Tell us about your store! What led you to where you are now and opening The Sunday Standard?

The Sunday Standard is an independent beauty and wellness boutique curated for the conscious consumer. We opened our boutique in 2021 as a natural extension to our own eponymous beauty line, The Sunday Standard. We aim to provide an inspiring and friendly space for our community to shop the best in clean beauty, wellness, and lifestyle, and curate our assortment to support other female-founded and independent businesses.

At Minori, we talk a lot about mindful consumption and inviting things into your life that spark joy. Do you have a personal philosophy that helps guide you when shopping for yourself or your store?

I love Minori's philosophy of minimalistic beauty - it really resonates with me and my approach to consumption: buy less, but better. At our shop, we test each and every individual product that we stock to ensure that it's truly the best in its class, and we only carry what we really, truly love. Our clients know us for this, and can shop with the confidence that they're buying something that has been vetted by someone they trust. In my personal life, I approach shopping from a high/low perspective: thrift, borrow, or rent what I can, and when I'm making a more substantial purchase I"ll look towards sustainable and ethically produced brands that align with my values.

You also have your own skincare line! Do you have any skincare tips for prepping your skin before makeup?

We do! We're famous for our Superfood Cleansing Balm, an oil-based cleanser that melts away makeup and sunscreen without stripping or drying the skin - it's the best!  For makeup prep, I always emphasize two things: daily moisture + hydration, and weekly exfoliation. For a dewy, glowy makeup base I recommend prepping the skin with a water-based mist or serum containing a humectant ingredient such as hyaluronic acid, followed immediately with a facial oil to lock in hydration and boost moisture levels. My favorite is our Blue Tansy & GLA Clarifying Day Oil -- it's formulated specifically to be lightweight enough to be worn underneath makeup without creating an overly oily appearance on the skin.

What's the best beauty advice you've received?

Less is more. I suffered from terrible, painful hormonal acne for a decade in my teens and early twenties, and it took me all of that time to realize that the harsh daily topicals I was being recommended by my dermatologist weren't working for me. Once I'd discovered that healthy skin is rooted in balance, and started focusing on barrier repair rather than spot treating problem areas, my skin really, really improved. Now I keep it simple -- cleanse twice daily with a non-drying, low-foam cleanser, followed by skin nourishing facial oil both morning and night. I mask and exfoliate weekly for maintenance and add in targeted treatment serums on a rotating schedule so as to not over stress my skin's barrier. It's a simple but effective routine!

Favorite Minori Product?

Hard to choose just one, but the Lip Gloss in Blossom is a favorite for taking my everyday makeup up justtt a notch; the color is so pretty!

What makes you feel confident?

A good hair day!

What does your perfect Sunday look like?

Most of my Sundays are spent at the shop, connecting with our customers-turned-friends. I love what I do and the community we have built here -- Chicago is a big city but it can start to feel really small once you're immersed in your neighborhood. It's the best place to live!

On the rare Sunday off, my perfect day would look like a long walk for coffee to a favorite local spot, hanging with friends in one of our neighborhood parks (or the beach if we're lucky!) and reading a good book at a cafe over a nice meal or a glass of wine.

For more on Emma and The Sunday Standard follow @thisisthesundaystandard