We’re bringing back one of our classic TCM series, My Favorites, where wellness pros we love share their picks for the best lifestyle products across the board from skincare to travel to food.
Lauren Singer is proof that a low-waste lifestyle doesn’t have to sacrifice style itself. The blogger behind Trash is for Tossers and founder of Package Free Shop dropped onto our radar when she went viral for containing four years of trash in a single mason jar. Since then, her passion for sustainable living has blossomed into a full-blown business — and serves as a major inspiration for mastering the art of low-waste living. Here are Lauren’s favorite things…
BeautY
Moisturizer: Face oil by Package Free Shop
Hair product: I let my hair do its all-natural thing!
Body cleanser: Natural Body Cleanser by Package Free Shop
Makeup staple: Kjaer Weiss cheek tint and Alima Pure concealer
Lip balm: I make my own lip balm or use some of my face oil on my lips.
Skin tool: I love using a warm organic cotton washcloth every night on my skin.
Spa treatment of choice: Massage — one of my favorite things in the world.
Perfume: None, but sometimes I’ll put a bit of organic lavender oil on my wrists and neck.
Wellness
Daily supplement: I just drink a lot of water.
Superfood staple: None, I just eat clean, non-processed foods.
Workout: Modo Yoga in Williamsburg and walking my dog Rose.
Reads + podcasts: Candide by Voltaire, True Love by Thich Nhat Hanh and How I Built This podcast
Favorite shop: Package Free Shop
Inspiration: A quote that I keep written in my room and read every day: When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. — Vkitor E. Frankl
Apps: I get really bad hormonal depression. I have learned to embrace it as a beautiful part of who I am and how my body works, but sometimes it surprises me if I’m not following my cycle, so my period tracker is essential. I use P.D. but I hear that MyFLO is good, too.
House + Home
Art + decor: I have a huge, like massive, photo of raw meatloaf about to go into the oven in my apartment that my sibling took. I think it’s the most wonderful.
Bedding: I love these organic cotton sheets as I don’t want to spend most of my life in sheets that were made with pesticide-treated material.
Plant: I love all of my plants equally. They were either gifted by friends or found in the trash or traded for. They make me so incredibly happy.
Candle: This candle comes in a 100% recyclable tin, which I love.
Kitchen good: This dish washing brush!
Closet
Fitness wear: Pact leggings and Pansy Co. sports bra
T-shirt: I’m not a t-shirt person, actually!
Shoe: I wear my black sock boots most frequently in the fall and winter. And in the summer I have the Paloma Wool Pia shoes in two colors and I’m in love with them.
Jacket: I have an oversized wool coat that I wear every day.
Jewelry: I wear a small L necklace and one with a rose on it every day.
Dress: I have a seafoam Christy Dawn dress that I love and a barely-there Reformation linen dress that gets a lot of play in the summer.
Sunglasses: I’ve never really found “the one” when it comes to sunglasses, so I trade in old secondhand ones for new secondhand ones at Beacon’s Closet quite often.
Travel
Luggage: I never check luggage, so I use an Away carry-on and a pretty horrendous second carry-on that I’ve had for like 15 years. But it holds everything and still works perfectly well!
Tavel staple: giant cashmere scarf blanket
In-flight essential: I have a few! Sagely Naturals CBD headache roller, lip balm, Philip Huang Survival Balm, and an Olbas Naturals inhaler. Also, Mentos (so random but it’s the only candy that’s plastic free).
Hotel: I’m more of a rent an AirBNB or stay in a tent type of person.
Food + Drink
Fridge staple: Sauerkraut and Parmesan cheese — they both make boring things a little more awesome.
Juice: Super, super green juice. I also love drinking aloe juice.
Weekly dinner: Rice with steamed vegetables.
Condiment: I love a really, really high quality olive oil.
Snack always on hand: I’m not really a snacker, but I love coffee!
Favorite cocktail or wine: Extra dirty vodka martini (I mean extra dirty), a good natural, organic or biodynamic Lambrusco, or a really funky, fungal natural wine.
Favorite restaurant: If I’m in New York, Marlow and Sons or Atoboy — I’m not sure either is classifiably healthy but I don’t really believe in eating healthy or not. I’m more a proponent of eating really high-quality organic and local ingredients that are not processed or fussed with too much. And if I’m in LA, Gjusta or Erewhon.
