A Spin Class That Includes Twerking+ 5 More Things I’m Obsessing Over This Week
Alright, I’ll admit it — this week’s roundup may be a bit boujee-r than most.
But, if I’m being honest with myself, I’ve gotten a little boujee-r as of late. Well, truth be told, I’ve always been a bit boujee, it’s in my blood. But, up until recently I just didn’t really have the paycheck to support it. And while I definitely am not rolling in the dough, this is probably one of the first times in my life where I am not constantly stressing about money every five seconds, and it feels good.
So I’m warming up to the idea of investing a little money into other things that make me feel good — whether that’s a vegan meal service, an aesthetic diffuser for my apartment, or a hair mask to combat the LA heat.
Here are my picks for this week. Don’t worry, if you scroll to the bottom, the last one is free!
1. This Subtle Diffuser
It’s hard out here for a girl who wants her apartment to smell cute, but doesn’t want to have an ugly Febreze can laying out and doesn’t want to ruin her acrylics by lighting candles (okay, maybe I’m the only one this challenged with lighters, but also — fire hazard!).
I’ve really been liking this Spongelle diffuser for my apartment. The look of the actual diffuser is subtle and blends right in with the other cute shit on my coffee table, and the smell is also yummy — but subtle and not too sweet.
Even the bottle of diffuser oil is cute enough to display out in the open (mine’s on my coffee table). And, after talking to my friend who’s also looking for a subtle diffuser, that is a rarity!
2. These Versatile AF Hair Masks For Your Mane Concerns
I used to use Kerastase hair masks, and I had two main issues with them. First, I always had to dig my fingers in them to get out a glob, which means I would have hair mask in my long acrylic nails for at least the next 24 hours. I also always had to look up which product was meant for which concern, because their fancy French names did not mean shit to me.
I recently finished the Kerastase mask I had been using, so I decided to try something new. Save Me From products are made specifically based on your hair concerns, and if you’re not totally sure what your mane/main concern is, you can take a quiz on their site to see what your curls are craving.
As a bonus, they’re sold in a pump container, so that you don’t have to use your fingers. But, more importantly, you can really mask with them however you want. I like to mask in the shower as a pre-wash, so I asked SAVE ME FROM’s founder, April Zangl Peck, if I could use it that way. She explained that the masks could really be used however I wanted, but “with more time and with regular use, SAVE ME FROM products will produce better results. This is because some of the ingredients continue to penetrate and give more results over time.”
You can try it as an overnight mask, a leave-in mask, a pre-poo conditioner, or however you want really. After getting a scalp sunburn the other weekend, I ended up reaching for SAVE ME FROM’s Sun & Scalp mask as an overnight treatment two times the following week — and I definitely noticed less flaking than I expected!
While the price point for the larger tub is not cheap, you can feel good knowing your beauty buys are making a difference. April lost her sister to suicide and created her company as a way to give back — 10% of SAVE ME FROM’s net income goes to organizations who help people in crisis.
3. These Designer Disney Shoes
I can’t be the only 20-something who remembers Disney Couture, right? It was a line that Disney did (most likely to hop on the Juicy Couture wave at the time) where they created fashionable clothing and accessories featuring their characters and films. You could buy it at department stores like Nordstrom, or at Hot Topic.
While I’m not sure if Disney Couture is still a thing, it was the first thing I thought of when I spotted Ruthie Davis’ line of high-end shoes based around Disney films.
Some of the shoes are much more subtle, while some (like the ones pictured above) are very clearly Disney-inspired — and I’m kind of obsessed.
4. This Vegan, Gluten-Free, Creative AF Meal Service That Taps Michelin-Starred Chefs To Curate The Meals
Let me introduce you to the delivery meal service that tops all other delivery meal services.
Sakara Life is the plant-based, gluten-free, soy-free, organic, dairy-free, non-GMO, and refined-sugar free brainchild of Danielle Duboise and Whitney Tingle. Their fans include Lily Aldridge and Karolina Kurkova, and after trying their 3-day plan last week, I can see why.
