Lisa Bühler is the founder and visionary behind Lisa Says Gah, the joyful, color-forward fashion brand that is equal parts SoCal nostalgia and modern whimsy. You’ve probably already seen a friend (or five) in her iconic Alex tee—if you don’t own it yourself—or come across LSG looks on Ariana Grande, Bowen Yang, or me, in line for coffee at Maru and dripping in late July sweat but still chic af thanks to her.

If there were a patron saint of Tomato Girl Summer™, it would be Lisa. This week, I got to catch up with her.

Lisa Says Gah! is eleven years old. Does she feel like a pre-teen? How are you continuing to evolve the brand and what are you most excited about for this next decade?

Ha! She definitely has a little pre-teen energy. Some days she’s confident, some days she’s questioning everything, and she’s constantly evolving. (*Ed. note: Relatable.)

I think we’re entering a chapter where we really know who we are. Instead of chasing what’s next, we’re trusting our instincts more. I’m excited to take bigger creative risks, lean into what makes Lisa Says Gah unique, and keep building an independent brand in an industry that’s constantly changing. Surviving—and growing—for eleven years as an independent company feels worth celebrating, and it gives me confidence for what’s ahead.

As I properly enter my 30s–I’m 33, still counts–I’m definitely leaning into the “capsule wardrobe” aesthetic a bit and trying to be more intentional about what I buy, but I love the way your clothes defy the standard ideas of what that can mean. Getting dressed should be fun and is an artistic choice! Pattern mixing is legal now! God bless.

First of all, congratulations. I loved turning 30, and I’ve loved my 40s even more.

I actually think your style gets better as you get older because you stop buying for fantasy and start buying for yourself. The pieces you fall in love with now tend to stick around because there’s an emotional connection, not just a trend. I still wear dresses and vintage finds I’ve owned for years, mixing them with whatever I’m excited about now. That’s my version of a capsule wardrobe: fewer pieces, but every one has a story.

You recently launched your Euro Breakfast and Golden Hour collections. If you could use three words to describe what you’re working on next, they would be:

Emotional. Warm. Whimsical.

You’re a California girl but spent your summer on the east coast this year. Does that inspire a different sort of aesthetic?

We spent a couple of weeks in New England with friends, bouncing between a tiny Massachusetts town that felt straight out of Gilmore Girls and a farm in Vermont. I learned Vermont literally means “green mountain” in French, which tracks because I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much green in my life. The fact that they don’t even water their lawns felt completely foreign coming from Southern California.

East Coast summers have this nostalgic Americana feeling. Everyone seems to savor those few warm months because they know winter is coming. I love traveling because it gets me out of my routine. That’s where I find inspiration: when the schedule disappears, the obligations quiet down, and I’m simply paying attention. A lot of Lisa Says Gah begins with that feeling.

What does it mean to you to say “gah!” and how did that branding come to you?

I’m naturally a little more reserved, but I genuinely get excited and say “Gah!” when I stumble across something I love, whether it’s a vintage dress, a beautiful hotel, an amazing meal, or someone with incredible personal style.

I started Lisa Says Gah as a creative blog to collect all of those moments. It became my Instagram handle, and eventually the business. The name has always been less about fashion and more about curiosity and delight. I hope people leave our stores or put on one of our pieces and have that same little “Gah!” moment.

LSG can be found throughout a closet these days, in shoes, swimsuits, jewelry, hats, and bags, too. What’s the next item you’d love to introduce into the rotation?

Home. I think getting dressed and creating a home are really similar. They're both ways of expressing yourself. I'd love to do more ceramics, table linens, lamps, blankets...maybe one day even furniture. Basically, I'd love for someone to be able to have a very Lisa Says Gah dinner party.

It seems pretty clear to me that inclusivity is very important to you. Everything comes in sizes XS to 3XL, with models in all shapes and sizes. When you’re designing new clothes, to what extent are you thinking about how it will look on every body?

It's something we think about from the very beginning. The goal isn't for everyone to look the same in a piece, it's for everyone to make it their own.

As an Alex, I do have to ask about the beloved Alex tee—and all your product names! Where do they come from?

Love that! Almost all of our names come from people in our lives. Friends, family, teammates, collaborators, sometimes even customers. It makes the collection feel more personal and gives every piece a little story.

In May, you shared that LSG would become more transparent about how you produce and source your clothes as a brand that is neither fast fashion nor luxury, but somewhere in between. What can you tell us about that period of reflection and what you’ve learned?

Running an independent fashion brand is full of trade-offs. We’re designing original collections in relatively small quantities, producing some products in Los Angeles and others with overseas partners, all while trying to make clothes people can actually afford and keep for years.

That experience reminded me that customers don’t expect perfection—they appreciate honesty. We’ve become much more intentional about sharing where products are made, why they’re made there, and the realities of building an independent brand. Transparency isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about inviting people into the conversation.

Who are some of the other artists—of any medium!—that are exciting you these days?

I'm forever inspired by Nancy Meyers' worlds. I love the warmth and humor in Maira Kalman's work. I've been collecting Rachel Saunders ceramics. Lately I've also been loving anything that feels a little nostalgic or handmade. Honestly, some of my biggest inspiration comes from people who aren't necessarily famous, like vintage dealers, florists, chefs, ceramicists, or someone with an incredible garden.

You’ve done brekky at Wilde’s (LA) and Early to Rise (SF), pieces with Seen Library, Madewell, and Tyler McGillivary, and countless in-store pop ups with other brands. What’s the dream Lisa Says Gah! collab–or the next one, anyway?

The dream collaborations are always the ones that feel a little unexpected. I'd also love to design a boutique hotel one day or wine/coffee bar or some other community space to gather. That sounds pretty fun.

As a proper native, I would love to hear your perfect LA day:

We’re renting a cool vintage car because, well, we’re driving. Start on the Eastside with a Courage Bagels breakfast and coffee from Canyon Coffee. Go vintage shopping at Ending Soon World, then stop by our Echo Park store (and maybe squeeze in a Pilates class next door at LA Springs!) Head west for an overly fancy lunch in Beverly Hills, or if there’s time, picnic lunch at the Getty and soak up a little art.

After that, it’s toes in the sand at the beach, in Malibu for dinner on the patio at longtime favorite Taverna Tony. Finish with a sunset drive back east with the perfect playlist, a tiny martini at Capri Club, and home early enough to read a few chapters before bed. That’s a pretty perfect LA day.

I live very close to your beautiful, bespoke LA store, and now you’ve got another in SF. Can any other cities get excited to say Gah! anytime soon?

I think New York has earned it. We have such a strong customer community there, and it feels like the natural next chapter. No promises just yet, but it's definitely the city we daydream about most.

Previously on Hot Tip:

Never underestimate the power of a red leather booth inside a dark, air-conditioned Mexican restaurant in the dead of LA summer on a Monday night in the Valley with a friend to rejuvenate oneself amid a post-Eurotrip emotional hangover. That shit does wonders for the soul.

