Feel Good, Look Better
Luxe gear to get Zen in style
Light up your life
This rosemary- and peppermint-scented Recharge candle from Woodlot claims to help with stress and fatigue. Its gorgeous woodsy smell (with 40 hours of burn life) makes it a worthwhile purchase either way. $26. shopwoodlot.com.
Chakra and awe
Vancouver flower children Matt Bateman and Ashley Wray started selling glam chakra necklaces after an eat-pray-love pilgrimage to Bali. The beads function like new-age rosaries: meditators use them to count out mantras. $168. malacollective.com.
Fitbit glam
The Fitbit gets a cosmetic upgrade when inserted into this Bangle, a thoroughly covetable 22-karat-gold-plated blingcessory. $130. chapters-indigo.ca.
Next-gen clean
Toronto soapmeister Karen Kim makes inky cleansing bricks inspired by female Korean shamans. This one combines lavender, cedarwood, sage and charcoal, which is said to be a powerful detoxifier. $23. binu-binu.com.
Smooth operator
Kypris’s beauty elixir contains the essence of 1,000 roses collected at sunrise in a Bulgarian meadow (because of course), along with black raspberry seed, pomegranate and baobab oils, all designed to zap blemishes and nourish dry skin. $315. Jacob and Sebastian, 622 Queen St. W., 647-345-0478.
Wrist candy
The Misfit Vapor is an elegant, water-resistant watch tricked out with every frill imaginable: gyroscope, accelerometer, altimeter, GPS and heart-rate sensors, plus its own music system for blasting Rihanna on those long weekend runs. $267. misfit.com.
Oil boom
Vitruvi’s sculptural diffuser transforms essential oils into billows of scented steam, making any room feel as relaxing as an opium den. This one is beloved by Gwyneth Paltrow, the high priestess of self-care. $119. vitruvi.com.
Track your shack
The Netatmo Healthy HomeCoach is like a Fitbit for your house: it has four sensors that measure humidity, air quality, temperature and noise pollution to calibrate the optimal habitat for your family. (The sleek rose-gold column looks great on a coffee table, too.) $120. bestbuy.ca.
Make scents
Lavender is widely believed to reduce anxiety, restlessness and insomnia—making this sweet silk eye pillow the perfect accessory for bedtime meditation. $44. Ardith, 373 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-878-7088.
Cure what ails you
Crystal healers believe that gemstones, like this hunk of Madagascan chalcedony from Toronto’s Hilda Naccarato, can cure just about anything. Naccarato claims this one fosters benevolence, enthusiasm, mental flexibility and verbal dexterity. At the very least, it’s a funky centrepiece. $908. etsy.com.
A Skeptic’s Guide to Self-Care
Part 1: Golden Getaways
Spas for quieting the mind, calibrating the qi and pampering the body
Part 2: Child’s Pose
Toronto’s chillest kindergartners strike a pose
Part 3: Superfoods That Don’t Suck
Twenty things that taste as good as they are
Part 4: Silent Meditation
What it’s like to go mute for 10 days: a memoir
Part 5: Feel Good, Look Better
Luxe gear to get zen in style
Part 6: Run for Your Life
Six endurance events for endorphin-chasing masochists
 makes it a worthwhile purchase either way. $26. shopwoodlot.com.
Chakra and awe
Vancouver flower children Matt Bateman and Ashley Wray started selling glam chakra necklaces after an eat-pray-love pilgrimage to Bali. The beads function like new-age rosaries: meditators use them to count out mantras. $168. malacollective.com.
Fitbit glam
The Fitbit gets a cosmetic upgrade when inserted into this Bangle, a thoroughly covetable 22-karat-gold-plated blingcessory. $130. chapters-indigo.ca.
Next-gen clean
Toronto soapmeister Karen Kim makes inky cleansing bricks inspired by female Korean shamans. This one combines lavender, cedarwood, sage and charcoal, which is said to be a powerful detoxifier. $23. binu-binu.com.
Smooth operator
Kypris’s beauty elixir contains the essence of 1,000 roses collected at sunrise in a Bulgarian meadow (because of course), along with black raspberry seed, pomegranate and baobab oils, all designed to zap blemishes and nourish dry skin. $315. Jacob and Sebastian, 622 Queen St. W., 647-345-0478.
Wrist candy
The Misfit Vapor is an elegant, water-resistant watch tricked out with every frill imaginable: gyroscope, accelerometer, altimeter, GPS and heart-rate sensors, plus its own music system for blasting Rihanna on those long weekend runs. $267. misfit.com.
Oil boom
Vitruvi’s sculptural diffuser transforms essential oils into billows of scented steam, making any room feel as relaxing as an opium den. This one is beloved by Gwyneth Paltrow, the high priestess of self-care. $119. vitruvi.com.
Track your shack
The Netatmo Healthy HomeCoach is like a Fitbit for your house: it has four sensors that measure humidity, air quality, temperature and noise pollution to calibrate the optimal habitat for your family. (The sleek rose-gold column looks great on a coffee table, too.) $120. bestbuy.ca.
Make scents
Lavender is widely believed to reduce anxiety, restlessness and insomnia—making this sweet silk eye pillow the perfect accessory for bedtime meditation. $44. Ardith, 373 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-878-7088.
Cure what ails you
Crystal healers believe that gemstones, like this hunk of Madagascan chalcedony from Toronto’s Hilda Naccarato, can cure just about anything. Naccarato claims this one fosters benevolence, enthusiasm, mental flexibility and verbal dexterity. At the very least, it’s a funky centrepiece. $908. etsy.com.
A Skeptic's Guide to Self-Care
Part 1: Golden Getaways
Spas for quieting the mind, calibrating the qi and pampering the body
Part 2: Child’s Pose
Toronto’s chillest kindergartners strike a pose
Part 3: Superfoods That Don’t Suck
Twenty things that taste as good as they are
Part 4: Silent Meditation
What it's like to go mute for 10 days: a memoir
Part 5: Feel Good, Look Better
Luxe gear to get zen in style
Part 6: Run for Your Life
Six endurance events for endorphin-chasing masochists
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