If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair but the hair spray and the electric toothbrush. We asked former The Bachelorette star and New York Times best-selling author Hannah Brown — who recently partnered with McAlister’s Deli in honor of National Reading Month — about the soda that replaced her Diet Coke habit, the clip-on phone light she brings everywhere, and her go-to Jenni Kayne sweater.
I won’t let my hair look like it’s dirty — I at least need to do a good job convincing people that it’s clean. With the Vegamour dry shampoo, my hair looks and feels cleaner, and it allows me to have that balance that I want between washes. Not all dry shampoos are made the same — they don’t all work and do the trick, and some make your hair sticky or chalky looking. I don’t have any of that with the Vegamour. It just gives me all the benefits of lighter, bouncy hair, and I think it smells great.
I was really reluctant to give up my Diet Coke … I’ll still have one here or there, but I needed something to replace it. With Poppi, I can truly enjoy soda again and not feel bad about it. The flavors are so delicious. When I first found it, I loved the cherry limeade, and now I haven’t found one that I won’t drink. I have such a sweet tooth, and because the drinks are so sweet I feel like it helps tame that. I can just drink the Poppi instead of eating a whole thing of sour straws or some type of candy.
I can’t go anywhere without a sleep mask. It started around the time I was on The Bachelor. We all were in bunk rooms, and people were getting up and doing things all at different times — that’s when I realized a sleep mask was so important, and I’ve never gone back. I love the Dream Recovery one because it has a pillow almost around your eyelids, and you don’t have all the light that can sometimes get in with typical eye masks. I just love that it’s silky and has an indentation that allows your eyelashes to have a little bit more room.
There are so many times — especially when I’m promoting things like my new book — where we’re all connecting through social media, but my lighting isn’t always on point. This clip is small enough to put in your purse and take with you to make sure that you can create and capture any special memories or moments. It’s really easy to charge and it has a lot of different light settings. You can take it if you’re out with your friends and get fun photos and videos, but it’s compact enough that it’s not like you’re carrying a big tripod.
You know, if I could, I would drink Poppi all day, but I need to get my water. The Stanley definitely helps me make sure that I’m keeping myself hydrated. And I love that it keeps the water cold for so long. It’s so funny — it’s such a basic-girl thing, but they’re great and fit in the cup holder. I love being able to hold the handle. What’s not to love? There’s a reason everybody’s obsessed with them.
Any time I get super-hot or super-cold, I’ll get different rashes, and my skin can get itchy and irritated — so it’s hard to find things that soothe my skin. I don’t think I’ve repurchased another body lotion as much as this one. I love the almond scent, and it’s thick but doesn’t take forever to lather on. It’s silky-smooth and just leaves my skin feeling so hydrated. If you shower at night and get in your cozies and put on lotion, sometimes you’ll feel super-sticky in your clothes. This doesn’t feel like that. It gives your skin a shine but really absorbs in a nice way.
I always just used disposable toothbrushes and would get them every few times I went to the grocery store. But then my fiancé was such a psycho about his electric toothbrush. I was like, “It can’t be that much different.” He’s like, “I’m telling you, it cleans your teeth and feels so much better.” I was like, “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Then I finally got one, and y’all, it actually cleans your teeth and feels so much different. It’s an investment for sure, but this is a game-changer. I made fun of my fiancé for literally two years about his obsession with this toothbrush, and now I’m putting it on the things I can’t live without. I was the one who was a fool to think that you can get the same thing from a $9 toothbrush.
I didn’t know anything about this brand, but with my first book, God Bless This Mess, I went to New York around the holidays, and we went into Bergdorfs. We were looking around, and I found this scent and was like, This is me. It’s light, refreshing, and very feminine, but not too sweet. It definitely has floral scents, and I can wear it all year round. It’s a really special perfume. I was able to buy it when my book became a New York Times best seller, so it has a special memory in that. I normally wouldn’t spend that much on a scent, but it’s been worth it. And now I get compliments every time I wear it, so I can’t go back. It’s my signature scent.
I always say “bury me in cashmere.” It’s the coziest, softest thing — which is part of why I’m obsessed with all things Jenni Kayne, and I’m probably wearing one of my Jenni Kayne sweaters most days. It’s a problem, the amount of different Jenni Kayne sweaters that I own. I work a lot from home, so I want to be comfortable, but I also want to wear something that feels luxurious and that I can dress up or down. If you had to pick out your first Jenni Kayne sweater, this is my go-to. It’s a great starter piece.
I love a sandwich all the time, and I love McAlister’s Deli. They have a million different flavor combinations that you can make, and I like being able to choose based on my mood. This March, I’ve partnered with McAlister’s for National Reading Month to combine my two favorite things: reading and variety in food. As part of the partnership, they debuted their “Choose 2” menu that’s limited edition and inspired by my favorite book genres. The “Choose 2” combination that’s my favorite is the Adventure: It’s a Jalapeno Turkey Crunch sandwich and the Spud Max. It has a bold crunch, and then who doesn’t love a classic baked potato? I love the olives, the sour cream, and the cheese — it’s very comforting food to have with a great book.
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