In politics: Unsatisfied with the second proof-of-life photo from Mitch McConnell’s office—which this time did not include a newspaper but does warrant a question or five about the 84-year-old’s new skincare routine!!!—Governor Andy Beshear says the senator must “directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign.” Not to mention McConnell is actively earning tens of thousands of dollars on a Congressional salary whilst in whatever state he finds himself—Kentucky, vegetative, or otherwise.

The Pentagon is under fire for reclassifying four recent Iran War casualties as part of a new category called “overseas operations,” a politically convenient lie that omits a pretty crucial detail not unlike calling OJ a “football player.” Meanwhile, ICE is turning airports into the newest front of their war on immigrants and it might be time to finally make the bumper stickers I’ve been envisioning for years. (Can a lawyer weigh in below on whether putting these on vehicles would constitute vandalism? What if they’re magnets? Hypothetically, of course. xo, Al.)

Also, today was Lindsey Graham’s National Cathedral funeral service, where Trump fell asleep after making fun of the late senator and calling him a war hawk—which, as far as accuracy tends to go for him, is actually spot on. Other attendees included future Hague defendants Stephen Miller, Pete Hegseth, and Benjamin Netanyahu. And then JD Vance said goodbye in a way that immediately felt all too familiar to me.

Don’t miss: CNN’s Kaitlan Collins was Jon Stewart’s guest on The Daily Show last night to discuss WHCD 2.0 (Donny’s Version) and the entire conversation is worth the watch but several questions remain for me, namely: Composure—how? Professionalism—how? And also, hair—how?

Various forms of torture: A Qantas Airways Airbus A350 flew for more than 24 hours between Melbourne and Toulouse, France to test a new Europe-Australia route. Residents of Toluca Lake, Los Angeles are now subject to the sounds of “bloody murder” screams due to a new roller coaster at Universal Studios. Elon Musk launched an invite-only Venmo dupe called “X Money.” And apparently after all this time, It Will Never Fucking End With Us.

In comedy: Mary Beth Barone’s new stand up special is now streaming on Netflix. Nirvanna the Band the Show—a thing I just found out exists but does make the movie title make more sense—is now on Hulu. And John Mulaney is doing nine New York venues in nine nights next year and for the first time in my life I think I understand people who see Phish for a week straight?

Previously on Hot Tip:

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Charlie has spent the last decade working with global leaders, inside government, and on campaigns, all for the “yeah, I’ve heard of them” variety (Dianne Feinstein, Joe + Jill Biden, Kamala Harris, and Chef José Andrés, to name a few.) These days, he’s a booked and busy political strategist running his own comms agency, but can often be found pacing the blocks of New York City, where he records himself talking about things like progressive politics, healthy masculinity, and, occasionally, where to get the best dumplings on either coast. Between TikTok and Instagram, Charlie has used facts, candor, + mustache to amass half a million followers and present an alternative to the toxic manosphere Joe Rogan-shaped grift permeating dark corners of the internet. This week, we chatted for an hour.

HT: I want to hear first about the first six months in Mamdani’s New York.

CG: It’s pretty fucking awesome. There’s been a collection of great things that have happened over the last six months that have added to that feeling, right? Beyond him winning, it’s the World Cup, it’s the Knicks—there’s just been this incredible joy. When you feel like there’s a foundation of government that’s fighting for you and looking out for people—it brings a breath of calm to everything else. And I really do think there’s just this tangible, palpable feeling here of people feeling good and excited.

Fun fact, I was watching the World Cup final at this bar in Greenpoint with some friends and look across [the room] and Rama, the first lady, is just there with some friends.

HT: Oh my god!

CG: It was just this beautiful moment of like—this is one of those reasons people love these people. She’s just a normal New York person with normal New York friends. If I didn’t know that was the first lady I would assume that was any other Bushwick creative woman. They’re so normal, and it made me really happy.

HT: It’s rare in this moment to have people representing you in government who care about you.

CG: And they’re getting things done. There’s a lot of “I told you so” moments—he’s executing a lot of his campaign promises already. And that feels good. We put our trust behind this person, we put our weight behind him, and like, they’re moving. They’re trying to do the stuff they said. It wasn’t just messaging—they were serious about these ideas. That’s a really great feeling. We’re not used to that in politics, Democratic politics especially.

HT: Yeah, I’m hopeful we can get Nithya [Raman] here in LA.

CG: Fingers crossed.

HT: You’re originally from San Francisco. How did being raised there impact your politics?

CG: Drastically. More than I can explain in words. I grew up in what I think of as, like, an old-school traditional San Francisco family. Pre-tech. My family was lower-middle income. My dad was a music teacher his entire life, and an activist. My mom worked in nonprofits—she was the executive director of the local Planned Parenthood chapter. They never had careers where they made much money, and their friends were artists, activists, journalists. It was an exceptionally progressive world—not just politically, but socially. I got to grow up in the Mission District—folks reading this from SF, specifically where the Mission hits the Excelsior, Bernal Heights. It’s a super diverse neighborhood. It gave me the foundation of thinking about and understanding that politics is everything and everywhere. Of course big legislation, but also potholes and stop signs and what kind of coffee you’re drinking and how it got there. I’m beyond grateful for my parents choosing to raise me there. Can I go on a quick rant?

HT: Of course.

CG: One of the most frustrating things for me now, especially living in New York—and don’t get me wrong, New York, LA, San Francisco are so fucking expensive, I know that. But I feel like a lot of people our age, I don’t know if you hear this with your friends, but I hear a lot of people say “Oh, I love living in New York, but I would never raise my kids here.”

HT: Yep, all the time.

CG: And listen, if it’s purely financial, and you can’t afford it, totally. But if it’s not that, I’m like, why? I genuinely believe that the greatest gift and education you can give your child is having them grow up in a city of diversity, multiculturalism, religions, colors, ethnicities, foods, art. That is a real education. And once you experience those things, it’s hard to go back. It’s hard to choose a world that isn’t that open, that isn’t that progressive. And I would encourage any millennial parent or soon-to-be parent, if they’re considering whether to raise a kid in a city: fucking do it. Worth it.

HT: What’s the most cliché Bay Area kid thing about you?

CG: I still get super pissed off and I take it personally if someone says they’re from San Francisco and they’re not. Like if someone says, “I’m from San Francisco” and then I find out they’re from like, Walnut Creek, I turn into like a 12-year-old boy. I’ll let them know they’re not from San Francisco. I also say “hella” all the time. And I drink a lot of Fernet—

HT: What is that?

CG: It’s an Argentinian digestif, and in San Francisco it’s just, like, the shot you get at a bar. And I didn’t realize until I left that no one else drank it. It’s meant to sort of cleanse you after a big meal.

HT: It’s the limoncello of San Francisco.

CG: Exactly.

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HT: So what is the Chez Chuck origin story?

