Sure, this may seem like a funny time for beauty. But it’s a great chance to really take a look at your routine. Spending so much time without the pressure of being in the public eye is an opportunity to take a look at what you really need, inside and out. 

My best advice? Pare down what your daily routine to a few great products. Focus on what your skin and hair needs on the inside to be illuminate on the outside. Grow your inner light so you are a beacon of hope for others. And more than anything, concentrate on buying products from the small businesses that illuminate hope within us. It’s these storefronts and the people inside them that make this city what it is. And when it all opens back up again, let’s do our best to make sure they open back up with it.

Makeup for Lost Time with Zoe’s in Greenpoint

Let’s face it- the small business loans spent most of their money on very much not small businesses, leaving our beloved storefronts without much support. Here in this 6th week of the shutdown, let’s help this amazing woman-owned business in Greenpoint make up for lost time. They have all of the best way to make your eyes talk, your face glow, and your heart feel better for supporting this amazing place is by placing an order. Check out my favorites below and then place your order (DM them here!) and then pick up, curbside, on Fridays. Orders of $50+ qualify for free shipping. Let’s makeup for lost time, together.

Keep on Rollin’ with Eminence Facial Recovery Oil and Rose Quartz Roller

The best way to get an outer glow starts on from the inside. This amazing oil will forgive you for any topical sins you may have, and the roller helps your skin absorb all of the benefits. Leave the roller in the freezer and give your skin a healthy pick-me-up morning and night. Get both from Zoe’s (they make a great gift too!)

Make the Most of the Mask with Bold Eyes from Pat McGrath, Bare Minerals’, and Buxom

The ultimate trifecta for easy, bold eyes. In a world where everything is covered but our eyes, let’s make them say something, eh? Let them capable of saying “Hi! How are you! I love you! Stay safe!” to everyone we pass, and also, “daaaamn right you can’t wait to see what I’m hiding beneath this hazmat suit”to a select few. Just one quick swipe of Pat McGrath’s bold liner stays in place all day (admittedly, I get this from Sephora…), and the application is nearly infallible with the precision brush. It’s waterproof, it’s sweat-proof, it’s… well, at least so far, virus-proof. I use One Fine Line on my bottom lash line, and for added effect, the inner lash line of the top. It’s the thinnest pencil liner I’ve found and stays put, subtly all day (and night too, once nightlife is a thing again). Buxom mascara is the bold lash enhancement from the company you know and love for their lip plumper, and the amazing advanced silicone brush grabs lashes and coats, lifts, and separates all at one. You won’t believe your own eyes.

Keep Shining with Ofra Highlighter + Gold Liquid Eyeshadow by the Balm

Keep that skin glowing even when quarantined dullness threatens to set in with this amazing highlighter by Ofra. The natural pigments blend flawlessly with every skin tone and are subtle enough to look naturally illuminate.  And just in case you think this is an odd time for shimmer eye shadow, think again. You want to be noticed on all of those Zoom dance parties you disco queen, you. Keep glowing, baby with this shimmery duo.

Davine’s Oi Line, Hair Strengthener and Hair Masks

Take the additional time to nourish your hair instead of giving it the daily abuse it was used to. I love these hair masks from Davine’s (the Inner Circle is my favorite) and this light mousse-like volumizer, applied before blow-drying. Order these and the entire Davine’s product line through Zoe’s.

And, forever and always, Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo and Oribe Texturizing Spray

I’ll be honest… I waited to go to the grocery store to “stock up” until the first Monday of Quarantine, but once the murmurs began, I headed straight to Zoe’s that Sunday to pick up a few cans of my favorite dry shampoo. It’s simply the very best on the market, and extends your wash by at least 3 days, saving you countless hours of washing and styling per week… which, will be important once time is of the essence again. Pair it with Oribe Texturizing Spray to Get yours at Zoe’s.

