Why Does Some Perfume Give You a Headache? What a Fragrance Founder Wants You to Know

Perfume is deeply personal. A scent that feels effortless on one person can feel completely overwhelming on another, and for some, that difference can come with an actual headache.

Octavia Morgan knows that experience firsthand. Before founding Octavia Morgan Los Angeles, the former hospice and palliative care nurse began developing sensitivities to certain fragrances, which changed the way she thought about scent, formulation, and what performance in fragrance should actually feel like.

We spoke with Morgan about why some perfumes can feel more triggering than others, what “clean” fragrance does and doesn’t tell you, and how she thinks about creating scent with presence without letting it take over. We also got into her newest launch, ROOM 33, and where it fits within the world she’s building.

In Conversation with Octavia Morgan

You were a registered nurse before moving into fragrance. How did that background influence the way you thought about ingredients, sensitivity, and what you wanted your own fragrance brand to stand for?

Being a Hospice and Palliative Care Registered Nurse shaped so much of how I think about fragrance. I worked closely with patients and families during incredibly sensitive moments, and I became very aware of how our environment including scent can affect how people feel

I also have my own sensitivity to certain fragrances, so when I started Octavia Morgan Los Angeles, I knew I wanted to approach fragrance differently. I wanted beautiful, luxurious scents, but I also wanted intentionality behind the formulation. Clean and cruelty-free became non-negotiables for me. I wanted to create fragrances that could have presence without feeling like they had to overpower a room.

My nursing career taught me to listen, observe and lead with empathy. I still bring those principles into everything I create.

When someone says perfume gives them a headache, what have you learned from your own experience and years developing fragrance about why that happens, and what factors tend to make one scent more triggering than another?

I always start by believing the person. Fragrance is incredibly personal, and people can respond very differently to the exact same scent.

From my own experience, I learned that it isn't necessarily as simple as identifying one “bad” ingredient. The intensity of the fragrance, how much is applied, the environment you're wearing it in, and the overall composition can all influence the experience. Certain scent profiles may also be more challenging for an individual than others.

That is why I encourage people who know they are fragrance-sensitive to discover fragrance slowly. Start with a small amount, experience it on your skin, and pay attention to how you feel rather than assuming that because everyone else loves a fragrance, it will work for you.

And if fragrance consistently causes headaches or other symptoms, that's something worth discussing with a healthcare professional rather than trying to diagnose through a perfume label.

When a perfume feels overwhelming, what is usually happening from a fragrance perspective? Is it more about projection, concentration, certain notes, the way ingredients are layered, or some combination of all of those things?

It can absolutely be a combination.

People often assume concentration alone determines whether a fragrance will feel overwhelming, but fragrance is more nuanced than that. Projection, dosage, the materials being used, how those materials interact, and even where you're wearing the fragrance can affect the experience.

I think of fragrance almost like music. You can have many instruments playing together beautifully without any single one screaming for attention. That's what I'm looking for when we develop a fragrance. I want complexity and longevity, but I also want balance.

Luxury doesn't have to mean loud.

Natural versus synthetic is another area where consumers hear a lot of conflicting information. Is it a mistake to assume a naturally derived fragrance will automatically be easier for a sensitive person to wear? What do you think about that distinction when you formulate?

Yes. “Natural” doesn't automatically mean that something will be better tolerated by every person, just as “synthetic” doesn't automatically mean something is harmful.

Natural fragrance materials contain chemical constituents too, and an individual can be sensitive to naturally derived materials. High-quality synthetic materials can also be incredibly important to modern perfumery. They can give a perfumer precision, consistency and creative possibilities that aren't always achievable with natural materials alone.

For me, the conversation is less about natural versus synthetic and more about thoughtful formulation, ingredient standards, balance and transparency. I don't believe consumers should be taught to fear an ingredient simply because of where it comes from.

“Clean fragrance” is everywhere now, but the term can mean very different things from brand to brand. What do you think consumers should actually be asking instead of simply looking for the word “clean”?

I think consumers should ask, “What does clean mean to this brand?”

That's the important question because there isn't one universal definition being used across the entire beauty industry.

Look beyond the marketing language. What standards has the brand established? What ingredients or practices does it prioritize or avoid? Is it transparent about its philosophy? Does it explain why those decisions were made?

At Octavia Morgan Los Angeles, clean fragrance is part of a larger philosophy that includes being vegan, cruelty-free and intentional about how we formulate. But I also think brands have a responsibility to communicate what their terminology means rather than expecting one word on a package to tell the entire story.

You just launched ROOM 33, which we love. What made ROOM 33 the fragrance you wanted to create next?

ROOM 33 came from wanting to create a fragrance that felt like entering a private world.

There is something intriguing about a hotel room—the anonymity, intimacy, anticipation and the idea that for one night, you can become whoever you want to be. I wanted to capture that feeling in fragrance.

ROOM 33 opens with pear and pink peppercorn, moves into tuberose, and settles into blond wood and amber. It's sensual, but it doesn't reveal everything immediately. It draws you closer.

That's why our invitation is simply: Step Inside ROOM 33.

When you picture the person wearing ROOM 33, who are they? What do you imagine about their energy, style, or the way they move through a room?

They don't need to announce themselves.

There's an effortless confidence about them. They understand that presence isn't necessarily about being the loudest person in the room. Sometimes it's about the person everyone notices without quite knowing why.

Their style is polished but personal. They're sensual without trying too hard. There's also a little mystery there. You may meet them and immediately want to know more.

ROOM 33 is that energy in a bottle. SHOP ROOM 33 HERE

How does ROOM 33 sit alongside the rest of your collection? Where does ROOM 33 sit for you personally?

