If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair but the hair spray and the electric toothbrush. Back in 2016, when the Strategist first launched, we asked designer Rachel Antonoff about the lip balm and lotion she can’t live without. Seven years later, we asked her to revisit her list — which you can read here — and it turns out she’s still using some of it, along with a few new favorites.
What she still can’t live without
I know I already said this the first time, but I stand by it: If I had to leave the house without a phone or my Blistex, I would go with the Blistex. I haven’t been able to find a lip balm that’s better. I reapply it constantly. It’s sort of a problem, but I think as far as problems go, it’s fine. I still find them everywhere. If I sneak into my brother’s house to borrow something, I’ll hear from him later saying, “I know you were here, you left a Blistex behind.”
This is still perfect. My skin feels very moisturized, but never greasy. That has always been a problem of mine with moisturizer. And I’m still not a fan of scented lotions. When I travel, I take a little hand bottle and a face one.
And some new favorites
Like I said before, I always need to have a funny book. This is my latest favorite. I cannot say enough things about this book and about Betty Gilpin’s writing. I’ve always been a fan of her acting, and I’ve read her essays over the years. When I saw that one was an excerpt from this book, I pre-ordered it immediately. She’s one of the best writers I’ve ever read. I also recently started listening to audiobooks while I walk. Even though I’ve already read this, it’s been really fun to listen to her read. It’s like a little friend in my pocket.
This is huge for me, almost as big as Blistex. I make key lime pies to unwind. It started a few years ago, and I’ve been perfecting the recipe ever since. I view the kitchen as a laboratory, and it’s lame sort of, but I have fun writing down all the variables I changed. Like, okay I did a little less butter or I tried it with the salted butter. I have two notebooks full of various key lime pie attempts. After going through wild amounts of graham crackers, I just really like the Nabisco ones. It just makes the perfect key lime pie crust, and I’ve stuck to it ever since.
I’m pretty big on laundry. I switched to Persil from Tide because this has the perfect scent. It smells like a clean indoor swimming pool, or like when you walk by an apartment building that has a massive industrial laundry room and you can smell laundry from outside. That’s the best way I can describe it, and it makes me really happy.
Sheets are one of those products you’re tricked into thinking are better the more expensive they are. I don’t believe this is the case. These sheets are certainly not cheap, but after having slept on Frette sheets, I think these are just as soft and lovely. Plus, I can wash them as hot as I want and not stress that I might ruin expensive sheets. I’ve been using them for about five years now. I don’t remember who recommended them to me, but I do vaguely remember saying to someone, “Oh my God, these are the greatest sheets I’ve ever felt. Don’t even tell me how much they cost.” And they leaned in and they were like, “Lands’ End.”
I love these because they literally go from day to night or rather night to day. I wear them to bed and usually spend most of my day in it. It sounds sad, but it’s actually just, I don’t know, productive. They’re also soft and mold to your body. They’re really versatile and just a great white T-shirt. And again, I can wash them on hot as many times as I want and they still come out great.
These are so great. I just ordered a whole new batch. They’re just really easy, perfect socks. They never get holes in them, and again, I wash my clothes hard. I’m not really a delicate hang-to-dry kind of person unless I have to, and these are durable. I have these in every color. They seem to always be offering new colors, so it’s also fun to discover those on their site. They’re the perfect pop of color under pants.
This is one of my favorite silhouettes we’ve done in a while, and I’m really excited we got to do it for Nuuly. I love a set that you can easily wear on its own as you can together. I’ll throw on the cardigan with a tank top and jeans, and I just wore the skort with a T-shirt the other night. I’ve been wearing it constantly. It’s like the look that keeps on giving.
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