Returnist Recs: 9
Three things worth visiting or revisiting this week
It is a rainy LA morning, a relatively rare circumstance that should be savored, and I’m sipping my cold brew in a sweatshirt on the balcony, watching the usual neighborly foot traffic and holding on to each autumnal murmur. I’ve been thinking about skin (which I realize might be the creepiest sentence I’ve ever typed) - how the familiar feelings of nesting or hunkering down at home can be equally true within our bodies. The ways we take care of our most immediate home - repairing, soothing, maintaining, luxuriating - the sharing of our self-discovered favorites, and how often they inch their way into being a part of each others’ quietest rituals. And with that, here are a few recs from my personal skin bag home to consider in your routine:
Slime it up. My neighbor, Jen, is a skincare enthusiast who fervently avoids the sun and tries new products constantly. She sang the praises of this snail mucin as her desert island pick and now it’s a repeat buy for me too. Does the idea of putting snail goo on my face sound like a party? No. But this fragrance-free, clear elixir feels like an easy enough gateway into an intimidating product category. After mentioning snail mucin to my boyfriend, he picked up a couple of these masks from a local Korean market for me - an A+ thoughtful gesture and solidifying my slimy satisfaction.
A few drops of spa. While I was ensconced aside a hospital bed and far away from little luxuries, my beautiful friend, Katie, hid a gift basket at my home. And when I say gift basket, I mean I fully cried at how thoughtful and beautiful it was. I felt seen and loved, and you’ll hear much more about this basket as we teeter toward gift guide season. But today I’m touting this oil. It’s beachy enough to bring whispers of vacation yet mild enough to feel like the warmth of a Himalayan salt lamp glowing next to the massage table. It sits next to my perfume in the bathroom, inviting me to dollop on a few drops of beautiful calm and rub them into my hands and arms whenever the moment arises. And I feel taken care of every time.
Simple and supple. My boyfriend loves chapsticks. There are so many hanging around…in pockets, baskets, totes, free range even. But his favorite - and notably the one he earnestly recommended to one of his closest friends just last night - is this straightforward and nourishing basic. The simplest version is often the most effective and enjoyable. But moisturized lips, smooth and soft, has to be one of the greatest gestures of care you can give to yourself.