LYRA MAG.

PART 1 Ilex Studio, Kobo  At the latest NY NOW (formerly NY Gift Show) innovative design tradeshow...SURTEX (artist designs for license), and the NY stationary/paper goods show... a wide variety of items destined for retail stores and consumers-to accent -furnish homes (or wardrobes), and add to one's wellness-quality of life (ie. indie beauty and CBD products-right alongside scented candles/scents and crafty kids' items)-heavily leaned towards hand crafted, creative, uniqueness -truly conjuring up a true sense of place individuals crave. Whether aiming for small boutiques in tourist or home locales, wedding registries, online sites, or even mass market retailers...exhibitors 'get' that now buyers mix and match their possessions and spend coinage on products that will contribute to 'experiences-emotional harmony (not to be to wishy washy here). Attributes like production-sustainability+traceability, limited editions, individually made, Fair Trade, and origi...

NYC COFFEE FESTIVAL The same humans that grew up with 'smart'screens- swiping ... are  becoming coffee (and tea) drinkers = born after Starbucks ubiquitously introduced caffeine consumers to better brews. Tastebuds have - evolved further (Starbucks now  'gets' that with its Reserve Roasteries) PREMIUM QUALITY-transparent chain supply-exceptional designs . Travelers sipping  un caffé  better tasting than the average American 'joe,  caring about sustainability+sourcing directly- and the specialty foodie culture- have all contributed to the wonderful world  of more coffee deliciousness. Part One: Single Origin=Small Batch : coffee beans (and chocolates) from a distinct region yield flavors-nuanced and bold. Similar to wine descriptions-(and what we wrote about recently -in coverage of the Fancy Food Show )-coffee beans have  distinct aromas and palate hints beyond dark-medium-light-courtesy of soil, altitude, climate and roasting techniq...

  The best indie Beauty brands blend natural botanicals and sustainably sourced ingredients-cruelty free.   YON-KA s an established French multi-tasking skincare entity since 1954-always had a mission-to make skincare products that are  "a perfect symbiosis of science and nature." With many different product collections for face-body-suncare---their full and travel sized products include the popular Essentials line. Pictured above-the refreshing alcohol free-essentials oils' blessed toner spray mist, YON-KA individual products target every kind of skin concern-for men and women. LOVE- a whimsical graphic-on the limited edition Lotion Yon-Ka that delivers right in time for the holidays.  Like the specialty food industry-eco and ethically sourcing and paying fair labor wages is a concern-a reason why we don't see mineral mica in makeup much anymore (child slave labor). TOOGGA  sources key ingredients from African co-ops and plants one tree per produ...

Like the food/specialty food industry-the beauty/skincare biz is booming for small time companies. Nimbleness, fast to market trend driven products-fit categories =clean, 'simple ingredients,' hemp + CBD, eco+ sustainable packaging, detox from urban-or digital life- parallels the food as medicine phenom   and /or J and K beauty favs like facial masks-for the masses. Part One: One of the Indie Beauty Expo favs-with a perpetually packed booth... Oral Hygiene masters- Terra & Co . showed biodegradable dental necessities...like the nifty packaged  bamboo +activated charcoal dental floss. in recycled paper-recyclable packaging with the bamboo charcoal floss threaded via the top of the zero-waste paper board box. $10 SMART. FYI-works just as well as the landfill clogging plastic kind. 32 yards. Terra & Co. other dental products...a bamboo wood handled toothbrush with biodegradable BPA-free nylon bristles, Brilliant Black Toothpaste  $15 (with baking soda ...

 Upcycled ingredients-re-purposed for eating-is common amongst professional chefs and everyday home cooks. That means -for example, taking parts of fruits/vegetables that were usually tossed-like stalks, cores, peels-and using them to make other eats-soups, purées etc. A new(ish) standout: Brooklyn based- RISE Craft Flour -is a byproduct of nearby beer making (makers)...using the spent grains from breweries (byproduct of the first stage of beer making=malt barley) as the base of a true versatile flour that's naturally high in fiber/protein and less carbs-than the regular kind. VERY COOL Available ONLINE RISE Craft Flour can be used interchangeably as flour in recipes-like pizza+ pie crusts, crackers and sweets. The dark flour-comes courtesy of stout, fyi-great for brownies. The light version -from IPA and Pilsner. Recipes online.     Rejected Potato Produce: Kettle Cooked-non-GMO UGLIES Potato Chips...are crispy-greasy enough in a good way. Honestly sin...

