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Beauty, Washington D.C.

Green in the DMV – Ivy Wild

Back at this “Green in the DMV” series with a newer addition to the green beauty scene – the uber chic Shaw outpost Ivy Wild. Tucked into the historic Manhattan Laundry Building just north of Florida Avenue, this boutique features a fantastic range of green beauty and skincare. 

Owner Rachel (seen above) has curated a perfect edit of brands that really speaks to the up-and-coming nature of the green beauty scene. While she stocks natural stalwarts like Vapour, Ursa Major, and Odacite, the real draw is discovering niche brands like Saint Cosmetics, Rituel de Fille, and Sans[ceuticals]. 

In my very humble opinion, there are two ways to get the full Ivy Wild experience. First, head to one of the many boutique gyms in the area for an early morning workout, grab a coffee next door at La Colombe, and go in for a pre-brunch makeup refresh. You’ll be glowing in every sense of the word! Second (and my personal favorite), grab a friend and stop by before drinks on 14th street. You’ll probably end up with a glass of gratis prosecco and a fabulous new lipstick to wear out on the town. Either way, Ivy Wild is where you want to be. 

Ivy Wild is located at the Manhattan Laundry Building at 1328 Florida Ave, NW

Hours:  Tuesday – Friday (11am – 8pm); Saturday (10am – 8pm); Sunday (10am – 6pm); Monday (CLOSED)

Beauty, Washington D.C.

Green in the DMV – Take Care

Kicking off this series “Green in the DMV” is one of my favorite local retailers – Take Care Shop in Georgetown. Nestled on Wisconsin Avenue just north of the M Street fray, Take Care’s dreamy minimalist aesthetic instantly transports you to a hygge skincare heaven.

Under owner Becky’s watchful eye, Take Care has become a hub for countless workshops and events, drawing some of the biggest names in green beauty. Above is store manager Savannah getting her makeup done by none other than Kristen Kjaer-Weis herself. I’ve celebrated some very big blog milestones at Take Care, including hosting my first DIY workshop with Laura from Green Revolution, and even my bridal shower!

Take Care offers a rotating selection of natural and organic makeup, skincare, and wellness products. They even offer refillable kitchen and laundry soaps which is great for transitioning to a lower-waste household. They carry products from well-known brands like May Lindstrom, Josh Rosebrook, and Ursa Major, as well as slightly more niche brands like Earthwise Beauty, Sodashi, and 8 Faces. Plus they have a fantastic range of nail colors from brands like Sundays, Habit, and Mischo Beauty.

Take Care epitomizes everything I love about this green beauty movement. As an independent, woman-owned business, the love and care that Becky put into this store is apparent in everything she does. The space she created nurtures a small but growing community in DC and I count a handful of friendships made over workshops, events, and parties hosted at Take Care. If you haven’t been, what are you waiting for?

Take Care is located at 1338 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC. They are open 11am – 7pm Monday – Sunday. 

Beauty, Travel, Washington D.C.

Bespoke Natural Perfume

I’ll admit it, for a long time I was not a perfume girl. It just seemed like something that never really clicked – maybe I didn’t quite have the nose for it. It wasn’t until I had the very fortunate circumstances of working alongside Susannah Compton of Florescent during my brief stint at Follain that I really started to appreciate fragrance for its artistry and ability to transform.

Cut to a year ago when I was furiously underway with plans for my wedding. I was trying to carve out a few special areas that would be truly and uniquely myself, little details that wouldn’t get lost in the fray. I decided to go as bold as I could, and reached out to Susannah to see if she would consider making a bespoke fragrance for my wedding day. I thank my lucky stars that she said yes!

We started with a phone call, that was half laughing and catching up and half getting down to business. We talked through my favorite perfumes and what I wanted to feel from something that would capture such a special moment. I envisioned a variation of Susannah’s classic Sundays perfume, a heady blend of jasmine that first captured my imagination years before. Instead of jasmine, a romantic rose mixed with a slightly sexy, grounding base was what we decided on. After that, it was time for the master to go to work.

A few days later, a box arrived with my first homework assignment. Susannah explained that there were three layers, or notes, to a perfume, consisting of the top, middle, and base. In addition to identifying the individual scents that I wanted, she would also need to come up with the right ratio to create a balanced fragrance. The first step was picking the ingredients.

This part of the process was like opening up a jumbo crayon box and realizing you’ve been coloring with a pencil. “Rose” became a husky version from Bulgaria, a sweet version from Turkey, and an absolutely magical version from Morocco. Base notes of Palo Santo and Frankincense travelled far and wide, and Italian Bergamot was like nothing I had ever encountered. I spent an evening closing my eyes and taking notes on each one, marveling at how different a single flower or wood could be. Dutifully scoring each one, I reported back with my favorites in each category. A few weeks later, a new box appeared and we repeated the process.

Before I knew it, the big day had arrived and so had my magical fragrance. After playing with a few variations of the final blend, Susannah created a mixture of two types of vetiver (giving it that spicy sexiness), two types of rose absolute (the romantic and traditional element), clary sage, clary sage absolute, styrax and benzoin. The high concentration of rose gave the perfume a beautiful deep gold color, and holding it up to the light made it look like molten sunshine. In the end, Susannah made a small rollerball to carry with me (shown above), a solid balm to warm up with the skin throughout the day, and a full size bottle to spray generously and often.

Now, every morning starts with a spritz (or four) of this beautiful perfume, taking me back to a day filled with love and friendship. With one whiff, I’m reminded of the generosity of a dear friend who turned me into a fragrance girl after all!

 

*Photo credit at the top goes to my amazing wedding photographer Joriann of Chris Joriann Photography.

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