Every fragrance in our collection has its own personality, but they're connected by intentionality, layering and emotional connection.

MIDNIGHT ORCHARD has this warm, decadent quality. DARK ROSE is deeper and provocative. VANILLIN SUPREME explores vanilla in a more sophisticated and unexpected way. LEGENDARY has an especially personal history because it connects directly to my time as a nurse.

ROOM 33 introduces another side of the house. It's intimate, sensual and transportive. It feels like an evolution of where Octavia Morgan Los Angeles is today while still being unmistakably part of our fragrance language.

Personally, ROOM 33 represents stepping into the next chapter. There is something very special about creating a fragrance at this stage of the brand, after everything I've learned as both a founder and a perfumer.

Which fragrance in your collection feels most like a reflection of you, and what about it feels the most personal?

LEGENDARY. It will always have a deeply personal connection to me because its story goes back to my life as a Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse. I wanted something I could wear in that environment that felt polished and sophisticated without dominating the space around me.

LEGENDARY has amber, cocoa and vanilla layered with cedar, spices, musk, sandalwood, papyrus and cardamom. It's warm, grounded and quietly confident.

In many ways, it represents both chapters of my life the nurse I was and the fragrance founder I became. My career changed, but the intention behind what I do never really did. I still want to create something that makes people feel seen, considered and cared for.

The post Why Does Some Perfume Give You a Headache? What a Fragrance Founder Wants You to Know appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

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The Chicken Salad You’ll Actually Want to Meal Prep

Chicken salad has been back in the spotlight, showing up in chopped versions, piled onto toast and scooped straight from the bowl with crackers. It is nostalgic, easy to make ahead and endlessly adaptable, but the best versions still need enough brightness and texture to keep things interesting.

Rachel Mansfield’s version understands the assignment. The cookbook author, founder of the kids’ snack brand cadootz and recipe creator has built a following of more than 1.5 million by making healthyish food feel practical, family friendly and genuinely delicious. Her staple chicken salad from More, Please! is creamy, bright and just tangy enough from Dijon mustard. It also gets even better after a night in the fridge. Serve it with crackers, pile it onto sourdough or tuck it into lettuce wraps and consider lunch handled.

MEAL-PREP-WORTHY CHICKEN SALAD

Images and text with permission from More, Please! by Rachel Mansfield, photography by Lauren Volo. Published by S&S/Simon Element.

MAKES ABOUT 5 CUPS
Gluten free

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, plus more as needed, 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, dill, and/or chives (optional, but I am team chives!), 3 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts), 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 3 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken, such as Jordan’s Foolproof Spatchcock Chicken (page 109) or store-bought rotisserie chicken, 1 cup diced celery, 1/2 cup chopped cooked turkey bacon, 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, herbs, scallions, Dijon, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken, celery, turkey bacon, and almonds and use a silicone spatula to combine. Add more yogurt if desired, plus additional salt and pepper as needed.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Serve on your favorite bread or in wraps, use in lettuce wraps, or on a bed of arugula or other mixed greens, topped with avocado, tomato, and any other fixings you like. My personal go-to: a toasted everything bagel, a scoop of chicken salad, Pickled Red Onions, and arugula—boom!

The post The Chicken Salad You’ll Actually Want to Meal Prep appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

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How to Choose the Best Castor Oil: 4 Things to Look for Before You Buy

If your algorithm has recently suggested putting one sticky amber oil on your face, scalp, brows, cuticles and stomach, you have officially met castor oil.

Once an old school beauty and wellness staple, castor oil is suddenly everywhere again, along with a growing shelf of bottles promising to be “pure,” “premium” and “natural.” The catch is that those words do not actually tell you much about what is inside.

At its simplest, castor oil is oil pressed from the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant. But where those seeds come from, how the oil is extracted, how it is tested and even the bottle it sits in can make a meaningful difference.

To explore those details, we spoke with the team behind Elham’s Castor Oil about how they source, test and bottle their own product. Below, we break down what shoppers can look for, using the brand’s approach as an example.

So before another bottle earns permanent real estate in your bathroom, here are four things actually worth checking.

First Things First: What the Heck Is Castor Oil?

Castor oil is a thick botanical oil pressed from castor beans, and if you have never used it before, the texture is probably the first thing you will notice. It is richer, stickier and much more substantial than the lightweight facial oils you may already have in your routine.

Its signature fatty acid is ricinoleic acid, which makes up the majority of castor oil’s fatty acid profile and gives the oil much of its distinctive feel. That richness is why people reach for it for dry skin, scalp care, brows, cuticles, heels, massage and longer rituals like castor oil packs.

A few drops can go a long way. Most people use it strategically rather than splashing it everywhere: pressed into dry skin at night, worked into the scalp before washing, massaged into rough areas or used with a cotton pack for a slower self care ritual.

The resurgence has also brought plenty of ambitious claims along with it, from hair growth to detoxification and hormone balance. Some have more evidence behind them than others. Before getting swept up in what castor oil is supposedly going to do, it is worth starting with something more useful: is the bottle you are buying actually a high quality oil?

4 Things to Look for

+ Start With Purity and Traceability

Flip the bottle over before you look at anything else. A pure castor oil should have a very short ingredient list. Ideally, there is only one ingredient: Ricinus communis, or castor seed oil, with no added fragrance, fillers or unnecessary additives.

Purity is only part of the equation, though. It is also worth asking where the oil comes from and whether the brand can tell you how it was produced. As the Elham team puts it, “premium” or “pure” language without an origin or process behind it is one of the biggest things to question.

When comparing bottles, look for three basic pieces of information: what is actually in the oil, where it comes from and how it was extracted. A transparent brand should be able to answer all three rather than relying on vague claims.

