A few weeks ago, I was out on a day excursion with some family friends, and my friend had thoughtfully packed a full pouch of activities for the children, including a sheet of temporary tattoos. We realized that we needed scissors to cut them into individual shapes and — lo and behold, I had my set of travel scissors in my purse! I’m never without them. One of the best $7 purchases of the last decade. I can’t tell you how often they come in handy: a tag on clothing, a snack bag that won’t open, a loose thread, temporary tattoos!
This made me think — what are the other “surprise” things you’d never have guessed would routinely come in handy? (I know my mom is reading this and thinking ‘nail file.’)
My list of unexpected things I never knew I needed:
Purse scissors
A clear no instead of a slow maybe
Permission (from myself) to read as I please
A talisman — less for apotropaic qualities; more to touch when I need to center myself by remembering “I’m alive and I will feel things”
An extra layer (I’m always cold)
“A midnight book” on my nightstand for when I can’t sleep
An open text thread my with my sisters
The line “Paris loses all its luster without him” from Heart the Lover
Green instead of concrete outside my bedroom window (this changed me)
A pocket umbrella
My dad telling me he’s proud of me (I’m 41, and it still matters)
A calendar with big stretches of white space
The new Olivia Dean album
A lot of time alone
Self-forgiveness at the end of the day
What about you?
Post-Scripts.
+On being a soft landing for yourself.
+Gentle packing lists in motherhood.
+These are the days that must happen to you.
Shopping Break.
+OMG this leopard jacket! Look for less here; slimmer silhouette variation here.
+Wait kind of obsessed with the new green-and-white painterly stripe version of the viral sweatpant jean. Has a Goyard vibe to it?! (Go down one size in these! Use code JEN15.)
+A perfect sweater to wear all next Thanksgiving week. For something under-$100: can’t rave more about these $69 cashmere sweatshirts. LOVE.
+ME+EM is a danger zone for me. I absolutely love the styling on site — all the layers! This coat is beyond. More realistic: velvet-effect trousers, this knit vest, this jersey dress. If you have a black tie event, you must consider this green velvet wonder.
+Ann Mashburn’s popular Paola bag in a cute tartan.
+Chic gift for a green thumb: wood-grained gardening shears.
+HotelLobby already sold through two of its holiday scents! Their iconic scent is still available, though — this is the one I usually burn all December. Isn’t the Ditpyque holiday candle gorgeous? Imagine as a gift!
+Wait just noticed this adorable cashmere holiday sweater for kids is back in stock. I got these for both of mine! I think they’ll actually wear them on Thanksgiving! Great for holiday photos. Also adorable — this RL sweater. The skating motif!
+A few of you asked for an Advent calendar: this is my top pick for this year! OMG, how charming? Kids can open the drawer and you can leave a little piece of chocolate or a little note (we call them “scrolls” in our house) and they can follow the clue for the day’s surprise.
+Today’s the last day to shop the early Black Friday deal at Bombas — 25% off sitewide. I know a lot of you took advantage of this promo over the weekend! Great idea for gifts: fair isle socks for your younger cousin who’d never splurge on them herself; the best running socks for your 8-minute-mile sis; Sunday slippers for your mom; stocking stuffers for your kids! I also want to treat myself to these!! The skiing motif!
+Outnet is offering an extra 25% off almost everything (discount reflected in price). Major scores to consider: this quilted Toteme jacket, my leather Frame pants in cedar brown or black (go up one size in these), a last-minute Thanksgiving dress, this Zimmermann statement.
Scent Enclave: New Winter Scents.
This section is sponsored by Bluemercury.
I could not believe when Bluemercury offered to send me a few scents for the holiday season — they must have caught wind of the discerning scent enclave community here at Magpie. I sampled seven different scents from seven gorgeous brands (several of which have come highly recommended by Magpie readers), and discovered great fragrances for the winter season, for upcoming travel (I love to wear a specific scent when going somewhere new – it connects me to the memory of the trip!), and for gifts! Sharing thoughts on each below:
+Byredo Bal d’Afrique Absolu — I’ve worn Byredo for years now (Blanche and Mojave Ghost are in my daily wear rotation), ever since stumbling into their Soho shop in New York, but had never given their iconic Bal d’Afrique a try. This is a rich woodsy-citrus-bergamot powerhouse that smells delicious lingering on a cashmere sweater. A great switch-up for the winter season.
+DS & Durga I Don’t Know What — I know many of the Magpie scent enclave swear by this brand, but I’d never tested! This was my awakening and I am in love with this product; it was my favorite of the seven they sent. It is actually not a perfume but a perfume enhancer — you can wear it on its own, though. It’s specifically designed to enhance and elevate other notes you might wear on a daily basis; you can layer this on top. The brand writes: “IDKW is a secret combination of materials that perfumers use to highlight and enhance notes in a perfume.” It is the loveliest, freshest and most radiant scent; I frankly like it on its own or for just a quick refresh when heading out the door in the middle of the day, over whatever scent I’ve worn. Such an unusual and gorgeous product!
+Jo Malone Sandalwood & Spiced Apricot — I’ve always loved Jo Malone’s elegant scents; this one is velvety, warm, and spicy. The moment I smelled it, I imagined going to The Nutcracker?! It has an scintillating winter warmth to it.
+Vilhelm Parfumerie Poets of Berlin — A heady fruit-forward blend of blueberry and vetiver inspired by the kinetic energy of Berlin in the most opulent perfume bottle I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t wait to position this prominently on my dresser. It is art!
