054. LESSE and Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Finally treated myself to a brand I’ve been eyeing and talking teen pregnancy films.
Hi, I’m Maggie and welcome to Tender Forms Off-Camera: a weekly newsletter about slow beauty and slow living. Links in this newsletter may include affiliate links or discount referrals. If you enjoy and would like to support this newsletter, click the button below or shop through my links! No pressure but thank you if you do.
In case you didn’t know, I am a Branding and Motion Graphics Director/Designer by trade. What first caught my eye with LESSE was its minimally intimate branding. Everything bathes in this pale, desaturated blue-green with off-white type. I am a fan of mixing Serifs and Sans-Serifs and love the voluptuous Serif chosen for the brand logo set against a secondary delicate and clean Sans-Serif. In many ways, this branding is the type Tender Forms (I) enjoy.
I happen to also enjoy unboxing experiences. So I thoroughly appreciate when a brand takes the time to consider minute details of how and with what to pack and secure an item while delivering a sense of joy or a touch of magic for the consumer upon opening. LESSE did this right.
When you first open the box, a simple brand ethos card awaits you: short and sweet but powerful. (I’m currently using this as a bookmark because it’s beautiful and the size is perfect!) The attention to detail and texture is what I loved most about unboxing. The inside of the open flap has a soft ribbed paper texture. The brand logo sits comfortably in the center, and atop is their tagline: Ritual, Not Routine. I love this sentiment. It makes you rethink skincare routines as something worth spending time on and remains an exciting and magical moment despite the repetition. Sitting at the bottom interior is another line reinforcing this message: “A New Way of Thinking About Organic Skin Care.”
I only ordered one item, and so it was gently wrapped in a bright white recyclable protective paper cushion. This is my preferred kind of wrapping—fully curbside recyclable, no excessive tape, or dreaded bubble wrap. Plus, there’s nothing quite like the magical feel of paper in its wide toothsome variety from smooth to coarse, ribbed to woven. The one chosen for LESSE has an accordion ribbon-like quality providing excellent contrast and depth to the rest of the smooth flat paper elements.
The box holding the item itself is no LESSE wonderful (see what I did there? Had to, sorry.) A deceptively simple paper carton, the attention to detail is again stunning. The logo is an embossed print in their signature off-white brand color, raised ever so slightly, giving a textural difference to the smooth, refined exterior. The fine dividing line across the center does the same, and these two elements come back into play later on.
I love the paper stock of the carton too. It takes on the brand color beautifully. Upon closer inspection, you can see what appears to be the paper fibers, reflective of the natural quality of the brand’s ingredients. The information on the box is well designed, organized, and easy to comprehend. Now let’s take a look at the item itself.
LESSE Regeneration Mist ($45, $40 subscription, 60ml | 2floz)
I treated myself to this item for my recent birthday. I’d wanted to try the brand for years and happened to need a new mist. The two things that attracted me most were:
The color. Just look at the stunning peach hue through the gentle frosted glass, providing a colorful canvas to the subdued typography.
The name and highlighted ingredients: Regeneration Mist, Hydrating Tremella & Gotu Kola.
The typography appears to be spot UV printed since it has the same raised quality as the embossed carton printing. It’s a beautiful texture to feel when held like it creates a bit of topography on the smooth landscape of the frosted glass. Topped off with another bright white plastic mister and clear cap. In brief, this is the definition of beauty in minimal product design.
I’ve only used this for a week, so this is a very early impression. However, I can say that this has skyrocketed to one of my favorites, if not THE top favorite toner mist (at least top 3)! I was blown away by the very first use.
First, the mister has to be the most gentle one out there. You have not experienced a veil of mist until you’ve used this one. Second, the scent is stirring and invigorating. It’s citrus-forward, no doubt, but mixed with the earthy quality of some of its ingredients, it achieves a grounded depth. Of the many mists I’ve tried, this scent automatically feels year-round to me, another minimalist’s dream. Third, of course, is the stellar performance.
Upon the first spritz, hydration pulsated through my skin—an incredible feeling. I say pulsated because it felt as the mist sank in, the areas where it did would spring to life with hydration. And then it transformed to firming. Firming isn’t a quality I specifically look for in skincare, although it’s always welcome. The issue is that sometimes those that firm cause my skin to feel overly tight and dry. This does not, and the balance it creates is perfection.
The balance is really through the careful formulation of its ingredients. This is an aloe-based mist. As a Gotu Kola fan, I love seeing it here amidst the other highlighted ingredient, Tremella Fuciformis (Snow Mushroom), with Turkey Tail, German Chamomile, and Rosemary Leaf to name a few. What’s more impressive is that all of the ingredients are organically produced. You can read more here.
At first, I couldn’t decide if I liked how gentle the mister was. Since it came out so fine, I found myself wondering if I had used enough. But over the week, I’ve realized that it’s because I don’t need much at all. Two of these fine spritzes cover my face and neck and delivers just the right amount of hydration and toning I need.