This is where Elham starts to separate itself from a shelf of bottles that can otherwise look very similar. Its ingredient list stops at one: Ricinus communis seed oil. The oil comes from an organic farm in India and is manufactured in small batches in the United States, with no fillers, added fragrance or additives. Nothing particularly flashy, which is exactly the point.

+ Look Beyond the Word “Tested”

“Tested” sounds reassuring, but the more useful question is: tested for what?

Plenty of products use testing as a vague quality claim. Elham can tell you what that testing actually includes, which is where the distinction becomes more meaningful. The oil it sources is evaluated for freshness, identity, microbial safety and heavy metals.

For freshness, the brand tests peroxide value, free fatty acids and acid value. These measures can help show how oxidized or broken down an oil has become, and Elham says all three met specification at the time of testing.

The oil is also tested for its fatty acid profile. Castor oil is naturally dominated by ricinoleic acid, and Elham’s testing showed it at approximately 90%, within the expected range. That number itself is not what makes the oil special. Ricinoleic acid is naturally the dominant fatty acid in castor oil. What matters is having testing that helps verify the identity and composition of what is actually going into the bottle.

Microbial testing covers total bacterial counts, yeast and mould, along with organisms including E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas and Candida. Heavy metal testing includes lead, arsenic and mercury. According to the brand, the oil met the specified limits in each category.

Elham says its fatty acid and chemical testing follows AOCS methods used to analyze fats and oils, while microbial testing follows ISO methods.

For us, that level of specificity is more useful than another “premium” badge on the front of a bottle. If a brand says its oil is tested, it should be able to tell you what was tested, how it was tested and why it matters.

When comparing bottles, look for a brand that can explain what its testing covers and what the results mean for the oil you are buying.

+ Pay Attention to How the Oil Is Extracted

You will see “cold pressed” on plenty of wellness products, but with castor oil it is worth understanding what the term actually means.

Cold pressing uses mechanical pressure to extract oil from the castor seed rather than relying on a solvent extraction step. Elham’s oil is cold pressed and hexane free.

Hexane is a petroleum derived solvent that can be used during commercial oil extraction to pull more oil from plant material. If avoiding solvent extraction is important to you, look specifically for cold pressed and hexane free rather than assuming a label that says “pure” tells you how the oil was made.

The larger lesson here is transparency. A brand should be able to explain how its oil got from a seed to the bottle sitting in your hand. If the extraction method is nowhere on the label or website, that is worth asking about.

Elham makes that information easy to find, which is an admittedly unglamorous detail that becomes much more compelling once you realize how little the word “pure” tells you on its own.

+ Freshness and Packaging Matter More Than You Think

Buying a good oil is one thing. Keeping it that way is another.

Every botanical oil changes over time. Exposure to oxygen, light and heat contributes to oxidation, and as that process continues, an oil can eventually become rancid. You may notice that as a change in smell, color or overall character.

Castor oil is relatively stable compared with many other botanical oils, but it is not indestructible. How it is processed, bottled, shipped and stored still matters.

Fresh castor oil should have a relatively light, neutral scent. If a bottle develops a sharp, stale smell reminiscent of old crayons, or noticeably darkens, it may be past its best.

Packaging helps here. Dark glass protects the oil from light, one of the factors that can accelerate oxidation.

Elham bottles its oil in amber glass and produces it in small batches. According to the brand, bottles typically ship within about a month of production. That may not sound as exciting as a sweeping wellness promise, but for an ingredient that changes over time, knowing your bottle has not been sitting around indefinitely is arguably much more useful.

Once you have it at home, keep the cap tightly closed and store the bottle somewhere cool and dry, away from direct sunlight and heat. Your sunny bathroom windowsill may look pretty, but your castor oil would prefer somewhere less photogenic.

So, What Actually Makes One Castrol Oil Worth Choosing Over Another?

Elham brings the four criteria together: a single ingredient sourced from an organic farm in India, cold pressing without hexane, detailed testing and small batch production with amber glass packaging. Those are concrete reasons to consider it when comparing bottles.

If you’re looking for a rich oil for dry areas, cuticle care or massage, Elham’s combines that everyday versatility with the sourcing and testing details outlined above. Shop Elham’s Castor Oil with code TCM15 for 15% off.

Once You Have a Good Castrol Oil How Do You Actually Use It?

One reason castor oil has endured for so long is its versatility. Its rich texture works especially well for nighttime skin rituals, targeted moisture and massage, and because it is so thick, a little really does go a long way.

For the face, neck and chest: Elham recommends pressing two to four drops into damp skin after cleansing, usually at night as the final step in your routine. On the body, massage a small amount into damp skin after showering, especially over elbows, knees, heels and other areas that tend to run dry.

For hands, nails and cuticles: Work a drop into the cuticles and nail beds before bed. For feet, warm a little between your palms, massage it into the heels and soles and follow with socks.

It can also be used as a makeup remover by massaging a small amount over dry skin and wiping it away with a warm, damp cloth, taking care to keep it out of the eyes.

For brows: Brush a tiny amount through the hairs with a clean spoolie. Castor oil is often associated with brow and lash growth online, but conditioning hair and actually stimulating new growth are not the same thing. Think of it first as a conditioning ritual rather than a miracle serum.

Its thicker consistency also works well for massage. Warm a little between your hands and work it into the shoulders, neck, calves, hands or anywhere you want to spend a few extra minutes winding down.

And What About Castor Oil Packs?

If you have been seeing castor oil packs everywhere lately, you are not imagining it.

