Welcome to Broke But Moisturized 3.0! All that means is this newsletter is now written by a 30-year-old, which is to say you are in a space of WISDOM and MATURITY. To celebrate my birthday and the first birthday of Broke But Moisturized on Substack, you can subscribe for a full year for $30 now through the end of July. Studies show people who support independent media are better in bed.
Quote of the Week: “I wear a necklace… cause I wanna know when I’m upside down.”— Mitch Hedberg
Drinking: Raspberry Bubly seltzer.
Grateful for: Chosen family and people who share my attitude toward the sanctity of death. Indeed, these are two themes you’ll find a lot in this newsletter. Today we held services in New Jersey for Andrew’s grandfather who passed during the pandemic. Every story about Luigi Tanzi—immigrant, U.S. Marine, rebel with a soft heart—brought me a strange comfort as though I’d known him myself. Maybe it’s because I know so much of him through Andrew: a man who’s famously particular about orderliness of the home, wry but sweet, Italian to the core. He wore short shorts and played Scopa and brought his family up in a pizza shop called Sal’s. Seeing everyone cry months after his passing reminded me of my own grief in its ability to swell and burst in the company of others’—a spectacular eruption of love.
Excited for: Making my first at-home Aperol Spritz! My girlfriends assembled me the best birthday basket of Aperol, good bucatini, Rare Beauty blush, and a pack of Marlboro menthols. You ever feel like the people in your life just get you? (PS I’m only a drinking/social smoker. I say this only because it’s important you know that I smell good. I condone no habitual vices.)
Just Purchased: Ok, we’re having an impulsive beauty moment! Let’s take it alllll in as this cannot happen again for… a long time. Last week I got a facial by my girl Taralyn at Nirvana Health and Beauty in Fishtown. My skin was looking bleak and I wanted to treat myself for my birthday, so I’m here to admit that between facial, tip, and the product she talked me into buying (I got got), I left literally broke but moisturized, $265 poorer. Like, who did I think I was? I! don’t! know! her! Anywho, I trust Taralyn with my life, and said product, Circcell DEW PH Perfector, has been splendid (though I probably won’t repurchase).
Then, I went to Sephora where things spiraled some more. My best friend has been wearing the most luxurious lip product that I kept borrowing at parties. It’s the Fenty Slip Shine Sheer Shiny Lipstick in “Makeout Break,” the sleekest, most perfectly pigmented kiss from the gods in a sexy shade of “latte nude.” I snagged that. Naturally, if I was going to spoil my pout, I had to do it all the way. So I marched back and forth between the Charlotte Tilbury and Pat McGrath lip liners trying to choose. I decided to smudge test aka rub at the scribbles on my hand and see what stays, and when Charlotte Tilbury smeared instantly, Pat McGrath held on for dear life. I had to SCRUB with the complimentary makeup remover to get it off my hand. They were out of my chosen shade “Structure,” so I ordered from her site (will report back). And in the theme of “getting got,” in line at Sephora I grabbed that Glow Recipe Watermelon Moisturizer because it was staring at me all cute and shit. So far I like it!
Wanting: Nothing. I want nothing. I have spent my money and sucked the meat off the barbecue ribs and squeezed the lime into the Corona and got fingered in traffic and started a new book and right now, I’m good. I just thought you should know.