CG: My whole career has been in and around Democratic and progressive politics. I worked for the Bidens in 2020, I was Dr. Biden’s digital director and in the White House for a little bit, and then going into 2024 they asked me to come back and I said no for a multitude of reasons: I didn’t want to. Gaza. I didn’t think he should run again. And then when he dropped out and it became Kamala, I gave myself the permission to go back and try to beat Trump again.

I jumped back in as an advisor on the paid media team, where I was producing and directing big premium ads. And it was only my small little window, but I saw what I viewed as a really broken program, a pretty broken campaign, tons of mistakes being made, huge amounts of money being set on fire. And really feeling like there was such a lack of investment and strategy when it came to digital voices, creators, influencers, independent media, etc. And so after we lost, I spent a few months traveling around and seriously trying to think about how we get big Democratic donor money to stop funding PACs that are only buying big premium ads and get them to spend that money on liberal-slash-progressive online voices. The Republicans have been doing it for 15 years.

HT: Makes sense.

CG: After six months I ran into a wall, it was exhausting and people weren’t listening. And then simultaneously of course people were having the conversation about needing a “Joe Rogan of the left.”

HT: We’ll circle back to that subject.

CG: I was meeting with big D.C. people, DNC people, donors, other strategists, and I would tell them about the need to invest in creators, and they’d be like, “well why don’t you do it? You’re a guy, and you talk about this stuff well.” I didn’t want to—it felt so embarrassing and cringe and I didn’t want to be public facing. But eventually I just did it out of frustration. These meetings were going nowhere, and so I said fuck it. I was just walking down Mission Street in San Francisco, and I don’t know what got into me. I just decided to go off on something. I think it was about the El Salvadoran prisons. It got like 6,000 views, so I just kept at it. Within a few weeks [the account] was at 10,000 followers and I was like, oh, there’s something here. When I started it was just on TikTok, and there’s a setting where you can hide it from your phone contacts—I didn’t want anyone to know I was doing this, it felt so embarrassing. But then my friends Lizzie and Eve texted me and they were like, we saw it, it’s good, this stuff needs to be on Instagram. And then it exploded.

HT: Did it take time to get comfortable with the earnestness of it? You said you were afraid of the cringe, but you’re also very clearly wearing your heart on your sleeve when you do this.

CG: One of the things I learned very quickly with this—I didn’t come up with this phrase, I don’t think—you have to just get over cringe mountain. And then once you get up there, it’s like, who gives a shit? I’m just trying to talk about this stuff like I would to my friends at a bar. Of course there’s some times on the masculinity stuff where I lean into the bro-ey stuff to reach the bros, but it’s just my authentic self.

HT: On the subject of reaching bros—my issue with the “Joe Rogan of the left” conversation is that Joe Rogan is wildly uninformed. I think the model of, like, Buttigieg going on Andrew Schulz, Talarico going on Rogan, makes a lot of sense. But I’m curious how you think we should reach men in this media landscape.

CG: I think there’s some validity to it. You’re right, he’s a fucking idiot and basically just mirrors his guests. But I think the conversation comes from a flawed understanding of what Joe Rogan is. He is not and was not a Republican commentator. I mean, he was a Bernie Sanders supporter. He built an audience over a decade being himself and talking about stuff that he liked: hunting, MMA, conspiracy theories, the gym, and space. And again, not that long ago, he was kind of a leftist. So that’s what frustrates me, especially when it comes from Democratic elite folks. I actually do agree we need a “Joe Rogan of the left,” but not Joe Rogan. What we need are sweet, genuine, authentic voices who are given the time and space to build audiences and who aren’t controlled by corporate media or the DNC. And in terms of the media environment, talking about, like, Talarico going on Rogan—

HT: Which is a great example of the mirroring, like you said. He was obsessed with Talarico.

CG: Totally. My view is we need to be everywhere—however—it has to be authentic and well-spoken people. Kamala probably should have gone on Rogan, sure, but in my mind the question is: Once she was there, would she have performed well? Do we think she could sit in a room with Joe Rogan for three hours and come off as authentic? Could you understand her ideology and what she stands for? On that front, I don’t think so. I worked for her, and it was exceptionally hard to understand her policy positions. So we need to be choosing and uplifting candidates and messengers who know how they feel about things and be able to communicate that.

HT: You’ve worked for a lot of major establishment Democrats, despite having much leftier personal politics.

CG: This is where I differ from some leftists. There’s a reality of the electoral democratic system that at some point we have to give into. The Bidens asked me to join their campaign in 2018, and I said no because I was a Bernie Sanders supporter. But after he lost the primary, they came back and I said, fuck it, all hands on deck to beat a fascist. It was a binary option. Primaries, fight for your people and your ideas, but when you get to a general election, unfortunately, we don’t have a viable third party in this country, and I view politics as harm reduction.

HT: I agree.

CG: Like, I wish these weren’t my options, but I think it’s dishonest when people say Joe Biden or Kamala Harris would be just as harmful as Donald Trump. That’s complete bullshit. I mean, I do think there’s a valid debate to be had about whether it’s your responsibility to better the lives of the people in America and the world 100 years from now, or should you leverage as much power as you have to fight for people in this moment? But for me, it’s very hard for me to say that I’m not going to give a vote to the person who is not the fascist.

HT: What’s your 30-second elevator pitch to self-described moderate Democrats who are afraid of progressive politics?

CG: Ooh. That’s a good question. I guess it’s something like…I want you and your children to have better healthcare. I want you to be able to retire safely and not have to work forever. I want you to be able to take your kids to Disneyland once a year if you want to—that you can be able to afford that. I want your children to be able to afford college, if they want to go. I want your children to be able to pursue any career they want because they are interested in it, not because it’s the only way for them to make money. If your child is an artist or a creative, they should be able to pursue that without risking a life of poverty. And if you agree with me on any of those things, in my view, there’s absolutely one party that is fighting for those things and one that is absolutely not.

HT: You post a lot about food. I want to hear about your favorite places in New York, LA, San Francisco, anywhere really.

CG: Can I give you a fun fact about the food stuff and the connection to Chez Chuck?

HT: Please.

CG: The reason Chez Chuck started as “Chez Chuck” was because I was so miserable when I first moved to LA and my girlfriend at the time suggested that I make a food account to distract myself, so I did. And I was an idiot, and clearly didn’t speak any French, and I thought that “chez” meant chef. But it means “home of.”

HT: I mean, either way, it’s a great handle.

CG: Okay, best restaurants. My favorite restaurant in LA, it’s one of my favorite restaurants on the planet, Dan Sung Sa. Koreatown joint. It looks like an abandoned dive bar outside and then you walk in and it’s just filled with smoke. It’s a horseshoe bar and there’s all these old Korean grandmothers grilling the meat themselves and then you sit around it. They’re known for their skewers, and you drink a lot. And it’s one of the few places that’s open til like 5 am in LA.

HT: What’s your New York spot?

