I tried little-known hack to get into £2.5m rooftop spa with views of city's skyline
There's a little-known trick to gaining access to all its facilities. The £2.5m Jayde spa was introduced to Parliament Square by Legacie Developments as part of their £90m project for the area.
It is situated on Greenland Street, just a short stroll from the Baltic Market. But as I discovered, there's no need to go anywhere else as the square provides everything required for a heavenly experience.
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The 5,000-square-foot spa features a swimming pool with panoramic views, mirrored ceilings, a Jacuzzi, an ice bath, a sauna, a gym, and a steam room. This impressive array of amenities is usually only available to residents of the Legacie Development Tower.
However, thanks to TikTok, I managed to get in. As many of the spa's viral social media posts suggest, if you book an ESPA inner calm massage, you can upgrade your treatment with a two-hour spa pass for an additional £30.
After my visit on a sunny Wednesday morning, I'd argue it's worth every penny. Before even setting foot in the spa, I took advantage of the gym sessions on offer. I chose a £15 Barre class which was a first for me.
The full-body workout combined the elegance and grace of ballet with the core-strengthening and flexibility benefits of Pilates, all under the watchful eye of instructor Lauren.
The small class size of just five people created an intimate setting which allowed each participant to fully benefit from the workout.
The next day, my legs were undeniably heavy, yet this was a minor inconvenience compared to the surge of endorphins I experienced as the hour-long session concluded.
Post-workout, I found myself craving some downtime, and the spa's top floor provided the perfect sanctuary. For someone like me, who is in the thick of marathon training, this luxurious retreat was a revelation.
The spa's finishing touches are stunning. Basking in the sunlight coming through the windows, it became apparent why securing a spot here requires booking well in advance.
My indulgence at the spa included being wrapped in a soft robe, donning slippers, sipping cucumber water, and enjoying a nutritious green shake to enhance my radiance.
I got a facial massage to finish off my relaxing visit. This treatment was customised to suit my skin type and account for any past sensitivities.
After the 30-minute indulgence, my skin felt deeply moisturised and revitalised, and still does several days on. Although, for the 'general public', there are several hoops to get through to get booked into the spa, they are ones definitely worth jumping through if you ever get the chance.
Having said that, the Jayde Spa has opened to the public for a limited time to honour Stress Awareness Month - something I was blissfully unaware off until my visit but will certainly be taking advantage off while I can.
You can get a public spa access for the next few weeks for £49. This entitles you a two-hour session between Monday to Friday either at 11am, 1pm or 3pm.
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9 hours ago
- NBC News
How to survive the summer, according to the season's biggest haters
For What It's Worth is a live podcast about the stuff we use, the trends we question and the products we can't stop talking about. Stream new episodes bi-weekly on YouTube, hosted by NBC Select editorial director Lauren Swanson and NBC Select reporter Zoe Malin. Shop our product picks below and on Amazon. Surviving the hot, sweaty, humid summer is quite the feat, especially during this year's seemingly never-ending heat waves. Often, doing so requires you to call in the reinforcements: products that keep you as cool, hydrated and sunburn -free as possible. In the inaugural episode of For What It's Worth, NBC Select's live podcast, hosts Lauren Swanson, editorial director, and Zoe Malin, reporter, break down their summer essentials and hacks that help them cope with unbearable temperatures. Episode transcript ZOE: I remember my first summer moving back to the city after living in Chicago for a few years, and it was the first day we were back in office since 2020. It was right after Labor Day, and it was at least 90-something degrees. I walked out of my apartment, and I think I must have forgotten how to dress because I was walking to the office, I live 15 minutes away, drenched. I was dying. And I was walking up to the door to get into the office, and I was like, Oh my god, I'm meeting half these people for the first time in person today. This is so embarrassing. And I opened the door, and I'm like, oh my god, we all look this way. We are all sweating through our clothes. We all look dead inside. I was like, Wow, okay, this is kind of nice to know that we're in it together. Because we all feel the same way. There's no enjoying this. You're being cooked. LAUREN: You're being cooked from the inside out. You're like the lobster in the pot. ZOE: That's how I feel, like I'm being air fried. LAUREN: So that's what we're going to talk about today. ZOE: How to manage it. How to just get through it. LAUREN: How to get through summer. This is Zoe, I'm Lauren. ZOE: Let's chat. LAUREN: And we're going to talk about summer. Welcome back. ZOE: Welcome back on the hottest day on planet Earth, Lauren: On the hottest day in 12 years in New York. ZOE: That makes me sick. It actually makes me sick. When I looked at the weather app and I saw 98, 97, 100, I felt nauseous. I felt anxiety bubble in my whole body. LAUREN: What's the real feel? ZOE: The real feel is 100% at least 104. LAUREN: 103, close. ZOE: I really can't with it. Is this going to be a no-outside-run summer? LAUREN: This is like a snow day. ZOE: Right! LAUREN: We shouldn't have had work today. ZOE: Exactly, I feel the same way. LAUREN: We should have all stayed inside. I had to check on my 90-year-old neighbors and be like, Do you need groceries? Please stay inside. ZOE: Seriously. LAUREN: Nobody should be outside right now. ZOE: I agree. Once I realized that there's nothing I like about this, I decided that I'm just going to be a summer hater, and that's going to be part of my identity. And some people are like, you're nuts. And then other people are like, you know what? I actually agree with you. We should all just say it. But it also is very different when you're in a city versus suburb, I think. In the city – LAUREN: You're outside, you walk everywhere. ZOE: You have no choice but to walk and to be outdoors. Even if you're trying to limit being outdoors, you still have to do it at some point. But I was thinking back to when I was an intern at my local newspaper many years ago, and I was living in the suburbs, so I'd wake up, work out inside, then shower, then get into my air conditioned car, then go to my air conditioned office, then get back in my air conditioned car, and then go to my air conditioned home. LAUREN: You're like, what do people complain about? This