We kicked off our My Perfect Ten blog series on the 10th of December with co-founder Nadine. We're keeping it going, highlighting our three amazing co-founders through the end of the year. Next up is Adair Ilyinsky. Check out her My Perfect Ten, which includes some amazing NYC recs and a rundown of her clean beauty routine.
1) My favorite candles are by Maison Louis Marie. Their candles are made from a soy wax blend and they donate 1% of their revenue to environmental causes. I especially love to burn No. 04 Bois de Balincourt.
2) I've recently discovered A Sustainable Village, a lovely zero waste shop and refillery in the East Village. I purchased a compost bucket from them this Fall and finally started composting food scraps, which brings me a silly amount of pleasure. I also purchased reusable paper towel replacements, which have helped us cut down on our paper towel waste by probably more than half, and a wool dryer ball, a wonder for speeding up drying time in our small, self-venting apartment dryer.
3) Just down the street from A Sustainable Village is Jenna Perry Hair. Jessica Gilian has cut my hair for probably 10 years and because I have bangs that need constant trimming, we see quite a bit of one another. I cannot recommend her enough!
4) I am a matcha addict. A fellow addict friend recommended No. 80 matcha from Bellocq Tea Atelier, a female founded tea company. While the 1lb bulk bag is pricey, it lasts FOREVER. I've actually found it to be much more economical than when I was buying little 2 oz. jars from other places, and it's delicious. Their packaging is so beautiful and elegant so I've bought a number of gifts from them too.
5) Nadine turned me on to the Uniqlo Airism masks, which I love, but I just bought these from Graf Lantz and they are also great. They were recommended by Wirecutter and I can't seem to make a purchase without consulting their reviews.
6) Our family recently had the most amazing sushi at Nomi Nori in Williamsburg, where they specialize in open-style hand rolls. The waitstaff was so kind and patient with my kids and they make a special children's temaki set.
7) My favorite Tenoverten color has historically been Ludlow but I might be transitioning to Cherry, which is one of our new red shades. They are both so flattering and all season.
8) My favorite Tenoverten product (today!) is The Sleep Mask. Applying it before bed with the silky anti-bacterial brush is so relaxing and I've made it part of my nighttime routine that helps signal to my brain that it's time to wind down. It feels so luxurious on the skin but somehow it's not sticky at all and I wake up to super hydrated hands, certainly a feat this time of year.
9) My makeup routine consists mostly of Westman Atelier these days. I swear by her Vital Skin Foundation Stick, Baby Cheeks Blush Stick in Petal and Lit Up Highlight Stick in Nectar. Otherwise, I use my trusty Shu Uemura eyelash curler and The Super Fine Eyebrow Pencil Automatique by Kimiko Beauty. Danielle Vincent, founder of Kimiko Beauty, is a well known makeup artist and eyebrow guru extraordinaire who has a residency once a month at our FiDi salon. She recently launched an eyebrow tamer called The Brow Sensei that I’m excited to try.
10) One of my greatest pleasures is going to the flower district on 28th Street. I try to visit once a week for fresh cut flowers/free therapy and to replace once of the indoor plants I’ve inevitably killed. I’ve loved having my paper whites and amaryllis this winter and thank you to US Evergreen for decking the salon with gorgeous magnolia wreaths and red berry branches for the holidays.
Bonus: I volunteer my time for a wonderful organization called the Go Project. Go levels the playing field for under-resourced students in New York City who are performing below grade level at the earliest stages of development by offering year-round out-of-school time student and family support programs. Go manages to serve 700 public school students in grades K-8 from more than 40 public schools in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.
