Category: Why

4.11.2014

Posted on by TheAmericanEdit

Let’s go is absolutely my M.O. when it comes to travel – as evidenced by my recent schedule! There is no better way for me to learn than by traveling, experiencing new things, and meeting new people – but I’m a little bit overwhelmed by my current lack of routine. I’m trying to embrace it, I know how fortunate I am to be in this situation, but I also hate that I’m missing out on the day-to-day things in my normal life… my regular reading schedule is definitely one of the places where I’ve fallen behind, but the following are articles that stood out to me over the last few weeks:

How History’s Greatest Thinkers Managed Their Time 

I’ll be reading and re-reading this article (and the book!) over the next few months – It has been almost a year since I’ve worked for myself and it is time to figure out a more efficient schedule!

Rules of Style – Ines de la Fressange

“I’m French, but I brush my teeth. Because I’ve noticed that after a while when ladies are not that young, the worst thing they think is their hands or their neck, but it’s not that all. It’s their teeth. My toothbrush is my first mascara!”

Handling Change Online & Offline – Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge on Jess Lively

Truthfully, I’ll read or listen to almost anything by Grace Bonney… but I have particularly admired the way D*S has addressed the change in content consumption in an incredibly matter-of-fact manner on their site – they are trying and testing new things to see what works, just like the rest of us.

Tina + Amy Reunite!

I’d watch this movie no matter what because of my long-term love for both Tina & Amy. But I’m writing this from my parents’ house, that is currently on the market, and it just feels weird that my sister isn’t here this weekend, so it feels even more relevant to me right now.

Meet Preetma Singh, Who Went from Lawyer to Fashion Editor

I’m obsessed with WSJ. Magazine and I loved reading about Preetma’s career from lawyer to R29 intern to her current role as WSJ. Market editor. Her answers throughout the article prove that there is no such thing as an overnight success, and that hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and being humble and nice are what matter and what you can build a career out of.

Have a wonderful weekend! For more frequent updates and travel adventures, follow along on instagram!

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Read Instead

Posted on by TheAmericanEdit

Read Instead – Screen printed in Oakland, California by BOOK/SHOP founder Erik Heywood.

Just a few of the more interesting things I’ve read lately:

Rebecca Atwood in the New York Times! My Rebecca Atwood pillows are some of my favorite pieces in my home and it has been so fun to watch Becca grow her collection over the last year. In case you missed it, read her TAE feature from last fall! 

Girl of a Certain Age: How much is too much to pay for a pair of jeans? (The conversation is in the comments on this one!)

Zappos is launching a personal shopping service via instagram… I’m personally not that interested in Instagram turning into a shopping site, but it will be interesting to see what comes of this!

If you’d rather just look at some gorgeous pictures, check out the new Parc Boutique Spring Lookbook that my friends Thao, Wing – Canary Grey Photography, and Jackie – Munster Rose Styling put together. Every lookbook they put out trumps the last one… so inspiring!

Happy weekend, friends! xR

Why Your Beauty Products Should be American Made

Posted on by TheAmericanEdit

I’ve used primarily natural skincare products for years but admittedly it wasn’t until recently that I started to think about where my beauty products were made. I’ve been checking all of my labels and I found that a lot of my products were made here… but some were made in surprising places. I wanted to learn more about the industry, so I did some research and spoke with two of my favorite skincare experts, Adina Grigore of S.W. Basics and Suzanne LeRoux of One Love Organics… what I learned is that American made beauty products may be the ideal, but numerous responsible options exist. Read on to learn more about what to consider when purchasing:

Regulation.

Beauty products are subject to similar regulation as other production processes in a country, so look to responsible producers such as the US, the EU, Australia, and Japan for your beauty products. The EU has the strictest regulation, which can explain why ingredient lists on European products seem much longer than on other products – there may not actually be more ingredients than other products, but companies are required to list more information. Some national brands will make an EU version of a product and a version for the rest of the world – if this is the case, the EU version is likely your best option.