A castor oil pack keeps the oil in contact with the skin for an extended period while helping contain the inevitable mess that comes with using a very thick oil. Elham recommends pouring about one tablespoon onto the soft organic cotton side of the pack, or around two tablespoons the first time to prime the fabric.

Place the pack against the desired area with the protective outer layer facing outward. Beginners can start with about 30 to 60 minutes, three to five times per week, rather than assuming more is automatically better.

Elham also makes a reusable pack with an unbleached organic cotton inner layer and a protective outer layer, which gives all that oil somewhere to go other than your favorite sheets.

The most useful way to think about a castor oil pack is as a longer topical ritual. Claims around “detoxing” organs, balancing hormones or treating medical conditions have traveled much faster online than the clinical evidence behind them, so we would not choose a castor oil based on those promises alone.

Choose it based on the things you can actually evaluate: ingredient purity, sourcing, extraction, testing, freshness and packaging.

Whether you're incorporating castor oil into your skincare routine or exploring castor oil packs, you can shop Elham's collection here.

A Few Safety Notes Before You Start

Castor oil should be used topically on intact skin, not on open wounds or broken skin. Patch testing first is smart, particularly if you have reactive or sensitive skin, and you should stop using it if irritation develops.

Keep the oil out of the eyes. If you are pregnant, Elham recommends avoiding castor oil over the abdomen or lower back and checking with your healthcare provider before incorporating it into your routine. Anyone managing a medical condition should also speak with their healthcare provider before using topical wellness practices as part of that condition’s care.

The bigger takeaway is simple: when shopping for castor oil, skip the biggest promises and look for the most specific answers. With a single ingredient product, how it was sourced, made, tested and stored is the story.

The post How to Choose the Best Castor Oil: 4 Things to Look for Before You Buy appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

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Can You Pass These 6 Mobility Tests? What They Reveal About How Well You’re Aging

How well are you aging? Your daily movements may offer clues beyond what a birthday or fitness tracker can tell you. Strength, balance, flexibility and the way your body responds to physical effort all play a role in staying active and independent over time. To explore what these abilities reveal, we turned to Sakda Sangduan, Certified Personal Trainer and Corrective Specialist at RAKxa Integrative Wellness, whose functional fitness approach looks at how the body performs in everyday life. Below, Sakda breaks down the assessments, what each measures and simple ways to build better movement habits.

RAKxa’s Functional Fitness Assessment (FFA) goes beyond how you feel to examine six key areas of physical function: single-leg strength, balance and reaction time, upper-body control, trunk mobility, cardiovascular capacity, and flexibility. Together, these assessments give the team at RAKxa a clearer picture of how your body moves today, helping them tailor exercise and everyday movement recommendations to your needs.

Mobility Test 1: Single-Leg Strength (Leg Press)

What It Is and How to Do It

Using the leg press equipment, each leg is assessed to understand lower-body strength and identify any differences between the left and right sides

What It Measures

It measures single leg strength and lower body functional capacity, particularly the muscles that support everyday movements such as standing up, climbing stairs, and walking

What the Results Tell Us About Aging

Maintaining lower-body strength becomes increasingly important as we age because it supports mobility, stability and independence. The assessment can also highlight strength differences between the two sides of the body that may affect movement quality over time.

How to Improve It

Practise controlled sit-to-stands from a chair, gradually progressing to a lower chair or adding resistance as strength improves.

Mobility Test 2: HUBER Balance Test – Balance, Mobility & Brain Reaction

What It Is and How to Do It

The HUBER assessment uses an interactive platform to challenge the body's ability to maintain control and respond to changing movement demands. The participant follows guided movements or targets while maintaining their balance and body position.

What It Measures

It assesses balance, coordination, mobility and reaction, including how effectively the brain and body work together during movement.

What the Results Tell Us About Aging

Balance and reaction can gradually decline with age. Assessing them can provide insight into how effectively the body responds to changes in position and maintains stability, both of which are important for confident movement and reducing fall risk as we get older.

How to Improve It

Practise single-leg standing near a stable support, beginning with short holds and gradually increasing the duration as balance improves.

Mobility Test 3: Core & Shoulder Stabiliser – Upper-Body Control

What It Is and How to Do It

This assessment challenges the participant to maintain a stable trunk and shoulder position while performing controlled movements or resisting external forces.

What It Measures

It looks at core stability, shoulder stability and upper-body control, including how well different muscle groups work together to maintain posture and controlled movement.

What the Results Tell Us About Aging

Good core and shoulder stability helps us maintain posture, control and efficiency in everyday movements. Reduced stability may lead the body to compensate by relying more heavily on other muscles or joints, which can contribute to discomfort or inefficient movement over time.

How to Improve It

Try a wall plank: place your hands against a wall, keep the body aligned and gently engage the core while maintaining stable shoulders. Progress gradually as control improves.

Mobility Test 4: Torso Rotation Test – Trunk Mobility

What It Is and How to Do It

The participant rotates the upper body in a controlled manner while the assessment measures the body's ability to rotate through the trunk.

What It Measures

It assesses trunk rotation and mobility, helping identify restrictions or differences between the left and right sides.

What the Results Tell Us About Aging

The ability to rotate comfortably is important for many everyday activities, from walking and reaching to turning around and getting in and out of a car. Reduced trunk mobility may indicate stiffness or movement compensations that can affect how efficiently the body moves.

How to Improve It

Try a gentle seated thoracic rotation: sit upright with your feet planted, slowly rotate the upper body to one side without forcing the movement, return to centre and repeat on the other side.

Mobility Test 5: Cardiovascular Assessment – Cardiovascular Capacity

What It Is and How to Do It

The participant performs a controlled cardiovascular exercise while their body's response to physical effort is assessed. The intensity is adjusted appropriately to the individual's ability.

