So much to say / I don't know what to say.
A few thoughts from Los Angeles.
Hi everyone, I hope this message finds you safe and well. As many of you know, I’m based in Los Angeles, and it has been an extraordinarily challenging week for our city. Thank you to everyone who has checked in; a text or DM might not seem like a lot, but the outpouring of concern and care is truly meaningful, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.
We are some of the lucky ones. As east side residents, the Eaton fire is less than 10 miles from us, with mandatory evacuation zones much closer, and by 11 a.m. on Tuesday, the air quality index was nearly 400. We are some of the lucky ones. We had the time and resources to leave, and our home and our kids’ school is safe for now. This is not the case for so many of our friends.
Like all Angelenos, we have dozens of friends in both the Palisades and Altadena who have lost everything: Homes, schools, workplaces, churches and temples, small businesses, and entire communities have been decimated. It’s horrific and heartbreaking, and will take years to rebuild.
As someone who grew up in southern California, and who has lived here the majority of my life, I’m sadly no stranger to the destruction of wildfires. A handful of my childhood friends lost their homes to fires when we were in middle school and high school, and one family lost their home twice. So sadly this situation is familiar, to a degree, but what has transpired in Los Angeles this week is on another level.
Despite all the loss and pain, I am also heartened by the community outreach and mobilization, as it feels like everyone in LA (and beyond) has come together to help in any way they can. I’m particularly heartbroken about the devastation in Altadena, which has a large, historic Black community, and have been donating to some of the displaced families via this directory that was compiled by @afropunk. As always, the team at @baby2baby is doing incredible work helping families in need, and we compiled a list of other places you can donate via @whowhatwear’s Instagram, if you’re looking for ideas.
Additionally, GoFundMe has organized a verified list of fundraisers by people impacted by the fires. I’m also supporting Pasadena Humane, which needs monetary support for local animals who were hurt in the fires, and World Central Kitchen, which was on the ground feeding first responders and families within hours of the fires breaking out. More information is also available here. I’d also like to direct you to my friend Jane’s newsletter; she covers some additional ways to help, including the organizing that Jenna Cooper of +COOP is running.
The city is not safe, these are still early days, and there’s much to do, but I know that LA will build back and take care of our own. Especially with your help.
I also wanted to say thank you so much for all of your wonderful comments last week, and the interest in my career journey. I’m still trying to wrap my head around what I feel comfortable sharing and how to share it. It’s complex to discuss because it’s not just my story. And the end of an era, even one you hoped for, is never straightforward.
I suspect it will be easier to write about how things have gone since the acquisition, and the surprising amount of joy and growth I have experienced on the other side of it. And how it took this huge event to start to understand my own value and experience, which is embarrassing to write, but the truth. Oh, and the utter relief of landing the plane after so many years in the sky. More to come, I hope.
Before I go, a few quick things that have brought me some pockets of joy or peace this week.
Shared Albums: One of my close friends from college lost her home and everything in it in the Palisades fire. She was able to get out with her family’s passports, but that’s about it. A group of us have created an iPhone Shared Album and are populating it with all of our photos we have with her from over the years. It’s so bittersweet to see these pictures of all of us as babies—we met in the dorms freshman year when I was 17—but also feels like a whole lot of love.
Rare Beauty Code: If you caught the last installment of Hi Everyone, you know that I’m really into Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil ($22), which I have been wearing nonstop in the shade Joy. The more I wear it, the more I love it, as it’s deliciously moisturizing without being sticky, and leaves the most wonderful long-lasting stain of color. Happy to share that the kind team at Rare is offering 15% off any orders of +$30 on their site from now through February 8th. Just use the code HILLARY15 at checkout.
Unfussy Ballerinas: For someone who has always been in heels, I can officially say that ship has sailed, considering that not a single pair made it into my suitcase when we were packing up. You know what did? In addition to my beloved Jamie Haller loafers, these slip-on ballerinas from Co. While I run femme, I don’t want that from my flats, and I appreciate the simple, stark design and wide elastic strap; keeps them from being too twee. They’re wildly soft, like shockingly so, but run a little small, so I sized up to a 38 (normally I’m a 37 or 37.5 in flats).
Cozy Towels: I bought my folks some new bath towels from Weezie for the holidays, and had the chance to use them this week. (I have the brand’s pool towels.) Honestly, they’re pretty awesome. The colored piping feels more preppy to me, but I like the white-on-white version for myself. Also I think the bath towels are a good size, but I might try a bath sheet for my order. The brand’s signature starter pack (4 bath towels and 2 hand towels) is currently 15%.
A Very Good Face Wash: At the end of last year, I interviewed actress, director, producer, and skincare brand founder Scarlett Johansson for Second Life and honestly she’s amazing. I was interested in her brand, The Outset, in part because I have similar white lady skin that’s sensitive and also breaks out easily, even at my big age. Since then, I’ve slowly been falling in love with the brand’s products. Recently I started using The Outset’s Gentle Micellar Antioxidant Cleanser ($32)—my usual go-tos are from iS Clinical and Dr. Idriss—and was really impressed. My skin felt totally clean, but not stripped of moisture, and it got even my stubborn mascara off, which most cleansers don’t. I have also been using the brand’s moisture-boosting oil, which is really incredible as another layer in this dry air. I use after serums, but before moisturizer.
PS: It’s worth a listen, even if only for the last 10 minutes, in which we discuss regrets and the male gaze.
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.
World Central Kitchen is such a wonderful organization. I’m thinking about giving a recurring donation since these types of disasters aren’t going away.
I just want to give a huge shout out to Jenna Cooper and +Coop. My friend and her family lost their Palisades home, as did her parents and sister. I saw IG posts about +Coop offering donations. Another local friend reached out to them and went yesterday to pick up 3 giant IKEA bags of clothes for my friend and her family. Everyone was so kind, generous, and the operation had so many helpful volunteers. I cannot express how much love my impacted friend felt from their act of kindness. I had a shopping cart started with +Coop before this happened and once things calm down a bit I will definitely be supporting this business. Sending love to all of LA.