Everyone know how much it sucks being stuck in your car (especially in Los Angeles traffic!), so jewelry designer Irene Neuwirth and Amanda Bacon, founder of celebrity favorite Moon Juice, have teamed up to make your ride better. As part of Buick’s Happiness Test Drive, Irene and Amanda have curated five ways apiece to curate a personal space of Zen within your car. Bacon turns her culinary talents to fragrance – mixing a custom in-car scent inspired by Buick’s calm and comfortable interiors and designed to elevate and stimulate the senses. Neuwirth then created a unique diffuser for the fragrance featuring wood, crystals and Choccachino Buick leather (her first non-fine jewelry creation). The Buick Atmosphere fragrance is easy to create at home and the recipe, a simple mix of Amanda’s favorite essential oils, will be online. A suggested soundtrack and menu of healthy snacks complements the fragrance.
The 24 Hours of Happiness Test Drive is (as implied) a 24-hour test drive experience complemented by sounds, smells and even yoga techniques to help encourage well-being and happiness on the road. To create the 24 Hours of Happiness Test Drive, Buick brought together some of America’s leading experts on happiness and well-being. They used the beauty, calm and refined comfort of Buick vehicles to inspire their specialized content. In addition to Neuwirth and Bacon, experts include Shawn Achor, author, happiness researcher and CEO of GoodThink Inc; Chad Dennis, yoga instructor to the stars; Bar Refaeli, Israeli supermodel and yogi; Jeff Kober, actor and meditation coach; and Dot, masseuse to the stars.
5 TIPS FROM IRENE NEUWIRTH
1. Great music! I love Grizzly Bear, Joanna Newsom, just listening to something that’s really peaceful and not too mind blowing.
2. Create a comfortable environment. I have a gorgeous elder statesman sweater that’s always in the back seat of my car, in case it gets chilly and you want to wrap up.
3. I always have my Labradoodle, ‘Teddy’, in the backseat, who is great company and definitely enhances my driving experience, making me feel happy and relaxed. And he doesn’t talk back which is a bonus!
4. I always have some delicious snacks in the car, I love to eat. There’s an amazing place called Farmshop’ in Brentwood that does gorgeous gourmet treats perfect for a road trip. If I have a long drive ahead, ill stock up on some chocolate and lots of water to keep me going and make it a really enjoyable experience.
5. Sunglasses are a must! I have a pair of Illesteva sunglasses which I love. I’m always driving around California so it’s great to have a good quality pair of sunglasses to cut out the glare and make it a more relaxed, comfortable journey.
5 TIPS FROM AMANDA CHANTAL BACON
1. Get your hands on some therapeutic grade essential oils – these are more premium to those you find in health food stores. Find ones that match the scent you resonate with, as well as something you like to achieve in car – whether its energy, grounding, confidence….I keep a little box in the car to select from throughout the day, so however I feel that day – I have one that matches my mood.
2. Have a stash of high functioning and nutrient dense organic healthy foods to indulge in while you’re in the car.
3. Depending on where you live will dictate what you pack for any road trip. I live in California so I always have a bikini, beach towel, an extra dress, a pair of sandals and a cashmere throw blanket – in case I take animpromptu trip to the beach or perhaps an overnight adventure to the desert with a friend!
4. We listen to music so much in our cars. Consider finding a DJ or a yoga teacher or even simply a music loving friend, and commission them to make you a playlist based on the experience you’re looking to have in the car. Its money well spent, and can be absolutely transformative to your car-life experience. I usually choose to listen to mantras in the car.
5. I keep cyrstals in the car. If you’re feeling shy about showcasing your crystals you can keep them out of sight. Beyond their energetic properties that will transform your cars energy, they’re quite beautiful and will easily upgrade your driving experience.
