Skylar Dream Journal

In honor of a fresh new start, we are setting our Spring intentions for a happy and healthy season. We gathered our top 3 tips for springing forward.

1. Make self care a priority.

You can never underestimate the power of self-care. It’s easy to feel like there isn’t enough time for an investment in yourself, but we’re here to encourage you otherwise! Try waking up a bit earlier to start your day and taking a warm shower, meditating, or heading to a yoga class. This way, you can get your “me time” in before the day really begins. Another self-care favorite of ours is a warm evening bath, a candle and a good book. Yes please. Want more self-care inspiration? We love this article from Mind Body Green.

2. Spend more time outside.

Winter is over and we are ready to take advantage of it. Opting outdoors and connecting with nature is so important. Whether it’s a walk around the neighborhood, or a hike through the hills, getting outside is a big focus for us this Spring. How will we do it? We’re making a vow to run more errands outside (farmers markets instead of grocery stores). And we’re consciously committing to at least an hour outside a day (office lunches will have to move outdoors). We’re even considering moving our workouts outside - check out this article to see why!

3. Eat fresh.

We love Spring because so many incredible fruits and vegetables are back in season. We (and our bodies) are ready for this whole food approach after a long winter and perhaps a couple of pasta dishes. Nothing feels better than nourishing your body with farm-to-table fresh food with natural ingredients. Artichokes, asparagus and beets are at the top of our list to start, right after we eat this delicious-looking spring salad.

Cheers to a healthy, happy Spring, loves.

Xo
Skylar

We love Love, and we love the idea of celebrating it. But Valentine’s Day tends to be so...complicated. You know what we mean. 

We think the most important type of love is self love. Buy yourself those flowers, get a massage, and enjoy a nice dinner—because you love yourself and you deserve it. The best part? You can keep it simple. We’ve rounded up our favorite ways to pamper ourselves in the shape of a few easy, at-home spa treatments.

7:00 am: Smoothie Operator
Super healthy juice doesn’t necessarily sound exciting, but we promise the right smoothie recipe can offer a real “treat yourself” moment. We love starting our day by making a spin on Heidi Swanson’s cherry smoothie recipe, using frozen strawberries and raspberries (because it is winter, after all). The delicious blend of fruit with nut milk, nut butter, and the unique addition of hibiscus water makes this smoothie rich, exotic, and brightly hued. Just the kind of special treat that’ll make you feel indulgent (without the guilt).

7:30 am: Spritz Yourself With Notes of Love
Our Love Notes Duo is the perfect combination of sweet-meets-spicy. Spritz on Meadow and bask in soft notes of tuberose, jasmine, and orange blossom all day. If you feel up to it, layer on Arrow to add some spiciness and create a unique scent that's feminine and alluring (you can always layer later in the day as well).

9:00 pm: Homemade Bath Salts Worth Their Salt
Bath salts are super easy to make yourself, with the added benefit of letting you blend your own scents to your liking. Take 2 parts coarse sea salt and blend with 1 part epsom salt (our choice for relaxing our oft-tired muscles). Add a pinch of baking soda for added skin softening and conditioning. Then add a few drops of your favorite essential oils, mix together, and store in a lidded glass container. Faster than you can say “Bath and Body Works.”

9:30 pm: Aw Sheet! Make Your Own Sheet Mask
These paper masks are ubiquitous, and for good reason: they’re awesome! But instead of putting mystery ingredients on your skin (um, snail slime?), it’s incredibly easy to DIY using your favorite natural serums (ours is Vintner's Daughter Active Botanical Serum). Just grab some organic cotton makeup puffs, soak them in your go-to serum to the point of being nicely saturated (but not dripping wet), apply them to your face and ta-da! Fifteen minutes later, you’ve got a glowing complexion. Next-level tip: If you want to step up your sheet mask game, you can spring for these.

