Read this list and change your life!!!
Well, hopefully. These are the products (sans beauty, I'll write another post for those) that legitimately make my life easier in some way or another. I'm paying it forward to anyone who actually clicks the link in my Instagram bio by sharing the below secrets to travel, sleep, sweat, and a quick-drying manicure. Hooray!!
I used to have a wallet that clipped to my keys, which was totally serviceable. Then I put my ID, debit card, and Metrocard in a sticky wallet on the back of my phone and my world changed. THEN, I got a phone wallet with a Pop Socket attached, and my universe exploded. My chubby little hands have the best grip on my phone, I fumble minimally at the turnstile to get my Metrocard out, and I can easily access my debit card to make irresponsible purchases. The doubters will say, “but if you lose your phone you lose everything.” To that I say: if you lose your phone, haven’t you lost everything anyway?
Anyone who doesn't admit that their S’well bottle smells weird sometimes is a liar, and anyone who washes their water bottle every day has too much time on their hands. That is why Larq is the most amazing water bottle ever. It has a UV light in the cap that literally kills odor causing bacteria and purifies the water inside—it's a freakin' superhero. Plus, the micro USB chargeable battery lasts for a month.
This is the ultimate mid-sized travel bag, in my humblest opinion. It’s just big enough to fit all my overnight items (travel snacks, makeup bag, laptop, change of clothes), and small enough to shove under an airplane seat as a personal item (with side flaps that button down to make it smaller). It’s made of neoprene, so when I get stuck schlepping my stuff in the rain, it dries super quickly. The best part, though, is the little mesh pouch that’s attached to the inside of the bag with a long piece of elastic, so I can easily locate my most essential essentials (pack of gum, AirPod case, inhaler, wallet).
I'm not sure when it started or why I deserve it, but I stopped being able to fall asleep at night. I lie in bed for hours with an eye mask on, fan blasting, and The Office or thunderstorm sounds in the background, but it just doesn’t cut it. At this point, I can’t tell if I’m addicted to melatonin or it’s just a placebo effect, but I can’t fall asleep without a couple of these babies dissolving on my tongue.
This. Stuff. Is. Unreal. It’s basically conditioner for your hair out of the shower and post-styling–it smooths frizz and flyaways and makes your split ends look non-existent. I keep one at home for when I do my hair, and at my desk (which I’ll often throw in my bag and take with me after work) for touch-ups.
I haven’t really considered myself a big sweater since high school, but when this sample turned up on the free table at work, I decided to give it a shot in lieu of my usual Dove-brand antiperspirant. They’re little pads soaked with aluminum chloride, and help stop sweating for 7 days. 7 DAYS!!! I still put deodorant on every day (out of both habit and wanting to smell nice) but my armpits stay impossibly dry thanks to this miracle product.
Being that I don’t often get my nails professionally done (#broke), I do my own nails every couple days, and I cannot sing the praises of this topcoat enough. It really, truly, literally, actually dries your nail polish in about 10 minutes. After 1-2 minutes, your nails are cured on top and able to brush against things. After 10, you’re ready to dig in your pockets, open car doors, and cook a meal. This stuff is a miracle.
I'm a staunch advocate for every day AirPods, but there is truly nothing like a pair of noise-cancelling headphones for travel. I didn’t realize how much I needed them until they helped me sleep through an entire flight from NYC to LA. It was the most blissful experience, only made better by the free snacks on JetBlue. They’re also great for tuning out package cracklers and loud phone call takers, while making you look completely unapproachable.