is lovely. ZOE: The only thing I had to complain about was walking from my car in the parking lot to the office. So I was really not suffering. You're suffering here in the city. LAUREN: You're suffering, the trash smells on the sidewalk, everything smells, everything's wrong, we're all miserable. But at least, like you said, we're miserable together. ZOE: But I feel like the interesting thing is when you meet people who have never had a summer in the city, and they are like, What do I do? What do I wear? I love those people. Because I just feel like, let me stand on my soapbox for a moment here. And it is interesting that we all have our little tricks to just survive. LAUREN: Great segway, Zoe. What are your tips? What are your tricks? ZOE: Well, you have to have a neck fan. You must. LAUREN: You got yours from Amazon? ZOE: I literally don't even know why that was the one, but I was just like, This looks fantastic, and it is. I'm obsessed with it. I charge it every night. You don't have to do that, but I just cannot have this thing break down. LAUREN: You can't be mid-subway commute and then have it absolutely crash. ZOE: Absolutely not. I would die. I also think one thing for me that is so key is you need to be as cool as humanly possible before you leave your home. In my tiny little bathroom, when I'm doing my makeup, it's so hot, so I have an enormous fan blasting and I'm freezing. I feel like that prepares me well to go outside because then at least my body temperature is starting low. I'm not starting high, which I feel like is important. I also have these body wipes that I keep in my bag because you feel so disgusting. You always feel disgusting in the city, that's part of life, but especially when you're hot and disgusting, there's literally nothing worse to me than feeling that way and having to be at the office for eight hours, or go to dinner with your friends. I can't enjoy being there because I'm so uncomfortable. So I carry those everywhere, and they smell lovely, and you really feel like you just took a shower. LAUREN: Which ones are they? ZOE: I think they're from the brain, Yuni. I'm almost positive. And I discovered them last year. I originally got them because I would wipe off after a run and then go to brunch with my friends or something. But then I was like, I need to subscribe and save — this is one of my subscribe and save items — and carry these with me all summer. Taking four or five seconds to wipe yourself off after you're in the heat, you feel like a new person. That's huge. I also think my water bottle sling is essential. LAUREN: Calpak? ZOE: The Calpak one. Fantastic. Oh, and a cooling towel, of course. I am a huge cooling towel person. LAUREN: That's another Amazon one? ZOE: The Sunkeen Amazon ones are the bomb. They come in a pack of four, and I will use them at home right before I leave, again, to lower your body temperature. But also, I always put one in a Stasher Bag and keep it in my bag because then it stays freezing, and you can use it whenever you want and carry it around. LAUREN: That's a good tip. Okay, so rank them. What's your rank? Build your team. ZOE: I would say neck fan first. LAUREN: That's your non-negotiable. ZOE: Yes, I'm not leaving the house without that this time of year. LAUREN: And you have the one that's – ZOE: That's around your neck. And I was like, is this going to be bulky and annoying? No. LAUREN: You see them everywhere now. I feel like last year was the first year that I started seeing them everywhere. I don't think I've seen them in previous years. ZOE: Me either. I honestly never heard of them. Maybe they were around, but I just didn't notice. LAUREN: They honestly look like a pair of headphones. ZOE: They totally do. LAUREN: I brought mine one time on a picnic in the park, and I think I sold about four. ZOE: I believe it. LAUREN: I'm like, here's my Amazon link. ZOE: People experience it one time if they try yours, and they cannot go without it again. I want to get another one, not a neck fan, but there's one that I see on TikTok that you clip to your pants and then air blows up your body. LAUREN: Have you seen the one that's a hat? It has fans on it. ZOE: I've seen that, too. LAUREN: I feel like you should get it. ZOE: I feel like I should get every fan imaginable, and then you'll hear me whirling. LAUREN: Oh, Zoe's coming. ZOE: Literally. So my neck fan is non-negotiable. LAUREN: That's your starter. ZOE: Then I would say the cooling towel. Lauren: Number two. ZOE: Then the body wipes, then the water bottle sling. Because the water bottle sling is a nice to have. LAUREN: It's good for a walk. ZOE: Right, but I don't think it's mandatory. I do love it, I will say. It's the best. It's so nice, too, because it has pockets. I put my keys in there, my AirPods, my phone — the bomb. LAUREN: Do you go on walks a lot in the summer? ZOE: I try to not ever go outside in the summer, but if I have to walk somewhere — for example, the grocery store, take my dog to daycare, go to an appointment — then I bring it. I don't even use a purse. I'll just use that. LAUREN: What are your fitness roles in the summer? What do you do? Because you're a runner, and we were just talking about the joys of running in the summer. ZOE: Oh, yes. So joyful. LAUREN: What do you do instead? Do you do the treadmill as much as possible? ZOE: My philosophy is to minimize suffering in the summer, so I will not run outside. If it's a cooler day and I can run really early or really late, fine, I'll do it. But it's not just the temperature, it's the humidity. Like, I cannot breathe, you know? LAUREN: Yes, and then it's more like swimming than running. ZOE: Exactly. And I don't know about you, but if I have a bad run, I get so depressed. LAUREN: I'm sad, I'm angry, the rest of my day is ruined. ZOE: I'm always like, I shouldn't have even run. LAUREN: I might as well have walked. ZOE: It doesn't even count. No, you literally just ran 10 miles. It counts, but you just feel so gross, so I would rather run on the treadmill. I'm fine with it. I tell myself that this is a moment in time, it's fine, I know I will have a better run. So, I'll just run inside. There are days that I'm like, it's a little overcast, the humidity is not horrible, so if I run at six AM or really late at night, it's fine. Most of the time, though, I'll just go inside. I just can't. I've had two experiences, one last summer and then one before that, where I really thought I was going to throw up. I was like, I don't know if I'm going to make it through this run. And that made me feel like, you can never do this again. LAUREN: Especially with the hills in the park — those will kill you, plus the heat and the humidity. Last year, I was walking up the hills, and I was like, what is wrong with me? I'm not going to be able to make it through the marathon. I can't even walk up this freaking hill. I'm on mile one. I had to stop at every water station. ZOE: I think the other thing