CG: Shu Jiao Fu Zhou. Super cheap hole-in-the-wall Chinatown spot that is known for peanut butter noodles. They’re probably using, like, Jif, but it’s like peanut butter, rice vinegar, homemade chili oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, and they mix it with hand-pulled Chinese buckwheat noodles. They also do amazing boiled dumplings. And then in SF, a Mission-style burrito from Mexico Tipico in the Excelsior District.

HT: If you’re trying to cut the fuck off from politics, what are you watching or listening to or doing?

CG: I like going on long runs. I don’t use the running apps, I don’t want to know my speed, I don’t know how far I run, it’s just therapeutic for me.

HT: That sounds remarkably healthy.

CG: That’s one of the things I love about Manhattan. I love running in a super congested, busy place because so many people are watching me. They can’t see me stop. There’s motivation in it. And then stuff I’m watching—somebody just put me onto The Traitors.

HT: Ughhhh, it’s so good.

CG: I’ve never been into reality TV and I got through that in like three days. Now I want to be on it.

HT: Last one. What’s your message to anyone who has either “apolitical” or “moderate” in their dating profile?

CG: Uh, what year is it? Okay, let’s start with “apolitical.” The amount of privilege you have to have to be able to say that you don’t care about politics is, like—privilege or stupidity, honestly. If you’re old enough to have a dating profile, you’re old enough to get that. You’re an adult. Your decision to engage, or more so, to not engage in politics has downstream impacts on human bodies. And being apolitical is a political decision. You are making a political choice to not be engaged, and unfortunately for you, that decision is having impacts on people that you cannot see. And you need to understand and accept that. And in terms of “moderate”—just make it Republican.

HT: **Aggressively nods in ~oops been on that date~**

CG: Like if you’re saying you’re moderate, you’re a Republican, you’re just embarrassed to say it, I guess. But also then if you’re too embarrassed to say it, you know at your core there’s a problem there. So maybe you should reflect on that. Maybe that would be helpful.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Previously on Hot Tip:

Starting with some vulnerability by sharing either a deeply endearing or deeply horrifying look at my computer on a Hot Tip pub day. Maybe a little bit of both?

In politics: Sec. of Defense Pete Hegseth testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee today to talk about why the Pentagon needs another $87 billion—on top of the $100 billionish already spent, btw—to continue its never-approved-by-Congress-in-the-first-place war in Iran that has once again shut down the Strait of Hormuz and resulted in more American troop deaths.

No surprise: Jon Ossoff absolutely obliterated Hegseth in his questioning (unlike the US, which has in no way obliterated Iran or its nuclear program no matter how many times they say it!!!) and Hegseth was visibly rattled despite using all the hair gel from every Walgreens in D.C. Big surprise: Hegseth did not ask senators for a sperm sample.

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in an interview with the New York Times over the weekend that he was looking into his options to arrest Israeli PM and war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu in support of the ICC arrest warrant he is facing, should Netanyahu show up at the UN General Assembly in September. Then, late this afternoon America’s mayor posted a video on Instagram, saying that while the city can’t execute this arrest, the federal government does have the legal authority, calling on them to do so and making abundantly clear: “Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City.” In an era plagued by meaningless word vomit from some and deranged vanity from others, I’m struck by how rare a true leader is—and very grateful for it.

If reading this newsletter makes you feel even more chic and funny than you already are, consider supporting Hot Tip for just $30/year—and get extra goodies, too. Or you can buy me a coffee.

Quick tips: Mitch McConnell is still probably dead. France is banning social media for kids under 15, making it the perfect country—as soon as they add air conditioning. And GOP Rep. Steve Scalise used an Olive Garden promo to advocate for stricter voter ID laws, a real thing that prompted the paper that uncovered Watergate to have to ask a restaurant famous for its unlimited breadsticks for comment.

In biz: A federal judge is putting a temporary kibosh on the Paramount/Warner Bros Discovery merger in the form of a 14-day restraining order, while a 12-state coalition (led by California) argues in court that the joining would violate federal antitrust laws. Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín also said she would decide in early August whether to grant an injunction, which would shut the deal down for—at minimum—several months.

In health: The ongoing diarrhea lettuce investigation got confusing this week after the FDA said it was a “false positive” test that tied the Cyclospora outbreak to Taylor Farms, but allow me to thicken the plot a bit: the company is also a huge MAGA donor and the so-called “false positive” was announced after their execs met with White House and FDA officials. So while we don’t know without a shadow of a doubt it’s their fault, there are two things we do know: 1) They’re definitely assholes and 2) Chocolate croissants are safe.

And I would personally avoid the so-called “Zara death pants,” described as such because the wide-legged trousers are apparently causing people to trip and absolutely eat it. Far less likely to kill us: these cute Old Navy athletic shorts I just bought because everyone is styling them in such chic ways right now.

FYC: House of the Dragon’s incredible third season, which has firmly brought me back into appointment television territory on HBO Sundays, despite the occasional appearance of a character of whom I have zero recollection. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which is opening in September but started selling tickets today. Yensa Lip Nourishing Oil in Rebel Rose, the perfect shade of pink with a genuinely lovely scent. And this Avengers: Doomsday theory.

Previously on Hot Tip:

Btw: Sales from any affiliate links included in this email generate a small commission for me, at no additional cost to the buyer—but I only promote products I actually use and love myself!!!

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In my ongoing efforts to avoid the diarrhea parasite, I would like to applaud several pastries in LA: The banana bread at All Time, the miso butterscotch cookie from McCall’s, and the plum ricotta cake from Canyon Coffee. You are the real heroes.

Quick tips:

• Acting AG Todd Blanche’s Senate confirmation hearing took an awkward turn when he referred to himself as Trump’s lawyer, and his general ~Sam Eagle, but fascist and evil~ disposition didn’t help, either.

• Britain’s newest Prime Minister (the seventh in ten years) is likely to be new Labour party leader Andy Burnham, which means two things: A new resident at Downing Street and more Paddy Young (!!!!) on SNL UK.

• Alysa Liu won the ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete, a decision we here at Hot Tip are applauding as “correct,” and “thank god.”

• And it was a busy week for Pete Hegseth, who despite renewed war in Iran and the Pentagon reportedly considering attacking Cuba, is fixated on a) blocking the promotions of women and people of color and b) measuring testosterone levels in troops so that the US has a “high-T Department of War.” And if anyone knows about that, it’s this guy:

  

Previously on Hot Tip:

Below the paywall: A deeper dive into Trump’s election lies, the politicians making me feel hopeful, scary lettuce updates, some potential weekend plans for you (all around the world) + more.

To read the letter in full and get Hot Tip in your inbox 3x/week, go paid for just $30/year. With a paid sub, you’ll get all the goodies listed here, including fun merch!!!

But if you can’t make it work right now, no biggie. I’ll be back with a full, free letter next week. xo.

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France and Spain are facing off in the World Cup as I write, which I am interpreting as a battle between croissants and churros. If you know me, you know which one I’m picking, even though it is 0-2 in churros’ favor with minutes left. (Update: Croissants lost.)

