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Spritz

Grace Notes


For the past decade, I have been someone with a signature fragrance. And then, last year, it was sadly discontinued, leaving me lost and confused in a cloud of various heady perfumes I tried to make my own. I still haven’t zeroed in on my new signature, and I’m not confident I ever will, but along the way I discovered a new favorite I currently have on rotation: Aesop Ouranon. With notes of frankincense, myrrh, hay, and patchouli, it smells pleasantly of an old church, with a whisper of lavender that adds a complex and welcome freshness. I will be dousing myself in this one all winter like holy water. ($195, aesop.com) —Christina Grasso

Read

Hurts So Good


S-M, disordered eating, punitive exercise, pregnancy, the physical demands of farming and welding—Margo Steines spent much of her life pushing her pain threshold. Her new memoir, Brutalities: A Love Story, kicks off at a dominatrix dungeon in Manhattan and culminates at an M.F.A. program at the University of Arizona. In great detail, it records Steines’s injuries, many of them self-inflicted. But Brutalities is not exactly pain porn—it’s also a salve, a record of her recovery. As she discovers that her body has limits, readers will detect a talented new voice. ($17.95, amazon.com) —Ashley Baker

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Checking In?


In Aspen, where there may be as many Submariners as snowflakes, the scent of money mingles with pine. Now, thanks to Hotel Lobby’s new Aspen candle, you can bring the vibe home to Winnetka. A collaboration with Hotel Jerome, where it flickers nonstop, the candle features cedarwood, smoke, pine, and leather notes that trigger scent memories of roaring fires, crisp mornings, and complete coziness. Lighting it in your living room is not quite as mega as après-ski in the lobby of the $2,000-per-night hotel, but if you close your eyes, you can almost feel the pull of the next dump. ($56, hotellobbycandle.com) —Ashley Baker

Wear

The Stuff of Dreams


No matter how many miles I’ve logged, I still get flummoxed by what to wear on an overnight flight. I’d prefer not to look like a yoga instructor, even though the abs would be nice. Sweatpants are too sloppy and sweaty. And pajamas don’t belong in public. Matteau has a solution that’s both comfortable and stylish: a matching top and drawstring pants, both in black silk, that are as easy as a jogger set but entirely right for strolling out of the terminal and into dinner. Add jewelry, slingback pumps, and maybe a spritz or two of Wrinkle Releaser. Smart, casual. ($480 for the shirt, $440 for the trousers) —Linda Wells

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Non-Friction


It is officially static-electricity season, and those of us who turn to dryer sheets and Static Guard blasted on a hairbrush will welcome a new, better solution. The Leaf & Flower Flyaway Stick looks like a mascara wand. Comb it over a staticky or frizzy section of hair and it settles the situation instantly without any crunchy residue. A combination of two cannabinoids, CBD and CBC, relaxes frizz, flyaways, short baby hairs, and wiry grays until they’re mellow and smooth. While you crackle with energy, your hair looks like the picture of calm. ($19.99, leafandflower.com) —Linda Wells

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Creature’s Comforts


What’s not to love about the Jenni Kayne oatmeal-and-driftwood palette and its infinite shades of beige? It’s certainly easy on the eyes. Now the designer of sweaters, slides, and Nancy Meyers–esque home furnishings brings her comfy aesthetic to body products. The Oak Essentials scrub, wash, balm, oil, and lotion are all gentle, soothing, and perfect in a bathtub overlooking the Pacific. Even if your view is more concrete jungle, the lavender-and-cedar body wash, coconut-and-ginger body scrub, and citrus-and-rosemary body balm provide a refreshing escape. (from $32, jennikayne.com) —Linda Wells

Issue No. 10
December 1, 2023
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Issue No. 10
December 1, 2023