people don't remember is how your muscles seize, and that scares me, too. My calves will hurt so badly, and that feeling is very scary to me. LAUREN: Then it's time for a swim. That might be my game plan anytime during the heat wave. I don't think I'm going to run. I think I'm just going to go to the pool. ZOE: So many people do that. But if you're training for a marathon, or you're just a runner or whatever, I think you need to accept that you have to go slower. LAUREN: That's such a non-runner thing to do, though. They'll run through a broken foot. I had a broken toe, and I was like, I think I can run the Brooklyn Half. ZOE: I've done that, too. LAUREN: Like, no. You're crazy. ZOE: But you have to accept it because it does not have anything to do with you. It's your circumstances. But it's such a hard thing to accept and it sucks. LAUREN: All right, so, what do you do for beauty in the heat? ZOE: I try not to wear makeup. LAUREN: What are your starting players for beauty in the heat? Do you use spritzes, sprays? ZOE: I'll use a hypochlorous acid spray if I'm really sweaty, but I really try not to wear makeup. I can't handle the feeling of it on my face. LAUREN: Do you ever go in with a tinted moisturizer? ZOE: Yes, I'll do tinted sunscreen, and that's it. I can't do anything else. I physically cannot do it. If it's really, really hot, I won't even do a tinted sunscreen. I'll just do sunscreen, period, done, move on, because I know that I'm going to be so insanely hot. I also will carry around those little wipes since you can use them on your face, too. And I'll wipe my face off so I feel clean. I would rather not wear makeup. I can't handle it. LAUREN: What about hair? Because you have curly hair. ZOE: Yes, my hair expands. LAUREN: What's your curl type? ZOE: I have no idea. LAUREN: We'll figure out. ZOE: I will walk outside and feel my hair growing, just expanding. So if it's a day that I need to wear my hair down for something, I'll just kind of accept that it's going to be larger than life. Then, other days, I will slick it back. I have a hair wax stick, and I don't know what brand it is, but I love it. I'll put my hair in a braid and call it a day. I can't deal with it. LAUREN: That's what I do, too. On these hot days, it's a banana clip, it's a claw clip, it's hair up. Don't even worry about it. ZOE: It's not worth it. LAUREN: But my hair isn't curly so that makes it a little easier. ZOE: I feel like that's part of the reason I hate the summer. Curly hair is not built for the summer. It's simply not. People are always like, Your hair is curlier, and it looks more defined in the humidity. That's great, but I feel like my head is 17 times its average size. I just feel it. LAUREN: Like a bobble head. ZOE: Yes! I once took a video, I have to find it, of me right before I left the house and what my hair looked like. And then, after 10 minutes outside, it looked like I'd been electrocuted. It grows that much. It's not a good time. LAUREN: Crazy, I hate it. I have a good hack, though. I used to use this a lot. In my first apartment in the city, I was too cheap to run the air conditioner, but I had one, so I'd sometimes use it. In my second apartment, I only had an air conditioner in the living room, and I was too cheap to buy one for the bedroom. So I would run a fan with a bowl of ice near it because I was thinking, oh, let me DIY this. It did not work. I would be nice and cold in the shower, but the second I stepped out, I was instantly warm. The second I took the ice out of the freezer, it instantly melted. It did not work. But I learned this one hack that when you're outside and it's really hot, if you put a little peppermint oil behind your neck, then every time any little bit of wind catches it, it sends shivers down your spine. ZOE: I love this. LAUREN: You have to reapply it every 15 or 20 minutes, and some people are sensitive to peppermint oil, so it can cause a little rash, but who cares? It's in the back. ZOE: I feel the same way. LAUREN: And it works. ZOE: I want to do this. I'll try anything. LAUREN: We were just talking about this. I feel like I'm bleeding money right now with the air conditioning unit, trying to keep my little Bombay cat nice and cool. And he has no idea it's 104 degrees outside. He's in a perfect, air-conditioned, 68-degree apartment, nice and cozy, sleeping, no worries in the world, and I'm over here dreading the ConEd bill. So I've got a lot of cheap little hacks. ZOE: I love that. I love little hacks. I bought multiple fans for my dog. One to put in front of her crate, one to carry with us because I won't let her go on the ground in this heat. Even with booties, the whole thing makes me so nervous. LAUREN: Can I tell you what happened to me the other day? I was walking, and I know flip-flops are not good for New York, but I've been wearing them because they're in right now. And I was walking on the street, and I thought somebody stepped on the back of my flip-flop because I was in the middle of the street crossing and my foot was stuck, like I had gotten stuck on gum, or like somebody had stepped on my shoe. It was stuck on hot tar because it was melting. And I got stuck on it, and I was like, I'm going to get hit. ZOE: That is my fear about my dog's paws. Even with the booties, I don't like the whole thing. It makes me so nervous. And she's eight pounds, she's tiny, so I carry her in her bag everywhere, and I got a fan to clip onto the bag to give her a little breeze. She's an indoor dog. She loves to be indoors. She's wee-wee pad trained. She loves her indoor life. But when we walk to my family's apartment, or we go to daycare, or I have to take her to the vet, she has to be outside for however long. So for that little amount of time, I try to make her as comfortable as possible. I'm dying, but she's happy, so that's what matters. And then my cats, again, like you said, are so crisp and cool in the apartment all day long. But they bake in the sun. LAUREN: Yes! Mine is sunning on the windowsill. ZOE: They're so happy because they're cold and selectively warm. I'm like, you don't even understand what we go through as human beings. LAUREN: Oh, he has no idea that it's hot outside. He's sitting on the windowsill, just living his best life. ZOE: He's like, Wow, this is amazing. I'm cool, but I get the sun. LAUREN: The amount of money I do pay, and I will pay, so that he is as naive to the outside circumstances as possible. ZOE: In his little bubble. Yes, I feel the same about mine — whatever you need. Whenever I go away in the summer, I tell my pet sitter, Please keep it at this temperature. If you're cold, I put blankets out for you. You cannot make it warmer. Don't do it. I'm that person. LAUREN: The things we do. So, I have 'would you rathers' for summer. ZOE: For summer? I'd rather be in Antarctica. LAUREN: Would you rather be hot and glowy or cold and pale? ZOE: Cold and pale. LAUREN: Me too. That's pretty much my resting state. ZOE: Me too. LAUREN: Would you rather walk 20 minutes in New York City summer or do a treadmill run at noon? ZOE: Treadmill run. LAUREN: Treadmill run anytime. ZOE: I will not run in this. I refuse to do it. LAUREN: Exercising in this heat it's just non-negotiable. Marathon training season for the New York City Marathon just started. We're at the beginning of it and everybody's running in the park. It's 100 degrees in the park. ZOE: It's horrible. LAUREN: You can't run in the park. It's crazy. Would you rather wear jeans in 95-degree heat or a sundress in an arctic air-conditioned office? ZOE: A sundress in the office because if you hold a hot cup of coffee or something, there's ways to get your temperature up a little bit. That's why I hate summer so much. In the winter, you can do things to make yourself warmer, and then you can reach a middle ground. In the summer, you're stuck. LAUREN: Right, you can't shed your skin. ZOE: There's only so much you can do to stay cool, and then at some point, you're just suffering. LAUREN: I would rather be cold, too, and then layer. I am a habitual blanket user in any season, so I need the air around me to be cold enough to use a blanket. Which blanket I use will change based on the environment outside. Like I had my little knit one that has holes in it yesterday even though it was also 95 degrees, so I was blasting the air and then I was like, I'm just going to be with my little blanket. Would you rather never use SPF again or never use deodorant again? ZOE: I mean, I don't want cancer, so I guess I'd have to just smell. LAUREN: There are other things you could use instead of deodorant. I feel like you could just rinse off. ZOE: But have you ever gone on a run and forgotten to reapply deodorant? It feels uncomfortable. It's not even just about the scent. It's that the feeling is uncomfortable. But that would be a really tough life. LAUREN: To not wear sunscreen? ZOE: To not wear deodorant. Well, I guess I could never wear SPF again and just stay inside. And as an indoor cat, I wouldn't be upset about that. LAUREN: I guess that's an option. But would you even need deodorant at that point, because you're also not outside? ZOE: I would. LAUREN: You would? Inside? ZOE: Yes. The no-deodorant life is not one that I subscribe to. It's just not for me. LAUREN: Good for you. ZOE: Even if I never saw human beings again, I would still need deodorant. I couldn't do it. LAUREN: You couldn't be stinky? ZOE: No. LAUREN: I'm okay with a little stink. I would like on my tombstone to be: Lauren, she always smelled good. ZOE: Isn't that the best compliment? LAUREN: But I can never get there. I'm chasing that constantly. ZOE: It's so funny. LAUREN: Would you rather have sweaty bangs or a sticky sunscreen face? I feel like sweaty bangs means congested pores on your forehead. ZOE: I agree with you. I think I'd rather have a sticky sunscreen face. LAUREN: Would you rather be stuck outside without water or without sunglasses? ZOE: Without sunglasses. LAUREN: I cannot go without sunglasses. My poor little eyes are so sensitive. I need to have sunglasses. ZOE: I do too, because our eyes are very light, that makes sense. But if I don't have water, I will perish. LAUREN: Like, an emotional support one? ZOE: Yes, for sure. I have a water bottle sling, which, I was like, am I really going to do it? And then I was like, I'm never not doing it again. It's the best thing ever because I have to have water. LAUREN: I'm okay without water. I'm a little bit of a camel, and I also have anxi-pee. If I drink too much water, and then I get anxious when I'm outdoors, I'm going to have to pee while I'm outside. And in New York, where are you going to find a bathroom? So, I know where all the bathrooms are. ZOE: Oh, yes, of course. LAUREN: Go to a hotel. Go to a restaurant, pretend you're ordering something, and be like, I changed my mind, and walk out. I have to have sunglasses, though. I also don't want little wrinkles. ZOE: I know, but I would rather have no sunglasses. LAUREN: The thing that changed my life was prescription sunglasses. ZOE: The best, I agree for sure. ZOE: Yes. LAUREN: Me too. ZOE: The thing about me is that I think I've always hated summer, but I was resistant to say it because everyone's like, I can't wait till summer. So I was like, in the corner being like, really? But whatever, I'm not going to ruffle feathers. I'll just go along with the crowd. LAUREN: And everyone's like, summer's almost over. ZOE: I know, and everyone gets upset. And then I realized a couple years ago that I am my worst self in the summer. I'm miserable. I don't want to do anything. I can't get comfortable. I hate every single part of it. I don't like the beach. I don't like the pool. There's nothing enjoyable for me. LAUREN: I hate the beach. ZOE: Me too. I'm sorry! I hate the beach. LAUREN: You get sand everywhere. My feet are disgusting. Here's the thing — I just was at the beach on Sunday. I hate the beach because they have those clean-off water stations still on the sand. And then you have to walk up the sand. There's no point. ZOE: Such poor design. LAUREN: I hate sand. I think oceans are scary. ZOE: Me too, none of our business. LAUREN: I get way too much sun. I hate being hot. There's the risk of umbrellas flying in your face at any moment. ZOE: Danger. I agree, it's miserable. LAUREN: All right, final thoughts on summer — what's your top tip? ZOE: To stay indoors. And I know it sucks about the air conditioning bill if you have to pay one, but remember, it's a couple months. That's what I tell myself. LAUREN: Hopefully, a couple days with this heat wave, and then it's over. ZOE: And hydrate. LAUREN: Hydrate, electrolyte power… ZOE: Drink your water, salt your food, all the things. LAUREN: Have some watermelon, something that cools your insides down. ZOE: Have a popsicle. LAUREN: Oh, those are my favorite. ZOE: Just visit Mr. Softie. We need something to get through. LAUREN: I have a couple of races on Saturday and Sunday, and sometimes during the summer, they'll give an after-race treat and it's a popsicle. And I'm like, you get me. ZOE: They understand. I also feel like, in the summer, there's no Diet Coke limit. There's no iced coffee limit. Do whatever you need to get through. LAUREN: It's like airport calories and airport food. Those don't count. Those aren't real. Summer ice cream is just – ZOE: It's infinite. There is no limit. Froyo – LAUREN: The limit does not exist. ZOE: Whatever you need to do, I completely agree with you. LAUREN: All right, well, thanks for joining. Thanks for watching… until next time. Hopefully it's cooler! LAUREN: Fingers crossed. Why trust NBC Select? I'm a reporter at NBC Select and I co-host our live podcast, For What It's Worth, with editorial director Lauren Swanson. In this article, I summarize Episode 1: I hate summer. I included a summary of the episode, a transcript, products we recommend during the podcast and related articles.
