All posts by Emily Kammeyer

My Dry Hair Essentials For Winter

My sort of curly, often frizzy, textured hair has a habit of being VERY dry during the winter. It’s taken me years to find products that actually work and help seal moisture into my my dry locks. I finally feel like as a 30 something year old woman I’ve found the products that do the job. So I figured it’s wrong to keep all of these dry hair secrets to myself and hence I’m sharing my dry hair essentials for winter.

Let’s start with hair treatments. The Damage Remedy line from Aveda is a serious winner for those with dry, damaged hair. I use the Intensive Restructuring Treatment in place of my normal conditioner these days. I only wash my hair 2x a week and this moisturizing treatment works wonders for me. Once I get out of the shower I use the Daily Hair Repair as a leave-in treatment. The two products combined are MAGIC. And I am not overstating that. When I use both of these back to back, my hair is unbelievably soft, manageable and moisturized. Last but not least, I’ve been using the Split End Repair for touch ups on my ends. It really helps when my hair looks frizzy at the ends and unkempt.

I used to think that any old towel would work for drying my hair after the shower. I was most definitely mistaken. Aquis makes a super straight forward hair towel that does it all. It is super absorbent and speeds up dry time plus is super soft and gentle on your hair. Using a normal bath sheet/towel can actually break your hair and create frizz.

The next step in my dry haircare routine is brushing. Generally it’s thought your hair is most fragile when wet so you want to be very careful. After years of using my trusty paddle brush I had a hair stylist tell me she thought most of my breakage was happening during brushing. So I did a ton of research and found this brush from Manta. The brush is flexible offering more control and less risk of breaking your hair. I’ve been using it for about 2 months now and am obsessed!

Night is one of my favorite brands for all things silk textiles. I’ve been using their silk pillowcases for ages but was really impressed by a specific launch this year, The Silk Plus Pillowcase (click here to see a fun Reel I created with the Silk Plus). It’s a dual sided silk pillowcase with mulberry silk on one side and rayon on the other. The mulberry silk side is best for normal/dry skin/hair and the rayon side is best for normal/oily skin/hair. I definitely have noticed that using a silk pillowcase has reduced my hair breakage and overall frizz. On top of that, if you are a side or stomach sleeper, you really want to use a silk pillowcase to be the kindest to your skin and fighting off future wrinkles. Use code EMILY20 for 20% off at NIGHT.

My final tip for keeping your hair frizz and breakage free is to steer clear of the classic elastic hair bands. They grip onto your hair and will break it. Instead I suggest swapping in some silk scrunchies. I love the ones from Night (plus they come in two sizes!) The classic size is great for all day but also perfect for working out and impact movements. The skinny size is great for a minimalist hair style or a look where you don’t want a big scrunchie in your hair.Use code EMILY20 for 20% off at NIGHT.

 

Shop the post:

My Dry Hair Essentials For Winter

Holiday Slip Dress Style

Holiday style and dressing has been top of mind lately. I’ve been in love with the slip dress silhouette for it’s effortless aesthetic and overall chic look. Also it’s the perfect all year round dress. Buy it for holiday and wear for years and seasons to come, not just December. The slip dress I’m wearing here is from Nili Lotan and the fit is PERFECTION. I added a little holiday long sleeve shrug with curb chain detail from Pixie Market over the top and loved how simple yet polished the look turned out! Topped it all off with my favorite Bottega Vanetta heels and voila, a little holiday slip dress style!

My look: Dress c/o // Sweater // Shoes // Bracelet (similar), Bracelet, Bracelet

Shop my slip dress and similar styles:

Shop my sweater:

Shop my shoes:

Shop my jewelry:

Holiday Slip Dress Style

How To Style Your Floral Dresses For Fall

How to style your floral dresses for fall…

1. Add boots
2. Add texture (here I added a suede bag)
3. Add coffee

I am a sucker for a floral dress, and luckily they are trending this fall! This little floral number was a summer style that I pulled into my fall wardrobe by adding some boots and a great cross body bag!

