Month: December 2017

For our first ever Numinous Beauty Awards, Eunice Lucero reports on the most magical product picks to bewitch and beautify, from your third eye down to your toes …

Marie Kondo must have been a mystic; there’s pure, Venusian magic in beautiful, useful objects that spark joy—or glamour, or confidence, or whatever it is we want to feel at any given moment.

Whether you’re looking for the witchiest fragrance ever, in search of some serious love potions, or simply to live more mindfully in the new year, here are the products that have earned a much-coveted spot on our vanities and our altars …

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:: GO-TO GOOD’UNS :: Gentle, cozy and nurturing, these are our fluffy safety blankets for when life just doesn’t make sense (a.k.a. Mercury is retro).

• Drunk Elephant TLC Sukari Babyfacial, $80. Everything you could possibly want in a “facial” treatment, from AHA/BHAs to a veritable Olympic team of acids and antioxidants, that’s also formulated to renew all skin types.
• Rodin Olio Lusso Luxury Lavender Absolute Face Oil, $89. The OG of all oils, while French lavender blooms and Bulgarian lavender oil chalks this up as pure indulgence. It promises “calm, illuminated skin”—now, if only life would follow suit.
• Youth on the Go 3-in-1 Superfood Face Wash, $36. Yes, kale has made it into our skincare! Namely this incredible antioxidant-rich cleanser/makeup remover/toner.
• S. & Durga Debaser Eau de Parfum, $175, 50ml. Moody aesthetic notwithstanding, a heart of bergamot, coconut milk, fig and pear stem rounds out to an earthy, addictive fragrance that’s perfect for the city witch on the go.

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:: THE UN-STRESSORS :: If a weekend getaway isn’t in the cards anytime soon, having charming little enablers that help you de-stress in the comfort of your own home is probably the next best thing to actual nirvana.

• REN & Now to Sleep Pillow Spray, $25. Lavender and frankincense come together for a deeply relaxing scent that promises to ease anxiety and worries at bedtime—which is, in the Now Age, so damn clutch.
• doTERRA Peace Reassuring Blend, $37.33 ($28 wholesale), 5ml. One second you’re rubbing this minty blend of vetiver, lavender, ylang ylang and frankincense between your palms and on the soles of your feet; the next, you’re calmer, more collected, and actually, peacefully, sleepy.
• The Pines Apothecary Luna Mist, $20, 2oz. Say hello to sweet, relaxed dreams with this pine, lavender and bergamot pillow spray, which encourages a few mistings on both the body and your beddings at nighttime.
• Herbivore Calm Bath Salts, $18. Not only does this look way too chic on our bathtub rims, but the vanilla and ylang ylang elevate the now-ubiquitous calming and detoxing properties of Himalayan pink salt crystals, for the last word in total body relaxation.

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:: THE DE-TOXERS :: Never underestimate the power of a good detox. Products infused with energy cleansing Palo Santo or sage help clear out icky low/bad vibes and purge you of all that no longer serves you. Clean slates for 2018, amirite?

• Urb Apothecary Copal Palo Santo Body Oil, $30. Our fave way to wear this mildly smoky (but super anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory) oil is right after a hot shower—cleansing on cleansing.
• Skin Owl Clary Sage Beauty Drops, $30. Simplify your regular serum + moisturizer combo with an oil that does both, while plumping up skin that’s been through its paces. It helps refresh and brighten skin with only two ingredients: organic Argan oil and organic sage.
• Yoshimomo Black Charcoal Cleanser, $34, 120ml. This takes our charcoal obsession even further, and its cocktail of willow bark (natural salicylic acid), thyme, lavender and lemon also brightens and calms inflammation, making it a hard-hitting detoxifier. Act fast, though: this famous Etsy cult fave sells out in a flash.
• Plantfolk Sacred Space (Palo Santo + White Sage) $18.50, 2oz. Chock-full of revered ingredients renowned for their purification properties and ties with the spirit realm, this tiny powerhouse is an über-practical solution for sageing and clearing your space, whether it be at home or on the go, like your car, locker, or even at work.
• Peet Rivko The Rituals Box, $84. Give the gift of fresh, new energy to your loved ones (or yourself!) with this charming, rustic set that includes all you need to detoxify both body and spirit.

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:: TIME-SAVERS :: For when you gotta get a move on, get some help from these multitaskers and 2-in-1 heroes that know the meaning of hustle and flow.

