In Spades

Style... in abundance

Fitness Favorites: Workout Clothes & Gear

Workout Clothes 2021Okay, I know what you’re thinking.  A fashion fitness post?

Up until getting a Peloton, I rarely talked about my workout routine.  But after a year of working out every single day, it’s time.  Full disclosure, I’ve been wearing the same workout clothes for YEARS and finally refreshed my collection.

It’s so true: new workout clothes certainly make a girl feel inspired to exercise!

The Best Workout Leggings

Everyone raves about Lululemon’s Align Pants (I am NOT one of them).  The real hero pair IMO are these.  No pilling, no stretching out, no looking like crap after a few washes.  They have the most breathable fabric and the high waist holds you in without feeling TOO tight or restricting.  They are the main leggings I wear for workouts.

If you want a more comfortable “loungey” pair, go for these.  They are SO much better than the Align pant.  They hold up after washing and aren’t see-through even in bright colors.  They truly are the perfect balance of comfort and function.

For high impact workouts or outdoor workouts during cooler weather, I love these.

My Favorite Fitness Gear

Fashion Friday

The Best Linen BlazersFor today’s Fashion Friday I wanted to chat The State of Fashion moving into 2021, and share an inspiring story with major morals.

The State of Fashion 2021

We all know that 2020 saw many store closures – Barney’s, Opening Ceremony, Totokaelo and countless small brands.

It was announced this week that Bird, a NYC mainstay (one of the first to carry Mansur Gavriel bucket bags back in the heyday), is closing.

Sadly, this theme will continue in 2021.

If you are a creative, a brand, a retailer, a small business, now is the time to dig deep.  Reflect on your core values and share what’s unique about your brand with the world.

The greatest ideas do not come from times of prosperity, but times of peril.

e-commerce has finally tipped from “more important than ever” to do or die.  Fashion has always been slow to adopt it, so for any small fashion business out there that doesn’t have an online presence, now is the time.  Poll your resources to figure out who can help you get up and running.

The Story of Kenneth Cole

I love Kenneth Cole’s story because it’s not only inspiring, but it teaches some very important lessons.

Cole was a legacy shoe designer, but his vision differed from his father’s, so he set out on his own.  During Market Week in NYC in the early 80’s he had 6 shoe designs and no money.  He knew he had to show, so he hatched a crazy idea.  An idea that would put him on the map and grow his business into a multi-million dollar platform.

In those days you either had an impressive showroom (established designers) or rented a room at the Hilton where the tradeshow took place and made appointments.  Both options were incredibly costly.  Cole couldn’t do either.

Instead, he borrowed a semi-truck from a friend in the trucking business and thought if he could just park it outside of the tradeshow, people might stop by to see his shoes displayed inside.  A semi truck!

Since parking anything in NYC is nearly impossible, he changed the name of his company to “Kenneth Cole Productions” and applied for a filming permit.  It was granted, and that was his “in” for presenting at the trade show.

Their film crew was a guise, but they did capture some footage, which you can see here.

What I love about this story is that it exemplifies how getting creative and scrappy disrupts an industry.  He broke the mold and 40 years later it’s still totally relevant.

Also of note about Cole’s career is that he took his private company public, and then back to private.  The legal battles and cost alone to do this is staggering, but when asked WHY, he said the integrity of his brand was suffering.  He felt the only way to realign with his DNA and original mission was to scale down and take back the reigns.

Sometimes the best choice is the toughest choice.

Kenneth Cole.  Take note.

 

Biologique Recherche Product Review

Biologique RechercheIf you’ve seen any of my Sunday Series you know Biologique Recherche is a brand I’ve talked about a lot.

I discovered them a year ago because of their cult-following product, p50 lotion.  (More on that in a sec.)

What’s so unique about this brand – other than the insane efficacy of their products – is that the supply is heavily controlled.  You can only buy it online from two places – Paul Labrecque and Rescue Spa.  I buy mine via Rescue Spa and can’t say enough good things about their team – they are SUPER knowledgable and very quick to respond if you have any skincare questions.

