weds-day: the best facial ever

I think my wedding motto is, "If not now, when?" So, with looking and feeling my best on the wedding day in mind, I decided to try a pre-wedding facial at CAP Beauty, and they did not disappoint.

If you remember way back when, I've been searching for a great facial to prep for the big day on and off all year. I researched and read reviews and finally decided to pull the trigger after hearing wonderful things about CAP Beauty in the West Village.

I believe their Spa is relatively new, but you wouldn't know it. Their approach to skincare is a natural, holistic one, and the products they sell in their storefront are almost exclusively organic, cruelty-free, and vegan. Awesome.

Can I just tell you that I had the best experience ever there? I've only gotten a couple facials in my life, but this was far and away the best. The entire hour long treatment was customized to my skin's needs (moisture, anti-aging), and I was so relaxed that my entire body was free of tension for the rest of the day. The best part about the facial is the lymphatic drainage massage, which, I believe, is just a fancy way of saying detoxifying massage, but it feels so incredible.

There was no push for me to buy products after the treatment, and the tip is included in the cost (whaaat?). The next day, I received a thorough skincare guide from my aesthetician, outlining products that would work well for my skin, and what kind of routine I should follow.

My skin has been glowing in the weeks following the facial. I'm not getting paid to say this, I am just fired up and wanted to share the love. I might sneak in one more facial before the big day (I didn't break out after), and I'll let you guys know how it goes!

xoxo,

bachelorette recap!

Hi there! It feels like forever since I've been around, and let me tell you, it has been a busy few days. Saturday was my Bachelorette party, which I've been telling people breaks the top 10 best days of my life...which is absolutely correct. Here are some snaps from the day...

Friday, as I mentioned, I got a manicure at Primp & Polish in Greenpoint. Not only did they do a fantastic job, but their services are reasonably priced and look how pretty the salon is!

I didn't have time to do an outfit snap on Saturday morning, but I wore this dress (on super sale!) with these shoes (in black) and I was the epitome of comfort all day long. No tight dresses here!

Saturday, after an early morning Drybar appt with my friend Emily, she surprised everyone at the train station with a Magnum of VC. Party = started.

First stop, Benmarl Winery, which isn't pretty at all...

Oh, hey Hudson river!

We had a tasting with the wonderful Patti. Above is my best friend Gill...aren't my friends the hottest?

My big sister Liz drove 2 hours after working all night to be there. She wore a romper and a silk robe...do you see the appeal? She's the best.

So is my SIL, Meg, who is now widely regarded as the prettiest pregnant woman to walk to the Earth (true), and who organized the entire day down to the minute, all while carrying around my little niece and chasing after a 2 year old.

Gang's all here! Love you guys!

At Benmarl, I managed to find 2 dogs and force my kisses upon them...

Before a little quiet time on the ride to the next winery.

Where the owner gave me a glass of wine the size of my head.

The night rounded out with an epic dance party in the bus back to the city...

(here I'm facilitating a lap dance)

And an epic, sleepy dinner at the Meatball Shop (they have vegan balls!).

Thanks especially to Meg for thinking of everything, and thanks to Lee Lee, Kennedy, Gill, Cara, Emily, Joel, Lexie, Carolyn, Courtney, Vicki, Becca and Batya for being easy on the eyes, heart and soul, etc. Love you all!

xoxo,

pictures by Emily, Joel, Lexie...and others.

on vegetarianism

When I was 20, I spent my summer at the dog park in Union Square. I was interning for the summer at a theater, living in a windowless room in Astoria and sharing an apartment with a couple with whom I didn't get along. It was a pretty lonely existence. On my walk to the train, I would stop by the dog park and watch the dogs romp around. Sometimes I would chat with the owners, sometimes I would play with the dogs, but most of the time I would silently observe.

Lonely though it was, that summer was a life-changing one for many reasons, least of all my decision to stop eating meat. When I returned to school that fall, I announced to my friends that I wanted to become a vegetarian. They all laughed in my face, no one believed I could do it (myself included). Truthfully, I had many slip ups. Drunken college evenings would end with a trip to the student union and next thing I knew I would find myself eating a bacon, egg and cheese bagel sandwich (bagel bombs from GQ, as we would call them). My 21st birthday culminated in myself and two friends hurtling down the street toward a McDonald's, where I had my last cheeseburger ever.

I'm not a traditional vegetarian in any sense (but then again, I guess, who is). In fact, technically I'm a pescatarian, but I don't use that word. People - and when I say people I'm completely generalizing - are uncomfortable and displeased at best when they find out someone doesn't eat meat. It's not, by definition, "normal." The questions can't come fast enough. Why? Health reasons? Ethical reasons? And my favorite, "Oh, you eat fish/eggs/milk/cheese? That doesn't count."

My response is always the same: I'm a vegetarian because I don't believe in the way we do it here. "The way" being our inhumane manner of raising and slaughtering animals for consumption, "here" being the US. I like meat, I just don't eat it. If I had the guts to kill it myself, I would. Do you see how this drives people up a wall? Even typing it out, I know how polarizing it is.

I'm not trying to change anyone but myself. I would love to see my friends and family swear off meat. Heck, I would love to see myself swear off leather goods and eggs, dairy, and fish. I'm not perfect, and this is what I believe. Whenever someone challenges me, I pose the question, "How are you demonstrating your beliefs each day? This is mine, and this is how I practice it." It doesn't make people feel any better, but it gives me a respite from the guilt I feel about not being able to fit exactly within the confines of the word vegetarian. And despite people's opinions, I will keep on keepin' on with my own definition of the word.

