Tag Archive for: Blogger

Olivia Muniak is a Brand Marketer.

She has an incredible eye and an innate sensibility for the luxury market. She works with businesses to tell cohesive stories through developing a visual vocabulary and creative materials. Olivia is instrumental in implementing marketing initiatives and real-time events that drive brand awareness.

Olivia began her career styling in San Francisco working with Benefit Cosmetics. Moving back to New York City in 2012 to pursue a career in fashion, she went on to manage North American sales in luxury fashion for Aquazzura and Fratelli Rossetti.

Her expansive background and expertise has made Olivia a true standout and we had a chance to sit down with this star to find out about how she balances wellness sustainability in her everyday hectic life.

How do you practice sustainability? 

I strive to practice sustainability in all facets of my life. I want to be able to share the beautiful world I grew up in with my future children and grandchildren. When I grocery shop I use reuseable mesh bags for produce – whether I’m at the farmers market or grocery store. On the go, I use metal straws, travel coffee cups + water bottles, and at glass containers and reusable silicon bags for food storage. But I think that’s only a small imprint, I’m also very conscious of the product packaging from everything to beauty and bathroom products (so many brands are creating refillable products or 100% compostable packaging). I don’t allow myself to buy new, comparable skincare, makeup or hair products until I’ve completely used what I have at home. It’s easy to consume these products and amass a collection of half used products. In the kitchen I don’t use paper towels daily, I have a set of cleaning rags my favorite are these unpaper clothes (I save the paper for big messes )  

Most importantly I also consider what is in the product – if it’s toxic for my body, it’s toxic for this earth. I try and use clean products for the home so that everything that washes down my drain is natural and not harmful to the ocean. 

What are your favorite Eco-Friendly Products? 

Branch Basics and Thieves. It’s also super easy to make an at home everyday spray with a bit of distilled vinegar and essential oils and water, I find this to the best for glass and countertops!

What does wellness mean to you?

Gosh, I think wellness is such a broad term and a widely used buzzword these days. For me, wellness is about the way I live my life. It encompasses my emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing. Being “well” is about balance, joy, and feeling sated in my current life. My work, my friendships, my family, my body etc…this doesn’t mean they are all wonderful at once, they rarely are! I appreciate the realness, being present through the challenging times, the optimistic and the everyday. The attention and care I put into creating routines (allowing myself to fall out) keeps me “well”. 


Any advice for people wanting to make the switch towards a more mindful existence (increased wellness) but who are not sure where to start?

Create a routine, add one small element in a realistic way ( i.e. something you can keep up with ) wellness is about trial and error and discovering what you need that makes you feel well. Pick one to three things, set a numerical goal to it and try it for 14 days. I’d suggest choosing one small practice; whether that’s journaling for 4 minutes in the morning x 4 a week, switching your morning croissant for a clean smoothie, walking for 30 minutes a few times a week, swapping clean products into your home etc. Keeping the goal small, with a numerical goal helps us feel successful, positive and…”well” when we meet it. Adding too many or an aggressive number of practices often backfires and makes us feel unsuccessful. I’m fully aware of over-commitment practice! By the end of the 14 days, it always felt a part of my routine, and then I could add in something else. Wellness for me is just about finding out what makes me feel good, listen to that small voice inside. Mine got louder, the more I listened and now I feel like I’ve strengthened my intuition and I know what’s in alignment for me at any given time. Just trust yourself!

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What are your go-to daily beauty products and why?

The skincare I can’t live without: 

  1. Goldfaden Doctors Scrub: makes my skin super soft, clear, and fresh looking. 
  2. True Botanicals Nutrient Mist: I used this multiple times a day to freshen my skin with essential antioxidants, also the scent is ahmazing!! 
  3. True Botancials Clear Face Oil: hydrates my skin, gives me that dewey appearance that I love. 
  4. Goldfaden Brightening Serum, this has helped clear my complexion, sun damage and heal breakouts. 
  5. True Botanicals Vitamin C Booster + Clear Serum I swap between these and Goldfaden Serum and keeps my skin clear and bright. 
  6. Goldfaden Wake Up Call: this year my skin became super dry, this moisturizer helped soothe and hydrate and I wake up in the morning with baby soft skin. 
  7. Goldfaden Bright Eyes paired with Odacite Eye Serum: this helps de-puff, hydrate and erase fine lines 
  8. EIR Surf Mud: This is my daily sunblock, make-up primer (if I wear, also great on it’s own) and obviously great for a day out surfing. So clean you can actually eat it, its got chocolate in it! 

