10 Purchases that Have Markedly Improved My Life

Not to be dramatic or anything.

Putting my signature aesthetic-lead edits on the back-burner for a minute, this is a list of items that may solve a problem you didn’t even know you had. Road tested and appreciated on a daily basis by yours truly, these 10 things come with my full endorsement:

1. These tee shirts. I have 3 of them: white, navy, navy-and-white stripe, but need a gray one badly. Hint hint, J.Crew. They’re perfect. The weight is substantial enough to not be clingy or see-through, and they hit at a great spot on the waist without requiring a tuck. Fantastic. Don’t change.

   

2. These retractable USB-C chargers. I now have them in a few rooms in my house, and of course in my travel bag. They’re very cute, very functional, and very speedy. My dead phone is back to 50% in a matter of minutes.

   

3. This filtered shower head. My hair has basically been womp womp ever since I left New York City (the best tap water in the world!!) My local water now is very mineral-heavy, and this filtered approach has been a game-changer. I promise you can install it yourself, it comes with an entire kit, including a wrench and plumber’s tape. I have silver, but the colors are so fun, right?

   

4. These car headrest hooks. They keep my bags from spilling all over the place in the back seat for $8, a no-brainer.

   

5. This travel tote. I’ve written about it before, but this capacious bag is not ludicrous. It’s the perfect 2nd item for carrying on. It can fit a couple pairs of shoes, your purse, laptop, toiletry bag, hardback book, electronics pouch, and whatever extra goodies you pick up at the airport. The inside has many pockets and sleeves for organized stowing, it zips completely at the top, it has a band to slip over the handle of your roller bag, and fits under the seat. 8 prints/colors. Go.

   

6. These mascara wands. I’m no longer a victim of clumpy mascara. At the advice of a hair and makeup artist I often work with on set, using individual wands helps keep the tube clean and gives you a fresh start with each use. These are not plastic, which me feel less guilty about the whole single use thing.

   

7. This tinted moisturizer foundation. I have zero patience for complicated make-up routines. I need simplicity, which this provides. I use it every day for the fantastic but lightweight coverage, and the fact that it doesn’t disperse to the creases. Two small squirts is plenty for my entire face, so the tube lasts a while. The end.

   

8. This toothbrush. As a teenager and young adult, I had so many cavities. This thing has vastly improved my dental health for over 10 years, and I will forever preach the good word. You do have to floss... sorry. (My floss recco.) There is a trick to maintaining the investment: Like all rechargeable electronics, do not ever put it in the charger cup unless it’s dead or close to, and certainly never when it’s wet. The battery will last for 3-5 years if you maintain it.

   

9. My white noise machine. Have fun breaking into my house. I may sleep through it thanks to this thing.

   

10. These ceramic non-stick sheet pans. Everything Made In makes is top-notch quality, but these are something I use almost daily (in addition the Chef’s Knife). Since my diet has shifted largely to roasting huge trays of cut up veggies for meals, I used to go through so much tin foil to avoid clean-up. But absolutely nothing sticks to these things. The 1/4 sheet is perfect for a couple filets, the larger for any other needs.

I hope you try and find something new to love or to take the edge off an annoyance. Meanwhile: The decades-long struggle to find a bra I actually like continues…

Thank you for being here,

P.S. Typos are proof a human wrote this. A human who is dyslexic but well-meaning.

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