Well, this is new and exciting!

(For me; hopefully for you, too)

Hi!

I moved my Thursday emails here because I think the growth of a medium like Substack, during a moment in which we’ve become accustomed to getting information in 3-second video clips, is pretty cool: as definitive as I can be with my proclamations, I think there’s always more to the story.

And I’m always up for an experiment. (Unless it’s on my face. As you’ll see, my suggestions will all be for things you can do without needles, knives, and lasers. No judgment — in skilled hands, these tools and technologies can be game-changers for a lot of people — but they’re just not for me. And, thankfully, there turns out to be a lot you can do without them.)

So, what will you find here? My straightforward-with-a-side-of-philosophy take on skincare and beauty, with occasional forays into health and wellness. It’s a take that’s informed by 20 years of experience in beauty retail, branding, and product development, but one that constantly evolves, too — because I will forever be a student of the world around me.

My goal: to help you choose products and tools for your own routines with greater confidence. Wherever I might meander, I hope you’ll find it illuminating, empowering, inspiring, and fun.

Thanks for joining me — let’s see where this takes us!
Dara

PS Next week: my first rule of skincare (if there has to be one).