The makeup I can’t live without: 

  1. RMS Uncover up: light, natural coverage
  2. RMS Luminous Highlighter: adds the dewey touch, when I’m not so dewey 
  3. Ilia Cream Blush Stick: adds that touch of color that makes me look fresh
  4. Kjaer Weiss Cream Bronzer: adds that sun kissed glow
  5. LiliLolo Mascara: hands down the best natural mascara
  6. Chantecaille Tinted Brow Gel: holds my unruly eyebrows all day

Why is clean beauty important for you?

Honestly, because I’m a little vain and I have found clean beauty to keep me looking young and fresh. And of course, I care about the planet too. Beauty industry is one of the worlds major polluters, just think about how easy it is to amass a collection of products that we rarely use. 

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How do you de-stress?


Bathtime! I’m a huge proponent of baths at any time. I don’t soak for long period but it helps calm my nervous system. I also cook to de-stress, if I have a terrible or overstimulated day, coming home and cooking centers me and makes me bubbly with joy. 


Favorite mood-boosting meal?

It’s not a meal, but I make my own almond milk weekly and it’s a religious experience for me, it tastes so rich and creamy and I use it for few things but mostly for my morning flat white. Some of my go-to’s meals are grilled salmon with charmoula and a simple green salad. I love making my own homemade pasta with fresh pesto, it’s very nostalgic for me – reminds me of summer in the Hamptons as a child. For a lazy weekend morning, I make a stack of almond flour pancakes with melted coconut butter, maple syrup and flakey sea salt. 

What is your daily mantra?


Does it make me feel good? Yes…follow that. If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a hell no. Why expend the energy obsessing when things don’t align, something better is on its way. Be yourself, you’re awesome. Life is short, speak up, go for it. Don’t take it all so seriously, laugh! Allow myself the freedom to experience it. 

 

Meet Kristen Conahan. She embodies the definition of true beauty with her lust for life and style expertise. A GoldfadenMD Woman Who Shines is one who is happy, radiant & making positive change in society all while embodying a true likeness for natural beauty regimens & skincare routines. This is Kristen.

CQJ_90541. What’s your name & occupation?
Kristen Conahan // Fashion Blogger

2. Describe your beauty routine.
Doctor’s Scrub, once a week – hands down! It’s such an important part of keeping your skin refreshed and new, and I wish someone told me this at younger age. Other than that, I mostly cleanse at nighttime and use water in the mornings because I have dry skin. An eye gel/cream is a very important part of my routine, and a daily moisturizer with SPF is EVERYTHING. Seriously, SPF will save your skin. I also incorporate Coconut Oil at night and first thing when I get out the shower pretty much all over the bod.

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3. What are three things that you absolutely cannot live without.
The hippie side of me says: Music + Nature + Mediation. Then of course the fashion blogger side of me says: Fashion + My Girlfriends + Laughter (or dogs, or laughter…). That is not an easy question!

4. What is your favorite part about being a woman?
I mean, women just rule, right?! I love being a woman for the same reason we get bashed at times: we’re emotional creatures who are compassionate, loving, caring and tender, and that makes us uniquely beautiful. I’m amazed by the women around me and I’m uplifted when we come together and celebrate our successes and differences. Style Wax Poetic is a fashion blog, yes, but the reason I love clothes, beauty + skincare so much, is because it brings out women’s inner beauty + confidence and enables them to shine! That is the reason I believe in my work and want to help others achieve the look they feel most comfortable in.

5. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received as a woman?
“It’s always seems like a bigger deal in your own head than it really is. Don’t put yourself first, put the situation and the other person first, and all will work out fine.”
Most of us women are stressors and take on too much worry. Can you relate? Men seem to compartmentalize things differently, which I’m quite envious of. This was important to me because it basically put all of our bumps in the roads into perspective and they’re really not as big of a deal as we always make them to be. Just realizing that whatever you’re worrying about is much bigger in your own head that what’s really happening, make the situation at hand so much easier to deal with.

6. Define beauty.
Offering love to someone who is lonely, being kind although you may not want to be, lending strength and empowerment to someone who needs it and wearing the biggest smile because you are so overjoyed you just can’t help it! The most beautiful people to me are true to themselves and comfortable in their own skin.

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7. Tell us why you love Doctors Scrub Advanced as much as we do 🙂
I had an instant love affair with Goldfaden since its inception, but their scrubs…. NEXT LEVEL. The Doctors Scrub Advanced feels and smells amazing, but the results are what keeps you coming back. The skin is renewed and soft as ever! It’s a great way to get the results of an esthetician from the comfort of your own home.