If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what everyday stuff famous people add to their carts — like hair spray or an electric toothbrush. We asked Julianne Nicholson — who stars in the upcoming film Janet Planet — about the healing salve, on-set snack, and wearable sleep aid she can’t live without.
I had a couple of friends tell me about this and started wearing it myself two years ago. I strap it on my ankle before I go to bed and push some buttons for sleep mode. There’s also energy, refresh, and calm modes, but I don’t use those. I have no trouble actually falling asleep, but I often wake up through the night. When that happens, I push the buttons and this starts vibrating. The vibrations are supposed to help calm the nervous system. I don’t know whether it’s the actual vibrations or just the belief in it, but it helps me fall back asleep better than other sleep aids I’ve tried. It’s heaven sent.
My sister bought me a pair of pharmacy readers years ago, and I used to have a couple of those hanging around. They just feel like you’ve sort of given up, though. These are a little bit pricier, but for me, it feels more like a choice. I love them. I feel good and happy when I wear them. And I can see better.
I go to the dermatologist regularly, and I’m always getting pre-cancerous stuff frozen off. I’m much better at wearing a hat than I am at sunscreen. I wear a hat pretty much every single day. Wallaroo’s Kristy one is very cute and fits my giant head. I can shove it in my suitcase, and it pops open fine. Being able to pack it up is everything, because it’s such a bore wearing a hat on the plane.
I just love this. I have very dry skin. I need a cleanser that won’t strip my skin, and this doesn’t. I feel like my skin looks and feels nicer after I use it. I’ve been using it nightly for about three years now. I’ve had periods before where I tried others, but this is my go-to.
I found out about Sacred Rituel while I was living in Topanga, where this company is based out of. Its serum smooths out my skin and gives it a bit of a glow without being shiny. While we were filming Janet Planet, it was basically the only thing I wore on my face besides moisturizer. The makeup artist tried filling in my eyebrows, adding mascara, evening out my skin tone, but Annie Baker (the director) made us wipe it all off. She’s a purist and is interested in showing “warts and all.” She’s the only director I can think of that was hoping my eye stye wouldn’t go away so Janet could have one in the film. Luckily for me, it did.
My mom has been a practicing herbalist for 40-plus years, and she has a company called Woodland Essence. It started small in her house and has now grown both online and at doctors’ offices. She’s more of the mind of supporting western medicine rather than taking the place of it. This cryptolepis salve is a miracle worker for cuts, scrapes, hangnails, or any sort of open little injury. It’s also great for rashes. I had a mark on my nose that my doctor wanted to scrape off, and I was like, “Can we please give it a minute? I’m going to put this on it every day.” And sure enough, it went away with this.
I discovered watercolor painting during the pandemic. I’m very much an amateur, but it’s a nice way to unwind at the end of the work day. I also find joy in painting with my daughter or sending people notes with their own paintings. There’s so little mail correspondence these days, and I am a sucker for the romance of that. I find that my friends and my family are too. It makes me happy thinking of the person I’m going to send mail to and thinking of what I want to paint for them. It’s also fun to later go to someone’s house after I’ve forgotten I’ve sent it and see it on their refrigerator or taped up somewhere. It feels old school and lovely.
Gummy bears have been my favorite since I was a kid. I am done with gas-station gummy bears, though. It’s Haribo all the way. They are superior in flavor and texture. They’re my go-to snack on set. While I was working on the Disney dogsled movie Togo with Willem Dafoe, he’d laugh and yell, “Congested colon,” when he’d see me snacking on gummies. Now, every time I eat gummy bears, I think of Willem Dafoe yelling at me. But I’m still a fan, and only Haribo.
I quit drinking in 2016, and this was basically my stand-in. I drank five a day. I loved the size and shape of the can. It wasn’t as big as a traditional soda can, so I felt like it just held its cold temperature and the right amount of fizz. I also love the flavor. After I made this list, I went to buy a bunch of boxes and realized it’s been discontinued. I only just discovered it. They’ve changed the can, the water, the name. I am devastated. The can is bigger. It’s not as cute. Everything about it is disheartening to me.
Editor’s note: We’ve linked to the new larger-size version anyway.
I love cooking. I find cookbooks to be beautiful and a meditative, sort of fantasy place to spend some time. I love reading them on a plane. I love reading them before bed. They’re good on a set too. You can put the book down and it’s easy to pick up again when you come back from filming. I have quite a big collection of them. I love Alison Roman’s food, so I go back to hers again and again. All the pages are dirty.
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