Haskill Lately: Back To School Faves, Manuka Honey Rituals and Safe Fragrance That’s Best Selling In-Store

It is hard to believe summer is already beginning to wind down. In Whitefish, this stretch always feels like two seasons at once. We are still squeezing in late lake days and long evenings, while school schedules, earlier mornings, and fall routines start creeping back in. We are not quite ready to rush summer out the door, but there is something satisfying about the gentle reset that comes with this time of year.

If your house, calendar, or daily rhythm feels a little scattered after the beautiful chaos of summer, you are not alone. We recently pulled together a few of our favorite life-reset essentials to make the transition feel a little easier. This is not about reinventing your routine overnight. It can be as simple as clearing one cluttered corner, returning to a morning ritual, getting organized for the week ahead, or choosing one small habit that helps your days run more smoothly. Take a look at our end-of-summer reset favorites on Instagram for a little inspiration.

One everyday ritual we keep coming back to is ACTIVIST Mānuka Honey. Wildcrafted in Aotearoa, New Zealand, this raw honey is naturally rich in methylglyoxal, or MGO, the compound used to measure the potency of Mānuka honey. ACTIVIST independently tests and certifies its honey in New Zealand, giving you a clearer way to understand what is inside each jar and choose the MGO strength that makes sense for how you plan to use it.

What we especially love is how easily Mānuka honey moves between the pantry and the bathroom cabinet. It can be enjoyed by the spoonful, drizzled over yogurt or breakfast, stirred into a warm drink, or used topically as a simple face mask. It is one of those rare products that feels both special and genuinely useful, turning something you may already do into a more intentional ritual. In our newest article, ACTIVIST Mānuka Honey: From New Zealand Nectar to Everyday Rituals, we explain what makes Mānuka different from everyday honey, how the MGO system works, and a few easy ways to use it. You can also browse our ACTIVIST collection online or stop by the store to see what we currently have on the shelf.

We have also been revisiting another topic that matters deeply to us: fragrance. It is a complicated category, and one where catchy terms such as “clean,” “natural,” and “non-toxic” do not always tell the whole story. Natural does not automatically mean safer, and synthetic does not automatically mean harmful. Essential oils can be beautiful, but they can also be volatile or sensitizing for some people. Carefully selected synthetic materials can offer greater stability, consistency, and safety, and they can make it possible to create notes such as musk without using animal-derived ingredients.

The better questions are what materials are being used, at what levels, for what purpose, and according to which safety standards. That more balanced approach is at the heart of our newly updated article, What Is the Deal With Fragrance?. The article explores why brands are legally allowed to protect fragrance formulas as trade secrets, what terms such as “fragrance” and “parfum” really mean on a label, and what we look for when deciding whether a fragrance brand belongs at Haskill Creek.

Two of our best-selling fragrance lines in the store, Riddle and Liis, are helpful examples of that nuance. Riddle creates perfume oils using a blend of essential oils and synthetic fragrance compounds. Its scents are formulated within International Fragrance Association guidelines, registered in the European Union, and vegan and cruelty-free. They are also made without parabens, phthalates, or formaldehyde, and Riddle provides scent-specific allergen information through its ingredient transparency page.

Liis takes a similarly thoughtful approach to eau de parfum. Its fragrances begin with organic sugarcane alcohol and use a combination of essential oils, extracts, and selected synthetic materials. The collection is vegan, cruelty-free, and IFRA compliant, with formulas made without preservatives, dyes, phthalates, sulfates, nitro musks, or polycyclic musks. Applicable fragrance allergens are listed on individual labels. Neither brand publishes every component of its proprietary fragrance blend, but both provide far more useful context than a vague “clean fragrance” claim alone.

If fragrance tends to give you headaches, trigger sensitivities, or simply does not have a place in your routine, fragrance-free is still a perfectly valid choice. But for those who love perfume, we believe it is possible to enjoy scent thoughtfully. Our role is to keep asking questions, look beyond marketing language, and share what we learn so you can decide what feels right for you. If you are curious about Riddle or Liis, stop by Haskill Creek to experience them in person. Fragrance is personal, and sometimes the best way to find your match is to let it settle on your skin and see how it develops throughout the day.

As summer winds down, we are leaning into the chance to get a little more organized, return to what makes us feel good, and carry some of summer’s ease with us into the season ahead.

Come see us at Haskill Creek in downtown Whitefish to explore these favorites and find a few rituals of your own.