Duende Darling Holiday Gift Guide 2021

December 9, 2021.Reading time 16 minutes.

‘Tis the season to reflect on the year and it’s a great time to gift those in our lives that have made the time sweeter. Back by popular demand: here is the Duende Darling Holiday Gift Guide!

Cleansing Ritual

August 21, 2020.Reading time 12 minutes.

A major component to any good skincare routine is having a cleanser. Cleansers are a way to dissolve the grime and grit after a long day and can be a great way to unwind. Like a lot of aspects of my self care routines, I’ve made an effort to slow them down and treat them as rituals. By acting with this intention, the act of cleaning off the day is more than just physical, it becomes a way to check in and wipe the slate clean at the end of the day.

Lighting the Way

August 17, 2020.Reading time 8 minutes.

As you may have gathered, I’m a very sensory person. Look, touch, feel, taste and sound affect me on another level. It’s something that comes from many parts of who I am. Grounding my senses by focusing on each of them has become a huge part of what keeps me bright in times of darkness. Today’s post is about creating that light both physically and mentally.

Smooth

August 8, 2020.Reading time 4 minutes.

These past few months have taken some getting used to. I know, understatement much. Everyone is finding ways to cope and adapt. Depending on where your head was at in time “pre-pandemic” you may be finding it hard to unwind. I’ve taken various methods to heart. From scheduling my days to finding ways to reconnect […]

Allow me to Introduce Myself

August 3, 2020.Reading time 9 minutes.

Hi there, my name is Asta and I am an award winning actress & filmmaker based in New York City. In case you were wondering: I have my Sun in Scorpio, my Moon is in Cancer and my Ascending sign is in Aquarius—if you’re into that (which I sincerely hope you are). I currently reside in […]

And You See Me

April 28, 2019.Reading time 7 minutes.

One of the concepts I’ve been learning to navigate over the past few years is being “seen”. Those in the entertainment field are forced to reckon with this more than most and even develop ways of curating or “branding” themselves. When tackling issues of authenticity and anxiety, this is no easy task. Sure, if self […]

My Little Bunny Gia

April 21, 2019.Reading time 7 minutes.

As the title suggests, I wanted to write this week about my pet rabbit. Her name is Gia and she’s a spot lionhead mix. Her favorite treat is cilantro and for reasons I can totally understand, she is most chill when watching Joe Bob Briggs. I adopted her through a special drive 3 years ago […]

Are you flinch tolerant? Why you need to burn to heal

January 4, 2018.Reading time 7 minutes.

The first time I touched a flame I flinched. Natural reaction to the rising heat against my delicate skin. A primal instinct of “Ouch, that hurts”! As I’ve grown older the flame real and metaphorical is harder to flinch at. There’s a numbness or rather a tolerance to the things I inherently know are bad […]