NBC News
9 hours ago
- NBC News
It wasn't love at first sight — here's why we changed our minds about these 11+ products
For What It's Worth is a live podcast about the stuff we use, the trends we question and the products we can't stop talking about. Stream new episodes bi-weekly on YouTube, hosted by NBC Select editorial director Lauren Swanson and NBC Select reporter Zoe Malin. Shop our product picks below and on Amazon. It's hard to get past a bad first impression. Be it a pair of running shoes, a moisturizer or a cookware set, saying 'I hate it' after you find a few minor flaws is often easier than giving something a second (or third… or fourth) chance. But as the NBC Select team knows, not everything is love at first sight. We try products over and over again before making a final call because sometimes, even though we hate an item at first, we change our minds about it. In this episode of For What It's Worth, NBC Select's live podcast, hosts Lauren Swanson, editorial director, and Zoe Malin, reporter, talk through products that ultimately won them over, plus a few they still can't get behind. Want more from NBC Select? Sign up Episode transcript LAUREN: I'm getting acupuncture today. ZOE: The bomb. LAUREN: But she's going to ask me face up or face down, and I'm like, face down because the embarrassing sunburn that's on the front half of my body needs to be hidden. The shame that I will feel will be immense. I was wearing this necklace, so now I have to wear this necklace for the next month because there's a little — ZOE: I hate when that happens. I was saying today that my watch tan line is back. It's going to get worse throughout the summer, but I can see it. LAUREN: Such as runners' life. ZOE: Truly. LAUREN: We're going to talk about some more products today. ZOE: That changed our minds. LAUREN: Products we hated and then loved. ZOE: Love it. There are so many things that you try one time and it's a terrible experience, and sometimes, that causes you to never try it again. I think that's a shame because it could be that second or third time that really, truly makes the difference. LAUREN: Which is why we test the same product over multiple weeks. Sometimes it's hard, especially when we're doing 100 best or something like that, and you're like, I literally have 15 sunscreens that I need to test over the next three weeks. How do I do that? But it's important to test more than once because you may end up hating something at the first impression, and then you're like, actually, my skin is glowing. My face is clear. The tank is clean. All of those things. ZOE: It's so true. I feel like, especially for me with leggings and sports bras when we've tried them in the past, I've had a few instances where I will wear them once, hate them and then I'll wear them a second time and I'm like, wait, I hated that? Lauren: What was I thinking? ZOE: Yes! Last year, 2024, I tested this Under Armor sports bra, and it was a great sports bra, except I don't like straight straps on a sports bra. I like cross straps because I think it holds you up better — LAUREN: More support. ZOE: Yes, and it goes with the slope of the shoulder better. I think it's an all-around great option. We tried this Under Armor sports bra, and unfortunately, it had straight straps, and I was like, I'm so upset because I want to give this a great review, but I just can't. The straps kept falling and I was so distracted and yada yada yada. This year, 2025, I got the bra again, and I was like, I don't want to test this again. And then I was looking at it, and I'm like, Oh my god, I can move the straps. LAUREN: And it gave new life. ZOE: I love it. I wore it yesterday. LAUREN: Oh, I love that. ZOE: It's a great sports bra and I wear it all the time, but I wasn't taking enough time to really look at it and see what I could do to make it work. And I think sometimes those tiny adjustments can make the biggest difference. LAUREN: During Wellness Awards testing, I tested those lymphatic drainage leggings. ZOE: Yes, from Elastique. LAUREN: I hated them. ZOE: I remember you telling me that. LAUREN: And in all fairness, I went out running in them, which I don't know that they're really intended for that. ZOE: I agree. LAUREN: But I went out running in them, and we do Wellness Awards testing in the winter, or we start in the winter and it goes into spring. And those little beads were freezing on my legs when I was running outdoors. They're also not thermal leggings, so I was cold, and the beads were making me colder. They were hurting — they felt like little icicles digging into my skin. I hated the experience. I was like, this is not getting a high score from me. I still have them, and I wore them recently, and I kind of love them now. ZOE: I completely agree with you. The first time I wore them, I ran in them. I shouldn't have done that. That was a dumb thing to do. LAUREN: They're made for lounging. They're made for errands. ZOE: One hundred percent. Also, I think they're great for yoga. I've done barre in them, and that experience I didn't hate at all. Would I spend almost $300 on them? Probably not. I don't think I have it in me. However, I do like the experience. I actually was kind of happy with them. Also, we tested that sports bra, the Elastique one that had the lymphatic drainage beads on the back, and it was kind of lovely. If you're doing barre or yoga and you're lying on your back, you get a little massage. That was great. But again, I wouldn't wear that for running. So, I think, sometimes, it's also how you test the product. Whenever we do skincare testing, if it says you can use this in the AM or PM, I will always do both. Sometimes there's a skincare product that I think is amazing for the morning, and I will not wear it at night, and vice versa. And that's why, with running shoes, sports bras and leggings, different types of exercise are so important too. One of my most recent ones that I was originally like, I hate this, this is ridiculous and I'm never doing this again, is carbon plated running shoes. I was so against them for so long. And then after talking to a bunch of running coaches and researching them so much more, I realized that the carbon plate in a running shoe doesn't activate unless you're over a certain speed. You have to be running quite quickly. LAUREN: Oops. ZOE: So I was like, if I'm going to be running long distance in these, I'm not going to also be speed training. Plenty of people do. Plenty of people wear them for marathons when they're running really, really, really high, fast paces. I'm not doing that. I'm not an elite runner. LAUREN: You mean, you're not hitting a four-minute mile? ZOE: No, I can't say that's a goal of mine. LAUREN: One day. ZOE: One day. But I was so turned off by them because I thought they were so uncomfortable when I was doing 16 miles or so. Like, no, what are you doing? Then, I started speed training in them after I wrote an article about carbon plate running shoes, and I was like, wait, these are amazing. Truly, they work, but it has to be over a certain speed. A lot of the time it might be that you're using it wrong, or maybe it's just not the right circumstance. Then again, there's obviously plenty of products that you just do not like. But I think that if you hate it at first, don't rule it out. LAUREN: Give it a second chance. ZOE: Yes, I think it's so important. LAUREN: What are other things on your list? Bad first impressions? ZOE: Believe it or not, I was really against AirPods for a long time. I was a wired headphones girl, and I kept saying that I could not imagine my life changing. LAUREN: I'm convinced I have small