A Few Good Things: The Air Purifier My Kitchen Needs, A Super Shani Darden Serum, Olive Green Accessories That Spark Unexpected Joy, and More.
Plus a giveaway celebrating my podcast's 7th anniversary!
Hi everyone, I’m so glad you’re here. Things are still strange in Southern California, to put it mildly. There are still fires, the air is weird, and it feels like everyone is hurting in some form or another. In these tender times, the words of one of my favorite children’s books really helps: “No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.” So we continue to shop local stores for things we can donate to families impacted by the fires, add to folks’ GoFundMe accounts, and are trying to support our local restaurants and businesses as much as possible.
One other thing: I’ve gotten a lot of questions about the air purifier and app we’ve been using, and figured it was easiest to link here. As per usual, I checked out what Wirecutter had to say, and was happy to note that the air purifier we already own was one of their most recommended: BlueAir.
I bought their smallest model—the Blue Pure Mini Max Bundle ($140 for two)—last year because I hate the smell of cooked food lingering in the house, and Who What Wear’s Editor-in-Chief, Kat Collings, swears by this small, but mighty, style. She said it makes even the scent of cooked fish disappear immediately, and I hit the buy button the second she said that. And she’s right; it has been a game changer for my sensitive nose.
Wirecutter likes several of the brand’s models, so I bought a few larger sizes for our home, because while our neighborhood was spared from the Eaton fires, we are pretty much due south of the area, so our air quality can be quite poor, and changes a bunch every day with the winds.
We also got the Blue Pure 411i Max ($169), which came with some added benefits our minis do not have. First, it links to the BlueAir app, so you can turn it on and off, change speeds, and more from your phone. But much more importantly, it also has outdoor AQI data, which measures both PM2.5 (the very tiny particles, which have the most severe health impact) and PM10 (larger than the PM2.5, also bad), neither of which are included in the normal AQI on most iPhones.
The difference between the iPhone AQI and what the BlueAir app shows is quite astonishing. The BlueAir app paints a more problematic picture of what’s going on with the air in my neighborhood, which I find useful for making decisions like: Do I take the kids to the park? (Not much, these days.)
Overall, the purifiers and the app have made me feel a little more informed, and I am grateful to have this data. Additionally, the most interesting part about this process is learning that our biggest issues with particulates and pollution is coming from me. Well, from our stove, to be precise.
We have a gas stove and oven, and I have never thought that much about what happens to the air when I cook, aside from my aforementioned disinterest in cooking smells. But for some reason, I moved one of the BlueAirs into my kitchen recently, just to see, and the results were staggering. One night I was making two different things on the stove (chicken thighs in one skillet; smashburgers in another) and we had banana bread baking in the oven at the same time. As there was a lot going on, I ended up overcooking the smashburgers slightly, and the kitchen was a smidge smokey, but not enough to set off our very sensitive smoke detectors. That said, the air purifier went nuts; when I looked at the indoor AQI for that device, it was incredibly high. The air outside was also quite questionable, so I couldn’t open a window, but I did have our oven vent on high and the air purifier running on the lowest setting. I kicked the air purifier up to its highest setting, and the air was clean in less than 20 minutes, but the shock of what cooking can do remains.
Is this a big deal in the grand scheme of things? No. Are these first-world problems? Absolutely. But did it make me happy to have the air purifier in the kitchen? You bet. And it will remain there, since I absolutely cannot be trusted to not overcook something in the future.
Final notes: The BlueAir has a HEPASilent duel filtration system, versus another Wirecutter favorite, Coway’s Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty ($190), which we also have, which has a True HEPA filter. We have robust filters for our HVAC, so I’m okay with the BlueAir filters, which capture 99.97% of particles, down to .1 microns. The consumer-facing difference between the two is noise; the BlueAir models (and again, we have a range of sizes) are nearly silent, where the Coway one is quite loud when it’s working hard, which is fine, but worth noting.
PS: This is the mom in me, reminding you that Valentine’s Day is just a couple weeks away, and Minted currently has a couple of codes available this weekend for either 20% off Valentine’s Day cards (BEMINE25) or free shipping on classroom Valentine’s orders over $40 (CUPIDSHIP25). I am not great at all these parental classroom things, but I find ordering custom Valentine’s Day cards quite satisfying, especially because we customize them with a picture of whichever kid is giving it on the back. We have a set saved and send them to friends and family too, and it’s a sweet little moment.
Also, just to be clear, this isn’t a promo; I’m just telling you what I’m doing because I was that person who ended up paying 100% more than I needed to due to late shipping fees. Learn from my mistakes.
PPS: Remember last week how I told you I was besotted with my army green Bettter Leather Waist Belt ($240), but then the green suddenly was out of stock? Happy to say that it’s back, and also available in a gorgeous chocolate brown. There’s also a slightly more expensive iteration in black, which I think is so handsome and elevated; Might be the exact right thing to add interest to an otherwise too-quiet outfit. I also noticed that Net-A-Porter just got a similar style and shade of belt in from Gucci; logo is more discrete than past iterations, and I love the acid green suede so very much. In fact, there are more interesting drab green accessories on the market than one usually sees, like these perfect suede Manolos with a not-too high heel. Khaite is also making a wonderfully weird low Mary Jane mini heel in that odd shade that I simply can’t quit. FWIW, Proenza also has a great bag option on the market that’s suede, under $800, and crescent-adjacent in shape (the trend carries on!), and that combination has me reaching for my wallet.
Ha I’m lying; I bought it already, it’s just in transit.
