088. GURWM, Wishlist
New YouTube video, good ol’ fashioned "I want that," and a Tender Choice
Hi, I’m Maggie, and welcome to Tender Forms Off-Camera: a bi-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.
I filmed this months ago (in true Tender Forms fashion), but better late than never! This documents my Fall/Winter ’21–’22 evening routines. I’m keeping this short and sweet because everything you need to know is in the video and description box. I hope you enjoy it!
Nothing makes me want to shop more than when I’m on social media. But it’s not all bad as you might think. Yes, something shiny and new may catch my attention, but my mind and eyes tend to drift elsewhere into a more practical space (looking for things I need rather than want; to replenish a category).
Here’s a list of all the items that have caught my eye recently.
Skincare
There are two categories I’m constantly on the lookout for (neither will be a surprise): cleansers and SPFs.
Wildcare Singing Leaves Cleansing Oil: I find myself missing this ever since I finished it! I’m on the tail end of my current cleanser, and this is at the top of my repurchase list.
Epara Cleansing Lotion: In case this sounds familiar, yes, this is the same one mentioned in the Podcast Newsletter 024. And yes, it’s been almost two years, haha. I imagine this is more of a second cleanse, but I’m curious to try a cleansing lotion for both first and second cleanses. I’m also just craving the texture of creamy cleansers right now.
Apis Apotheca Golden Milk Emulsifying Cleansing Balm: I’ve been following this brand for a while and want to try everything. But the Golden Milk cleanser has always been the #1 pick (followed closely by Flower Sap because just look at that color). I love that Aviva Skye Tilson (creator) offers refills in compostable packaging too.
Linné CLEANSE Face and Body Wash: This is part of their new baby/sensitive skin collection, and I could not be more excited. I already love Purify, but it’s too potent to use as a daily cleanser. This one sounds right up my sensitive, dehydrated skin’s alley.
Linné SMOOTH Healing Balm: Keeping with the Linné train, I’ve really missed this balm. The scent is relaxation in a jar, and I love that it’s a multi-use product (I’d use it as a body balm and face balm cleanser).
Ava Isa Sun-è-Serum Drops SPF 35: I’m always interested in “serum sunscreens,” but it’s a genre I haven’t touched upon mainly because they all look way too glowy. This one, however, is supposedly a weightless mineral sunscreen that has a demi-matte finish instead. It also has a high zinc-oxide percentage (25%), which is something I always look for in my sunscreen formulations.
Le Prunier Plumscreen SPF 31: On the other end of the spectrum is a new SPF that has a surprisingly low zinc-oxide percentage (4.7%). However, don’t be alarmed; the trade-off is from utilizing the brand’s signature plum oil: clinically shown to deliver broad-spectrum protection. This one indeed sounds too good to be true: SPF 31, fragrance-free, transparent application (low zinc level = low white cast), and a matte finish without drying out skin?! It looks like a lotion moisturizer, and shops that stock it say it’s matte, no shine, with no stickiness—all music to my ears.
Makeup
Westman Atelier Bonne Brow: I’ve been wanting to get back into using a brow pencil. No rhyme or reason, just whim. This in Slate looks like a good one to try!
Rye Beauty Brow Grooming Serum: I’m waiting patiently for this to come back in stock. I should have picked it up during the Beauty Heroes sale, but I had a backup of my Kjaer Weis brow gel at the time. *Since writing this, it’s back in stock at Beauty Heroes, and Rye Beauty is restocking Monday! I am waiting until I’m closer to finishing my Kjaer Weis before purchasing and praying it isn’t sold out by then.
19/99 Beauty: Any of their pencils. I love that they’re multi-use and so compact! Plus, the range of neutrals to pops has all ground covered.
Fashion
Milk Folk: Selena has such a great eye, and the shop’s beautiful vintage pieces are at an affordable price. I love that she selects classic, timeless pieces. Great for a minimalist wardrobe.
MATE the Label: I’m in desperate (okay, not exactly desperate) need of loungewear, and everything looks comfortable and exactly what I’m looking for. I mainly need pants and shorts, haha.
