You know I’m always on the lookout for simple natural skincare brands that look as good in my medicine cabinet as they do on my skin, so when I heard about the San Francisco-based beauty line Monastery I dropped everything and rushed to their website! There I found a concise collection of botanically sourced products from company founder Athena Hewitt, who started Monastery to bring her grandmother’s holistic formulations to the modern beauty landscape. She sources the world’s most potent natural ingredients—think sages from the archipelagos of Greece, roses from Ayurvedic India, citri from the blooms of Japan—to create cleansers, exfoliators and moisturizers that are at once gentle yet ultra effective. And then she packages them in the chicest little bottles to brighten your bathroom shelf!
I brought the Aloe Hyaluronic Gel with me on my recent travels back east and was thrilled to discover that its moisturizing boost was a godsend for my plane-ravaged complexion. It soothed, smoothed, and plumped, and on first application left me looking like I’d had several 8-hour sleep sessions in a row—when in reality I’ve been barely hitting 6 hours each night. I so quickly got hooked on the stuff that I’m still using it morning and night, long since the jet lag has worn off! Next up to try is the Neroli Black serum (I’ve been careful lately not to introduce too many products at once lest my skin get confused) and if the fresh, aromatherapeutic fragrance has anything to say about it, I’ll be raving about this one too!
Shopping Guide: 1. Yuzu Body Butter 2. Rose Cleansing Oil 3. Botanical Face Hydrasol 4. Aloe Hyaluronic Gel 5. Attar Repair Concentrate