Btw: I’m updating my newsletter cadence and structure, and paid subs are getting exciting new perks—three newsletters/week, early interview access + opportunities to ask questions of interviewees in the chat, and exclusive merch (hats and stickers, anyone?!?) among them. You can read more about it here, and upgrade your subscription here for the low low cost of one airport water bottle.

I want to start with two extremely serious and important pieces of news: In the past week, ICE has extrajudicially murdered two fathers, one in Texas and one in Maine. Their names were Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Sebastian Guerrero. Both were in their cars. In the latter case, his three-year-old child was in the car. In neither case were the “officers” wearing body cameras, despite Congress allocating $20 million specifically for this.

ICE is now suspending vehicle stops around the US, which is a) not enough and b) a racist practice that should be illegal to begin with. It is far past time for Congressional Democrats to get their shit together and stop issuing vague platitudes like “We need more guardrails,” which is no different than “thoughts and prayers.” Looking at you, Mark Warner. Do your fucking jobs and stop tweeting.

In politics: Mitch McConnell purportedly put out a photo this week of him joyfully recovering from “pneumonia” with that day’s newspaper and his devoted wife who totally didn’t abandon him on a trip to China for “philanthropic” purposes while he rotted—or got botox?—in a hospital for a month, and I know people are skeptical of the picture, but what if I told you I had even more evidence he was totally fine?

And New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order banning AI data centers in the entire state, the first moratorium of its kind in the country. Their mayor Muslim, their bagels Jewish, their air conditioning not failing during a heat wave—

In business: Attorneys general—yes, that’s the plural—from twelve states have filed a joint lawsuit in an attempt to block the Warner Bros/Paramount merger, and according to a scoop from Semafor, CEO David Ellison/real-life “I’m the eldest boy” Kendall Roy (derogatory) is even contemplating a corporate exit from California à la Elon Musk/Tesla (very derogatory).

United is taking a cue from European airlines and offering customers a row with an empty middle seat, aka an end to the armrest wars. And Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is finally out this weekend, which had a budget of $250 million and—based on what I can tell from the trailer—roughly as many uses of the words “dad” and “daddy,” for some reason.

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In fruits + veggies: If you’ve ever wondered how and why you have access to fresh berries year-round, the New York Times has that answer: Driscoll’s. But that comes at a price—and I’m not just talking about the current potential for cyclosporiasis (but I am talking about its carbon footprint and questionable labor practices. Keep shopping at your local farmers market, folks!!!)

Re: the unfortunate stomach bug making its way around the US right now, a reminder to make sure you fully clean any raw fruits and vegetables you’re eating, as well as a reminder that we got here because Elon Musk (truly as derogatory as possible, fuck that guy forever) and DOGE made budget and staff cuts at the CDC, forcing them to reduce surveillance for this parasite.

Have a Sam Neill weekend in his honor: It could be Jurassic Park, or it could be the lesser-known kiwi classic, Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

So far summer favorites: The Jimmy Fairly sunnies I got in Paris. A mint plant at home, for loose leaf mint tea at night. Drinks with electrolytes, because it’s hot as shit and you need more sodium, babe!!! Saie tinted moisturizer with SPF. John Mulaney, who just played + sold out Wrigley Field. The tiny red ceramic Octopus I got in Sicily.

Hot Tip: Join me on Rec League, too.

Previously on Hot Tip:

Btw: Sales from any affiliate links included in this email generate a small commission for me, at no additional cost to the buyer—but I only promote products I actually use, love, and pay for myself.

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I am back in the US, I am 33, and America is 250. But only one of us looks like shit. I’m also eating copious amounts of dairy again. I guess you could say—

If reading this newsletter makes you feel even more chic and funny than you already are, consider supporting Hot Tip for just $30/year—and get extra goodies, too. Or you can buy me a coffee.

In politics: Over the course of just a few minutes at a NATO summit, Donald “I Know What A Giraffe Is” Trump referred to Iran as “The Islamic Republic of Japan” and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy as “President Putin.” At this point, I am 90% sure that if someone handed him a Bratz doll he would introduce it as “my daughter, Tiffany.”

So where do things stand with Japan Iran? It seems we’re back at “skirmish”—weeks after Congress called for an end to the illegal war, co-equal branch my ass—as the US is once again dropping bombs on military targets and the best ceasefire of all time, you’ve never seen a ceasefire like it is “over.” What does that mean moving forward? Still tbd, but expect gas prices to go up again (also an impact of Ukraine hitting Russian refineries) and Pete Hegseth to publicly do something weird with weights.

Re: Congress, Mitch McConnell remains MIA (missing in absolutelydead) and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear wants answers. Meanwhile, the Maine Democratic Party has had it with Graham Platner, who is expected to officially drop out of the race today or tomorrow but is taking his sweet ass time. I am grateful to the brave, multiple women who have come forward with their credible allegations against him. Mayhaps moving forward we draw the line at Blackwater mercenary with Nazi tattoo?

On grass: All eyes are on British wild card Arthur Féry, who was ranked 114 in the world prior and is now about to play in his first Wimbledon semifinal. On the women’s side, Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk (best dressed of the entire tournament!!!) and American Coco Gauff also advanced to the semis, so at least the jet lag that’s been waking me up 5:30 am will finally come in handy for their respective matches early tomorrow morning.

In film + tv: Emmy nominees were announced this morning, and it was a huge day for Kate O’Flynn nation and The Pitt, especially after two actors who self-campaigned in the guest actor/actress categories (HBO didn’t submit them, oopsie!!!) both scored nominations. I was also particularly happy to see noms for A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms and Rufus Sewell in The Diplomat. And sure, The Odyssey is about Odysseus, but these looks on the press tour do beg the question: IS it though?

FYC: being delightfully frank as fuck on Friends Keep Secrets. The two excellent released singles from Gracie Abrams’ upcoming album. And I bought this La Roche Posay light fluid sunscreen in Paris and wish I had returned with an entire suitcase of it.

Hot Takes: Micah Frank

As of last month, Micah Frank is a Tony Award-winning producer of Schmigadoon! on Broadway. Over the years at Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video, Micah has also produced The Other Two, Mean Girls (the musical), Mean Girls (the musical movie), All In: Comedy About Love and All Out: Comedy About Ambition on Broadway. This week, I asked him to reveal his secret talent just for us–and a few other things, too.

The best breakfast in New York: Not sure if it’s technically breakfast, but brunch at Cafe Luxembourg.

A hill I will die on: Every show should advertise their correct running time. Don’t say it’s 90 minutes when it is really 110!

How I take my coffee: With more oat milk than a normal person would probably like.

Somewhere I’ve never visited but always dreamt of going: Puy du Fou.

Somewhere I’ve gone multiple times and have no intention of stopping: New Orleans, but specifically at Christmas.

How I like to spend a Saturday: At the movies—and especially love a 10 am showing.

Secret talent: I remember the dates of everything, which sometimes is more a curse than a talent.

I would like to personally thank the inventor of: Dairy-free cheese. Really changed my life.

