Milk + Honey to Go

Austin spa Milk + Honey launches all-natural, locally made bath and beauty product line

Ever since opening the Milk + Honey day spa in 2006, Alissa Bayer has been quietly concocting her dream line of products behind the scenes. She wanted a bath oil that smelled good but wasn't greasy; a lip scrub so delicious and natural that you could eat it; a body wash that was clean from start to finish. And she wanted them all handcrafted in Austin. Now, after eight years of research and testing, the company has created a simple, fresh line of all-natural, beautifully packaged and locally made products.

“When we initially set out to create our own line of bath and body products, we laid down some unalterable ground rules — rules that we will continue to uphold and abide by,” explains Marketing Manager Marisa Tom. A major component of these rules is the ever-growing “no” list of ingredients, including the nasty-sounding “coal tar dyes,” “petroleum and petroleum byproducts” (think: mineral oil), “formaldehyde-releasing preservatives,” and a series of unpronounceable chemicals that are created in creepy labs to somehow, miraculously, turn back the hands of time.

The ingredients that can be found in Milk +Honey’s new line, on the other hand, are far more appealing. Judging from the products we sampled, they have created a line that is at once simple and luxurious. Bayer succeeded in making a lip scrub fit to be eaten — the one we tried is made of sugar, blood orange, lemon grass and ginger — and the pink grapefruit, bergamot and cardamom body cream was light and fresh.

All products are currently available at all Milk + Honey spa locations and on their website.

Milk + Honey hand soap

Photo courtesy of Milk + Honey

Milk + Honey hand soap

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WINTER WONDERS

Weekend holiday market elevates Austin's Asian artists

Photo by Joi Conti Photography

Illustrator Lisa Crawford of LisaLisa, who brings a touch of Filipino-American culture to her art, at a recent vendor fair.

Expect Asian flair from a variety of local artists at Asian Season ATX’s first Holiday Market on the grounds of Beerburg Brewery this Sunday, December 14. The market will feature more than 20 creators of ceramics, prints, and photography with a dash of Asian or Pacific heritage.

The holiday market, launched by Asian Season ATX, will showcase both art and food through an Asian lens. Hours are noon to 5 pm. The vendor lineup includes:

The Filipino food truck KinAugi, known for its lumpia, pancit, and meatsicles, also will be on site. A pop-up art gallery will feature the works of various artists with Asian American and Pacific Islander background: Erina Rizal, Ngan Hoang, Bart Sasam, Lauren Hua, Andy Dunlavey, Gigi White, and RJ Gaulberto.

Tayo Na Vol 2 launch party Asian vendors gathered for Tayo Na launch part, which celebrated the area's second Filipino directory.Photo by Joi Conti Photography

Painter Ngan Hoang, for instance, was born in Saigon. She uses paint and found materials to explore themes of healing, identity, and belonging. Bart Sasam uses his photography skills to create digital dioramas of Austin. And RJ Gualberto, born in the Philippines, moved to Austin in 2018 and uses both drafting and rendering skills in his art.

Artist Andy Dunlavey and baker Cedric Silan created Asian Season ATX in early 2024. Silan, who serves as executive director, says the group came together because showcasing Asian artists together drew bigger crowds.The organization is committed to being a welcoming space to artists, artisans, creators and makers.

Asian Season ATX founders Asian Season ATX celebrates Asian Heritage Month at Austin Beerworks.Photo by Joi Conti Photography

The group began with its annual AAPI Month Kickoff at Austin Beerworks, which quickly grew from a small gathering into one of the city’s larger celebrations of Asian and Pacific Islander creatives.

From there, Asian Season ATX expanded into curating art spaces for Party at the People’s House, partnering with Bolm Arts Studios for the Look Mama, We Made It gallery, contributing to the Austin Studio Tour, and supporting community projects like the Walks of Life exhibition and the Tayo Na launch, the city's Filipino directory.

Now, the organization continues hosting events year-round and highlighting participating artists on social media. Austinites who miss this event — or attend and want more — won't have to wait long for the next event. Plus, many of the vendors have connections with other markets and sell their goods online.

asian culture markets holidays shopping