What's the deal with those one-size swimsuits?
Plus: Sephora sale recs, giant baby clothes and a t-shirt that thanks hot people.
My personal due date for this newsletter was March 31st and here we are almost two weeks later! We’re all doing the best we can. First, Buy Bitch was included in a lovely newsletter roundup by Pandora Sykes at The Times UK so I need to start off with a thank you to Pandora and a WELCOME to my new subscribers. I love you all, welcome to hell! We have fun here. For newcomers interested in daily/weekly shopping updates, I do those here in my Instagram stories.
Here’s how things go: I recap my purchases over the last month, go through the shopping tabs I bravely closed, introduce you to a friend who will tell you about a product they’re using and then I go through my “empties” (finished beauty products). Sometimes the format changes because, like all the other freaks on Substack, I love that there’s no editor telling me what to do! Good thing I am just keeping a personal shopping diary. Imagine if I were “reporting the news” with no real editorial standards, oversight or accountability…that would be bad! :) :) :) :)
If you’re new here, you’ll want to read last month’s newsletter (or at least Control + F “Sandy Liang”) so that the following update will make sense to you: The fleece and I are very happy together and are taking no further questions at this time, thank you.
What I bought in March:
ARQ Set: Im not sure what came over me a few weeks ago but I decided I kinda wanted an ARQ bra in this print. Once I found that this print was sold out almost everywhere, I became obsessed with owning it (help??) and finally found it in my size at The Lobby, a store that’s been stalking me via Instagram ads for months. I loved the bra so much that I went back and bought the high rise undies too. They are incredibly comfortable and flattering! I will definitely get a second set as soon as I can decide on a color.
Stasher Bags: I am embarassingly late to Stasher bags. I always felt that they were too expensive but after trying to reuse regular ziplock bags like a grandma I decided to just get a set. I got this 5-pack with a few different sizes and can happily report, like the entire internet has before me, that they rule. They’re easy to wash, either by hand or in the dishwasher, and frankly I just like looking at them.
THREE mugs: I have been on a big mug kick lately and have purchased three mugs since the last newsletter went out: A virgo mug, a 1980s NYC subway mug and a giant Helen Levi mug. I had to set a calendar alert to get the Helen Levi mug because her fruit prints sell out constantly. I’m excited to finally add this to my fast-growing deranged mug collection, which includes this Bong Water mug from last month’s newsletter.
A swimsuit from ASOS: I bought this now-sold-out one-piece, one-size swimsuit from ASOS. I’ve written about how much I love their one-size “crinkle” line before and this piece was no different. They are shockingly stretchy and comfortable, and they’ve expanded the line with different cuts for people with curvier bodies or fuller busts. Yes, these are dupes for the much pricier Youswim and Hunza G swimsuits, which are both ethically and sustainably made in the UK…something we all know ASOS cannot claim. While I haven’t tried a Hunza G suit myself, I do own a Youswim suit and love it. If it’s within your budget, I recommend it!
A romper from ASOS: Listen, I know this romper probably makes me look like a giant baby but it’s comfortable and cute and I love it. It’s got an oversized fit so size down if you want something snugger.
An outdoor sectional from Ikea: One of the best things about my apartment is the outdoor space and I decided to give it a little springtime upgrade. Im swapping my current outdoor furniture for this sectional in a slightly different orientation. I desperately want this table but it’s sold out in every IKEA except for the one in Indiana. If you live in Indiana and want to ship this to me…please DM me. Im serious!
Sunglasses from Cara Cara: Earlier this year I wrote about a newish store called Cara Cara that is basically a TJ Maxx for indie brands. I check their stock periodically and got these Le Specs sunglasses a few weeks ago for less than a quarter of their original retail price.
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen: I sampled this recently and ended up buying a bottle in person (!!!) at Sephora. I put it on after my moisturizer has fully absorbed and before any makeup and it does not pill! It’s got the same texture as a primer. I use Supergoop’s oil sunscreen in the summer and love it. I’ll just use the cream version on my face.
INTERMISSION: My pal Kate very kindly agreed to share her thoughts on NuFace after using it for about a month:
What to say about the NuFace, a device that has prompted discussion in not one but two of my group chats, one of which is now called "Nu-Faces." It's the kind of thing that you buy in a panic because the past year has prompted self-diagnosed face-dysmorphia because you've spent too much time looking at yourself on Zoom at in the mirrors at home, unafraid that a coworker might walk in on you as you poke and prod. As I have yet to dive into the world of plastic surgery, the NuFace has become the kind of device for me, and seemingly at least four of my friends, that will fix all our worries. It's certainly something that shows an immediate result, but that result might also be one that perhaps no one but you will notice. That said, use over time does seem to work as well. I pare the ritual of using it with my cheapo LED mask and spend about 20 minutes a night "working on myself" as I listen to podcasts or watch TV.
If you're going to invest in the larger size, I recommend the refurbished ones, which are $75 cheaper. I also recommend working your way up in intensity—after a couple days of use I attempted to go up to 4 (the charge levels go from 1 to 5) and that was a literally shocking mistake. A bottle of the gel comes with the device, but it's small, and, depending on your skin type, you might use a lot of it (mine soaks it right up, while a friend was still working her way through her small bottle a few months after purchase). I haven't found a dupe for the gel that doesn't seem like it will cause breakouts, though there's lots of information out there about possibilities, so I recently just bought a larger bottle of the NuFace-branded stuff for like $45 until I can (bonus is that it has a pump for easier dispersal). When you see me on the street, tell me I look great.
Do you feel A WAY about a product or shop or anything? Tell me!
Closed Tabs
This incredible “thank you for being hot” t-shirt just in time for Horny Season.
I want a new leather jacket and have been casually browsing The Real Real. Here are a few tabs I left open over a weekend: Theory, OAK, IRO.
I am obsessed with Bornn’s Colorama collection and I WILL be buying some pieces but am having trouble deciding!!
I have this comfy-looking cropped tank in my cart but I can’t decide on a color.
I will not be buying this cropped vest that TikTok made me consider.
I’m wearing these pants in black right now and I think I need them in blue. I’ve worn the hell out of them for almost three years and they still look brand new. Worth every penny, IMO. I fully stan Ilana Kohn.
Someone please buy these sandals.
Someone please find me these sandals but not $250. Are these too insane?
Someone buy one of these knot pillows!
Instead of empties, here’s what you should buy at the Sephora sale
Living Proof dry scalp treatment. I use this twice a week and love it.
Olaplex 3, 4 and 5. I’ve been using all three for a while and my hair feels so much healthier. You can also test it out with a mini-size.
Face mask applicator (helps easily apply face masks AND scrape all the product at the bottom of the jar!)
Ok, that’s all! I will leave you with this Tiktok tutorial which covers how to stick your bangs to your eyebrows.