What Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak Can’t Live Without

This is a $50 glasses case. I got it in Ojai, California. I’d seen it a couple of times and went, “I’m not paying $50 for a glasses case. That’s insane.” Then I bought it, and it changed my life. I wear glasses to see films in the theater. I struggle with a bulky case, but this is small enough that I can fit it in a smallish purse. It’s made of metal so your glasses are never going to get scratched or bent in this. The lid is spring-loaded; it pops open with a push of a button. It has now broken — not an issue with the product; it’s my own fault from repeated dropping and then crushing it with a suitcase. And now I’m going to go buy another one.

Knowing my true shoe size is a daily struggle. Sizing charts across U.S., U.K., and European metrics drive me crazy. However, I am fully expecting a brand deal with Camper by the end of the year because I buy two pairs from them every single summer. They make this mary jane style called the Right Nina Ballerina that looks like a classic Prada Sport shoe; it’s infinitely comfortable and completely molds to your foot. I was so obsessed with them that I bought two identical pairs: one to use as daily beaters and one to keep nice for going out.

I made a big purchase this year. I bought the Celluma red-light panel. It retails for around $2,000 full-price. I went in with three people through someone in Tucson to get a group discount, so it was a bit cheaper. It’s a bendable panel for your face, but it works for the body too. I haven’t kept up with it perfectly, so I’m committing to using it three times a week for a month to see what happens. I find it amazing for relaxation; something about it just really relaxes you. It also has a pain-relief setting. My knee was hurting, I put the panel on it, and it fixed it. It’s real.

The expensive skin-care item I’m using now — that I’m convinced is life-changing — is this Osmosis serum. I’m talking about seeing results the next day. I use it morning and night. I love it. My partner also has rosacea, and it works for them too. It’s $150, which is a lot, but in the world of serums, it actually isn’t — which is disgusting but true. I’ve grown to love that it smells like nothing. As longtime listeners of our podcast know, I was famously gifted a $1,000 Chanel serum. It was a good serum, but it smelled like vanilla. If you’re paying $1,000, fragrance immediately makes a product feel less potent.

I mentioned Labucqlast time I was here, and they’re still a favorite. They make an incredible buckle boot that is a top choice for me. They don’t require you to beat them in at all; they are ready to go immediately and only get more comfortable over time. They are beautifully made in Italy. They are the real deal.

My current MacBook’s keyboard is completely fucked — some of the keys don’t work and I’m not dealing with it now — so in a pinch, I downloaded thisappthat shuts off the keyboard so I can rest this Bluetooth keyboard right on top of the keys. So that’s my setup while I figure out the specs for my next MacBook, which could go on for a while because I want to customize the configuration to max out the specs, which requires waiting a few weeks for shipping. I specifically want the high-brightness screen configuration so I can write outside in the sun by the pool. But when you go into the Apple store, the staff always try to downsize your choices. They ask, “What are you using it for?” and assume that a creative writer doesn’t need a high-performance machine. They always try to convince me: “You’ll be fine with less, honey.” They tell you that you only need the top-tier Max chip if you are mining crypto or doing heavy 3-D animation. But I just want more. So when I went back the next day and they asked me what I’d be using the laptop for, I told them, “Just mining crypto and doing hardcore professional animation.” I want to futureproof my machine. A couple hundred more to have an already really expensive computer not hit a wall too soon is worth it.

I also want to recommend the Samsung T7 Shield portable hard drive. It is incredibly compact — smaller than the palm of my hand. I ride around in my life with this thing just hanging off the side of my computer, or I’ll duct tape it to the back. I record all my shows on the laptop, and then onto the T7 they go. It just rules my life.

I’m currently on an unsuccessful hunt for the perfect loafer, so I’ve just been wearing my Asics Gel-Nimbus sneakers at all times for foot stability. It’s a purely functional choice rather than a joyful fashion statement. About five years ago, I tripped over an unlit stair on my way to a stage, which woke up a dormant accessory navicular syndrome in my foot. Because of that injury, I require a high-cushion, medium-stability shoe. I wear these constantly, even onstage, out of pure necessity. I’ve leaned into a casual gymwear aesthetic for my work-in-progress shows, separating it from a formal stage costume. I’ve even managed to convince myself that the sneakers look good in a radical, utilitarian way. It implies a total lack of concern for traditional fashion norms, which ironically imbues them with a sense of style. They’re the boats I sail across the stage on while working loose.

I am at the cutting edge of biohacking. I will strap anything to my brain or my vagus nerve and go the distance. Right now, I’m pretty excited about Mendi. I used to look at websites and think neurofeedback is the answer to training the brain, and, finally, there’s a home option. I’ve been waiting about 15 years for this. It essentially measures blood flow to areas of the prefrontal cortex — some people on Reddit might say it’s just a glorified pulse oximeter. Anyway, you sit there and play a game on your phone where a ball rolls along a hill. When you activate your prefrontal cortex, the ball starts to rise. You’re essentially controlling the ball on the screen with your mind. Your brain learns through positive feedback what it feels like to activate the prefrontal cortex. My prefrontal cortex struggles with ADHD, so you’re training to focus in a deep way. When I do a deep, slow exhale, like in yoga, the ball goes up every time. The second I take a sharp, deep inhale, all hell breaks loose. My next move is to try to play the game while not actively staring at it.

You have to go for the original, folks. You can’t trust the knockoffs, because they all look the same, but this one has a sturdiness to it you don’t expect from a piece of corrugated cardboard. My previous cats had one and they loved it. We took in Boo, the cat from the courtyard, and he immediately loved it, of course. I got him a fresh one. Kate ordered one for her parents’ cat — instant hit.

I originally got this because our previous cat really needed her food spaced out across four meals because she would eat too fast and throw up. This cat is a little more mindful of his satiation, so I can just give him the food. But I’m still using the Cat Mate because it comes with these curved ice packs that have become my personal neck ice packs for headaches.

Kate Berlant:One thing I absolutely can’t live without is a cheap continuous water-mister bottle. You just fill it with water and it gives a long, fine spray. It has changed my life. You dampen your curls with it, and then you can go in with a serum to refresh your hair.

Jacqueline Novak:Yes, I have that too. Essential.

Novak:This hat has actually become pretty huge for me and Kate. They’re Australian, and they have a whole world of sun protection. I have a rash guard from them I wear in the pool, too.

Berlant:We are very into SPF. It’s always a struggle to find a hat that’s not too humiliating. I found it on — you’ll never guess — Instagram. I saw an ad tailor-made for me because it was this denim, less humiliating hat, so I messaged them and begged for a hat.

Novak:And then it arrives at my door, which is the miracle ofPoog, right? Everything we beg for, we beg for two.