Change Your Hairstory with The Karcher

Why now? Because right now you won’t be tempted to fill your hair with dry shampoo because you don’t have anywhere to go where you’ll need to have your hair say, “Yep, I’ve been washed recently.” Now is the time to ween your coiffe off of harsh chemicals and additives and let it tell it’s real story. You know, the one that goes, “I naturally look this good.” This revolutionary hair wash cleanses build-up and nourishes hair without stripping (a la shampoo) and then masking (a la conditioner) so your hair get back to its roots. They’re doing a contactless pick-up or free delivery of all of their products (think Davines, Cult and King, Sisters!). Email info@thekarcher.com or through this link to order online.

There are few places in Greenpoint that I walk into and leave feeling more confident, more empowered, and essentially, more beautiful.

 I usually leave Lake Street glassy-eyed, full of whiskey, and unable to ride my bike home. I walk into Lockwood with a glimmer in my eye and leave with a full tote in hand, wondering how I’ll pay rent this month. While my heart is so full to be a part of the family at Le Fanfare, let’s just say I’m not full of joy and radiant energy at the end of a crazy shift on a Saturday night. And… well, I don’t even want to talk about how I feel when I leave Chicken Pelicana. Just, if you see me walking out of there, look the other way. 

That is why Zoe’s on Greenpoint Avenue is my tiny little oasis of hope. And why I chose them to be featured in this year’s gift guide; because giving the gift of that confident, beautiful hope to someone else is just what I’m looking to do this holiday season. 

Find all of my favorite gifts, for him and her, below.

Gifts for Her

Flor de Venus Candle

I chose this magical Flor de Venus candle based on Mariola’s recommendation. The scent is seductive and mesmerizing and Zoe’s is the only shop in the country where you can find these highly-coveted Mexican candles. After meeting the maker, Mariola swears there’s some magic poured into each one. I use mine for my morning meditation to seep some magic into each day.

Eminence Facial Recovery Oil and Rose Quartz Roller

This amazing oil will forgive you for any topical sins you may have, and the roller helps your skin absorb all of the benefits. Leave the roller in the freezer and give your skin a healthy pick-me-up morning and night.

SOLU Salt Scrub Cleanser

This Davines salt scrub is part of there SOLU summer hair care line, but I find it to be the perfect weapon against dull winter tresses. Use it in place of shampoo every-other time you wash to invigorate your roots and inevitably, wash away days of dry shampoo residue. 

Bare Minerals Eyeliner and Buxom Mascara

I have to admit I’m a big fan of a natural face with a bold eye. The best way to get and give all the looks start with Bare Minerals One Fine Line Eyeliner and Buxom’s bold mascara. 

Ofra Highlighter

Keep that skin glowing even when Winter dullness threatens to set in with this amazing highlighter by Ofra. The natural pigments blend flawlessly with every skin tone and are subtle enough to look naturally illuminate. Keep glowing, baby. 

Hair Styling Creams, Beautifying Oil and Dry Shampoo

And finally, all of my dirty little hair secrets. R+Co styling cream helps stretch my styling for a few extra days, and this sneaky little Glow cream by Bumble and Bumble keeps my brown hair strong and healthy, all season. Davines Oi Oil is my secret to maintaining a healthy glow and hiding split ends, and let’s just say if you smell Living Proof Dry Shampoo, I’m usually not far away. It’s my ultimate hair secret weapon and saves me about 4 hours a week in washing/blow drying time. 

For stocking stuffers, grab a handful of Zoe’s minis (or as I like to refer to them, gateway drugs) to share your obsessions with the ones you love. Mine include Buxom mascara, anything in the Davines Oi line and plus their magic little hair mask packets, Eminence Facial Recovery Oil, BB Repair and Glow from Bumble and Bumble, R+Co Styling Cream, a skin-saving quartz roller, and this cute little Nugg lip balm that I think my cat likes more than me. 

Zoe’s is also, sneakily, one of my favorite go-to spots for jewelry, and it’s rare that I can limit myself to my monthly fix of dry shampoo without being tempted to browse that sparkly little display by the door. Build a stack of bracelets for your favorite boho-chic friend, including this lucky little beaded bracelet, a jade-wrapped cuff, and a handmade brass bracelet made by Mariola, the owner and manager of the shop. 

