Stewart & Claire

Our friends (one of whom is our graphic designer, Patrick Moroney) left Stewart & Claire Summer lip balm on their bed side table. Their dog, Nina, was always trying to lick the balm off their faces until....she found the source of that lovely smell and just couldn't contain herself. We love this photo. She doesn't even look guilty! -S&C

Fellow food lovers Adam and Andrew Erace opened a store in Philadelphia a couple of years ago that I wish I had around the corner from me in New York. In addition to local eggs, milk and produce and culty products like Q Tonic water and Stumptown Coffee, Green Aisle Grocery also stocks what they like to call "small, offbeat producers who are doing cool things with food." 

We thought our balms would be in line with the Erace brothers' philosophy (and the fact that I grew up in Philadelphia wouldn't hurt either.) So, I'm proud to say that Green Aisle Grocery is the first shop in the US to carry our lip balms. And don't they look great on the counter? If you live in Philly or are just passing through, pop by their store and buy a lip balm. And while you're at it, grab some of the awesome hummus Green Aisle stocks from chef Michael Solomonov of Zahav, too. -Claire

I cringe when back-to-school supplies go on sale in July and September issues of magazines with sweater-clad models arrive in my mailbox while I'm still perfectly happy in tank tops. 

Stewart and I are admittedly summer lovers. With a chill already in the air this week, we're planning a warm weather vacation for the winter (the current debate: Canary Islands versus Nicaragua).

That said, there are plenty of things to love about fall, and I realized that many of them involve smells: crisp leaves, juicy apples and sweet spices, to name a few.

For our Autumn lip balm, I reached for essential oils made from the warming spices found in Indian chai (or my fantasy pumpkin pie) like ginger and cardamom with a nice dose of black pepper. Other than my beloved Bare balm, Autumn is my favorite so far. And a good reason for summer lovers like me to look forward to fall. 
- Claire