Anna Cathcart’s 9 Favorite Things

9 items in this article

9 items in this article

If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair but the hair spray and electric toothbrush. We asked actress Anna Cathcart — who currently stars in the Netflix series XO, Kitty — about the blotting sheets she uses to quickly refresh her skin, the pen she journals and doodles with, and the socks she fights over with her sister.

Growing up I often had nausea, and supposedly ginger helps with it. So I originally started eating them for that reason. But now they’re just always in my bag. They still help if I don't feel very good or if I want to settle my stomach or if I’m just really tired. But I love having them because they’re kind of spicy and they’ll wake you up, so they’re great to have when you need a boost. I’ve tried the other flavors, but the original is the best for sure. I eat them once, maybe twice a day. It sounds weird, but they can honestly make you feel more present, which I know people say about different smells and senses — I feel like ginger definitely does that for me.

Anybody with oily skin needs these. I’ve used other blotting sheets, but they’re not as good as the Clean & Clear ones. If you’re wearing a lot of makeup, they don't mess up your foundation at all, but even if you’re not wearing makeup, they’ll make your face feel better. If you haven't washed your face that morning or it's just been long day, they just refresh your skin. I go through them like no other. Often, I’ll use two sheets at a time, so I might use four per day — max six. If they’re on sale I will be like, I am taking five of these, and totally stock up.

This is my favorite lip balm because it looks like lip gloss but it's still balm. So it works if you’re wearing a lot of makeup, but also works if you’re not wearing makeup at all. It's really hydrating for your lips and has a shine that looks nice but doesn't get sticky. I don't really like color as much, so I normally will stick to the original. It's a necessity. If I’m leaving the house without a purse, I will always have one ginger chew, my blotting sheets, and my Glossier lip balm in my jeans pockets.

These socks are a really good height. They’re not as high as the Nike Dri-Fit socks, but they’re not a low ankle sock either. They’ve become my everyday socks — if they’re not clean and I can't find any, I get upset. I used to always wear low ankle socks, but now I can't go back. If I’m wearing lower socks, it just feels off. They also just don't look as good with my outfits. I guess that changed because I used to wear a lot of tight pants, so I didn't want high socks, but now I wear a lot of looser pants that go out at the bottom so the higher socks work. And in the summer if you’re wearing shorts, I like having this length because you can see it pop out of your shoes. My sister and I both have these socks, so we argue over which ones are mine or hers. Between us, we probably have 15 pairs.

My dad told me that my granddad used to wear these shoes. He was like, What is fashion these days? He ironically got them for me for Christmas and I am obsessed with them. They’re very Grandpa-core for sure, but they go with way more outfits than you’d think. They’re chunky, which I think goes with a lot of the pants and shorts that I wear, but they even go with skirts or dresses if they’re more casual or made out of an athletic material. They were originally meant for running, so they’re super-comfy. I’ll wear them to school or set or on the airplane — they’re definitely my new everyday shoe.

I journal a lot, and I’ll go through a pen pretty quickly from writing so much. I’ll lose them as well, so it's nice to always have a backup. These are nothing crazy, nothing fancy; they’re just regular office pens, but they sell them in a bulk pack of 12 for not too much money. I love stationery, I love all different papers and pens and crayons, but this is just one of my favorites. It's really smooth — it doesn't break at all. I’ve surprised myself and gone through so many of them. I’ve completed at least five now. It feels like a weird accomplishment, that I’ve written so much a whole pen has run out.

Most journals are lined, but I don't like journaling with lined paper. This is my favorite notebook, and the most important part is that it's blank. The paper is super-smooth and works really well with the Pilot pen. And it has an elastic band on it. Often if I’m journaling, it's about big feelings and things that I don't always want to be thinking about, so it's really nice to have that elastic band so that I can visually close it up and put it away. It's a small thing, but I really appreciate it.

I’ve probably completed seven or eight of these journals — I have a stack beside my bed at home. I was so proud because I used to put pressure on writing every day, or giving context and telling the whole story to make sure that I have everything written down. But I definitely changed my mind-set on what journaling could be, and now I’ll just write when I feel like it or when it’ll benefit me. Also, because it's blank, I like that I can doodle randomly as well. I don't really know why or how it started, but I like to draw astronauts. I have countless drawings of astronauts doing different things in different space settings. It's a comforting thing for me.

The whole cast of XO, Kitty knows I love Clif bars because I ate them every day on set. They’re my fuel. My dad's a really intense athlete and our whole family was into sports, so I grew up always having protein bars around the house. I think some people have the idea that protein bars aren't that good, but they’re actually so yummy. And they’re just quick and easy snacks if you’re busy and on the go. Going to school, I never allocate time to make breakfast, so I’ll just grab one and eat it on the bus. They’re more substantial than a lot of granola bars; they make you feel way more full than other snacks. My friends know that if I’m going out, I’ll have a Clif bar in my clutch for an emergency because I get hungry all the time. I’ll just whip them out wherever. I’ll never get sick of them.

These stickers are miracle workers. They have different types of patches for different types of zits, which I think is cool because it's very specific to what your skin type is and what your face is going through at that moment. My favorite is the Killa kind — they’re specifically meant for the under-your-skin-type zits, the ones that are really rough and hard to get rid of. It's best if you catch it right at the start when you can feel it on your face, like, Oh, a breakout is coming. I put one on overnight, and it always slows it down, or helps get rid of it before it gets to the surface. I rely on them so much.

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