It’s January, in the Bay Area it’s pouring rain outside, and folks are generally resting and easing into the new year. If you’re looking for us, we’re probably soaking in the tub with a good book and plenty of bath salts. Right now I’m reading a Bunny Mellon biography called ‘I’ll Build A Stairway To Paradise’. Bunny Mellon, like us at Honey Honey, had a lifelong interest in art and beautifully curated interior spaces to hang out in. She too seemed to enjoy a personal retreat, as we can tell by the way she adoringly decorated her private bathrooms.

“She so loved Van Gogh’s handful of daisies that she hung it, where it remained above the bathtub, steaming gently for years without any severe damage.”

January is all about self care

and getting organized for me. I think of this month as a sort of personal retreat and tend to slow way down. For example, one of my favorite self care rituals this month (and any time really) is an egg white and honey mask. You whip up the egg white, add honey, massage it on you face and let the magic happen. It’s so simple, using ingredients you’d find in the kitchen, making your skin feel clean and glowy afterwards. Egg whites draw out impurities and honey is a beauty balm as old as time. Even Cleopatra used it in her beauty rituals (as well as donkey milk and ground up pearls in the bath, not that I’m recommending!)

looking at what we love with fresh eyes

I think it’s a great habit in January to look at what I own with fresh eyes, reorganize and think about what’s working in my life. One of my great loves is a simple but luxurious feeling beauty routine. I get excited when the products look beautiful on the shelf, curated with my favorite pieces of art, little sculptures, sometimes even flowers. Which leads me to share

my favorite beauty products

My favorite beauty lines right now are Monastery Made skin care, based in San Francisco, Lesse from Los Angeles and Orris soaps from France. If you’re looking for a face balm that’s rich and nourishing enough for winter, Attar by Monastery Made is a Honey Honey favorite. I wear it year round and love layering it over face oil when I’m getting ready in the morning. Attar and gold face oil both have a beautifully delicate floral scent with notes of rose that I can’t get enough of.

I’m flying to Paris soon to go to market and I’m packing Lesse’s regeneration mist in my purse for the plane and whenever I need a hydrating, restorative face mist. I’ve loved this product for years, especially the scent, feel and supportive ingredients like medicinal mushrooms and antioxidants. It ends up being a talisman I keep close.

Orris, based in Paris and the South of France, makes elevated everyday soaps. They are considering the power of herbal medicine, using ingredients like St. John’s wart, which soothes the skin and encourages healing, Moroccan mint and Patchouli, an earthy, delightful scent combination. Their recipes and philosophy are inspired by rich histories of holistic practices, such as herbalism, Ayurveda, and Japanese cleansing rituals.

What are your favorite beauty rituals and products that you keep close? We want to hear from you, email us at [email protected] if you’d like to share.