I normally cover these top things sporadically in my top tens posts, but looking back on all of the fabulous things I purchased in 2023, but probably shouldn’t have only adds to the fun! Amirite?

1. COS black basic— I was desperate for my bff’s semi-to-very sheer turtleneck that I co-opted during my NYE trip. So while in London, I did the mature thing and bought my own. It is simply top of its class in terms of blackness, sheerness and wearability. I also picked up a ten-pound cropped sleeveless turtle that I have worn endlessly since returning stateside. COS I can.
2. A moot point because the line is now cancelled, but I randomly bought Item Beauty’s face wash on major clearance at Sephora— and devastatingly, it is great and now extinct. It is a double-cleanse hero that I reserve for my travel toiletries.
3. Getting a keratin treatment was not at all on my radar until my sister got one last July, escaping our daily pool dips with hair ready for a night on the town. Edges were crisp, curls undisturbed. Therefore, I just had to jump on the KT train. It’s only been a few weeks since my treatment, but so far my hair has survived the emotional fucking rollercoaster of spring weather in the global warming destruction era.
4. We’ve chatted about me being a big woo-woo girl, and To Be Magnetic is a meditation/manifestation practice that basically just appeared in my life last Feb. I accidentally listened to a podcast about how the Universe sends you tests when you’re on the verge of something big-good (or big-medium bad), and my little spiritual self fell head over soul. I experienced a semi-test two weeks after that first listen, and then some massive ones later in the year. 14 months later, I have gone full throttle and have a TBM membership that allows me to go as big-good-woo as often as I want. My favorite aspect of the practice is that it upends everything we think about manifestations (vision boards, positive thoughts, etc.) and gets to the brass tacks of doing the work to get directly in the path of your wildest dreams. I am Magnetic.
5. Discount Bottegas— the fact that my only reference to this inimitable shoe was in an ode to NYC frozen yogurt demonstrates just how out of wack my priorities truly are! Getting deadly serious for a minute, I marched into 59th street Blooms armed with 2 hours to shop and a $300 gift card begging to be spent. 30 seconds after entering the side door by beauty (IYKYK), I was on the designer shoe floor. An additional half minute later, I stumbled on one gloriously unmarked, cherry-chocolate patent leather, square-soled BV mule— no mate, no price, no problem. There was a stare down with a pushy fellow shopper, a woefully uninterested BV sales specialist and an almost purchase of some random loafers. But the Manhattan Gods were smiling on me as the sweetest and most diligent associate tracked me down seconds before I swiped on those Bass loafers (!). She nearly screamed, “THEY’RE $396! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” I sprinted back to designer footwear where I belonged, paid the $100 difference and took my lucky girl ass up to 40 Carrots for said fro-yo. And now you have the entire story! Ya Happy? 
6. Londontown’s Kur nail veil in shade #4. Let me tell you— all of the hype is real. These treatment plus shade formulas are flawless and require no top/base coat, but are putting off epic levels of shine and staying power. I was an early 00’s OPI Bubble Bath and Essie’s Ballet Slippers devotee, so this nail veil makes my heart sing!
7. Bala’s 2-lb bangle weights have completely elevated my (mostly) daily Pilates routine. I love strapping them on for a quick ab workout to add intensity and frankly, just go full fitness psycho! They are still on a random Amazon sale, so jump to it. Two is better than one— it’s math!
8. My sister is the queen of semi-stealing a random item of mine, to then go on to order her own, to then proceed to act like she was the discoverer of said fabulous find. A thief in every sense! The latest pilferage was this clip duo (also from Amazon) that is quite dynamic as they say. High shine, grip and tortoise shell quality.
9. This item is very meta because it is the very keyboard from which I am typing this post (sci-fi!) I was completely influenced to acquire my own iPad keyboard when a colleague stylishly whipped hers out during a team meeting. Approximately 10k Chase Reward points later, I am a regular typing prodigy. Don’t allow me to sync iMessage— big boomer in tech alert!
10. I was not even supposed to purchase this final item, but I am a complete dunce when it comes to gift cards. They are never in the right place, AKA with me, at time of said gifted services. My 80-minute, hot stone massage was the ultimate “uh-oh” as it was in Nashville with me, while the gift certificate was in Memphis with… no one. I sucked it up and paid full retail, and hunnyyyy I was a woman changed. Michael, my masseuse at Woodhouse Spa, was so incredibly talented he almost became my husband. Meaning, I almost proposed to him but was a corpse, so could not speak. I left half-dead, but also wildly energized and walked right into a fabulous dinner at SoHo House Nash. An ode to the forgotten gift card experience!

This was a thrill to write— and such fun to reflect on which items have brought me joy, and which I likely shouldn’t have bothered with buying. But as my icon Cher would say re: buyers remorse, “God no! Nothing like that.”

What’s on your list? xx 

**image via glamour.com