Tag: Founder

Categories
Health

What It Costs to Be Me: Elle Rowley, Founder of Solly Baby


These days it’s nearly impossible to know what women are spending on the way they look. Someone with Instagram-flawless contouring might have honed her craft using the finest from the drugstore aisles, and the utterly makeup-free type might be spending thousands on laser treatments and serums. Enter our series “What It Costs to Be Me,” in which we’re asking interesting women for radical transparency.

Next up? Elle Rowley, 33, founder of Solly Baby from Carlsbad, CA. Her annual total? $9,404.

If you’ve had a baby in the past few years—hell, if you’ve seen a baby in the past few years—you likely have at least a passing familiarity with Solly Baby. Since its founding in 2011, the line’s chic, simple organic baby wraps (and more recently, swaddles and adorable newborn layette sets) have rapidly populated baby shower registries all over the country. Founder Elle Rowley started making the wraps herself after the birth of her second child—and now, four children deep, she’s running a little empire.

And while Elle’s Instagram feed has its fair share of her gorgeous kids and life, it’s her honest, raw, and funny portrayal of the complex emotions surrounding motherhood that keeps us coming back. “As Solly Baby first started to grow, I put pressure on myself to become more ‘beautiful’ and more ‘aspirational,’” she says. “After taking about two steps down that anxiety-filled black hole I decided to reroute, and spent some time really honing in on what I genuinely care about.” For Rowley, a beauty and self-care routine means truly that—caring for herself—and her biggest wellness expenditures by far are the private life coaching calls she makes every two weeks. “Taking care of myself starting from the inside is what it’s all about,” she says. “And always quality over quantity. Simplicity is key.”

My skin care musts: $84
I’ve had a lot of fancy skin care routines that I’ve cycled through but the thing I always use at least once a day is Dr. Bronner’s Castile Peppermint Soap ($16). I use it as my body wash, my face wash, everything. I wash my face with it every morning and then put on a quick face lotion with sunscreen—currently I’m using Mario Badescu Collagen Boosting Lotion SPF 15 ($24). Then I do a spray of True Botanicals Calm Nutrient Mist ($28) before applying makeup. And always Tubby Todd’s Mama hand cream ($16). It’s all-natural and deeply hydrating without feeling sticky.

My beloved hand soap: $39
The best hand soap ever is Aesop’s Resurrection ($39). I’m crazy about the scent and their packaging is beautiful. I use hand soap more often than any other product on a daily basis, so I love having something that really makes me happy each time I use it.

My makeup and lash routine: $747
I take my time getting ready in the morning, and I don’t really deal with my makeup again throughout the day, so I invest in beauty products that are long-lasting and effective. I also get lash extensions done every other month because it cuts so much time out of my morning routine! It generally costs between $75 to $125 each time and I have two friends who have studios: one is my friend Jennilee Calkin’s in-home studio and the other is Ciao Bella Lashes in Encinitas, California.

Beyond that, I use mostly Tarte makeup. Its Amazonian Clay in Light Neutral ($39) is my favorite foundation for full coverage, and its 12-hour highlighting powders ($29) are amazing. I dust the “Stunner” shade on my cheekbones and the bridge of my nose for a subtle glow. The untinted Glossier balm ($12) is my go-to for my lips in the winter. I don’t use eye makeup when I have my eyelashes done—which is basically always—but I will occasionally use Urban Decay’s Naked Smoky palette ($25 where still sold for half off; it was discontinued!) for eyeshadow and as a soft eyeliner if I have an event. If I’m going to have an especially long day, I set my makeup with Ulta Beauty’s makeup setting spray ($10). And the Benefit POREfessional pore primer ($32) is the best primer I’ve ever used! I don’t use it every day but whenever I have an event or photoshoot it works so well.



Source link

Categories
Health

What It Costs to Be Me: Lynn Le, Founder of Society Nine


These days it’s nearly impossible to know what women are spending on the way they look. Someone with Instagram-flawless contouring might have honed her craft using the finest from the drugstore aisles, and the utterly makeup-free type might be spending thousands on laser treatments or face serums. Enter our series “What It Costs to Be Me,” where we’re asking interesting women for radical transparency.

Up this week: Lynn Le, 29, founder of women’s boxing brand Society Nine, from Portland, OR. Her annual total? $3,929.

My Everyday Makeup: $265

I didn’t start wearing makeup until I was 18 years old, so I feel like I’m so new to a lot of beauty tricks and ideas. Even now, I wear very little makeup—I’m proud to embrace what makes me unique. So the products I use are pretty simple. For my face, I love Smashbox’s Photofix Primer ($36), MAC’s Studio Fix Powder ($30), and Bobbi Brown Bronzer ($44). They’re not too cheap, not too expensive—just great staples. I’m also into NYX’s Precision Brow Pencil ($10) and Tarte’s Skin Twinkle Lighting Palette Vol 2 ($42) for a natural look. If I have to go to a meeting or an event, I’ll typically add a few extras to make my makeup stand out slightly more. I’m so sad they discontinued Urban Decay’s Naked Smoky Palette ($54)—it’s the best for a subtle, smoky eye. That plus a flick of Benefit’s They’re Real Mascara ($24). And then I’ll do a light—very light!—contour with Fenty Beauty’s Match Stix ($25). It’s not a look you want to overdo.

My Morning Skin Care Musts: $56

My morning skin care routine is very low key, because I tend to get more intensive with skin at night. So all I use are two products: Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum ($45), which gives your skin an amazing glow, and Alba Botanica Hawaiian Aloe + Green Tea Oil-Free Moisturizer ($11).