• Egyptian Magic Cream, $39. The 21 Century answer to medieval snake oil, that acts as a moisturizer, soother, burn healer, makeup primer, and even a lube (!) As the website says, it’s made with olive oil, beeswax, honey and, yes, divine love. Because what’s a stronger healer than that?
• Purequosa Shower On the Go Organic Cleaning Body Spray, $17.95, 8oz. Essential oils like sage and lemon tea tree refresh and are reinforced with colloidal silver to neutralize odor and, fingers crossed, ward off any werewolves that may come a-sniffing.
• Glossier Birthday Balm Dot Com, $12. This cult fave all-purpose salve is the last word in low-key glam, a.k.a. MLBB (“my lips but better”). Note: The subtly sparkly Milk Bar collab is the perfect stocking stuffer for the holidays!
• Pursoma x After the Class by Taryn Toomey Post-Workout Bath, $34. Fitness guru Taryn Toomey extends her wellness ethos with this post-workout tension-relieving muscle soak, which comes with a fun, intention-aligned crystal surprise inside each pack.
• Piper Wei Activated Charcoal Deodorant, $11.99. 100% natural, odor-fighting, non-staining and wonderfully refreshing—finally a natural pit refresher that works as hard as we do

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:: HIGH-VIBE SERUMS :: Top of our holiday lists this season? All that’s calm and all that’s bright—especially our skin, because we’d rather spend our energies on big-picture stressors (like, you know, attaining basic healthcare and equality for all).

• KORA Organics Noni Glow Face Oil, $68, 30ml. Miranda Kerr’s rich, nourishing face and neck oil has enough equity (and antioxidant power) to give good face to our most impossible missions.
• The Vintner’s Daugter Active Botanical Serum, $185, 30ml. 100% organic from conscious growers, but with the price tag to match, we so wanted to be skeptical about the hype. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), we can’t, and can only wish this super-serum finds its way to us somehow this year!
• W3LL People Bio Booster Facial Serum, $28.99. The seven-in-one active botanical serum helps rejuvenate and resuscitate skin, while evening out our complexions and skin tones. Calms rosacea too!
• The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3%, $7.90. From the baby brand that took Instagram by storm in 2017, and with good reason: its insanely affordable yet high-potency skincare rivals even the most premium of labels. We love layering this slightly heavier serum under our moisturizer for a dewy, winter-proof plumpness.

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:: MULTI-PURPOSE MAGIC :: There are days when it seems like the Universe literally has your back. Now take that synchronicity and bottle it, and you get these super streamlined, multi-purpose products, where everything just flows … 

• ApotheCARE Essentials The Replenisher Cleansing Conditioner, $10.39. Up your co-wash game with this gentle, hydrating formula. Also, if the pharma-chic amber bottles don’t beguile you, the expertly alchemized formula—including that super-sexy vanilla scent—definitely will.
• Living Libations Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever All-In-One Cleanser, Exfoliator, and Moisturizer, $27, 50ml. This all-in-one cleanser, exfoliator and moisturizer has Shailene Woodley singing its praises. With good reason, as its pure, organic ingredients have major integrity and work to give you supple, luminous skin.
• Philosophy Pure Grace Nude Rose Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel, $25, 16oz. The Early Aughts saw us stocking our shelves with this staple, but what gives it staying power is its sophisticated, straightforward purpose: to get you blissfully clean, with no fuss. (p.s. The latest Nude Rose update to their classic Amazing Grace fragrance is also a study in modern chic.)

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:: SKIN-SAVERS :: For when you can’t get over your past skincare sins, like sleeping with your makeup on or skimping on the SPF, these effective—and deeply nourishing—peels and moisturizers can help you along the way to self-forgiveness.

• Josie Maran Argan Exfoliating Cleansing Powder, $40, 60g. A logical extension to her much-lauded oil, this gentle powder exfoliant can be emulsified with either water, or her signature Argan Oil for skin that’s buffed to perfection.
• Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask, $58. City-weary complexions and clogged pores get a revitalizing fix with this award-winning BHA, 1oo% natural mask, which can be used several times a week to get the refinement you seek.
• S.W. Basics Exfoliant, $19.99, 3oz. Those who love a good Pinterest D.I.Y. recipe will embrace the tactile experience from this kitchen-quirky USDA-certified organic exfoliant, which uses oat and organic almond flour to renew skin.
• Grown Alchemist Hydra Repair Day Cream: Camellia & Geranium, $49. Jam-packed with plant actives, yet refreshingly non-greasy (and very French-toilette chic), this is one of our go-to hydrators for both day and night.

