Fans of Fresh Beauty’s zodiac collection may be familiar with the name Susan Miller of astrologyzone.com and their previous collabs. Well, the brand has collaborated with my favourite astrologist again this year for a limited edition, zodiac version of their Sugar Lip Treatments.

Just in time for the holidays, these lip balms make excellent stocking stuffers. They’re also great as a little token gift for that person in your life who you want to wish Happy Holidays but don’t want to overboard on. Think - your boss, the host at the holiday party you’re attending, or your kids teacher. Trust me, during the harsh winter months they’ll be super grateful for their zodiac lip balm.

To celebrate the launch of their on going collab with Susan Miller, Fresh invited me to New York to hear her talk about the year ahead according to astrology. Below you’ll find my travel pics during my stay along with my visit to the Fresh Beauty Kitchen store in SoHo. If you haven’t been yet, I’d highly recommend it as the boutique is adorable with a quaint Anthropologie vibe.

CHECKED-IN, THE LUDLOW HOTEL, NYC

A bag full of Fresh goodies waiting for me upon check-in. The brand was super considerate about what I would be hauling back home in my carry-on and only included travel sized products in my goodie bag. LOVE!

I’ve turned into the master of packing comfortable yet versatile outfits. Here I’m wearing a navy H&M sweatshirt, Levi’s 711 skinny jeans, and the Isabel Marant loafers that I picked up on my last trip to New York. I accessorized with my gold aviator Bonlook frames and tan coloured leather Hermes bracelet.

This is my second time staying at The Ludlow in New York but the first time staying in one of those very Instagrammable bathrooms with a tub! Sadly I didn’t use it but I certainly appreciated the window and natural light for my photos. I should also mention that I’m totally wild about the decor in this hotel. I used it as inspiration when decorating my living room and guest bathroom.

FRESH HOLIDAY EVENT 2018, NEW YORK

My first holiday event of the year dressed in black and white of course. Fresh has come out with an array of gorgeous gift sets to suit all skincare lovers on your wish list. My fave, the Nonstop Radiance gift set. It includes the Soy Face Cleanser, Lotus Youth Preserve Rescue Mask, Vitamin C Antioxidant Glow Face Mist, Lotus Youth Preserve Moisturizer and Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment in travel friendly sizes for $76. All of Fresh’s holiday sets are limited edition.

FRESH BEAUTY KITCHEN, NEW YORK

Last stop on our trip, the Fresh Beauty Kitchen store in SoHo. This boutique is jam packed with all of the Fresh skincare you can imagine. It’s also very different from the store on Broadway, which has a more polished feel. The Beauty Kitchen is more quaint, with vibe that’s very similar to Anthropologie.

Make sure you check out the small batch artisanal jams at this location. The flavours are to die for and make excellent hostess gifts for the holiday season. I came home with six jars of the Cherry & Apricot flavour.

I used to be a visual merchandising manager at Anthro so I really appreciated all of the details that Fresh put into the Beauty Kitchen. From the vintage weight scale, to the SMEG fridge full of skincare and fruit, to the Sugar Lip Treatment table, no detail was left unnoticed.

Actually, when I was photographing the store I realized all of fresh roses had been gently misted with water to give the appearance of dew drops!

MY HORROR-SCOPE STORY

I’ve been following Susan Miller’s Astrology Zone since a friend introduced me to her five years ago. I was religious about planning my month around what Susan wrote according to my sign, Sagittarius. I know, it sounds kinda nuts but I found comfort in what she wrote.

Anyway, I got so intense about my horoscope that I completely changed my plans for Christmas one year because Susan had written to stay close to home.

She said something ominous about “bad things happening” and to “stay safe” (at least that’s how I remember it), so I opted out of the dinner plans that I’d already been apprehensive about and made alternate plans for that day.

That particular winter was horrible and it was snowing almost every day. Conditions where clear that morning so Diana and I decided to drive into the city for some shopping. We were looking for some pre-loved Louis Vuitton pieces and I ended up getting a tote from the 90’s, which I eventually gave to my mother, and Diana got some super cute wristlet that she still uses today.

We finished at around noon and headed back home. It started snowing while we were shopping and the roads were now slippery so I knew I had to drive carefully.

It took one bad decision on the highway as I made a lane change and BAM, I slammed into the car in front of me.

I felt horrible and sick to my stomach.

Diana is a Sagittarius too so we share the same horoscope. Susan had told us to stay close to home and we didn’t.

Looking back that was possibly the worst year of my life. That car accident was just the icing on the cake.

My beloved grandmother had passed away earlier that year. We had a house fire that summer because the contractors had carelessly rushed some electrical work. Geoff got laid off from the company he had been working at for 13 years. Geoff’s grandfather got sick and passed away soon after. Geoff got shingles because of the stress from losing his grandfather and his job.

Oh, I’m not done yet.

Our neighbor's car somehow reversed out of his parking spot and CRASHED into our car that happened to be parked in our driveway. I know, how does that even happen? And finally, I got into not one, but two accidents on the highway thanks to the daily snow dumps. It was awful.

By the end of the year, I was done. I remember breaking down and crying hysterically.

But that’s the thing, all of that shit makes you stronger in the end and I told myself I would never let things to me like that again. Sure, death is one thing but I just remember feeling so hopeless and out of control with my life in every situation.

The next year I changed my mindset and regained control how I react to life in the moment of crisis and it changed everything. I left my full-time job and started freelancing and started traveling more. It took Geoff a year because we were still feeling the ripple effect of the recession, but he eventually found himself a new job just a ten minute drive from our home. (A total change from his two hours a day commute from the last thirteen years.)

That saying about “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” rings some truth. I stopped reading so much into my horoscope after that. I’ll still read it here and there but I never want to get to the point where I’m rearranging my life because it told me to stay close to home.

I mean, the car accident happened. Again, my life lesson that year was changing my outlook. I learned it’s the one thing we can control and when we feel lost and hopeless, it makes us feel more powerful and confident and I’m pretty sure I asked Susan, she would agree.

Disclaimer: This post is in collaboration with Fresh Beauty. All photos and opinions are my own.

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