Mar
19
Hello! Today’s post is a roundup of the things I’ve purchased lately that have sparked joy in some way. If that sort of thing is not your jam but you have a few more minutes to spend dicking around on the Internet, I personally endorse this delightful time-suck for cooped-up wanderlust. (I want to be in you, Potato Hotel, carrying a novelty-sized pat of butter.)
I do have an entire website for the specific purpose of recommending things, but that effort really fizzled last year. Sundry Buzz rapidly went from a fun pastime to a gross feeling of “Hey everything is super awful and budgets are zero but here’s some dumb shit to buy that you almost certainly don’t need!”
Anyway, here’s some dumb shit I have bought, but only the dumb shit that has actually delivered long-term benefits as opposed to that fleeting dopamine hit brought on by the arrival of yet another package, don’t even tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about.
Underwear that doesn’t suck. I have zero patience for bullshit underwear that creeps, slides, pinches, or is designed on purpose to get stuck in your buttcrack. Here at 47 I think I can safely say that I have tried them all and thongs are a forever no, ditto those “cheeky” styles that one must inevitably pluck at like an ass-banjo to keep the fabric in place. I am really liking these Reebok undies for all-around stay-put comfort and a cute sporty look that keeps the granny-panty vibe at bay, and this Vince Camuto hipster style that is fully no-show and rather pretty while still offering full coverage (the lacy rear gave me pause but it’s very soft, not scratchy/itchy at all).
This Internet-advertised candle. Kudos to whoever dreamed up the Instagram ad for this candle because it sure worked on me. I even bought it with the near certainty that it would not live up to expectations and yet it DID. I can only speak to the Charcoal scent but it’s downright mesmerizing, a delicious exotic woodsy cologne-like musky fragrance that is not too much or too little but just right. Also, while it is clearly an expensive candle (and unfortunately in my experience the best-smelling, longest-burning candles straight-up cost more), it is not an OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive candle, I am side-eyed you Diptyque.
A squirrel log. YES I SAID SQUIRREL LOG. We put one of these feeders in a tree in our front window a while back and hand to god that was a LIFE UPGRADE. My unwanted new hobby of staring bleakly out into the abyss has been transformed into staring amusedly at acrobatic squirrel antics which is a major improvement.
Cozy pajamas. I have never been a pajama-wearing person but in my aggressive pursuit of all things comfy I decided to try this set and I am DELIGHTED with them. I am also reliably poked fun at for wearing them but I think they have a charming sort of visual appeal: that perky piping! I mean it’s true they probably do not quite live up to the brand claims that they offer “EYE-CATCHING STYLE that keeps bedtime beautiful” but are we making bedtime beautiful or are we a full goddamned year into a pandemic? (I sized down as per the comment suggestions which worked great.)
Sephora’s “Clean Me Up” set. This was recommended by a friend in a makeup-focused Facebook group I’m in and I have been extremely pleased with it. Every single item was a home run for me, particularly the ILIA cheek/lip tint (I really like it as a creamy blush) and the satisfyingly unfussy but lovely Kosas lip balm. All are considered clean beauty products, if that is a selling point for you.
This weird little rollerball thing. “Like blotting papers, but better!” It’s true! Instead of caking your face in powder or using a billion tiny papers, you can just roll this REAL VOLCANIC STONE (?) across your shiny-ass snout and bam, no more oil slick. The stone can be cleaned with face wash (or you can do what I do and just use it over and over without bothering to wonder if you’re rolling oil back on rather than off).
A cheery retro toaster. It’s funny the things you just put up with for years on end, like for instance our crappy yard sale toaster that reliably burnt the living shit out of whatever you dared to place in its aggressive maw. I finally decided to replace it with, you know, something that wouldn’t trigger the smoke alarm on the reg, and this toaster gave me instant heart eyes. It’s very Jetsons: it looks like the idea of the future from many years back.
Your turn! Hit me with your best reccs, fire away.
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“pluck at like an ass-banjo” for the win! Made me LOL!
It’s not a recommendation for you, instead it’s a thank you for a long ago recommendation: maybelline 14 hour matte ink lipstick. FINALLY a lippy that doesn’t wear off or bleed and has awesome pigmentation and coverage. It’s a shit to remove (coconut oil and flannel seems to work best) and if you don’t get it off it’ll still be there the next day. But damn that staying power!