My Shower Essentials: $146

I shower every day, but I only wash my hair every three to four days. Not My Mother’s Dry Shampoo ($5) is amazing—it makes my third-day hair look super voluminous. Then I’ll add a little Goldwell Elixir Versatile Oil Treatment ($23) to my ends if they feel dry. I’m not super picky about shampoo, conditioner, or body wash so long as they hit my list of “free-of” ingredients: they can’t contain parabens, SLS, or triclosan. Otherwise, it comes down to smell. I like beachy scents, like seaweed or sea salt. And I’m a sucker for nice packaging. Ulta, Target, and TJ Maxx usually have great options under $10.

For body lotion, I like anything that smells like roses. I am obsessed. My favorite at the moment is Philosophy’s Amazing Grace Firming Body Lotion ($39). It’s a treat-myself thing. If I feel like splurging, I’ll buy the lotion or the perfume ($49).

My Hair Routine: $200

My hair is about as simple as my makeup. I get a haircut once every three or four months—just a simple trim of long layers. As a personal rule, I don’t spend any more than $50 on a haircut, which is why I love going to this locally owned chain called Bishops. It’s basically a barber shop.

My Evening Skin Care Routine: $142

I don’t spend much on skin treatments, mainly because I’m blessed to have pretty healthy skin. But I do tend to put more time into it at night. I use an cleansing brush from Ulta (its Ulta Sonic Advanced Facial Cleansing System, $43) once a week to exfoliate. Otherwise, every night, I use Clinique’s Take The Day Off Cleansing Milk ($28)—I like the milky consistency)—Pixi Skintreats Glow Tonic ($15) to tone and gently exfoliate, and if my skin is being mean to me, I’ll use CosRx’s Advanced Snail Mucin Power Essence ($19) from Korea. Yes, I said snail mucin! It sounds weird, but if my cheeks are red or I’m starting to see unevenness in my skin, I’ll put this on, and wake up the next morning without any redness or bumps. It’s amazing. Lastly, I tend to bounce between two different moisturizers. Yes To Cucumber Night Cream ($15) is my more affordable favorite. Otherwise Mario Badescu’s Seaweed Night Cream ($22) is heavenly. I love that shit.

My Periodic Beauty Musts: $360

My ideal “treat yourself” splurge is getting a massage. Between running around for my business—either in meetings, at the warehouse, or traveling—massages save my life and make me feel like a brand-new person. Usually I’ll get a 30-minute one, but if I’m super-sunk, I’ll do 60 minutes. There’s a great place called Löyly where it only costs between $40 to $75. They also have an awesome massage package that makes it a little bit cheaper. I’ll buy a 5-pack, and use it at least once a month. Also, if I’m really overcome with stress, soaking pools are life.

My Wellness Routine: $2,760

My workout philosophy is that there’s nothing better than to lift heavy and punch hard. Strength-based training and boxing makes me feel like I can take on the world. I go to various combat sports gyms—boxing, kickboxing, Krav Maga. I usually just do day passes or punch cards ($10 to $20, three times a week), because I like to change it up. I do have a monthly membership to LA Fitness ($35 a month), though, because I can get a full range of weights and lifting equipment, as well as access to boxing heavy bags for cheap.

My Society Nine gloves are always in my gym bag and packed with me in the car, or in my carry-on if I travel—the shattered glass print is to celebrate women who’ve broken barriers. I want women to feel that every time they throw a punch. We all deserve to feel like Wonder Woman.





Source link

Categories
Health

#MeToo Founder Tarana Burke on What Needs to Happen After the Hashtag


I have to admit that when actress Alyssa Milano first tweeted #MeToo, my initial reaction was panic. What if this becomes a popular hashtag, I thought, but it’s not related to the groundwork I laid out? You see, I first came up with the phrase in 2006, after an experience with sexual violence left me searching for the right words. Ever since, I’ve gone to schools and community groups all over to connect with young women—mostly black and brown girls—to let them know, “You’re not alone. This happened to me too.”

After the hashtag began trending, a friend said, “Insert yourself into the conversation.” So I posted a video to Twitter about how empathy can help survivors of sexual assault. It went viral in a way that was like, “We won’t let this black woman be erased from her work.” Then, a different kind of panic set in. I thought, “oh my god. This is mass disclosure across the internet and there’s no after care. Who’s going to have the discussion of what #metoo is really about?” I had to get my arms around it.

Since, I’ve been trying to pivot the conversation to what the solutions are. The hashtag has been amazing at drawing the kind of attention we’ve never seen to sexual violence. But, each and everyone of those people who shared it is an individual person who has a story and took a chance. So a few things have to happen next.

To me, 2018 will be all about processing #MeToo. The next step in the movement will be helping women navigate what happens after they disclose an experience. It’s about what happens if someone posts #MeToo and nobody “likes” their status and how to be advocates in our communities. How to talk to children about this. Discussing the sexual harassment teenagers deal with in school.

I’m driven by the gaps, the things that are missing, the areas where marginalized people exist — and where the least resources are available for them. There’s lots of online information about sexual violence, but there’s not a lot of information about how you as an individual can start dealing with the trauma.

We keep talking about how many millions engaged with the movement, but even if just 10 percent of those people stay committed to the work, we will have created an incredible army. Because, the power of #MeToo isn’t just naming it. Naming it is just the beginning of the journey.

Activist Tarana Burke (@TaranaBurke), 44, is the founder of the #MeToo Movement. She lives in New York.





Source link