069. New In, Just Piano
URB APOTHECARY, evanhealy, HERB + FLORA, and the perfect Sunday "playlist"
Hi, I’m Maggie, and welcome to Tender Forms Off-Camera: a weekly newsletter on all things slow: beauty, fashion, 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.
There have been some stellar purchases and PR lately, so I wanted to share them here today! Some are first impressions, others deeper.
URB APOTHECARY Basil Mint Lip Balm ($11, .35oz)
Lip balm is fast becoming an item I go through often. My lips are always dry, and if I don’t get ahead of it with lip balm, they’ll split, crack, flake, etc. I recently found myself at the end of my beloved pAra botanica Cocoa, Peppermint, & Wild Pine Lip Balm. I was looking for something in a compostable tube packaging this time just for ease of application with my recent oral surgery. I had been eyeing the brand URB APOTHECARY. It is founded, owned, and run by Leyna Allred. I knew it was time to try the brand when I saw that she recently updated her lip balm packaging to compostable tubes!
I ordered the Basil Mint Lip Balm. They currently still have some of this housed in the original plastic tubes, but the “bio tubes” actually offer more product! When I got it in the mail,* I couldn’t have been happier. *I was initially sent the plastic one by accident. I emailed them, and Leyna quickly responded and sent a new one with a return label to send back the other. The shipping does take a little bit longer, but I didn’t mind knowing they are run by a super small team (talking 1 to 2 people)!
First, the packaging is tiny yet adorable! The height is maybe double that of the smallest Miron glass jars. You know the ones! Like most in these types of packaging, it’s a push-up tube. But a word to the wise, make sure you push up ever so gently for just the amount you need! Unlike twist-up options, you can’t get the product back down if you use too much force.
Second, the scent is lovely in its subtlety. It’s barely there, which I enjoy for lip balm since I’m applying it directly under my nose. It’s herbal, slightly savory, and the mint is very mild.
Third, the balm itself is divine. This has become one of my favorite lip balms. It’s a harder, drier balm, which I appreciate considering its housing. Otherwise, it would just be a soft, melted mess. But not to worry, the balm melts on contact and keeps my lips hydrated, plump, and smooth for a ridiculously long time. I’ll apply this a few hours before I go to bed, and I’ll wake up with hydrated lips. I also can’t begin to tell you how great this makes my lips look. The deeper lines have gone away, and it provides a beautiful sheen without being glossy. It truly makes my lips look like the definition of healthy. It’s crazy good.
That, plus its easy application, beautiful, biodegradable packaging, and excellent price point, makes it a definite repurchase whenever I finish this one.
evanhealy Lemon Thyme HydroSoul* (gifted, $29.95, 4floz | 120ml)
It’s almost impossible to think that this is the first time I’ve tried an evanhealy HydroSoul. I’ve tried bits and pieces of their skincare in the past, and I adore their Blue Cactus Cooling Balm. I’m so grateful that the team sent me this because it is spectacular.
You know that I’m a lover of hydrosols. I wasn’t always, but we’ve had a reuniting of sorts in the past three years or so, and now it is a partner I trust in. There are many out there are on the market, but this particular one has to be near the top of the list!
All of their HydroSouls come in clear glass bottles. The sprayer is bountiful without being too aggressive. You can quickly get your entire face with just one spritz, though I like to go in generously with a few. They also offer three sizes on their website: 4floz (pictured in today’s newsletter), 1floz, and a sample. The 4floz is the most bang for your buck, but I like that they offer samples and a smaller size option in case you want to make sure it meshes with your skin first.
The Lemon Thyme HydroSoul is 100% Organic Lemon Thyme (Thymus x citriodorus) Flower/Leaf Hydrosol. I’ve tried a few other hydrosols in the past that had this in their blend, but none were memorable. This one is. It smells like the most incredible Lemon Thyme I’ve ever had the pleasure of smelling. It’s less citrusy than you think. Instead, it is a beautiful honeyed caramel, almost lavender-like scent with a light burst of lemon. It’s refreshing while feeling luxurious.
Though described best for blemish-prone, teen, and congested skin, I think this one’s great for the warmer months when you want your skincare to feel lighter overall. It will still hydrate but is excellent for controlling excess oil. I am acne-prone with congested skin. And while my skin is normal to dry, I can prefer skincare items catered towards oily skin. Thus, I love this Lemon Thyme HydroSoul.
It is perfect no matter the time of day. I use it for my morning cleanse (4 spritzes on a wet reusable cotton round, swiped across the face, ears, and neck), in the middle of tough workdays when I need a break (simply spritzed on the face), and after my evening cleanses to tone and add hydration (4 generous veils of mist and often another 2 directly into my facial oil before applying).
I also love the sweet lines of love on the back of every evanhealy bottle. The one on this HydroSoul reads:
“May all beings everywhere be happy and free.”
HERB + FLORA* (gifted)
A big thanks to Erika from Tractenberg & Co. for generously sending me the HERB + FLORA line!
