Gorgeous Scented Candles -Getting to Know Joyaa Cole With Black Owned Joe + Monroe

Have you ever met a person who didn’t love receiving a beautiful scented candle!? Especially when said candle has the most luxe packaging, is made of clean-burning coconut + apricot wax and lasts for 60 (or more) hours.

Insert Joe + Monroe! These glam scented candles have made their way straight to my heart and I am pretty sure I cannot live without them! They check all the boxes for me. Personally, I burn candles every single day — there’s no easier way to add a sense of luxury to day-to-day life, whether it’s an invigorating scent on my desk while I work or relaxing scent while I soak all my stress away in a hot bubble bath. I never think of beautifully-scented candles as extravagances… but more as essentials! But why not just embrace the fact that they can be both, then go ahead and scoop up a holiday gift or two for yourself! If you place your orders by December 15th (soon approaching) you will have it delivered by Christmas!

Black Lives Matter, Features, Home, ShopSamantha RubleDecember 13, 2020shop black owned, black owned, Joe and Monroe, Joe + Monroe, Black ownedComment

Getting To Know The Green Laundress

So very excited for you to meet Erica Ahmed today of The Green Laundress.

-Will you introduce yourself to the Go French Yourself audience and share some of your background?

Greetings! My name is Erica Ahmed and I am the founder of The Green Laundress and eco and people-friendly company manufacturing cleaning products. I have also worked in the public health space for 20 years in varying roles in Washington, DC, Atlanta, GA & New York City.

Q + A With Black Owned Greenhouse Mercantile

Go French Yourself is committed to highlighting and working with more Black owned brands this year and indefinitely!

And today is such an exciting feature with Greenhouse Mercantile located in Newnan, Georgia! Greenhouse Mercantile is a collection of curated goods…a lifestyle store filled with all the things they love. They believe in products that last a lifetime. They support the makers. Greenhouse Mercantile is pro-America. It’s pro-local artists. It’s pro-Fair Trade. It’s products that make a difference and give back…Products that you can buy and be proud of. It is a sanctuary for people that seek out the un-ordinary. It is a reminder to people that past objects should never be forgotten. It is proof that prayer and faith work. It is a feeling…

Beauty, Black Lives Matter, Style, FeaturesSamantha RubleOctober 18, 2020Comment

Q + A With Ziva Naseer-Black-Owned 丨 Ethically made

Sooooo excited to introduce you to Ziva Naseer today!! They are the most beautiful handmade bags and I know you are going to just fall head over heels for them!!!

Black Lives Matter, Features, StyleSamantha RubleSeptember 6, 2020Comment

3 Things I’ve Done This Year That Have Totally Changed My Skin Featuring Fig Med Spa

Let me further explain because to say I have not focused on my skin is a lie! I’m pretty fanatical when it comes to taking care of my skin but that being said, I also have felt like my old regimes were regimes for girls still in their late 20’s. I am now 40 and I should have switched up my skin care regimen in my 30’s! That neglect has shown up as dryness, dark circles, and those first whispers of fine lines. The lines are worse where I carry stress in my upper forehead and am definitely seeing those crow’s feet around my eyes! And let’s not even talk about the “orange peel” chin. UGH! Getting older is not for babies y’all. Plus my makeup has just been looking terrible. I knew I needed to get into Fig and let them guide me with a plan of action for treatments and products to use at home. If your skin is maturing and needs more TLC Fig is the perfect place to lead the way!

Beauty, FeaturesSamantha RubleSeptember 1, 2020Comment

French Brand Of Wax Bags + Pouches- Meet WaxMalia

I am so excited to share this Black-Owned French brand with you that specializes in wax products founded by the wisest 15 year old girl!!!

WaxMalia chooses to employ Ivorian artisans and uses fabrics made in Côte d'Ivoire. It is a family business created by a daughter and her father. (so so special)

From Paris 🇫🇷 to Abidjan 🇨🇮

I just love my Sac Pliable en wax in the Feuilles DE Magnolia print so much! This foldable bag slips nicely into my handbag so I never have to be without a bag for a purchase or whatever else I may need it for.

Everyone needs one!

Black Lives Matter, Francophile, Style, FeaturesSamantha RubleAugust 28, 2020Comment

An Ode To Ingredient-Driven Lipstick- With Madame Gabriela Beauty

Despite the fact that I love makeup and embrace trying new products with possibly too much vigor, I absolutely sympathize with women that shy away from wearing bright lipstick. They undoubtedly make a big statement!!! (But do not worry if you do shy away because I have a good nude for you too) Everyday I am reminded how much I love lipstick. How it can singularly transform my entire mood. I mean really! Lipstick is the single product that can completely transform a woman’s face, and thus her attitude, confidence and it indeed a whole mood game changer!

I have mentioned Madame Gabriela before in this post but I am so excited today to share a Q & A feature with the the founder! Madame Gabriela is a beauty brand developed to lead the culture of true clean and safe lipstick for informed and individualistic women around the world.

