I never knew my cats liked to play until this break. Normally, they look at whatever toy I bring them and instantly figure out that it’s a trick, but this stick has officially fooled them – Cali and Rocco go crazy for the mouse on the end of the fishing line, and Luna attempts to humor me with it (which is honestly the biggest praise of all).
Versed came to my attention at the exact moment I ran out of both of my go-to toners (Sanitas and True Botanicals), with a PR package to announce the launch of their new toner duo, which comes with a Brightening Solution and a Hydrating Milk. For the past week, I’ve been alternating between them, using the Brightening Toner at night and the Hydrating Milk in the morning and, maybe it’s my imagination, but I feel like I recovered from a nasty breakout quicker than I ever have (I made the mistake of using my body sunscreen on my face… lesson learned). The ingredients aren’t as “clean” as most products I gravitate towards, but they are paraben- and sulfate-free, which is pretty good! Plus their skin decoder is a good time.
I’m aware that I’m late to the game on this—it was released in 2016—but I’ve been recently tearing through all the stand-up specials on Netflix and a friend recommended this one a few weekends ago. Midway through, I pronounced it was my favorite of all time, only to discover it was named one of the six best stand-up comedy specials of the past decade by Vulture. I was sucked in after the first few minutes, and it kept me laughing so hard I was crying through to the very end, with his Kanye-inspired autotune rant. And honestly? Bo Burnham just skyrocketed to the top of my celebrity crushes list.
When I watched the first season of You last year, I went in with no expectations or knowledge of the show, only to be blown away and completely addicted by the end of the first episode. When it returned for its second season this year, I was somehow even more impressed. Unlike the first, this season expands the universe surrounding Joe to be more than just him and the girl he is obsessed with. There are multi-dimensional characters, untraditional villains, unexpected plot twists, and more. Although there are a few too many stereotypical L.A. jokes, I did still enjoy the subtle nods to L.A. culture and get a laugh out of the seven totems of L.A. (In my less than 2-year stay, I’ve seen 6/7 totems meaning I’m one away from living here “forever”!)
Anyone who knows me knows that I’d pick sugar over green juice any day. When Breville sent us a “bluicer” over the holidays (it’s a juicer-blender hybrid), G and I decided to give it a go and ended up loving it way more than expected. I’ve been making a morning juice, packed with greens and lemon, every morning, and I couldn’t be happier with how I feel! Check out my Highlight on Instagram for my favorite recipe!
This month, I became a plant mom again after letting all the plants in my old apartment die due to a lack of sufficient light. 🙁 This time around, I did a LOT more research into which kinds of plants will thrive in my new apartment using The Sill, and so far I couldn’t be happier! I honestly didn’t know that ordering plants online was a thing until recently, but it’s 2020 so of course it is. I picked The Sill because of all the great pot styles and colors you can choose from (I’m partial to the “Grant” pot in cream and blush!) and their extremely aesthetically pleasing website. I’m also considering going back for one of The Sill’s fancy “faux” plants to brighten up a sad, dark corner.
I buy a lot of gadgets, but I received auto-joint grinder and roller as a Christmas gift (after a friend spotted it on the gift guide Emily compiled with our editorial team) and it’s quickly become one of my favorite and most useful devices. While the ritual of rolling is relaxing and part of the enjoyment of smoking, the one-touch process this smart grinder provides is so easy and efficient, I can’t envision going back to hand rolling. If you’re new to rolling, they also provide some helpful videos to ensure your final product is perfect.
When I subscribed Melissa Wood Health to stay in shape over the holidays, it quickly became my favorite workout streaming site. First of all, the app, which is well worth the $10 per month charge, is stunning, with a streamlined neutral design, and the workouts are hard but Melissa is such a calming, confident guide they also feel meditative. I’ve taken to regularly doing her shorter ab workouts in my pajamas before hopping in the shower, in addition to a few bootcamp classes per week!
I was never a huge One Direction fan, which, if you know me, is pretty off-brand. And while I’m a huge fan of Harry Styles’ new creative aesthetic and style (I’d wear anything he does), I wasn’t jumping up and down when Justin asked if I’d like to attend his release concert at the Forum in December. I left the show with “Watermelon Sugar” stuck in my head, and couldn’t get it out for the next three days. In my opinion, the album is a bit front-loaded (makes sense with streaming), but those first six songs are some of my favorites I’ve heard in quite some time.
One of my greatest talents is being able to fall asleep anywhere, and the plane is no exception. Of course, this comes with some negatives: No matter what position my neck is in, I will continue to sleep until I wake up with the worst pain I’ve ever felt. To avoid hobbling off the plane this year, I’ve been researching neck pillows and stumbled upon the J-Pillow, a “three-legged” option. While the pillow functions like most do, the “J” part of the pillow juts out perpendicularly from the base to form around and support your chin. Now, neck pain (and open-mouth sleeping) is gone from my life!
You buy a new mattress maybe once a decade, but when you do, you have to get it right. I’m the worst when I get a bad night’s sleep (not to mention that mattresses are expen$ive), so I did an insane amount of research in December to make sure I’d be happy with my choice. I ended up with a Casper Hybrid mostly thanks to Tuck.com; I have truly never seen a more comprehensive and helpful reviews site as this one (in any category). The main differentiator is that Tuck.com uses a 5-star rating system, but gives NINE reviews based on your weight (<130 LBS, 130-230 LBS, and >230 LBS) and your sleeping position (back, side, or stomach). This difference is really a game-changer–I scoured the site for a mattress that gets 4-5 stars for a back/side sleeper under 130lbs, and voila! The Casper Hybrid, which is AMAZING. Tuck.com even offers its readers a $100 discount on the Casper mattress. I have no idea who runs this site, but thank you!!
To start, hello! For those of you thinking “who dis,” my name is Natalie and I started as the Editorial Intern this month. I am so excited to e-meet you all, if you didn’t already catch me on our Live Of The Month Club on @shopcupcakesandcashmere earlier this month!
My close friends and family can attest to the fact that I spent all of last weekend talking about Cheer. This new Netflix docuseries follows the Navarro Community College competitive cheerleading squad as they prepare for their biggest national competition of the year in Daytona Beach, Florida. Growing up here in LA, where the sport is not super popular, my knowledge of competitive cheerleading was solely based on Bring It On prior to watching this six-episode series. I was truly blown away by the incredible leadership (s/o Monica!) group camaraderie, physicality, and sheer ambition that the Navarro Cheer team possesses. I cried at least twice an episode and now follow each of the featured cheerleaders on Instagram because I am not a crazy person. And if you are reading this, Jerry, I think that we would be amazing friends!
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