Cold weather comforts
On a versatile condiment, cozy socks and a money-saving fragrance hack
Even with all that sparkly New Year energy, January is actually a pretty lousy month, at least as far as the weather is concerned. Here are a few things that have served me well as small antidotes to the cold and dreary weather.
A condiment with a kick
I love a good chili crisp and have an entire section in my fridge dedicated to them from Lao Gan Ma, S&B, Fly by Jing, Momofuku, Trader Joe’s and more (maybe one day, I’ll dedicate a entire post to this). One of my favourites is the Hakka-ish Chili Crisp from Zing ($12.99), a Canadian company that that specializes in umami-packed condiments.
The Hakka-ish Chili Crisp balances the heat of Sichuan peppercorns with the slightly smoky flavours of cumin, cloves and cardamom. You get that deep Hakka restaurant quality flavour in a jar, which is pretty impressive, but also very much Zing’s mission (it began as a pandemic passion project when people were looking for ways to elevate their home cooking).
While you can drizzle it on pretty much anything, my clutch move is to use it to whip up a quick weeknight noodle stir-fry—fry some onions and garlic, add in veggies and/or protein (whatever’s in the fridge), stir in peanut butter, soy sauce and chili crisp, toss in some cooked noodles, and garnish with heaps of cilantro or spring onions. A perfect meal that’s low in effort and big on flavour.
A hair mist that doubles as a perfume
A friend of mine once confessed to wearing Diptyque’s Baies Home Spray as a body spray. I remember thinking how it was a brilliant beauty hack and the people who complimented her were none the wiser. Years later, it ended up inspiring my most recent purchase, Diptyque’s Rose Hair Mist ($98). The actual Eau de Toilette is $245 for a 75 ml bottle and the more concentrated Eau de Parfum is $320. While it’s obviously not as long-lasting as the actual fragrance, it’s a pretty nice way to wear the scent every day without the steep price tag.
I love being able to catch an unexpected whiff of the fresh, rose-imbued scent with every hair swish. I love the shine and nourishing benefits, too, which is thanks to the camellia oil in it. A win-win, whether the real deal ever makes its way to my dresser or not.
Cozy socks = happy feet
The story of my obsession with Uniqlo’s HeatTech Pile Socks ($9.90) began with me borrowing a pair from my husband and then convincing him to let me keep it. The socks are from the men’s department and don’t have an exact equivalent in the women’s department (I fact-checked this with Uniqlo), but I’m convinced that these are the superior socks. If you, like me, have perpetually cold feet, they’re like having your feet permanently in front of a fireplace. They have comfy cushioning without being too thick, pull up at just the right height, and the heat tech keeps your toes warm and toasty. Plus, there are plenty of colours to choose from, which is how we ended up buying several more pairs over the holidays.
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A studio apartment with a giant pink bookcase (yes, please).
A love letter to swatch watches.
Ideas on how wintering can help combat low spirits.
What exactly is bookshelf wealth?