What I wear to the airport: Controversial, but—shorts.

My ideal adult summer camp would be: I think there is a part of me that would have really enjoyed the entire Fyre Fest experience exactly how it played out.

The correct way to store your Broadway playbills is: So I think the right way is technically in a Playbill Binder, but I have so many that I have to keep them all in a box in a storage locker?

My favorite Broadway theatre: The Nederlander!

A show we didn’t talk about enough when it was open: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels! Or maybe people were talking about it and I just didn’t know because I was 14.

You should see Schmigadoon! if: You have a heart.

Follow Hot Tip on Instagram. Join me on Rec League. And coming soon: The Paris Guide.

Previously on Hot Tip:

Btw: Sales from any affiliate links included in this email generate a small commission for me, at no additional cost to the buyer—but I only promote products I actually use and love.

The woman with my bags pointed to a nearby gate—a gate which I pushed when I was supposed to pull. Eventually reunited with my belongings and pride hanging on by a thread, I thanked the woman. We rode the train together one stop, when I realized I was going the wrong direction. I got off, lugged my 40 pound suitcase up and then back down stairs to the other side, only to wind up on a subway car mere feet away from very same man I had gone on an awful—and I do mean awful—date with two nights prior. Mind you, there’s no air conditioning in the Paris Metro, so I was also dripping in sweat glowing.

And—somehow—I’m so very très glad it all happened that way.

I tend to avoid discomfort the way Joe Rogan avoids facts or RFK Jr. avoids non-roadkill dinners—that is to say, religiously. I was officially diagnosed with OCD when I was about 23, but definitely had it my entire life. How it manifests has shifted as often as the tides, but the general preference for predictability and familiarity and, most especially, perfection, is the consistent through-line. When I planned my recent Eurotrip (and its corresponding playlist) so thoroughly on Google Docs, I suppose I thought I could beat any semblance of discomfort into submission—to the tune of ‘Now I’m In It’ by HAIM.

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But then you land in Sicily and it’s 100 degrees and the Airbnb that looked so nice online is actually sketchy af and you’re crying because you’re tired and hungry and out 400 dollars and just realized you might be the only single person at this wedding? Because the situation has become uncomfortable and unpredictable and if you had just stayed at home where your thermostat works and your car is parked in a garage rather than what seems like a vaguely illegal spot none of this would be happening.

And at first, that’s how I felt. I was three hours into a three-week sojourn (partially with my mom, partially with friends, and partially alone) and contemplating if I had made a huge mistake by leaving my well-worn and practiced routine of existing-in-known-situations.

And then that night, I ate the best pizza I’ve ever had. My mom and I found a decent hotel room—the last one that was available, it turned out. I managed to communicate with a taxi service (thanks entirely to translation features on Al Gore’s internet) in order to get from my friend’s bachelorette party back to the city center.

The thing about being someone who lives with anxiety—as so many of us do—is that in our efforts to mitigate even the possibility of it, we often forget how adaptable we are. How capable. And over three weeks, 100 miles by foot in fake Birkenstocks, and roughly two thousand pastries, I remembered. Sure, “girl goes to Europe and comes back saying she’s a changed woman and also does she have a weird accent now?” is cliché as hell, but maybe that’s for a reason.

Because it turns out there’s something deeply humbling and cool about being confused, embarrassing yourself, needing help, or accidentally saying something awkward in another language. I almost found myself craving it, like RFK Jr. craves road squirrel. When I met my friends in Amsterdam towards the end of the trip, they saw it immediately: “You’re lighter,” they told me.

What if failure is freeing? What if failure isn’t actually failure at all? What if we didn’t micromanage every moment of our lives and instead just took the inherent discomfort required to truly be alive with a side of the best tomatoes you’ve ever had?

At some point on the trip—likely involving a heat-induced underboob sweat stain—I started letting go. I was happily dining alone and chatting with waiters and walking through new places while the sun was still out at 10 pm and going on a very bad date and trying a cigarette for the first time (sorry, mom and dad, but if it helps, I hated it) and getting stuck in turnstiles and biking in scarily dense traffic while trying to navigate my way to Chez Janou for chocolate mousse and pissing off Dutch cyclists by walking in the wrong place and getting an itchy heat rash that took two days to fade and holding my own driving through the windy roads of Sicily and oops scratching the rental car and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea after quite publicly tripping over a slippery series of rocks on my way in.

And it was all perfect.

Hot Tip will be back with its regularly scheduled programming this week. xo, Alex

Previously on Hot Tip:

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I’ve learned a lot in just five days in Sicily. You can—and should—caramelize tomatoes with sugar and then put them on a pizza. If you’re just ordering one, it’s a panino (cannolo, arancino, etc.) but if you’re ordering two coffees, it’s cappuccini. Road signs and speed limits are more of a suggestion than a mandate. A rechargeable personal fan goes a long way inside a non-air-conditioned 17th-century church. Buy an extra suitcase for the pottery, if necessary (it is). And watching your dear friend marry a wonderful guy she met four years ago on Tinder in Rome in a perfect dress on a magical island with a giant tiramisu cake is exactly how all weddings should be.

New York primaries: It was a sweep for three Mamdani-endorsed candidates last night, including former city comptroller + mayoral candidate (and current big time cutie patootie!!!) , who beat incumbent Dan Goldman in a district covering parts of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.

In general clusterfucks: The Senate is officially calling for an end to the Iran war, after it’s already been happening for 117 days and thousands have died across the region. Mitch McConnell continues to be out of the office after being hospitalized ten days ago with no updated word as to his condition, from either the hospital or Satan.

And after 14 million dollars were spent to repaint the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool “American flag blue,” said paint is peeling, killing ducks, and causing green algae to grow rapidly. But don’t worry, Donny T has an ironclad theory as to what happened: vandals must have “very violently” cut the bottom of the pool with a “box cutter or a knife”, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he drove a 20,000 pound car on it last month, or the jugs of hydrogen peroxide he had poured into it, or the Trump donor he picked to clean it (who, hot tip, runs a company literally called Green Water Solutions. Apt name indeed, sir.)

Quick tips: The Air Force basic training hub is facing a massive flu outbreak just two months after proud non-hand-washer Pete Hegseth decided he would make the formerly mandatory flu shots optional. British PM Keir Starmer is following in the footsteps of his very recent forbears and resigning, meaning the country will soon get its sixth prime minister in seven years. And VP JD did an interview with his (currently pregnant with their fourth child) wife Usha Vance, patting her knee and saying “good to see ya” in a way that screams “we’ve fucked approximately four times.”

And a little bit of etc: Qantas Airways is launching a 22-hour direct flight between Sydney and London next year, huge news for everyone who has ever flown in seat 47B near a clogged toilet and a screaming baby and wished “this, but for 12 more hours please!!!” 44-year-old Serena Williams will be playing singles at Wimbledon as a wild card, in addition to doubles with her sister, Venus. And the definitely global-warming-driven heatwave covering the entire continent of Europe has prompted creative cooling methods, from free cinema tickets in Paris to shorter school days in Amsterdam. Personally, I’m spritzing myself with this hypochlorous acid spray several times a day, drinking ample amounts of Gatorade, and eating as much gelato as my 32-year-old Jewish stomach will allow.

