Profile: Shiva Rose

Shiva Rose is an actress, mother of two, and author of the fantastic blog the Local Rose. I went to visit her beautiful home and ask her to share her secrets with Rip+Tan. I met Shiva years ago when she was neighbors with my best friend Nicole Simone and was instantly drawn to her energy and her healthy, laid-back lifestyle.

Beauty

R+T: What are your go-to beauty products?

SR: I use Maire Veronique sunscreen and it’s tinted so I don’t have to wear make up. Arcona makes great whitening serums and it’s all natural, which I love. I don’t use products with chemicals. I use Coconut Oil for my hair as a moisturizer. I love Rodin oilio lusso so much. I’m a big supporter of Mandy Aftel – she’s based out of Berkley and makes amazing oils for your body and skin, and has been doing it since the 60s. Another favorite is Butter nail polish – it’s all natural and the colors are great. Simply Divine Botanicals makes a great Rose Cream.

R+T: What are the 5 products you couldn’t live without?

SR: Heritage Store – Rose Petals Rosewater, La Bella Figura Bohemia Verde, Le Labo Musc 25, Weleda Wild Rose Body Oil, and Nars lipstick in Funny Face.

R+T: Bath or Shower?

SR: Baths. Definitely a bath a thousand times over.

Health

R+T: Do you have any health tricks?

SR: Hot water and lemon in the evening or in the morning. I love fish oil. I also take Vitamin B – they say it helps prevent greys. I take Magnesium at night. Chlorella is good for your skin and teeth and I love olive oil.

R+T: Any health causes that mean a lot to you?

SR: I eat raw dairy and I feel like it’s my right. The government lets us drink cokes but they’ll arrest me for drinking Amish milk that’s pure and natural. They put us to sleep with this idea so we don’t know the truth. I love what the NRDC does to keep our air and water unpolluted. And smart meters on houses are something that I’m passionate about. The city of Los Angeles is trying to use digital meters and they emit radiation, which will make people sick. In Santa Cruz they banned them and I want to do that here. I’m very against GMO’s . It’s terrifying how they’re trying to change our food system. I used to be really politically active but now my activism is aimed towards food freedom.

R+T: What do you do to stay healthy and balanced?

SR: A lot of it starts with the mind. For me, when I’m in a good place in my mind it manifests into my body. I do Kundalini yoga – it’s spiritual and gets the pituitary gland working and I really connect with that. Hiking helps me communicate with nature. When I’m frustrated, or stressed I’ll run up to the mountains for a hike for 20 minutes and come back a different person.

Decor

R+T: What is your design philosophy for your home?

SR: I went from one extreme to the other. I had a Spanish adobe style home and it had a lot of antiques and was a bit dark. I went the complete opposite with the house we’re in now. I have a clean space now and I only want to fill it with things that I love. I try to follow the Japanese philosophy– it has to be either useful or completely beautiful for it to be in your house. I’m trying to keep the simple theme but it’s hard sometimes. I also believe in there being lots of light and trees.

R+T: What are your favorite pieces in your house?

SR: I love my Rebecca Lee table. She’s a Northern California sprite with a mighty hand. And there’s my nature alter where I’ll put things that my daughter finds, and I treasure all of my pottery. I’ve been obsessing over these laundry baskets from Mecox and I want to get a yurt for the backyard in the next few months.

R+T: What are your favorite home stores?

SR: I love Heath and ABC Carpet and Home in New York. Jenni Kayne has good things for home as well as Lost and Found. I do a lot of flea markets. Amadi Carpets on Robertson is great too– he has good Moroccan rugs.

Entertaining

R+T: What are your tricks for entertaining?

SR: I’m a big believer in great hors d’oeuvres – beautiful vegetables with a great dip or toasted bread with a fava bean dip. Great drinks are key and I recently used the Beer Chicks and it was amazing. My other trick is to always have a backup plan in case something goes awry. A chef I hired once cancelled last minute and thankfully I had pizza dough in the freezer so we made pizza.

