9 Delicious Hyperfixations for Fall, Including A Life-Changing Bra + Perfect Pants.
Plus a regretful update on an expensive, much hyped skin product.
Hi everyone! Happy Sunday, and wherever you are, I hope your day is full of joy in whatever form that takes. By the time you are reading this, I will be in the middle of packing for a very short work trip—18 hours of travel for 18 hours of in-person work—and am probably trying on clothes. Which is a little silly because, as I’ve said many times, when preparing for a high-pressure situation, never wear something new. Stick to the rivers and the lakes you are used to, as some wise women once said.
Today is a bit of a newsletter cornucopia, and we’re going to start with a fun nudge. My favorite hair brand—Roz, which was founded by the peerless Mara Rozak, and which I have written about a lot lot lot—is having a limited and rare 20% off sale right now. If you only want to try one thing, I’d say get the shampoo/condish foundation duo, though the foundation mask, incredible smelling styling oil, and milk serum are also excellent 11/10 choices too. Three of the four members of our family use the shampoo/conditioner on a near daily basis, so I’m going to get some refills. A reminder: This is what I buy, with my own money, for whatever that’s worth.
SLEEPING UNDIES
What are we sleeping in these days, my friends? I asked the internet this question earlier this week, as I’m in the market for some more nighttime drawers. For years, I’ve been team Commando (ha, no like, the brand, not literally) and frankly still am, but was curious if anyone had fallen in love with new makers, and asked for suggestions. This is what came through, if you’re curious. And yes, I have some options heading my way to try now. For the record: My Commando go-tos are the butter hipster or the simple bikinis, and I love the brand because the founder is a really cool woman who manufactures in Vermont!
(Also: I appreciate that for many of you, underwear is verboten at bedtime, and I love that. That said, I do not wear pajama bottoms normally, and personally am not going for a Winnie-the-Pooh baby tee/no drawers look at this exact stage of my life, so sleeping undies it is.)
Your Recommendations Thus Far:
Jockey Generation seam-free ribbed boy shorts, Wirapra high-waisted cotton undies, Gap Body breathe high rise bikini (two very chic women I know IRL suggested), Huha hipster undies, Natori cotton-blend briefs, Chantelle soft stretch bikini, and of course, Skims, in lots of different styles. Interesting no mention of Vicky, nor her secrets, nor Fenty. Also: I didn’t really realize that boxers were such an underwear trend! When did that happen/where have I been?
As of today, my top contender is Negative Underwear, specifically their low-rise boy shorts and the cotton string bikini and the Gap Body options. If you all have any thoughts/suggestions, please drop a note in the comments.
OTHER HYPERFIXATIONS
Dr Diamond’s Metacine Instafacial Plasma Bioactive Growth Factor Serum ($200)
Don’t blame the messenger, because I don’t want to recommend this. The price for this serum is intense, and that’s not even factoring in the routine’s second step, which is the even pricier Instafacial Emulsion Retinopro Growth Factor Night Cream ($350). But here’s the thing: The brand sent me the combo to try approximately six weeks ago, and I decided to do a diligent, dedicated trial. While I am still using my beloved Alloy M4 Face Cream (which contains estirol), I stopped using everything else in my regular routine to just focus on the Metacine products, and I’m surprised by the results, even at this early stage.
The serum contains bioengineered epidermal growth factors, and this type of growth factor can help boost your collagen from within (I’d rather go this route rather than trying to consume collagen), and I’ve been using it twice a day on clean skin, as my first step after washing my face. It layers really well under makeup, and is super lightweight, plus my skin now looks smoother and firmer than it has in years. If you’re looking for a growth factor serum, I very much can recommend this, plus it smells lightly woodsy, which I like.
PS: I also really like the night cream, and feel like the duo is quite impressive, as it’s non-irritating even for my sensitive skin. That said, if I had to pick one of the two, it would be the serum.
Needless to say, I have already ordered more, with my own money, which should tell you everything about how I truly feel about this product. Also! I’ve run into some folks lately who I haven’t seen in a while, and three of them mentioned my skin out of nowhere. Maybe she’s born with it, or maybe it’s Metacine?
Doen Idalia Bra ($128)
I moderated a Q&A with Selling Sexy: Victoria’s Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon authors Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez earlier this week, and ran into my friend Margaret Kleveland, the CEO and co-founder of my beloved Doen. Given the subject of the book, there was much bra talk that night, and I was delighted to share with Margaret that I was wearing her bra that night, specifically the Doen Idalia Bra in black.
I said to her—which I will testify to again, right here—that it’s literally the best bra I have ever owned. Worth every penny times 10. And I am THRILLED to share that it’s finally back! For reasons I didn’t inquire about, it’s not an always-on option at Doen, but it’s in stock now and I implore you to run and buy it, if you are like me and want a simple, perfect, lace bra. I find it true to size (I’m a 34C normally, and take my regular size here).
