Edition 45: Shoe Care, A Travel Bag, Indian Pencils...
...a gift for a new mom, the best top coat for nails.
Greetings, friends! And welcome to Caroline Finds It: my weekly newsletter where I reply to submissions from YOU for objects and products you need recommendations for.
Today I’m coming at you with several quick answers for things that were a piece of cake for me to find.
Lisa in NYC: “As much as I love getting a shoe shine (it feels delightfully old school) and supporting local businesses, sometimes I need to shine my leather shoes at the last minute. Do you have a recommendation for a kit or tools I can use to take care of my hardworking shoes?”
Shoe care is easier than you think, and doesn’t require lots of supplies! A brush, a soft cloth, a little polish and water is all you need for an at-home shoe shine.
Horsehair Brush - This is used for brushing away dirt and excess polish. You should consider owning a couple if you’re regularly polishing shoes of different colors. This one is $11 and will do the trick.
A soft cloth - Don’t buy these! Cut up some old t-shirts instead. You need them for several steps: cleaning your shoes, applying polish, and also buffing them once the polish is applied. If you’re going for a high shine, dampen your cloth before buffing, but only after the polish has been given a few minutes to set.
Shoe polish - Good ol’ Kiwi wax polish ($5) is simply the best.
Tarrago is my favorite brand for shoe maintenance, and they have a variety of kits for specific types of shoes (including sneakers!). The best thing they make, though, are colored shoe creams ($11). These act as polish and conditioner. After cleaning your shoes, use a cloth to gently rub the cream into the leather for an instant revival. A shoe cream is ideal for times when you don’t need a full polish, or if you’re like me and have a rainbow of shoes and can’t find regular polish to match. This stuff comes in a whopping 82 colors!
Conditioner - Leather is skin, after all! Think about what would happen if your dead skin was left uncared for. Gross, right? Get some lotion on that leather! Most leather lotions are very similar and can be found at any cobbler’s shop. I’d recommend this one ($11), also from Tarrago.
Elisabeth in Florida: “The Ruby 621 pencils you used to carry in your store. They are my daughters absolute favorite and now she is telling all her friends how it doesn’t hurt to write with them for long periods of time.”
What a discerning daughter you have! For those who don’t know, the Nataraj 621 like the Dixon Ticonderoga of India. They’re the flagship pencil by family-owned Hindustan Pencils, who make millions of pencils a day! It might also be the last pencil in the world to be advertised on tv with cute commercials like this one. What makes them great is that the lead is strong and the easy-to-sharpen wood is harvested locally. That, and they’re extremely inexpensive. Unfortunately, these pencils are really hard to find outside of South Asia. Even when I sold them, it was a real pain to import the enormous quantities that I was required to purchase. Apart from eBay, the only sources I’ve found in the US are Stevens Books ($37 for 100 pencils), and Archer Paper Goods (overpriced at $1.50 per pencil), which sure beats waiting a month for them to arrive from India.
Guan in NYC: “I take a good number of short weekend trips (2-3 days) and trips where I go to my parents’ home (so do not need to pack a whole wardrobe) where a full-sized carry-on just feels like a lot … and certainly doesn’t help my propensity to overpack. I’ve tried duffel bags, but appreciate the convenience of a roller bag, especially if I have a backpack and a cat carrier slung on me already. I’ve looked up rolling laptop bags and “underseaters,” but a lot of them aren’t … cute (important!) or that durable-looking, which concerns me if I am asked to check my bag at the gate. Help!”
The overwhelming consensus on the internet is that the Calpak Hue ($160) is that the best under-seat rollerboard available. It’s hard-sided, comes in a variety of nice colors and is by far the most attractive version available. With the measurements of 16” x 14” x 8.5”, it’s basically a normal carry-on that’s 6” shorter.
Typically, I’m in the camp that luggage should always be hardsided, especially if it’s being checked. They get thrown around by handlers and end up on filthy conveyor belts — I don’t want to think about all of the gunk seeping into the fabric. In this case, though, I think you’re less likely to have to gate-check your bag if it’s soft and can be squashed under your seat or in a small overhead compartment, so you might want to also consider something like this cute foldable mini roller bag by Lipault ($200). The exterior measurements are 17.7” x 12.6” x 7.9, making it 4” shorter and a little slimmer than the average carry-on.
Jenny in New Orleans: “Best gift for a new mother who doesn’t want anything! Sews, creative, lives in L.A.”
How about a gift card to the site of an indie patternmaker like Twig & Tale so she has somewhere to start when she’s ready to start sewing for her little one? In addition, give her a couple of yards of cute fabric hand-picked by you! Choose something cotton so she’ll be able to use it for quilting and making clothing. My mother made most of our dresses and clothes when we were young, and I have such special memories of the quirky details that come with DIY-ing clothing. My favorite dress was in a wild animal fabric, made for the special occasion of our first trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo. This sweet zoo print from Liberty ($48/yard) reminds me of it:
Or perhaps you can put together a collection of adorable vintage buttons tailored to specific tastes and interests. Does she have a beloved lemon tree in her backyard? Get her some lemon buttons for future use on a project to remind her of the place her kid was born.
FAVORITE PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
I’ve been on a 5-year hunt for a replacement for my beloved Chanel Espadrilles, and I’ve finally found the best one! You can read about it soon on The Strategist, but for now I’m here to remind you that your nail polish is only as good as the top coat you use to protect it. My undisputed favorite is Seche Vite ($6.99). It’s cheap, dries instantly and stays shiny for days. The gel version is thicker, glossier and even better, but harder to find in a store. Full disclosure: it has the noxious smell of a mall nail salon, which I find to be not ideal but absolutely tolerable. My theory is: whatever chemicals are in my top coat certainly aren’t penetrating the layers below it to get to my actual nails. But don’t take my word for it! I’m not a esthetician or a scientist, just a girl committed to maintaining shiny red nails. These polishes tend to cost more at shops like Target or Ulta, so try your local beauty supply first!
Is there a product you’re looking for? Submit your request here. See you next week for a fresh recommendations. xo Caroline
I started taking care of my shoes over 60 years ago. I watched my Dad and copied what he did. Although, in retirement and living in Florida, I have had little use for "shoes", but you have taken me back to childhood. And you are spot on in technique and product. I even have a bottle of softener in the garage for my sneakers from time to time.
I gather everything is good on your end. I miss your store and my wife is grinding down your signature round pencils to the end. I still learn from you with your news letter.
Bill Jackson
Seche Vite IS the best! Most don’t know it’s best used on recently wet polish. No need to wait until your last color coat fully dries, even better if it’s applied before that (which maybe be toxic but maybe not if applied to your second coat of color?!)