This list of 10 essential items for existential dread is inspired by *fashion month incoming buy THIS Fall look!* and the glut of back to school hauls I’ve been seeing on here and Tik Tok.
*Side note follow & if you want to know what Gen Z & Alpha are buying this season.*
Some of these items don’t cost a thing & some do cause capitalism & ya’ll seem to like my “influencing” posts. There’s an affiliate link on some of them cause my matcha latte habit is expensive.*
*if you are a paid subscriber and would like my matcha latte recipe, including a link to my secret spot for the *best* matcha powder sourced from Japan, I’ve included it at the bottom of this post.
A good soundtrack is key to avoiding the void. I swear by this three hour long Tibetan singing bowl chakra healing as background tone when I am writing, cleaning the house or just to quiet my thoughts. You should open it in a separate tab and listen while you read the rest of this post.
Dark chocolate kept in the fridge in case of emergencies and by emergency I mean a Wednesday.
turned me on to Summerdown Chocolate mint thins which I am seriously obsessed with. They are a slightly upscale version of After Eight dark chocolates that my father ordered in bulk to stave off his own existential dread.If like me, climate change adds to your general ennui, get a solid raincoat to prep for forthcoming torrential rains. Make sure it’s chic, ‘cause why not look great if end times are upon us (I kid, I kid but also I don’t?) My favorites, which straddle the line between practical and dominatrix city slicker are by the Danish brand Rains. I have a black one which reads latex but is their lightweight, waterproof fabric. It has stood the test of wear and tear over the last five years of living on an island with frequent flash flooding, humidity, unpredictable weather and constant mold. It’s about time to replace it and I have my eye on this number below in Swamp.
4. A bikini to wear under the Rains coat, ‘cause why not flash some flesh while you’re at it. I love this Brazilian brand, Adriana Degreas if I want to make a statement. Her pieces are expensive but fit amazing and are always a conversation starter. If I influence enough of you here, I’m going to buy this one in red.
Rubber Birkenstocks to go with the above. Birks are my shoe of choice ever since I gave up looking cute below the ankle after emergency surgery put a permanent metal rod in my right leg. In Hawaii you are in and out of water/sand/dirt all day by default and don’t wear shoes indoors (which honestly, is disgusting no matter where you are located) Since we are all going to be underwater sooner or later, get rubber slippahs if you are a prepper like me. You can wear them as house shoes until the rains come. The rubber versions are cheaper than leather or suede Birks, and fit the same, at around $49. I just got a new pair in gold.
Coziness is key whilst waiting out the apocalypse. It’s imperative to have a good sweatshirt or hoodie on hand and a comforting pair of thick socks. I love sweatshirts from Mitch’s surf shop in La Jolla, CA. It’s best to go in person for the full selection (say I sent you) but you can also order online. If you like a crew neck, my favorite is the washed denim blue color wave. For socks, the ultimate are N. Peal cashmere ones in candy colors which my father also used to bulk buy and a couple of my brothers and I regularly stole from him. Now that he’s gone, I cherish them even more. I was looking online for a less expensive alternative in bright colors and found these solid purple ribbed socks (they also come in red, green, blue, violet and sangria) for $24.
If you have a bathtub, stock up on Epsom salts. Make sure you get the plain kind, not those gross ones with god knows what synthetic fragrance added. DO NOT buy the expensive brands with fancy ingredients from places like Erewhon. You will be paying for packaging and it will mess with your genitalia Ph levels. If you want to “jooz” (juzh?) up your bathing experience, add 6-12 drops of essential oils of your choice. Currently I am rotating cedarwood, rose and geranium. Lavender is also good to have on hand, to calm your nervous system and it works like a dream on bug bites. Below was the bathtub at my old house in Los Angeles which I really miss. The wallpaper is in “Goldwyn Pink” by Maison C. My current bathtub needs to be replaced and is not at all chic (nor does it fit two people which is really the vibe for warding off the dark night of the soul) but it does the trick until I eventually get around to remodeling.
Post bath, apply a Castor oil pack. I like this Canadian Brand, Queen of Thrones, for their easy to use packs (liver, pelvis, breasts) but you can make do with muslin or paper towels and saran wrap (cling film for those in the UK.) It just gets messy and wasteful if you use them often.
While you’re at it with the castor oil, go to the fridge, grab a chocolate and a set of Swiish collagen eye masks. They feel amazing applied cold and you can use them twice, just put them back into their packaging and store near the thin mints. I saw these at a bougie spa I go to and found them online for half the price — you’re welcome.
Paint your feelings. I’m about to seriously name drop but need to give props to my friend and neighbor, Pierce Brosnan for inspiring me to start a watercolor diary several years ago. He may be best known as an actor (Bond, James Bond, amongst his prolific roles,) but Pierce is also an artist who rarely has idle hands when there is a paintbrush nearby. We spent time painting together in his studio during peak pandemic days. He prefers oil and canvas which I have no patience for, so he suggested I go back to my original love, watercolors. I was influenced by him to order a Strathmore 400 Series Watercolor Hardbound Art Journal and I am pleased to say, I am now on my sixth book. I did use his oils to paint an evil eye on my first journal, the opening page of which I wrote a couple of my favorite of his Irish sayings: what’s for you won’t go by you and you die if you worry you die if you don’t.
My first watercolor journal; portrait of Pierce that got wet but I like the streaks from the opposing page (he did one of me in oil;) Pierce & I at his art show in Los Angeles, May 2023
UPDATE: Matcha recipe with links below xo