Author: Nick Carvell
@nickcarvell
Whether you’re getting ready for work or winding down before bed, any time you spend solo in the bathroom is a chance to relax, expand your mind and work on becoming the best version of yourself. Start and end your day right by checking out our monthly recommendations for bettering your bathroom experience below...
The soundtrack: Do It Again by Gabrielle
Following her not-so-successful attempt to disguise her glorious voice as Harlequin on the most recent season of The Masked Singer, Gabrielle’s exit from made me want to dive back into her super back catalogue. However, the greatest hits can only get you so far - which is why, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be psyched to hear that she’s back with a new album this month. Entitled Do It Again, the album features a mix of original songs and the covers she performed on the show, including hits from Harry Styles, Roberta Flack, Rihanna and Tracey Chapman. Your shower just got a helluva lot more soulful.
Available to stream on Spotify
The podcast: Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine
Hosted by husband-and-wife presenters Dr Sydnee and Justin McElroy, Sawbones takes a light-hearted look at some of the most serious and mysterious medical conditions in history - as well as answering questions about some of their curious listeners’ ailments. What is “butt lightning”? Why did some soldiers in the American Civil War report their wounds were glowing? Are cough drops a stitch up? Tune in for the answers.
Listen to it here.
The tech: The Harvey and Oliver Set by Tooletries
If you’re sick of your surfaces being littered with your grooming kit, take a look at Tooletries - a US brand that’s just arrived at mrporter.com which makes wall-mounted (removable), waterproof silicone organisers for your bathroom. This set is particularly useful: the Harvey features a razor hanger with a small shelf for soap or contacts as well as a large pocket for toothpaste, shower gel and your toothbrush; and the Oliver is a non-huff, non-shatter mirror. Peel off the backing, position at the height you need and prep for your best shave no matter how fogged up your bathroom gets. Better yet, it works on a wide variety of surfaces from tiles to glass to marble, so you can move around the room (or, indeed, into the shower) whenever you need.
£28 at mrporter.com
The book: Later by Stephen King
Legendary author Stephen King returns this month with a novel centring on a teenager with supernatural abilities who gets dragged into a serial killer case being investigated by the NYPD. Blending the best of both hard-boiled crime and sci-fi genres, the novel revists subjects upon which, arguably, King creates his finest work: looking back on the lost innocence of adolescence and the complexities of standing up to evil, both spiritual and corporeal.
£8.99 at waterstones.com
The essential: Old Flame Club custom candle
London candle company Old Flame Club has made a name for itself producing candles pairing cool scents with eye-catching designs. Following the success of the initial drop of jars emblazoned with embroidered badges, the company has now launched customisable versions of its matt black jars where you can choose the fragrance and request a one-to-four-word phrase in its signature swirly script. As it’s for the bathroom, you can choose whether you keep it clean or not.
£30, at etsy.com
The kit: ‘Hyrda’ Pyjamas by Basic Rights
Launched a few years back by The Vaccines guitarist Freddie Cowan, Basic Rights has quickly won fans for both its minimalist rockstar basics and its ethical approach to making those garments. Now the label has launched its first sleepwear line called - what else? - Basic Nights. The PJs on offer (cut from tencel, a pulp-based textile) are second to none, with a loose ‘n’ louche fit and selection of comfortingly muted colours: black, dusty pink and, my personal favourite, mustard.
£175, basicrights.com
The product: Rewind Moisturiser by The Other Saint
With the possibility of being able to get back to something resembling what life looked like in 2019 from April (fingers crossed), now’s the time to start prepping for seeing other people in person once again. The Other Saint’s Rewind Moisturiser, used morning and night, is designed to combat the kind of skin frustrations you see up-close, packed with powerful ingredients such as coffee butter and pumpkin seed oil that help support your skin’s structure, soothe irritation and tighten things up. Think of it as Zoom’s “touch up my appearance” function, but - you know - for real life.
£21, theothersaint.com
