Reading · Happy on Purpose

Welcome to Happy on Purpose, a bestselling newsletter about happiness, habits, and midlife. Tap the ❤️ button to spread the joy!

As a teenager poring through fashion magazines, my favorite feature was the celebrity product edit, where a famous woman revealed the everyday things she actually used and wore. My weekend job earnings were precious, and my goal was to find celebrity-approved items I could actually afford!

These days, as prices increasingly rise and planned obsolescence renders once-reliable things defective, sourcing inexpensive yet highly effective products remains one of my holy grail endeavors.

Especially when those things solve a pesky midlife beauty problem, like wrinkles, thinning eyebrows, and, ahem, yellowing teeth…

Here are the beauty essentials I swear by, use to the last drop, and have relied on for years: all priced at US$46 or less! And, of course, I’d love to know: what are your cheap and cheerful beauty must-haves?

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1. Marvis Toothpaste: $10.50. Made in Italy for generations, fluoride-free and vegan, with an exceptional minty-fresh flavor that makes brushing my teeth feel special! Another product I swear by for whitening my teeth without irritating my sensitive midlife gums: Crest Sensitive Whitening Strips: $39.99.

2. Kai Body Glow: $38. A scented dry oil I’ve used for nearly 20 years—especially during the summer—for a delightful yet subtle gardenia scent and non-greasy glow.

3. Cranberry Veil Lipstick: $34. Rumored to have been Carolyn Bessette’s favorite lipstick, it’s moisturizing, in a flattering, subtle, grown-up red.

4. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Brow Pencil: $46. The most expensive thing on this list lasts forever and is technically a two-in-one: the slanted-tip eyebrow pencil also comes with an inbuilt brush for shaping and filling in my rapidly disappearing eyebrows!

5. Clarins Self-tanning Facial Drops: $38. I’ve been using these genius “facial drops” forever: just add a few drops to your evening moisturizer and wake up with a subtle golden tan. I use so little of it that one tiny tube lasts years!

6. Maybelline Colossal Curl Bounce Waterproof Curling Mascara: $19.99. The curved brush seems to do what no other mascara does: actually lengthen and thicken my eyelashes! My teen daughter taught me that waterproof mascara (while harder to wash off) provides the best results. An essential first step before applying mascara is using my trusty eyelash curler: $17.10.

7. Frownies: $25.95. I have been using these gently adhesive eye patches between my eyes for over a decade to ward off “the elevens” and minimize the need for Botox. My dermatologist is impressed!

8. Sublime Bronze Tinted Self Tanning Lotion: $12.99. My go-to self-tanner, I typically apply it just before heading out to an event: the formula goes on dark so you can see exactly what you’re doing. I use it sparingly, and love the flattering shimmer on my arms, shoulders, and legs!

9. Swedish Dream Sea Salt Soap: $22 for a pack of 3. Like a vacation in a bar of soap, this smells delightful, and the chunky sea salt flakes are exfoliating and invigorating. Makes a wonderful addition to a guest room or gift basket!

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📺WATCH. With the World Cup soccer and Wimbledon tennis in full swing, we’re mostly watching sports on TV right now! Speaking of sports, I loved Chris and Martina: The Final Set, the documentary about Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova’s long tennis rivalry, on-and-off friendship, and cancer battles. Be warned: it’s a tearjerker. I’m also watching Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, which is beginning to strain my ability to suspend reality, but I still want to know how it turns out! I’m also hoping to see The Invite, at the theater. Starring Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton, it’s about a 2-couple dinner party and looks wild, funny, and unpredictable!

📚READ. I’m nearly finished Tana French’s bestselling detective mystery trilogy set in Ireland: The Searcher, The Hunter, and The Keeper; and am casting about for new reads. On my radar are two summery books: Fellowship Point, set in Maine, and highly recommended by Olivia Muenter, and The Shampoo Effect, set on a New England beach. In the mood for something to honor America’s 250th anniversary? Check out A Founding Mother, a novel about Abigail Adams, plus 8 Great American Novels.

💗How to take the perfect photo.
The gift of getting weirder with age. As we grow older, we become more confident embracing our authentic and eccentric selves!
Found: 21 Classic Pieces for a Stylish Summer Getaway! What to pack to make the most of every moment on a long summer weekend, plus gift ideas for your generous hosts…
The 4-minute strength workout! An excellent starter workout for people who want to build strength: four simple exercises for 30 seconds a day.
5 key phrases to keep on hand if you’re raising teens or tweens. Excellent advice, including the line I have trouble remembering: “Do you want my help or do you just need to vent?”