Shop The Look:

Dress: Veronica Beard (similar) // Boots: Ann Taylor c/o // Bag: Rebecca Minkoff (similar) // Sunglasses: Amazon // Jewelry: Monica Vinader

How to Style Floral Dresses For Fall

The Must Have Travel Beauty Products I’ve Been Testing!

Photo taken in our room at The Aldea Kuka in Isla Holbox

Are you planning to travel this summer?

I returned home recently from my first trip back on a plane in over a year, and man did it feel good to see another part of the world! I took the time to explore, enjoy time with my husband and a few friends as well as recharge and play with some new beauty goodies. I wanted to share some of my new discoveries as well as old friends that are travel must haves.

These are the must have travel beauty products I’ve been testing:

The NIGHT silk turban headband is a must have for pulling your hair out of your face when doing your skincare ritual! The 100% silk headband is kind to your hair and won’t cause breakage. I also love it for an easy beach hair do with air dried hair! <CODE EMILY20 FOR 20% OFF>

Supergoop! ‘s Glow Screen has been a long time favorite of mine. It blends in perfectly, has no white cast and looks great under makeup. It has a slight glowy effect and is great if you want to wear on its own without makeup as well!

Lord Jones Bump & Smooth CBD Body Serum is a new product in my arsenal I started using about 2 months ago for a project with the brand (read more here). I fell in love with it because for ages I’ve had bumps on my arms and thighs. This exfoliating body serum/lotion helps reduce and remove those bumps with 2x use a week. Always be sure to wear SPF when using any sort of exfoliating product (This is one of my favorites)! <USE CODE EMILY20 FOR 20% OFF at Lord Jones>

Sometimes I feel like I’ve tried every natural deodorant known to man! I discovered alleyoop’s All-Natural Hair-Inhibiting Deodorant about about a year ago and it’s been in my constant rotation ever since. I love the texture, the hair-inhibiting properties and the scent. Also, it’s an amazing price!

I started using APTO’s Orange Blossom Cleanser about 3 months ago and love it for it’s simplicity. The texture is a light weight gel and smells like heaven. I love APTO for their use of sustainable aluminum packaging as well! The whole brand is really thoughtfully created.

I discovered Herb + Flora about 2 months ago. They have a unique take on beauty by creating products that mimic the effects of fitness on your skin. They have a whole line of products but I chose to focus on two while traveling. The Potion- Youth Recovery Serum and The Eye Of Cyclops – Recovery Eye Gel . I love the light weight gel texture of both products and the plumping effect they give. These are definitely two products I will be integrating into my routine go forward!

I discovered Solvasa a few months ago thanks to a friend’s sister-in-law who works for the brand. I’ve tried most of their products and have been falling in love with them. For travels sake I brought the two cleansers. You can buy them together as The Mindful Double Cleanse. But they are two equally great cleansers you can use together or separate for morning and night as I have. The masque you can use as a masque/cleanser in the morning and the cleansing butter you can use in the evening to remove makeup. It melts into an oil that is honestly a dream to use and feels AMAZING!

XOXO,

Accessories Gal

The Must Have Travel Beauty Products I've Been Testing!

How To Fake The Perfect Summer Tan

Let’s be honest, we’ve all been in the situation where we’ve haphazardly applied self tanner to ourselves at home and TOTALLY botched the job.  I’ve even resorted to asking my best friend to spray me down with an aerosol self tanner, sans clothes, in hopes of not looking splotchy with hands covered in self tanner.  Well, friends, I may have found one of the most brilliant self tanners for looking summer ready, even if you’ve been camped out in your house for the last year!  

Temptu (the master of at home airbrush makeup) has launched an airbrush self tanner!!  And if you’re like me, and not super skilled at home self tanning, this is your new best friend.  Temptu created a super smart 2 step self tanner that makes it easy to look natural and not patchy. 