What It Measures

It evaluates cardiovascular capacity and endurance—essentially, how effectively the body responds to and sustains physical activity.

What the Results Tell Us About Aging

Cardiovascular capacity is an important part of maintaining energy, endurance and the ability to remain physically active and independent as we age. The results can help determine an appropriate level of cardiovascular training for the individual.

How to Improve It

Start with regular brisk walking at a comfortable pace and gradually increase the duration or intensity as cardiovascular fitness improves.

Mobility Test 6: Flexibility Test – Range of Motion

What It Is and How to Do It

The participant performs a series of controlled movements designed to assess how comfortably key joints and muscle groups can move through their available range.

What It Measures

It assesses flexibility and range of motion, helping identify areas of tightness, restriction or imbalance.

What the Results Tell Us About Aging

Flexibility can gradually decrease with age, inactivity or repetitive movement patterns. Maintaining an appropriate range of motion can help support comfortable everyday movement, posture and overall movement quality.

How to Improve It

Introduce gentle daily mobility and stretching, focusing particularly on areas identified as restricted during the assessment. Consistency is more important than forcing a deeper stretch.

The post Can You Pass These 6 Mobility Tests? What They Reveal About How Well You’re Aging appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

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Meghan Markle Just Turned Her Montecito Home Into a Chocolate Advent Calendar

Some people count down to Christmas with tiny chocolates. Meghan Markle, naturally, is doing things a little differently.

Meghan just launched the first-ever Advent calendar from her lifestyle brand, As ever, and it might be her most Montecito holiday drop yet. Created with celebrated Los Angeles chocolatier Compartés, the limited-edition calendar takes inspiration from Meghan’s own Montecito home and garden, reimagining it for the holidays and filling it with 24 handcrafted chocolates.

And yes, it’s very cute.

A Little Piece of Montecito for Christmas

The keepsake calendar is essentially a miniature illustrated version of Meghan and Prince Harry’s California home dressed up for the holidays. Look closely and you’ll spot palm trees, greenery and even the family’s chickens, all little nods to the Montecito life that has become such a big part of the As ever world.

Behind each door is a handcrafted Compartés chocolate, with flavors pulling directly from both California and some of As ever’s most recognizable pantry staples. Think Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry and Orange Marmalade, plus a special chocolate finished with Meghan’s signature Flower Sprinkles and one of Compartés’ rich dark chocolate ganache truffles.

Even the countdown itself gets the Meghan treatment. Each chocolate is finished with a number written in Meghan’s own penmanship and hand-painted in edible gold luster. Because apparently even Advent calendar numbers can be chic.

It’s a small detail, but also exactly the sort of personal touch that makes the collaboration feel less like two brands putting their names on a box and more like an extension of the world Meghan has been building around As ever.

Christmas Planning Started in June

If you’ve ever wondered how early people start working on holiday launches, the answer, at least in Meghan’s world, is while the rest of us are still thinking about summer.

To celebrate the launch, Meghan shared a behind-the-scenes video on Instagram taking followers back to June, when she and Compartés Creative Director and Chief Chocolatier Jonathan Grahm were already working on the calendar.

The video shows the two riding around Montecito together in a golf cart, along with early sketches of the calendar as the idea began taking shape. Meghan’s black Labrador, Pula, also makes an appearance carrying an As ever jam jar plush toy, which feels appropriately on brand for the occasion.

The collaboration makes sense for the two Los Angeles-rooted brands. Compartés has been making chocolate in LA for generations and has become known for turning chocolate into something decidedly more playful, with unexpected flavors and highly giftable packaging. For As ever, whose universe already revolves around things like fruit spreads, honey, tea, wine, candles and Meghan’s Flower Sprinkles, chocolate feels like a pretty natural place to go next.

And rather than simply putting those existing flavors into a holiday box, the calendar ties the whole As ever aesthetic together: California produce, flowers, entertaining, gifting and, of course, Montecito.

One Very Meghan Holiday Gift

There’s something undeniably charming about turning your own house into an Advent calendar, particularly when the doors open to chocolate.

The whole thing feels very much in step with the cozy, slightly nostalgic approach to entertaining and gifting Meghan has made central to As ever: something beautiful enough to leave out, personal enough to feel special and, most importantly, filled with something you actually want to eat.

At $148, it’s certainly positioned as a luxury holiday gift, but the keepsake design also makes it more than a box of chocolates destined for the recycling bin on December 25. Once all 24 doors have been opened, the miniature Montecito moment can stick around.

The As ever x Compartés 2026 Holiday Advent Calendar is available to shop exclusively at As ever for $148. Quantities are limited, with preorders expected to begin shipping in early November.

Consider our December countdown officially upgraded.

The post Meghan Markle Just Turned Her Montecito Home Into a Chocolate Advent Calendar appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

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Inside Ariana Grande’s New Ballet-Inspired Beauty Collection

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Soft pinks, romantic shimmer, and a fresh take on ballet-inspired beauty. Ariana Grande’s latest r.e.m. beauty collection is making a case for a little more playfulness in our makeup routines.

Ariana Grande has always had a thing for a little drama, especially when it comes to beauty. Her vegan, cruelty-free makeup brand, r.e.m. beauty, brings that same playful spirit to its latest launch, the En Pointe collection. Inspired by the romantic world of ballet, it pairs soft pinks and luminous finishes with makeup designed to bring a little more fun to getting ready.

Balletcore may have been around for a few seasons, but this collection feels like a fresh interpretation of the trend. Think flushed cheeks, softly shimmering eyes, and glossy lips. It's feminine and nostalgic without feeling overly precious, and surprisingly easy to work into an everyday beauty routine.

