How Ghia CEO Mélanie Masarin Spent $1,000 on Wellness

melanie masarin wellness diary

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Welcome to Wellness Diaries. In this series, we send readers $1,000 to splurge on any product, service, or experience—as long as it’s something that can enhance health. 

This time, we’ve got Mélanie Masarin, founder and CEO of Ghia. She spent her $1,000 on Erewhon snacks, biker shorts, and a dermatology consultation.

Photo by Amanda Charchian

Meet Mélanie

She’s French but lives in Los Angeles. She’s also the woman behind non-alcoholic apéritif brand Ghia and an alum of cool-girl beauty brand Glossier. When she’s not working, she loves cooking, surfing, and being outdoors.

Mélanie’s also a Ness Card Legend. That means she’s someone who uses the Ness Card (and we just think she’s especially cool). Here’s what she’s loving about the card:

“Honestly, the interface is so easy to use, and I love tracking my steps and points in it. It just feels like it was made for people like me, always on the go and doing the best to live a balanced life.”

Mélanie’s Diary

$38 Cotton Biker Shorts

Cherry

Cherry Basic Logo Biker Shorts (Black) 190 Ness Card Points

“I’ve been doing more hot yoga lately, and wearing these super lightweight and flattering shorts instead of long leggings is so nice. I like the brand and the fact that the shorts are 100% cotton, but nicely ribbed so they offer good coverage.”

$373.20 Summer Highlights

woman getting a haircut at spoke & weal salon in soho NYC
Spoke & Weal

Hair Color with Colleen Flaherty at Spoke & Weal in NY | 1,866 Ness Card Points

Once a year before summer I get highlights to add some dimension to my dark hair. Colleen has been doing my hair since my Glossier days—I think seven years ago—and she’s the only one I trust! I always get compliments on how rested I look after I go see her.

$125 Brow Shaping

Sania’s Brow Bar

Eyebrow Shaping at Sania’s Brow Bar | 625 Ness Card Points

“Sania shapes brows in a very natural way, using only tweezer and her own brow pencil to fill them in without adding any product to the actual hair to maximize growth. She’s fantastic. Using her pencil first thing before applying my makeup makes my face look more balanced and awake.”

$58 Skin Supplements

CLEARSTEM Skincare

MINDBODYSKIN Hormonal Acne Supplement from CLEARSTEM Skincare | 290 Ness Card Points

I’ve been having a little bit of acne on my chin lately, so I’m trying this based on a friend’s recommendation. It has ingestible vitamin A, which is in the same family as retinol, and is said to help reduce inflammation.

$86.23 Erewhon Spree

Erewhon

Snacks at Erewhon | 431 Ness Card Points

“I went to stock up on healthy snacks for the week: Two combo plates and a green soup for the nights when I come home late from work and want to eat something nourishing but not heavy. I also spotted the most beautiful rhubarb and oranges, so I will be making tarts and OJ for friends this weekend.”

$150 Facial

Skin Sense

A Facial with Marion at Skin Sense | 750 Ness Card Points

“A customized facial by Marion is my favorite treat. I go religiously every month. She’s gentle but thorough and has helped me rebalance my skin after a little too much sun exposure on my last surf trip and a bad bout of acne.”

$70 Dermatology Checkup

Beverly Hills Dermatology

Annual Checkup at Beverly Hills Dermatology | 350 Ness Card Points

“I have so many moles and I surf a lot, so I go to the derm religiously. I love that my Ness card rewards me with 5x points for keeping on track with my doctor appointments.”

Total Spent: $900.43

Total Points Earned: 4,502 Ness Card Points

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“This card is such an exciting addition to my wallet and it’s perfect for someone who values health and wellness but hasn’t found a credit card that rewards me for that. I love getting rewarded for wellness practices like sleeping, meditating, and moving my body—plus extra points on purchases at my favorite places like Whole Foods, ClassPass and sweetgreen. The app is easy to use and the card is designed for your definition of health and wellness, which I love. It’s flexible!”

