Month: August 2018

Sarah Murrell – Founder of BY SARAH LONDON

Sarah Murrell is the Founder of BY SARAH LONDON, a brilliant, all-natural and organic, plant-based skincare brand. Sarah passionately believes in empowering our wellness choices (by listing all the ingredients, clearly, on the labels, for example – something simple, but surprisingly rare). The brand’s inspiration began with her sister Lauren’s recovery from Leukemia in 2012 – when she couldn’t find any products that had clearly labelled, all-natural ingredients, Sarah started mixing her own.

How did she know where to start? Well, prior to launching BY SARAH LONDON, Sarah spent 10 years in branding and communications for some of the world’s leading beauty brands – so, she had picked up a lot of intel along the way. Fast-forward to February 2022, and BY SARAH LONDON became the first UK independently owned and female-founded skincare brand to achieve B Corp status, joining a growing group of companies reinventing business by pursuing purpose as well as profit.

Part of our Insiders series, this is your window into the worlds of the coolest people in Safara’s network. These are the contacts we’d hit up for travel inspiration, whether it’s a hotel recommendation, a new track for our in-transit playlist, the best mini-products to pack, or just to daydream about where we’d open a boutique island hotel (this changes with each Insider guide we read – we’re easily and happily influenced).

Read on for beauty and travel inspiration from Sarah Murrell.

What beauty items do you always travel with?

Our organic skincare minis! For long-haul flights, I apply two to three drops of our Organic Facial Oil, to keep my skin hydrated and deeply-nourished. And, I’ll top up just before landing for healthy, radiant skin on arrival.

What hotel room design element can you not live without?

I love a roll top bath! Does that count? There’s an amazing one at Gleneagles, an incredible luxury hotel in Scotland that made me feel fully rested and rejuvenated after celebrating a special birthday.

Where would you go for a digital detox or just generally to get off the grid?

I recently took a trip to Zermatt, Switzerland and cannot recommend it enough for the nature, breathtaking scenery and sense of calm. We stayed at the Hotel Christiania, which is family-run and has the most charming and welcoming atmosphere. The setting is equally spectacular, nestled at the foot of the Swiss Alps, with views of the Matterhorn.

What do you always bring with you in your carry-on?

I’m never without our Organic Lip Balm, as it’s a wonderful multitasker. Plus my Swell water bottle, and a good podcast series (currently listening to How I Built This).

Have you or would you travel alone?

Yes! Traveling alone gives an amazing sense of achievement and adventure.

If you’re going to a new place, and your friends have not been there, what do you consult for advice?

I look for the latest plant-based restaurants and yoga studios to give me the lay of the land. In NYC, I love The Butcher’s Daughter. And, I always recommend getting there early, as the queue is often out the door!

Do you have any tips or tricks for beating the dreaded jet lag?

Water, water, water!

Travel can be about the little luxuries, like an amazing cup of coffee. Where was the best one you’ve had?

I’m a lover of tea, and the most aromatic brew was in Copenhagen at Royal Smushi Cafe. The scent, flavour and even the tea cup itself were divine!

Beach, city or mountains?

Beach in the winter, and (Swiss) mountains in the summer!

Is in-flight wifi a good idea?

No!

Early check-in or late check-out?

Late check-out

Read more from our Insiders series, here.

Cyrena Lee – Freelance Writer

Cyrena Lee is a freelance writer based between NYC, Paris and Taipei – and sometimes other places. With over 10 years of experience in branding and marketing, she has helped to launch startups in the retail, fitness, travel and health and wellness spaces. In her own words, she is particularly interested in “holograms, lucid dreaming, meditating, eating hot pot, learning languages, and climbing.”

When we first met, Cyrena was the Head of Content at Getaway, where she launched the content strategy as well as overhauled their website and brand platform across all channels. The result was “an experience designed to bring us back to our elements, immerse us in the magic of the woods, and challenge us to rediscover the pleasure of boredom, solitude and unstructured time.” Sounds dreamy, right?

Cyrena studied Anthropology at Barnard College, then spent time abroad in Beijing and Paris, before moving to Shanghai to explore the world of advertising at Oglivy. Since then, she’s worked in creative marketing for brands big and small, including Virgin Sport and Brooklyn Boulders. And she is currently working on several novels and a collection of short stories.

Part of our Insiders series, this is your window into the worlds of the coolest people in Safara’s network. These are the contacts we’d hit up for travel inspiration, whether it’s a hotel recommendation, a new track for our in-transit playlist, the best mini-products to pack, or just to daydream about where we’d open a boutique island hotel (this changes with each Insider guide we read – we’re easily and happily influenced).

Read on for travel inspiration from Cyrena Lee.

What hotel room design element can you not live without?

Remote controlled curtains — I first encountered this at CitizenM in Shoreditch, London. Going from day to night without getting up is a pretty nice touch, and now it seems like an absurd necessity.

Where would you go for a digital detox or just generally to get off the grid?

Any Getaway cabin to detox, or the south of France to just hang out and eat fresh tomatoes and cheese all day.

What do you always bring with you in your carry-on?

My rock climbing shoes, because, you never know.

Have you or would you travel alone?

Traveling alone is one of my favorite things to do. I even wrote a piece on it called “When You Travel Alone, You Belong to Everyone” for Fathom a few years back. People emailed me saying they were inspired to do so after. It’s absolute freedom!

Best travel advice you’ve ever received?

I used to plan in advance more, but my French boyfriend has a very lax approach to traveling. He never books hotels in advance because, as he puts it, he never knows if he’ll want to stay longer or go somewhere else last-minute. I’ve found that this mode of non-planning opens up for a lot more unexpected adventures.

Do you have any tips or tricks for beating the dreaded jet lag?

Start eating according to the time zone you’ll be traveling to 12 hours before your flight. Or just convince yourself it doesn’t exist. A combination of the two works every time for me, even for flights to Asia.

What’s your go-to outfit for getting through security quickly, and still looking good?

Love my ADAY Don’t Stop Top and Brakes On Leggings, for comfort and looking chic all at once. I pair it with a massive Lauren Manoogian sweater to keep warm.

Is in-flight wifi a good idea?

Yes, working flights equal less stolen vacation time.

Lost luggage, or lost phone?

Lost phone. Airplane mode, please.

Favorite subscription service you’ll never delete?

Patreon.

Read more from our Insiders series, here.

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