Add To Cart

Unsolicited recommendations.

Renaissance review coming this week! But tonight I wanted to do something a lil lighter.

Part of being extraordinarily nosey is that I love to know what people are buying — No Strategist “What Person I Heard of Five Minutes Ago Can’t Live Without” goes unclicked in my home. The following list is something similar: what I could live without but would really rather not, risks I took and liked, products that continuously find their way into my cart. Part of this is self-reflection: My birthday is next week, which means I’m thinking about all the ways I have and haven’t spent the last year wisely. Part of this is because gift guide-ish-things are are either fun to read or fun to judge.

Vivid Pen ($2.95)
I’m a freak about pens. For the last … five … years these are the only pens I use. “Only ones,” like, I buy a dozen twice a year, and keep them in every purse, tucked in every notebook, a pile of them at my workspace. They are appropriately gel (not childishly bright or the ready to be smeared-gel), have a fine point, and don’t bleed through. A bonus about special-ordering your own pens and not using any other pens is that: when someone has taken one from me, I always know!

UNO Minimalista ($10.99)
You don’t want to play Uno with me! Like Barbs and KatyCats and people who love Gloria Bell, generally untalented but extremely competitive people should be a protected class. I would be part of that class! Anyway, this is my Uno deck of choice.

Herbivore Coco Rose Exfoliating Body Scrub ($38)
I like to take the hottest showers imaginable, and that’s the extent of my bathing particulars. But this was a gift, and I loved it upon first use. I never understood what the phrase “body polish” meant until now. This scrub really, like, polishes your body. My skin feels so smooth after. Perfect for days that I don’t shave but want to feel a little slick.

Face Reality 8% L-Mandelic Serum ($39-ish)
My skin freaked the fuck out after I got an IUD earlier this year. A trio of giant, red zits took up residence on my cheek; whiteheads spread out across my chin. Nothing was working! I started taking spironolactone again to get the breakout under control, and this Face Reality AHA solved my texture problems faster than I expected. (I started out using the 5%, which was fine, but the 8% is a major upgrade.) NYC friends, I buy from Sofie Pavitt’s shop.

“Regrets Her Behavior At” Notecards ($40)
I regret my behavior basically everywhere, all the time. I found these through Rachel Tashjian’s ever-excellent Opulent Tips newsletter.

Big Sur After Rain ($65) or Blood Moon ($30)
I know nothing about scents or scent profiles or anything like that. I’m very sensitive to bad smells — too many Glade scented plugins in my youth, I fear. All I know is that these candles found their way into my apartment, and they are my favorite smells.

Flamingo/Taffy Jambys ($35)
As a one-time (I would say “fired,” but my boyfriend would say “you got impatient and wanted to leave after two looks lol”) Jambys model, and current Jambys investor (of time, which is more valuable than money!) I’m not even gonna hold you: I’m biased lol! There’s no longer a Jambys label on the back of the shorts, so when I’m really sleepy I accidentally put them on backwards. It’s a feature, not a bug! If this were a mid-aughts Fox comedy pilot, that’s what would endear me to my audience. (You can use the code HUNGUP25 for 25% off your purchase lol)

Kate McLeod Body Stone Sampler Set ($36)
Most of my life is spent thinking about more ways to moisturize. My friend Molly grabbed my arm to tug me into a photo at a wedding a few months ago. “You are so … moisturized,” she said. A higher compliment has never been paid. These lotion “stones” glide over the skin and are the most moisturizing product I’ve ever used … like almost too moisturizing. They are also, importantly, not exorbitantly greasy. (But a little grease is part of the experience.) Also perfect for travel. The sampler set has lasted me most of this year.
Also: Costa Brazil Sunlight Shimmer Body Oil — An esthetician used this during a neck/shoulder massage during a recent facial. It smelled like luxury and felt like luxury. This body oil spoke blessings into my life … Renaissance came out the very next week! I left with a teeny tiny sample, but this is the only thing I want for my birthday.

Kin Satin Lined Bucket Hat ($48)
My big head makes me not a very good hat person. My hair makes me very hat-conscious: I need a hat that won’t suck all the moisture out of my hair, or squeeze too tightly on my braids. This is my favorite hat for outdoor activities (laying out): it’s waterproof, plainly stylish, and has a satin lining inside so it rests comfortably on top of my braids.

Nike Men's Woven Lined Flow Shorts ($50)
I think I’ve called these my “out of door” Jambys before; a good midi short with a loose fit. 

Wyze Handheld Vacuum ($59.99)
I borrowed and then kept my boyfriend’s Dyson Cyclone v10 — whatever, God is still working on me — but Miss Dyson cannot compete where she does not compare. Nothing is as quick or efficient as pulling out Slenderman (the device the size of a bottle of wine, basically). It sucks up outside debris, crumbs, and the dog hair that accumulates in my apartment’s nooks and crannies. It’s a bit cheaper on Amazon, btw. 

Onda Classic Collection ($65)
Me 🤝 Drake
Drinking Ondas

Oseree Bikinis ($59-$157)
When it’s Leo season, all I want to wear are swimsuits. When it’s not Leo season, I buy swimsuits to hurry up until Leo season starts. These swimsuits are thin but not delicate, and have tiny straps that make for invisible tan lines. They are exorbitantly expensive, but I buy from SSENSE, where a few are almost always available on sale.
Also: Mikoh Bikinis — almost never on sale, but always worth it because they’re so soft.

Dr. Nigma No. 1 Serum ($185)
“It seems like nobody wants to work these days,” Kim Kardashian complained to Variety that one time. The Dr. Nigma No. 1 Serum was exempt from that; this one ounce always works. Patting half a dropper of this into my skin is the most luxurious part of any day. My skin looks plump and healthy instead of sunken, depleted, and hungover. The Ordinary’s hyaluronic acid serum ($7.50) is a suitable cost-efficient option, but no one is doing it like Dr. Nigma.

The Summer I Turned Pretty because: 
ner Roy        nie Fisher
               🤝
Con-Heads