Weekend Mode: Light Work
Red light, infrared, and a very committed ingredient list
Hello, Gorgeous!
My day went places no normal Friday should go. And so today will be a tad shorter and very sweet. I’ll probably revisit some of these beauties in a future post.
Seedlip non-alcoholic spirits
If you prefer your cocktails smooth and neither shaken nor stirred, you’re going to fall hard for Seedlip. In under a decade founder Ben Branson added a whole lot of oomph to his family’s 300-year farming heritage. The result are incredibly beautifully crafted mix-ins that elevate the idea of mocktails. Find out more at seedlipdrinks.com where you can also find yummy mocktail recipes. Also, please be very impressed with my personalized bottle pictured above. Cool, no?
Gua sha + red light? My chins say yes!
I love me a good gadget. Give me a beauty gadget and I’m in heaven, or at least that magical place beauty girls go when they find a new toy.
But first, a primer: Traditional gua sha uses a smooth stone tool (shaped somewhat like an elongated heart) to massage and sculpt the face, improving circulation, reducing puffiness, and encouraging lymphatic drainage (translation: less morning face, more cheekbones). Red light therapy, meanwhile, is the skincare world's not-so-secret weapon for boosting collagen, smoothing fine lines, and calming inflammation at the cellular level — no needles, no downtime, just light doing what it does to make you look better. Now imagine combining both into one tool, and you have the ORA Method LED Gua Sha which is pretty much the smartest thing you do for your face (and chins one and two) before turtleneck season is over. A round of applause for the way that ORA pairs traditional sculpting technique with red light and infrared therapy plus soothing vibration, working to lift, firm, and brighten in just 10 minutes. One important note: skip the face oil here. Unlike with traditional gua sha, oils can actually block the light from penetrating your skin. Use a gel-based product instead (ORA's Vital Hydrant Toning Gel was made for exactly this) and let the light do what light does best (ORA Method LED gua sha is $270, oramethod.com).
Ionic Hairdryer with Infrared Light
Speaking of red light treatment, this is the first time I’ve heard of red light being used in a blow dryer. And I’ll be honest, even with my baby fine hair, I noticed a difference after using SRI Labs DryQ Hair Dryer. While there’s a big frizz-fighting claim, I was most intrigued with the claims that the DryQ also uses infrared light therapy to strengthen weak, brittle hair while stimulating growth. It also dries hair quicker without damage. I haven’t noticed any hair growth action yet, but the floof factor alone makes it worth it. I could swear my hair is showing some extra body and is downright bouncing and behaving ($225, srilabs.com).
Ta ta, dry skin
I love pretty much anything made by skin guru Tata Harper, but I’m seriously digging her new launch: pro-aging formula, Crème Supreme, which forgoes a lot of endless copy to state: “For Resilient Skin.”
I also am delightfully amused by the ingredient list shared on the website:
100% Natural Origin Formula Powered By:
To Hydrate
Polyglutamic Acid
Natural Glyceryl Glucoside
To Nourish
Estate Grown Beauty Complex
Organic Rosehip Seed Oil
Organic Green Tea Oil
To Strengthen the Skin Barrier
Rock Rose, Immortal Grass & Amino Acid Blend
Squalane
To Smooth Wrinkles
Camellia Flavonoid
Spanish Lavender
Glycogen
To Brighten
Super Critical CO2 Sandalwood
Natural Glyceryl Glucoside
To Visibly Lift
Marine Microorganisms
To Firm
Super Critical CO2 Sandalwood
Mulberry Phytosterols
I don’t know about you, but this seems like a very committed ingredient list. And I love the results. My very parched winter face isn’t quite glowing yet, but it does look amazing (she said modestly). Is it cheap? Nope. But then neither is growing the very best ingredients for incredible skincare $248, tataharperskincare.com).
And that’s it for this time around. Anyone else feel like having a dedicated beauty slumber party this weekend? Let’s meet in the comments to discuss!
Rachel, Your beauty concierge 💋
Quick note: I included some affiliate links and from time to time some sponsored products which means I might earn a small commission on sales made through these links, but I also throw in stuff I love just because. Prices are current at publish time.