A non-exhaustive list of stuff I recommend

Posted in Life

This post was inspired by the April Cools Club manifesto, thus it is something different and kind of unexpected to what I usually write. It was a little tricky finding a topic because there is a lot that might not be published on my blog but that I do publish on social media (mostly Instagram), but this topic came from the idea that I don’t gatekeep the stuff I use and love, and in fact enjoy sharing with others. This is not a sponsored post at all, but I might have some “invite a friend” type discounts or referral links stated.

This list is primarily going to include products and things you can buy for lifestyle or otherwise. It won’t include things like music I recommend, because we would certainly be here all day.

👗 Clothing and shoes

Style is very personal so I’m not filling this with everything that I wear (and I get my jewellery from lots of small sellers at markets—there’s a markets category at the end), but just a handful of things worth calling out.

  • Midies, for underwear (starting off strong). Yeah, look, I ain’t gonna be shy about it, we all wear underwear, and these are my holy grail. Frankly I was fed up with the options for women’s underpants that would constantly ride up, dig in, cause visible panty lines, etc. but the style of Midies has minimal to no elastic, different leg lengths, a floating gusset for menstrual pads (if you use them), and are soft and do not dig in to my thick thighs either. Highly, highly recommend. Worth the money.
  • Rollie ($25 off refer a friend link), for cute, comfy, and fun shoes. A brand based in Melbourne. I have tried many of their styles and my recommendations do change over time, but I still love the shoes they make. Not all of their styles have worked for me but the ones that have were excellent in terms of craftsmanship, comfort, and flair. I love their boots to the moon and back, and love their Pace sneaker, but previously liked the derby style quite a lot. They even did a hiking boot that I have worn for about 5 short hour-to-half-day hikes, and they are still going strong.
  • Vans. I’m just a Vans hoe. I have a preference for the Old Skool style and I use them for powerlifting as well, and just long walks. I did skateboard in a pair of the Old Skool BMX model, but I have not skated in years and I was only a beginner. Vans are not the most comfortable shoe but I love the collabs they do and always look out for their interesting styles. I also have one of the Mary Jane Creeper styles which is a cool casual shoe that isn’t a sneaker.
  • Threadheads and Lonely Kids Club for graphic tees with both serious and funny shit.
  • Red Cross Shop, Vinnies, and Savers are my favourite thrift shops over curated ones, and over things like Second Life Markets, because they are more affordable if you are patient with hunting for things and have low expectations. You can find some really good stuff.
  • Colour Theory Clothing for colourful, made-to-order pieces in small batches and with headstock fabric. The business is woman-owned and based in South Australia.

💄 Skincare, makeup, and wellness

  • Dermal Therapy lip balm (found at Chemist Warehouse or other pharmacies). This thing is the fucking GOAT. I discovered them on a trip to Melbourne where my lips were chapped as hell and I got desperate, so picked a medicated-looking balm. This stuff is the real deal. You might think, unassuming, “boring” packaging, but it will soothe your dry, chapped, lips in minutes, and the next day your lips will feel healed. I recommend this to anyone. Fuck all of that Burts Bees shit, and the stuff that leaves you feeling like you have film stuck to your lips, or like everything just hurts all over again. This stuff works.
  • Ms Morning for their Out of Office makeup remover and Spa-like soothing cleanser. I discovered the brand about a year ago and I am new to double-cleansing, but I don’t want to go back to other methods of cleansing after these gentle ones. Also, their other products are lovely as well, and their new Bounce Back Mask is pretty revolutionary in how it doesn’t drip and actually stays on your face after application.
  • Garner Skin Active Hyaluronic Cryo Jelly Cooling Sheet Mask feels amazing when the skin on your face feels exhausted. It really does have a cooling effect and it leaves your skin (and you) feeling so refreshed. I don’t always want to pay a pretty penny for sheet masks but I wait until these are on sale.
  • Nyx Lip Lingerie XXL Matte Liquid Lipstick mostly comes in just nude, mauve, and brown sort of shades, but the texture of this is perfect. Your girl has tried many lipsticks but this one is a great matte one that doesn’t transfer, the colour stays on for a very very long time without having the inside lip area fade (even after eating—if you eat a bit carefully), is easy to apply, and doesn’t dry out your lips. Over the course of the day the colour seems to darken, but that would be my only complaint.
  • SensaPatch, a wellness patch designed for busy brains and neurodivergent folks. I particularly like the Focus one which really makes a difference for me and helps me feel less chaotic.