Before starting any self tanner at home ritual, I like to properly exfoliate. Every time I hop in the shower I dry brush (for both mental and physical reasons). It helps with lymphatic drainage, stimulating blood flow and just feels good and helps wake you up. This dry brush from Aromatherapy Associates is my go to. Then when I step into the shower I use one of two all over body exfoliators pre self-tanning. This one from Megababe is great and is also a fantastic price point at $14. This one from Goop is a little more luxe and a bit more expensive. Now that your body is done, don’t forget to exfoliate your face if you plan to self tan that as well. My go to facial exfoliator right now is from SkinCeuticals.

Now you’re ready to start tanning! You start with the Skin Prep which is an airbrush toner (goes on clear and can actually be used on it’s own).  This step helps prep the skin especially those rough patches like elbows and ankles.  Next step is the self tanner.  Using the Temptu was insanely easy and the mist that comes out of it is SUPER fine and makes for really even coverage.  I was really into the gradual tan that it builds over hours and looks natural, no one needs to look like the high school overly orange versions of ourselves! 

So who’s ready for summer?!

Thank you Temptu for partnering on this post. I only talk about products I love and feel lucky for the opportunity to work with a brand I love! Thank you for continued support of Accessories Gal!

You can shop my look and all the items in this post here:

How to Fake the perfect summer tan

My Everything Wellness For The 2021 New Year

Wellness products for the 2021 New Year

It’s been a wild start to the new year that’s certainly challenged my desire for greater wellness in 2021! I for one always look at a new year as a fresh start and a time to find new tools to feel good, find balance, and prioritize my needs. Feeling good and wellness mean something different to us all, but for me it means making time to care for myself and using products and services that make me feel naturally beautiful in my skin and uplift me daily.

Everything I’m going to be talking about today comes straight from my weekly wellness arsenal. These are products I can’t live without and I promise will help you feel good in the new year!

WTHN Face Cupping Kit - Skin Wellness
WTHN Face Cupping Kit

Face cupping is an ancient wellness technique that increases circulation, boosts collagen production, and is like a natural face lift. It also helps relax overly tight muscles in the face. As many of us have been skipping in-office facial appointments, it’s easy to forget that facial massage and relaxing of the facial muscles is so important. It really aids in getting that youthful glow back! <Use code EMILY for 10% off>

WTHN Ear Seed Kit

I feel like one of my best wellness discoveries this year was acupuncture. Now acupuncture is nothing new, but it was to me. It’s been a major game changer in terms of my stress and overall feeling of balance. While getting acupuncture I discovered ear seeds. They are little stickers with a metal ball on the back that are placed on acupressure points on the ear. They can help in anything from stress to digestion. This kit is a little extra fun and has a guide to 10 acupressure points and each ear seed has a Swarovski Crystal on it (they look super chic on!) <Use code EMILY for 10% off>

CAMPO Ultrasonic Essential Oil Diffuser for Aromatic Wellness
CAMPO Ultrasonic Essential Oil Diffuser

Ora Space has quickly become one of my favorite wellness spots for acupuncture in NYC. The space is stunning and the practitioners are so special. Ora partnered with CAMPO this year to create the most beautiful ceramic essential oil diffuser. I keep mine in our bedroom next to my desk and like to use essential oils to either focus or unwind throughout the day. <Use code EMILYK for $25 off >

CAMPO Essential Oil Relax Blend
CAMPO Essential Oil RELAX Blend

This little relax blend is perfect for putting in your diffuser when you’re feeling a little anxious or you want to unwind at the end of the day.

Verilux Happy Light For Seasonal Depression
Verilux Happy Light

So many people struggle with depression during the winter because of the lack of light and its importance in mental wellness. I for one struggle on gray days feeling like I have enough energy to conquer my day. The Verilux happy light is the perfect little desk top light that you sit in front of and can help improve seasonal depression, energy, mood and focus.