ARQ Cleo Leo in Lilac: I’m dying for this in Lilac. I already have their Paloma Leo and love it. Their fabric blend is the most comfortable to wear against bare skin, like a cocoon of comfort. I also own several of their wide-strap bras, high-rise undies, and a crop tank. Can you tell I love them? *For those with long torsos like me, you might want to consider sizing up. I size up in tops and leotards.
Lifestyle
Kindle: Don’t get me wrong, I love printed books. Print is in no way dead. However, we just don’t have enough room to house all these books! Plus, books are expensive. So my plan is to buy a kindle, then get a library card and check out ebooks (yes, that’s apparently a thing now in 2022)!
Sparnicht: Any mug from here. My eyes particularly gravitate towards Meteor and Lilac. Can’t go wrong with Onyx either, though… Ah, I can’t decide!
B The Method
Fitness has always been a struggle for me. I’m just not one to move, period. I love to curl myself into the couch and be the homebody I am. But as I get older, my body hurts in newer ways and doesn’t recover as quickly. My lifestyle has changed a bit, and now, I simply want to get stronger. I’ve already made leaps and bounds in my diet, so fitness makes sense as the next “hurdle,” if you will. This is why I am so thankful that Lia and B The Method exists. I also want to give a massive shoutout to Kerrilynn of CAP Beauty for introducing me to it. In case you’re not subscribed, I highly recommend the CAP Beauty newsletter, specifically, her “SH*T WE’RE DIGGING” series. Kerrilynn herself is an inimitable curator and always inspires me with her selection of beauty, objects, art, and health.
B The Method is founded by Lia Bartha. I won’t even begin to try to describe and categorize it because I have no actual fitness knowledge (not joking). All I know is, of the countless classes and genres I’ve tried (pilates, barre, kickboxing, can you tell I hate cardio…), this is the only one where I’ve felt an actual difference in my body that it is undeniable. I can’t express how much better my body feels from doing these exercises and how much stronger I’ve already become. This is also the only one where I don’t mind paying for an ongoing subscription because of the differences I’ve seen.
Fitness regimens are highly personal. Some love cardio, others weights, and some like me prefer: little to no equipment needed, new classes weekly, can be done anywhere (at home as opposed to having to go to a gym). But that’s just scratching the surface of B The Method. Lia is such an incredibly knowledgeable and beautiful soul.
She explains the body in ways I can understand and teaches me new things with every class.
I won’t say it’s a “gentle” workout because they’re damn hard (granted, I am/was very out of shape), but when compared to weight or marathon training, this isn’t that. It caters to all areas I was seeking training: full-body movement, strength, lengthening, back, shoulder, and hip support (from sitting 10+ hours a day in front of a computer), and building core strength.
Here’s a brief list of changes:
Wanting to sit and stand taller and straighter because that’s what makes me feel best. (This is HUGE if you’ve known me for years: the King of Slouching.)
Better digestion (not solely from this, but it’s a significant contributor)
Building muscle in places I never thought was possible: back, shoulder, arms (see previous “tiny guns”), forearms, inner thighs, etc.
I was having a noticeable amount of discomfort and sometimes pain in my left hip socket (one of the factors that played into my decision to get stronger), which has done wonders for me. I wasn’t even able to sit cross-legged for a while, and now it feels so much more oiled, looser, on its way back to what it used to be, and I’m thrilled.
Better control and flexibility
Some weight loss (this is a guess since I suspect I may weigh the same, and my percentages of fat and muscle have changed: more muscle tone now. I can fit into pants that I couldn’t a few months ago before starting this!)
I enjoy it so much that even Husband has noticed a significant change in my attitude towards fitness and my body. While my arm muscles may be “tiny guns” (self-coined term), I’m still tremendously proud of them since there used to be…none. Seeing and feeling the changes in my body gives me the confidence and drive to continue doing it.
I look forward to exercising now, something I never thought I would say.
Thanks so much for reading! Have you been browsing the online shops lately (or perhaps window shopping in person)? And what about fitness? Do you share the same melancholic outlook on it as I once did, or have you always loved it? I’d love to know what classes or genres you enjoy! You can always leave a comment or reply directly to this email to chat privately.
As always, I hope you have a great start to your week. See you May 8!
