A love letter to jasmine
On nostalgic florals, pretty scrunchies and really good chilli oil.
Scrunchie love
I live in sweats and scrunchies these days. Uniqlo sweatpants and a satin scrunchie from Kitsch to be more specific. More recently, I fell in love with this pretty scrunchie from Simons, which is part of a larger collection Simons does with Liberty London, the iconic U.K. brand known for its prints. The scrunchie uses this lovely pink floral print fabric and comes with a detachable scarf that’s fashioned into a bow. Putting it on always feels like an instant outfit upgrade and it makes me happy every single time.
A love letter to jasmine
I always talk about how much I love roses, but jasmine is another one of my floral obsessions. It reminds me of my childhood in Pakistan where I would smell the sweet and heady scent of jasmine hanging in the night air, suspended by the heat or wafting around me on a gentle breeze. Because it isn’t a flower I smell often anymore, I always have this visceral reaction whenever I come across a jasmine-forward beauty product that manages to capture its unique scent—like the ones below.
Kish Mish is a South Asian home fragrance brand that I discovered a couple of years ago via Instagram and immediately wanted to add all the candles to cart. It aims to capture the essence of South Asian culture with scents like Gulab (which means rose in Urdu) and Karak Chai (meaning 'strong tea'). I bought Motia (jasmine), which is the brand’s ode to the night blooming Arabian jasmine. Burning it makes me nostalgic for the flower of my childhood, so delicate and potent at the same time.
Jazmin Sarai Jasminum Body & Hair Oil
Dana El Masri, the talented perfumer behind the Montreal-based fragrance brand, Jazmin Sarai, created this special multi-purpose oil. It uses two different types of jasmine—jasmine sambac (Arabian) and jasmine absolute, along with a blend of oils like argan and sweet almond. When I was pregnant, I mostly stayed away from perfumes, but found myself gravitating towards this comforting and nourishing scented oil over and over again.
When I first tried Ranavat's hair oil at The Detox Market—a tiny drop that I massaged into my hair—I actually said wow out loud (which is generally not a reaction I have to hair products). The jasmine-, sunflower- and amla-packed oil literally feels like a filter for your hair right after you apply it. It gives you shine and softness, like your hair is bathed in this beautiful morning light. It also smells amazing. Bonus: you can use it as a body moisturizer or bath oil.
What brings you joy, Katherine Flemming?
Katherine Flemming is the editorial director at Jenny Bird.
“My friend Laura brought me back some Trader Joe’s Crunchy Chili Onion from L.A. and it’s injected so much joy into my life. I tend to eat a lot of the same meals over and over—eggs, salads, rice, bowls—and a drizzle of this makes all of them feel new. I’m consistently blown away by how versatile it is. I really love it drizzled over cottage cheese or hummus with radishes when I’m feeling snacky in the afternoon.
Sunscreen will always be my go-to beauty product (after lipstick, of course), and I can’t say enough good things about the consistency of the Biossance Squalane + Zinc Sheer Mineral Sunscreen. After reading about it for a year, it fully lived it up to the hype. No white cast, silky but not silicone-y to apply and behaves well under makeup. I love the colourful tube, too—it really stands out in a sea of clinical white bottles.”
From my bookmarks:
Lizzo earns her hot sauce crown on Hot Ones eating all the spicy wings (YouTube)
Paint colours for every mood, according to a colour psychologist.
Issa Rae on the comfort of Insecure and being in her mogul era (podcast).
Sienna Miller has a really dreamy English countryside cottage.
Text your friends. It matters more than you think.
Collecting glassware from luxury hotels all over the world.