Speaking of toning, if you’ve been around for a while, you know, whichever mist I’m currently using, I also use it as my morning cleanse. In the mornings, I’ll splash some water on my face, spritz this twice onto a wet reusable cotton round, and swipe across the face, ears, and neck. This is the morning wake-up I need. My skin tingles with excitement, having been delivered a fresh boost of hydration and toning. Then I follow with my serum of the day, two more spritzes, then moisturizer and SPF.
This is the only new item I’ve rotated into my skincare routine, and there’s been a noticeable difference in levels of hydration. My skin stays hydrated for longer despite using what I feel is less mist than I was. The weather here in the PNW has bounced from hot to cold again, and this has been a skin savior. I am so impressed by this, and it has me giddy when I think about trying the rest of the line.
I love that they provide a subscription for all of their items as well. Though quite pricey at $45 for 60ml, it comes out to $40 as a subscription, and you can dictate how often to replenish your bottle (anywhere from 4–10 weeks). And did I mention the brand is non-binary? In their Instagram bio, it reads: Everyone is welcome here.
There will absolutely be an update either once I’m past the halfway point or when it’s an empty, so stay tuned!
*A heads up, there are minor spoilers and mention of teen pregnancy and abortion coming up.
This indie gem premiered at Sundance back in January 2020. It had been on my radar since, and I finally watched it a few weeks ago. There’s a lot to love in this devastating take at an often overlooked subject of teen pregnancy and abortion in America for those with lower income. Two things make this film stand apart: the two leads and their unconditional bond.
‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always’ follows Autumn Callahan (Sidney Flanigan’s debut role), a pregnant teen who travels from Pennsylvania to New York City with her teen cousin, Skylar (Talia Ryder), for an abortion. For all its raw and harsh edges, the film has an equally significant number of tender moments.
The cinematography carries with it a bleak, drab, and almost sickly feel to it. While the leads wear color, these are drastically desaturated and further muddied by the strong greens in the color grade and heavy film grain. All this, of course, fits perfectly with Autumn’s tale. She’s young, pregnant, and doesn’t have the means for an abortion. She and her cousin resort to stealing, albeit from someone who might deserve it, to pay for the trip and operation.
It’s the hardships of their physical journey that really start to eat away at you. The girls share a suitcase that they must lug up and down the endless stairs of Port Authority Bus Terminal and through the grimy depths of New York City subways. Despite these physical hurdles, the bond between the two is the only thing that keeps you warm throughout this film. Everything else is clearly meant to sicken or break your heart, and it’s the lack of nuance here that I feel is a detriment to an otherwise fantastic film.
The performance of the two leads is spectacular, especially for Flanigan, who has no prior acting experience. The prominent standout scene is an especially long-take through the scene that delivers the devastating nail-in-the-coffin titular line. Flanigan shows a flawless progression from general unease answering intimate questions to a stranger to open vulnerability.
The body language of Autumn and Skylar is a joy to watch in any scene. There’s a deep familiarity between them that apologies don’t even require words. A simple smile or gesture sends a clear message. The unconditional support from Autumn’s cousin, Skylar, is what was most refreshing for me in this film. It is as much her story as it is Autumn’s.
Last, there’s the location of New York City. It’s been a while since I’ve felt a film captures the feeling of New York City that I’m familiar with, and this one did just that. The city is not all bright lights; it’s dim, dingy, noisy, and unrelenting. And Port Authority has never been displayed in a more truthful manner! My legs grew weary with the girls climbing up those stairs with that giant suitcase. And I could feel the coldness of the floor as Autumn sat there, having sat there myself. These are places I know and have experienced before, and director, Eliza Hittman, was spot on in her portrayal.
All in all, I enjoyed this film. Especially when comparing it to another teen pregnancy movie I had recently watched, ‘Unpregnant.’ Though one could argue that the friend was as supportive as Skylar, the overall film was nowhere near as good. Below is a list of other teen pregnancy films I’ve watched in the past:
‘Sugar & Spice’2001 Hilarious and a must-watch in my book. ★★½
‘4 luni, 3 săptămîni și 2 zile’ (‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’ U.S. title) 2007 This one counts if your definition of teen goes all the way to 19 since it’s of two college roommates. By far, the best film in the ones above and the ones to follow. ★★★★
‘Juno’ 2007 Pretty good. ★★★
‘Precious’ 2009 I watched this from beginning to end, but I don’t remember a single thing. A tell-tale sign this was not a good film but better than this next one. ★½
‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1’ 2011 The birth scene is the only thing I remember from the movie, and perhaps the entire franchise. Brutal. ★
‘Unpregnant’ 2020 I think there were some laughs. MVP is hands down Barbie Ferreira. ‘Euphoria’ fans rejoice. ★★½
I’m sorry this turned out to be a love letter to packaging, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! Have you tried anything from the brand? Any teen pregnancy movies you love? Remember, you can always leave a comment (click the comment bubble icon) or reply directly to this email to chat one-on-one. And if you know someone who might enjoy this newsletter, please share!
As always, I hope you have a great start to your week. See you next Sunday.