Bri Books

I’ve curated the 5 best beauty books (say that five times fast!) that I relied on this year. They’re a great starting place for digging deeper into something we all practice—caring for our body’s biggest organ, our skin—and a bit of natural health. Hope this inspires you to investigate what you’re using, and discover the ingredients you didn’t know you needed. Let me know what your skincare routine looks like at @bribookspod on Instagram and Twitter, and by using #bribooks while you listen! 

1. “The French Beauty Solution: Time-Tested Secrets to Look and Feel Beautiful Inside and Out” by Caudalie founder Mathilde Thomas (June 2015): Mathilde founded the skincare company Caudalie with her husband after taking inspiration from her family’s vineyard in Bordeaux. Not only is “The French Beauty Solution” filled with recipes, but it’s also filled with research about the composition of skin, how it changes over time, and how to care for it at every step of the way. I especially love chapter 5, “Your Skincare Ingredients,” where Mathilde teaches us how to decode skincare ingredient labels. (Link to “The French Beauty Solution”) 

2. “Plant-Based Beauty: Your Essential Guide to Detoxing Your Beauty Routine” by Jess Arnaudin (Sept. 2019): Jess moved to upstate New York after working and studying on an active farm, where she cultivated a deep appreciation for plants. “Plant-Based Beauty” book breaks down operates from the understanding that nature is the master chemist. (Link to “Plant-Based Beauty) 

3. “Wild Beauty: Wisdom and Recipes for Natural Self-Care” by Jana Blankenship. It’s more of a science-based resource that I revisit before investing in any skincare or new products. (Link to “Wild Beauty”) 

4. “Seeking Slow: Reclaim Moments of Calm in Your Day” by Melanie Barnes focuses on injecting a sense of slowness, purpose, gratitude, and reflection into every single day. (Link to “Seeking Slow”)

5. “Recipes for Self-Love: How to Feel Good in a Patriarchal World” by Alison Rachel is a balm for your soul. The recipes aren’t for food, but for something more sustaining…YOUR well-being. (Link to “Recipes for Self-Love”)

Here are the skin care products in my current rotation that I’m reaching for every day. 

AM skincare:

1. Cleanser:Body Shop Carrot Wash face cleanser, $10 (Body Shop) 
2. Toner: Heritage Stone Rose Water, $10 (Target) 
3. Essence/ Serum: Lumene Nordic C Glow Boost with Vitamin C Glow Boost Essence Serum, $25 (Target, Lumene)
4. Moisturizer: Caudalie Vinosource SOS Intense Moisturizing Cream, $42 (Caudalie, Sephora) 
5. Sunscreen: Neutrogena Helioplex SPF 70, $7 (Target), $12 (Ulta)

PM skincare

1. Cleanser #1: Farm to Skin by Patricia Walker Organic Retinoid Oil Cleanser, $48 (Farm to Skin)
2. Cleanser #2: Body Shop Carrot Wash face cleanser, $10 (Body Shop)
3. Mask: Glamglow Super Mud, $59 (Sephora, Glam Glow) 
4. Mask #2: Caudalie Instant Detox, $39 (Caudalie, Sephora)
5. Rosehip oil, $14 (Whole Foods)
6. Sisley Paris Black Rose Precious Face Oil, $235 (Sisley-Paris)

Brionna’s reviews on Glamour.com

1. Body Shop Carrot Wash face cleanser review
2. Sisley Paris Black Rose Precious Face Oil review 

Whether you're having a gloomy day or need something uplifting to watch in the background, here are the laugh-out-loud-worthy movies you need to revisit.

1. Devil Wears Prada 
2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off 
3. The Breakfast Club 
4. Moulin Rouge 
5. Matilda 
6. Coming to America 
7. 500 Days of Summer 
8. Harold and Maude 
9. Eve’s Bayou 
10. Atlantis: The Lost Empire 

I'm still smiling ear-to-ear after an evening spent shopping uber-chic French clothing brand Sézane's winter and holiday collections. I've loved attending readings, shopping experiences (and yoga!) at the Paris-based clothing brand's New York City's L’Appartement Sézane, and here's a look into the trends I spotted (and fell in love with) in Sézane's highly-curated winter and holiday collections. 

• The story of Sézane: The brand began in 2013 founded by Morgane Sealroy. Morgane started selling her vintage faves online and created "Les Composantes", then started filling in her vintage finds with pieces she designed herself. In 2017, Morgane founded DEMAIN to raise money for Pencils of Promise, La Voix de L'Enfant, Sports dans la Ville. 

Here are the vintage-inspired and retro-yet-ethereal trends I spotted from Sézane's exceptional Winter/Holiday 2019 collection. 

• • Season-agnostic silk and jacquard pieces were the stand-outs of the collection
  • Plum red, navy and gold were the eye-catching colors, along with tapered colorful trousers 
  • Jacquard trousers I tried on (Gustavo trousers, $190), jacquard blouse (Gabrielle blouse, $125) 
  • Tulle Misty Copeland-esque caramel tulle skirt I tried on (Masha skirt, $190) 
  • LBD meets rainbow (Doha dress, $190), so many gorgeous silky LBD pieces (Gabin dress, $200)
  • Victorian necklines (Maureen shirt, $125) and sleeves, pussy-bow dresses (Selena dress, $185), streamlined looks
  • High-neckline dresses (Eleanor dress, $150)

Go behind-the-scenes of my Sézane shopping adventure on @brionnajay Instagram Stories highlights, as well as the @bribookspod Instagram Stories highlights. Shop it up at Sézane site and obsess over the Sézane  feed on Instagram. 