For your fancier friends, choose a pearl-and-rhinestone wrap, an elegant little gold knotted cuff, and this layered gold bracelet to enhance their holiday looks. 

And for absolutely every woman on your list, these dangling petal earrings are my new favorite thing.

Gifts For Him

Give him a little space this holiday season. As in, space in the medicine cabinet. Because there’s almost nothing better to get for the holidays than a well-groomed man, so get him started with a few of my favorites. I love the Jack Black line of products for their simplicity and straight-forward, no bullshit ingredients. And I have to admit, we end up sharing a handful of “his” products. Have him try the Deep Dive Glycolic Facial Cleanser, the Double-Duty Face Moisturizer, and Post Shave Cooling Gel (a friend told me it’s also nice on your legs…). 

I feel like we learned everything we know about grooming from Italian men, so I look no further than the Proraso Firenze line of products to keep his beard looking fresh and healthy. Plus, it smells just like a well-groomed Italian man, which is fine by me. He’ll love the Olio Cura Beard Oil, the Beard Balm, and the Beard Exfoliating Paste. And therefore, so will you. 

Let Zoe’s be your go-to neighborhood shop for truly personal gifting. Still can’t decide? Tell their amazing staff a little bit about whoever’s on your list and have them recommend something. Trust me, you can trust them. 

Zoe’s is located at 119 Greenpoint Ave. Follow them on Instagram for daily specials and beauty inspiration. 

I hate leaving New York. I do. But, I do. And I will. But not without a tote bag full of my favorite Fall beauty essentials. 

Read on to find out how I plan to save face (and hair!) all season long, in the city and far beyond.

Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extension Mascara

I know, I know. I fall in love with mascaras and vow it will be the last time fairly often. But this time… this time it’s different. I have never, ever, used a more perfect mascara, and it’s not even available at Sephora. Thrive Causemetics has created a wildly innovative new formula that fully coats your lashes in a tube, thickening and extending them without clumping. Lash Extension rivals any $200 extension process, stays put all day and night, and best of all, comes off in little lashy tubes when you remove it; no smudgy raccoon eyes. Oh yeah, and also, they use 100% organic ingredients AND they donated a portion of every sale to help all of these women’s causes. This is the holy grail of mascaras, from a company that gives a damn. I cannot say enough. Stop everything. Buy it here now. 

Sorella Watermelon Mint Hydrating Mist

Can a spray really do that much? I didn’t think so. Until I started using this fresh, tingly, and mega-hydrating miracle product from Sorella. This has been the only product I’ve ever used to visibly reduce the size of my pores. Sorella is a 100% natural, and … while they (and I) encourage you to visit a licensed aesthetician to find what products are best for your skin type, if you (like me) realize that your skin isn’t dry but usually dehydrated, this product is for you. Spray it on after cleansing and to wake skin up in the morning. Your skin will develop a smooth, natural glow that has convinced me to happily do away with any base layer whatsoever. Get it here. 

Davines SOLU Sea Salt Scrub Cleanser

The thing about dry shampoo is that it builds up. By day 6 my hair is basically dragging me out of bed, making me breakfast, and writing my to-do lists. And as much as I love big, bold hair, I can’t have it overpowering me. Get rid of the build-up in one wash AND make your roots forget they have ever been masked at all. This life-giving salt scrub by my favorite Italian hair company helps forgive me of all my follicle sins, and feels damn good too. I get mine from Zoe’s but if you’re not in Brooklyn, order it here. 

Davines Oi Oil

Normally I would sy away from adding any type of unnecessary oil to my hair (see below). But this line of “absolute beautifying” smooths hair without weighing it down, and convinced all my split ends to get back together. A little goes a very long way, so don’t get greedy. Get yours at Zoe’s in Greenpoint, or here. Or I guess in Italy, where it’s made. That’s way cooler. 

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo

Ok, ok if you can trust me about anything, let it be this. I’ve been out in the field. I’ve been desperate. And by now, I’ve saved probably 800 hours that I used to spend shampooing and styling with a quick and effective dry alternative that not only gets rid of oil, but leaves hair lively and full, day after day. I’ve tried nearly every dry shampoo out there. This is the Mecca of dry shampoos. I get it monthly at Zoe’s, or get yours here.

