Special Edition: British Products

Meaningful shopping for a tourist abroad

Greetings, friends! And welcome to Caroline Finds It: my new weekly newsletter where I reply to submissions from YOU for objects and products you need recommendations for.

This week, I’m coming to you with a special edition. I’m nearing the end of a two week visit to the UK, which is a place that was once my home. When I come here, I love to shop. I could spend hours wandering the many floors of Liberty without buying more than a meter of fabric. Or take through Bloomsbury just to see the art supplies at L. Cornelissen or the umbrellas at James Smith & Sons. The time I spent here in my early 20s really informed my appreciation for specialty shops, and also my delight in everyday objects. Isn’t shopping at the drugstore so much more exciting when it’s all foreign and new to you? Now, when I travel, I seek out four types of shops: pharmacies, grocery stores, neighborhood stationery shops, and specialty stores. That’s how I feel I can best understand the small things about a culture like, what are the popular candy flavors and why? What ingredients in skincare products are new to me? How does the packaging design differ from what I’m used to?

Here are 8 very specific British items I love shopping for:

Euthymol Toothpaste - On my very first trip to Boots, the preeminent British drug store, I bought a tube of this gorgeous toothpaste because the packaging is just so gorgeous! The toothpaste itself is pepto-pink and has an odd kind of herbal flavor. It has a long list of antiseptic ingredients and is fluoride-free — much to the dismay of my dentist. I stopped using it because I’m simply just too prone to cavities, but I do still like to pick up a tube every now and then to use just for kicks sometimes. You can find it at C.O. Bigelow in NYC, but at a truly insane markup, especially considering that it costs a mere $2.50-ish at a regular British pharmacy.

Silvine Notebooks - In most countries that are not the U.S., there’s some sort of tradition of using slim exercise notebooks in school. They’re always flat and are bound simply with staples, and I like to keep them around for when I need a notebook for something that’s not going to require lots of pages, or that I just want something small and portable for. These ones have been around since the 1920s, and are made by a nearly 200 year old British stationery company. You can find these easily recognizable red books at just about any stationers, and for many other uses like this one, which is dot grid for bullet journaling.

Zam-Buk Herbal Ointment - Endorsed by Henry Houdini, this century-old antiseptic preparation comes in a beautiful tin and is used to sooth and heal rashes, bites, cuts — basically any skin-related ailment. I love how it smells, and have mostly used it for burns and mosquito bites.

Peek Polishing Paste - Found in any traditional hardware store, this magic formula safely polishes metals and can also be used to buff out the scuffs of any hard non-porous surfaces. You can use it to clean enamelware, ceramic surfaces, vintage pyrex — basically anything that needs a good scrub but you’re scared to use steel wool on. According to my friend, it’s a favorite of antique restorers.

Percy Pig - You may have heard of a shop here called M&S, or Marks & Spencers. It’s basically what Target is to the U.S. — they sell affordable versions of everything, all in their own house brand. One of the things they’re especially known for in the grocery department is Percy Pig, which is a proprietary gummy candy that’s been around since 1992. It’s beloved for its cute design, chewy, spongy texture and unique grape/raspberry/strawberry/cherry flavor. It’s so popular that there are countless spin-off versions, and even a whole product line to celebrate Percy Pig’s 30th birthday this year (clothes! hand soap! greeting cards! paper straws! planters! pillows!). And recently, they’ve all been reformulated to be vegetarian!

Coloral - This is a new discovery for me. I forgot to pack a water bottle for this trip, and on my first day I visited Labour & Wait, which is one of my favorite places, and found this one. “The Original Cycling Bottle” was designed originally to fit into a bottle holder on a bicycle in 1947, and has been revived recently. What I love about it is that there is no plastic (not even the lid!), and it’s actually insulated, despite being rather small, thin and lightweight. I think I found my new everyday favorite.

Tick Tock Tea - Rooibos tea comes from South Africa, but is very popular as a caffeine-free option in the UK. I had no idea what it was before I lived here, and though you can find it easily in the US now, it’s still something I often forget about until I come back here. It has a uniquely rich and deep flavour, despite be low in tannins. Tick Tock is a very Britain-specific brand with classic packaging that you can find in any regular supermarket.

Fruit Sticker Album - This is a very niche object. Sold exclusively by Choosing Keeping, a thoughtful and lovely stationery shop in Covent Garden, the Fruit Sticker Album is made by designer Carl Middleton and features spots in which to stick the stickers that come on fruits. I’ve been keeping one of these for many years, and really love the scavenger hunt element of looking for great fruit stickers in my day to day. Note: these are currently unavailable anywhere, but I’m told by Julia at CK that they are on order and being re-printed!

In discovering and purchasing these everyday items, I feel as if I can extend my trip a little bit just by brushing my teeth, or cleaning my always-stained Le Creuset pot. Next time you have the pleasure of visiting a new country, try paying a visit to your nearest grocery store and viewing it through the eyes of an amateur anthropologist. I guarantee that you’ll have a good time.

Is there a product you’re looking for? Submit your request here. See you next Friday for fresh recommendations! xo Caroline

P.S. Interested in seeing my whole list of favorite places in London? Find me in Instagram @ladygraphite, where I’ll be sharing a Google Map.