TGIF: Some April Faves (Patreon)

Hello and happy Friday, Patrons! How is everyone doing this week? Allergies have ravaged my breathing system but other than that I'm doing pretty well! I realized my last favorites post was back in mid February so I thought it was about time for another little round up of things I've been liking. Here we go! In absolutely no particular order!

Ilia Bright Start Eye Cream: I saw this product used in a TikTok by someone who was showing off their incredibly extensive skin care routine and had incredible skin to show for it. So, I ordered it. Because that's how easily I am influenced. I am a marketer's dream. I had always used under eye cream that targeted puffiness and bags on account of I have been heavily conditioned to abhor any potential signs of baggage both physical and emotional. I hadn't ever given a thought to the darkness lurking under there. Until now! [Mufasa voice] everything the light touches...is our kingdom. Well, I have made my under eyes my kingdom! The light has touched them! And the light is expensive! Yeah, this stuff isn't cheap, so thank Mufasa I like it. It's creamy and light and smells nice and I think it does nice things for the shadowlands of my under eyes. I've been getting really into the Ilia makeup brand as a whole. They promote clean beauty products that are as much skincare as they are makeup. Come to think of it, I didn't put their mascara on this favorites list but it's fantastic. Definitely one of the top mascaras I've used in a while! Onwards!

 Lunya Washable Silk Sleep Mask: Okay this is another pricy thing that's gonna make you be like 'geez Grace when did you get expensive taste...and for a sleep mask?!?'. I know, I know, but I didn't I swear. I have a few things that I've spent money on that I treasure very deeply ... and this is one of them. I first found the Lunya company for their silky pajamas which are super cute and elegant and nice (maybe they even sponsored the podcast at one point? I don't remember 🧐) but at some point I ordered myself and Elliott these sleep masks and dear god I've never looked back. We're actually on our second pairs because I wore out the first one. And I even gave one to all the girls at our elopement because I love them so much. I don't know if it's the insanely comfortable silk, or the wide panel that covers your ears or what, but this sleep mask has been my savior for sleep. I travel with it everywhere and pack it up like it's some ridiculously sentimental heirloom passed down through generations of Helbigs. Cute!

An Essential Oil Diffuser: This is the one I ordered for myself off of Amazon months ago, but there's buttloads of diffuser options out there that come in all kinds of sizes, shapes, and aesthetics. I've had my diffuser for months but have gotten more into recently as I've become more aware of my sensitivity/response to smell. I had a therapist years ago that always had the smell of eucalyptus essential oils diffusing in her office and it immediately brought a sense of calm when I walked in the room. So I've been using a few drops of eucalyptus in this thing before I sit down to meditate or work on my laptop. It gives you more variety than a candle and, for me, I like the kinda gurgley white noise it makes while it's on. If you're into gentle gurgles this gal is for you.

Korres Santorini Grape Body Wash: Speaking of pleasant scents HOLY SHIT I LOVE THIS BODY WASH. I found this on Amazon when I was trying to find products similar to the Grown Alchemist brand and ohhhhh boyyyy I found a goldmine. At least for me. Maybe this isn't your cup of tea. Which is fine. Because it's not tea, it's body wash. And I don't even know if this smells like grape, but whatever smell this is, is fantastic. It's subtle and sweet and grape-ish maybe? Grape was always my favorite candy fruit flavor growing up even thought it notoriously never tasted like actual grapes. So it's likely that this body wash might not smell like actual grapes...but what about Santorini Grapes? I've been to Greece but I don't remember the smell of it's grapes. But if Greece's grapes smell like this then I will book a trip immediately and sniff sniff sniff. Mamma Mia, here we grape again! Okay, this is unraveling. I love this body wash. That's it.

The Mel Robbins Podcast: Mel is an author and motivational speaker and a self proclaimed thought leader in the world of motivation and self help. I started following Mel on Insta and then started listening to her podcast a few weeks ago and I've really enjoyed it. Fair warning, it can get a little cliche and cheesy and self-helpy, so I listen with grains of salt in my ears (I also pick and chose the episodes that speak more to me). But, as a host she's very self aware about the way she comes across and is dedicated to distilling science-backed information on a wide range of personal growth topics to the masses. She has interesting guests, from doctors, to decluttering professionals, to marketing experts etc. She has a background in radio, so she has a real easy way in how she speaks (a little Frasier Crane if you will). If you're looking for something to listen to that's unapologetically self help driven, here ya go!

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown: Y'all I broke my Brené Brown seal and finally read (listened to) one of her books. And I get the hype. I'm sure some of you have already read this one, it's from 2015 I think? But the whole thing felt just as relevant, if not more so, listening to it now. It's all about vulnerability, which has always been something I've struggled with, so I think I chose a great one of hers to start with. I particularly love how data driven her conclusions are. She's not some random Texas woman offering some fluffy Live Laugh Love type advice, she's a PhD researcher with endless hours of research to show the power of vulnerability. Big fan. I also loved listening to her read the audio version of her book, her cadence is a lot more conversational which helped my brain pay attention more consistently. I felt like I was in a discussion rather than on the receiving end of a lecture.

Blogilates Sculpt & Debloat Protein Powder (Ube Flavor): Look, you already know how much Mamrie and I love Blogilates, and all of the wonderful shit she creates and continues to send to us. But this protein powder she recently released is on another level. I don't know what kind of witch craft she put in this Ube Ice Cream flavor but shit god damn it's so delicious. My entire mouth is full of sweet teeth and this flavor tips the scale of delicious sweetness. If you aren't into sweets this might be a little overkill for you, but if you're a sweets raccoon like I am, then this is your jam. I mix a scoop with banana, frozen strawberry, and oat milk and it tastes like I'm eating some kind of reward I was allowed to get because I got good grades. Nothing about it feels healthy whatsoever, but it IS. And I love that absolutely confusing paradox.

@SadSkellys: SadSkellys is an artist I found on Insta a while back and I recently treated myself to something from her Etsy shop and I absolutely love it! She's got a perfect blend of surreal uplifting sadness. Her Etsy store looks a little low on prints at the moment but if you follow her insta she'll likely update you on the art progress. I just love the gentle trippy anxiety that layers in her work. It's almost like if Lisa Frank actually took some mushrooms 🤪. Big fan!

Alright that's all I got for you today! Sorry for the abrupt ending but I gotta run and get ready for my date with DreamPhone destiny! Hope to see you at the livestream! Thanks, as always, for being here! 💚G