On My Mind: Learning to Love the Shower Again
It wasn’t long after I arrived at college that my showers shifted from a moment to reset into a dreaded chore. Perhaps it was the squeaky shower shoes or the mysterious stray hairs that lined the tile walls of my dorm bathroom, but I made quick, six-minute showers my new normal. (Surely, there’s no time to attempt Adele’s bridges or work through the day’s conversations when someone is waiting for you to finish.) Even once the days of shuffling through a communal hallway in a towel were behind me, showering continued to feel like a task on my to-do list to get through as quickly as possible. That is, until my parents gave me one of Brooklinen’s thick, fluffy bathrobes for Christmas. It reminded me of how much I used to enjoy letting my conditioner condition and my hair air-dry while I was doused in body lotion. In the months since, I’ve been setting aside enough time for a meaningful shower and some dedicated “robe time” afterward. Here’s everything I’ve incorporated into my setup to change my shower (and post-shower) routine from a chore into one of the highlights of my day.
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I’m currently cycling through towels from Brooklinen, Boll & Branch, and Weezie, all of which are thick and fluffy enough to keep me from shivering post-shower (pre-robe, of course). I never thought a wrap would be one of my favorite towels — Weezie sent me one to test for my dorm coverage — but I love how the elastic at the top makes it feels like a hug when I drape it over my shoulders. It doesn’t hurt that the floral pattern makes me feel extra cute (and secure) when I’m walking around my apartment.
Especially in the winter, my legs get dry and itchy. I’ve tried more affordable lotions (like ones from CeraVe, Naturium, and Nécessaire), but nothing keeps my legs moisturized like this shea-butter-heavy lotion from Clarins that I put on right out of the shower. Whenever I visit family in France, I pick up a few bottles of the lotion; it was about a third of the price listed in the U.S. when I was last at the duty-free store. It’s thick without being greasy and has a subtle, fresh smell. I might be imagining it, but I can almost feel my skin drinking it up whenever I use it. On noticeably dry days, I’ll top it off with some of Osea’s body oil to lock moisture in.
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While scoping out Elizabeth Street for our story about its lines, I succumbed to the temptation of an Abbode-embroidered Crown Affair hair towel. (It’s our Best in Class pick, I told myself. Surely, it’s worth the splurge.) Ever since, I’ve been truly looking forward to reading on the couch while my hair dries securely in the towel. Every time I look at myself in the mirror, hair wrapped in a cursive-adorned towel, I feel like I belong in a ’90s movie — not to mention it helps my hair dry more quickly and with less frizz than if I had let it air-dry on its own.
My hair towel inspired me to look into Crown Affair’s hair-care products. So far, I’ve limited myself to the travel-size versions of the leave-in conditioner and air-dry mousse, so I can see if I like them enough to splurge on the full size. I’m already sold on the leave-in, which has given a nice dose of moisture to my hair, which I’ve started heat styling multiple times a week. It also smells just enough of bergamot and citrus. I’m still troubleshooting the mousse — the directions say, “How much you apply depends on your hair type, length, and thickness” — but I’m almost there. The last time I used it, my normally straight hair had beachy waves.
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Here’s an update for anyone wondering about my search for an actually effective natural deodorant, which I wrote about in my last “Strategist Brain”: I’m officially a Nécessaire girl. On a whim, I grabbed a tube of the Santal scent (instead of the Eucalyptus I’ve been wearing) and was pleasantly surprised. Its deep sandalwood and jasmine notes might have converted me.
Here’s everything else I’ve seen recently …
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While wandering around lower Manhattan on one of the first beautiful weekends of the year, I stumbled into the cutesy boutique A Shop of Things. Once you walk past the kitschy mementos — lighters inscribed with “Someone who went to NYC loves you” and pill cases that read “Lactose intolerant girlie” — there’s a very cute selection of greeting cards and gift bags like this one. In store, they even have some Richard Scarry–inspired ones.
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Ever since that weekend, I, like everyone else, have been officially over below-freezing temperatures. In protest, I’ve already found my bag of the summer — this slouchy woven number Patricia Nash sent me to try out that’s big enough to fit my book, glasses case, wallet, and water bottle.
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A couple weeks ago, I wrote about a Gap tote I was eyeing, but I waited too long and it sold out in every color I was considering. Not to be fooled twice, I secured these (may I say very CBK-esque) tortoiseshell flip-flops during the Gap’s recent 40 percent off sitewide sale. They haven’t arrived yet — I opted for Gap’s slowest (and cheapest) shipping option that you have to manually select at checkout — but I’m looking forward to wearing them as soon as it’s warm enough.
In a stroke of bad luck, I caught two back-to-back viruses and spent most of February blowing through tissue box after tissue box. I’m tired of seeing the ombré box of my preferred tissues (Vicks-infused tissues, always) on my nightstand, so I’ve been looking into tissue-box covers. I’m not sure whether I’d like one that’s ceramic, paper, or metal, but I’ve been compiling a list of all the elegant ones I can find.
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