I recently bought eyelash serum. About five years ago I had pneumonia with an eye infection (fun!) and I lost a lot of my eyelashes and they never grew back. I saw serums on Instagram and I thought I’ll spend 40 bucks once and if it doesn’t work than that’s it. But it works! I’ve only been using it for a few weeks and there is a lot of regrowth in the gaps that have been vacant for years. I’m not a make up or skin person and I do the bare minimum with low priced products so this was a real splurge for me. I got it on Amazon and the brand was Luxros.
No recommendations, but I bought that rollerball thing before I even finished reading the post. I am perpetually looking for products to do something about this oil slick I call my face so cannot wait to try it out!
I got the rollerball, too!
Highly recommend Eva NYC Therapy Session hair mask. It is keeping my dry, highlighted hair smooth and sleek! I use a little bit of it each day in addition to my regular conditioner.
I have bought a lot of Dumb Shit over the last year. Some of it was admittedly necessary things like…furniture. I put it in the Dumb Shit category because quite a bit of said furniture is still in boxes stashed around my house waiting for it to be consistently warm and light enough for the unpacking, assembly and unveiling. Whenever that happens.
Best thing I’ve bought was a random back scrubby thingie on sale at Kohl’s to bump up my order to free shipping. Earth Therapeutics, it’s like a mesh sheet with handles that stretches, so you can lather it up with your body wash of choice and saw across the itchiest parts of your back in the shower. I LOVE IT.
I also fell down a small Pacifica rabbit hole because their body mists are lovely. I could never tolerate vanilla scents before, they always went full Yankee Candle on me, but Island Vanilla is so yummy, followed by Silver Moon, Hardcore Happy and Indian Coconut Nectar. Mmmmmmmm.
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All & Sundry
I totally splurged on shearling lined suede Birkenstock Boston clogs – seriously, I have never spent more on a pair of shoes – and I have worn them every single day since they arrived. The cost per wear is down to less than a dollar, and dropping fast ;) Ugly as sin, comfy as fuck.
This leave in conditioner is the best thing I’ve gotten in my FabFitFun boxes regarding beauty products. I have VERY tangly hair, and this is life changing. It lasts forever because even I only need a nickel sized amount and my hair is a disaster normally – I love it 100%.
https://www.amazon.com/AG-Hair-Moisture-Leave-Conditioner/dp/B01LCLAJT2/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=fast+food+conditioner&qid=1616527059&sr=8-5
I have literally been eyeballing that exact toaster since before Christmas but the red hasn’t been available on Amazon Canada in the months I’ve been looking.
When I turned 41, everything started falling apart – most notably, my joints. Good times. Now I spend 30 min/day in this bad boy, and things are looking up! God knows how long it’s been since I got a pedicure or a massage – so this is my favorite of my pandemic purchases.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F2H1NQR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://feetup.com/?utm_source=website&utm_medium=redirect-banner&utm_campaign=EU-website
Inspired by Yoga with Adriene as well as my kid who’s suddenly into gymnastics (and therefore is upside down all of the time). I have to say, I love it. I use it once or twice a day.
I know I’m a couple of weeks late on this but in case anyone is still reading comments, I have two recs:
1. This chemise. I’ve been looking for something a little more feminine to sleep in other than my usual ratty t-shirts and tank tops but not something that is lacy Victoria’s Secret-ish. This fit the bill. I am 5’2″, 135 lbs, and ordered a small, which fits perfectly. So soft, so comfy! (I also ordered the kimono robe which is also awesome.): https://www.coyuchi.com/womens-solstice-organic-chemise.html
2. I’ve been eyeing AllBirds Wool Runner shoes for literally years because I heard how comfy they were as a walking shoe on travel sites. They were not wrong! I finally bit the buller and ordered a pair of the grey ones. I love them so much. I usually wear an 8.5 and took their advice to size up–the 9 fits me perfectly: https://www.allbirds.com/products/womens-wool-runners
I can echo Shannon’s #2 above: I scored some very lightly used Allbirds off Poshmark and love them. I too got grey, and I also sized up from my usual 8.5 to the 9 and lo, they do fit comfortably. I haven’t walked for miles in them yet like I would when travelling, but when I’ve worn them about town I feel stylish and my feet are comfortable.
I also got a pair of black Vessi Weekenders from the same vendor and find them pretty awesome too: lightweight and waterproof. In this case the advice is to size down and they were right, the 8s are comfortable.
I paid a bit less than half the retail would have been for both.