This is a new-to-me brand. It’s founded by two triathletes: Marie-Pierre Stark Flora and Guillaume Herbette. It’s clear the founders’ passion for athleticism is one of the brand’s tentpoles. The brand mission is:
…an ode to life, to beauty, to achievement. An invitation to push your own limits, to explore what is possible for all Athletes of Life.
They even developed a combination of actives that reproduce the anti-aging effects of exercise and named it the Exercise Mimic Youth™ Complex. Let’s meet the line.
Morpheus Pillow* ($80, 100% Cupron® Copper Oxide Polyester, 249 Thread Count, US standard size pillowcase)
I was most excited about this item! I have never tried any pillowcase that’s supposed to be great for hair or skin (aka, any silk pillowcase). This one is clinically proven, patented, and touts the following:
After 1 night: hair stays smooth, no bedhead
2 weeks: skin is brighter, more radiant
4 weeks: fine lines and wrinkles are minimized, skin is firmer
What’s interesting about this particular pillowcase is that it is woven with Copper fibers. It was developed in collaboration with Cupron®, known for weaving copper technology into textiles. The hair and skin benefits are supposed to last over 100 washes too. Very excited to try this pillowcase!
Heroes & Goddesses* ($48, 60 capsules, 30 day-use)
This is a dietary supplement to aid skin, hair, and nail health. Again, true to brand ethos, it’s supposed to mimic the anti-aging effects exercise has on the skin. It’s vegan, sugar, dairy, and artificial flavor-free. I must admit, I’m not one for what I categorize as “beauty supplements.” I have a very weak constitution, so I am always wary of ingestibles because I tend to feel side effects. However, I’m willing to try these because I like their inclusion of CoQ10, Resveratrol, Biotin, Copper, and Zinc, not to mention Vitamins C, D, and E! I shall report back!
The following two are their skincare items, and both are refillable! They also have a recycling program where you can mail in your empties, and TerraCycle will break them down responsibly. However, two things caught my eye:
On their website, they highlight key ingredients, but there’s no complete ingredient list. The only place that exists is on the outer carton packaging of each bottle. So, if I were to recycle the outer packaging, there would be no way for me to reference it.
Parfum (Fragrance) and Fragrance (Parfum): Not only is fragrance listed twice in The Potion (both towards the bottom) but it’s listed in two ways. I believe depending on where they manufacture, they may be required by law to list any fragrance, even if it’s a blend of essential oils, as “Parfum.” I couldn’t find a FAQ section or something similar that spoke towards this on their website, so I can’t say if it’s synthetic or not. This doesn’t appear in the Eye Of The Cyclops ingredients.
Eye Of The Cyclops* ($52, 15ml | .5floz)
The brand’s eye serum targets minimizing fine lines, undereye bags, and dark circles, all without irritating our delicate eye area.
The Potion* ($75, 30ml | 1floz)
This facial serum focuses on renewing and anti-fatigue. It holds the highest concentration of their Exercise Mimic Youth™ Complex mixed with AHA and PHA, asparagus extract for its collagen-boosting, macroalgae for its long-term antioxidant benefit, and mini hyaluronic acid for attracting and retaining water in the skin.
I’ve already tried this on my neck using one small pump, approximately pea-sized. It spreads nicely, sinks in, and dries down with only a slight tackiness. But it is indeed very fragranced. The scent is pleasant but definitely more akin to synthetic fragrances. If you’ve ever tried the brand Bliss, it is very close to that. I will keep you posted after I try these!
A change of pace in today’s newsletter. While there are plenty of films and television shows I’ll be talking about soon, I didn’t have the bandwidth for it this week. Work kicked my butt! Instead, I want to share this great Sunday morning “playlist.” It’s both beautiful to listen to and to watch. I hope there will be more of these in the future.
Thanks so much for reading! I’d love to hear what’s new in your skincare lineup! Remember, you can always leave a comment or reply directly to this email to chat one-on-one. And if you know a friend or family member who might enjoy this newsletter, I’d deeply appreciate a share!
As always, I hope you have a great start to your week! See you next Sunday.
It's one of the best feelings to have finally found a lip balm that just works!!! Lip balm is one of the tough contenders for me.. I mean sure any lip balm will do but finding THE ONE can be a life-long road ha. Your lip woes sound exactly like mine. Basil and Mint flavor sound so good and I really like the paper tube packaging. I love my lip balm a little thick and creamy instead of being too emollient. I think so far, my top faves are Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm (the one in the pot) and Skincando Brew Balm. I'm currently using MyHvthorn lip balm, it feels nourishing but the texture is super emollient. This is random but have you tried products from Meow Meow Tweet?
Yesss, I love EvanHealy hydrosouls! My fave is their rose geranium and frakencise. I also just looked on the site they have a refill for the rose geranium *gasp* such a great deal! I think EvanHealy is sooo overlooked just because you can find it almost everywhere. My top product from them is their blemish purifying serum. I haven't felt the need to repurchase but when I was breaking out a lot, it's my must-have, so effective for any kind of pimple! I also love their tint in a pot that you gifted me :) might explore more once it's finished (thank you for introducing me to that one!).
I hope you have had a relaxing weekend xx