Suppliers' Day-Javits 'Cleaner" HAIR HELP-Proven Efficacy: Humans have been trying to 'tame' their tresses for decades (centuries) with toxic (really) chemicals, hair tools -and/or natural butters + oils to eliminate frizz and straighten out hair follicles not born that way. via GIPHY Though  'clean' beauty silicone subs seem to be offered up by several companies (see examples below)---...Sensient Cosmetic Technologies new Sensityle® Curl relaxer -billed as a "...natural and effective hair relaxing technology..." really caught our eyeballs as super unique . WHAT IT IS: Explained  with a backstory first: The idea for this new (November '18) product treatment -was inspired by meat tenderizers . AS IN-the powdery stuff shaken on meat to make it more tender-made of pineapple and papaya -two fruits also hailed for their anti-inflammatory properties (Bromelain + Papain)... with hydrolyzed yeast proteins=leading to   Sensityle® Curl r...

" SAVING THE WORLD ONE BOX AT A TIME" Part Two GIFT + PARTY CROWD ALERT: WINEBERRY BOX -with Château Tassin's Bordeaux-White, Red or Rosé doubles as a crowd pleasing drink-in eco packaging  THAT protects the wine from air and light ...ensconced in a collapsible sack-that keeps the wine fresh for 6-8 weeks . Bordeaux's Right Bank located  Château Tassin 's Bordeaux Blanc in a Wineberry Box (pictured)-PERC certified sustainably sourced wood holds 4 bottles worth...Sauvignon-Semilion blend -is a bright sip of citrus medium intensity+ acid--mineral balanced with lemon-grass  hints pairs well with goat +soft sheep milk cheeses, seafood-shellfish, non fiery Asian foods and  makes a nifty cocktail party statement at your next soireé. Found Online from Fresh Direct at bargain $31.49 -and elsewhere...p riced at $48 The Château Tassin Bordeaux style Red blend 2016-which we also tasted but out of an individual bottle  -delicious bargain too...

P art ONE In the wine industry (food-too), producers haven't been waiting around for any New Deal...responding to customer demands for 'cleaner' grape cultivation methods ( native yeasts, spontaneous fermentations-respect for the land and environment-including weed control + plant protection)  and sustainable-recyclable packaging (think screw tops, renewable cork growth)... for years, delivering the wines to a well informed clientele. Highlights From Recent Wine Tastings: Slow Wine is a moniker-describing many of the delicious Italian wines available-made by vintners using old school hand-labored methods-vs chemical sludge. Includes fertilizers too. No GMO worries here, Recently-a few USA vintners-from California and Oregon, and Slovenia have 'joined' the Slow Wine fold. A Euro Embrace. Delightful discovery- SMALL VINES ' growers Kathryn and Paul Sloan-embrace France's winery practices-of ...exactly small wines (low yield high density plan...

It's doubtful most holiday time purchases of apparel/footwear set off brain cells on just how 'dirty' that industry is.  Still-companies themselves are getting schooled and acting on environmentally friendly initiatives to clean out some of the toxicity from sourcing-manufacturing-delivery chains. On the home front brick/mortar retailers...are selectively editing their offerings -with greener merchandise getting stocked.  In lower Manhattan... Bishop Collective  's (143 Ludlow Street) careful picks include multiple indie designers making (in the USA) modern clothing/jewelry-all  ethically designed and sourced. In town???- The  Designer Series Sessions  this month  feature meet/greets with seven designers-for not only in person style help- but also highlighting exclusive one-off items-which is pretty remarkable for the 99.9% of us who can't 'touch' price-wise , couture handmade anything. Voyager Sleek Parley w/ Boost and Stealth out...

Part One: As consumers worldwide shift their thinking (or vocabulary) from anti-aging to wellness-their priorities for what is desire-able is also getting re-fresh too. SRO-a program on regulation-part of the very well attended Indie Brand How To's from Inception to Concept The Basics: Want to know the latest wellness trends for skin/haircare? Walk the aisles of a supplier trade show-for an education on cutting edge ingredients-usually before they're 'in' the retail market. We've been covering these kinds of events for years-learning where/how both big companies and individuals-source their products/ingredients. Open secret: Sometimes the splashy marketed products and cult favs contain the same ingredients from the same source... or private label manufacturers. an exception for global brand-albeit smallish one- natural leaning  Tata Harper  Skincare doesn't out-source formulations for its products...'crafted' at an in-house lab acc...