2025's hottest tips, both niche and practical
+ some exclusively good news
Welcome welcome welcome to the final Hot Tip of 2025! Featuring some uplifting quick news tips, a list of everything I most loved and enjoyed this year that has the official Hot Tip stamp of approval, plus some niche tips for those among us that I’ve noticed need a little extra guidance. Thank you all for a great year!!!!!!
As a reminder, paid subscriptions are currently discounted through New Years, so if you love Hot Tip and want to help me make more of it in 2026, click the button below to get everything for just $24 next year. Exclusively good news: Travel god Rick Steves is also a great guy, buying a community hygiene center that provides showers, meals, and clothing to people in need; it was set to close before he stepped in. Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour are the 2026 Met Gala co-chairs, celebrating “Costume Art.” And in a true Hanukkah miracle, big time MAGA bigot Elise Stefanik abandoned her bid for New York governor and is also leaving Congress.
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1. FILMS:
The Phoenician Scheme. Wes Anderson lost me for a bit with his last few films, but this one is up there with The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest Hotel among my all-time favs. Surprisingly heartfelt, extremely beautiful, and very funny. Benicio del Toro will (rightly) get a lot of attention for One Battle After Another, but don’t sleep on this performance.
Splitsville. Hardest I’ve laughed in a long time. Exceptionally directed, featuring the best fight scene maybe ever. An actual rom com, cough cough.
Sorry, Baby. For whenever you’re in the mood to really feel your feelings. Written, directed by, and starring Eva Victor. A masterpiece.
Sinners. Cinema is back, baby!!! In the form of Michael B. Jordan playing twins in 1930s Mississippi being attacked by vampires. Ryan Coogler, god bless you.
Marty Supreme. Timmy does in fact deserve all the awards. This movie is very intense and stressful, but it’s also really good. I’ve seen it twice now, and that’s enough for a while, due to the aforementioned stress. Give Josh Safdie the Oscar, though.
First Wives Club. Not a 2025 film, but we lost Diane Keaton this year, so I watched it for the first time. 103 minutes of pure joy, silly nonsense, and sweet revenge. Five stars.
2. BE A LITTLE MORE CREATIVE WITH YOUR SECURITY SYSTEM PASSWORD:
3. DON’T SHIT ALL OVER YOUR COWORKERS TO VANITY FAIR AND THEN GET MAD WHEN THEY DIRECTLY QUOTE YOU.
4. TV SHOWS:
The Gilded Age S3. This perfect, beautiful show is a hill I will die on. Featuring Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Christine Baranski, and the line of the year.
Andor S2. Of all the times to watch a show about fascism happening in plain sight, now would be the moment. The best that Star Wars has been since the originals—dare I say better? Would watch 100 more seasons, but this was sadly the end.
The Pitt S1. Look, we alllllll know how I feel about Noah Wyle. But the handsome bearded doctor alone couldn’t get me, a raging hypochondriac, to watch an emergency room procedural. It’s just a really, really good show. I’ve never seen character development like this over the course of just a 15-hour day. Bra-fuckin-vo.
The Studio S1. Perhaps a little too inside baseball for some, but watching Martin Scorsese be forced into helming a Kool Aid movie scratches an itch for a lot of us here in LA.
The Rehearsal S2. Nathan Fielder is a brilliant, evil maniac, and he can fly a commercial airliner. This was like nothing I had ever seen before, and to try to describe it in a sentence or two would be a disservice to its genius.
5. SAVE YOUR MONEY.
6. BUT ALSO SPEND IT ON NICE EXPERIENCES.
7. GROCERY ITEMS:
Trader Joe’s Sheep’s Milk Halloumi. Most painfully, it’s a seasonal item, and one I will be sure to stock up on come summer. My winter eggs simply aren’t the same without it.
le zette Sheep’s Milk Labneh. I really wasn’t going for a sheep’s milk theme here, I’m just not great with dairy in my 30s and these products are a) delicious b) local and c) digestible. (Hot tip: You can read my interview with le zette founder Ishika Das Desmukh at the bottom of this newsletter.)
Burlap & Barrel spices. The cheap ones at the grocery store are cheap for a reason. These spices are so fresh and flavorful, the company supports small, sustainable farms all over the world, and they have a great bundle deal, too.
Califia Farms non-dairy creamers. I loved the maple seasonal flavor, but they’re all great. So creamy, just sweet enough, and in my mind, healthyish. If this is incorrect, I don’t wanna know. Just let me have these.
Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips. Idk what cassava really is, and I don’t care. I just know these chips rock and don’t have corn—another sensitivity I developed in my 30s. It’s giving—
8. SOME MEN WILL TANK YOUR CAREER. OTHER MEN WILL BRING BACK POLIO. BUT SOME MEN WILL TANK YOUR CAREER AND BRING BACK POLIO. SO MAYBE JUST DON’T?
9. MUSIC:
Olivia Dean, The Art of Loving. There is perhaps no better song this year than “Man I Need,” and the entire album is so, so beautiful. Just get in the car and drive to it.
Lily Allen, West End Girl. The best storytelling album of 2025, particularly “Tennis” and “Madeline.” Heartbreaking excellence.
