A healthy, at-home version of your fave coffee shop snack+ 5 other things I obsessed over in March
Great to see you again, March. Feels like it was just yesterday that we were together.
My favorite things of this past month are all over the place—kind of like my brain, my social life, and my career path at the one month mark of the new normal.
1. A sustainable swimsuit that makes you feel like a free-lovin’ babe from the 70s
Take a break from holographic fabrics, fishnet accents, and other futuristic swimwear trends and get back to basics with a sustainable suit that looks like it’s from the 70s.
2. A snack that feels like your coffee shop fave, but from home and healthier
Nothing helps me beat that 3 PM slump like a fancy drink (Kombucha, anyone?) and a coffee-shop pastry. Of course, eating a chocolate croissant every day would probably not be the healthiest decision for my body or my wallet (not to mention my immune system since COVID is still running wild). Mid-Day squares brand themselves as “the first functional chocolate bar, and IMO their bars taste pretty damn close to chocolate fudge (not like a chalky, fake AF protein bar).
I generally don’t like pre-packaged snacks like these unless I’m in a pinch, but these are so good that I found myself actually wanting to eat them at snack time. The only downside is you do have to keep these in the fridge (because their ingredients aren’t processed trash), but they can last for five days out of the fridge too.
3. An at-home UTI test so you can continue avoiding your doctor without wanting to die
Okay, this might not be as glamorous or ‘grammable as some of the other things on this list, but if you’ve ever had a UTI before (and what girl hasn’t?) you’re going to want to know about Stix.
Stix is a DTC brand that makes at-home pregnancy and ovulation tests, but they recently expanded into at-home UTI tests. If you’ve ever uncomfortably sat in a waiting room with a UTI, you know how clutch this is. The craziest part about this is that when I thought I had a UTI, I took the test at home, called my doctor, and she wrote me a prescription for antibiotics without even making me go in for another test!
Also, if you’re horrible at remembering to pee after sex or you’re just prone to UTIs, you might want to check out their UTI daily protection supplement or fast-acting pain relief (keep in mind that you should never treat a UTI solely with pain relief, you’ll need to get a prescription from your doctor to get rid of it before it causes other issues).
While you can’t currently buy Stix in stores, you can purchase directly from their website and sign up for a subscription so you’re always prepared.
4. A socially-distanced scalp treatment to give you that OG salon feel you’ve been missing
Even if you’re an expert at cutting your own hair, sometimes you just miss that salon experience. After all, sipping champagne while cutting your own hair just isn’t the same (not to mention it’s kind of questionable).
Whether you need a haircut, a scalp tune-up, or just want that relaxing hair salon vibe, you may want to check out Pure Skin + Scalp in Los Angeles.
The Black, female-owned salon offers two main experiences: a “Pure Radiance” hair and scalp treatment (complete with a blowout and style), or access to their “Mood Room” which is essentially an area of their salon that’s been designed for your relaxation—complete with a yoga mat and meditation music.
I conveniently had a very anxiety-inducing morning on the day I had my appointment, and I did find that putting my phone in their sanitizing box, relaxing in the mood room, and letting the stylist pamper my scalp helped soothe me. My post treatment blow-out was also super cute. One of the best parts about PSS is because the salon is so small, it seems like you’d have it to yourself even after COVID blows over, which always helps things feel extra luxurious and relaxing.
5. A face oil that’s light enough for summer
Lots of people don’t incorporate a face oil into their routine under the false impression that a face oil will make your face oily/acne prone. To be fair, some face oils do feel too oily, even for my dry skin.
I recently incorporated Apollo & Artemis’s Omega Face Serum into my morning routine, and my favorite thing about it is that it hardly feels like an oil at all. In fact, the serum feels as whimsical and mythological as its name, and it’s essentially unscented. The result is that once you put it on, you forget you did—until you realize that your face has been way more balanced lately.
6. A track to remind all the boys in your DMs that they still don’t have a chance
If this summer is as poppin’ as everyone thinks it’s going to me, you know all the girlies are going to be plagued with DMs from every f-boy that follows them hoping he’s finally gonna get his D wet or cop a feel after months (years?) of isolation.
Farrah Mechael‘s new track, “You Won’t Get With Me,” will be your anthem while you remind boys that just because you’re posting cute thirst traps or twerking to Meg Thee Stallion doesn’t mean you’re DTF.