Why do I love these weird greens so much? I don’t know, I guess it’s because I’m not really a chocolate girl, gray is nice but I feel like I’ve done it so much, and a human can’t always wear all-black, right? I also think it’s a strangely flattering color on most folks; people always are afraid of green, but you shouldn’t be. I promise it’s a fun time.
PPPS: Seven years ago next month, we debuted our first episode of my first podcast, Second Life, and have been on the air ever since. Truly! Along with some incredible podcast collaborators (sending so much love to Summer, Natalie, Claire, Justin, and, of course, Olivia, who started it with me back in the day), we do 50 new episodes a year, an always-on cadence that feels a little mind-boggling to me now. To celebrate our +350 episodes and the phenomenal women who have appeared on it, we’re doing an amazing giveaway over on @secondlifepod’s social with some self-care essentials to help brighten up your January.
Even better: We have SEVEN boxes of products (from our friends at Roz Hair, Soft Services, Milk Makeup, Alice Mushrooms, and The Outset!!!) to share with SEVEN winners. The giveaway closes at midnight PST on Monday, January 27th and details are on Second Life’s IG. Please know that this podcast takes up approximately 5% of my work day, but gives me like 64% of my work joy. It’s truly an honor to get time with so many incredible individuals and hear about the ups and downs of their careers. I find it inspiring every single day, and remain in awe of what I have learned from hosting it for lo these many years.
Shani Darden Skin Care Rescue Serum with 10% Azelaic Complex ($68)
As you well know, I really love Shani Darden’s skin care products, and have used her Retinol Reform Treatment Serum ($89) since it launched, as it’s incredible for fine lines, texture, and brightens, without ever irritating or drying out my sensitive skin. And of course I was interested in trying her newest product, the Rescue Serum, especially because it’s formulated to help hyperpigmentation, which includes everything from dark spots to post-pimple marks, which sadly, I still get. Oh, and it tackles redness, too.
I have been using it for a few weeks, and while nothing can top the Retinol Reform from being my favorite Shani product, I think this serum is my second most-loved formula she’s made. I called Shani earlier this week to ask a few additional questions about the product and how to incorporate it into your routine, and she gave me some really great details.
First and foremost, azelaic acid is one of Shani’s favorite ingredients because it’s gentle, but still efficacious, and works on all skin types. It helps with acne, perioral dermatitis (a dermatologist would give you a 15% compound to combat it, so this is a great over-the-counter option), rosacea, texture, and uneven skin tone. It’s also nice because it won’t make your skin more sensitive to the sun—unlike retinol, which should only be used in your evening routine—so you could use this complex in the morning or at night, depending on your preference.
Shani’s recommendation for a morning incorporation is as follows: Cleanse, Rescue Serum, sunscreen. If you have a more in-depth morning routine, it would be: Cleanse, Rescue Serum, hydrating serum, moisturizer and/or sunscreen. If you’re an Nourishing Essence person, you’d do the following: Cleanse, essence, Rescue Serum, hydrating serum, and moisturizer and/or sunscreen.
For nightime, she recommends the following: Cleanse, product with active ingredient (whether that’s the Rescue Serum or Retinol Reform or an Exfoliating Serum), and then moisturize. As for the products with active ingredients, only use one per night, not two or three; that’s how you freak out your skin.
So that means the plan would be Cleanse, Rescue Serum, moisturizer (like the Hydration Peptide Cream or Weightless Oil-Free Moisturizer, depending on your skin and needs).
All of that said, Shani said that her formulation of azelaic acid technically could be layered at night before retinol, but had a number of caveats. For starters, all of this very much depends on your skin at any given moment. She recommends starting with the Rescue Compound, and then if you choose to layer a retinol, only do it once or twice a week.
Or you can do a routine like this:
Monday: Cleanse, Rescue Serum, moisturizer
Tuesday: Cleanse, Retinol Reform, moisturizer
Wednesday: Cleanse, Rescue Serum, moisturizer
Thursday: Night with no actives, just cleanse and moisturize
Friday: Cleanse, exfoliating serum, moisturizer
Saturday: Cleanse, Retinol Reform, moisturizer
Sunday: Give your skin what it needs, depending on what it’s doing, maybe that’s another day off or it’s a moisturizing mask or it’s one of the two times a month you do her Triple Acid Signature Peel.
Personally, I have been using it in the mornings, because my skin doesn’t love a double active routine at night, and the results have been great. I had leftover inflammatory pigmentation from a holiday-stress cystic pimple on my chin, and the Rescue Serum significantly reduced it in a week, like magic. Also, my skin looks less red overall, and more even too.
I just really want to stress the importance of using sunscreen and a physical barrier when you can (like a giant hat with a UPF rating; Janessa Leone’s Tinsley Hat remains a forever favorite) to really block the sun. There’s no point in spending so much time, energy, and effort in combating uneven skin tone, only to then walk back all your gains by going into the sun and reactivating all that damage.
And finally, if you’re still reading, just here to remind you that readers of this newsletter can get 15% off orders of +$30 at RareBeauty.com until February 8th. Use the code HILLARY15 at checkout. The brand just launched a new Soft Pinch Liquid Contour ($28) that I haven’t tried yet, but looks promising, especially since every other Soft Pinch product is rad. I remain devoted to the shadow sticks (the bronze-y shade Adventure is my go-to) and the long-lasting stain-like Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil ($22) in Joy and Happy.
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.
I’m so into those shades of green right now too! They still feel like a neutral but are a nice change from my usual gray, black, navy, camel go-to’s. And I love to pair them with my leopard print pieces!
I've never really thought about air purifiers before (I'm in the Midwest) but the cooking part was interesting, and the fact that you couldn't open the windows to help the situation really struck home.