I'm getting vulnerable AF for this episode of "Bri Books" briCember, and I'm sharing my personal journey with therapy--a 20-year-long relationship that's at the heart of my health. 

Resources: "Therapy for Black Girls" podcast and site for help finding a therapist, "Naptime is Sacred" podcast for fantastic storytelling by the ever-creative Fousia Abdullahi. 

Where does your therapy story begin? Tell me at @bribookspod on Instagram, Twitter, and bribookspod.com/newsletter. 

I'm revealing my “Pushing Past Procrastination” hacks:

• 2:00 - The 5 steps of recording “Bri Books,” procrastination-free 
• 4:45 - Pushing Past Procrastination Tip #1: Remember all the times you’ve done something from scratch, and it worked out. 
• 5:05 - Pushing Past Procrastination Tip #2: You're not creating for yourself, so don't let yourself get in the way.
• 6:25 - Pushing Past Procrastination Tip #3: Remember what it feels like to be on the other side.

Where are you procrastinating in your life? Tell me at @bribookspod on Instagram, Twitter, and bribookspod.com/newsletter. 

Today’s episode explores history, one drink at a time with Ashley Warren, co-host of The Kindred Spirit podcast. “the Kindred Spirit” covers everything from obscure cocktails (Monkey Gland, anyone?) to urban legends (who was the original Hot Toddy?) 

Primarily we dissect the cocktail book we’re both obsessed with, “Movers and Shakers: Women Making Waves in Spirits and Wine” by Hope Ewing

• 4:10 - Ashley’s “behind-the-bar” upbringing (her childhood house had a keg!) 
• 5:45 - #BriBook: “Movers and Shakers” by Hope Ewing, which dismantles the white, corporatized way that beer and drinking was packaged post-Prohibition. 
• 8:45 - How to get experimental? Play Bartender’s Choice and ask for a recommendation,  and always sit at the bar. “Sitting at the bar is a great way to not feel alone.” - Ashley Warren, “The Kindred Spirit” podcast
• 12:45: #BriBook: “The Please Don’t Tell Cocktail Book”, 1888 “Bartender’s Manual,” “Hoffer’s Brewing Guide,” “Savoy Cocktail Book,” “Imbibe,” “Drinking Like Ladies”
• 25:30 - How to get plugged into your local cocktail and spirits scene 

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Bri Books Top 5 Cookbooks of 2019 

1. Cooking for one (for yourself on a regular basis): “The Living Kitchen: Healing Recipes to Support Your Body During Cancer Treatment and Recovery” by Sarah Grossman and Tamara Green

2. Cooking for a crowd (two or more): “Cravings: Recipes for all the Food You Want to Eat” by Chrissy Teigen

3. Guest flex (for when it’s your turn to host it’s delicious and looks good): “Everyday Is Saturday: Recipes + Strategies for Easy Cooking, Every Day of the Week” by Sarah Copeland

4. Technique (how you present your food): “That Photo Makes Me Hungry: Photographic Food for Fun and Profit” by Andrew Scravini

5. What’s up next (new release) "Jubilee: Recipes From Two Centuries Of African American Cooking:” by Toni Tipton-Martin 

Pssst, check out my “How to Shop the Farmers Market” IGTV for more info about seasonal eating.

Follow @bribookspod on Instagram, Twitter, and bribookspod.com/newsletter

Welcome to #BriCember--31 days of daily podcasts, for the rest of the decade.

I was inspired and encouraged by podcasters Amanda Miller Littlejohn ("Package your Genius" pod) and Emma Gunavardhana ("The Emma Guns Show") to challenge myself to daily episodes. Nothing's off-limits--leave a review of the podcast and tell me what you want us to discuss! We'll chat my best beauty lessons learned this year, how I spend my money, wine favorites, what’s in my cookbook collection, my AM and PM skincare beauty routines, how I deal with procrastination, falling in love with vintage shopping, my favorite creators and podcasts, a few of the books I've read in 2019, and even my own career story. 

You can follow along with the conversation on Instagram and Twitter using #BriBooks. Subscribe to newsletter bribookspod.com/newesletter! The theme music is "One Way"  by Jenn Mundia, fall in love with her here: https://soundcloud.com/jennmundia

The Bri Books Summer 2019 Reading Experience is here! At the end of the episode, I share the curated list of books we'll be reading this summer as a Bri Books community. 

How can your bookshelf better reflect your values? Liana Rodriguez, a Bronx-based bibliophile, asked herself this question at the start of 2019. It led her to building her own personal library from scratch, full of narratives from diversified voices around the world instead of the cis-het White male writers of World Literature classes past.

While celebrating "Well Read Black Girl" book club founder Glory Edim's anthology, "Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Out Stories, Discovering Ourselves" at The Wing Soho in conversation with Uli from Subway Book Review, I met Liana Rodriguez. In this episode, we go deep on Liana's bookshelf project, the importance of author's life experiences and who is doing the writing, book purging, and how to get back into reading after falling off. We finish the episode with a walking tour of Liana's library. 

#BRIBOOKS SUMMER 2019 READING EXPERIENCE

1. "The Wedding Date" by Jasmine Guillroy
2. "The Other Americans" by Laila Lalami
3. "Beasts Made of Night" by Tochi Onyebuchi

Liana's reading recommendation: "The Midst of Winter" by Isabel Allende

Follow Liana's reading journeys on Instagram. 

You can follow along with the conversation on Instagram and Twitter using #BriBooks. Subscribe to newsletter bribookspod.com/newesletter!