LaMalconttenta is a spanish brand by designer Lydia de la Piñera, who is one of those multi-talented people who illustrates, makes jewellery, ceramics and prints. you can buy all these sweet things at her online shop.
I studied graphic design artistic photography and digital media. However, I was always enjoyed the handcrafting process, that’s the reason why I Decided to mix design and traditional handcraft to tell her stories. The philosophy of The Malconttenta is to enjoy old traditions, nature, and share it with people.
i’m sitting here, early morning in cape town, with my cup of coffee… and a face mask on. i love this time of day. most people are still sleeping and i feel like i have a secret few hours to just sit in the quiet and do whatever i want. hence the face mask, everyone does their weird personal rituals when they find themselves alone, right? think secret single behaviour.
so i came upon natural skincare range Morning Calm on just such a morning, and in light of my recent skin post i thought i’d continue sharing sweet beauty finds like this. handmade by creator Hwasoon Kim, who is from Korea but now based in Florida, the range was born from the need to care for her own sensitive skin.
I have struggled for a long time to find the right skin care products for myself and for my mom. Because we both have very sensitive combination skin, and are allergic to many synthetic ingredients. After going through many different natural cosmetic books, aromatherapy books, and Asian traditional herbal care books, I started experimenting with lotions, toners, cleansing oils, lip balms, nourishing creams and so many other things alone. One year self-taught, researching and experimenting, then I finished several expert courses in cosmetic and soap making in Korea.
she makes soaps, cleansing oils, lip balms, natural deodorant – all with homegrown herbs, Korean clays, and local organic products. you can buy online at her website or etsy store. i love her sweet, simple packaging.
Blush is a fashion brand by Tel Aviv based Sheryll Raz Gold that sells wonderfully simple, single colour garmets on Etsy. her dresses and tops come in a range of hues, from blush to black to blue to yellow to red - the kind of clothes that i would buy one piece of in every colour.
i came upon the clothing of Zoé G Kocsis on Etsy, a Montreal based fashion designer & student who makes comfortable outfits that are defined by “simplicity, softness & durability”, made from natural materials like wool, linen & cotton. her small shopable collection is called week-end.
Lilian of online shop BFGF (boyfrengirlfren) shared this amazing collaboration with me that she did with Mary Eleanor Wallace, the owner of Chicago based shop Tusk. the photos were shot by Lillian and her husband Daniel, who are collaborating on some interesting projects under the name Ola Onda. says Lilian,
Tusk is a curated shop based in Chicago selling vintage and handmade items. They have been featured in Elle US and Daily Candy. BFGF is a small online shop that I stock using new, recycled and self created material. For this project Mary Eleanor Wallace the owner of Tusk mailed me vintage clothing and fabric with great patterns to rework into one of a kind tops.
i traversed the deep, dark corners of Etsy to find some cool gift ideas for you. it’s one of the few places that i regularly purchase from as an international buyer. talking directly to the shop owner is convenient, and you can sometimes ask them to leave the price off the package to avoid customs charges (sneaky tip). this is of course only a drop in the ocean of what’s available, they have some pretty cool gift guides themselves, so it’s a nice place to do holiday shopping. support the little guy!
