Wellness Makes the Top of Santa’s List
By Caitlin Brown
As hard as this year has been, there are some bright spots.
We’ve made the most of our homes, transforming them into multi-functional sanctuaries. Our homes have become our gyms, salons, beauty parlors, meeting and workplaces, not to mention, schoolrooms.
Thanks to Covid-19, the spotlight shines especially bright now on at–home self–care, and that’s not so bad, right? If we can’t take the best care of ourselves — emotionally, spiritually, and physically — we can’t do for those around us. This requires us all to be our best selves, and this holiday season is all about bringing it home and saving Santa the trip. (Remember, we must protect our senior citizens.)
While the promised vaccine is close at hand, there is still a virus raging out there that may make the cold winter wait, huddled in our respective homes, a very long one. This time around, we know what to stock up on, and if that doesn’t go beyond frozen veggies, don’t fret, because help is on the way.
Here are some gift ideas sure to make that special someone — who could be you — feel and look good. Happy inhale, long exhale…ahhh!
At–Home Salon
Olive and June’s, The Studio Box
Few manicure kits will give you everything you need as well as everything you want. Olive & June sets you up with all the expected tools, including a nail file, clippers, and buffer cube, plus, they’ve thrown in game-changing add-ons like the universal nail polish holder to give you a better grip on your brush and a perch for your phone.
www.oliveandjune.com, $80
Sharper Image’s Deluxe Nail Center
This all-in-one kit includes a buffer, soaking tub, and a rechargeable tool with twelve attachments to shape, buff, and smooth your nails.
www.sharperimage.com, $69.99
Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Lab
The set contains The Cure ultra-nourishing cuticle cream, Allure’s Best of Beauty cuticle remover oil, and a stainless–steel cuticle pusher.
www.amazon.com, $45
Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer
The Holy Grail of blow dryers, it delivers on speed and temperature control, and is incredibly lightweight, meaning you can achieve that salon-standard blow-dry without inducing arm-ache. It’ll cost ya though.
www.sephora.com, $375
At-Home Spa
Be your own aesthetician. Go for gadgets.
Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel (30 pack)
A favorite of mine pre-Covid, and still a beloved friend. A fast-acting, two-step daily treatment for clinical results at home. An effective dose of 5 AHA/BHAs plus antioxidants and vitamins lift away dead skin along with excess oil and impurities, while improving uneven tone & texture. (Five bonus treatments included for the holidays.)
www.sephora.com, $88
Conair True Glow Warm Steam and Cool Mist Facial System
A great prepper for skin products. Warm steam opens pores and cool mist closes them to prepare skin for moisture routine.
www.amazon.com, $35
BeautyBio GloPro Microneedling Regeneration Tool
Microneedling helps stimulate your body’s natural collagen production, making it an effective anti-aging skincare solution. BeautyBio’s tools are designed to help you do it yourself safely and efficiently, with attachments for face and body. The kit comes with prep pads, serum, gel cleanser, vitamin C moisturizer, and triple A batteries to get your beauty on stat.
www.Sephora.com, $199
Beauty ORA’s Rose Quartz Crystal Roller and Gua Sha
Women in China have used these two techniques to prevent aging and sagging and increase blood flow to give their skin a healthy glow. Put your serum on and massage with roller and gua sha tool in upward, outward motions to promote lymphatic drainage. The ritual alone makes you feel good for taking a moment out to self-indulge.
www.skinstore.com, $45
NuFace Trinity Micro Current Device
Whether you’ve experienced the incredibly effective muscle toning and lifting results of a non-invasive micro current facial yourself (or looked enviously at before–and–after photos), this tool is your chance to use the technology at-home if the high cost won’t break the bank.
www.Sephora.com, $325
Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite FaceWare (LED mask)
This device uses a combination of acne-clearing blue light and collagen-boosting red light to improve the quality and appearance of your complexion. If you want to splurge on high-tech facials at home, here is the gadget for you.
www.Sephora.com, $435
At-Home Fitness
A Bosu Balance Trainer offers cardio, strength, flexibility, and endurance training in unique, challenging, and highly effective workouts. Downloadable programs are developed by industry professionals to improve overall fitness and health.
www.amazon.com, $99
Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands take up no space and can be put to good use in strength training, stretching, physical therapy, workouts, yoga, and Pilates.
www.amazon.com, $9.95
Free Weights were sold out for months, but you can find them, as well as Kettle Bells, online now.
Mirror Interactive Fitness is called “the nearly invisible home gym” because “all you need is two feet of wall space to turn any room into a complete home gym.”
www.mirror.co, $1,495 (Option to pay by the month, which may be less than a gym membership.)
Find the Peloton Bike package that’ll set you and your household up to make the most of the original game-changing cardio experience. None of them is inexpensive, but if you’re not going back to a gym, you can justify purchasing a Peleton. Comes with membership access to a plethora of classes and challenges.
www.onepeleton.com, prices vary.
Of course, there are many more at-home options out there. Consider this a sample of what is out there to bring some kind of ‘normalcy’ to our personal well-being, mind/body/soul. Happy Holidays, Beauties.