Doen Sebastiane Lace Skirt ($258)
On the matter of Doen, I also wanted to say that they’ve made the perfect party skirt (works year round, but especially good for fall and the holidays). The team has taken their beloved, best-selling midi skirt style and made it in lace, and I love her. On a funny note, until I sat down to write this, I didn’t realize that I’m wearing it with a similar open-toe stiletto mule to the way the Doen team shot it, nor that the look was photographed in front of my favorite Paris hotel, the Chateau Voltaire; no wonder I love it so much. (My shoes are Paul Andrew’s 75-mm Aristata mules, which seem to be sold out, and I’m wearing the J.Crew shirt mentioned below.)
Petite Plume Robe
Despite being the mom of a 7-year old (!!!), I still have a hard time staying on top of parenting things, like planning my kids’ birthday parties. That said, I have already ordered their holiday pajamas, and wanted to give Petite Plume a shoutout for making holiday pajamas that are actually tasteful. I like to go up a size for my kids, as this means they will get twice the wear out of them/they will last much longer.
Also worth checking out: the brand’s silk lace robe, which is available in a really sophisticated blue that I’m surprisingly delighted by. Maybe I’m into because I’ve been influenced by a TikTok creator who keeps making videos about feeling sexy for herself, a sentiment I scoffed about at first, because she’s literally stunning, but I do think about all of the work that I still need to do to de-center the male gaze, and now this message is resonating more with me. And given that my wonderful husband absolutely doesn’t care about my robe game, I’m really happy to have something that makes me feel nice, just for me. Plus it’s 100% mulberry (ahem, nice) silk and machine washable, two more positives!
Sephora PRO Makeup Brushes
A couple of weeks ago, I had a tutorial session with celebrity makeup artist Joey Maalouf (more to come, I swear), which might have changed my life. Many amazing things that came from that lesson, including his recommendations on some new products. During our time together, it became clear to both of us that I didn’t have very many makeup brushes anymore, let alone the right ones. I asked him for some picks, and was surprised when he suggested a number of Sephora PRO brushes.
Not to be a snob, I wrote to him, but do you have any recommendations if I want to invest in brushes? Joey didn’t hesitate. He assured me that the Sephora PRO ones are actually phenomenal. No fancier brand name needed. Color me schooled.
My favorites so far? The Sephora PRO Foundation Brush #64 ($34), Crease Brush #24 ($22), and Shadow Brush #18 ($20). Just saying!
Jamie Haller The Everything Pant ($598)
I hate pants. We’ve talked about this. I do not desire them. I will wear a pleated wool Dries pant, from time to time, and yes, I love my Nili Lotan Shon Pants ($375) which are outrageously, against-my-will good, as I have detailed extensively. But nine times out of ten, they just bother me. So I have no idea what possessed me to order Jamie Haller’s three-in-one (yes, you read that correctly) trousers. I’m assuming it’s because I love her leopard loafers so much?
My point is: They were a lark buy. I assumed I’d immediately return them, as I do with almost all trousers. And then I tried them on. First of all, they’re made from a super soft, deliciously heavy (but not in a bad way) Japanese cotton. Secondly, they’re perfectly slouchy, even on a body like mine, which has both hips and thighs. Ha. Third, you can wear them THREE WAYS: Cinched paper-bag style, crossed over, or rolled at the waist (the second way is my favorite).
They look great cuffed or worn down, as they have a split hem that lends itself to personalization, depending on the shoe you’re wearing. And how nice is that? A pant that works with most of your shoes? No hemming required? Fuck yes.
J.Crew Limited Sale! 30% off many current-season items! Yay!
Collection Sheer Wool-Blend Long-Sleeve T-Shirt ($69.50 normally, but now 30% off!)
This might feel like a random suggestion, but I recently got this long-sleeve t-shirt from J.Crew and I’m unable to stop talking about it. It’s so thin, feels incredible, and is the perfect layering piece for your wardrobe. I have it in black in a small, but have the deep burgundy one in my cart now to style with my go-to pleated skirt for a simple, impactful, monochromatic look.
Relaxed Double-Breasted Blazer ($328 normally, but now $228)
You might remember my treatise on skirts from a couple of weeks ago, but what I didn’t tell you is that I also bought Reformation’s Bella Satin Skirt in black. To get more wear out of it—because it does run a little formal—I’ve been styling it with a vintage concert t-shirt or the aforementioned sheer wool-blend long-sleeve t-shirt, plus either simple loafers, little slingbacks, or stompy black moto boots and this great double breasted blazer for work. Blazer is great with jeans too, or even my Jamie Haller pants.
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.
Truly one of my favorite newsletters - just a note to say thank you and appreciate your wonderful writing and recos!
Hi Hillary! Long time reader first time commenter- have you heard of Roucha? It’s a lovely brand (founded by ex-Totokaelo.) that makes pants similar to the Jamie and Nili silhouettes AND they are half the price point. I recommend the Peka pant. I too have hips, thighs, and a butt so the size C worked perfectly for me. I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this brand, it’s not talked about enough.
https://roucha.com/products/p-09-010-peka-canvas-pant?