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Tata Harper | Morning Ritual Part 1 | Cleanser + Hydrating Mist

Good morning, lovely friends! I hope you are all happy and well on this gorgeous Autumn day. The sun is shining, the air is crisp and the colours are glorious. Makes me happy.

On days like this, I usually love to sit and sip a cup of coffee early in the morning and savour a soothing ritual before launching into the day. Thing is, I’ve all but given up coffee for the moment in deference to an anti-inflammatory diet. I know. It hurts me too. Perhaps it will come back to me in the form of the occasional cup of fresh-roasted, organic, fair-trade coffee in time. But for now, my morning ritual has changed and I have new things to look forward to instead of the aromatic goodness of my cup of coffee.

I’ve come to discover a ritual that more than satisfies my need for a soothing and rejuvenating morning routine. Washing my face. No, seriously. Remember my recent post about my change in cleanser and moisturizer? I was early into using Tata Harper‘s products when I told you about them, and now I’m hooked. Who needs coffee when you can awaken your senses and nourish your skin like this? I honestly feel like I’ve walked into a field of flowers every time I use these gorgeous, totally organic, totally results-driven products. So I’ve decided to tell you more about them, as well as introduce you to more treasures in the line up that have recently been introduced to me.

{This is seriously how my new morning routine makes me feel. Inspired, refreshed + alive. Thanks, Tata!}

OK, first the Refreshing Cleanser. Here’s why it’s incredible. First off, it’s designed for sensitive skin so it doesn’t irritate or dry out my skin by stripping it bare. Instead it preserves my natural hydration and gives me a glowy freshness while removing impurities. Here are the main active ingredients:

One of the things I love about Tata is that she doesn’t waste time with inactive ingredients or “fillers” in her formulas. Every ingredient has an active, results-driven purpose while still being totally non-toxic. All of these natural, organic ingredients also smell glorious – a veritable feast for your skin.

So, the next step in the morning ritual is the Hydrating Floral Essence. This one is new to me {thank you, Tata!} and I love it.

You will want to shake it up before using it to mix all of the ingredients together. This step is what would often be the Toner in the traditional cleansing routine, but it is very, very different. It feels like a gentle but deeply penetrating spritzing of sheer hydration that soaks into my skin and locks in balance.

I have typically struggled with combination skin and thus avoided using my moisturizer as liberally on my forehead, chin and nose. But Tata’s products are balancing me out, and it’s noticeable. My skin drinks in this step in the routine with gratitude and leaves nothing behind to sit on my skin and make it greasy. I think it’s all about the Hyaluronic Acid. Here’s the list of amazing active ingredients for this beautiful step in the ritual.

I’ve also come to discover that it makes a light and lovely refresh near the end of the day, and it can even be used over makeup to give your skin a drink. Gorgeous!

I promise to follow up with more of the beautiful steps in this routine and give you my personal play-by-play on how each product is changing my skin. Many thanks to Tata for the opportunity to experience the other products in the line and share them with you!

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|October 11th, 2012|1 Comment

Bi-Rite Creamery | San Francisco

There are very few ways I could possibly imagine to appropriately follow up on the gourmet baked and hot-pressed goodness that we experienced for lunch at Tartine. Well, just one, in fact. And it’s all in the neighbourhood. One might say this little pocket in the Mission District is San Francisco’s foodie nirvana.

Just around the corner from Tartine sits Bi-Rite Creamery. Bi-Rite is definitely a must-eat experience for any sweet tooth traveling to San Fran. Thanks so much to the lovely Lesley for scooping us on them {pun intended}!

Hand made in small batches on 18th St {just north of Mission}, the ice-cream at Bi-Rite is truly for the purists at heart. All the baked goods that go into the ice cream {like the gorgeous brownies, cookies, peanut brittle, marshmallows and snickerdoodles} are made in-house at the bakery next door. My favourite little fact is that all the organic milk, cream and eggs used to make the ice cream is delivered by local Strauss Family Creamery {just 45 miles away}.

With my professional sweet tooth {aka my sweet son} along to do the taste-testing, we trotted up the short block to finish what we had started: a gourmet mother-son lunch date. Our timing was impeccable as the line-up was not its characteristic two blocks around the corner. With the deft acumen of a professional, my little guy ordered one scoop of cookies-and-cream topped with one scoop of salted caramel, please and thanks. With options including basil, olive oil and balsamic strawberry, their line-up of flavours is anything but ordinary.

With his two-scoop tower in hand and my photos complete {payment for the ice cream}, he dove into his creamy confection with aplomb. He even made me “smell” the salted caramel scoop in his eagerness to share the experience with me. The verdict? Utter delight. In fact, my little foodie said {brace yourselves} that Bi-Rite’s salted caramel ice cream is better than Berthillon. Berthillon. In Paris. Iconic French purveyor of luxury ice creams and commonly known as the best ice cream in the world. So ya. Safe to say he loved it.

In case this play-by-play description of my son’s ice cream dream isn’t enough to convince you to take a trip to San Fran just for the ice cream, I’m pretty sure this video will seal the deal.

Bi-Rite Creamery Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones Cookbook Trailer Video from Todd Porter & Diane Cu on Vimeo.

Sweet ice cream dreams!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|September 13th, 2012|2 Comments

Loft Perfection via Italian Elle Decor

Every once in awhile I stumble upon something so perfectly “itself” that it defies description. That is the case with today’s inspiration: A spectacular 1600 sq ft loft designed by the trailblazing feminine Italian Designer Paola Navone. Organic, modern and entirely unfraught, this space speaks volumes in details to be seen from floor to ceiling.

All images (c) Maz Zambelli via VosgesParis

Some of my favourite details? The bones of the space itself are tear-worthy, from the rustic, wide-plank floors to the soaring ceilings to the exposed brick and endless bath of natural light. The oversized Carrara Marble honeycomb stone floor inset in the dining room made me gasp a little. And I simply adore the lamps shown above, reminiscent of some school friends casually leaning against the wall while having a chat at recess.

What do you love about it?

I hope at least one detail, image or idea has captured your imagination and left you dreaming just a little.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|July 25th, 2012|0 Comments