Can’t get enough pumpkin spice everything? Us, too. It might be because the scent—familiar but complex, warm and cozy—reminds us a lot of our bestselling Skylar fragrance this season, Arrow.

In addition to our perfume, if you’re looking for more ways to add a little spice to your beauty routine and make your senses tingle, try our favorite all-natural DIYs featuring pumpkin to make your skin look as delicious as it smells. The virtues of this seasonal squash go far beyond its tastiness—it’s chock full of vitamins and antioxidants that’ll do your body good inside and out.

Pumpkin Face Mask
Adapted from Beautylish 
Benefit: exfoliate with pumpkin enzyme

2 tbsp canned pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp milk
1/8 tsp cinnamon (optional, but we like it for its acne-fighting properties)

Directions:
1. Start with a makeup-free, freshly washed face.
2. Combine all ingredients.
3. Use your fingers to apply the mask, avoiding the eye area. Let set for 20 minutes.
4. Gently rinse and follow with your moisturizer of choice.

Pumpkin Spice Lip Balm
Adapted from DIY Natural
Benefit: nourish with vitamins and antioxidants  

1 ounce pumpkin seed oil
1 ounce coconut oil
0.7 ounces beeswax
1/2 - 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (adjust to taste)
lip balm tins

1. Mix all ingredients in a glass vessel.
2. Heat on a double boiler until beeswax is melted.
3. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, stirring occasionally. The lip balm will harden as it begins to cool.
4. Pour into lip balm tins as mixture starts to thicken.
5. Cool fully before placing lids on tins. Store in a cool, dry place.

We’ve all been there. You get a little too stressed for a little too long, only to find that copious amounts of coffee or a night with Netflix isn’t enough to balance the scales. Behind the scenes is a clear signal: Your inner voice is letting you know that it’s time to slow down, take note, and unplug. This is especially true for those of us who spend much of our time nurturing (children, co-workers, even a passion-fueled job). When we feel ourselves needing a big change, sometimes what we need more than anything is actually a little space and self-care.

But let’s be honest — we all understand this on a theoretical level, while we’re not the best at practicing it. Carving out time for ourselves can be a hard thing to do in our crazy busy lives. Especially if you have little ones counting on you on a daily basis. According to Lorna Bernstein, Founder and CEO of online wellness network Grokker, self-care is not only important, but essential.

We promise, sneaking an extra fifteen minutes of that podcast or scheduling weekly Skypes with your friends, isn’t slacking (nor is it an indulgent luxury). It’s a must-do that everyone deserves. With that in mind, we compiled a few of our fave Skylar ways to give the gift of me-time to your gal pals and, of course, yourself:

Nothing says “I love you” like brunch. If there’s a woman in this world who doesn’t fall head over heels for a good brunch, we want to meet her. Stopping by early on a Sunday morning with a bag of groceries and an “I’ve got this” look on your face is definitely at the top of our list of gifting moments we’re grateful for. Check out these fresh recipes for some culinary inspo.

Get more out of life by “going in.” Meditation may once have been reserved for Zen artists and Himalayan yogis, but those days are over. Whether your loved one has a dedicated practice or struggles to sit still for more than a few minutes, there are simple, useful ways (did we mention, free?) to get started. In fact, there’s an app for that. You can start them off with a 10-day free trial at Headspace or they can enjoy the free guided courses on Simple Habit.

Release some tension. Giving a massage, whether yourself or by buying a gift card, is almost always a welcome gift. It’s also perfect because it’s one of those things that many of us don’t think to do for ourselves.

Take the kids off their hands. For busy parents, of course. It’s honestly amazing how a couple hour break helps us show up in a bigger way when we are with the people we love. Give an open invitation for a date do whatever the littles need or want in that moment — even if it’s just a peaceful walk or solo movie. Bonus: Hanging out with children and living at their pace can definitely make you feel like a kiddo again, which has its restorative benefits too!