If reading this newsletter makes you feel even more chic and funny than you already are, consider supporting Hot Tip for just $30/year—and get extra goodies, too. Or you can buy me a coffee.

Hot Takes: Dana Schwartz

is a New York Times best-selling author, host of two different podcasts, screenwriter, mom, co-author of a new dark academia romance novel called ‘The Arcane Arts ‘—which, yes, she will be adapting into a movie—and also my friend. I wanted to know how she took her coffee, and a few other things.

The best breakfast in Los Angeles: The pancakes at Bar Sinizki.

I think people should worry less about: I’m not the person to ask about this. I worry about everything.

A hill I will die on: Most concerts aren’t worth the hassle. Look, I know this is an incredibly lame opinion, but when you consider the parking, the waiting, the crowds, the late hours….. Actually, just thinking about it is making me claustrophobic. I don’t want to be that close to strangers’ bodies! I will listen to music in the comfort of my own home.

How I take my coffee: Black, but I’m not smug about it.

Somewhere I’ve never visited but always dreamt of going: Japan. I was planning on going, but then I got pregnant and it seemed like I should delay a trip involving hot baths and lots of raw fish, but now it’s hard to find a chance to go because I have a toddler.

Somewhere I’ve gone multiple times and will be going again: London. It’s my favorite city in the world. I try to go as often as I can for the museums and to see as many shows as I can possibly squeeze in. Did you know the British Museum has the Bayeux tapestry right now?!?!?! What are we doing here when we could be looking at that!

Ideal Saturday: Wake up slightly later than normal, go out to brunch with my baby and husband. Take Arthur (baby) to the park while I drink a giant iced coffee. Put Arthur down for a nap and go on a hike (from a bakery to a bookstore), then read in the park for several hours. Cook dinner while watching a Nancy Meyers movie playing in the background, and then get a babysitter to go out and see a movie in a theater.

Secret talent: I have no secret talents, they have all been monetized.

I would like to personally thank the inventor of: Pilot Razor Point pens.

The correct way to dress at the airport is: Let’s not re-invent the wheel here—comfortable, baggy jeans, a t-shirt, a sweater, and sneakers. Easy!

My ideal adult summer camp would be: No internet, lots of time to read and talk about books, and workshop writing projects. Probably in the English countryside?

An underrated literary character I think about a lot: He’s not underrated, but Stevens from The Remains of the Day is a character that has stuck with me for years.

The best kind of book club snack: A cheese plate. Although for my last book club, we read Yesteryear and I made homemade bread. Oooh! That can be my secret talent.

My new book is for anyone who: Has several graduate school application tabs open and/or has ever had sexual fantasies about a professor.

Previously on Hot Tip:

Btw: Sales from any affiliate links included in this email generate a small commission for me, at no additional cost to the buyer—but I only promote products I actually use, love, and pay for myself.

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Welcome back to this very special edition of Hot Tip, the summer guide!!!!!! As always, I polled some of the coolest, smartest, and hottest people I know to give you their best tips, tricks, and recommendations heading into June + July, because the world may be bad (politics, general vibes, White House Cage Fighting Match™️) but there are also many, many good things to do and try (tomato sammies, Meryl Streep-narrated audiobooks, Edinburgh Fringe, Philly water ices, etc.)

TOMATO GIRL SUMMER

• Capitalize on tomato season by making a vat of gazpacho! If you love hot soup on a cold day, you're gonna love cold soup on a hot day! I like to riff on this NYT times recipe, and will sometimes add whatever veggies call my name—a red pepper, some avocado—into the mix. — Zoe, Copywriter

• My favorite things to splurge on in the summer are giant beefsteak tomatoes from the farmer's market to make BLTs—a perfect sandwich, imo. The key is a thick, salted tomato slice and a generous heap of mayo (on both sides). Good bacon helps but isn't necessary, as it should be secondary to that gorgeous tomato. I am extremely passionate about this, and my love of summer BLTs get me through our most abysmal, sweltering days in New York. — Jennifer,

• Tomatoes! TLDR: make a bunch of tomato sauce, soup, etc. and can/freeze it. Tomatoes in the summer are amazing, and the rest of the year they suck. AND if you care to know why this is the case, listen to the “Tomatoes: A Love Story” episode of Gastropod. — Aaron, Self-described “produce snob”

  

• A not-groundbreaking-but-hits-everytime, 3-for-1 summer tip: an al fresco lunch break with iced coffee, heirloom tomato on toast, Elin Hilderbrand novel on lap. — Carly, Illustrator, Carly Martin Studio

OTHER SNACKS + BITES

• For the perfect light summer appetizer try these Dilly Snap Peas from Eating Well Magazine. Everyone always asks for the recipe! So easy to prepare, just delicious, and so pretty, too. Just make sure you use dill seed and not dill weed. — Annette, my mom!!!!

• I can’t believe I’m done gatekeeping this, but my go-to “bring to a summer gathering” treat is a cobbler. Sounds simple!!! And here’s the secret… it is. I combine the filling from this recipe (could be anything—I use peaches and blackberries) with the topping from THIS recipe, a simple shortbread that is truly so good that you’ll be eating it from the bowl. I promise this is the way, the truth, the light. Summer is for cobbler. — Michelle, TV Writer + Producer

• (Philly) John’s Water Ice!! 10/10. Always worth waiting in line for the storefront, or follow @johnswatericetruck to see where they'll pop up around the beautiful city of Philadelphia! — Jordyn, Veterinarian

• I love a summer BBQ, but here is my pitch: vegetarians do not want to eat Impossible Burgers. Give us VEGGIE burgers or BEAN burgers. We love beans! The floppy veggie burgers that fell apart at the shiver of a spatula are mostly a thing of the past. They adhere now! Food science is a marvel. But the meat substitutes scare us and leave us hovering over the grillmaster, worried that our franken-burger is going to be swapped with the real deal and send us into a poolside existential crisis. Save the substitutes for the cholesterol-conscious carnivores, and the veggie freaks in your life will thank you. — Jill, Development Executive

• After being pregnant for nine months, I'm ready for a raw bar summer. Leaning into seafood in all of its forms. — Ali,

• The perfect summer lunch is a snack plate. Bonus points if you eat it outside! My favorite snacks to include right now are fresh mozzarella (preferably the kind packed in water), peaches or apricots, and these lemon-stuffed olives from Trader Joe’s. — Skylar,

IN YOUR BAG

• When I tell you that I cannot live without my Bink, I am not actually speaking hyperbolically, because it’s the only reason I drink any water, which we apparently “need” for “survival.” I love the Day Bottle and I LIVE for the Lounge Straw Cap. Their color selection is primo, as is the chic, functional, and dishwasher safe combo of silicone and glass. 10/10. — Grace, Writer

