Over the summer, I’ve accumulated a shortlist of things that I think are worthy of sharing. Some I’ve purchased, some are on my birthday list (it’s Leo season, baby), and some made the cut simply for leaving a mark on my heart. I’ve broken it all down into four chapters: home, beauty and skincare, closet additions, and things consumed.
Let’s get started.
HOME IS WHERE THE MY HEART IS.
As I’ve gotten older, I have learned to appreciate the sanctity of my four walls, and I’m having the best time filling them with things I love.
Tiny glasses. My obsession with tiny vessels has been balked at by my husband, but I find them beautiful and, come on, they’re just precious. Perfect for an aperitif, or for tricking myself into feeling like I’m having multiple glasses of wine, when in reality, I’m being quite responsible. I’ve been collecting unique glassware for years. Some of you may remember me proudly bringing home a new gorgeous glass from NYC after a mandatory stop into Mociun in Williamsburg.
Over time, the glasses have gotten smaller and smaller. This summer, I added a set of six cordials to my rotation that are essetially long-stemmed shot glasses, but j’adore.
A refill for my favorite candle? Sign me up. When it comes to the things I love, I’m generally a purist. I buy the good butter. I want the chair from the original designer, not the knockoff. Give me the real-deal perfume over the countless dupes.
There is, however, a flip side to this coin. I’d proudly wear a $5.99 button-down from the thrift store over spending $1000+ from a brand that rhymes with NOE, and a good lip liner in the exact shade for a fourth of the price is perfectly fine with me.
I buy nice candles. The Trudon Abe El Kader candle ($135-$140) is, unfortunately, one I’ve spent several hard-earned dollars on time and again. Its gentle scent, which reminds me of sweet basil laced with tobacco, has always felt worth it. Until now.
Element Brooklyn makes a candle refill for my beloved Trudon for twenty bucks. My curiosity got the best of me. I needed to know if this was too good to be true, and $20 seemed worth throwing away in the name of investigative journalism. So I ordered it, and the Loewe Tomato Leaves refill. Both are spot-on. They nailed it! Also, brilliant business idea.
A giant living room rug. To me, rugs are one of the hardest things to decide on in a space. There’s so much to consider: shape, size, material, style, color. The options are bottomless. I wasn’t sure where to start, but I knew I needed something large and was leaning towards something solid. After many mock-ups in Photoshop and crowdsourcing friends with good taste, we landed on Nordic Knots and went with a 10x14’ Grand in Pecan.
We are delighted with its quality, color, and size, and can’t believe how much it elevated the room. It’s also incredibly plush, which was a non-negotiable for floor sitting.
I attempted to make a reel for the ‘Gram sharing a little tour of our living room. My editing skills need work, but I had fun piecing it together and showing appreciation to the small details in our home. I may do an in-depth breakdown with links to things in a future newsletter once the space is complete. Our main living area is coming along nicely, but we still have window treatments, art to frame and hang, and I’m looking for another chair or seating situation, plus a fun rug for the other side of the room, next to the sofa where our record collection lives.
Speaking of rugs, I came across Persian Gabbeh pictorial rugs during my search and became infatuated the Turkish lions, specifically the guardian lions facing each other. Being the proud Leo that I am, it would only be a matter of time before I got my hands on one.
The problem is, they are expensive and usually very small, so justifying a steep price tag, anywhere between $1K-$6K, wasn’t realistic. But a determined Leo with a bit of a shopping habit, like myself, will always find a way.
And I did.
Patience is something I am blessed with (most of the time), usually and it pays off. I found the rug above (2x3’) on Etsy, marked down from $497 to $149, with free shipping. I don’t think I’ve ever hit purchase on anything faster.
With tax and free shipping, my total came to $163.64. It was held up in U.S. customs for a couple of weeks, but it arrived yesterday and is even more gorgeous in person.
BEAUTY ADDITIONS.
I got my hands on the little beige and red bottles with the capitol M!
Dr. Diamond so graciously sent over its Instafacial trio, which I’ve wanted to try since it first debuted. I haven’t dabbled much into the world of growth factors and the brand has received a plethora of accolades online. Despite feeling excited and honored to receive such a generous gift, I was quietly hoping it wouldn’t work for me, mostly in fear of future arguments with the beard when the time comes to replenish.
It’s been about two-ish weeks, maybe three, of regular use and, dammit, I’m a fan. I took a bare-faced before photo so I can compare my skin side-by-side after I run out. I promise to report back with my findings once I do.
Saie Beauty brushes are that good.
I love these brushes and plan to collect them all. The Setting Spray and Dew Bronze in Swim are also top tier. Next on my Saie wantlist: The Big Brush, The Base Brush, and I fear I need this Mini Vanity Case in red.
Another excellent beauty addition is the Merit lip liner in Bespoke. The formula is buttery smooth and blends beautifully. I prefer this color more as a lip contour than a liner, but I primarily use it under my bottom lash line. I have a backup so I don’t run out. An honorary mention goes to The Glow Serum I’ve been using as a primer before my makeup. Glass skin in a bottle.
A summer heatwave godsend. I purchased a lineup of Sofie Pavitt Face for my teenage daughter to help with hormonal breakouts and threw in the Micellar Cleansing Pads for myself. I keep them in my purse for when I’m out, melting in the heat, and need a quick clean up.
On the Osea train. During an after-dinner stop into Target to spend more money than planned, I wandered into the Ulta x Target section and was annoyed at how understocked it was. I didn’t want to leave empty handed, so I grabbed a box of body wash and threw it into the cart.
Once paid and back in the car, my sweet but frugal husband scans the receipt, as he does, and said, “I hope you have the best shower of your life tomorrow. Your body wash was $35!”
I absolutely did. And every one that followed. I don’t know what kind of voodoo magic is happening over at Osea, but they got me with the Body oil, and now the wash. It’s fine. I deserve the world.
This Celisse nail polish kit is on my birthday list. Specifically with the shade Babydoll. It looks like the perfect, barely there shade of pink.
CLOSET ADDITIONS, MOSTLY SECONDHAND
The bag twenty-something James dreamed of.
This summer, I made my newly divorced, broke, single-mom dreams of 2009 come true by purchasing a Stella McCartney Falabella in python. It was in the colorway I’d always loved, in fantastic condition, and an incredible deal. You can still find them on the cheaper side (here’s one for $380,) but I have a feeling the market is following in the footsteps of the Balenciaga City. A busted city can easily rob you of $1200+, and I’ve seen poorly-done replicas for $500, sometimes more. No words!
Since purchasing my Falabella, I’ve seen the resale prices creep up. Stella re-released her iconic Y2K bag in ‘24, and again last year, and the latest versions of the large are on her site for $1450. If you have Falabella dreams, grab an old one while you can.
Behind the paywall: silver jewelry and shoe recommendations, secondhand Miu Miu, the rare vintage t-shirt that got away, documentaries, a list of book titles, the record I can’t stop listening to, an excellent kale salad for the locals, help for my fellow insomniacs, and more.
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