Mother Essentials: Melissa Magsaysay of Duster
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Having a chic and easy outfit that can bring you from school drop-off to work to dinner and beyond might seem elusive, but it’s exactly what the designers behind L.A.-based brand Duster have set out to do. Founded by friends Andrea Racey and Melissa Magsaysay, the company’s “reimagined house dress” styles include 8 comfortable and versatile silhouettes and 8 crowd-pleasing shades—from classic black and white to bold crimson and dreamy orchid. It’s the first fashion line for Melissa Magsaysay, a prolific journalist, best-selling author, brand consultant, podcaster, and mom to 10-year-old son, Miles. Below, the busy mama shares her current must-haves of the moment—the best beauty finds, wellness fixes, and house dresses included!
Duster. “Andrea Racey and I launched Duster in late June. It’s a line of reimagined house dresses that aims to make women feel visible and valued in all of the ways they work today. We give a portion of sales from each dress to non-profit organization Moms First. Bonus: every Duster has pockets!” Shopduster.com.
One and Done by Relevant. “My friend Nyakio Grieco—who is also the co-founder of inclusive beauty retailer thirteen lune and my co-host in The Beauty Vanguard podcast—created this amazing skincare brand, Relevant: Your Skin Seen. One and Done, which is a moisturizer, serum, primer, and SPF 40 in one, is truly my daily go-to. I travel with it and can’t leave home without it. It hydrates my dry skin and is the perfect base for makeup.” One & Done Everyday Cream with SPF, $38, thirteen lune.
Wellness East Shikuwasa Lime Powder. “I’ve been loving everything from this Tokyo-based brand that taps the time-honored ingredients and rituals of Okinawa (Asia’s only Blue Zone) for their products, which are all sourced and made in Okinawa. This powder is great for immunity and cognitive function. Combined with hot water, it makes the perfect citrusy tea for sipping daily.” Daily Vibrancy + Glow Shikuwasa Lime Powder, $30, Wellness East.
Ami Colé Mascara. “I use the Skin Tint and Concealer from this brand as well, but the mascara is truly an MVP. I have straight and thin lashes and hate spending a lot of time on mascara. This one lifts and does the whole job in a matter of seconds and the price point can’t be beat for such a high quality product.” Ami Colé Lash Amplifying Mascara, $19, Sephora.
Valerie Confections House Granola. “Valerie Gordon of Valerie Confections makes the most delicious treats of all kinds, but a family favorite in my household is her granola. Perfect with oat milk or by the handful.” House Granola, $10, Valerie Confections.
Rile. “Created by beauty editor and expert Kelly Atterton, this pre-teen and teen focused skincare line has become my son’s go-to regimen. It’s perfect for him at age 10 going on 11 and the branding and kid-driven content is amazing.”Rile.co.
Perelel Vitamins. “I love these daily vitamins. They’re portable for travel or being on-the-go and help my mood and immunity.” Daily Vitamin, $39.50, Perelel Health.
Hike Fryman Through Tree People. “We try to do this hike with our dog every Sunday morning. We enter through Tree People (an amazing organization for education and conservancy), and do the loop through Fryman Canyon, which provides a gorgeous view of our surrounding neighborhood. Most importantly, it’s time spent together with my family (OFF screens) and in nature.” TreePeople.org.
Allies of Skin. “I LOVE this line of skincare. It’s really become my day and night regimen. Each product is highly effective. The Probiotic Spray and Bakuchiol Oil are favorites.” Allies Molecular Saviour Probiotics Mist, $68, thirteen lune. Allies Bakuchiol Firming Oil, $154, Space NK.
Helena Quinn. “These silk PJs and loungewear are gorgeous and beyond comfy. They also keep my temperature balanced throughout the night, I’m never too hot or too cold when wearing the short sleeve PJ shirt and pants.” HelenaQuinn.com
Comme Si Socks. “I love socks and these are of the highest quality and have the most fun colors around.” CommeSi.com
New England Summer. “We go to Rhode Island (where my husband is from) and Boston every June/July and I’ve really gotten into a New England summer. We stay right on the water and every morning is magical with the sounds of birds and the waves. Kayaking and Del’s Lemonade are a daily occurrence.” Dels.com.
The Beauty Vanguard Podcast. “As mentioned, Nyakio and I host the podcast The Beauty Vanguard, which goes beyond skin deep to explore the cultural meanings of beauty. We have amazing guests who are often beauty founders offering great advice to budding beauty entrepreneurs.” The Beauty Vanguard via Apple Podcasts.
Sora Skin Facial. “Sora is a skin magician. Facials with her every 3 weeks or so keep my skin calm, firm, and glow-y.” SoraSkinStudio.com.
Pause IV. “I try to get the Pause IV drip at Pause once a month or so to manage stress and keep my sleep regular. It’s full of magnesium and stress managing B vitamins.” Pausestudio.com.
Trampoline Trim. “I’ve been doing weekly personal training with the amazing Tiffany Marie for over a year now. She also has a class called Trampoline Trim at a gym in Hollywood and it’s the most effective workout ever. It’s amazing cardio and strength training, but low impact on joints and great for the lymphatic system. It’s a must try.” TrampolineTrim.com
For more MOTHER ESSENTIALS, peep our recent features on Herman Miller creative director KELSEY KEITH, chef VALERIE GORDON, artist ERIN JANG, Chicago party mom KRISTEN KAZA, Hedley & Bennett founder ELLEN MARIE BENNETT, Mochi Kids founder AMANDA STEWART, chef CRISTINA KISNER, chef CAMILLA MARCUS, artist CAROLINE Z HURLEY, Just Date founder SYLVIE CHARLES, food icon AMANDA HESSER, Prickly Pear founder MONA BAHRAINI, Solace Summer founder MEGAN BRE CAMP, Wonder Valley co-founder ALISON CARROLL, OZMA designer HEIDI BAKER, author TIFFANY ROSE SMITH, HEIDI BAKER of OZMA, and PHOEBE SUNG of Cold Picnic.
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