Biologique Recherche is a French company founded over 40 years ago.  They employ a pharmaceutical-grade tracking system to their products – hence the heavily controlled supply I mentioned above. Each product comes with a proof tag.  So do NOT buy it off of Amazon, eBay or any other site besides the two above.

Their products are very close to being green beauty, which I love.  They stick to natural ingredients – like horseradish, wasabi and vinegar – as much as they can.

All of Biologique Recherche’s products come in sample sizes.  I recommend purchasing a sample size first to see if the product works for you.

Biologique Recherche Products I Love
p50 lotion

p50 lotion

I should save you the time and just tell you to BUY THIS PRODUCT.

It’s actually a liquid toner, not a lotion.  You can apply it with a cotton swab or just using your hands (like a man pats on aftershave).

At first, it should be used once per day.  You can soak your cotton swab in water first if it’s too intense for you.  Once you’ve built up a tolerance, it should be used twice per day.

What it does: exfoliates, balances, hydrates.

Think of it as a carpenter whittling a block of wood into a masterpiece.  It slowly strips away impurities and then rejuvenates what it finds underneath.

It comes in five versions: p50, p50 Original 1970, p50 V, p50 W and p50 PIGM 400.  I use the last one because it’s formulated to help the most with hyperpigmentation.

p50 lotion was my best skincare purchase of 2020.  I will use it for the rest of my life.

Masque Vivant

Masque Vivant

This mask looks and smells like chocolate syrup.  It contains live yeast extracts and its claim to fame is that it stops the aging process.  I can attest to this fact.  If you want to be Isabella Rossellini in Death Becomes Her, get this mask ASAP.

What it does: purifies, revitalizes, brightens.

I mix mine with baking soda to treat blemishes.  In the age of “mask-ne,” this is your best friend.

Lait VIP 02

Lait VIP 02This cleansing milk feels SO luxurious.  I’ve never had a facewash leave my skin feeling the way this one does.  It doesn’t just cleanse – my skin feels moisturized, tighter and looks brighter when I use it.

You massage it into your skin and then wipe it off with a wet washcloth.  I use these.

If you wear makeup, they recommend you double cleanse.  I usually use a makeup removing wipe first and then use this cleansing milk once.

This cleanser is best for those who live in harsh climates/are exposed to pollution.

What it does: hydrates, calms, eliminates impurities.

Serum PIGM 400

Serum PIGM 400

What it does: reduces and prevents the appearance of dark spots.

I’ve yet to find a product that effectively treats hyperpigmentation.  This is it.

If you have sun spots, age spots or melasma, I recommend trying this.  It does NOT contain hydroquinone or any other harsh chemicals, which is super important to me.

Serum Placenta

Serum Placenta

What it does: restores suppleness and tones; expedites healing.

This is a “do-it-all” serum.  It gives skin a constant boost for a glowy, soft effect.  AKA revitalization in a bottle.

Full disclosure: I purchased a sample size of this and did not buy the full-size once done.  I liked what it did for my skin, but the smell turned me off.

I’m one of those people that will tolerate anything for efficacy, but I liked the results I saw from the Serum PIGM 400 better, so chose that serum over this.

If you’re looking for an “all in one” serum, this is a great choice.

My 2021 Outlook

Vocabulary Boutique Super Chic EarringsNew year, new goals.

I witnessed something at the end of 2020 that can only be described as nothing short of magical.  A dear friend and small business owner asked for help in a very moving post.  Her community rose up with an incredible wave of support.  Check out the pièce de résistance here (wearing above).

It is this magic that I’m channeling into 2021.  While I still believe we have at least another 6 months of pandemic life, I am hopeful.  At some point this year I will travel again.  I will hang with large groups of friends.  I’ll bust out all the fabulous, ridiculous fashion.

I’m so inspired by stories of lifting each other up.  It’s a life mantra that I strive to practice daily.  Moving into 2021, I don’t have any massive goals or life overhauls planned.  But I do want to continue the momentum and consistency I was able to achieve in 2020.

I think the one good thing 2020 gave us was time to reflect.  Time to reflect on what matters most, what fuels us, and what we can do without.

