simple inquiry will signal to your boss that this query will only take five seconds to answer. Then include any clarifying information. By proposing a possible solution within the email, the whole exchange is a low-lift for the person in charge, and gets you the answer you need ASAP. To make your correspondence skills even more effective, she also recommends swapping every “can” with “could you please,” and every “will” with “would you.” This will make your digital persona seem nice and patient—even if you needed her approval, like, yesterday. And finally, super urgent emails actually merit a starting statement instead of question, so tell your boss that it’s a big priority or that it’s time sensitive from the get-go. And there you have it: You just became the boss of your own email account. If you’ve fallen
Kellogg’s just dropped a new probiotic cereal that’s actually pretty legit
November 14, 2018 at 01:24PM Remember how much of a win it was when you were a kid and your mom let you have Fruit Loops for breakfast? Yeah, cereal giant Kellogg’s has had the sugary cereal thing down for down for decades. Which is why it’s really exciting that the brand’s latest cereal embodies one of the biggest wellness trends in the past few years: probiotics. Released today in Costco, Amazon, and Boxed and expanding to other retailers in January, their latest cereal, HI! Happy Inside, contains prebiotics, probiotics, and fiber—aka the holy trifecta of gut health. The main source of probiotics is dried Greek yogurt, which food scientists working with the brand repeatedly tested to make sure the live cultures stay alive after spending a prolonged amount of time sitting on the shelves, and when working their way through the digestive system. One serving has 1 billion CFUs of probiotics (for reference, you should be eating up to 10 billion CFUs of probiotics daily). But it also packs in prebiotics (which feed your gut bacteria) in the form of chicory root, and whole grains for fiber (one serving has eight to nine grams, depending on the flavor you choose). So consider it a pretty decent upgrade on your typical breakfast cereal. And for even more of a probiotic punch, why not sprinkle it over Greek yogurt? The downside: It has up to 12 grams of sugar per serving, depending on what flavor you choose, and it’s sweetened with cane sugar.
We know the most underrated fitness buy of the cold season
November 14, 2018 at 01:21PM Basic? Yes. Boring? Not a chance. For those of you who refuse to park it on the couch from September through March under a big fluffy blanket, you know how important it is to stock up on all the things for warmth on the go. And yet, the cold weather vest is one of the most underrated pieces of fitness gear around, IMO. To say a cold weather vest (sorry, not the sweater variety, Chandler Bing) is versatile is putting it lightly. It can be worn in place of a jacket on chilly days, thrown on with leggings and a long-sleeve shirt for a run, paired with plaid to get that Insta-worthy apple picking shot, or put on after a fleece and Merrell boots for a tough-ass hike. It’s as essential to fall as pumpkin spice, except that we’re not so over them yet. The vest shouldn’t be pigeonholed either: Beyond being just sporty and outdoorsy, the cold weather vest can give you some major warmth when layered under a wool coat so that you arrive to a holiday party or dinner date looking toasty and put together (which let’s be honest is a far cry from the vibes the maxi puffer gives off). And so, shall we sign off with a bunch of our favorite options for the season that are equal parts warmth and function. Photo: Lululemon Lululemon Down For It All Vest, $148 The deep side pockets make this the perfect addition to your outdoor
Allbirds drops its first high top, taking its sustainable sneakers to new heights
November 14, 2018 at 12:58PM It’s hard to walk down the streets of New York City these days without spotting at least one pair of Allbirds sneakers. They’ve become a go-to shoe for people who love a comfy piece of casual footwear. (So, basically everybody.) And after conducting a thorough poll of the two people in our office who love their Allbirds the way an avocado loves toast, it’s easy to see their appeal. As one Well+Good editor puts it, “They feel more like performance slippers than sneakers, and who doesn’t need that in their life?” Another adds, “Basically, it’s like if you could get away with wearing a bathrobe to work.” Except on your feet. The only visible downside, until now, was that Allbirds only made low tops. Fortunately for you (and your ankles), the San-Francisco-based sustainable sneaker company launched its first high top, the Tree Topper, today. It looks pretty much the same as their Tree Runners but, you know, taller. Others have compared it to a Chuck Taylor. I’d say, it’s more akin to a wooly version of a chukka boot (without the heel)—and can likely be worn with as many things in your wardrobe. (Coincidentally, the fact that “they go with everything,” is another reason my co-workers heart Allbirds sneakers.) Allbirds’ Tree Topper ($115) is also the first style from the brand to combine all three of its natural materials: merino wool, eucalyptus tree fiber, and sugarcane EVA foam for the soles. “[It’s] a true representation of
California is burning: What do we do after the fires are out?
