8 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: From Lorde’s Water Bottle to Secret-Message Jewelry

If you’ve tried makingnut milkat home and found it to be a bit of aproduction,contributor Caroline Goldfarb — a self-described “modern, lazy woman looking for solutions” —suggests you try Almond Cow. It’s the nut-milk maker she’s been using since 2019, and it couldn’t be easier: Just pour water into the machine’s base, add your ingredients to the filter basket, press the tiny button, and “out comes the creamiest, freshest, most unbelievably delicious nut milk of your life.”

RuPaul’s Drag RacewinnerBianca Del Rio’s get-ready routine involvesshaving,exfoliating, and applying makeup — which can leave her skin a little dry in the process. That’s why she can’t live without this charmingly large twist-up stick of Aquaphor, which she calls her “new favorite version” of the classic ointment. (And note: If you’re in Australia, Del Rio suggestsPawpawas an alternative, which she says Madonna uses.)

While scrolling through Instagram, our senior editor, Ailbhe Malone,spotteda giant multicoloredwater bottledangling from Lorde’s fingertips — and knew we had to investigate. As it turns out, it was thetitanium aurora bottleby Snow Peak. At $170, it’s quite expensive for a water bottle, so we consulted with our writer (and residentwater-bottle correspondent) Emma Wartzman about why it might cost so much. “I think the price really comes down to the material,” she told us. “It’s a mere 5.2 ounces when empty — this might be why Lorde can dangle it so easily.”

Dusen Dusen founder and designer Ellen Van Dusen professionally dyed herhairexactly once (cost: $450) beforeturning to Sun-In(cost: $12). Nine years later, she hasn’t looked back. Van Dusen told us that her once-dark-brown hair now has a base layer that’s dark blonde, and the top layer is a mix ofhighlightsand lowlights. “People I don’t know often compliment me on my hair color, and I take no greater pleasure in life than telling them it’s Sun-In,” she says.

Fashion stylistBecky Malinskytold us about thissurprisingly versatile bagbyWeekend Max Marawhich, despite its petite size, somehow manages to hold “a mighty amount of on-the-go necessities.” Called thePasticcino, the bag has a “granny-framed shape” that Malinsky loves because it looks like it’s from another era — and won’t appear dated next season.

In last week’s edition ofThe Strategist Beauty Brief,our writer Tembe Denton-Hurstreviewedthe one celebrity beauty brand she says is slept on: Victoria Beckham Beauty. After trying the lip liner in shade No. 5 she became an instant “VBB acolyte.” “The first time I applied it, I was stunned by the close color match and felt a little emotional about how seen I felt,” Denton-Hurst says.

We were introduced toacrostic jewelry: a tradition that goes back as far as Marie Antoinette and uses a pattern of gemstones to spell out secret messages. Jewelry influencerErin Paparozziis a fan andrecommendsthe brand Local Eclectic for high-quality (yet still affordable) rings. This one spells out P-I-Z-Z-A with the following stones: ​​peridot, iolite, zircon, zircon, amethyst. (Cough, cough,Valentine’s Dayis next week.)

In our latest installment ofDon’t Dillydally, we featured SMEG’s collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana, which includes some highly covetable maximalistappliances. We think the blue-and-white pattern of this toaster will (mentally) transport you to the Italian coast — and as our writer Kat Gillespie notes, “$700 is still cheaper than a return flight to Positano.”