Maybe it’s the new year, the dawn of the age of Aquarius or just breaking the Groundhog’s Day mold, but I feel so hopeful.  I think the world is on the verge of something great.  I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on where I see myself in 5 years.  Will I still be blogging?  Could In Spades turn into a podcast?  A TV show?  Will I test my skills as a designer?

These are all very much on the table.

I hope you will join me for the ride.

Here’s to 2021.

My Best Purchases of 2020

Looking back on what a year this has been I thought it would be helpful to share the items I purchased that turned out to be SO worth it.

If you’ve been on the fence about any of these, I highly recommend them all!

Best Clothing Purchase

While outings that necessitate fun clothes were clearly off the table this year, I still purchased a range of practical and fun pieces.

The best one, hands down, was this pair of jeans.

I wrote a full review of why they’re so great, but in a nutshell, they look amazing on every body type and break in BEAUTIFULLY (so comfy).

I’ve worn them more than any other article of clothing I purchased this year.

Best Wardrobe Staple

This is actually a tie.

The pandemic made me realize I will never wear an underwire bra again.  This bra is the most comfortable thing I own.  I love that the straps are fully adjustable and you can wear it with or without the padding.  It consistently made your Top 5 Favorites list.  I own 7 of them and will never wear another bra.

These pajamas are divine.  Yes, I also own washable silk pajamas and love them.  But the reality is that washable silk looks like crap after you wash it.  Reaching for a crumpled mess right before bed is not appealing to me.  And you know I will not be steaming my pj’s.

These jammies are SUPER comfortable.  Bonus points: they’re made from organic cotton and hold up extremely well.  I like the long-sleeved sets best, but they also make a short-sleeved set; a great option for summer.

They make me feel put together, which I love.  My ratty t-shirts and pajama pants from college are comfortable, but are anything but cute.

Best Shoe Purchase

While I made some fun shoe purchases this year, the best pair I bought are these boots.  A more affordable version of my Bottega Veneta storm boots, they are SUPER comfortable, easy to take off and on and strike the perfect combat/Chelsea boot balance.  I’ve worn them almost every day since getting them.

Best Beauty Purchase

This foundation brush changed my life.  Check out my full review here.

Best Makeup Purchase

I really wanted this for its rave reviews.  But it’s not green beauty.  Thankfully I found this and was blown away.  It reflects light subtly to hide imperfections and luminize the skin.  You can use it on your face and body.  It comes in two shades – Rich and Deep – and I’m wearing the lighter of the two (Rich).

If you want a real-life filter or airbrush effect for your face and body, this is it.  A must-have in any makeup bag.

Best Fitness Purchase

Peloton bike

We invested in a Peloton this year and it has paid for itself multiple times over.  I just completed 200 rides and have a total of 250 lifetime workouts.  It’s not just a bike.  It’s a community.  There is yoga, pilates, barre, boot camp, meditation… the list goes on.  I stick to mostly barre, boot camp and yoga when I’m not riding.

Check out my full review of the Peloton here.

Best Wellness Purchase

Yin Power

I’m one of those people that struggles with hormonal cystic acne.  While I found a handful of products that worked pretty well (and I still do recommend them; check out my post here), nothing completely eliminated the problem.  Until I found this.

I have never taken adaptogens prior to this, but WOW.  For those who don’t want to be on prescription meds to eliminate hormonal acne, I can’t recommend this enough.

Best Skincare Purchase

p50 lotion

If you’ve never heard of p50 lotion, Google it.  It has a cult following and for good reason.  You can only purchase it at two places online in the US.  I will be writing a full review soon, but in a nutshell, it’s a toner that tightens, brightens and exfoliates.  It will change your life.

Best Home Purchase

If you don’t have a cordless vacuum, I can confidently say they’re a must-have.  With the amount of time we spent in our house this year, getting a Dyson cordless was an absolute necessity.  We have ours mounted to a wall in the kitchen and it’s so easy to grab and do a quick clean up.  Who wants to haul a big vacuum out of the hall closet anyway?