What’s the Best Thing (Under $50) You Bought Yourself This Year?

A fast, efficient tabletop setup that I can move easily from room to room. This particular ring light comes with multiple settings, from warm to cool, because of “digital permanence.”

This brush is the gospel. If there are thick curls in your life, get thee to Felicia Leatherwood as quickly as possible.

I’m cooking more than ever, so I’ve indulged in quality olive oils. Pineapple Collaborative’s is sourced from women producers and growers in California, and its ingredients are sustainably harvested in small batches.

One of my favorite parts of modeling is traveling to tropical locations. I miss soaking up the sun on my off days, which is why this has been a dream. A quick spritz before bed and I wake up with a luminous, sun-kissed glow.

I’ve been wrapping everything I can find, from rose-scented wax tablets and small bottles of hand sanitizer from Santa Maria Novella to a secondhand copy of Island Boy by Barbara Cooney and a white bakery bag full of marzipan. Whether I use sheets of leftover tissue paper or pages torn from the New York Review of Books, this metallic floss makes the humble wrapping gleam.

I’ve been leaving it out on my window sill for the birds — mostly mourning doves — who fight with each other and whom I love. There’s also a lonely pigeon who comes now and then, whom we’ve named Beauteous.

My 15-year-old son and daughter and I, along with many friends, have spent countless hours on the back porch shooting arrows with the bow. (After quickly losing one, I ordered the refill pack of 12.) We sit around the fire and just shoot the shit while shooting arrows.

With a balanced combination of spice and heat, it’s the perfect break from monotony and can go on everything from fish to chicken to eggs.

We use them to make cortados with our espresso machine.

Aside from a drizzle on charcuterie and cheese boards, it’s wonderful on a spicy pizza or on the most decadent grilled cheese sandwich, and makes a great glaze for game birds. I’ll run out before I run out of ideas for how to use it.

Ongoing donations to this organization are a gift to myself and all New York City residents who benefit from its work to revitalize our parks and green spaces.

The best retinol I’ve found. A313 is effective without being harsh or irritating.

Brooklyn-based HealHaus is committed to providing wellness to the Black community. As a fellow Brooklynite, I have found it a safe haven for yoga and meditation classes that have helped my mind, body, and soul.

Dab it on before bed and some mornings to keep the dark circles and crow’s-feet at bay. The applicator is so unique and, dare I say, fun.

My friend’s company, Soap & Paper Factory, makes natural soaps and candles that smell amazing. It’s a women-owned small business: They source everything in the U.S., and they’re made in New York. I’ve been enjoying them during all this time at home, and I even worked with her to create a candle to go along with my namesake wine from my family’s winery.

This spicy green paste kind of feels like a delicious secret. The stuff makes literally everything you put it on — avocado toast, eggs, plain rice, meat, buttery-cheesy-but-otherwise-plain pasta — taste better.

This brief history of humankind has given me perspective and inspired a lot of interesting conversations over the past few months.

Speeds up chop time and gives the perfect julienne cuts. Just make sure to be extra careful when using the extra-sharp blade.

While stuck in New York, I fostered a dog from Social Tees. I ended up adopting her because there’s no end in sight to this pandemic. And because she’s the best.

My fiancé and I discovered that our dog Blanche loves bubbles. So we bought this bubble machine for her … but mostly for our entertainment.

This is the best lavender oil I’ve ever smelled. It’s made by a community of Cistercian monks founded in 1148. They cultivate not only lavender fields, but olive groves as well. The oil is extracted at a Luberon Valley distillery. Throughout quarantine, I used it to help fall asleep at night. In order to have reasonable shipping costs you may have to order a few bottles, as well as the spray and candles. They all make great token gifts for insomniac or anxiety-ridden friends.

Red Bay Coffee is an exceptional small-scale roaster out of Oakland. Its darker roasts are quite exquisite; I’m currently drinking Slow Burn as I write this!

The perfect coffee companion for long, early walks in the morning with my toddler.

This chocolate company based in PDX makes my new favorite treat. It’s made from raw honey and coconut oil and has to be refrigerated, so it feels like an indulgent step away from your run-of-the-mill chocolate.