These days it's nearly impossible to know what women are spending on the way they look. Someone with Instagram-flawless contouring might have honed her craft using the finest from the drugstore aisles, and the utterly makeup-free type might be spending thousands on laser treatments and serums. Enter our series "What It Costs to Be Me," in which we're asking interesting women for radical transparency.
Next up? Carina Chaz, founder of DedCool, 25, from Los Angeles. Her grand total? $3,124
New wellness trends—and let’s be real, definitions for what wellness even means—are popping up day after day, with a significant number of companies within the category treating it as just that, a trend. Carina Chaz, the founder of DedCool, a unisex fragrance brand, is not one of those people.
“Wellness is a huge part of why I create and hope to inspire,” says Chaz, the youngest founder on the Barneys beauty floor. “I believe everything should be made with the utmost intention, from mental health to food. Everything plays a role in how our insides function.” With those ideas in mind, she founded DedCool as a way to create scents that not only were wearable but provided cleaner options that would still appeal to vast range of people. The fragrances within the line boast a clean bill of health, ticking the boxes on unisex, nontoxic, vegan, and cruelty-free, and all made from U.S. ingredients at her small facility in Culver City, California. It’s a nice change of pace from how typically mysterious, expensive, and male-dominated the fragrance industry can be, and it was a seemingly natural progression for someone who spent her childhood learning and experimenting in her family’s laboratory. (Yes, her parents are in the beauty business too.)
With the lessons of transparent, clean beauty and wellness essentially engrained in her brain as a child, Chaz has a low-maintenance, high-intention approach to everything she puts on, in, and around her body without coming off as elitist or stuffy. She invests in holistic care, supplements, and pore-busting cleansing treatments. Where she saves? “I’ve never been a gym person,” says Chaz. “I prefer hot yoga practices, hikes, and walking around my neighborhood to get blood pumping.”
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My morning skin care routine: $219
I always start by drinking eight ounces of hot water and lemon—I’m a firm believer that beauty starts from within. Next I fill the bath with about two inches of warm water to wash my face and intimate areas. The only face wash I use for my sensitive skin is Lanatura’s Hyaluronic + Lemon Peel Cleanser ($30). It’s natural, it’s cleansing, and it doesn't strip your skin of its natural oils. Once my skin is clean and still wet, I apply Mara Universal Face Oil ($72) and let the vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and F absorb. Then I apply my favorite on-the-go product for sun protection—Josh Rosebrook Nutrient Day Cream with SPF 30 ($95), which contains zinc oxide, a natural form of sun protection. Last, I smear on my new favorite natural deodorant, Corpus Naturals ($22) in Third Rose. I'm constantly smelling my pits throughout the day because its scent is intoxicating.
My hair maintenance: $175
When it comes to my hair, I'm pretty low-maintenance. I wash four times a week with the LaNatura Intensive Shampoo ($25) and Restorative Conditioner ($28). Both are amazingly high quality and color safe. When my hair is wet, I brush with the Tangle Teezer ($12). And once it's dry, I use a hand-me-down Mason Pearson Detangler Hair Brush ($110) without boar bristles.
My makeup routine: $272
I am huge fan of beauty, but in a very minimalist way. I typically don’t wear makeup unless I have some type of public appearance. It’s not to say I don’t love and appreciate makeup; it just means I have no clue what the eff I’m doing. I love the no-makeup makeup look, so I stick to my key neutral colors and products. My foundation ranges from Vapour Organic Beauty Atmosphere Luminous Foundation ($46) to the Ere Perez Quinoa Water Foundation in Dawn ($40); both have a beautiful natural, dewy look. Then I dab RMS Master Mixer ($38) on my cheeks and eyes. I only buy multifunctional products, and I don’t purchase anything that can’t fit in my travel-size makeup bag.
Once my highlight is glossy yet subtle, I add the Jillian Dempsey Lid Tint—also on my lips and cheeks—in the colors Lilac, Peach, Glimmer, or Dew ($28 each), depending on my mood. I curl my eyelashes and put W3ll People Expressionist Mascara ($22) on my lashes and brows, which saves space in my bag and money. Last, I top off my look with whatever DedCool Chazstick I have in rotation. Right now I'm loving my Watermelon one ($14).
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My shower necessities: $105
I stick with my go-to—LaNatura’s White + Green Tea Walnut Foaming Scrub ($32). I exfoliate every day for extra-smooth skin and do lymphatic drainage massage rituals. Then I follow that with LaNatura’s CocoVanilla Body Wash ($24) or Sea Water Therapy Body Wash ($24). Currently I’m loving the Necessaire Body Wash ($25) in sandalwood. The scent is to die for.
My body routine: $125
Let’s talk body. It’s something super important and most often overlooked. It’s as important to consider what you’re using on your body as it is your face, because hey, we absorb 65 percent of topical products. (Don’t worry—DedCool is formulating something special for your bod!) My newest body ritual is oil. I'm accustomed to using lotion, but now I’ve been experimenting more with oils, from my booty to my boobies and toes. Like I said, I need multifunctional products! I’m obsessing over Kjaer Weis Body Oil ($125). It’s fabulous after a shower, which helps it absorb better.
My fragrance essentials: $420
Of course, I wear nothing other than DedCool. I believe my skin naturally radiates it even when I’m not wearing anything, but I’m always intrigued by what else is out there. You can find me at the Barneys fragrance counter smelling everything—I even spritz a few here and there. My brand, DedCool, speaks about all things cool and conscious. I am always into the more boyish scents. Right now I'm rotating through DedCool 02 ($80) for that sensual, lingering sandalwood aroma and DedCool 04 ($80) for that weekend greenish vibe. From the newest collection, I’m stuck on Ivy Blanc ($130) and Madonna Lilly ($130), which are pretty similar in their profiles, expect for the contrasting notes of pink pepper versus black pepper.
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My nighttime skin care routine: $661
My evening routine consists of 12 minutes on my Ziip device ($495), which increases collagen and clears breakouts. Next I drench myself in Leo Oil ($46) or Mara’s newest Algae Retinol Oil ($120) to create healthier-looking skin.
My skin-rejuvenating treatment: $200
Every two months my fabulous friend Jacky B gives me an ultrasonic cleansing facial ($200). She's the only person I’d ever let touch my face. The facial is a basic treatment that utilizes ultrasound to surface unwanted blemishes and clogged pores all while pushing vital nutrients deeper into the dermis. This treatment is both corrective and preventive.
My incredible holistic doctor and supplement list: $947
I recently started seeing a spectacular naturopathic doctor, which is a doctor who takes a holistic approach to all the facets that make you a person, focusing on noninvasive practices while healing with alternative medicine. Christian Gonzalez, N.D., ($350 per visit) has helped me with a series of tests including blood work ($100) and Dutch tests ($250), which is a comprehensive perspective on your hormones as a whole, plus their breakdown. After a series of tests, we’ve gone through an extensive breakdown from diet to supplemental health with injectables and food. I’m currently taking fermented vitamin D 5000 IU ($147), Stone Natural Medicine Mushroom Defense Mix ($39), Stone Natural Medicine Multi-Flora Probiotic ($36), and evening primrose ($25) to help my fibrocystic breast flare-ups.