November 14, 2018 at 12:14PM California is on fire. Again. Up north, the Camp Fire has become the deadliest in the state’s history. Near Los Angeles, the Woolsey and Hill Fires have forced thousands of people to leave their homes. The pictures are horrific, the stories heartbreaking. For survivors, the trauma is only beginning; for the rest of us, we’re struggling to wrap our heads around the enormity of it all. A friend in Malibu has evacuated to stay with her parents in Ojai, which itself was covered in ash during last year’s Thomas Fire. She doesn’t know whether her home is still standing. Up north in Berkeley, another friend says that her child doesn’t want to go to bed because he fears their house will burn while the family sleeps. As my lungs began to burn after only a few minutes outside, I thought, “We cannot live like this.” I’m fortunate to live 40 miles from the Woolsey Fire; our home is safe this time. And yet, I can’t stop thinking about a moment from this past weekend. On Saturday afternoon, I was running errands with my toddler son. (There’s something ironic about walking to the grocery store for healthy, cruciferous vegetables as the world literally burns around you.) It was almost 4 p.m., but the sky had already darkened into what looked like a sunset. A wall of smoke had mostly obscured the sun, slivers of which burned bright red, and the sky was painted in vivid pinks
Your mom’s romantic tendencies point directly to yours, claims a giant and awkward study
November 14, 2018 at 12:08PM There are many traits you may be glad you inherited from your mother—like say, her intellect, sense of humor, or crazy curls. But the psychological community just revealed that there’s one TMI hand-me-down you’d probably rather not think about: her number of romantic partners. (Ugh, can I please unlearn this?) Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (which analyzed 7,152 participants’ relationships over the span of 24 years), a national study published in the journal PLOS ONE determined that biological children may inherit personality traits and relationship skills from the maternal figure in their life. The specific trails and skills in question lead the offspring to mimic patterns, not through genes but through environmental factors, reports Science Daily. For example, those who witness their mothers having many significant others as they grow up are more likely to emulate that in their own lives. “Whatever the exact mechanisms, [mothers] may pass these characteristics on to their children, making their children’s relationships less stable.” —Claire Kamp Dush, PhD, lead study author While researchers don’t know exactly why dating patterns seem to get passed down, they hypothesize that it’s a classic case of learned behavior. “It could be that mothers who have more partners don’t have great relationship skills, or don’t deal with conflict well, or have mental-health problems, each of which can undermine relationships and lead to instability,” says Claire Kamp Dush, PhD, lead study author. “Whatever the exact mechanisms, they may pass these characteristics on to their children, making their
These are the most common reasons you’re stressed—and it’s literally keeping you up at night
November 14, 2018 at 11:52AM Stress is one of those really fun adult things we get to deal with, like taxes and the slow descent into thinking an Instant Pot is an exciting present to receive. In a recent survey of over 2,600 of Well + Good readers, 95 percent of you said you struggle with stress. The most common culprits: work and money. (Surprise, surprise.) All that stress can manifest itself in insidious, health-harming, live-your-best-life-stopping ways. “While your body’s natural defenses are equipped to handle small and common periods of stress, chronic stress has been known to lead to high blood pressure, anxiety, obesity, and insomnia,” says Coral Arvon, LMFT, LCSW, and director of behavioral health and wellness at the Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa. “Chronic stress has even been attributed to major illnesses including heart disease, research has found.” But the most common negative effects you feel from stress are related to sleep, according to our survey: 63 percent of you said your stress is causing trouble sleeping, and 79 percent said it’s making you feel fatigued. (Related: same.) I got the scoop on how stress messes with your sleep and energy levels (spoiler, it’s in some pretty major ways). Plus, the experts weighed in on exactly what to do about it, because being stressed and exhausted in perpetuity is no way to live. Photo: Stocksy/ Jelena Jojic Tomic Stress, sleep, and why you feel so effing tired The whole being too stressed to sleep thing? It’s actually a