Heart Eyes, Vol. 94: Packing Cubes, Glossier Cloud Paint, and Chocolate-Tahini Challah Buns
Friends! Happy Friday, and welcome to deep fall, in which the light is hazy and golden, and we’re all commuting home in the dark, and we can almost start counting down to that long Thanksgiving weekend. (Thirteen weekdays, FYI.) In the mean time, I hope you’re adapting to the darkness and finding ways to make your own light, both literal and metaphorical. Have a wonderful weekend.
What To Use On Your Next Trip: Packing Cubes
In preparation for my recent vacation, as I considered the prospect of ten days and multiple climates in my 22-inch suitcase, I had the joy of falling down one of my all-time favorite Internet wormholes: packing tips and organizational strategies. Specifically, I went deep with the cult of packing cubes—zippered fabric containers that fit inside your suitcase, working as dividers and organizers. The Internet was mostly unanimous: packing cubes would help me fit more into my suitcase, they would ward off all kinds of disarray (physical, mental, spiritual), they would make Travel Liz a classier and more put-together person. In the spirit of having nothing to lose but $20 and my own messy suitcase, and of loving stuff the Internet told me to do, I bought a set and got to packing.
After taking my cubes out for a thorough spin, I’m not convinced they allowed me to bring more stuff along—but I do think they helped keep everything from exploding into chaos every time I opened my suitcase, and made repacking every three or four days (with an increasing haul of yarn and other souvenirs) much, much easier. I organized mine by size and delicacy of clothing—though I’ve heard of dividing them by outfit, or by family member for shared suitcases—and I found that they definitely kept things tidier and less stressful all around. See? Warding off disarray.
I bought my cubes inexpensively on Amazon—there are a million companies making a million different kinds, though I did have to sift through them to find a set to fit my smallish suitcase. The set I chose came with three cubes, plus five other accessory bags for laundry, underwear, cables, etc., which frankly don’t all fit in my suitcase at once. But hey! Options. I’m enjoying the tidiness my packing cubes brought to my packing-unpacking-repacking experience; you might, too.
What To Put On Your Face: Glossier Cloud Paint Blush
OK, here’s a makeup mystery for you: I wear blush every day. Seven days a week. Most blush containers aren’t that big. Why, then, does it take me so long to get through a whole one? We’re talking years, assuming I actually use it all up and it doesn’t break and crumble into a million pink, powdery pieces in my makeup bag, which is what happened to my most recent one. It’s just as well; it was at least a couple of years old, and at the rate I was going, I’d be wearing that dumb blush to my own retirement party.
The good news is, the replacement I bought will never do that to me—I’m trying out a cream blush for the first time, and I’m sold. Not everyone loves Glossier and their whole “makeup for people who don’t need makeup” deal, but the Cloud Paint blush line is one of their better-rated products, and I like it so much so far. I’m using the colorway Beam, a pale peachy pink—pale peachy pink is my thing these days—and I love the color, the mild shimmer, and the ease of application. It’s designed to be dab-dab-dabbed on with fingers instead of swept on with brushes, and I find that it practically blends itself, once I figured out exactly how much to squeeze out of the tube. (Start with too little; you can always add more.) It’s been a breath of fresh air in my (relatively low-key) makeup routine; you might like it, too.
What To Bake: Chocolate-Tahini Challah Buns
There are few things I love more than finally getting my act together to cook or bake something I’ve been wanting to try for a long time. This recipe, for example! These chocolate-tahini challah buns hung out on my to-make list for just about exactly two years before I finally woke up one Saturday morning and decided I simply couldn’t live another day without them in my life. I don’t recommend that you wait as long as I did.
Everything you need to know about these buns is in the name: Chocolate! Tahini! Challah! Buns! I love a swirly rolled bun, I love an enriched dough, and if you’ve never tried the combination of dark chocolate and tahini, now is the time—the tahini just gives the chocolate a nutty little boost, and it’s perfect. These buns are such a fun weekend project, so good for a decadent breakfast or brunch or snack or dessert, and an excellent way to blow the minds of your loved ones and colleagues—that is, should you decide to share.