10 (More) Things I've Felt and 5 Things I've Bought in my Single Girl Era

New foundation and new foundations

First off, I want to send love to everyone fighting back this week against the ICE raids and so much more. Immigrants matter because they are people, full stop, and our system is beyond broken, not to mention cruel. Sharing resources here for NYC and here for LA (a lot applies more broadly.

Now, welcome back to part two of this series! As usual, products are for everyone and the feelings go behind the paywall. This Needs Hot Sauce is not about shopping per se, but I do share things I love, which sometimes means recipes and sometimes means items. In this era of my life, I’ve had to do more shopping than usual, as I started living alone and am also trying to make new memories. A few items on this list were generous gifts, that are beyond appreciated.

Part one is below and includes my bed frame I love and the shoes he didn’t like that I wear multiple times a week. Some of these are affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you make a purchase.

1. New Pajamas from Cozy Earth: These were a gift from Teal and go with the advice I got early on to fully refresh my bedroom set up (I also got these sheets). I have always been someone who wears a t-shirt from college and some random bottoms to bed, but having a set of pajamas feels so fancy. These navy ones are breathable and cute, and perfect if you’re a guest somewhere and don’t want to come to breakfast in a 10+ year old t-shirt. The pants have pockets which I appreciate and when I need to wash them, I do it in the morning so I can wear them again at night, true commitment. As it’s gets warmer, I’m switching to my Quince linen pajamas I bought last year, which I also have in navy. Even though I wear a lot of black, navy feels better for sleeping. I might want to get a nightgown too, if anyone has recs!

   

   Partially my pajams, partially the queen of the house

2. Exa High Fidelity Foundation: I went to a wedding less than two months after the break up and I knew it would be emotional. It wound up being an extremely special day, but I knew looking and feeling good would be essential. I rented a dress from Nuuly (a perennial favorite thing) and Leah and I took last minute trip to Credo to get some makeup. The only foundation I owned was from 2022 (so questionable), so a refresh was in order. I know Sephora has more variety, but the service at Credo is 100 times better. The team will help you shade match and share recommendations. This foundation is so good—1 pump is light coverage and you can build from there. My other makeup blended well with it and it doesn’t make you look flat or matte, my biggest foundation ick. I wear shade 490 and it’s $38 a bottle, which feels fair! My sister got a bottle too and we’ve both been very happy with it. I will make sure to replace it in under three years and have already been using it more often than I used my old one, which was more expensive.

   

   a pre wedding selfie, obviously

3. FurryTail’s Souffle Pet Bowl: This was a gift from Eden to celebrate Este’s arrival and it is so cute. It’s a collab with Pehom, a fancy pet stuff brand which also sells it but for a higher price, and comes in four colors—I got the pink. In addition to being pretty, the bowl is designed to help cats slow down while they eat and is easy to clean. Este seems to love it (or she just loves mealtimes) and I love seeing it in my living room.

   

   Cat food is not photogenic so here is a photo from the website

4. Therapy: I started seeing a new therapist today and this is a real gift to myself, and it’s not cheap. After spending lots of time in couples therapy over the past year, I’m excited to invest in myself and have support as I redefine this next chapter.

5. A haircut and Roz Milk Hair Serum: They say you shouldn’t make any major decisions right after a breakup and I’m glad I didn’t rush to the salon right away. But by the end of May, it was time for a chop. I see Monica at Shampoo and she did a great job of giving me an update without going too short since she knew I wouldn’t like it (I am haunted by a bad bob I got in the fourth grade). If you want to try the salon (either location), message me and I’ll send you a referral for $20 off! On the product front, I had seen

   Hillary Kerr
   recommend Roz in her newsletter—she mentioned that she wouldn’t travel without it. I picked up a mini version of this milk hair serum when I was at Credo. I love any kind of air dry product, as I hate blow drying my hair and this one is very good. I am rationing my mini because I know I will buy the bigger one next time there’s a sale. It leaves your hair soft, with no gunk, and I used it the day of the wedding and was very happy with how my hair looked.

Now, some feelings! Some are old, some are new.