Trending at Saie HQ
Udon, ballet flats, and a book that could change your life.
Lately, we have been embracing the comfort of simple pleasures: getting lost in a great novel, savoring a warm, delicious meal, taking the time for a restorative hair mask. These have become our cozy season rituals. We’ve also been leaning into little luxuries—the things that add a sense of ease to our routines.
Scroll for what we have been loving!
1. COMFORT FOOD
Don Udon: “I found this incredible, tiny, quaint, quirky traditional izakaya, don, and udon restaurant in Crown Heights. The setting was warm, even though it was freezing out, and there was city pop music playing on a tape deck. I ordered barley tea and niki udon. It’s a great place to eat alone or with a friend,” says Lauren Lauigan, our director of community.
Janie’s Life-Changing Baked Goods: The chocolate chip cookie is decadent—and it gets delivered in a cute pink box.
2. BOOK CLUB
At least five people on our team are reading The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins, which has a reputation for being life-changing. If it’s any indication that we are all saying “Let them!” and “Let me!” in our heads throughout the day, we’d say it’s already making an impact.
The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichel
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (and inspired by David Copperfield) is the best book our influencer and community coordinator Kealia Haitsuka has read in a long time.
What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Our founder Laney Crowell just finished If You Lived Here You’d Be Famous Now by Via Bleinder and says, “While it’s no classic, it was very entertaining and apparently it’s been optioned and I do think it would make a great TV show.”
Which brings us to our next recs…
3. STREAMING NOW
On Friday night, chances are high that we will be watching Severance, along with the rest of the country. And on Sunday evenings, season three of White Lotus has our undivided attention. “Parker Posey is always a yes,” says our editor, senior manager Gloria Zingales.
If you are looking for something to watch while you are not-so-patiently waiting for the latest episodes of either series, follow our president Lucia Ruehlemann’s lead: “I have been filling the time with Apple Cider Vinegar on Netflix. SO good. [The main character] Belle, played by Kaitlyn Dever, is a special brand of crazy.”
4. TOP SHELF
MAKEUP: We are obsessed with our new luxe, velvety-soft blush SuperSuede™. We can’t even be shy about it.
SKIN CARE: The Outset Gentle Micellar Antioxidant Cleanser gets the job done (yes, even when it comes to stubborn mascara)—without stripping our skin in the process.
BODY: Osea Undaria Algae™ Body Oil is “just that girl,” says Crowell. Slather it on right when you get out of the shower to lock in moisture.
HAIR: Once a week, we have been carving out a little extra time to do a mask. Rōz Foundation Mask has revived our hair from the dry air.
5. HEALTHY HABITS
Sometimes, our living room doubles as a fitness studio: “I cannot live without the Melissa Wood Health app,” says Desiree Kaplowitz, our vice president of public relations. “I found myself in a rut recently trying to find workouts that fit into a working mom's schedule, keep me feeling motivated, clear my mind, and allow me to move my body. And the MWH app really checks all those boxes and has gotten me out of bed on early mornings. Also—I love her mantra: "We can do hard things!"
We also have to repeat those powerful words to ourselves when we venture to NoFar, an intense Pilates workout, in a very chic studio.
6. SHOPPING LIST
Crowell shared her best brands of all time here—and we cosign. We’d love the Margaux Demi Ballet Flats in every color.
The Buck Mason White Tee is a must—“that goes for both men and women,” says Patrick Williams, our coordinator of special projects.
As convenient as online shopping can be, there is something about going to a boutique—especially when it comes to consignment stores. Our vice president of product development Colleen Timpone’s favorite spot to browse is 17th Street by ColaKicks.
7. CRAFT TIME
Timpone’s latest hobby is needlepoint, which led her to the “most adorable shop” called West Village Knit & Needle. Thinking about giving needlepointing or knitting a try? Consider this your sign. They offer classes to get you started.
8. GREAT VIBES
We have listened to all six minutes and eight seconds of Bad Bunny’s “Baile Inolvidable”—and it’s quickly climbing its way to the top of our favorites on Spotify. That said, YouTube should not be forgotten: “It retains some of that wholesome, techno-utopian energy of the early internet days,” says Zingales, who is a big fan of the platform's DJ sets.
9. HAPPY HOUR
Barcelona is home to a dive bar called Two Schmucks that has been deemed one of the “best bars in the world”—and the co-founder just opened a new location in the East Village called Schmuck. Williams went for cocktails and says: “I looooooved it.”
Prefer a night in? Big Night has everything you need—including Sophie Lou Jacobsen martini glasses and stuffed oils to accessorize your cocktail—for a fabulous time.
What’s piquing your interest around town? Tell us in the comments.
Until next time,
xoxo
Team Saie
I think I could be best friends with your team. Honestly loved every single rec