I grew up in a meat lovin' family, where I would ask my mother nightly over dinner, "Mom? What animal is this?" I've always felt connected to animals (sometimes more than people), and all my trips to the dog park that summer shook something loose in me. I haven't eaten meat in almost 9 years. This post isn't meant to make you feel guilty, change your mind about your diet, or admonish you if you've ever asked the above questions of a vegetarian you know. It's meant to inspire thought, and if nothing else, a trip to the dog park.

I would love to hear your thoughts - good, bad, or ugly. Feel free to comment or shoot me an email at littleredswell AT gmail DOT com!

products i love

Good morning, friends! If you follow me on Instagram (and if you don't...why not?), you know I frequently do small posts about my favorite products. I love trying new products (I'm a huge Birchbox fan!) and I wanted to do an all encompassing post here. Behold, my beauty roundup!

So, I like to think I'm a low maintenance gal, but looking at that spread...I know I'm not. However, I do like to keep it simple, and here's what I do...

In the Shower:

I don't wash my hair much, but Amika Color Pherfection Shampoo is my go to when I do. I've been using it since last fall, and I can't get enough. Like I mentioned here, I think the key to making your color stick around is not washing your hair much, but I love the way this shampoo smells, and it's made in the USA without any scary ingredients! I'm a recent convert of the Clarisonic, and I'm completely hooked. It gets every last speck of dirt, makeup, and oil out of your skin. I highly recommend it, you can usually find it for much cheaper on Gilt, Ruelala, or Hautelook. I've also started using Frank coffee scrub twice a week; it's an all natural scrub that not only exfoliates, but reduces cellulite and clears away acne. I've used it three times and I can absolutely attest to its magical powers. My skin is definitely more smooth and the pesky/gross breakouts I get from working out are gone.

In front of the mirror:

I've been using S.W. Basics' oil makeup remover for a while now; it doubles as a light moisturizer and the company is BK based! If you don't like oil based products, this might not be for you; it's definitely oily (but I love it!). Coola is the best all natural sunscreen; this product also acts as a tinted bb cream, meaning it reduces the appearance of pores. It would be especially great to use on vacation when you might not feel like wearing any makeup. Speaking of, my absolute favorite makeup companies are Josie Maran and tarte. Tarte has the best amazonian clay bronzer with no sheen to it, so you simply get a clean bronzed look. I put this on over foundation, though you don't really need to. I use Josie Maran's nude eye makeup palette for plenty of simple, neutral shimmer. And tarte's lights, camera, flashes is the best mascara I've ever used, period. I've tried every mascara out there (from Maybelline to Benefit) and I can honestly say this product stands on its own. I use Chantecaille's gel eye liner when I want dramatic eyes - I'll be doing a fool proof cat eye tutorial soon!

Underarm:

It makes total sense that I would have a category just for my pits. My underarms sweat a lot, and I love DermaDoctor's MEDeTATE wipes. If I have something serious coming up (an interview, an important night out), these are the best for making sure my sweat stays in control. I searched for a while for a deodorant that's cruelty free and actually works, and LaVanilla is the best I have found thus far. It's all natural, which usually means it does nothing, but this scent (I use lavender) smells great and it has only failed on me in the sweatiest of circumstances.

There you have it! I'd love to hear your thoughts - what are your favorite products?

image is my own. all products mentioned in this post are cruelty free with the exception of DermaDoctor MEDeTATE wipes.

how to: make a blowout last

Confession/humblebrag: I don't wash my hair very much. I started going grey at TWENTY FOUR and have been dying my hair every 6-8 weeks since then. Kind of crazy right?

Needless to say, I have to make my do' last. The longer I go between washes, the bigger chance my color has of fading. I've got what I believe is a great system if you're in a similar situation (or are trying to make that awesome blowout last):

1. First things first. If you're currently washing your hair every day, your scalp is going to freak out a little bit once you go a day without shampoo. I suggest starting your hair cleanse on a vacation or beach weekend, where messy hair doesn't matter. See if you can start washing every other day, then eventually every two days. The oils in your hair will adjust to the new schedule (thanks, oils!).

2. Don't be afraid to get a little wet. For showers, I used to use a shower cap, but I'm lazy and now just put my hair in a high bun. It's not a perfect system, the back of my hair gets a little wet, but I prefer it. If you have bangs, sweep them to the side and hold in place with a bobby pin. If they're really oily, wash those babies and those babies only.

3. A brush is your best friend. After the shower, brush out your hair to distribute the oils. I like to massage mine as well, just really quickly. This is apparently the brush to own for such a task. After brushing, I usually hit my hair with some quick heat. Use the hairdryer to dry any strands that got wet in the shower and give your do' a little refresh.

4. Dry. Shampoo. Please oh please get some amazing dry shampoo. I searched for years, tried all the fancy stuff (Klorane, Oscar Blandi) and always came back around to Johnson's Baby Powder...until this. Amika's dry shampoo is the best smelling product and it works wonders on my greasy locks. Spray all over, concentrating on the most oily sections. Wait 2 minutes, then massage/finger comb or brush through.

5. Get creative. Once you've done the above, style as you would or try something different. For a curly blowout, I add a few extra curls for body. A milkmaid braid is also a favorite and perfect for summer. I also love a ponytail with a bandana/scarf when you're nearing your next wash.

Pretty easy, right? What do you guys think? Would you try not washing your hair?

all images are my own.