Tina's Top Five
September Edition
September 19, 2020
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September 19, 2020
Tina's Top Five: September Edition
Tina’s exclusive edit of what she’s crushing on right now, from atypical tartans to her favorite glow-getting oil, right in time to kick off fall
1. The Transitional Knits
“I’m in love with everything Monse at the moment, especially after setting my sights on—and clearing my sweater shelves for—Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia’s Fall 2020 collection. The power design duo (yes, the very talents helming Oscar de la Renta) have outdone themselves with the most eloquent, appealing take on “happy punk,” to quote Kim and Garcia, I’ve seen in ages.
Their reinvention of classic tartans, graphic stripes and maybe most eye-catching of all, an idiomatic fair isle motif is everything I’m craving while holed up in the house. Take your pick between full-coverage fuzz and off-the shoulder draping, or get the best of both worlds: Otherwise traditional turtlenecks with slyly unexpected cutouts? I’d like one in every perfectly subdued color, please. The New York-based label’s elevated, grit-splashed prep has me feeling like I’m going back to school again, minus the cumbersome course load.”
Available at Monse.
2. The Ultimate Brush-Off
“When it comes to facials, the one and only Joanna Czech can do no wrong. No surprise she’s able to recreate the same magic with her Dry Massage Body Brush. And before you ask, all body brushes are not created equal. All-natural and made in her native Poland, Joanna’s is constructed of top-quality beachwood and tampico bristles.
She also informed me that I’d been dry-brushing wrong all this time: You should always follow the direction of your heart, starting at your feet and working up towards your head. It really does make a difference! You get an instant circulation boost, while it helps brighten the skin, shed dead cells, increase cellular turnover and flush toxins from the body. Needless to say, it’s now part of my regular pre-shower morning ritual.”
Available at Joanna Czech.
3. The Spacey Netflix Series
“To say we could all use an escape right now is an understatement, and I can’t think of a better way to zone out in front of the screen than by watching Hilary Swank lead the first astronauts on a major three-year mission to Mars. Netflix had me at the synopsis and I don’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t seen it yet, but Away delivers and then some.
Now that I’ve already binged the whole season, I’m left wondering if Commander Emma Green and her intrepid crew will be back for a second intergalactic run. While no official word is out, Away creator Andrew Hinderaker did say, ‘the plan was always for a multi-season arc.’”
Streaming now on Netflix.
4. The Superior Sip
“I’ll be the first to admit it: I’m a tea snob. Enter Pique Tea. Triple-purified and cleansed of mold, these perfectly compact packets are free of preservatives, sugar and artificial sweeteners yet full of smooth flavor.
I’ve always been partial to green teas, thanks to their calmly energizing (no jitters, like with coffee) and immune-supporting effects, but Pique takes it another level. Naturally, my two go-tos to get me through the day are the Sun Goddess Matcha Sticks and Pu’er Green Tea Crystals. Their ceremonial-grade matcha is quadruple-toxin-screened and made in collaboration with Mr. Mori, one of the world’s very few 10th-degree teamasters (no joke), while the fermented pu’er tea crystals are wild-harvested from 250-year-old trees (again, I’m serious) and full of probiotics for multi-level health. I like to mix them with Shore Magic Hydrolyzed Marine Collagen for a double-dose of wellness.”
Available at Pique Tea.
5. The Allover Glow-Up
“Just because summer has wound down doesn’t mean you shouldn’t maintain your healthy glow. There’s body oil, and then there’s OSEA Undaria Algae Body Oil. There’s a reason the plant-based brand calls this certified-organic formula ‘the one and only.’ Objectively speaking, there’s no other oil like it. Undaria seaweed blended with acai, babassu and passion fruit oils equates to instant hydration and the feeling of firmed-up skin, sans greasiness. No surprise: Every batch is soaked in barrels of botanical oils for six months to naturally distill the nutrients and vitamins for maximum potency.
You can apply it to both damp or dry skin, but I like to put it on when I’m fresh out of the shower for maximum absorption. After dry-brushing, you’ll find yourself with skin that’s too insanely radiant to hide. Unless it’s under a new Monse knit, obviously.”
