On Saturday January 21st 2017 millions of women from across the globe marched to protest Donald Trump. Side note I refuse to refer to him as President so he is Donald Trump to me. Carrying on.
On that morning, I woke up to a sea of beautiful women on my social media timelines. Women were having sign making parties. Signs read “This Pussy Grabs Back” or “Not My President” Suddenly, everyone was donning the infamous pink pussy hat. On this day, I couldn’t have been more proud to be a woman.
It was one of those days where people will ask you, where were you on Saturday January 21st 2017?
The answer? Me my friend Jillian and her sister Jessica along with a bottle of Pinot Gris were at Roscoe Village’s Scratch Goods.
Scratch Goods to the Rescue
As we made our way to Scratch Goods, we experienced a severe case of FOMO. We felt kind of guilty about not joining our fellow women at what was a monumental occasion.However, once we met both Maureen and Elizabeth of Scratch Goods, we knew that we made the right decision about where we should spend our day. Elizabeth and Maureen were so warm and inviting that our case of FOMO slowly began to dissipate.
The day was peculiarly beautiful for a January in Chicago. The temperature hit about 60 degrees and the sun was shining ever so brightly.
The light illuminated the crisp black and white space while providing health and nutrients to the green foliage that surrounds the beauty sanctuary.
We get comfortable, take off our shoes and sip on a warm mug of ginger tea before we begin our mask bar experience.
Meet the Mask Bar
Scratch Goods is the home of the beauty experience that’s taken Chicago by storm; the mask bar. We’re not sure of the exact stats on this but let’s go ahead and call Scratch Goods the first ever customizable self-service mask bar. Basically, someone needs to tell Vogue to feature this iconic space.At the mask bar, beauty enthusiasts are guided through a step by step process to creating their own custom beauty mask.
What’s unique about Scratch Good’s Mask Bar is the experience takes what’s usually an at home walk around the house with your mask experience, into a social activity.
While laughing it up and sipping on your bottle of wine (because Scratch Goods is BYOB), you create a mask that will suit all of your skincare needs.
Scratch Goods has created what was once a personal beauty experience, to a safe space for self-care and conversation for all.
The Experience
The Scratch Good mask bar ensures that you are tending to every single crevice on your face. With the guidance of Elizabeth, we were going to be taken on a soothing and relaxing self-care journey.You begin by cleansing the face with an incredibly soothing cleanser. The cleanser features tea tree, castor, and almond oil.
The lashes and brows are tended to with droplets of a blend of rosemary, castor oil, and vitamin-e. You can even apply the mixture to the hairline if you wish to stimulate growth. The lips are then moisturized and nourished with a smooth butter.
The face is then prepped with a soothing steamed peppermint towel. The peppermint provides a light tingle to the face.
You’re probably thinking we were in heaven and this was before we even applied the mask.
The Mask
Instead of going to the store and buying a very expensive mask, Scratch Goods empowers their guests to mix and add their own ingredients to create the mask that is most suitable to you.The bar is self-serve which means you have full control over the array of ingredients that are presented before you. However, if options make you nervous know that the Scratch Goods team will be there to guide you to make sure you don’t mess up your mask.
There were three masks you could select from and that included the Sea Mask, the Macha Mask, and the Charcoal mask.
Depending on the level of detoxification, Scratch Goods has a mask for everyone.
Creating the Mask
For a gentle detox and balance of oils, the sea mask comprises of sea clay, organic sea kelp, and rhassoul clay. This is for the newbie to the world of masks.For even more of a detox, you’ll want to select the matcha mask. This mask features organic Spirit tea which tightens and tones, bentonite clay, and rhassoul clay.
For an incredibly deep detox, you’ll want the charcoal mask. Activated charcoal featured in this mask is ideal for fighting blackheads and removing impurities. This mask also features both bentonite and rhassoul clay.
For my experience, I selected the matcha mask. My friend Jillian was concerned with acne and blackheads so she selected the most intense charcoal mask.
Before applying the mask, guests can further customize the experience by mixing in their ingredient of choice. Ingredients range from the divine juices of Owen & Alchemy, the sweet and refreshing Bike a Bee Honey Water, and the aromatic blend of Dark Matter Coffee.
I combined both Owen & Alchemy and the Bike a Bee Honey Water in my matcha mask whereas Jillian and Jessica added the Dark Matter coffee to their charcoal mask.
The Results
Once everything was mixed and measured, it was then time to apply our mask creation.
As I look at my matcha green covered face, I eagerly anticipate the results from my first mask bar experience.
As the time passes, our feet enjoy a comfortable soak in some Epsom salt.
Fast forward, and one of my favorite part of the experience the steamed peppermint steamed towel comes out and it’s time to remove the mask. We then apply a jade roller and just enjoy the warmth of the roller slowly guide along our face. This is another standout moment from the experience.
Once the mask was completely removed, I kid you not, from my friends as well as myself I noticed an immediate glow. I really wish we took photos of before and after because the results were mind blowing. We arrived with fresh clean no-makeup faces but after the mask, we all felt like our natural glow served as nature’s makeup.
Regrets?
So do I have any regrets about not attending the women’s march? I don’t because at that day and time I felt I needed to be at Scratch Goods. While everyone marched, we engaged in thought-provoking conversation with Elizabeth. We shared our varied experiences and expressed our fears and concerns regarding the next four years.Some of us are concerned about losing access to affordable health care. Plus, with the dismantling of Planned Parenthood, women’s reproductive rights are in great danger.
Instead of focusing on the looming threat, we just wanted to experience a nice relaxing mask and enjoy one another’s company. After some time had passed, we no longer felt guilty for taking the time to take care of ourselves.
Of course in these trying times, everyone is understandably scared and concerned. However, I realized that while I am fearful for the future I can’t forget the importance of self-care.
Trust me, in the next four years, we’ll all need to grab a bottle of wine, get some friends and just enjoy some time beautifying our faces at Scratch Goods.
Support Scratch Goods!
If you want to learn more about Scratch Goods and support these amazing women entrepreneurs, then head to ScratchGoods.comPlus, if you want to try the mask bar experience at home buy some of their products so you can recreate the mask bar at home. However, I highly encourage you to make a party of it and have a mask bar party.
Special thanks to Scratch Goods for providing this amazing experience to me and my friends. We’ll definitely be back.
