Skip to main content61 A Closer Shave
Gillette be damned! You can get a superior shave with organic, not-tested-on-animals, shea-butter-and-white-tea shave cream from Escential Lotions and Oils ($12.50. 3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 800-750-6457, escential.net). The pleasantly moisturizing cream is unisex, but you can order yours tilted one way or another with the addition of one of Escential's 40 essential oils. Mountain man types may favor pine needle, while a more cosmopolitan shaver might go for bay.
62 Gotta Have My Soaps
Way out in Joseph, just minutes from the shores of Wallowa Lake, Will Roundy crafts the most extraordinary soaps we've encountered. Each batch of Beecrowbee soaps, cold-processed from olive, coconut and palm oils, takes a month to make. They produce a thick, moisturizing lather, strongly scented in a spicy way that's neither cloying nor chemical. Roundy's Joy Holiday-themed soap pack ($19.95. Camellia Pure Beauty, 4941 NE Fremont St., 287-4645, beecrowbee.com) includes a bracing peppermint, a sweet pumpkin made with puréed organic pumpkin and a "spice drop"-scented bar that feels like a scrub with a fistful of cloves.
63 Pillage Perfume
Some jobs get you dirtier than others. For those in particularly filthy occupations, Portland's Arcana Soaps offers Swashbuckler and Filthy Viking ($7. Camellia Pure Beauty, 4941 NE Fremont St., 287-4645). Crafted from Australian black clay and bay rum (Swashbuckler) or juniper and coffee grounds (Filthy Viking), these soaps are tough enough to scrub sea scum off even the most degenerate seafarer. For a more cosmopolitan consumer, Arcana makes Absinthe perfume oil ($13) redolent of anise and bitter herbs.
64 How Earthy of You
What do you do with a degree from Evergreen? Jody Berry moved to Rickreall, Ore., and started a stellar line of cosmetics. There are too many great Wild Carrot Herbals products to name here, but two we like are the thick, heavily moisturizing wild rose eye cream ($8.99. New Seasons Markets, various locations, newseasonsmarket.com), a sweet-smelling concoction that packs a heavy dose of vitamin E; and Mountain Man lotion ($14. Wildcarrotherbals.com), an aloe vera- and coconut-based general skin lotion scented with bay laurel, grapefruit and cypress. Most lotions marketed to men smell like a trollop's armpit, but this one is spicy and alluring in a masculine way.
65 Scrubbed Clean
Do you suffer from excess foliage? I know I do. And when that dead skin just has to go, this Kiehl's body scrub ($25. Kiehl's, 712 NW 23rd Ave., 223-7676) does the trick, leaving you feeling thoroughly scraped without the usual sensation of chemical burn. It smells nice, too; we like the coriander, but it also comes in lavender, grapefruit and "pear tree corner" varieties.
66 Don’t Skip the Pitts
Most men and women of my generation have on occasion wondered what it would be like to rub the essence of Brad Pitt all over our bare bodies. Now, finally, we can—and help save the planet while we do it. Pitt partnered with Kiehl's to develop this biodegradable body cleanser ($16.50. Kiehl's, 712 NW 23rd Ave., 223-7676), all profits from which benefit JPF Eco Systems, a joint venture by Pitt and Kiehl's to promote sustainable living. We hope the cleanser, which we will refer to hereafter as "Brad," smells like its namesake. We want Brad to smell pleasantly of aloe vera. Brad includes no sodium laureth sulfate, so he doesn't foam as much as other, more environmentally destructive products. But he does clean you up nice.
67 Sci-Fi Skin Care
The latest and greatest in the treatment of acne is light therapy, the use of very powerful visible light to kill acne-causing bacteria. Usually these treatments require frequent visits to a dermatologist, but Oregon Aesthetic Technologies claims to have created a handheld version: ANSR ($159. Blush Beauty Bar, 513 NW 23rd Ave., 227-3390 or ansr.com), a white, rechargeable discus with a pair of very bright LEDs that buzzes "to be friendly" while you rub the business end over your face. It looks like a Star Trek prop, but our tester said her acne showed improvement while using ANSR—though she couldn't tell whether the device itself or the trio of topical creams that came with it were responsible.
68 Candy Is Dandy
Portlander Marnie Massie isn't content merely making her Treat brand of all-natural, cocoa- and almond butter-based cosmetics; she has to stuff them in conspicuously cute packaging, too. Her Candy Color line of mineral lip and cheek stains ($18. Blush Beauty Bar, 513 NW 23rd Ave., 227-3390) comes in colorful truffle boxes. They're remarkably bright and long-lasting, not to mention potent—a finger dab is enough to give you a rosy glow (or a whorish flush, if that's your cup of tea).
Slideshow courtesy of
WWeek 2015