Something to share: the miscellaneous collection

It’s been a long time since I wrote one of these posts and it’s mainly because there hasn’t been one standout find I’ve wanted to share with you. Normally it’s something I’ve read, watched or discovered that feels a little under the radar. It’s something I’m always bursting at seams to tell others about. I was feeling a little dismayed at all, but when I started to think about it, there were a few ‘little things’ that have put a pep in my step recently. Everyday items, that are new to me, that have quickly become favourites. And really, it’s often those small objects that you use day in, day out that make the biggest difference…

ESSIE ETERNAL OPTIMIST NAIL POLISH

There’s been a hype around Essie nail polish for years and the brand’s cute colour names and iconic minimal square bottles have always appealed to me. It wasn’t until my wedding though, that I bought my first Essie polish. I wore In Stitches on my toes for the big day and I’ve worn virtually nothing else since then. I cannot for the life of me maintain painted fingernails (I seem to damage the polish within hours of it being applied), but I love having a little pop of colour on my toes, especially when the weather’s warm and I’m wearing sandals a lot. While I still love In Stitches, a few weeks ago I felt like a change, and so began my search for a new bottle of polish. I settled on Eternal Optimist, a matte pinky-nude, and it was love at first application. It feels like the perfect nude for my skin tone – colourful enough to be seen, but neutral enough that it feels natural. I only ever apply two coats of polish (no top coat) and I get probably three to four weeks out of my at home pedicure. The longevity of Essie nail polish is impressive.

MUTTI POLPA FINELY CHOPPED TOMATOES

Living in one of the country’s premier food growing regions, I always try and support Australian products. One week while doing the grocery shopping though, I spotted Mutti’s Polpa tin tomatoes (Italian grown) on special. The price, along with the can’s striking branding (it reminded me a holiday to Italy in 2012, where I visited a ridiculous number of delis) swayed me to chuck a few cans in the trolley. Adam and I always have tin tomatoes in our pantry – they’re just one of those really handy staples – but I didn’t think anything more of those cans until I made a Bolognese sauce one night. When Mutti says finely chopped, they’re not wrong. Out of the can came the most beautiful, finely chopped tomatoes I’ve seen. In many of the other brands of tinned tomatoes, you’ll get big chunks, often with bits of core. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I love the silkiness of the Mutti tomatoes. I think they incorporate into sauces better. The Mutti tins are now a regular mainstay in our pantry and I love opening up the cans to see the red, pulpy goodness inside.

CLINIQUE DEEP COMFORT HAND AND CUTICLE CREAM

I’ve had dry hands for as long as I can remember and as a result I always have a tube of hand cream on my bedside table. More often than not, it’s something that’s been gifted to me or I’ve picked up in the supermarket. Towards the end of last year though, it didn’t seem to matter how many times a day I slathered on cream, my hands remained dry. I daresay it’s a by-product of the constant sanitising and hand-washing we’re now doing thanks to COVID (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing), but dry, cracked skin is never fun and I wanted something to help. After a bit of research I picked up Clinique’s Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream. It’s not the cheapest of hand creams ($35AUD) but by golly, even after the first use I could already feel a difference. It’s a thick, fragrance free, buttermilk coloured cream. I use a blueberry sized measure of cream both morning and night and my hands feel so much softer. It’s something I know I’ll be repurchasing once my current tube runs out.

So there you have it, a random collection of things that I’ve been more than satisfied with over the last few months. If you’re on the lookout for hand-cream, tin tomatoes or nail polish (!!) all of the above come highly recommended.

Have you made any routine purchases lately that have impressed you?

Have a wonderful week.

M.

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