Equilibria Daily CBD Wellness Drops
Equilibria Daily CBD Drops

Equilibria CBD was a major game changer in my stress and focus in 2020. On days that I forgot to take it, I NOTICED a difference. I use the daily drops in the AM when I wake up. I then take one of the soft gels with lunch and the extra strength drops in the PM at bedtime. The most important part about CBD is consistency. When you use it daily, you really start to feel the effects. <Use code emilykammeyer for 15% off>

Sunday's Wellness Box
Sunday’s Wellness Box

I love nothing more than a beautiful manicure. We look down at our hands all day long and it’s a nice little reminder that you’ve taken a bit of time for yourself when your mani looks beautiful. When I paint my nails at home I love to use Sunday’s (they’re also my go to destination for in-person manicures). Sunday’s is not only a clean nail care company but the concept behind the brand is about introducing wellness and self-care to nail care. When I paint my nails at home I actually use it as a kind of meditation, it’s a great little chill moment in my day. <Use code Emily for the 10% off>

ORA by CAMPO Essential Oil Roll On
ORA by CAMPO Essential Oil Roll On

Last but not least is the ORA x Campo custom scent created for the ORA space store. It’s the perfect little roll on essential oil to keep at your desk, in your purse or just about anywhere to give you a little lift when you’re feeling down. <Use code EMILYK for $25 off >

So I hope that starts your New Year’s wellness journey on the right foot. It’s important to share what makes us all happy and focus in a world as crazy as the one we find ourselves in. What products are essential to your wellness routine for 2021?

MY Everything wellness for 2021

The Gift Guide For The Most Fashionable Person In Your Life

It can be so hard to shop for the uber fashionable in your life! I pulled together a few of my favorites for those that live their lives in the fashionable lane!

BelleFixe Martini Collection X-Large Satin Scrunchie

The Gift Guide For The Most Fashionable Person In Your Life

What actually worked for my hyperpigmentation!

Hyperpigmentation products

I’ve struggled more than ever this summer with hyperpigmentation. Those pesky little dark spots on our faces that get worse and worse as the summer goes on. To make matters worse, I also struggled with melasma and a darkening upper lip.

I went straight to the source and decided to have a chat with my dermatologist about what the heck was going on and how to fix it. His solutions were multi-tiered and start with GET LESS SUN. Ok, yeah easier said than done for someone that loves to run outside, go to the beach and lives in a VERY well lit apartment that is constantly drenched in sunlight. I am religious about wearing sunscreen everyday, so no change there. But his next suggestion was to wear a hat when going out as much as possible. My next step was to buy a running hat large enough that it looks like a shade sail haha! But it does the job and protects my face.

My favorite sunscreen’s I wear everyday are from Love Sun Body and Skinceuticals:

My derm next suggested I ingest a vitamin C supplement in the AM, I’ve been taking this one from Goop, and also wear a vitamin C serum in the morning. I decided to test out a number of vitamin C serums and found three that I thought were highly effective and delivered on their promises. There are so many vitamin C serum’s on the market and honestly they are all vastly different in effectiveness, stability and how long they are effective/degrade.

The three I fell in love with and ACTUALLY helped reduce my melasma and hyperpigmentation were Goop, Hyper and Admire my skin. Hyper was effective yet not as aggressive. This one you would need to use for longer to start seeing the effects. The price point is pretty great ringing in at $36. Goop‘s vitamin c serum was defiantly active and tingly when applied. I would say I started seeing results in about 3 weeks after using. It does have a heftier price tag though ringing in at $125 (but worth it!).

Lastly Admire My Skin was the MOST effective (due to the inclusion of 2% hydroquinone) and I saw effects quickly within 2 weeks. It definitely packs a punch, so much so that one of my best friends uses it as a spot treatment only. I liked using it on my entire face and loved the results. Even better than the results though was the price tag ringing in at $24!!

