Brr... It's Cold in Here!
Five winter favorites + a cashmere wrap battle + last minute gift ideas!
Shitters! It’s that time of year again! Last Christmas is on the speakers (banger of a song), I’m averaging 2.5 sweet treats a night, and I’m just about ready to trade NYC’s chill in for some warmer temps. But I couldn’t pack it up for the year without sharing a few newer favorites, especially when they’re as good as these!
Five Winter Favorites
Brunch Shearling Slippers: My new OBSESSION. A new pair of slippers was the last thing I thought I needed—I liked the ones I had just fine, and despite my feet almost always being freezing, I didn’t always reach for slippers when I had to get up and walk around (I don’t know why the phrase “can’t be arsed” came to mind, but it did). But then these babies arrived and that changed. These are shearling-lined, but as I’ve said before—not all shearling is created equal. This isn’t your typical, carpet-like curly fur—this is the SOFTEST snow white shearling you have ever felt in your life. It makes the other stuff feel like sandpaper in comparison!!! And then there’s the sole, which IMO is the real differentiating factor here. It’s THICK and super sturdy as opposed to being thin like a hotel slipper, or overly cushy like most other pairs. The result is a really supportive slide that has traction (important!) and feels good when you’re on your feet. You can wear them outside (mine are exclusively indoor shoes, but they would be good for a coffee run/dog walk situation), and they would make a really good gift for almost anyone on your list—brothers/ in-laws who are hard to shop for, parents, grandparents, etc. Move over, Christmas PJs—order everyone a pair of these and call it day!
V-Neck Sweater: This is a simple sweater, but I cannot for the life of me stop wearing it. In the words of Love Actually, to me, everything about it is perfect. The high v-neck—perfect. The cut and length—perfect. The color—PERFECT. And the fabric blend—70% wool/30% cashmere with no random filler synthetic crap—you already know. Perfection. I know it’s not cheap, but for a staple silhouette that’ll never go out of style? I don’t regret it for a second. I’ve had it for about a month now and have gotten SO much wear out of it (I even wore to Thanksgiving dinner with these simple trousers). It comes in a few other neutrals as well—charcoal, chocolate, true black, and cream. I’m such a fan of RLT in general—if you’re in LA, they have a great selection of vintage Levi’s (I found my treasured dark wash pair there this summer!), and I love their simple tees too (these ones are my favorites). I got the small, but I kinda wish I had tried the XS for a little closer fit in the body.
Cashmere Button Up Shirt (PRIYANKA20): More cashmere, of course! White & Warren took your standard button up shirt and reimagined it in 100% cashmere—15/10, most brilliant invention in the world in my book. I spent at least a year eyeing it, and now that it’s finally mine I can say that it is without a doubt worth it. It’s nice to switch up the sweater silhouette every now and then, and this is way more versatile—you can wear it open like a flannel or cardigan over a tee or tank, closed like your usual sweaters, style it like a button down and wear oversized or tuck it into pants—the possibilities are endless. It’s also really nice cashmere—not thin/cheap, but not too thick to drape properly either. I reached for it at least three times in the week since it arrived, which is always the sign of a good find! (P.S. They gave me a code through the month, so if there’s been anything else on your eye, highly recommend using it snag! I am the QUEEN of using my own codes and I just might have to for this baby…). I wear the XS.
Merit 1990 Lipstick: I came out as a lipstick hater right in time to be charmed by not one but two lipsticks this year??? This brown-ish nude Merit shade (aptly named for the 90’s inspo) has quickly become my go-to for the winter months. One swipe makes my face look more alive, my teeth look whiter, and everything more even? Is it magic in a tube?? Perhaps! Aside from the shade, I think what makes this so good to me is the sheer satin finish, rather than a heavy matte or high-shine traditional lipstick texture. These are buildable and lightweight, not crazy intense, and just easy to wear/eat/drink/live in, day or night.
