Hello! This is the monthly newsletter for the Cut Council, a community of our most dedicated readers and a place to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the Cut and what’s going on with our team. Though, you already know what’s going on, and you can probably guess how it’s going behind the scenes right now, too. The dust has settled after Election Day, and things are looking bleak. Right now, we’re doing our best to ward off the darkness by getting into the holiday spirit, mostly. Hanging decorations, wearing cashmere, and overindulging in sweets aren’t going to fix anything, but we could all use the comfort right now.

That is, what we’ve been reading, watching, listening to, cooking, and more.

Yummy treats (making them, eating, sharing them).
These Smitten Kitchen apple-cider caramels make a great gift for teachers or co-workers; they’re that perfect just-a-little-something. And they’re really easy to make! The only time-consuming part is wrapping the individual caramels, but you can watch a baking show on TV while you do that part. —Emily Gould, features writer, New York

This year, I’m going to attempt mulled wine — actually good mulled wine. I’d sworn off the holiday classic after too many disappointing, overly sweet, overly spiced sips. But after a few chilly days in Paris this month and just as many cups of vin chaud, I’m determined to enjoy a homemade batch à la français while decorating our apartment for Christmas. —Jen Ortiz, deputy editor

One of my favorite holiday traditions is eating my body weight in panettone with my parents, who have an elaborate strategy for making sure they score the best version from a specialty grocery store in Houston (where they live) before it inevitably sells out. I know it’s a polarizing item — my husband hates it, for example — but if you’re into sweet bread or fruitcake of any kind, I highly recommend it. The Italians know best. Plus, it comes in a festive box. —Chantal Fernandez, features writer, style

I’m a big fan of gifting food and drink around the holidays. It feels like a more sustainable and, let’s be honest, enjoyable option for the recipient than another candle or scarf that’ll end up in the back of their closet. People tend to imbibe more than usual this time of year, so I get several infused simple syrups going — think honey sage, rosemary, ginger — and decant them into mason jars. I jazz them up with a cute label and maybe a fancy ribbon to give to friends and anyone hosting a holiday gathering I attend. I just make sure to tell them to drink up within two weeks; these homemade simples aren’t shelf stable. —Catherine Thompson, features editor

Decorating.
Since moving from Manhattan to Brooklyn (and into a much more spacious apartment), I’ve been able to upgrade my Christmas tree. I can fit a full-size real one now. I’m normally a wait-until-after-Thanksgiving person, but these are dire times — I would’ve purchased one sooner if I’d seen them for sale on the street. My best friend and I are hosting a holiday party where everyone is bringing an ornament for a white elephant exchange, so I’m eager to find a quirky new addition to add to our lovely-smelling tree. —Brooke LaMantia, editorial assistant

Making like the Danes.
Bless the Danish, who’ve been bettering my life in every domain. I’ve been feasting on the cardamom buns at a new Danish bakery, Smor, that just opened up near me. I’ve been reading a brilliant seven-part Danish novel, On the Calculation of Volume, by Solvej Balle, and recommending it to everyone. And I’ve been loving a bunch of singer-songwriters from Copenhagen, like ML Buch, Astrid Sonne, and Fine. Buch performs at Pioneer Works in a few weeks — the gig is sold out, but I highly recommend trying to snag a resell ticket if you can. —Cat Zhang, culture writer

Making our own gifting wish lists.
I’d love to find a little hat under the Christmas tree this year, specifically this leather style from Ruslan Baginskiy. I’m tired of wearing beanies and ball caps. I want a proper beret, thanks to my co-worker Danya Issawi, who recently wore a pale-blue one that made her look like the Copenhagen fashion girl. —Hanna Flanagan, shopping writer-editor

I strongly believe that holiday gifts should be (1) fun and (2) something the recipient would never buy for themselves, either because it doesn’t fit into their budget, or it’s too self-indulgent, or it just wouldn’t occur to them to buy it. But they should also (3) solve a problem. This year, I have dropped strong hints that I would like a keratin treatment for my holiday gift. I’ve never had one before, and I have curly hair that’s prone to frizz, and honestly I’m just tired of waking up every morning, looking in the mirror, and being like, Oh, this again. I am extremely low-maintenance and cheap when it comes to my hair (and my self-maintenance regime in general), so I would never buy this for myself, but considering I’m a working parent with absolutely zero free time, it seems like it would be useful to have one less thing to worry about in the mornings. Either that or a Botox Groupon, but the last (and only) time I had Botox, the aesthetician told me it was too late for me and I’d need to buy at least 50 more units for it to do anything to my face, and I was sufficiently chastened by that experience, so a keratin treatment will do. —EJ Dickson, senior writer

