9 Under-$100 Must-Buys I Keep Texting My Friends About
And one that's $123. Half are must-read summer books and the rest are strangely good beauty products and tools.
Hello friends! Thank you for all of the many comments and messages about last week’s newsletter. I’m quite thrilled that so many of you decided to get All Fours after I ranted about it. And just as delighted that so many of you have already read it, and find it as wildly compelling as I do.
As promised, I have some more book recommendations for you today, as well as a handful of hardworking beauty products and tools that I’ve fallen in love with lately. As always, I tested each recommendation for a few months before writing about it, because that’s the sort of research nerd I am. It’s also because having a trustworthy newsletter is really important to me, which is why I spent my own time and money buying and testing towels, t-shirts, and summer sandals.
Also: Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who sent me suggestions on dressing for work in New York when it’s seventh circle of hell/ring one level hot. My best choice was Ulla Johnson’s Devon Dress ($225 now, which is 50% off the regular price), which I recommend fully. It’s 100% cotton poplin, so it breathes and doesn’t wrinkle easily, and the dark pattern means it doesn’t show sweat. A good choice at a good price; I have no regrets.
It was also a good reminder that I’m out of touch with what the majority of people deal with when it comes to dressing for the weather, as LA is so easy. Sorry for that! I will try to keep it in mind more. If you have any other suggestions for dressing for work when it’s miserably hot outside, please share in the comments. I always learn so much from this community, and I know other readers feel the same way!
Oh one last thing: I would like to send my five favorite summer reads to one of you, so if you would like to win the books mentioned in today’s newsletter, leave me a comment about which one you’d read first. Will pick a winner within the week and will email said winner to let them know!
As always, if you have any questions for me regarding this story, or anything, really, please don’t hesitate to drop me a comment below, and I will answer you! (And why am I prompting you to comment? Because while I love DMs and always try to answer you there, my inbox is messy, and comments here are much easier for me to find and use as source material as I’m working on new things. Also, I love comments; they make me feel seen.
BEAUTY / 5 No-Regrets Buys That Are Upping My Makeup Game
Polite Society Greatest Lashes of All Time Volumizing, Lengthening, Lifting & Curling Mascara ($27)
If you’ve been here a minute, you know that I am a mascara obsessive and snob. I try almost every mascara that comes on the market, and very few make it to this newsletter for discussion. Nine times out of ten, I’m wearing Dior DiorShow Iconic Overcurl Mascara ($33), which truly is the GOAT, and I also have Tower 28’s MakeWaves Lengthening and Volumizing Mascara ($20) in regular rotation too.
So when I received a new mascara—from the brand Polite Society, which is less than a year old—at a chic work summit, it took me a minute to try it. That was a mistake. Polite Society is the brainchild of Jerrod Blandino and Jeremy Johnson, who also co-founded Too Faced Cosmetics, and it is BRILLIANT. The brush? Outrageously good. The formula? Magical. The wear? Outstanding. I am deeply in love with this mascara, and truly think it’s an 11/10 and that it is worth your hard-earned dollars. Trust me; I mean it.
Surratt Beauty Relevee Eyelash Curler ($36)
Speaking of lash products, I hate eyelash curlers. I have tried them all, I don’t feel like they make that much of a difference, most pinch, and frankly I’d rather use a curling mascara (like the Polite Society one, or my go-to Dior iteration) that does the work for me.
But for some reason—probably because it keeps selling out and I’m a sucker for scarcity—I ended up buying this one from legendary makeup artist Troy Surratt’s beauty brand. It’s designed in Japan and never gives your eyelashes that hard crimped look that so many lash curlers do, and wow does it make a difference. It’s also Vogue’s all-around favorite, which is saying something, and it’s featured as one of the Who What Wear beauty editors’ favorites in the recent Deep Reviews franchise, which is saying a lot.
Pasame Satin Face Brush Trio ($88)
Last year, my longtime pal Eva Chen connected me with an amazing makeup artist—Aliana Lopez—for a work event, and I just fell in love. I knew from her work with Eva that she was super talented, yet I was truly blown away by her skill. Even better: Aliana told me she was launching her own line of high quality, highly edited brushes, Pasame.
Friends, when I tell you they are the best complexion brushes I have ever used, I am not kidding. The trio is an absolute must-buy; they are so luxurious and beautifully crafted, I cannot get over them. One is for powder products (bronzer, blush, setting powder, whatever), one is for cream and/or liquid products (again: creamy bronzers, blushes, highlighters, et cetera), and then a baby touch-up brush for setting your eye area and any hot spots.
I use the touch-up brush every single time I do my makeup now, and it’s changed my whole game. I can’t believe I wasn’t using it sooner! But all three brushes are exceptional and wildly worth it. Plus, you’re supporting an independent female founder who truly deserves all her flowers and our dollars.