Habelo Hand Treatment (PRIYANKA15): Another surprising new favorite! I don’t think I’m in the typical demo for a hand treatment. I’m in my early 30’s, my hands aren’t crepe-y or wrinkled (YET—the wave comes for us all eventually), but I really like this stuff. It just feels GOOD on your skin. Deeply, deeply nourishing, hydrating, and thick. Unlike others out there, it’s not a retinol treatment, which I actually prefer—I find that sometimes those can leave my skin feeling unintentionally dry afterwards. This one is packed with peptides, and other soothing, plumping ingredients. I have the gloves they make too, and a few nights a week right before bed I’ll put a couple tiny dabs of the cream on the back of my hands, rub it in, and then put the gloves on to lock it all in while I sleep. Should I give this to my mom, who will probably get more of the visible benefits (their before and afters are actually insane)? Probably. (If she ever gets around to opening her emails, she will immediately hound me for it—the perils of being an ~influencer~!!!) But I’m enjoying it so much that I haven’t wanted to give it up! You know what this means—I now have to use my code to get her her own. See how it happens!!!!
The Great Cashmere Wrap Battle
For everyone else who’s currently an icicle in frozen temps, I took the opportunity to compare three popular cashmere wraps to find the best one…
I had high hopes for the Quince one—at $99 it’s definitely the best price of the bunch—but I didn’t love it (or even like it, to be honest). It was by far the thinnest/ least substantial, smallest in size, and just didn’t feel good to the touch. I get that the price point is tempting, but I’d go one step up to J.Crew’s if you’re considering. J.Crew’s is by all accounts a nice light cashmere wrap. You can use as an actual scarf in the cold or a lightweight wrap the rest of the year—it’s versatile, soft, a decently large size. No complaints. In fact, I’d probably be pretty happy with it, had I not also tried White & Warren’s famous Travel Wrap. This is the Rolls Royce of cashmere wraps—it’s by far the largest (important when you want something to function as a wrap/travel blanket, not just a scarf), easily the softest of the bunch, and definitely the warmest/highest quality. The price jump from the J.Crew to this is noticeable (though PRIYANKA20 does shave a bit off the top), but in this case there is a real difference.
I would rather buy things once and be done with it, hence my preference for the White & Warren (I also think it falls into the category of a REALLY good thing to get/give as a gift!). But I don’t think you’d be unhappy with J.Crew’s, especially if you’re in the market for a lighter wrap rather than a scarf. Just don’t order both hoping to like the less expensive option more, because that won’t happen here!
Other things I’m loving lately: For anyone else who was waiting for our beloved cashmere puffer to go on sale, it is a whopping 50% off FINALLY—God is good!!!! (I wear the small.) We got a code for Madame Grey’s fabulous Zodiac Candles?!?! (PRIYANKA20) I’m burning Sagittarii as we speak—it combines so many of my favorite scents (wild raspberry, plum, jasmine, vanilla, cedar, leather… unreal). I swapped my kitchen sink products for these ones—I like using cleaning products with better-for-you ingredients, especially for dishes and pans that you’re cooking/eating on. They also make a good Fruit/Veggie wash for your produce! And if you live in Manhattan and the craving strikes, Momo Sushi does a mean Crispy Rice/Spicy Tuna delivery situation. If you’ve tried to get Crispy Rice delivered before, you know it’s usually disappointing, so this was a VERY exciting discovery (and the portion is big too!). P.S. All of our codes live here—it’s worth checking out before you hit checkout!
Last Minute Gift Ideas
I think you’ve convinced me to finally just get the Wit & Warren wrap… I bought a grey J.Crew cashmere wrap for a long flight and it shed EVERYWHERE, so much so that it was really not usable. I should have read the reviews before I purchased, I was not the only person who had that experience. Fortunately J.Crew accepted the return! You truly get what you pay for, even though the J.Crew one is not inexpensive by any means!