A really good, inspiring book. A little perspective can go a long way, especially when it’s peppered over the course of many cozy evenings. A good book to curl up with for each night before bed helps us escape, gain perspective, and rest. Not to mention, it’s a proven fact that reading fiction is actually good for you.

A free pass on household chores for the week. There’s something in particular about gifts of service, probably because time is often the most precious thing any of us have. If you’ve ever ready Gary Chapman’s Five Love Languages, you know that for many of us, gifts of service are also seen as one of the top ways to express love.

As for which one is the right way to go, that’s something you’ll have to intuit for yourself. Chances are, you already know. You might just have to do a little “listening in” yourself.

Happy replenishing!

Amid all the pre-launch flurry of getting Skylar off the ground last month (mission accomplished!), our team to got to know each other pretty well. Okay, very well.

One thing that came up again and again: Our fearless leader, Cat Chen, is also an unabashed “no-makeup makeup” person.

What started as a side comment turned out to be just one thread of an entire philosophy about beauty, health and well, life.

“Nothing’s more beautiful than confidence and health. A light fragrance, or a dusting of powder, are just ways to complement the best parts of you.”

What follows is a sort of “transcript” of that conversation. A first glimpse into the woman who’s upending everything we thought we could expect from a fragrance brand.

Did you always have this entrepreneurial spirit, or was Skylar a surprise?
Honestly, I think it’s been a long time coming. My dad was a tech entrepreneur in Taiwan in the ‘80s. He had 12 siblings and grew up with almost nothing. His influence always made me feel that anything was possible for me. That really set the stage for me from an early age.

What is the first thing you remember wanting to be as a little girl?
When I was four, I wanted to be a waitress. I loved food even then, and liked the idea of learning other people’s tastes and preferences.  

How do you balance being an entrepreneur and mom?
I’ve learned how sensitive children are. The times I’ve gotten busy and wasn’t home for a week or two, it definitely affected her. So time together is key. I commit to cutting off around 6PM, and don’t look at work again until she’s asleep around 9PM.

Do you think being a mom has changed the way you approach work?
Definitely, for the better. I’m learning to let go of perfection. My time is limited, so I have to focus on the most important things. My relationship with Anne has taught me to be more empathetic, too. I try to remember that there may be something going on in someone’s life that I don’t know anything about.

What's your best beauty tip?
Never underestimate the art of subtlety. Fragrance is almost subliminal. It can go undetected by the conscious mind, yet it’s very powerful. It’s often about what’s not there.

Favorite self-care ritual?
Skincare. Lotion. Hydrating and moisturizing. Work that base!

You stand for clean scents, and clean living. What else?
Authenticity. Embracing what makes us unique, instead of hiding it. When I moved from Taipei to LA as a kid, I didn’t know English, or what band was cool, or what shoes to wear. I want to remind everyone that it’s not only ok to be different — it’s beautiful.

How is Skylar changing the scent scene?
We want to shift the conversation around fragrance by focusing first on what’s inside the bottle. After all, that’s what’s going on your skin. Hypoallergenic, cruelty-free, clean ingredients are the absolute top priority.

Scents should also be light and complementary. So many perfumes are heavy, sharp, and hard to layer. It’s hard to really make them your own.

Do you believe in a signature scent, or do you like to change it up?
I enjoy having a scent wardrobe. We’re all changing and evolving. How I feel today is not necessarily how I’ll feel tomorrow.

Speaking of core scents, do you have a favorite of the Skylar scent?
I love Arrow. It feels deep and sensual, yet feminine — not too girly. If I do want to lighten it, I’ll layer a spritz of Meadow to finish.

What do you hope Skylar can teach girls that you wish someone had told you?
Believe in yourself unconditionally. When you’re paid 80 cents on the dollar for the same work, when you’re systematically undervalued for your talents and efforts, there’s subliminal damage happening, whether we’re conscious of it or not. When you choose to trust your intuition over the existing framework, the sky really is the limit. And really, who could be better at that than women?