I found adding the serums to be the most effective and fastest tool in reducing the hyperpigmentation on my face. They don’t totally remove it by any means but most definitely lightened it. I also used a vitamin C cleanser and brightening pads from Rodial in conjunction with the serums. The combination really brightened up my skin and brought back some of my glow that I felt had been dulled by summer sun.

While all of these over the counter treatments I found highly effective and reduced many of my dark spots, they didn’t totally remove the hyperpigmentation and melasma. From what my derm said and most of my in depth reading, it isn’t possible with topical at home treatments.

If you are looking for stronger effects you will want to look into in-office treatments from a dermatologist or medical spa. Now that the season has changed, it’s the perfect time to try out one of those treatments. IPL and chemical peels can be highly effective for hyperpigmentation and melasma.

Next in my quest for brighter skin with less hyperpigmentation will be testing out some of these in-office treatments!

xoxo,

Emily – Accessories Gal

The 2 Trends Everyone is Lusting Over for Summer!

Summer is here and though it is definitely a weird one, it doesn’t mean that we’re skipping my favorite season! I love summer for so many reasons including the beach, summer runs, outdoor dining, and just that glorious feeling of sun on your skin.

Shopping for my favorite season looked a little different this year though. I have mainly been buying pieces that feel more evergreen and will last me for a few seasons. That said, when the puff sleeve returned this season, I could not help myself! I LOVE a full sleeve or any sort of drama and wanted to add some fun to my wardrobe.

There are two trends that I keep seeing on repeat that I personally love and have loved for years, puff sleeves and smocking. There are so many ways to translate these details! But, as it’s summer, they are so perfect for a summer dress or matching separates!

This dress I picked up at H&M (similar here) paired perfectly with my new Bottega bag (birthday gift from my husband) and nude pointed toe mules from Ann Taylor. I loved this dress because it blended the two trends together so well with a puff sleeve and smocking throughout the entire bodice all the way to the low hip.

Shop my look:

This is just one way to translate the trend though! I pulled together a few of my favorite pieces for summer in all price ranges to rock this summer and into the fall.

Contemporary and luxury price point :

Budget and entry level price point:

I would love to hear from you all! Are you into the puff sleeve and smocking trend? What are you loving for summer?

xoxo,

Emily

The 2 Trends Everyone is Lusting Over for Summer!

Vitamins- What every woman should be taking, what’s BS and what’s worth the money!

Vitamins and supplements always seemed like a nice to have to me, but I NEVER knew what I should be taking! On top of that, there are so many options to choose from, how the heck do you know what’s right?

Instead of wandering around in the dark, I decided to seek some advice from Kristin of Warrior Woman Mode. Kristin specializes in wellness coaching for women. Whenever I am considering adding a supplement or vitamin to my diet, I head to Kristin for advice.

But I thought starting from scratch here would be helpful. I interviewed Kristin this week to get the down and dirty on what women should be taking to feel their best!

Here’s the scoop on why we should all be supplementing with vitamins and minerals:

Kristin: Nowadays, even when eating local and organic, food is less nutrient dense than it used to be. The hard-hitting added stressors—from your iPhone alarm and blue laptop lights to the beeps, bells, and whistles of our modern everyday life—increase our nutrient needs. All of us are typically working out more than the average, sedentary everyday person and exercise increases your need for further nutrients, too. We face tons of new toxins daily—in the air, in products, in our offices, and lives—and we need extra nutrients to push the toxins into our body’s detox pathways to help get rid of them. And, last, but certainly not least, even organic, local, well-sourced foods have way less nutritional value than our ancestors’ food had because agriculture has changed so much over time, and all these added stressors affect everything down to the soil our food grows in.
 

Adding nutritional supplements will:

  • Aid in muscle repair and recovery

  • Increase your energy

  • Boost immunity

  • Regulate blood sugar

  • Support cognitive function (You are most likely living with more brain fog than you need!)