Available at OSEA.
1. The Transitional Knits
“I’m in love with everything Monse at the moment, especially after setting my sights on—and clearing my sweater shelves for—Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia’s Fall 2020 collection. The power design duo (yes, the very talents helming Oscar de la Renta) have outdone themselves with the most eloquent, appealing take on “happy punk,” to quote Kim and Garcia, I’ve seen in ages.
Their reinvention of classic tartans, graphic stripes and maybe most eye-catching of all, an idiomatic fair isle motif is everything I’m craving while holed up in the house. Take your pick between full-coverage fuzz and off-the shoulder draping, or get the best of both worlds: Otherwise traditional turtlenecks with slyly unexpected cutouts? I’d like one in every perfectly subdued color, please. The New York-based label’s elevated, grit-splashed prep has me feeling like I’m going back to school again, minus the cumbersome course load.”
Available at Monse.
2. The Ultimate Brush-Off
“When it comes to facials, the one and only Joanna Czech can do no wrong. No surprise she’s able to recreate the same magic with her Dry Massage Body Brush. And before you ask, all body brushes are not created equal. All-natural and made in her native Poland, Joanna’s is constructed of top-quality beachwood and tampico bristles.
She also informed me that I’d been dry-brushing wrong all this time: You should always follow the direction of your heart, starting at your feet and working up towards your head. It really does make a difference! You get an instant circulation boost, while it helps brighten the skin, shed dead cells, increase cellular turnover and flush toxins from the body. Needless to say, it’s now part of my regular pre-shower morning ritual.”
Available at Joanna Czech.
3. The Spacey Netflix Series
“To say we could all use an escape right now is an understatement, and I can’t think of a better way to zone out in front of the screen than by watching Hilary Swank lead the first astronauts on a major three-year mission to Mars. Netflix had me at the synopsis and I don’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t seen it yet, but Away delivers and then some.
Now that I’ve already binged the whole season, I’m left wondering if Commander Emma Green and her intrepid crew will be back for a second intergalactic run. While no official word is out, Away creator Andrew Hinderaker did say, ‘the plan was always for a multi-season arc.’”
Streaming now on Netflix.
4. The Superior Sip
“I’ll be the first to admit it: I’m a tea snob. Enter Pique Tea. Triple-purified and cleansed of mold, these perfectly compact packets are free of preservatives, sugar and artificial sweeteners yet full of smooth flavor.
I’ve always been partial to green teas, thanks to their calmly energizing (no jitters, like with coffee) and immune-supporting effects, but Pique takes it another level. Naturally, my two go-tos to get me through the day are the Sun Goddess Matcha Sticks and Pu’er Green Tea Crystals. Their ceremonial-grade matcha is quadruple-toxin-screened and made in collaboration with Mr. Mori, one of the world’s very few 10th-degree teamasters (no joke), while the fermented pu’er tea crystals are wild-harvested from 250-year-old trees (again, I’m serious) and full of probiotics for multi-level health. I like to mix them with Shore Magic Hydrolyzed Marine Collagen for a double-dose of wellness.”
Available at Pique Tea.
5. The Allover Glow-Up
“Just because summer has wound down doesn’t mean you shouldn’t maintain your healthy glow. There’s body oil, and then there’s OSEA Undaria Algae Body Oil. There’s a reason the plant-based brand calls this certified-organic formula ‘the one and only.’ Objectively speaking, there’s no other oil like it. Undaria seaweed blended with acai, babassu and passion fruit oils equates to instant hydration and the feeling of firmed-up skin, sans greasiness. No surprise: Every batch is soaked in barrels of botanical oils for six months to naturally distill the nutrients and vitamins for maximum potency.
You can apply it to both damp or dry skin, but I like to put it on when I’m fresh out of the shower for maximum absorption. After dry-brushing, you’ll find yourself with skin that’s too insanely radiant to hide. Unless it’s under a new Monse knit, obviously.”
Available at OSEA.
