The amethyst ring that stopped me in the middle of breakfast
Mineral sunscreen and a light-purple rock for her late father.
Happy Wednesday! This morning, I took a train to Nine Orchard, one of my favorite downtown hotels. On the 14th floor is a garden terrace where I met my (very chic) friends Meredith and Madeleine, along with the team from Colorscience, for a quick breakfast meeting.
Derms have been recommending Colorscience’s sunscreen powder brush forever. A hack I’ve heard a million times (and always include in stories): keep one in your car and dust it on the back of your hands before driving. Car windows don’t block UVA rays, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want age spots on my hands. The powder also works really well on your hair part, so your scalp doesn’t get burned (and then flake embarrassingly). Happens to me at least once a summer.
Colorscience is 100% mineral. (If you see zinc oxide or titanium dioxide on your ingredient list, you know it’s a mineral sunscreen. Anything else is chemical.) Based on first impressions, I like the Flex tinted sunscreen in Fair and the Glow formula, which someone likened to bronzing drops with SPF 50. I’d probably mix the two.
[An aside: I’m not a mineral sunscreen zealot. My current favorite sunscreens contain chemical filters: Ultra Violette and Supergoop! I like the way they make my skin look — sue me.]
After the presentation, I grabbed Patricia Boland, Vice President of R&D at Colorscience (she led our meeting), and asked about the distractingly gorgeous ring on her right hand: a huge, light-purple amethyst stone. I couldn’t stop staring.
She told me the ring is from La Vain (sounds like Levain), a brand specializing in “chocolate diamonds.” She bought it a few years ago, shortly after her father passed — his birthstone was an amethyst. My favorite thing about jewelry is the stories. This one was sweet.
On the F train to and from the meeting, I read:
A good reminder to never question where love comes from.
44 tiny investments with outsized returns. I especially love this public-speaking tip:
Before a public speaking appearance, do a practice session while engaged in light cardio. When you get nervous during a talk, your heart rate starts to rise. You aren’t prepared to deliver your talk in an elevated heart rate condition, so you spiral. One cardio practice session fixes that. You'll be ready for it.
How to rewire your fear of flying, from someone who used to cancel flights out of panic, and now writes a newsletter called Window Seat. These tips are helpful. The one that stuck: Visualize the plane suspended in Jell-O instead of open air.
Curious that women’s life expectancy is rising, but not in Southern states.
Loved this personal and comprehensive guide to the UWS. I’ve only been to Owl’s Tail…cute date spot.
Have a great rest of your day!!
Love,
Megan