One of my strongest childhood memories is meticulously inspecting my paternal grandmother’s skin care and makeup collection with a mixture of calculation and fascination. She loved coral-colored lipstick (most often Estée Lauder), and this was what typically held my attention; picking up and opening and twisting up the lipstick to inspect how much was left in one tube ( she was a flat top applier) and then putting it down and picking up the next, identical tube and repeating. I paid less attention to the moisturizers and foundations, but she knew what to prioritize for me, even if I didn’t.
A diehard Clinique devotee, she would give me the 125ml bottle of Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion at least once a year. For Hanukkah, most likely. There were 2 things I always knew were coming my way in their telltale blue and silver menorah-adorned wrapping: Clinique moisturizer and a can of black jumbo olives. To this day, I can scarf a can in one sitting.
I can’t say I was the most diligent at skin care during my formative years. I was lucky- my skin was relatively well behaved and my genetics were such that I didn’t have to worry about acne. I also did not wear a lot of makeup as a teen- the occasional purple eyeliner (because my eyes are green!) and blue mascara (subversive!), lip glosses that tasted like plastic sugar, etc. it goes without saying, then, that nightly cleansing and moisturizing was also not really on my radar. I would break the seal on the Clinique, use it a few times (this was pre-pump dispenser days, so you had to flip the bottle upside down and whack it like a ketchup bottle), and then it would collect dust on my dresser.
Now that I’m six months shy of 40 and have also dealt with some frustrating bouts of perioral dermatitis during the second year of the pandemic (more specifically- when I emerged from lockdown and had to wear a mask way more frequently), apathy has given way to a new and very aggressive attitude toward skincare. After a few months of slapping on serums, lotions, and sprays with a horrifyingly haphazard lack of order or strategy, I have a brilliant routine now because of Haldi. Like pretty much any experiential wellness consumption on social media nowadays, you start with a quiz. You know the drill.
The thing that sets Haldi apart is its accessibility; in this muddy era of product shilling companies big and small foregoing phone lines that connect you with a human being to help you with any issues you may have in favor of “text-chats-in-real-time” or email robo-assistants that lead you down a dark dismal dead end that befits a scene out of Silent Hill, Haldi feels like the corner apothecary with the warm, inviting chemist behind the counter ready to help you find whatever you need. After completing the quiz, you get a tailored recommendation list (or your “store”) with travel and full size price points (when available), and you can buy directly from Haldi or go to Amazon or the like and purchase there. I readily admit that I chose the latter for my initial order (I blame the need… the need for speed), but once I worked my way through their first round of recommendations and was ready to re-up/ try something new, I purchased directly from Haldi, and I feel really good about doing so henceforth, delivery times notwithstanding. I’ll just plan like an adult. Plus It makes me feel warm inside. Amazon, that necessary evil, makes my eye twitch. I digress. Here’s my list, (to be applied at night) in this order:
Pai Light Work Rosehip Cleansing Oil or:
Rael Daily Detox Cleanser
Alpha-H Liquid Gold (I use this every couple of nights, and then my routine for the night stops here)
Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner
Shayde Brightening Serum
Alpha-H Vitamin A 0.5% Serum
Ursa Major Golden Hour Recovery Cream
Mara Universal Facial Oil
I acknowledge that these are a lot of products and it is a leisurely 20-25 minute nightly routine that I find to be a wonderful indulgence. This kind of process won’t float everyone’s boat, which is why the aforementioned quiz is worth taking. Your store will be tailored to YOU and your timely needs.
Also, yes I use sunscreen. Obviously. Haldi did recommend one for me- I haven’t tried it yet because I am currently working my way through the one precious tube I have of this.
This week’s elevator looks.
My list of good things this week, aka the “I-was-influenced-by-Instagram” edition:
The perfect balance of clench and move. I follow it up with:
This.
Drinking this first thing in the morning, pre-weightlifting, has flipped my world upside down.
I own 13 pairs and I have no plans to stop acquiring.
I would swim in a foam party of this, it’s that good. And no smell.
I want to sparkle for fall, and the price point won’t make me paranoid about it getting lost.
A Suggestion I Have No Business Giving:
I’m not a cook by any means, but in my never ending quest to find the optimal nutrition plan for my body, inside and out, I will occasionally stumble upon a creation of my own design that I love so much I will make it over and over and over. Here’s what I’ve been making for breakfast pretty much all summer:
Scrambled eggs over salted mashed avocado OR smoked salmon. Sounds basic, I know, BUT.
I make the scramble with almond milk. Vanilla almond milk. Are you gagging? It’s fine, trust me. Here’s why it works: it’s a savory sweet savory sandwich. The sweetness of the vanilla knocks the egg to this side of savory, and then when it’s layered on top of the avo or the salmon, the punch of salt is deliciously balanced out by the creaminess of the egg. Try it. Let me know your thoughts. Tip: use this to whip your eggs and almond milk together- it’s just fun!
’til next week… -Kai
P.S. if I owned a house, I would absolutely do this.
P.P.S. when I come to bed with my face slathered in that amazing Mara oil, my ❤️ tells me I look like this:
Can’t argue with that.