Sunday Sanctuary - Jessy Qussar - Ares Candle

An interview with Jessy Qussar, Vice President of Marketing for ROAR Organic Beverages, on how she creates her own Sunday Sanctuary. How do you create sanctuary in your life?I surround myself with things that add positive energy to my environments and make me feel centered… I do that with textures, sounds, a variety of natural elements like plants and crystals, and of course, scents. I work from home a lot so my home sanctuary is often my work sanctuary as well. My team is a bit nomadic though, so a couple times a week, I work from a variety of remote offices so I have an “office bag” that comes with me when I do. It is always packed and ready to go, and along with the usual adaptor cords, chargers and office supplies, it has a few crystals, a candle, a portable Bluetooth speaker and over-ear headphones. Those items are just as important to my workspace and productivity as my laptop most days. Over time, I really began to edit and curate my spaces to only hold things that make me feel happy when I see them and feel comfortable when I touch them, and I think the world has evolved as well, since my ethos and design values seem to be what everyone is feeling now as well. The best compliment I think I’ve ever received about my sanctuary was when I let a friend stay at my place when I wasn’t there and had a friend come over who I met later and the first thing she said to me was “Jessy, the energy in your apartment is amazing!” What are your favorite self-care products?I have so many! I take my self-care seriously!I consider hydration to be critical as it affects how I feel (and how I look!) I’ve been working in the beverage industry for almost 9 years now so hydration is on my mind all day! I’ve have been fortunate enough to work for brands like Vita Coco and CORE Hydration that produce healthy, extra-hydrating beverages and my current company, ROAR Organic makes drinks that are infused with electrolytes for faster hydration (+antioxidants and b-vitamins) and are all organic, so I feel great about drinking multiple per day which light me up from the inside out. For taking care of the outside of my body I love skin-care products which include the Ole Herkinson Truth line and Origin Plantscriptions to brighten and protect my skin plus SkinBetter Science AlphaRet overnight face cream (which I get from my dermatologist, Dr. Anna Karp’s office.) I also love my foam roller which I use daily to decompress my back and work out my knots and I just received a TheraGun for Christmas which is my new favorite body tool!I also consider the supplements I take to be a part of self-care and I take Nutrafol and Viviscal which support healthy hair growth and contains a number of vitamins, minerals and adaptogens that serve me well, astaxanthin which is good for a million things (and makes my skin glow!) and a daily probiotic which I just switched to the newly launched MindBodyGreen brand. Also, I don’t know if this is a product but I do love my ClassPass subscription. It allows me to take a variety of classes every month depending on what I’m feeling that day and the membership also includes wellness options like infrared saunas, massages, floats and other experiences which I take advantage of. What are your favorite Sunday activities that prepare you for the week ahead?I definitely have the Sunday Scaries so I try to keep Sundays free from errands and housekeeping so I can have a full day to relax and recharge. I live in Brooklyn so as long as it’s not raining or snowing I’ll always go for a really long walk and take advantage of my beautiful views. In the summer, I’ll walk over the Manhattan bridge into the city and see a movie or meet friends to catch up. If the weather isn’t great or I don’t have time for a long walk I’ll take a class at a studio near me or I’ll enjoy an infra-red sauna session. I try to be home fairly early so I have time to unwind before bed which generally includes getting cozy on my couch and watching a little TV. What is your favorite L’or de Seraphine candle and why?It changes per season but I am obsessed with the ARES candle right now! It is the perfect blend of fresh and deep scents that smell beautiful but not girly and add a calming air to my apartment. I’ve been burning ARES every day for a week and the L’or de Seraphine candles are my favorite because they last forever and linger well too which is important, so when I come home, I’m greeted by these beautiful scents!