Product Safety + Integrity.

Exotic ingredients are frequently used in beauty products – these products typically come from developing countries, where you are more likely to run the risk of human, labor, and environmental exploitation. Focus on supporting brands that utilize fair trade ingredients, which are closely regulated and help to empower individuals around the world.

Product Knowledge.

Everyone has had a bad experience with a beauty product at some time or another – by purchasing products from smaller (non-mass) companies, you have a better opportunity to speak to the maker or the company itself to learn about the product and how it will benefit you, or to share your experience and prevent other people from a similar one.

Transparency.

Is the brand open about the products? Is there a way to access someone to ask questions? Most smaller American made beauty brands have become incredible pioneers in terms of product and ingredient transparency and are doing far more than they are technically required to do, thus raising the bar for all brands.

Animal Testing.

All products made in China must undergo animal testing.

True Cost. 

Big companies have million dollar advertising budgets. The amount of money spent advertising the newest lipstick or face wash is incredible. But when you are purchasing a $3 lipstick/face wash/etc., you are paying as much for what is in the lipstick as the marketing itself, which is a little scary. Conversely, when you purchase a $20 product from a smaller brand, you are most likely just paying for the ingredients and labor in the product as these brands focus less attention on marketing and more on making amazing product.

and last…

For every $1 of goods produced in the USA, an additional $1.43 is generated for the economy. It can be really, really hard to produce in America, but it’s easier to create beauty products than some other products. The more we support domestic production, the more it will grow.

Thank you, Adina and Suzanne, for making incredible products that I feel safe using, and for taking the time to share your knowledge with me!

See more American Made Beauty posts :  ELIZABETH DEHN, BEAUTY BETS | LAURIE LEOPOLD, 312 BEAUTY | Lindsay Rogers, Belle Belle Beauty

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Consumption Karma.

Posted on by TheAmericanEdit

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of consumption karma. I’ve written before about the idea that you are what you wear… but I think it’s more than that. Maybe, you are what you consume. Or, how you consume is determined by the person you are. Maybe it’s a bit of both.

To live is to consume. We need air, we need shelter, we need food… we can’t survive without taking from our environment. But most of us consume mindlessly. Or thoughtfully in one way, but mindlessly in the others. Myself included – I started focusing on ethical food years ago, but it wasn’t until later that I started to really think more about ethical, responsible production in terms of apparel and my home. I stopped watching trashy television and reading celebrity magazines a long time ago primarily because these forms of entertainment made me feel bad about myself but also because I hated supporting people I really didn’t care about or want to support – but now I’m realizing what a terrible business these forms of mindless entertainment really are. And there are plenty of things that I consume that I’ve never even really thought about.

It’s overwhelming. I’d love to have a set of rules that defined exactly what to consume, but it’s just not that easy. But I’m starting to think that we don’t need a series of rules – maybe we just need to be thoughtful. To give a damn (a lot of damns). Maybe if we just think, “Is this too good to be true?” before we act, we could all be more mindful without the constant stress of learning everything about everything.

For example:

The notion of super cheap, disposable clothing? Too good to be true – there’s got to be waste somewhere, and likely terrible working conditions.

Fat-free/sugar-free/etc.-free food? Too good to be true – something must have been added in to offset whatever was taken out. 

Celebrity “real life” photos? Too good to be true – watch Sellabrity or read this Huffpost article by Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell to get a better understanding of the mania created by the need to feel that celebrities are “just like us”.

Knock-offs? Too good to be true – when you get a well-known, potentially expensive item for less, designer infringement, potentially shady business dealings and poor working conditions are likely involved.

I think a lot of consumption apathy comes from the idea that it’s too hard to know what to buy and who to support – I know that this has been the case for me. Maybe by using “Is this too good to be true?” as a lens, by basically just saying that we give too many damns to be apathetic but that we also need a simplified filter, we can all consume better. And be better. And do better.

It’s worth a shot, right?