Barbara Herman

The one piece in my closet I absolutely can't live without is...
My "Cattitude: Deal With It" t-shirt.

Current obsession...
Mary MacLane's rediscovered 19th century memoir I Await the Devil's Coming. (Just look at the book cover.)

The one song I can listen to over and over and over to is...
Dark Dark Dark's "Daydreaming." It makes me think of summer days and the romance of New Orleans.

My must-have cheap thrill...
CoverGirl’s Natureluxe Gloss Balm in Peony. Its bright pinky-rose packs a color punch that remains sheer, while its mango/shea butter and SPF 15 condition and protect my lips. I can slick it on in the morning or as a touch-up during the day without a mirror, and for nights out, it adds a beautiful bright berry sheen to darker lipsticks. I’m hoarding this stuff in case it gets discontinued.

The latest trick I've picked up from the R29 editors is...
How to do ombré eyeliner. So chic!

Current food obsession...
Kale Caesar salad. I’m like the mom who hides nutritional food in comfort food to get her 5-year-old to eat well. And I'm the 5-year-old. Antioxidant-packed superfood kale, along with garlic and lemon, justify my ingesting the parmesan cheese, oil, egg yolks, and croutons that constitute the classic, rich Caesar dressing.

The one song I can listen to over and over...and over is...
Two come to mind. One of the best remakes ever — Le Nouvelle Vague’s “Making Plans for Nigel,” originally by XTC. Dreamy, poignant, and sexy. And my “I’m too old for this but I love it anyway” jam — Cali Swag District’s “Teach Me How to Dougie.” (Hides face.)

Next up on my Netflix is...
Any new episodes of the wacktastic American Horror Story, to see Jessica Lange chew the scenery with her crazy Southern matriarch shtick, and to catch another glimpse of the ghost in the full-body, fetish vinyl zip-up costume.