Beauty, Francophile, Style, FeaturesSamantha RubleAugust 19, 2020Comment

The Only SHAWL You Will Ever Need- Getting To Know Krista Norris With Krista Norris Collection

To an American, the word “scarf” or shawl typically conjures up visions of thick wool wrapped around our necks to keep us warm in the winter. But in the French language, there is une écharpe (a thick wintry scarf), and un foulard is its thinner, silkier, more fashionable cousin. There is no word that encompasses all fabrics that wrap around your neck, because the Parisian understands its vast difference, both in style and purpose. Whatever you want to call it…scarves and shawls are my favorite body warming accessory for the chillier months – the bigger, warmer, more blanket-resembling they are, the better. But I love them for summer too!!I am a lover of layers! I am a girl who is allergic to the sun so…….

Francophile, Style, FeaturesSamantha RubleAugust 14, 2020Comment

Q + A With EINNIM

Go French Yourself is committed to highlighting and working with more Black owned brands this year and indefinitely. And today’s feature is all about EINNEM out of Chicago!

From beautifully customized soy wax candles to one of a kind goat milk soap bars, lavender body mists and room fresheners that promote calm and relaxation, they are dedicated to providing our customers with a lasting experience that will keep them coming back for more.

EINNIM INTERVIEW

Tell us a little bit about yourself & what made you decide to start EINNIM?

Back in April of 2009 I was in the midst of wrapping up my finals when I suddenly started experiencing this wild pain in my wrists. Thinking it was “just” Carpal tunnel syndrome, I kept plugging away! Fast forward to 2010, I’ve now been diagnosed with Lupus which would accompany the Rheumatoid Arthritis that I already had.

Features, Black Lives Matter, BeautySamantha RubleAugust 5, 2020Comment

Summer of Pink

pending the morning in an ecstasy of language and emotion. I highly recommend The Summer of Pink if you are looking for a new beautiful read by the pool! Teacher, writer, influencer, activist, and poet, Gabrielle Mbeki writes to heal. Summer of Pink is a wonderful collection of poems reflecting on the breakdown of relationships and intimacy, and how it influences a person. Created with three sections in mind to show the intuitiveness of looking at the past, present, and future, with the help of three Major Arcana tarot cards; the most impactful cards to the author in order to guide her, and the reader through her path of love, loss, and redemption.

Black Lives Matter, FeaturesSamantha RubleJune 23, 2020Comment

OLPHACTORY CANDLES, "An Ode to Jazz, Thru Wax".

Sharing the loveliest brand I discovered born and shipped from my beloved BIG D !

Letting B. Anderson tell you the story today because it’s lovely....

"A Love Supreme", by John Coltrane. The legendary jazz album that transformed my life. The first time those notes from "Trane's" saxophone resonated through my ears, this heart of mine followed. I fell in love, DEEPLY IN LOVE. It wasn't a physical love, it was on a much deeper level. A SPIRITUAL LOVE. My heart clamored for MORE. More jazz, more trumpets, more drums, more bass, more trombones, and more piano.

Features, Home, Black Lives MatterSamantha RubleJune 14, 2020Comment

Bienvenue Á Papier

Anyone else have so much fun adding paper + pen back to your routine in quarantine?! I’m quite proud to report that I have loved penning letters to friends and gifting baked goods just because. One thing that’s helped keep the excitement going is always having beautiful stationery on hand! And Papier has the most exquisite stationary!

Francophile, FeaturesSamantha RubleJune 12, 2020Comment

LINDSAY ADAMS WORK

Artist, Lindsay Adams, a DMV Native, uses her corporate career and world studies to communicate different interpretations of art forms through painting and drawing. She began drawing and painting at an early age. While attending a youth summer camp at Corcoran College of Art & Design, she began tightening her skills, and devoted more time to her art. In high school, she received diligent instruction and guidance, and took Drawing and Painting as a major course. Along with her artistic fervor, Lindsay is also passionate about diversity and inclusion awareness, foreign language, and fashion.

Features, Shop, Black Lives MatterSamantha RubleJune 8, 2020 Comments

Slow Coffee Style With Kinto

Oh, coffee… how do I love thee?

For many of us, brewing a piping hot cup of joe is a daily ritual.

And for me instant coffee and Keurig cups are not my thing!

I love really high quality ethical clean coffee beans that I grind myself every morning. I love taking my time with this ritual…no rushing…… and Kinto’s Coffee Brewer Stand is the perfect companion for all of my morning coffee dates. They are all about embracing SLOW COFFEE STYLE. Slow coffee style was born to bring you the joy of a slow, relaxing passage of time with pour over coffee.

A coffee brewer for admirers of refined craft and slow coffee

Features, HomeSamantha RubleApril 23, 2020Comment

Celebrating Earth Day 2020 With A Few Eco-Luxury Brands You Should Know About

Happy Earth Day!Excited to share a few ECO-LUXURY Brands I Love….

WOLFUM

Wolfum—Textile line of tabletop and home goods! They incorporate traditional items into the contemporary home with a nod to vintage, and a respect for modernity, eco-kindness and functionality. Wolfum’s revolutionary technique of printing directly on wood reinvents how the design savvy, eco aware

Features, Home, Shop, StyleSamantha RubleApril 22, 2020Comment