  • Create antioxidative defense, which defend against all those free radicals! (Free radicals, by the way, are unstable molecules that can damage cells in your body that arise due to metabolic process, environmental toxins, and stress!)

What supplements/brands should every woman be taking?

EVERYWOMAN is hard to speak to given our physiological differences, but here are the basics in my opinion:

  • Amino Acids (EAAs) – especially if a woman works out

  • Magnesium

  • An adaptogen of some type -depends on desired outcome

  • MultiVitamin / Vitamin D

KRISTIN’S FAVE SUPPLEMENT BRANDS – Highly bioavailable, well-tested, and cleanly sourced.

Amino Acids

  • KION: This is what I take. Only available online from Kion or Amazon, and super bioavailable. These are all the essential amino acids (EAAs). Best to take these versus a mix of EAAs and BCAAs (branch chain amino acids) unless you know you personally need BCAAs.

Multi-Vitamin

  • The most comprehensive multivitamin and mineral supplement in easy to manage and take on-the-go packets I have found is Primal Master Formula.

  • Thorne 2-A-Day is also excellent, but with a few less fancy ingredients that cost more to source, and is priced at half the cost.

Magnesium

  • Responsible for over 600 systemic and cellular functions in the body

  • Tons of literature on mood boosting effects

  • Wonderful to regulate sleep, best to take with dinner or before sleep

Collagen

I use the unflavored kind so I can add to anything, usually to my a.m. coffee. This will support skin, hair, joint, nails, teeth, elasticity, repair, and recovery. It is an added source of clean protein and is always animal based (not vegan).

  • Bulletproof collagen is my go-to brand.

  • Vital Proteins has some great varieties and also a wild-caught marine sourced version if you only eat fish.

  • If you are need of some chocolatey shake goodness, have no fear, Primal Kitchen has made a chocolate coconut collagen fuel mix!

  • All of the above are sold at Erewhon and Whole Foods as well and usually at your local top-notch supplement shop.

ADAPTOGENS

  • Mushrooms: Reishi (relax and destress) and Cordyceps (pre-workout)

    • Brand: ALPHA DYNAMICS (Code: WELLPOWER gets them 10% off)

  • Rhodiola: Tons of research on mood boosting effects (I like Thorne Research)

  • ALGAE: (EnergyBits Brand VITALITY BITS: a mix of Spirulina and Chlorella) have protein, micro nutrients, Omega-3 healthy fat, detoxification and cell healing properties (Code: WELLPOWER gets them 20% off)

What are some nice to haves that help kick it up a notch?

  • Melatonin –

  • NAD – NAD+

  • L-Theanine / Cognetics Excel

What vitamin brands do you prefer?

  • Thorne Research

  • Primal Blueprint (Mark Sisson)

  • Alpha Dynamics

  • KION (Aminos)

  • Sea Buckthorn Wonders

  • Alitura

  • Cognetics

What should we be staying away from? Any vitamins that are total BS?

  • Amazon unknowns

  • Anything with fillers

  • Check for ‘cheapness’ – if you find something very cheap/significantly cheaper or knock off – chances are it could be counterfeit or poor substitute for the real thing

  • Gummy vitamins with sugar / RTD vit drinks / things that feel more like candy


What supplements are great for skin, aging, wrinkles?

  • Sea Buckthorn (skin and beauty WOW booster!!!)

  • Collagen

When should I be taking my vitamins?  Do I take them all together at once?  How do I know?

GREAT QUESTION! 

  • Fat soluble ones with food.

  • Timing does matter – especially with melatonin and magnesium

  • Adaptogens several times per day

  • Aminos – empty pre food pre workout

KRISTIN AND I WENT EVEN DEEPER THIS WEEK ON IGTV! WATCH FOR ALL THE DETAILS ON FEELING GOOD AND LOOKING GOOD!