Amy Keller Laird

Founder, Mental

I founded Mental because there were two flavors of legit mental health education online: one, the clinical, more “neutral” psychology and hospital sites that publish lists of symptoms and great basic information, but don’t have much personality or warmth; and the second, general wellness pubs, which do the awesome occasional story — keyword being “occasional.” So I created Mental as an authentic, trustworthy, but also funny, relatable, witty, welcoming read with a friendly fashiony visual aesthetic. I do not want to see another blackand-white photo of a hand on a rainy window to represent depression. How does that help?

I remember doing blush stories when I was the beauty director of Allure and kinda thinking, Who cares? Mascara and lipstick are much more interesting. But, as you get a little bit older, blush becomes the It Need, doesn’t it? Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick ($48, sephora.com) is so creamy and pigmented, you need only a dab, and you actually have time before it sets, so you don’t have to get all Tasmanian Devil with your blending.

I’m also loving all the slightly offbeat black eyeliner looks at the recent runway shows. Either draw on an unstructured line however you like, or do the easiest-of-all black liner trick: Line along the lower inner lashes and smudge (Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Perversion, $25, urbandecay.com).

So I would never tell anyone with a mental health condition that breathing is some kind of cure, because it isn’t. And I wasn’t a breathing-exercise kind of person myself until I discovered Calm Strips’ cute stickers with breathing exercises printed on them. We collaborated on this Banana Calm Shape ($12 for five stickers, calmstrips.com), which plays off Mental’s mantra — “Because Life Is Bananas” — and I find that having it nearby actually does make me take a moment to inhale and exhale. It’s small enough to stick on the back of your phone or even inside a clutch, and it’s textured, so you can run your finger over the surface for sensory stimulation whenever you need it.

I will never get enough of Clark’s Botanicals’ Deep Moisture Mask ($85, clarksbotanicals. com). This creamy gem is Gucci-level silky. It was designed as a mask, but I use it as a regular moisturizer, and it’s such a salve for dry skin. It smells heavenly, of delicate jasmine, and gives you a glow.

Comfy feet are a great way to take the edge off. I wear my shearling Birkenstock Arizonas ($160, birkenstock.com) literally year-round, even when it’s hot or frigid out — yes, my toes do freeze — because no shoes feel better. With a long, floor-scraping dress or wide-ankle pants, they look cool and remove blister-xiety! Having your feet firmly planted on the floor, or walking purposely, can itself be grounding, but doing so in this relaxing little cocoon makes it all the more delicious.

For more, go to clubmental.com and follow @club_mental.