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:: LOVE POTIONS :: These glamour spells in a bottle all include rose, the ingredient most rhapsodized in both romantic and occult literature for its seductive, love-enhancing properties.

• Euphoria Aphrodisiac Love Tonic, $24. When you ain’t got time to mess around! A few drops of this 1oo% organic love potion (which has hibiscus, rose petals and goji berries, among other ingredients) is meant to stimulate blood circulation, and is best shared with a partner, an hour in advance.
• Shiva Rose Celestial Body Butter, $65. Celestial rose opens the heart and crown chakras, while the formula envelops you in pure, luxurious softness. What better pre-game is there?
• Witch Baby Soap Love Body Scrub, $8. One whiff was all it took for us to obsess over this spreadable body exfoliator, but it’s the ingredient list that blew us away: it’s formulated with roses, apples and poppy seeds, a.k.a. all potent love spell ingredients.
• Fresh Rose Floral Toner, $40, 250ml. Clarifies without stripping our skin, and leaves it calm and hydrated for nearly one full day.
• French Girl Rose Lip Polish – Rose du Maroc, $15, 1oz. This organic rose and mint scrub makes sure those puckers are always ready for the kissing, with a gentle exfoliating and plumping effect.

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:: MOON BEAUTY :: The age-old archetype of the Divine Feminine, the nurturing Mother Goddess and the mysterious, untapped parts of our psyche, these products help you navigate life’s tides by harnessing the magically intuitive energy of the Moon.

• De Lune Menstruation Tonic, $9. Not one for Advil? This mineral-rich tonic helps ease uterine contractions and minimizes blood clots.
• Moon Juice Dust Sachet Sampler Set, $35. Not sure which mojo you want rising? Try ’em all with a handy sampler of liquid-soluble sachets.
• Kypris Moonlight Catalyst Serum, $77. Specifically used at night, this gentler retinoid option is the herbal way to go for those with more sensitive skin that can’t take traditional retinols, but crave similar smooth, refined, luminous results.
• Fig & Yarrow Moon Mist, $24. This sleep-inducing mist has lavender and yarrow (a root associated with Cancer, the sign ruled by the Moon) to help relax and nurture before bedtime. Bonus: It has a sweet shimmer reminiscent of moonlight.
• Aquarian Soul Lunar Bathing Stones, $12. It’s easy to get lost in Aquarian Soul’s wide mystical offerings, but it’s these clever, practical/magical crystals that earned it those precious three words: “add to cart.”

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:: THE PROTECTORS :: Whether from the ravaging effects of UV exposure or against psychic, karmic vampires you meet on the street, protection, as they say, is everything. Underrated but utterly necessary, the name of the game is establishing the right boundaries—via SPF or otherwise.

• The Ordinary Serum Foundation, $6.70. Any foundation worth less than our weekday lunch earns a second look; that, plus a high-pigmented formula and lightweight feel, plus SPF 15? Now they’re just showing off.
• Sister Spinster Ghosts Essence, $20. Lift the veils of illusion with this magical elixir that helps us see the truth, while smoky quartz and obsidian align and ground in the process. We like using three drops on our pillows at bedtime for an “a-ha!” moment in the morning.
• True Botanicals Everyday Sheer Coverage, $40, 30ml. A lightweight feel with a breathable coverage, and full spectrum SPF 20 to keep away any nasty rays.

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:: OUR FINAL FIVE :: And finally, a list of faves we can only hope and pray to find in our stockings this year …

– Herbivore Rose Quartz Facial Roller, $45

– Rahua Omega 9 Hair Mask, $58

– Among the Flowers Essential Oil + Soy Wax Candles, $18 each

– Captain Blankenship Mermaid Sea Salt Hair Spray, $24

– Storybook Cosmetics Gun Metal Wizard Wands Brushes, $55 for set of 5

Eunice Lucero is the Editor in Chief and Chief Content Officer for All Things Hair US. A writer, editor, and beauty and style obsessive for over 15 years, she is also a certified astrologer under My Path Astrology, and an empath and intuitive—a combo she attributes to her Cancer + Libra stelliums.