R+T: How do you set the scene when you have people over?

SR: Music is so key – it’s my second love next to acting. Music can set the tone for anything. Candles are good and I love the Saffron Rose candles form Roseark.

R+T: What is your favorite song/playlist when you have people over?

SR: I love so much music so this is hard – Bon Iver, Glen Campbell and Harry Neilson. Sometimes I like classical and I also really like Fiona Apple, Band of Horses and I love to throw Johnny Cash and Radiohead into the mix too.

Fashion

R+T: How would you describe your style?

SR: My style is sometimes a battle with myself. My moods are always changing. Sometimes I like to wear a vintage dress and be a romantic character and other times I yearn to have a clean classic look. These days I’m gravitating towards bohemian hippy blouses or long skirts. I think mixing vintage pieces with new ones is a good stand by.

R+T: Who are your favorite designers?

SR: Jenni Kayne of course! Celine is always amazing and I like to see what Miuccia Prada does. I like to support local designers too – Kathy Rose from Roseark has amazing jewelry. Beatrice Valenzuela does great handmade shoes and I love Clare Vivier’s collections.

R+T: What is your newest purchase?

SR: I just got these linen Tunnel Dresses from Pip-Squeak Chapeau in Brooklyn – they’re backless and to the chin and I can go braless. I love my new Margiela shoes – they’re simple and great. I’m coveting Jenni Kayne’s cranberry D’Orsay flats.

Food

R+T: Is there anything about your diet you would like to share with R+T?

SR: I was a vegetarian for almost 27 years and then I started having health issues and I realized I really needed protein. I don’t like meat but I’ll make myself eat grass fed beef medicinally once a month. We have chickens so I have eggs too. I make sure everything is organic and healthy and I like to grow my own food and go to the farmers’ market.

R+T: What is your favorite restaurant to eat at with the whole family?

SR: My two favorites are Big Sur Bakery in Big Sur and The Farmer and The Cook in Ojai. We love Axe in Venice too – I go there so much. I love Farmshop in the Brentwood Country Mart. We also really like going to small places – there’s a great place in Glendale called La Cabinita. It’s a little out of the way but I don’t mind.

Art

R+T: Who are your favorite artists?

SR: Tierny Gearon is one of my favorites. She does great photography and I love her stuff. I’m into Alex Prager. I also like Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon, and Louise Bourgeois.

Kids

R+T: What are your favorite places to shop for kids?

SR: I love Poppy, Tomboy Kids in Echo Park, Lost and Found in Hollywood, and Zara, which has great kid’s stuff. There is also a store in Brooklyn called Sweet William. I really like vintage for the girls. Charlotte gets Colette’s hand me downs so it’s great. I’m in a strange place as far as clothes go for Colette since she’s a teenager now. She wants to wear short shorts and tank tops. I like to tell her to think about how she’s representing women when she leaves the house. It’s gotten me to think about what I wear.

R+T: Are there any kid’s finds you want to share with Rip+Tan?

SR: I’m a Waldorf mom so the philosophy is no computers and no TV. We cheat sometimes and watch movies, especially during the summer when they’re home form school. I also try not to have any plastic toys and instead buy things that are made of natural substances like wood. Acorn Store in Santa Monica and HearthSong are both great resources for all natural toys. Charlotte’s favorite toys are real animals and we have a creek near our house so she’s always playing with lizards and frogs – we’re all about the natural world.

R+T: What is your favorite thing to do or places to go on the weekends with your kids?

SR: I just went to Ojai and I really want to take the girls back to hike to the waterfalls and swimming pools. We horseback ride in Topanga Canyon a lot. Colette and I do flea markets together and Charlotte and I like to visit with our neighbors. We have really interesting people on both sides of us and they’re so fun to spend time with. I feel like no one does that anymore and I think it’s important to know your neighbors.