Shower Scenes
Let's turn up the heat
It is officially cozy szn which, if you’re in the Southeast, doesn't mean much, weather-wise. While oppressive heat is giving way to slightly balmy temperatures, it’s still not quite brisk enough to layer up or to even don a sweater. But you can still get damn cozy. And the best way to do that, in my estimation, is to turn up the heat — in the shower, that is.
I love a bath, but lately I’ve been giving more attention to my shower rituals: the serums I layer on before, the oils I apply after. When done right, a shower can be just as soothing as a bath and, frankly, you can get a lot more clean.
This issue is devoted to how I’m showering lately, plus I’ve added in a few other odds and ends to really get cozy (movies to watch, recipes to make, that kinda thing).
I adore this fluffy, pale pink Turkish robe and slipper combo. I am the kind of person who stays in a robe for like three hours after my shower and this one is comfy enough to take a nap in.
Pink and brown is one of my favorite combos and this towel and washcloth set feels a little bit vintage in design. But the 100% organic cotton feels really nice on the skin and ensures these actually last.
A shower filter can change the quality of your skin and hair. This one removes chlorine, heavy metals, and other contaminants from water and it also comes with a tiny wrench, an extra filter, and instructions on installing it yourself. It also blends in pretty seamlessly to most existing showerheads.
This is a bath stone, not a bath mat, and it’s at once old-school and innovative. Made of diatomaceous earth, it feels like ceramic and dries instantly under your feet. And while the material absorbs water, it also removes bacteria-generating moisture so it helps prevent mold and doesn’t get gross like most bath mats.
I love this French pharmacy body wash, which comes in a massive pump bottle and has a consistency more like oil than like cleanser. It really moisturizes the skin even after it’s rinsed off and the bottle is inexpensive ($30) and will last you at least three months.
This scalp scrub is my desert-island beauty product. I could never live without this and will absolutely riot if it is ever discontinued. I get a lot of buildup in my hair and am very particular about shampoo for that reason. Some of them just…don’t wash out for me. I use this once a week and it’s like a teeth-cleaning for my head. It gets really nice and sudsy and effectively strips my hair and scalp of any buildup or product. I am obsessed with this.
Post-shower, you will find me on the couch, mask on face. This one is great. Keep it in the fridge if you want to do the whole de-puffing thing.
I also love a foot mask and this one has a cult following for a reason. Your feet will shed for days after you use it (it’s basically like a face peel) but they will literally look and feel like baby feet.
Most of the socks on Calzedonia are 5 for $15 which is just an insane deal, especially when you consider that the wool- and cashmere-blend socks are included. I love these socks. They hit at the perfect spot on the leg and are ideal for wearing when cuddled on the couch or with Adidas Sambas (these are also great plane socks).
I am having a big Crown Affair moment. I love their hair towel (which helps your hair dry faster than a traditional towel and doesn’t pull), their leave-in conditioner (really helps to detangle), and their hair mask.
Just a really chic towel ring that’s subtle but looks sophisticated.
Movies to watch: Practical Magic and Beetlejuice will always be my favorite October movies. Scary? No. (Beetlejuice originally debuted in March, so it’s not even technically a Halloween movie.) But they just scream Fall to me and they are especially fun to watch when swaddled in a robe and eating my favorite cookies (see below).
Recipe to make: I think I’ve made these cookies every single year since they debuted on the Goop blog more than a decade ago (important to note that these are not a Gwyneth Paltrow recipe and nothing about them is healthy; they are really tasty). They are basically chocolate chip cookies but instead of chocolate chips, you add handfuls of chopped-up Halloween candy (Snickers, Twix, etc. — anything chocolatey and crunchy is good here). Warning that this recipe makes a huge batch, so I usually cut everything in half. You’ll still end up with at least a dozen large cookies. I once made a batch of these and sent them to Tom in the mail when we were dating long-distance. A few months later, he quit his job and moved to Florida. Coincidence or cookies?
Hot cocoa to buy: I adore the company Fine & Raw, which I discovered at a general store in Hudson, New York last year. I bought their almond butter and it’s the best thing I’ve ever had so when I saw they just introduced hot cocoa, I freaked. They have three blends, including a Fall-spiced mix with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
and I’ll leave you with this….