Bare Minerals One Fine Line Eyeliner

Let me get to the point here. I hate dealing with smudgy eyeliner sharpeners but have never found a retractable liner that is exact enough to pay attention to. Everything changed when I was recommended this tiny little tube from the lovely ladies at Zoe’s in Greenpoint. It provides just enough coverage and stays put, helping me look sharp all day. Get yours here now.

Oh, and the other contents of my favorite new tote? Women Who Run With the Wolves, this great notebook full of Wild Ideas from Lockwood in Greenpoint, these amazing Nectar sunglasses, and my trusty travel companion. 

Don’t hate leaving New York, Brooklyn. Just do it in style.

As soon as I heard about the Carbon Laser Peel, the so-called “Hollywood Facial” and the latest beauty fad to grace Kim Kardashian’s Instagram, I was skeptical. The more research I did, the more flashbacks I had to a horrible Instagram-advertised mistake my boyfriend actually purchased and then we both tried together. This “charcoal facial” was truly just black-dyed super glue that left him missing half an eyebrow and both of us with puffy, pink skin that was sensitive for the next week.

But the more I heard about it, the more this seemed like something I wanted to try. I’d always been curious about laser treatments, or a chemical peel or the PRP known as the Vampire Facial. 

After doing a bit of research, I settled on visiting Aesthetic Allure in Brooklyn. I’ve found that the further away from Manhattan you get for things like this the better, and Esthetician Aksana Bezrucenkova and her team of professionals came very highly recommended. I made an appointment and a plan to spend the rest of the day exploring this kitschy, historic, and truly inimitable area of the city known as Coney Island.

I was greeted warmly upon entering and after filling out a brief form regarding my skin condition and just the surface of my health history, I was introduced to Aksana, an absolutely stunning woman with perfect skin and, I couldn’t help but notice, expertly shaped eyebrows. I had a feeling there was a lot she could teach me, but we’d start with the facial.

I was taken into a small, comfortable room and had my face cleaned of the minimal summer beauty routine I’d promised myself (as always) that I’d carry into winter but never do. Aksana then let me know she’d be applying the treatment, a dark, black carbon-based substance that activates and attaches to the dirt and impurities in your pores. She let that set for 10 minutes, covering me with a light blanket (that was somehow comforting despite the heatwave) before turning down the lights and leaving the room.

When she returned, she let me know she’d begin with the laser treatment. I immediately tensed. She explained that this wouldn’t hurt, and that my recovery would be almost instant. She began to methodically pass over my face, zapping off the black layer and thus all of my facial sins one zap at a time. The pop of laser felt like a light, warm prick. There was a slightly discomforting smell, that I was promised and quickly convinced wasn’t burning skin but simply the carbon burning- it smelled like a familiar summer cookout.

After about 5 minutes, the treatment was over and she applied a very light moisturizer with SPF. I asked her about sun sensitivity, knowing I was about to go ride every single ride at the theme park just a few blocks away, and she let me know I was totally fine to simply keep up my normal sun care regimen.

I looked in the mirror and saw my skin, minus the discernible pores and summer-induced blackheads. I looked fresh-faced but not overly sensitive. I looked radiant, healthy, and when I opened my mouth, a little cheeky.

And as I was hurled through the air on the Sling Shot just moments later, I couldn’t tell if it was my beautiful face or my inability to tell which way the horizon line settled upon the shore that made me scream louder.

Aesthetic Allure is located at 2084 Homecrest Ave, Brooklyn NY 11229.

Make your appointment here for a Carbon Laser Peel, a less-invasive way to zap impurities and leave skin refreshed, rejuvenated, and truly ready to take on whatever comes next.

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo

Mario Badescu Rosewater Spray

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

Nars Soft Matte Concealer

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

Bare Minerals One Fine Line Eyeliner

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner

NARS Blush in Orgasm

Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder

Davines Oi Oil

Now get out there, you fresh young thing.