ears. ZOE: Oh, do they fall out? LAUREN: Yes. ZOE: I wonder. It could be. But I was so against AirPods for a long time because I was so set in my ways. I also was like, the connection's not going to be great, whatever. I don't know — what did I know about headphones? And then I got them, and I was like, wow, life is new. LAUREN: I can do the dishes while listening to a podcast and walk around the house. ZOE: It's the best. LAUREN: Or when we're working from home, or even when we're in the office, if you have a meeting and have your headphones in, then you're like, oh, I need to refill my water bottle, and you go and you refill your water bottle, and you're still listening. Although that's when I worry that somebody's going to be like, Lauren, what are your thoughts? And then I'm running back to my desk. ZOE: I feel like that always happens. But truly, I was so against AirPods for a while, and Bluetooth headphones in general, because I was too set in my wired headphone life. Now, I think back to years ago when I was running long distance with wired headphones. LAUREN: Insane. ZOE: I cannot believe it. The amount of times I almost ripped my ears out because I made one teensy, tiny wrong move. LAUREN: Sometimes when you wear wired headphones, the off-brand ones that you get on Amazon, do they shock your ears? ZOE: Yes! That's actually why my mom bought me AirPods in college. When I moved to Chicago, we had to wear, obviously, insanely heavy parkas. And I would always call her when I was walking from my dorm to my first class of the day. That was always our chit-chat time. She said to me, Are you getting shocked by your headphones? I'm like, yes, why? She's like, I hear it. I was like, what? She's like, Yes, I think it's happening because you're wearing this parka and it's creating so much static. And I was like, yes, that's uncomfortable. And she's like, Why haven't you mentioned this? And I was like, I just thought this was life. What was I supposed to do about this? And she's like, there's a solution. And then she got me the AirPods, and I remember calling her and being like, Mom, this is an exciting experience. LAUREN: My inner ears aren't getting electric shocks. ZOE: So that was one that I really was so against for a while, for no reason. And now, I'm obsessed. I'm trying to think of other ones that had a really bad first impression. Do you have any that stick out for you? LAUREN: Oh, there's something Chad got that I hated, and now I'm like, okay, I actually like it. ZOE: Isn't that terrible when you have to admit to someone that they were right about something? So annoying. LAUREN: What was it? I can't remember, but this I still hate — he set up his freaking sound bar for surround sound. And I am like, it's so dumb that we have this. Our apartment is 700 square feet. We don't need surround sound. And our living room is 200 square feet. It's not big enough that we need surround sound. So that is a product that has not changed my mind, and I will not let it change my mind. It sucks. That straight up sucks. ZOE: One that I can't get behind is the Furbo, which I know is surprising as a parent of four pets, but the spewing treats out… it's a no from me. LAUREN: When we did Pet Awards testing, I was testing one of those cameras, and I loved it for a moment. I was like, This is so great. I can watch him, and I can throw treats in the air. I think it works fine for dogs. I don't know. I haven't tested it with dogs. But not for cats that can jump up on the counter.I did not screw it to the wall or whatever, so he learned very quickly that there are treats inside this canister, and if all he does is just knock this thing over, he can have a huge quantity of treats. That was instantly what happened. I would set this thing up, and he would knock it over. I would set it up with no treats, and he would knock it over. ZOE: Right, because they still think they're in there. They smell the remnants of it. But I think even with a dog, they sit in front of it. It's conditioning. LAUREN: It's literally screen time for pets. ZOE: Yes! I cannot get behind the treat-dispensing cameras. I just can't. The other thing for me is, when I look at my pets on my cameras, I don't want them to know. I don't want to drive them crazy. I don't want to cause a whole scene. I want to sneakily be able to be like, Alright, is everyone alive? Is everyone okay? And then turn my camera off. If I were to throw a treat out, the ruckus that would ensue… even from a distance, I can't handle that. I love my 360 cameras. I have the Petcube ones, and I have Blink ones too. They're fantastic because you can spin them around quietly, so the pets don't really know, and you can see the whole room. I have everything I need right there. I don't need to spew a treat out and cause a problem. That's one that I will not change my mind about. LAUREN: Creating addicts… like, no. ZOE: I'm not about that life. LAUREN: I thought of one. Actually, I thought of two. Number one: you know Therabody? ZOE: Yes. LAUREN: They have that recovery cube? ZOE: Yes. LAUREN: When I first got that product, I was like, this is so dumb. Because why would you need a special device when you could just get an ice pack? Essentially, the Therabody either cools down or heats up, so it's either a heat pad or an ice pack. And I thought it was so dumb. Like, just use an ice pack. I was being a little bit of — what's it called when you're a technologically-adverse person? A Luddite? I was being a little bit old, grumpy and crotchety about it. I actually really liked it during marathon training. My shins were hurting and my knees were feeling a little strange, and I would just plop that thing on and it would do a hot and cold cycle. I would just set it and it was awesome. I could recharge it, nothing was melting, nothing was wet. ZOE: You didn't have to take one thing off; put the other thing back. LAUREN: Yes! I actually really liked it. So, I hated it at first, and then I ended up really liking it, and I used it a lot. The other thing that we use consistently is the Casper Glow Light. I was at the press event when they launched the Casper Glow Light, and we were at their factory. I think the CEO was there. And I was like, Why are you launching a night light? ZOE: You're a mattress company. LAUREN: Yes, a night light you can take to the bathroom felt like such a weird pivot. I mean, they were so kind. I should say — they were so kind. The product had me baffled at first. This was probably 2017 or 2018, so now this is six or seven years later, and we have the Casper Glow Lights on our nightstands. Chad uses it every single night. He flips off his nightstand lamp, and then he turns over the Casper Glow Light every single night without fail. ZOE: We have a couple people on our team who love that thing. LAUREN: Mine's not charged. Mine is sitting on my nightstand, not charged. But if his is not charged and not operating, he has a bad night's sleep. He's in a bad mood, and he's like, I don't know what to do. I go to bed earlier than him, and I need to make sure that the lights are off. ZOE: Me too. I need pitch black. LAUREN: He is a man that will sleep with the lights on, and it drives me nuts. So I'm like, you need to turn your nightstand lamp off. And he turns it off, but he still needs a light, so he uses the Casper Glow Light because it fades out. That's the perfect scenario for us because he still has his light, but then probably in 30 minutes, when he's asleep too, it's already off. And I don't have to be up in the middle of night, reaching over him, turning off his light, which has happened. ZOE: I love that you changed your mind