REAL QUICK - SUNNIES, SNEAKS, BYOP
your 6 fave workout sneakers, my 3 fave sunglasses, 4 gel nail polishes to bring to your next mani pedi
I promise this newsletter includes actual helpful shopping tips and isn’t just a vehicle for me to talk about my mental health. Decision paralysis at the nail salon doesn’t count.
I’ve switched up my workout routine for a few reasons. For one, I had to tighten up my budget and decided to let my $90 a month Tracy Anderson Method subscription go. As good as it was for my core, I felt like I was loosing muscle mass (especially my quads), which happens with age and hormonal changes. I’ve gone back to resistance training / weight lifting a couple times a week. And my lymphatic drainage lady said to jump and kick for 10-15 minutes every morning, so I’m back to doing my beloved HIIT workouts, mixed in with some TAM-like planking and kicking moves on the mat, at least every other day. And 12-3-30 on the treadmill when I don’t have the energy for anything else. All this to say, I need new shoes to workout in. I need trainers that can take a pummeling and protect my precious hips and knees. I don’t even care if they’re the dorkiest sneakers ever because I won’t be seen outside of my residence in them.
I asked my Instagram community for recommendations and here is what they/you said:
Your Top 6 Favorite Workout Shoes
Hokas - 60% like Hokas for working out, especially for running. Actually respondents used stronger language like “love,” “swear by,” and the 🙌 emoji.
The rest were evenly in favor of the following:
Nike Air Max - Ssense has about 50 colors, all under $200.
New Balance 574. My New Balance 624s have been good to me for 3 years. Actually all New Balances I’ve ever had have been good to me. A solid tried and true choice if you’re okay with dad vibes. I am.
ON, a Swiss sneaker brand. They’re down to 5’s and 11’s over at Ssense, but they’re all stocked up (in like 100 different styles) at Zappos. I’m eyeing the Cloudwander, Cloudnova, Cloud 5 and Cloudmonster (which looks the most cushiony).
ROA. These are so stylish, I almost can’t believe I could jump and hop in them, but if you say so….I’m sold.
Norda. These are pricier, around $300, but look cute and fluffy, like one’s joints would rejoice. Ssense has them marked down 30% right now.
My 3 Favorite Sunglasses From Eckhaus Latta
Have you seen the sunglasses Eckhaus Latta dropped last week? I was about to impulsively order the Speed with brown lenses but then I remembered they have a store in LA where I could try them on in person to make sure. Here’s how they actually ranked on my elvish face.
1- The Tilt in Black with Brown Lenses
2- The Speed in Black with Black Lenses
3- The Speed in Gold with Brown Lenses
The 4 Gel Nail Polishes I’m Keeping on Hand
Of the many things that cause me a fair amount of anxiety, choosing a nail polish color on the spot at the salon is one. That’s why I’ve been repeating Cosmo Not Tonight Honey and Kyoto Pearl for the better part of a decade. I know these work for my fingers’ and toes’ very pink skin tone. My old spot in Los Feliz always had these colors available, but the new places I’ve gone to since moving downtown don’t. To head off the awkwardness of taking 15+ minutes to commit to a color, I now just bring my own. I have been ordering a bunch of colors from Amazon and here are the 4 that worked out the best:
When I couldn’t find my beloved OPI colors in a gel polish on Amazon - just the regular kind - I took a chance on this Pearly Pink from a brand I’d never heard of and it is my new favorite. So pretty and frosty.
I don’t know about you, but having to live with an imperfect shade of red or brown for the 2-3 week duration of an expensive gel manicure is a real albatross around my neck. But I have found a few that leave me with no regrets.
Here is a really sexy, not too flashy, not so expected dark red.
An elegant and not too goth shade of wine from this kit. All of the colors in this collection are nice, but 1521 is the winner for me. This is a jelly polish so use fewer layers for a syrupy look and 3 layers for a more even texture.
And a chic, not too earthy shade of dark - but not so dark it gets mistaken for black- chocolate brown.
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