5 Truly Fabulous Things To Watch, Read, Try, Buy & Shop In December—None Of Which Involve The Holidays

Plus 8 actually cool presents for the fellows in your life, curated by my annoyingly tasteful husband. JK I love that he's a snob.

Do you remember when you first heard that Candy Spelling had a room solely dedicated to gift wrapping? I do. It was around 2009, when Tori’s mom was selling their lavish manor, and People did a big story on the property, which actually contained not one, not two, but three rooms dedicated to wrapping gifts. Now just to be clear: This is absolutely bonkers. However, I’m starting to see the method behind the madness, as I am currently living in a sea of boxes, with all of my holiday shopping from BF/CM slowly arriving.

Our house, which could use editing even on our best days, is giving shipping depot right now, and I’m mildly overwhelmed by what I still haven’t shopped. That’s right. I might be up to my eyeballs in Flamingo Estate candles (lucky you, close friends and colleagues), but there is still much to do. Assuming you are in a similar position, today’s newsletter has a smattering of gifts for the guys in your life, guest curated by a man with annoyingly good taste—the brilliant music supervisor who is my husband. (Thanks babe.)

Next week I’m also going to cover some unexpected food gifts and presents for folks with pets, so if you have any ideas for either, let me know! (And if anyone comes across the Shinola dog bed in tan stripe in a medium, please let a girl know? I cannot find it and it’s driving me mad.)

But before we discuss guy gifts, first a little palette cleanser in the form of a few things I think you should consider for December, and there’s not a drop of holiday cheer in any of them!

WATCH: Heated Rivalry (now on HBO Max)

Have you heard the buzz? I feel like the entire world was talking about his show over Thanksgiving weekend, and I understand why. It’s spicy, funny, full of chemistry, and a very (adults only) enemies-to-lovers story that’s giving Challengers sans Zendaya. It’s also based on a book series by Rachel Reid—Game Changers is the first in the series; Heated Rivalry is the second—if you’re looking for a print version instead.

READ: Joey Maalouf’s Substack, The Beauty Altar

I’m very thrilled to share that my longtime dear friend and beauty guru Joey Maalouf has joined Substack! As you might recall, I’ve worked with Joey for ages and ages (he did my wedding makeup, which I’m forever pleased to brag about) and have collaborated with him on stories here, like when I booked him for a remote makeup lesson and he schooled me on how to advance beyond my high school makeup techniques. And then I went back for more when he taught me how to create a buildable eye look, which was rad. Anyway, I will forever recommend booking a session or ten with him to get your skills dialed in, and in the meantime, please subscribe to his Substack, which is already proving to be just as gorgeous as Joey is.

TRY: Kulfi Badi Lash Smudge Proof Volumizing Tubing Mascara ($26)

At this point in our relationship, I hope you trust me on a few things: The joy of a a Negative long sleeve t-shirt, the supremacy of Jamie Haller loafers, and the fact that I am a raging mascara snob. I’m very happy to say that I have found a truly awesome newish mascara from Kulfi, which also happens to be Sephora’s first-ever South Asian-owned beauty brand. (It was also part of Sephora’s accelerator program, which is seriously cool.) This mascara is the real deal. It’s a really easy to use tubing mascara that gives you serious body and volume, and is an easy-peasy dream to wash off. Plus the wand is excellent and really lets you get into the nooks and crannies of your lashes to make sure every last one is coated.

BUY: Rhode Barrier Butter Intensive Moisture Balm ($36)

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a late-to-the-game convert to all things Rhode, which I mistakenly thought was for the youngs. And, it is, but it’s also for this mid-40s lady, and I am impressed. Especially by this balm, which is outrageously sumptuous. Ideal for juicing up your sad winter skin, I was floored by the lusciousness of this formula which is so decadent, I had to double check that it was actually intended for the face. Spoiler alert: It is!

SHOP: Roz x The Great The Sweatshirt Hair Towel ($62)

Back in July, I was elated to share that two of my favorite brands—Roz Hair and The Great—had teamed up to make a truly supreme hair towel, which sold out in moments. (Literally in 48 hours.) Those of you who got it were thrilled, and those of you who missed out were annoyed, and rightfully so. So when I tell you TO RUN and buy this hair towel while it’s back in stock, please trust me. I use mine literally every day. The incredible sweatshirt material is fab for enhancing your texture and leaving your hair frizz-free and it’s the loveliest seaglass green. And while you’re there, I’d also recommend The Great’s The Cashmere Crew ($450) and matching Cashmere Lantern Pants ($425), which I own in navy and have quickly become my go-to upgraded casual outfit for home hangs and walking Snacks. The pants are cropped, making them perfect for pairing with softy socks and Birks; just saying.

Cashmere loungewear picked by Hillary; approved by Snacks.

GIFTS FOR THE FELLOWS, BY A FELLOW:

I’ve gotten a number of DMs and comments from folks asking for a guys’ gift guide, and I have to be honest with you. Other than my love of Todd Snyder, I do not think I’m the best at mens’ presents, and truly the majority of my good ideas are just stolen from my husband, who has annoyingly good taste. So I figured, why not just skip the middle woman (me) and give you the info directly? So with no further ado, please enjoy these presents picked by the one and only Jonathan Leahy.

Honestly, I'm impressed

Jones Sports Rover Stand Bag ($295) in Olive

Jones does lots of great retro/classic golf stuff well, and has branched out into a few non-golf lifestyle products too.

J. Press Shaggy Dog Sweaters ($275)

The green and pink stripe is my favorite, but sadly sold out. That said, they have a ton of other Shaggy Dog sweater options (crewneck + cardigan) to choose from

Milk Street Kitchen Shears ($59.95)

These are a spatchcocker’s dream come true!

Craighill Metrolog Ruler ($98) and/or Tortoise Shell Wine Key ($148)

This site is full of great gifty gifts; these are my two favorites

Polk Audio Polk MagniFi Mini AX Soundbar ($475)

This is not the biggest or fanciest or most expensive soundbar, and yet it still won a blind listening contest with Wirecutter editors, which is cool. And it has a feature that everyone wants—a dedicated “make the dialog louder / quieter” volume control. Seems dead simple to set up, and the small size I think will be a selling point for a lot of people.

Morjas Black Pebble-Grain Penny Loafers ($400)

I’ve seen very, very few brands do pebble grain loafers for men, but these look great.

Courant Mag3 Classics Black Leather Dual Device Charging Tray ($100 now, on sale from $200)

Bedside table charging options are all ugly, but I like that this one is low profile and cooler, charges your phone and airpods (wirelessly), and also serves as a catch-all for keys, watches, and more.

Craftsman 2000 Series Rolling Tool Cabinet ($269)

It’s modular, so you can stack additional storage units on top. Get yer damn garage in order!

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Okay friends, that’s it for now. If you want to follow me on @hillarykerr, I’d love it. And if you have anything to say or ask (preferably nothing terribly mean), please drop me a note either via DM or in the comments below.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this post. I’m truly so glad you’re here. If you like what you’re reading, please consider sharing this newsletter. (And if you have the time to like it, that would mean a lot to me!) All products mentioned are independently chosen, and some may be affiliate links. Your support is appreciated.