Come to Your Senses with Megan O'Neill

What do you seek out when you need to see something beautiful?

The river. By the time it’s the weekend, and I’ve spent much of the week grinding away at my desk, I sort of crave ambling around next to it. I make a beeline for the waterfront in Dumbo; the ultimate because it’s so beautifully landscaped with all sorts of tall grasses and reeds and an explosion of flowers. And color! Color boosts my spirits perceptively. My kitchen is magenta and emerald green, my kid's room is this electric blue, and the shoes I make for NAYLA are brilliantly colored; hot green, lit-up coral...There is nothing more beautiful than color, and I feel this NEED to surround myself with it.

Where does your gaze linger when you need grounding?

I’m often crammed into a subway car being jostled by fellow straphangers. Sometimes it’s overwhelming—even for me, who isn’t easily overwhelmed by New York City’s over the top-ness and roiling energy—and in these moments, I search for someone pensive-looking. Someone who’s not scrolling. Someone who’s reading or just standing there, maybe reflecting, being there in the moment (that’s how I aim to exist in the subway). And it feeds me in the sense that it reminds me that I’m surrounded by human beings, which gives me a feeling that’s the opposite of loneliness.

What is your favorite scent memory?

My mom, who’s never worn makeup, was studious about taking care of her skin. She always massaged herself down in flower-swirled body lotions and earthy botanical oils in the morning (she’s Jamaican, and skin-boosting oils were plentiful, instead of the luxury they are in my world). She's in her 70s and literally her skin is just so springy, plumped, and youthful.

What’s an unexpected scent you love?

That unique scent of fudgy, chilled Moroccan dates. So weird, I know! But they do have a distinct vibe.

What fragrance makes you feel most like yourself?

Frankincense and neroli and jasmine! Those are heaven blended together and heaven individually.

What’s the soundtrack to your slowest mornings or most alive evenings?

If you pause in the city on a summer night, it is a symphony! It is music! It is just SO alive. Cars cruising by, blaring what becomes the song of summer. People hanging out on stoops chatting nonsense. The hum of the people of the night going here,there, and everywhere; racing, sauntering, doing jigs, laughing.

Is your mind quiet or loud?

Busy. I do my best thinking when I’m walking and my phone is tucked away.

What’s a daily ritual that feels like a form of touch?

When I’m washing my face in the morning and at night, I do an easy little face massage. It helps with congestion, energizes my skin, and instantly soothes my ragged nerves.

When do you most crave softness?

After being super social for a long spell.

What’s a flavor that feels like a memory?

Pink petit fours from Balthazar and jerk chicken.

What do you savor when you need to feel nourished—body or soul?

Movement. Walking so that I can get lost in my thoughts. Going for a sweaty jog on a hot day. Hot yoga-ing and holding poses until I feel a bit desperate, which is really also the point of breakthrough often.