• This tip is for my fellow migraine girlies! Do you get headaches from bright sunlight? Theraspecs sunglasses are here for you. Created by a husband and wife who both suffer from migraines, these sunglasses have changed the game for me. Now I can go for super sunny hot girl walks in the middle of the day without fearing neurological punishment. Wishing everyone a headache-free summer!!! — Azza, Documentary Filmmaker,

• Allow me, if you will, to talk about the bags themselves. I recently purchased this ludicrously capacious (compliment) Calpak carry-on bag for my upcoming Eurotrip, knowing I wanted something that could fit my laptop, my toiletries, and the dress for my friend’s wedding in Sicily—just in case my luggage doesn’t make it right away. It’s made in part from 27 recycled water bottles, and who doesn’t love a purchase that makes them feel both chic and like a good person at the same time? For daytime excursions with enough room for my camera + wallet, I remain obsessed with the baggu loaf bag, which weighs .03 lbs (estimated purely based on vibes), is super cute, and lies flat in my suitcase. Also: Have a friend getting married in Sicily. Huge win for me, personally. — Alex, Hot Tip Curator-in-Chief

ON YOUR BOD

• If you’re traveling to Europe this summer, buy sunscreen there & bring it home! I find the quality and the protection is much better. Stock up! — Courtney, EVP Client Services

• Coco and Eve Self-Tanner (currently on big time sale!) — Caroline, Actor

• I keep a tin of Fat and the Moon Lip Salve in every important corner of my world: bedside table, bathroom drawer, desk, backpack, car. Running out is not an option. Support this beautiful small business of good-smelling, healthful tonics and potions. (I am also a huge fan of their Bod Cleanse and Bod Oils.) — Lex, Writer

• Get a good tinted moisturizer. You want something to even out your skin tone while allowing the evidence of summer—your sun-kissed cheeks and freckles—to shine through. I recently grabbed a bottle of Make Up For Ever’s Super Boost Skin Tint after seeing Devon Lee Carlson rave about it. I can confidently say it lives up to the hype. — Rebecca,

If reading this newsletter makes you feel even more chic and funny than you already are, consider supporting Hot Tip for just $30/year—and get extra goodies, too. Or you can buy me a coffee.

SUMMER SCENES

• Got summer travel plans? Download some audiobooks to get you through long flights/drives. I just finished my annual re-listen to the best audiobook of all time: Meryl Streep reading Nora Ephron's Heartburn. — Brennan, Writer + Journalist

• It is a truth universally acknowledged that THE OTHER BENNET SISTER is set to be your next summer obsession. Six episodes of this warm, delightful, moving, and utterly charming show have already dropped on Britbox (and yes, it’s worth the subscription!), with the finale coming out by the end of June. Starring the absolutely endearing Ella Bruccoleri and the world’s soon-to-be Irish boyfriend, Dónal Finn (my fellow musical theatre girlies know him as the West End’s original Orpheus!), this show has already captured my heart and will be your summer hyper fixation. — Brenna, Performer

• One Day by David Nicholls. Emma and Dexter first meet on July 15th, 1988, the night they graduate college—or “uni” I guess, since it’s the UK 🙄. The book follows their lives over the next two decades, but we only see them on July 15th each year. Whether they’re together, apart, or not even on speaking terms, their love for each other remains strong—even if it’s not always evident on the surface. One Day is about a relationship, but I wouldn’t say it’s a romance, definitely not a romcom. The Netflix show is incredible as well, and—though I can’t believe I’m saying this as a person who loves books more than life—I’m actually glad I watched the Netflix show before reading the book?? Enjoy, but don’t blame me for any strong emotional response you may have to this book! — Megan,

• IS GOD IS by Aleshea Harris (it was a play, is now a movie in wide release, maybe avail for VOD by the time you read this). It's a contemporary Greek drama, tinged with Tarantino, the Coen Brothers, and a singular perspective all Aleshea's own. If you're craving a new and fully realized cinematic voice, complete with bulge and butt shots of Sterling K. Brown, look no further. — Chase, Writer + Photographer

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

• My friend Emma just introduced me to this one (shoutout Emma!) If you live in California, you can rent a state park pass for free from the library! I went into a branch to rent one thinking, “This is too good to be true...” but guess what? It was smooth as heck! I got my free pass, and I’m going hiking tomorrow. — Mary, Screenwriter

• If you live in the LA area, I grew up going to R.A.T. Beach in Palos Verdes, which stands for Right After Torrance. Parking is plentiful and because it’s a sandy beach set adjacent to a dramatic cliffside, if you squint, it feels like you’re in Italy. It’s my happy place. Also, this bathing suit is stupid expensive, but I’ve been waiting for them to get this color back in stock for a YEAR. — Leah,

• (LA) I can’t believe I’m going to blow up my spot but there’s nothing lovelier than sitting outside at Village Pizzeria on Larchmont with a slice of pizza, a glass of wine, and a good book. You don’t need Great White or Max & Helen’s. — Lily, Extra Special

• (Chicago) Pizza Portofino’s patio when they open at 11. Super kid-friendly while still a little vibe, multiple types of spritzes for mom, watch all the boats pass by, bonus if you take the CTA home for a fun toddler adventure. — Anna, Finance Manager

THE GREAT INDOORS

• (NYC) Shameless plug: Check out Oberon, the restaurant opening in the expanded New Museum this summer. The OMA-designed restaurant is made primarily of carbon-storing cork and features commissioned works by artists Ian Cheng, Laurie Anderson, + Minjae Kim and an approachable, seasonal menu by Julia Sherman. Post-lunch and dinner services, the space transforms into an after-hours culture destination for premium cocktails and late-night bites with access through Freeman’s Alley. — Larry, Restaurant Operator

• This is for my wfh hotties who don’t have access to a pool: Run a cold bath and then hop in and out all day. Even for just 5-10 mins, you can relax and really cool down without wasting a bunch of water or time waiting for the bath to fill. When London had a May heatwave (not great, not normal), I got into the same cold bath four times in one day. And I fully intend to beat my own record by September. — Amy,

• (LA) The local watering hole I will be frequenting to stay ~cool~ and to stay COOL is Tap with Howard in Silver Lake. You will NOT find a better spot for a thirst TAP ;) — Rachel, Nurse

• (LA + Edinburgh) Come see my clown show Boyoyoyoyoing at The Elysian in July and at Edinburgh Fringe all of August! CRANK IT. — Matt, Actor

• When things start to warm up in LA, I like to take in the cool air conditioning of a classic movie palace. Now that you can ride the D all the way to Wilshire/Fairfax, the Tedd Mann Theatre at the Academy Museum—feat. green velvet seats and superior sound—should rise to glory. — Benzi, Architect

Previously on Hot Tip:

Btw: Sales from any affiliate links included in this email generate a small commission, at no additional cost to the buyer—but I only promote products in these guides that my friends and I actually use, love, and pay for ourselves.

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