For anyone who has had to drive through Connecticut to get to to Newport, especially in the summer (but nowadays, year-round), you have my thoughts and prayers. Just this past weekend, I had to make a quick trip down to the DC area and have to carefully navigate travel times to avoid sitting in Connecticut traffic, which meant leaving at 4:30am (not awesome). For folks in the New York area and beyond, Tradewind Aviation is a dreamy solution with 35-minute scheduled flights that depart from Million Air White Plains Westchester County (HPN) and fly directly into Newport State Airport (NPT) — even better, you can arrive just 30 minutes before departure and relax in the lux lounge before departing directly to the aircraft.
I just wrote a story for Tradewind’s inflight magazine, Goodspeed, on
Newport’s own Brenda Brock, founder of clean beauty brand Farmaesthetics — but it wasn’t my first time. I’ve interviewed Brenda multiple times through the years for different publications, and it’s always a delight becuase she always has new wisdom to impart, new insights she’s acquired, and new adventures to share.
I stopped by the picture perfect (of course) Farmaesthetics pop-up shop at Sweet Berry Farm recently and it’s basically the dream she-shed full of good, clean skin care used to cleanse, exfoliate, hydrate, treat and tone. 
Their field-to-skin alchemy ensures each product is derived from certified organic herbs, flowers, oils & grains (and thus, everything – EVERYTHING – they make is all-natural, cruelty-free, and devoid of artificial preservatives, petroleum products, synthetic fragrances, dyes or talc). Here at this open-air, herbal oasis you’re welcome to to test and try their collection as you please.
On the hunt for something to give my face the added moisture needed to fight summer’s heat (and add a little dewiness), I asked Brenda’s daughter, Lela, to point me in the right direction. She did me right by recommending their Herbal Hydration Complex, an advanced, high level treatment mask formulated to
restore, support and maintain proper moisture levels while eliminating excess oil and boosting skin’s defense mechanisms against environmental damage. The sage-hued mixture can be used when skin is inflamed, irritated or imbalanced, but I used it to simply to treat my skin to a calming, beautifying natural reprieve in the hopes of adding a little summer glow. I’ve been using it for a few weeks now, and here are my best tips on how to get the most out of Farmaesthetics’ Herbal Hydration Complex.
- Open the product only when you’re ready to use it consistently. As fresh products with a shelf life, you want to maximize their effectiveness.
- The product feels a lot like a cooling gel, and its refreshing as soon as you put it on your face. After doing so, let it sit for 10 minutes or more. I tend to use it right after the shower and often let it sit much longer then 10 minutes before using a cold cloth to gently rinse it off.
- You can use it weekly, but I’ve been using it 2x – 3x a week.
- The Herbal Hydration Complex is $50, but a little goes a long way, so just tap your finger in the jar and spread the product all over your face. You can always add more. My skin always feels refreshed and “fed” after using it, and it’s compact enough that I tossed it in my travel tote last weekend (and for me, only must-haves make the travel cut).
Do I look 20 again? No. No product will do that. But my face feels hydrated, fresh, calm and quenched.
Read the article in Goodspeed here.
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