September: 5 things I Love

1. Stress relief in a pot

Until two months ago, my sole experience with essential oils was limited to eucalyptus-scented steam saunas. Let say that I was missing out on pretty powerful stuff. A whole new world unraveled to me when I was given a couple of Puressentiel products. The French brand (that is crazy popular in France) is celebrating its 10-year anniversary by tackling the Canadian market. Their motto? Heal almost every ache through eco-friendly and cruelty-free aromatherapy.

I’m a busy girl so stress is part of my routine. Although I’m getting better at controlling it, sometimes, it’s just a lost cause. Thus, it was written in the stars that I would fall for two relaxing products: the Stress Roller and the Articulations and Muscles Roller.

The first one has to be applied inside each wrist. When a stressful moment occurs, you simply rub them together and take 10 deep breaths. It feels like if you’re simultaneously taking a bubble bath and stretching your entire body. All that relaxation is due to an intricate mix of lavender, white santal, neroli and vetiver. Yes, it smells crazy good.

The second one is a lot larger and is meant to be rubbed anywhere on the body where you feel pain. It eases the tension, just like a mini eucalyptus sauna.

2. Pay a visit to the Marché d’autome

More than finding all of your Christmas gifts, local fairs bring you closer to the people making those goods you love so much. This year’s Montreal public market newcomer: the Marché d’automne at the Grover building, located in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. Almost 20 fashion and accessory designers will open their ateliers’ doors to welcome you and charm you with their handmade (and discounted) creations. Shot gun on that chic leather bag by Martin Dhust and that sexy indie goddess kit by Sokoloff.

2025 Parthenais Street, from September 10 to 13

3. Meditation, here I come

It’s funny how we find time to scroll through our Instagram feed a hundred times a day or to watch another video of a cat rocking the keyboard, but we can hardly manage to take a minute to stop everything and relax. Then we complain we’re constantly tired and stressed out. That thought is usually followed by another video of a cat rocking the keyboard.

So this month I vow to start meditating. I used to do it during the most intense period of my life (aka Fashion Design at Lasalle College). My average night consisted of 4 hours of sleep. Meditating, if only 10 minutes, saved my brain from collapsing a couple of times. It felt like a two-hour nap done in 15 minutes.

If you too feel the need to unwind, my close friend Victoria Bauman, life coach and well-being extraordinaire, just did a video on how to tackle meditation if you’re a first-timer. It’s also very helpful if you need a simple reminder on how to get in the chillin’ groove.

4. Indulge in a fragrance by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

Francis Kurkdjian is a perfumery prodigy. At only 26 years old, he created the unforgettable Le Mâle for Jean Paul Gaultier. Since then, he’s worked with the most high-end houses: Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, and Narciso Rodriguez. No biggie.

I discovered his personal line, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, last fall when I was in Antwerp, wandering around a beautiful store called Graanmarkt 13. Mutliple shelves were dedicated to his work, so (obsviously) I almost got high smelling again and again all of his fragrances. If luxury had a scent, that’s exactly what it would smell like. My personal favorite: the unisex Oud collection. Like the name suggests, it is made from oud wood, one of the most expensive woods in the world. (No wonder it smells like heaven.) The tree itself comes from Asia and the singular smell is caused by a bacteria producing a type of resin, a phenomenon that is found in only 10% of those trees. Bottom line, it’s probably one of the rarest essences that could be used in a perfume.

Raise your hand if you want one.

5. Back to school with Business of Fashion

I’m going back to school. Sort of.

Business of Fashion, the absolute best media to read insightful articles about international fashion just launched an educational subsite. Amazing, right?! And the best part: it’s free.

You can take Fashion Marketing and Communications or Fashion Entrepreneurship classes by reading curated BoF articles. They even specify how much time it’s going to take you to read them all (that also depends on your ability to retain information. If you’re like me, you might have to multiply that number by three). Speaking of forgetting, you can’t remember what is a raglan sleeve or a lettuce hem? Head over to the Fashion A-Z section for a full list of the words you ought to know. Otherwise, you might end up like this.

 

Your turn! What are you excited about for September? Tell me in comment section below.