One/Size Mini Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder ($18)
And once you buy the best brush ever, you probably need a product to go with it, and I just happen to have a really good one. This long-wear, super finely milled setting powder is an absolute revelation, and I honestly don’t know how I lived life without it. It keeps my face in place all day—even in the 97-degree swamp that was New York City last week—in a way that honestly feels witchy?
I use the Universal Transparent shade, but it comes in a three other colors in the mini size and a total of seven full-sized shades. Look y’all: I don’t bake, I don’t contour, I don’t layer, I don’t even know how to use it properly I’m sure, but the combo of this setting powder and the Pasame touch-up brush? Iconic.
Fancii Tabletop Mount LED Lighted Vanity Mirror ($123) and Makeup Magnet 10x Attachable Mirror ($18)
As someone with historically great eyesight, it pains me to admit that my vision isn’t what it used to be. I can’t read my shampoo versus conditioner bottle labels in the shower anymore, and I have for sure left the house with mascara debris on my brow bone, only to realize it’s there when I catch a glimpse in my car mirror. So recently, I decided to just admit my new reality and buy a makeup mirror. As per usual, there was a lot of research involved, and I decided to buy the model that The Strategist, Wirecutter, and Allure all liked.
Is it expensive? Yes. But since this is an item that involves my eyes, I decided to evoke the cookie theory, and not waste my time, energy, and happiness on a subpar model. I am so glad for this purchase. It’s pretty sleek, and I love that I can pull off the attachable mirror and go examine my skin in direct sunlight, if needed.
BOOKS / 5 Hot Reads For Sweltering Summer Days + Nights
In which the narrator gives you almost no plot points, but instead describes the vibe of the book, because she thinks that’s the thing that should be in alignment when purchasing a summer read.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe ($22)
This book came so highly recommended, by so many people, I couldn’t wait to get started. Let me share what no one told me: The beginning third of the book is intense, especially if you still feel tender about what it was like to have a newborn, and was not what I expected, especially given the cover art and the warm endorsements.
The cheeky title made me think this would be a bit of froth, but it’s not. It’s the story of a very young single mother who is broke and trying to take care of her baby, her kindly ex-pro wrestler father who was absent, until he wasn’t, and a plot that involves OnlyFans and a Roomba. And then it gets good. Really really really good. Also: It’s being adapted for the small screen by A24 and AppleTV, if you care.
The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley ($17)
At this point, I buy all of Lucy Foley’s new books without even reading the blurb. I find her version of suspense absolutely spot-on, as it’s spooky without being graphic or nightmare-inducing. The Midnight Feast was a slower burn for me—I’m guessing this is reader error more than anything else—but once I got into it, I was holding on for dear life. Once again, it involves rich people behaving badly, but this time at the opening of a luxury resort in an ancient woods on England’s Dorset coast. There’s tension between the locals and the poncy guests, spooky ancient pagan elements, generational mysteries, villains galore, and an extraordinarily delicious finale.
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren ($18)
Is it even summer if you’re not reading something that’s slightly filthy and surprisingly funny? I think not. And that, my friends, is exactly what you get from the writer duo (yes, it’s two women) behind Christina Lauren’s newest novel. How can I pitch this to you? This book is perfect for anyone who liked Succession, but wanted it to be slightly less depresso and with way more (consensual) spice. It’s an opposites-attract, fake-relationship story that’s one of the writing duos best, and is the sort of novel you can wolf down in one long layout sesh. Yes please.
Lies And Weddings by Kevin Kwan ($23)
If you, like me, very much enjoy a detail-packed romp with characters so wealthy, the mind barely comprehends, you will enjoy the hell out of this one. As Kwan is known for, this large-format love story sprawls across elite enclaves from Hawaii to Hong Kong and Bel Air to Belgravia, and features more badly behaving billionaires than you can shake a Loro Piana wicker bottle cooler at, as the saying should go. In short: While Crazy Rich Asians might be Kwan’s most known book, I think Lies and Weddings is his best one yet.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston ($17)
If you’re looking for a wildly fast-paced and deliciously suspenseful summer read, this book is for you. Did it come out earlier this year? Yes. Does that matter? Eh. It sweeps you up in the story like Laura Dave’s The Last Thing He Told Me, which was one of my favorites of 2021. Also: If you liked Mr. and Mrs. Smith as much as I did (Maya Erskine for life), you will enjoy this. Also also: It’s a New York Times bestseller and a Reese’s Book Club pick, which counts for something IMHO.
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.
You always write about what I need to know!!! Truly look forward to your newsletter always!
Highly recommend The Ministry of Time as your next summer read! Time travel ethics / morality/ things go awry + 1840s British naval commander 🫡