Months ago, Mark Zuckerberg posted a photo of his wife with the statue he had commissioned in her image. The statue is nice, but what I actually want is the housecoat she’s wearing. It looks heavy and perfect, and I love the way the belt comes from inside the coat. It’s the Offhours homecoat in the shade Red Rock and it’s $345. I want it in the Varsity colorway ($295). I personally will not be shelling out like that, but maybe I could convince someone else to do it for me … —Olivia Craighead, writer

Reading, too.
At a bar for pre-holiday drinks, some friends and I discovered that we were all in the middle of reading or had just finished reading Madame Bovary for the first time. It was a weird coincidence. Is it because of the cold? Were we all leaning into the general malaise with the same book? In any case, I recommend crossing it off your list — the Lydia Davis translation if you can. —Bindu Bansinath, writer

If his winning the National Book Award and being shortlisted for the Booker didn’t convince you to get a copy of Percival Everett’s James, I don’t know what will. This recommendation, maybe? It’s a retelling of Huck Finn from the perspective of Jim and is (typical of the author) a masterpiece. 

Below, the best stuff our team bought in the past month.

I saw a fellow editor pull this Byoma Liptide Lip Oil out and apply it during a press preview, and I knew I had to have it. It left the perfect sheen. I love how thick the applicator is and how it leaves my lips feeling plump and juicy. 

J.Crew’s Bordeaux bag is sleek and chic, simple and classic. It’s actually a mini-bag, but it fits a lot and goes with just about everything. I went with the sophisticated tortoise print myself, but I’ll be gifting the trendy oxblood version.

I have been on the hunt for the perfect leather jacket for literal years. When this one from the Frankie Shop first came out, I loved it, but it was a bit out of my price range, so I didn’t pull the trigger. It lived rent-free in my head for months until finally, two weeks ago, I went in to try it on. The silhouette was pure perfection, and the structured shoulders sold me.

The cold weather had my hair feeling off — puffy, a bit dry. My sister had recommended this Gisou hair oil, and it now seems like a necessity. The difference is night and day, and honestly, it feels and smells luxurious. I also bought the Rhode barrier butter cream. Basic and very much on trend, but it feels valid. I wanted a new cream to seal in my serums, and this one is exactly as it sounds: smooth like butter.

I was on vacation for two weeks, and after one night back in my apartment, I woke up with a nasty sinus infection and couldn’t breathe all weekend. It wasn’t because of the air travel — the same thing had happened to me a few days before I’d left for my trip. I realized the culprit is the heater, which I can’t avoid turning on now that the temperature has dipped outside, so my goal for the month is to use my new Navage nasal-irrigation system (purchased on a Black Friday deal) every day for a month and crank up the Carepod humidifier all night (thank you, Strategist!). Hopefully, it helps. Also, before people come for me — confirmed it was not and still is NOT COVID!

Since it gets dark early now, I’ve made it my mission to illuminate every corner of my apartment. My latest addition (besides the Christmas lights I’m patiently waiting until next week to put out) is this neon rope light from Govee. You can, as they suggest, shape this flexible light like a unicorn or a sunset or whatever, but I just made an abstract shape on the wall. It looks cool, and the space is a little brighter. 

I love wearing turtlenecks in the fall and winter. This one from Revolve adds a playfulness and sexiness that most lack. I love the faux nipple piercings — it was perfect for a recent trip to Vegas. And I’ve never met a jumpsuit I love as much as this one. It hugs my waist the way I like without being tailored and still fitting oversize. I got it in two colors and have been living in them. Helsa pieces have recently become a staple for me.

I recently bought this cozy Aritzia sweater in cornflower blue and am wearing it nonstop. I had been on the hunt for something oversize that wasn’t terribly expensive but also didn't feel totally stiff or polyester filled, which is harder than it sounds these days! Now that it’s on sale, I’m wondering if I need other colors.