Shopping Under the Influence
Chaotic thoughts on influencer faves: Away, Caraway, Dorsey, Material, Merit, True Botanicals, etc.
Hi there! Are you having a cozy week surrounded by loved ones? If not, I hope you’re not shopping under the influence of TikTok stars, as I certainly have done in the past.
This post includes some paywalled bits. Partly because I’m embarrassed but mostly ‘cause I don’t need direct-to-consumer companies coming after me. Some DTC exec could neutralize me for less than it costs to run an ad for a frying pan on the L train. I’ve already been threatened by two(!) companies I’ve badmouthed… with fancy gifts 🔪
If you’d like to read this whole post but can’t afford it right now, DM me "🤌” and I’ll comp you a month of Silky Crunch!
My very sophisticated rating system:
🤌 NEUTRAL Between “I’ll be happy if someone gifts it to me” and “it’s better than the alternative”
🫶 GOOD I wanna buy 100 of them!
👎 BAD I will whisper to my loved ones to not buy it, then share affiliate links in this letter.
P.S. I may receive a commission if you buy something by clicking one of these links below
Dorsey 🤌
Rating: NeutralLots of hate for Dorsey this gift guide season! If I didn’t already own a necklace, I would certainly have been de-influenced. Instead, I’m now eyeing a matching bracelet ($300).
Sure, you can buy a similar bezel necklace ($88) from Madewell, but if you can afford it, buy one you’ll still own in ten years? I’ve purchased all sorts of “only $35” here, “on sale for $48” there, type of bling over the years and well… I don’t know where any of it is now.
Being married into a Lebanese family, jewelry is a fancy and important part of their culture. I’ve attended dozens of Lebanese weddings where women flaunt gorgeous, drippy sets acquired over various milestones. I don’t own anything like that, not even a solid gold chain that wouldn’t shatter if I flexed my neck muscles.
So, I was mesmerized by these gifs of the lab-grown sapphire Dorsey chain and the sheen of cruelty-free, affordable ethics. (I like to think that even if I could afford blood sapphires I wouldn’t buy them)
And the double clasp! Pretty and practical so it won’t just fall off your neck. In early 2023, I purchased the James Bezel necklace ($625) on a bi-weekly payment plan.
And… I love it!! I’ve also diligently rented out the necklace on Pickle to women in their 20s ecstatic to wear something fancy for an important occasion like meeting the parents or a work presentation, so that’s also felt like a sweet communal thing that nets me $45 here and there. I don’t own any other jewelry that anyone would pay to borrow, and I’m confident I could sell my necklace if I ever wanted to. But I don’t.
Asian-fit Helmets 🫶
Rating: GoodI’ve pitched this story to many ski mags, but surprise surprise, no one wanted it, so I’m sneaking it in here. DM me if you want this story!
THIS IS A PSA: if you’re Asian, try on an Asian ski helmet!!! While I was deeply alarmed when the Brooklyn salesman with a thick gold chain was gesticulating “wide Asian skulls,” trying it on was free and life-changing.
I KNOW this sounds like some creepy pseudoscience but trust. I never realized that the sides of my head had been squeezed, so even if you feel “the helmet I have is fine,” go try one on! Also known as “Round Contour Fit,” they’re described as “rounder and flatter across the top of the head.” This sounds pleasant but also vague compared to how the elderly Brooklyn salesmen said, “see how you have two horns back here compared to your friend?”
I bought this Asian-fit Giro helmet ($144) on the spot and also recommend Asian-fit snow goggles ($44) if you have a low nose bridge.
Many brands make them though, like the Round Contour Smith helmets ($85+). Now if only some of these brands would actually hire an Asian model for these products…
Caraway 👎
Rating: Bad (for me)Maybe Caraway Cookware is fine for some home cooks. Do you have a set? Youtubers I trust rave about the pans, and some of them are actual CHEFS.
What’s on their minds? That stupid non-chefs (me) who never cook (not me) will find it easier to scramble eggs? Save your money and do not buy, unless you rarely cook. They will gaslight you into thinking it’s all your fault for heating the pan beyond “medium” or whatever.
I purchased this set in October 2020. I hesitated to put this out there because I blamed myself for the scratches, but I was so careful about this set, never put it on “high,” only used wood/plastic utensils. Looking back, I think the part I was most excited about was this lid-storage solution that they don’t even make anymore.
What to get instead: enamelware like Staub, stainless steel like what restaurants use, literally anything else that isn’t hyping the “newest technology” as“really safe” and “toxin-free.”
Chances are they’re just new chemicals that haven’t been thoroughly studied yet or ceramic coatings that will wear off. Scared your eggs will stick? Here’s a Youtube video on how to cook “nonstick” with stainless steel.
Only putting this above the paywall because I accept that perhaps I’m the fool, and it works very well for others!
Our Place 🤌
Rating: NeutralCeramics: I own the Our Place stacking set ($225 for 20 pieces). I chose them for the space-saving stacking and plate “lid” feature: add a plate on top of the bowl and set your leftovers in the fridge. Then use your toaster oven or microwave to heat up leftovers, all in the same plate!
Many friends own the original Our Place Always Pan, and there are such mixed reviews! When I shared I would write about it, a couple looked at each other and one admitted, “we like it, but my sisters hate it.” No one wants to badmouth Our Place themselves.
Most nonstick coating dissolves after about a year. If anyone here actually cooks once a week and still loves this pan after 5 years, I want to hear from you below!
My two cents: Our Place has really innovative features designed for the “multiethnic kitchen,” but all the coatings make it highly unlikely that you’ll actually pass this pan down. The only one that looks “heirloom grade” is their enameled cast iron pan ($99).
The Wonder Oven ($175) is a winning toaster oven with no plastic inside.
Comrad Compression Socks 🫶
Rating: GoodThese Comrad socks contain elastane/nylon so they’re not plastic-free, but you will have to pry, nay roll, them off of my cold dead feet.
My feet balloon at high altitudes and these 20-30mmhg medical grade compression socks ($32) are a lifesaver, literally, as the CDC recommends compression socks on flights over 4 hours to prevent blood clots.
Random fact: did you know that flight-related blood clots prevented President Nixon from being able to attend the Watergate trials?!
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