Here's what caught our eye from the collection.

The Prima Palette

The centerpiece of the collection, The Prima Palette ($44), features six shades in a mix of matte and duochrome finishes. With names like Twinkle Toes, Take a Bow, and Spotlight, it's a playful take on everyday eye makeup.

The softer shades work beautifully for a subtle daytime look, while the shimmer finishes add just enough interest for evenings.

Ballet Rosé Blush Palette

Blush continues to have a major moment, and the Ballet Rosé Blush Palette ($42) leans into the trend with a romantic, rosy approach.

The idea is fresh, naturally flushed cheeks rather than anything overly sculpted. Apply a little higher on the cheekbones for a lifted look, or blend across the cheeks and bridge of the nose for a softer finish.

Gloss Barre Mini Glossy Balm Set

We're already big fans of r.e.m. beauty's glossy balm and have at least three floating around in our bags at any given time. So naturally, the Gloss Barre Mini Glossy Balm Set ($26) caught our attention.

The formula delivers that perfect combination of hydration, shine, and a hint of color without feeling sticky. The mini sizes make it even easier to keep one in every bag, although clearly, we don't need much convincing.

Sweet Dreams Eyeshadow Singlet

Sometimes one great eyeshadow is all you need. The Sweet Dreams Eyeshadow Singlet ($24) offers an easy way to add a little shimmer without committing to a full eye look.

Sweep it across the lids, add mascara, and you're done. It's the kind of effortless makeup that works just as well with a bare face as it does with a more finished look.

Satin Slumber Lip Mask

The Satin Slumber Lip Mask ($26) brings a little skincare into the mix, offering an indulgent addition to your evening routine.

Lip care has become a category of its own, and we're all for products that make everyday rituals feel a little more enjoyable. Keep this one by your bedside or within reach throughout the day.

The Finishing Touches

The collection also includes the Mélange à Trois Blush & Highlight Stick ($29) and Frost & Flutter Eye Makeup Set ($29), rounding out the lineup with more options for creating soft, luminous looks.

For those who want to explore the entire collection, the En Pointe Full Collection Bundle ($245.70) brings everything together.

Explore the full r.e.m. beauty En Pointe collection.

The post Inside Ariana Grande’s New Ballet-Inspired Beauty Collection appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

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Living Well with Jesse Golden: On Holistic Health, Skin Longevity and the Rituals She Swears By

Jesse Golden has spent decades exploring the connection between beauty, wellness, and how we care for ourselves. A former ballerina and model turned holistic health practitioner, formulator, mother, and founder of The Golden Secrets, her approach today is less about rigid rules and more about learning to listen to the body.

We spoke with Golden about the rituals shaping her life now, what living with rheumatoid arthritis has taught her, the lessons behind building The Golden Secrets from the ground up, and why her approach to beauty continues to evolve alongside science.

For more from our Living Well series, read our conversations with Hillary Peterson on the balance between science, nature and ritual, Jeanette Thottrup on bridging nature and science in skincare, and Elissa Goodman on graceful aging and holistic wellness.

Living Well with Jesse Golden

You’ve described yourself over the years as a mother, model, ballerina, yoga teacher, holistic health practitioner, formulator and founder. At this point in your life, which of those identities feels most like you, and which one has changed the most?

Without hesitation, mother. I always say I really came into my own when I first became a mom 22 years ago. Then, 2.5 years ago, I was blessed with another little miracle, and I’m relishing every moment of getting to experience motherhood all over again in this season of my life.

The identity that has changed the most is probably yoga teacher. I haven’t taught in a few years, and while so many of the beautiful teachings and philosophies of yoga still flow through my everyday life, a formal yoga practice isn’t as present for me in this season. I think that’s one of the gifts of yoga, though. Eventually, it becomes less about what happens on the mat and more about how you live.

You’ve been studying and practicing holistic health for well over a decade. What do you believe now that you did not fully understand when you first started?

Although I always understood the meaning of holistic, or “whole,” because that’s what originally drew me to this work, I don’t think I fully understood just how nuanced that could be. When I first began studying holistic health, Western medicine was often positioned as the villain. But over time, I realized that thinking in absolutes actually contradicts the very idea of holistic health.

I will always believe in looking for the root cause first and supporting the body through nutrition, lifestyle, natural medicine, and the incredible healing intelligence it already possesses. But I’ve also learned that two things can be true at once. Natural medicine can be incredibly powerful, particularly in supporting everyday health and chronic conditions, while conventional medicine can be absolutely lifesaving. There is wisdom in both Eastern and Western approaches, and to me, being truly holistic means knowing there can be a place for both. You don’t have to pick just one.

Walk us through the wellness rituals that shape your day right now, from the way you start your morning to how you wind down at night. Which ones have the biggest impact on how you feel?

I’m in a season of life where I don’t get a lot of “me time” because I have a toddler, which has made the little rituals of self-care even more meaningful to me. I literally cherish them now.

I always try to get outside and let my eyes see natural light within the first few minutes of waking, even if it’s cloudy. Morning light is one of the most powerful signals for setting our internal clock. It helps regulate our circadian rhythm, supports that natural morning rise in cortisol that helps us feel awake and alert, and helps set the timing for melatonin production later that night. It’s such a simple practice, but I notice a real difference in my energy and sleep when I’m consistent with it.

After rinsing my face with cool water, I facial dry brush and do a quick lymphatic flow technique. It only takes about two minutes, but I love the feeling of getting everything moving first thing in the morning.

I also try to eat within 30 minutes of waking, before having what I call my “loaded coffee,” which has raw milk, collagen, colostrum, pearl powder, ghee and honey. It’s become one of my favorite morning rituals.