Kira's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“It’s no secret that wellness is such an important part of my everyday life. I spend a lot of money to help fuel my love of running, recovery, nutrition and mindfulness, so the fact that I can now earn rewards for every dollar I spend with the Ness Card is amazing. My health always comes first, and the Ness Card makes that easy to do. It’s a win-win for everyone!”

Andi's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“As a new mum, wellness and self-care is a priority for me—so I can, in turn, be able to take care of my baby. I love the incentives that Ness offers for making healthier choices. And to be rewarded along the way for those purchases is such a plus!

Oh, and getting 5x point rewards on my Erewhon $20+ smoothie makes it a little more justifiable.”

Amrit's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“I made a promise to myself to find my joy again in 2023. For the past few years, I haven’t been taking care of myself mentally and physically because I’ve just been on the go and focusing on the future instead of being present. I realized that part of the reason I wasn’t happy was because I wasn’t taking care of myself. So, now with the Ness Card—which literally rewards you for staying on top of your wellness journey—I’ve easily been able to focus on my mental and physical journey. Using the card is now a part of my weekly routine, whether I’m buying groceries, going to therapy, spending a day at the spa, or treating myself to a delicious yummy meal.”

Candace's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“I love life with the Ness Card! The team behind the scenes work really hard to make it valuable and to create a sense of community, which you feel in every newsletter and hand-crafted partnership. The card itself encourages me to be even more curious about where I’m spending my money. It definitely incentivizes me to spend ‘healthier’, which is really unique. On top of that, getting points for taking more steps? There is seriously nothing like it.

David's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“My favorite thing about the Ness Card is that it rewards you for your healthy habits, and not all of them require spending. Yes, you can earn 5x points when you spend at any of their approved health and wellness merchants (think Erewhon and many of your other favorites) but you also earn points for being active daily! So now your sanity walks are literally paying off :) As someone who not only works in wellness but lives and breathes it, essentially most of my expenses live in that realm and with the Ness Card I can now be rewarded nicely for those purchases.”

Kirsty's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“I love that I have rewards to look forward to when I focus on my health and wellness. As a mom of two and full time photographer/creator, it’s hard to find time to prioritize my health and—as my body ages—I want to make sure that I’m treating it to all the TLC it needs (and deserves)! The Ness Card reminds me to take care of my mental, physical, and emotional health on the daily.”

Valerie's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“It’s refreshing to have a card app that is so easy to use. I can track my spending and rewards at the click of a button. I love getting a notification when I get extra points for getting a full night sleep or getting my steps in, though of course those are optional. I work a lot, and I feel like I get extra rewarded for taking the time to take care of myself – whether it’s therapy or simply cooking at home instead of dining out. The points accumulate really quickly, and I’ve already gotten a $1,000 credit at Erewhon in my first four months. I also go visit family in Europe a lot, and no one takes my card there, so it’s so convenient to be able to use my Ness Card without ever paying a fee.”

Mélanie's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“As someone who spends the majority of her money on wellness, the Ness Card is perfect for me! I love earning 5x points on purchases at healthy businesses that I was already making, anyways. The Ness Card also motivates me to get enough sleep, practice mindfulness and other healthy habits. The app is really user-friendly and I love watching my points add up. I am excited to redeem them for wellness-related items!”

Lauren's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“The Ness Card motivates me to keep up my healthy habits, and has helped me discover new brands and products that are in alignment with my goals. I’m not spending any more with my Ness Card, but the money I am spending on health and wellness is actually earning me rewards, benefits, and even cash back. And because Ness’s definition of a ‘healthy merchant’ is so generous, I’m able to recognize all of the small ways I practice self-care throughout the week. From buying fresh veggies to going to therapy to taking my supplements, the Ness Card is there to cheer me on: ‘Keep being healthy, girl. You deserve 5x points for that.'”

Melissa's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“The Ness Card rewards me when I spend money on health and wellness. Especially because so much of my wellness routine is spent being active, gardening, making food with my husband, getting a massage, or having some me time, it is nice to be rewarded for that with points that are with brands I shop at all the time anyway. It allows my wellness choices to work harder which I love.”

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