Sabrina Carpenter, Man’s Best Friend. At first I didn’t like it as much as ‘Short n' Sweet,’ but it really grew on me. “Nobody’s Son” takes the cake pour moi.
Djo, The Crux Deluxe. Did you know Stranger Things’ Joe Keery is an excellent musician that sounds loosely like a modern-day Wings-era Paul McCartney? This is a great album, esp. “Purgatory Silverstar” and “Basic Being Basic.”
Raye’s single “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” The boppiest bop of 2025.
Huntr/x. Yes, KPop Demon Hunters is as good as everyone says, esp. the music.
10. SPACE IS FOR ASTRONAUTS.
11. RESTAURANTS:
Cafe Yaya, Chicago. As a non-pork eater, I’m easily won over by a different variety of bacon on the menu. But beyond the lamb bacon, this place hits in all regards—the pastries especially. The best breakfast I had in 2025.
Max & Helen’s, Los Angeles. Somebody fed Alex, and she was so full she had to walk six miles after. Come for the hot chocolate with the perfectly burnt marshmallow, stay for the immaculate east coast diner vibes and house-made hot sauce. The tuna melt is a dream, too.
Meroma, Mexico City. The best pasta I had this year was their orecchiette with lamb merguez—not to mention the best margarita I’ve ever had in all my 32 years. Hot tip: All the food in this city was incredible, and you can get Michelin star tacos on a budget.
12. HABITS:
Morning walks around the block. I
read an articlesaw a TikTok about the importance of morning light exposure, and whether it was just placebo or not, I definitely feel more awake and active when I take a five minute walk outside in the sunlight before my coffee/extended sitting.Planners. Yes, multiple. I love having desk calendars and planners (esp. everything Rifle Paper Co.) where I can physically write things down with a pen in my hand—how retro. I find it stays more in my memory than when I just put things in Google Calendar.
More water. I wish it wasn’t this simple, but it is. As someone who has been perpetually dehydrated since 2009, turns out water really makes a difference in how you feel? I got an Owala tumbler because it’s cute, large, and it actually fits in my car cupholder as well as the treadmill’s.
13. SKIN, HAIR, AND BODY CARE:
Magic Molecule. The hypochlorous acid ~everything~ spray. I mostly use it on KP, acne, and post-gym, pre-shower skin.
Ouai Thick Hair Treatment Mask. My thick af wavy hair has never felt more soft and moisturized than after I use this mask, once a week or so.
Maison Margiela From The Garden perfume. It lasts truly all day and has a lovely, subtle garden smell without being overly floral. You won’t piss off any seatmates on the plane with this one, promise.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Vitamin C Serum. This is the single expensive skincare item that I buy, and it (maybe) has magical powers. It goes on post-Caudalie grape water spray, pre-retinol and moisturizer, and my skin has never looked better. I’ve been asked several times this year if I got botox (I haven’t), and I truly believe it’s because of this product.
14. THIS ONE IS FOR ANDREW CUOMO: GO AWAY.
15. AT HOME:
Victrola 6-in-1 Record Player. I don’t own many CDs or cassettes, but this record player can play them, in addition to records (duh) and bluetooth. It’s a really cute, functional upgrade from my first player, which broke this year, and it sounds great.
Our Place Titanium Pan. I wanted something non-stick that doesn’t have any gross chemicals on it, and this one has been great for my morning eggs—just be sure to follow the instructions to keep it in good condish!!
Gevi Espresso Machine. This cutie lil coffee maker has upped my at-home game (I started with cold brew concentrate, so that wasn’t hard, but my new lattes are great.) It’s easy to use and clean and now I save at least $8 a day because tariffs and LA.
And to find your second favorite coffee shop:
16. DON’T INVENT A FAKE PEACE PRIZE FOR A CREEPY MANCHILD IF YOU WANT ME TO TAKE YOU SERIOUSLY. YES, I’M TALKING TO YOU, FIFA.
17. OTHER NEWSLETTERS I RECOMMEND:
mindholiday by Bella Darden. Bella writes so thoughtfully about travel (both city-specific guides and general vacation tips), and also about things like optimizing PTO and intentional goal setting in the new year.
mom friend by Jennifer Cook. I am a fashion novice, and I am deeply grateful for Jen’s professional, fun guidance on how to dress in not sweatpants (or, depending on the day, v chic sweatpants.)
oh eight by Gabby Whiten. Gabby’s weekly letters feature great recs and a beautiful mini magazine that has me longing for the days of print media.
18. KEEP PUTTING JOSH O’CONNOR IN EVERYTHING.
19. GOOD THINGS CAN HAPPEN IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IF WE EXPLICITLY IGNORE CHUCK SCHUMER AND HAKEEM JEFFRIES.
20. HOTTEST TIPS IN CASE YOU MISSED ‘EM:
Love this roundup, Alex! Your Hot Tips are the perfect mix of joy, practicality, and just the right amount of chaos – exactly what I needed to close out 2025. And the films and music recs are giving me my entire 2026 watchlist and playlist. Thank you for curating with such a sharp, funny, and human eye.
This is an excellent round-up