Nighttime is really where I find more space to take care of myself. I’m very diligent about my skincare and oral care, and depending on the night, I’ll exfoliate, do a mask and finish with gua sha. I also love taking baths with my Royal Codes Bath Soak, which contains magnesium sourced from the ancient Zechstein seabed. Magnesium plays such an important role in the body’s stress response and relaxation, and periods of prolonged stress can increase our magnesium needs, so I’ve been especially diligent about my magnesium rituals lately. That bath is where I feel myself release the stress of the day. The combination of the warm water, magnesium and simply having a few uninterrupted minutes to myself helps me unwind, relax my body, destress and let go of the day. Plus, it helps me sleep like a baby.

Right now, I think the rituals that have the biggest impact are actually the simplest ones: morning light, nourishing myself early, moving lymph, and creating a real wind-down ritual at night. None of them take hours. They’re just small ways of coming back to myself throughout the day.

Are there wellness habits you think people should adjust based on their age, hormones, or season of life rather than doing the exact same thing forever?

Yes, absolutely. I think it’s so important to listen to your body in whatever phase of life you’re in. There are so many wellness recommendations, protocols and trends coming at us now that it can become incredibly overwhelming, and I really encourage people to tune some of that noise out and pay attention to what their own body is asking for.

What worked for you in your twenties may not be what you need in your forties, and what works during one hormonal season may need to shift in another. Sometimes that means more rest, more nourishment, changing the way you exercise, adding more hydration to your skin, or simply doing less. Other times, your body may be asking you to do more.

I don’t believe wellness should be a rigid set of rules you follow forever. To me, true wellness is developing enough connection with your body that you can recognize when its needs have changed, and giving yourself permission to change with it.

You were creating formulas for yourself long before The Golden Secrets became a brand. Do you remember the point when you realized that what you were making could become something much bigger than a personal ritual?

Yes, there was actually an exact moment. A friend whom I really admired said to me, “You should start bottling your Golden Secrets.” But for years before that, people had already been asking me to share my “golden secrets,” so not only did the name come organically, the entire brand did.

It took years of people asking before I finally gave in. I never dreamed of owning a business or starting a skincare brand. But once I saw how much what I was creating was helping other people, and knowing how profoundly some of these formulations had already changed my own life for the better, I felt a responsibility to share them.

I wanted to show women that there was another way to approach beauty. That we could care deeply about how we look and feel without compromising our health in the process. That belief ultimately became the foundation of The Golden Secrets.

You personally made and shipped thousands of bottles in the early years. What did doing everything yourself teach you about the product that you would never have learned from simply starting with a manufacturer?

This is a loaded question because when I think back on those years, I realize how crazy I was and also that maybe you have to be a little crazy to be a founder, haha. I learned so much by doing everything myself.

Being that hands-on with the formulas made me obsessively care about every detail. When I eventually began working with outside formulators and manufacturers, I was surprised by how often I was encouraged to make substitutions or take shortcuts for the sake of cost, scalability or ease of production. I already had my core bestselling formulas, and I wasn’t willing to compromise what made them special. It ultimately took me two years to successfully transition those formulas into manufacturing at the standard I wanted. Mind you, two years is a very long time for formulations I had already created, but they had to be perfect. Otherwise, I was willing to continue literally sacrificing my hands and making them myself.

Packing and shipping thousands of orders myself also taught me something I never could have learned any other way: the importance of the entire customer experience. I used to pack every single box as though it were going to the editor of Vogue. That became the standard, and when I eventually transitioned to a fulfillment company, I made it very clear that I expected that same level of care.

The greatest gift of doing every job myself is that as we’ve grown, I’ve been able to speak from firsthand experience about what I expect at every level. The Golden Secrets isn’t just a brand to me. My name and my integrity are attached to it, and I want that to be felt in every detail, from the formula inside the bottle to the moment someone opens their order.

It was an incredibly hard road, but none of it was in vain. Those years taught me the standards I refuse to compromise on today.

You have had to move between being creative, operational, strategic, and customer facing. Which side of entrepreneurship came most naturally to you, and which one was the most challenging?

The creative side has always come most naturally to me. I think that’s why so many founders start businesses in the first place. We’re passionate about something we feel called to create, bring forward and share with the world. I could formulate, create, dream up products and tell stories all day long.

It’s everything behind the scenes that has been the biggest learning curve for me. I’ve gotten much better at the operational side, but I still don’t love it, and managing a team has probably been one of my greatest challenges, especially with everyone working remotely. Thankfully, I have an amazing operations manager now who has taken so much of that off my plate and allows me to spend more time in the areas where I’m strongest. I’ve learned how important it is to surround yourself with people who are great at the things that don’t come naturally to you, because otherwise the mechanics of running a business can start to take you away from the passion that made you build it in the first place.

Strategy is something I’ve developed over the years through a lot of trial and error. Every year I get clearer about where I want the brand to go, what deserves our energy and, just as importantly, what doesn’t.

I’ve also always been the face of The Golden Secrets, but since having my youngest son, that part has naturally taken a back seat. It’s actually been beautiful to lean more on our community, customers and affiliates to help tell the story during this season. I do genuinely love connecting and sharing, though, and I’m excited to step back into that side of the business more as the timing feels right.

If someone came to you with a beautiful product and said, “I want to build a brand around this,” what would you tell them to figure out before they spend money on packaging, branding, or marketing?

Love this question. Before spending money on any of it, start building an audience. There really is no way around social media anymore. I was telling my son the other day that even our lawn guy was filming himself cutting our grass for social media. Everyone needs to be a content creator these days.