☕ Food and drinks

  • Giant Skittles. They are hard to come by now, but oh my wooooord. These are sooo much better than the original, if you can find them. You will not be able to go back. They are about 3 times larger than regular Skittles and softer on the inside, kind of like Kool Fruits, if you remember those. 🤌🏻
  • Life Savers Grape Sherbert Fizz Stix, chewy candy with grape crunchy bits inside. These are addictive, and in a very bad way. I only ever buy these on sale when they are 50% off. I think you will either love or dislike the taste and texture. My brother actually preferred the blue ones. But the texture of these are wicked; chewier than you might expect. Yes, it does bother me that they spelled sherbet with an extra “r”.
  • The Natural Confectionery Company vegan fruity flavoured jellies. Enough said.
  • Jun Pacific frozen shelled edamame (packet reads “frozen shelled soybeans”). I found these in my local Asian grocery. Only buy this brand; don’t fucking bother with anything else. The ones at Coles suck so bad and get mushy no matter how you cook them. These have bite to them, they are so fresh and good quality. They have a mild sweetness to them.
  • Ching XO Sauce’s Sichuan peppercorn oil. I love to support local! I want to put this in everything I eat, it’s so good. Their Instagram profile has updates on upcoming market dates.
  • beforeyouspeak coffee (referral link for $20 off your first order) for instant and canned coffee needs, and collagen creamer. I use their products when travelling and had their coffee long before I got my filter coffee setup.
  • Freed Beverages for tea soda and iced tea with prebiotics. Wonderful low calorie thirst quencher.
  • Cheeky Goat Co for a non alcoholic kombucha based drink that doesn’t suck or have a weird taste. The yuzu flavour is super refreshing on a hot day.
  • Amino Z (referral link for $10 off) for locally made protein powder that doesn’t taste terrible. Unfortunately I haven’t tried the vegan flavours yet, sorry. 😞 But the matcha green tea ice cream and earl grey milk tea flavours are my current favourites.
  • Vandal, Comeco, and Alba are my favourite restaurants; Rara, Ippudo, Mensho, and Towzen are favourites for ramen; Social Society, Chiaos Cafe, and Maeda are good brunch spots. It would be ridiculous if I tried to name everything I liked, so that won’t be happening. Hehe.

🧶 Home and fun stuff

  • Craft Club (refer a friend link for 20% off) for craft kits that are beginner-friendly and have a range of designs and craft types, including crocheting, latch hooking, embroidery, and half-stitching. So many pieces in my home are sourced from Craft Club kits that I have purchased and completed. They are a female founded company based in Sydney and they have a good social media presence and excellently detailed video tutorials. (Disclaimer: I am one of their Craft Club Cuties and have been paid to complete and film creation of some of their sample kits from time to time—this opportunity came after I had already become a big fan of the company.)
  • Pink Tiger Games for sweet and kind games. You Think You Know Me is my favourite. If you’re looking for something different to your epic board games or ones that require too much skill, YTYKM is more of a conversational party game and is easy to play.
  • Jones & Co for beautiful and unique homewares from a small business.
  • Kinto Travel Tumbler for coffee. It doesn’t leak, it’s not bullshit, it won’t gaslight you about not leaking either. 👌🏼
  • Sydney Bridgeclimb. I tell every tourist and non-tourist to do it. It’s worth it. In how many cities can you climb the city’s icon? It’s worth noting that I did the bridge climb over ten years ago and the price has not increased by much, even given inflation. 💰

🎧 Technology and gadgets

  • Loop Earplugs. Yes, I am one of those people who swear by these. Particularly at concerts, since I lost my hearing in one ear for one week in 2014 after photographing a festival, I feared for hearing loss and have used earplugs ever since. I have tried almost all Loop earplugs styles except the switch models. I use the Experience ones for concerts, the Engage ones for overstimulating environments like markets and crowds, and use the Dream ones to sleep when travelling (I previously used the Quiet one before they released that model) or when there is a lot of noise.
  • Airalo (use code GEORGI7572 for $5 off, and I get $5 off my next purchase) for international eSIM cards for travelling. Very easy to use and set up!
  • Plausible for non-stalkery analytics.
  • Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones. Mine are falling apart and look disgusting but I have had them for about five years or so. I think I got my pair during COVID. I actually have no idea what I will do without them or if I have to replace them. 😭💕

💅🏻 Beauty and other services

  • Stab Rat is Eden, my piercer. She has performed most of my piercings and is an angel. Cool, extremely friendly, lots of fun, and will make you feel comfortable throughout the whole process.
  • Nails by Ayane for Ayane, my nail tech, whom I’ve been seeing for only a year, but is completely dedicated to her craft and has brought some of my most creative ideas to life. I can always rely on her to do a fantastic job.
  • Fuchs Hair for your hairdressing needs. Alex has been cutting my hair for 8 years! He has seen quite the journey.

🛍️ Markets

I am a market hoe, so this list would not be complete without some of my favourite local markets. There are many smaller niche and local ones that are less frequent but I didn’t list here because they tend to crop up sporadically.

Thanks for reading! I did say this list is non-exhaustive, but I hope it gave you a glimpse into my day-to-day and stuff I just enjoy or do or take part in. As a reminder: shop local, support local! Even if you’re buying something fun, please do your best to support a local creator or a small business rather than choosing something that was mass produced or potentially made unethically.