Mess Recs: September + October 2025

Come for my burrito endorsement, stay for my terrible taste in TV.

Nov 06, 2025

∙ Paid

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Hiya, folks!

I hope you all had a fabulous Halloween and are somewhere celebrating Zohran’s big win right now. I’m writing this to you fresh off a fabulous haircut that you’ll most likely see in my spate of forthcoming YouTube videos, but needless to say I brought the photos of young Ozzy Osbourne to my stylist and she truly worked her magic. I will most definitely reveal that follicular genius’s identity in next month’s recs so there’s something to look forward to!

If you’re a Mess devotee in the tri-state area who would like to see these luscious locks in person, please come check out this panel I’m on tonight hosted by friend of the letter

Alyssa Vingan

Tickets are free and you can RSVP for that here. Hope to see you there!!!

I’ve got much to do before that panel, so I’m going to get right down to it. Here’s some stuff I acquired over the last two months!

Buy:

Saje Powder Blush in Ciao

As I warned you last month, I’ve finally found the blush to end all blushes thanks to a rec from

Em Seely-Katz

’s newsletter and it’s Saje Powder Blush in Ciao. From the moment they said that this is Hunter Schafer’s shade of choice, I was completely sold on it, but the color is actually exactly what I’ve been looking for. It’s a totally natural, wind-swept flush. Although once I hit pan on this guy, I might have to test out the cream formula version of the product for my next purchase. So if anyone knows what shade Hunter uses in that, I will be forever indebted.

Son Del North Bean and Cheese Burrito

This burrito has been all over TikTok and I am here to report back that is with very good reason. In fact, just thinking about writing about this burrito inspired me to go out and get one because of how I was salivating over the concept of it. That crispy homemade tortilla alone should tell you exactly how good this burrito is going to be. And I’m sure the other fillings are delicious but, as a gruel girl, this tube of bean and cheese slop just has a special place in my heart. That said, it absolutely needs the creamy jalapeno sauce it comes with to make the whole burrito really sing.

JNCOs 1179 Easy Wide Pipes Corduroy

My journey into the heart of JNCOs all began because I was hunting for a pair of corduroy pants with an unbelievably chunky wale. Not as easy a feat as you might expect! In fact, pretty much the only result that popped up that perfectly fit my requirements where these JNCOs in a gorgeous winter white. Despite thinking they’d probably be comically bell-bottomed and make me feel foolish once on my person, I went ahead and purchased them and I am shocked to tell you I am absolutely besotted. They’re perfect. They are not too wide at all, they feel like an utterly classic trouser. Plus, the pockets are stupidly large and deep to the point you could lose your phone AND your whole forearm in there, and the back pocket has this perfect little neon pop of color. I might have to invest in a second pair!

Jessica DeFino
’s Transforming All-Purpose Oil

Jess gave out this face oil in the gift bags at our

Lowbrow Book Club

launch party and I am genuinely obsessed with it. I used an entire bottle in a month, that is how serious I am about this endorsement. I was already slathering it all over my face every night and then I read the bottle and realized I could put it in my hair as well and proceeded to absolutely drench myself. I plan on making Jess give me roughly ten more bottles, but if you DM her nicely maybe she’ll slip the recipe your way. In the meantime, I am blessed by another friend who makes me copious bottles of knockoff Everyday Oil that will tide me over. Get yourself a group of friends who understand your commitment to jojoba.

Adidas Sambas

After wearing two classic black pairs of Adidas Sambas into the ground — I mean, to the point of holes in my soles — I decided it was perhaps time to venture a touch outside my comfort zone and get a pair with a little more pizzazz. Me being me, that of course meant that I immediately gravitated to a shoe with maximum pizzazz which is how I found myself with this faux ponyhair leopard print pair and I love them so much. I was concerned the print would make them not a practical choice for most of my outfits and that couldn’t be further from the truth. If anything, they make all of my outfits look radically cooler for their inclusion. Besides, every good maximalist knows, leopard print is a neutral!

Crocs Classic Clog in Realtree Camo

This was also my third Croc refresh purchase after wearing my last set down until the bottom became a scarily smooth surface. I went with the camo print style once again, but the jury’s still out on what jibbitz might amplify this gorgeous footwear. If you have any thoughts on that front, please let me know posthaste. I don’t need to sell you on a Croc, you know why the Croc is good. But I will say to those still fighting the appeal of this clown shoe tooth and nail: succumb to the comfort.

My Prada Jackets from The Real Real

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned this before, but the Prada jacket section on The Real Real is my newest addiction. I purchased my second jacket from there in September (above) and I believe it is responsible for giving me a completely new lease on my wardrobe. Everything I own is instantly cooler because of this acquisition. And given the perfection of these two random secondhand pieces of outerwear, all signs point to the fact that every additional Prada jacket I buy will be similarly awe-inspiring and flawless. Adopting this shopping pastime will require you to do a lot of cost per wear mental gymnastics and watch for random price drops like a hawk, but so far the effort put in has been 1000% worth it.

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout

If you were a paid subscriber, you would already know all about my serious obsession with the author Elizabeth Strout. I am slowly reading through her entire bibliography and loving every minute of it. Earlier this year, I finally made my way around to her most famous, Pulitzer Prize winning book Olive Kitteridge and it was fantastic, obviously, and vowed to read the second installment. I made a pit stop at The Burgess Boys along the way (seriously outstanding!!), but I finally acquired the second novel focused on Olive this month and I plan on diving in the second I finish my