Cool Hunting
| 01 May 2008view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
Granado
by Phuong-Cac Nguyen
Since 1870, Rio de Janeiro-based Granado has been incorporating local and natural ingredients in their hair care items, soap and lotions which come in different varieties to address specific beauty battles. One of my favorites is the Castanha de Brasil line which is specially made with chestnuts from the Amazon that help to heal dry skin and hair—the remedy was first used by indigenous women in the area.
Granado's old style packaging and retail locations—in Rio de Janeiro and a new location in Sao Paulo that opened last year in the upscale Jardins district—remind me of old neighborhood pharmacies and apothecaries. Starting a $4 for a bar of antiseptic soap, purchase their well-priced products at Amazon and Granado.
You Look Great Today
by Doug Black
Our friends at thehappycorp want you to know just how good you look. To prove it, they created You Look Great Today, an assemblage of orchestrated thumbs-up photos that anyone can contribute to. To get involved, you first need to purchase their signature reversible hand-cards (one side is for pale skin, the other for darker skin). You can order a pack of 25 for $6 from their store. Once you pop it out, go find great-looking people and stage the most dramatic shot (if you lack the creative gene, they offer tips). Then just upload your photo to the site—no need to create a profile or anything.
What we like most is the user contributed aspect of the site. We enjoy the Sartorialist, Street Peeper and the Face Hunter, but everyone has a voice at You Look Great Today, making for a diverse compilation of styles and oftentimes some great humor. Have a look for yourself.
Me No Speak
by Tim Yu
In preparation for an upcoming trip to Beijing, I was recently given a Me No Speak Language Companion. A twist on the traditional phrase book format and design, the Me No Speak book provides small illustrations labeled in both English and Chinese so that you can point to images when trying to communicate.
This is especially effective when traveling to countries that use a different alphabet or set of characters. Oftentimes, especially with Mandarin, slipping up on even the pronunciation of a syllable can change the whole meaning of a word. So instead of ordering the noodles you could be asking for snake blood by mistake. With Me No Speak you can be sure to avoid such situations.
Conveniently pocket-sized, I'll have it on me throughout the trip so if I'm ever in need of a doctor, train station or some new underwear I won't have to mime it, I can just point to it. Purchase one for China, Japan or Thailand for $10 from Me No Speak.
Jayson Scott Musson: Too Black for B.E.T. Episodes I & II
by Doug Black
From cover to cover, Jayson Musson's collection of broadsheet posters teem with racial stereotypes, crude sexual references and more than a few people relieving themselves on other people for a bit of offensive humor. But behind all the dick jokes and cocaine stories, he has a penchant for blunt social commentary and anti-corporate activism. Each of the 36 (appropriately black-and-white) posters have a kernel of principal wrapped in a mess of absurdity. And yes, it's funny too. Musson exhibits a conversationally hysterical voice and sarcasm that is all but impossible to convey in print. Some might be offended, but they're clearly not getting the joke. (Click on the images for more detail.)
Musson lives in Philadelphia and has worked as a columnist for Philadelphia Weekly magazine. He also does illustrations and exhibits drawings across the country. You can buy Too Black for B.E.T. for $17 through independent publishers, Free News Projects.
Studio Matador Unfinished and Unpublished Notebooks
by Tim Yu
I go through a lot of notebooks whether just for doodling or to-dos. Lately I've been using one from the Unfinished and Unpublished series created in collaboration with Studio Matador.
A numbered, limited-edition (500 of each version) collection of notebooks, they feature original art works from a variety of artists including Aussie streetwear designer Alpha 60, isis&pluto and Pandarosa, among others. All the notebooks feature a hard glossy cover, while a mix of colored, lined, grid, parchment, computer stock and unprinted pages offer multiple functions. Unlike standard varieties, these have an exposed, hand sewn binding allowing the pages to open completely and lay flat for easier writing.
Select your favorite of the 12 artist-designed notebooks at Studio Matador for AU$30