+House of Bo Cosmos — A true winter perfume: smoky amber, whiskey, and mystery. This makes me want to wear velvet and sit in a dark, leather-laden Ralph Lauren restaurant; it feels like it belongs to another time.
+Lake & Skye 11 11 — This unisex scent is light and airy. A beautiful everyday perfume if you want something that won’t overpower you, but will smell distinctively clean and sparkling. This would make a great gift for any age or gender.
+The Harmonist – Florae Nebulae — Bold amber, vanilla, and musk meld together in this sumptuous, rich scent.
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Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream!
Tissues
Hand cream
Face mask
Floss
Nail file
This is so YOU!! 🙂
Never without fine point tweezers and some type of dental floss!
OHHH yes. Dental floss 10/10.
xx
A tape measure! I keep a sewing one in my wallet (I still carry a large wallet), and an actual tape measure on my keychain. It comes in such handy, and I definitely inherited it from my Dad who is rarely without a tape measure.
Oh I love this, and the way it’s an echo of your dad!!
xx
Reading this wearing Jo Malone Sandalwood & Spiced Apricot! I had a truly low week and popped into the store as a treat and walked out with a bottle of it. I love how the bottle looks on my vanity, the topper is so fun and unique!
Unexpected things I need:
– a manicure before a big meeting, I was so against spending the money in my 20’s but it gives me a such boost especially before any meetings with a board member!
– hand cream in every purse and in the center console of my car
– saying no, and not feeling bad about it!
– reminding myself you can always begin again
LOVE these so much. Wow – agree with all of them, although I’d not thought to keep hand cream in my car console. Adding to my little pouch there!
“Saying no” — amen.
xx
Batteries for my car key fob! Almost got stranded at school drop off yesterday when mine was unexpectedly low. Another parent said he keeps some in the glove box after a similar incident so I popped some in mine! Although I am now off to research whether being in the car’s extreme hot and cold will degrade the batteries…
Oo love this! Wouldn’t have thought of it!!
xx
I received a sample of the Dear Polly perfume from Blue Mercury and it’s now all I wear and I get lots of compliments. Such a great scent and unique. Love.
Love!!! I can’t get over how chic that bottle is too! So fun to hear what you all are wearing.
xx
I got that exact Vilhelm perfume in my personal profile from Nose Paris! I think Aoife had recommended their site. The full bottle is stunning. The perfumer says the scent is a love letter to his wife! https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Vilhelm-Parfumerie/Dear-Polly-30928.html
That DS & Durga is on my list, they’re sometimes tricky to find here but I’ve really liked the brand ever since reading Kavi’s profile over on Cup of Jo. https://cupofjo.com/2016/02/09/my-beauty-uniform-kavi-ahuja-moltz/
Things I didn’t know I needed:
My red light mask. My recipe organizer app (Paprika 3, swear by it!). Days where I give myself a break and serve a charcuterie plate for dinner. A Ninja Air Fryer (I’m notoriously slow to buy appliances, we didn’t have a toaster for 6 years and we still haven’t replaced our kettle since it broke a few months ago). Vanilla ice cream available at all times. Programmable Christmas lights (ours are from Govee). A place to put my mail (TBD). Force of Nature (cannot live without it now). Over the knee boots (key to extra winter warmth with thick socks under but they read sexy not bulky). A Tussah silk duvet insert (I’m a convert, I’m never going back!).
Things I’m surprised I can live without: manicures, takeout, heels, fancy skincare. If you’d told me in my 20s I wouldn’t have believed you, all those things seemed very aspirationally adult to me. Project of my 30s is knowing myself.
I was wondering which scents you’d be into from this list!!
And love your list of needs…and not-needs! This jumped out at me: “A place to put my mail (TBD).” I have also been in need of a new storage solution for beauty products. I receive a lot from brands, give a lot away, etc, and it feels like an open tab in my mind at all times. Your note made me realize I need to really put thought into how best to organize this so I don’t keep losing my mind over it. Ha.
xx
I block out “5% days” on my calendar just to deal with all the little things I’m losing my mind over!! I love the open tab feeling when it’s something capturing my imagination and hate it so much when it’s a tangible annoyance.
This may seem overly specific, but my core beauty stuff is on a rotating carousel next to my sink, and then the stuff I’m just trying out or doing for fun is in the half bath medicine cabinet. Maybe silly having lipsticks two places or skincare two places but it means I have a section where the decision making is simplified! Half the time when I’m annoyed with clutter I’m actually annoyed I have to make a decision during crunch time trying to get the kids out the door
OMG – 5% days is so clever! This reminds me actually of an exercise I try to do at the beginning of the year: write down everything that’s irritating me / annoying me / occurring to me as a pain point and see if there are any obvious solutions.
Love your carousel / medicine cabinet separation. I kind of do this, but right now, I think I just need to be truthful with myself and prune out what’s not working. I tend to keep stuff accessible for awhile “in case I want to try it again” but now it’s just a lot of clutter.
Thanks again for the prompt. You are so helpful!
xx
A mini hand cream, lip balm, and a small fragrance travel spray for me. I feel incomplete without a cozy scent in my bag. Lately it’s been Musamam Black Intense (https://palette21.com/products/musamam-black-intense-edp-spray) — warm and comforting, perfect for quick refreshes during the day. Funny how the little things end up being the most useful.
Love!!