Start sharing what you know, what you’re creating and why you’re creating it. Give people a reason to listen to you and trust you. And if you don’t feel like an expert yet, document the process of becoming one. Bring people along for the journey. You don’t need a perfect brand or beautiful packaging to start telling your story.

The truth is, you can have the greatest product in the world, but if nobody knows it exists, you won’t sell anything. Build the community before you build the perfect aesthetic. Attention, trust and connection are incredibly valuable currency when you’re starting a brand.

You recently wrote about how natural does not always mean safe, particularly when it comes to phototoxic citrus oils. As someone who has worked with botanicals for so many years, how has learning more about formulation science changed the way you evaluate natural ingredients?

The longer I’ve worked with botanicals, the more nuanced my understanding of “natural” has become. Early on, I think I instinctively equated natural with better and safer, but formulation science taught me that it’s never that simple. Natural ingredients are incredibly powerful, and that’s exactly why you have to understand how to use them.

Essential oils are a perfect example. Certain citrus oils can be phototoxic depending on how they’re extracted, how much is used, and whether the product is leave-on or rinse-off. Cold-pressed citrus peel oils can contain naturally occurring compounds called furanocoumarins that increase the skin’s sensitivity to UV exposure, potentially contributing to irritation, pigmentation and uneven skin tone. The extraction and processing method matters too. The same botanical can have a very different safety profile depending on how it’s produced. Some botanical oils are also more prone to oxidation and instability than others. So simply seeing a beautiful natural ingredient on an ingredient list tells you very little about the quality or safety of the finished formula.

That knowledge drives everything I formulate. I look at concentration, extraction method, sourcing, stability, how ingredients interact with one another, and most importantly, what they are doing to the skin over time. I’m much less interested in an ingredient creating an immediate sensory experience or surface-level glow if it could potentially compromise the skin barrier, increase sensitivity, or contribute to pigmentation and uneven tone long term. For me, formulation is about balance and intention. Every ingredient has to earn its place in the formula and support the long-term health and resilience of the skin.

When you first created Youth Beauty Face Oil, what were you looking to address in your own skin, and why did you choose to build the formula around a blend of ten botanicals rather than one hero active?

When I first created Youth Beauty Face Oil, I was really inspired by ancient beauty rituals. I became fascinated by the botanicals women had been using for centuries to preserve the vitality and beauty of their skin, and I wanted to bring together the ones that had not only stood the test of time, but were especially powerful for supporting rejuvenation, elasticity, visible cellular renewal and aging well.

I think we’ve become so conditioned in the beauty industry to chase the newest ingredient. Every time something new launches, it’s positioned as though everything that came before it suddenly stopped working. I love innovation and modern formulation science, but I also think there’s incredible wisdom in ingredients that have been used successfully for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years. New doesn’t automatically mean better, and time-tested doesn’t mean outdated.

I never wanted the formula to revolve around one hero ingredient because, to me, every ingredient in Youth Beauty is a hero. Pomegranate, sea buckthorn, helichrysum, or the everlasting flower, frankincense, rosehip, jojoba, carrot seed, vitamin E, lavender and rose geranium were all chosen intentionally. Each one is powerful in its own right, and together they create something much more complete than any one ingredient could on its own.

You can actually see and feel that concentration in the oil. It has this naturally rich, golden-orange color and luxurious feel that comes from the botanicals themselves, particularly the carotenoids and antioxidants in ingredients like sea buckthorn and rosehip. There are no fillers or ingredients added just to make it look or feel a certain way. What you see in the bottle is the richness of the plants themselves. That was always the intention: ten exceptional botanicals, each powerful enough to be the hero, brought together in one formula.

If someone could only add one THE GOLDEN SECRETS product to their routine, which one would you recommend starting with and why?

Heal All Oil, without question. Youth Beauty Face Oil is our bestseller and will always be one of my most beloved formulas, but if I could put only one The Golden Secrets product into someone’s hands, it would be Heal All. It’s our most universal and multifunctional formula, and truly one of those products I believe every household should have on hand. It can be used from head to toe and across so many different skin needs, ages and stages of life. It’s also EWG Verified, has earned the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance, and is Think Dirty Verified and award-winning, which makes me especially proud because those recognitions reinforce the standards I’ve always held. It’s the bottle I find myself reaching for over and over again, and the one I’m constantly recommending to friends and family.

Heal All Oil is such a versatile product. What are the three ways you personally reach for it most often?

It really is. I’m still amazed when I read our customer reviews because people are constantly sharing new ways they use Heal All Oil. The versatility of this one product and the love people have for it is incredible.

Personally, I use it daily as a facial oil, especially when my skin needs extra nourishment after too much sun exposure, travel or dry air. I also use it as an overnight hair and scalp treatment the night before I wash my hair. It leaves my hair looking fuller, healthier and gives it a beautiful shine. And lastly, it’s my go-to for all of those little everyday skin emergencies like minor cuts, scrapes, scars, aches and pains. It’s one of those products that lives in our bathroom, my bag and our family first-aid kit.

What does living well mean to you now?

Two things immediately come to mind. The first is something I’ve always tried to live by: leave people better off than you found them. Whether that’s through my work, my relationships or simply how I make someone feel, I want my presence in people’s lives to have a positive impact.

The second is the life I’ve created with my family. I came from a broken home, and I always dreamed of creating a harmonious, loving home and family of my own. I have that now, and I don’t take it for granted for a second. To me, living well isn’t just about taking care of your body or how long you live. It’s about how you live, how you love, and what you leave behind.

The post Living Well with Jesse Golden: On Holistic Health, Skin Longevity and the Rituals She Swears By appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

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