What Julie Bowen Can’t Live Without

I moved into a new house a little over a year ago. In my entryway, I had a beautiful antiquewoolrug that mydogstarted using — unbeknownst to me — as her pee area. I finally was like,I have to save this poor rug. I’ve usedRuggablesin my laundry room andbathrooms, but those have all been neutral. When I found thisrugfrom the Jonathan Adler collection, I wanted to put it front and center because it’s more than just a mop-up rug. It’s such a game changer that I can chuck it in thewash. I guess I need adogtrainer as well.

My formerassistantis from Carmel, California, and I guess this salad dressing is a local phenomenon there. She would bring it to me after every vacation, and it was so good. With my production company, Bowen & Sons, I work out of my house, so there are four women here all day every day. We always make asaladfor lunch. This stuff is delicious, and you can order it by the case, which we do now. It’s not super-garlickyor oniony, which are my big beefs. I don’t like to taste mydressingfour hours later, and I don’t want to be burping it back up. I’ve also given it as agift, and everyone thinks it’s wine because it looks like it comes in awinebottle. It’s better than wine. Some people havewineracks, and I have a rack of French Poodle Dressing.

The smells I get with my threeboysare epic, so I keep a big spray bottle of this athomeand a little one in thecar. It has a lot of eucalyptus in it, which reminds me of thespa. When my boys were little, they called it “the good smell” because I would spray it in each of their rooms. Anybody who knows me knows I’m constantly pulling this out and spritzing the air.

I became interested in outsider art or folkartthrough my friend Rachel Zabar, who’s a vintage-clothing reseller. She turned me on toSlotin, this auction site that features artists without professional training or who have experienced marginalization in theartcommunity. I was an Italian Renaissance studies major, and I’m very familiar with many classically taughtartists, but to see what these artists are coming up with always blows my mind. I love to stalk the site and find pieces that are truly one of a kind.

Early in the pandemic, I was going through astressfultime and decided to try Calm. It contains magnesium, so a little goes a long way. Too much can really upset your stomach. I’ll drink it with water beforebedor as acocktailmixer,which is my personal addition. It’s got a citrusy fizz that goes well with a little tequila and soda. Why not?

I will not useretinolproducts that make myskinitchy or burn. I use this in conjunction with thenighttime lotion, and it tingles but not uncomfortably. I started with three times a week, but now I’ve worked up to where I’m applying it every night. I’m not a bragger, but people tell me myskinlooks phenomenal. Full disclosure: A friend of mine works there, and I was in on some of the early product testing. She would bring me things like, “What do you think?” And then when the line came out, she sent me some, and I was like, “I love this. I really genuinely love this.”

Certainperfumesremind me of certain times in my life, and sometimes I realize it’s time to leave thatscentbehind. I was all aboutJo Malone Orange Blossomfor a long time, but then I was ready for something new. Back in the days of Barneys (R.I.P.), Frédéric Malle had a counter there, and that’s how I found Portrait of a Lady. Most people sprayperfumeon their neck, but after I shower, I put it right on the center of my nakedbody. Then during the day, as I warm up, thesmellreleases slowly. Everyone says “That’s the Julie smell” or “Julie was here.” I might have had too heavy of a hand with it, but I don’t care. It’s delicious.

Alli Webb, who foundedDrybar, had a holiday boutique event at her house, and I decided to stop over. I went crazy for thesecashmere sweaters, so my business partner bought me two. They’re just the perfect combination of soft and cozy without being ridiculously expensive. This cream one has a chicly deconstructed look. It reminds me of thesweaterChris Evans’s character iswearingin the firstKnives Outwith all the holes in it.

Jill Birenand I wanted to make a product fortweenswho are about to hit puberty and who maybe aren’t letting their moms into the bathroom anymore. We createdJB Skrubwith our boys in mind, but it’s for anyone who identifies with boyhood. Thebody wash, which is our hero, is designed to pump two times only because if you give akida normal bottle to squeeze, they will use 90 percent of it in one shower. It also has a fresh orange-peel smell that doesn’t stay around for a long time like some chemically scentedmen’s-grooming products. Under the directions, it also says “PNB,” which I originally wanted to call the product. It stands for “pits, nuts, and butts,” in that order.