about that. LAUREN: Now I'm a big fan because it has created a better sleeping scenario for him. ZOE: Well, for both of you, truly. Speaking of bedtime, another thing that I was kind of against, or I didn't really understand the purpose of, was a silk pillowcase. I was like, Why am I spending so much money on a silk pillowcase. This is ridiculous. And then I got one as a gift one year. It was in my stocking, and it wasn't a particularly fancy one; it was just a silk pillowcase. And after a couple of sleeps, I was like, wow, my hair actually does look much better. LAUREN: Have you noticed anything good with your skin, too? ZOE: Yes, for sure. LAUREN: I feel like the changes with those are subtle, but impactful. ZOE: With curly hair, I noticed it very quickly. LAUREN: Oh, I'm sure with curly hair. ZOE: I'm so sorry to this pillowcase that I was so adamantly against you. I now have one that I travel with, and I put it on the pillow in the hotel. I love it. I cannot believe I was thinking this is the most bougie thing ever, and it truly was so necessary for me. I love it. Also, another one that I was like, this is ridiculous, was the filtered showerhead. I was like, This is dumb. LAUREN: Does it show you what it filtered out? ZOE: Yes! LAUREN: How disgusting. ZOE: I was horrified. LAUREN: I need to see pictures. ZOE: I showed someone on our team the other day. I now write about filters of all kinds, and never in my life did I think I'd be so passionate about water filtration. But we are. I now not only have a filtered showerhead. I also have a filtered bathtub thing, I have sink ones, I got my pets a filtered water fountain. That was the one that really got me. Listen, if I'm going to use disgusting water for myself, who cares? But not my children. LAUREN: I hope that when I come back in my second life, I will come back as one of your pets. ZOE: You will get the freshest, most filtered water. LAUREN: I'll get the freshest, coolest air. I will have fresh food. I will have fresh water. I really want to manifest that and put that out to the universe. In my next life — ZOE: One of my cats. LAUREN: I will be one of Zoe's cats. ZOE: I set up this water fountain. I was like, girls, you are going to love this, which obviously they do. They love a fountain. LAUREN: Do I need one? I don't have one, and I was talking to someone yesterday because we were talking about how there's this new Japanese vaccine that will keep cats alive for another 10 or 15 years. ZOE: Fantastic, sign me up. LAUREN: It helps their kidneys not fail. And this person was like, My first cat died of kidney failure because I always fed them dry food and they never drank enough water. And I'm sitting there going, Oh my God, I am such a bad cat mom. My cat has dry food. He drinks water, but is it enough? And she's like, Now I got wet food for my cats, and I got one of those fountains. And I'm like, I need to get a fountain. ZOE: It's the Petlibro Capsule Fountain. It's kind of for dogs, and they have other ones for cats that I'm sure are great. But because I have cats and a dog, I just got the dog one. And my cats actually love that they kind of have to stand up and get the water. I feel like they think they're in the wild at the watering hole. LAUREN: Like they've earned their water. ZOE: Exactly. They also love that it's bowl-shaped, so they scoop it into their mouths. It's the most fun activity ever for them. It's adorable. But I didn't think to myself, This is the same water that's coming out of my shower. Of course, it's going to be nasty. It's coming out of my kitchen sink, too. The first time I took that filter out, it was black. I will show you a picture. Oh, my God. Any filtered product, I am now your number one fan. I completely changed my mind. I think it's sometimes those before and afters that you need to experience. LAUREN: Those disgusting ones? ZOE: Yes, because you can see them online — LAUREN: But you're like, is it marketing? ZOE: Yes, especially if you see that on a brand's website. So often you're like, please, you edited that. But no, not this. I'm won over for life. It was stunning. LAUREN: I mean that, plus the Japanese vaccine. I need my cat to live another 20 years. Every time my husband does the math and realizes how old he is, I'm like, I don't want to hear it. I don't want to talk about it. ZOE: Nope. Out of sight, out of mind. LAUREN: I need the world to freeze in this moment, him to stop aging, me to stop aging. My husband can age. ZOE: Truly, you must get this. It changed my mind. You will have your mind changed. Winner. I feel like sometimes it's those things that you're a little reluctant to try. Because there's plenty of things that I just know I'm not going to change my mind about, and it's not even worth trying. There are other things that I'm on the edge about, and I'm like, should I just take the leap and just see if it works? And sometimes that's the thing that wins you over. LAUREN: I feel like it happens a lot when we do our product testing. We measure a little bit by first impression and what our initial thoughts were. But it happens so often with us where we're like, this is actually a great product. We hated it at the start but loved it at the finish. ZOE: I also think it's interesting when people love something on the first impression, they use it at least four or five times, and they're like, you know what? It's not working for me anymore. Sometimes you have to experience the wear and tear. And in some situations, that wear and tear could be over a month, but in other situations, it could be over days. LAUREN: That happened with Wellness Awards leggings testing, shoes, white T-shirts. So many people are like, I loved it, then I washed it and now I hate it. There's the reverse of that, which happens too. I think give something a chance, try it and if you still don't like it, find a better home for it. If you can return it, fine. But often, returns just end up getting thrown out, especially with Amazon. So maybe find a good home. If you try pet products, what do you do with pet products if you don't end up loving them? ZOE: I first try to see who in my life could take it, and then I will donate it to the animal shelter. Some animal shelters will take anything, but others will only take some things, so I'll call and be like, will you take this? And nine times out of 10, they're thrilled to take it. One of our best hacks as a team is anytime we don't like, or washed and ruined, sheets, towels, etcetera, you can take them to the animal shelter. They always need them. Obviously, your budget is your budget, and you don't want to waste your money. But if you're trying something and you go into it saying, I will just see what happens, if, after a couple tries, you're like, This is not for me, and you can't return it or no one wants it, donate it to someplace great. LAUREN: You might not like it, but somebody else will. Unless it's a beauty product, which you can't donate. But there's places where you can recycle beauty products. ZOE: I think the moral of the story is, just try it. Give it a chance. And remember that not everyone will have the same experience with it. That's important. Just because one person's mind can't be changed, doesn't mean you won't like it. Like me with the Furbo. Those Furbo lovers out there, you do you. Why trust NBC Select? I'm a reporter at NBC Select and I co-host our live podcast, For What It's Worth, with editorial director Lauren Swanson. In this article, I summarize Episode 2: Products that changed our minds. I included a summary of the episode, a transcript, products we recommend during the podcast and related articles.