Each of their meals is basically like going out to the boujiest, most gourmet restaurant you can think of — except it’s actually good for you. And in case you don’t believe me, they’ve got the credentials to prove it in their latest venture: partnering with Michelin-starred chefs like Mike Bagale to collaborate on their weekly menus.
I had the pleasure of trying Mike Bagale’s menu and let me just say — wow. There were a couple of times I had my doubts, like when I was disappointed to see I’d be having salads two days in a row for lunch, or when I looked at that night’s dinner and thought, “there’s no way this is going to fill me up for the night,” but every time my expectations were exceeded. These meals were super good, super filling, and super fun. Every. Single. One.
If, like me, you’ve never tried a meal service, it might be because you’re on a budget, right? Unfortunately, like most meal services, Sakara Life is pretty pricey. Five days of meals will cost you around $400.
But, if you’re looking to treat yourself to something that is actually good for you, or you just can’t ever bring yourself to cook, I highly, highly recommend Sakara Life. If you can’t afford the full meal service, they sell a la carte snacks like their dark chocolate granola on their website.
5. A Spin Class That Includes Twerking
I’ll admit, I’ve never been to a SoulCycle class, but I have always had the feeling that I wasn’t a SoulCycle kind of girl.
It might just be one of those things where I decide I’m too cool for something that everyone else is obsessing over, but it also probably has to do with the fact I was never down to spend $34 on a single exercise class, especially spin because it’s never been my go-to form of cardio unless I’m injured.
When I had the chance to try the new KTX Fitness class at Made in LA Fitness in Hollywood, I didn’t have high hopes just because I don’t love spinning — but I was so, so pleasantly surprised.
This was legitimately one of the most fun workout classes I’ve ever been a part of. Not only did the instructor play fun, unedited, sexy rap and R&B tracks rather than the usual EDM that workout instructors seem to love — but he also legitimately had us dancing and twerking on the machines. There was a time where he had one of his friends in the back of the class actually get off of her bike and come dance in front of the class.
It almost felt like a fun night out at the club except without people spilling drinks on you or annoying dudes hitting on you — I hardly noticed how sweaty or tired I was because I was enjoying myself too much.
We did a ton of push-ups and other movements on the machines so that it wasn’t solely a lower body workout. And although I felt fine during the class (probably too hyped up on Cardi B), I literally was exhausted the rest of the day because my body was not used to so much cardio. But you know, in the best way possible.
Considering they’re offering an intro price of $100 for $10 classes (legit $10 a class!) or $20 per a la carte class — and the studio is walking distance from my apartment — you can bet I will be back. They’re also on ClassPass, which is what I choose to spend $ on instead of a gym membership these days.
6. This Dating App That Puts Security First
If you know me, you know that I’m mostly retired from the dating app game. But, I still like to keep tabs on interesting things going on in the world of Tinderellas.
If you’re tired of talking to catfishes, sleaze balls, and dudes who clearly didn’t read your detailed bio explaining that you’re not looking for hookups, you may want to check out Hily.
Hily verifies users by hand, based on social media, photo (they legit have the user upload a specific photo to ensure it’s really them), and AI screening. They also base a user’s verification on complaints from other users, so if you complain about a dude that’s harassing you, he’ll likely get his verification taken away.
Aside from that, Hily quickly has you answer questions like “what’s your diet?” and “do you drink?” when you set up your profile. Since I’m vegan and sober and know that not everyone wants to date someone with these qualities, it’s nice to know that the app will filter out these people on their own, rather than me having to do it 10 messages into a conversation with a dude who clearly didn’t read my profile.
The older I get, the more I realize how silly it is that we want everyone we date to like us, when really we should be upfront about our preferences, deal breakers, etc. so we stop wasting time with people who aren’t right for us. Hily makes it easy to do that — so before you swipe right on that sexy dude, you can check his profile and see that he wants kids and think to yourself, “hmm…maybe not for me!”
You can download Hily on the app store here.