Fast Company
18 hours ago
- Fast Company
How to crack the code on the song of the summer
Every year, there's one track that somehow makes its way from a teenager's headphones to my mom's Pilates playlist. You know, the song that plays at rooftop bars and seeps into your subconscious through car radios and TikTok feeds. By early August, it's everywhere—inescapable, undeniable, and, somehow, still a bop. Is it possible to construct a song with the summer fame in mind? What actually makes a song the summer song in the modern age? After years of writing music for brands, bands, and everything in between, I've realized it's not just about vibe. It's also math (yes, really), great marketing, strategic timing, a lyric with a seasonal tinge, and most elusive of all—bottled lightning. Let's break down the necessary elements that can determine whether or not the song will be the one for the summer. 1. The math: BPM (Beats Per Minute) is the foundation When I crunched the numbers from the biggest summer tracks of the past five years, tempo was one of the common denominators. Subscribe to the Design newsletter. The latest innovations in design brought to you every weekday Privacy Policy | Fast Company Newsletters There are two lanes. Swagger tracks generally groove below 112 BPM. They're confident and cheeky, they don't beg for attention, and they wink. Think of BTS's 'Butter,' Taylor Swift's 'Cruel Summer,' and Sabrina Carpenter's 'Espresso.' These tracks carry a retro or breezy confidence, which leans back rather than forward. On the other hand, shimmer songs punch in at 125 BPM or higher. These are your danceable, effervescent tunes that make you want to move. Think Harry Styles's 'As It Was' and Calvin Harris's 'Blessings' with Clementine Douglas. Now, songs that are between 112 BPM and 124 BPM are on tempo no man's land. They're too sluggish for shimmer, too hyped for swagger. If your track's stuck there, odds are you won't be creating this summer's anthem. Sorry. Maybe next year. 2. The marketing: TikTok or bust Whether we like it or not, TikTok is the new radio. If you're not soundtracking a transition video, a get ready with me, or releasing solid remixes, you're missing out on potential. Just look at Sabrina Carpenter's 'Manchild': Over 4 million TikTok users propelled it to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Last year, Carpenter's 'Espresso' sparked choreography and creator remixes before the full track was even officially out. 'Blessings' by Calvin Harris got traction from remixes. 'Love Me Not' generated mashups and retro dance clips that boosted it to a Hot 100 top ten. 3. The summer cred: seasonality sells Of course, a summer song has to sound like summer. A familiar groove, or even a single lyric line, can seal the deal. 'That's that me espresso' is a fun hook that feels sun-drenched. Even 'Love Me Not,' despite its retro DNA, sparkles with heatwave heartbreak. It feels like cool lemonade spilled on a vintage cassette tape. Contrast that with Zara Larsson's 'Midnight Sun' or PinkPantheress's 'Tonight.' They're catchy and vibey, but have no visceral summer tag. 4. The intangible: bottled lightning Some songs just hit a nerve. It's the undefinable quality that blows up influencer feeds, festival sound systems, fashion week playlists, and even Facebook timelines. advertisement Sometimes it's a surprise. Harry Styles's 'As It Was' is heartbreak disguised as pop candy. Sometimes it's a mystery ('Love Me Not' breaking through a slow chart year with retro-swagger). Sometimes it's perfect timing ('Espresso' landing right as spring needs a caffeine jolt). 'Blessings' also caught the perfect club season wave. Potential summer song of 2025 Based on this, who's winning summer 2025? 'Manchild' checks nearly every box: BPM? Check. Viral? Over 4 million uses. Lyrics? Skirts the lightness of the summer. Magic? You bet. Where I'm not so sure is whether or not it delivers on bottled lightning, which generates staying power. 'Love Me Not' is a stealth contender. You have viral TikTok edits and a retro freshness. However, it's on the cusp of 'no man's land,' so it's dangerously sitting on no man's land. 'Blessings' by Calvin Harris has big shimmer energy. It's danceable, has international reach, and is poolside playlist ready. Alex Warren's 'Ordinary' might be the big sleeper hit, but it's not a song of summer. Sure, it's a great song released in the summer. It was initially slow on the digital marketing front, but suddenly exploded, and it topped U.S. and global charts for weeks. It's the perfect groove tempo and an irresistible anthem, but unlikely to make anyone think of bikinis or mai tais by the pool. Bottom line: I don't see one clear winner—yet. Currently, I'm seeing a lot of great songs that check some boxes, but not others. Perhaps we can expect that due to the fractured nature of the media. It has never been more difficult to create that singular song of summer across all audiences unless a song comes along with a heavy checkmark in all four boxes. We've yet to see a song with the jolt of 'Espresso', but summer is far from over. And until then, there's still a top spot open on the charts and on my mom's Pilates playlist.
