Check This Out: Marta Mae curated this 4 u…
We’ve got a little excluuusive peek at 11 must-know beauty picks from the Air Milkshake founder’s latest New York gifting suite.
I hate grocery shopping. I get overwhelmed by the number of options. And don’t even get me started on the lighting—it’s simply too bright! The best part? Checking out. I get to leave (with food!) and peek at people’s baskets in line. And I’m going to admit it: I listen and I judge. (Just spinach and ice cream cones? Go off, I guess!) It’s the voyeur in me, which is also why I love opening beauty cabinets at parties. (And why if anyone ever actually takes Amy Sedaris’s advice to fill theirs with marbles to catch nosy guests, I’m in trouble.)
That brings us here, to Check This Out, where I ask People I Like™ (and think you should know) about the beauty products they’re immediately adding to their baskets—the ones that make them want to go, Let’s check this out. You know, the ones I’d spot while standing in the grocery store line…
First up, Marta Mae. We met years and years ago at a Kin Euphorics party at Gran Torino in Williamsburg—back when I was at New York magazine and she was running Hot Girls Eating Pizza, the Instagram account she started as a way to meet cool women she admired. Since then, she has co-founded Dieux (the skincare brand behind my favorite reusable eye masks) and founded Angel Therapy (her weed brand) and Air Milkshake (the creative agency helping build cult followings for brands such as Hill House Home, Ceremonia, and Julie).
This week, Marta’s hosting her third New York City—and 12.5th overall (she hosted a mini one in St. Barts)—Air Milkshake gifting suite at The Ned NoMad. Over three days, close to 100 people will stop by to check out (and take home) over 37 products she personally loves and recommends from a lineup of 20 brands.
The magic of her suite lies in the guest list, which is a carefully selected mix of editors, influencers, and insiders, but not always the ones you’d expect. When I spoke with her for Into The Gloss last year, she told me, “I’ve had some bad experiences going to other gifting suites where people were judged for how many followers they had. I’ve always believed in micro-influencers and investing in real people who have an engaged community versus just large followings, so the people invited to Air Milkshakes are not always influencers in the ‘traditional’ sense. I have people that come in with 2,000 followers, and I know that their ROI is so much more long-term than a flash in the pan influencer.”
Below, she gives I Just Want To Talk an exclusive look at 11 of the goodies in the guests’ bags.
Design Me hold.me styling cream
“I’m low-maintenance across the board, and especially lazy with my hair. I love that this product does so many things—heat protection, adding shine, hydration—but it doesn’t disrupt your life. You know when you try a new hair product, like a dry shampoo or salt spray, and it’s so bad you have to wash it out immediately—and your hair doesn’t recover for two more washes? This cream would never do that to you. It’s lightweight, smells amazing, leaves hair soft, but still holds.”
Starface star cream with salicylic acid
“I’m such a Starface loyalist, forever and ever. I love a lightweight moisturizer, and this one isn’t oily or sticky at all; it’s super hydrating. It also has salicylic acid, which is perfect if you’re breakout-prone, but it’s not harsh or sensitizing. And the bottle is so cute!”
Vacation orange gelée SPF 30
“It’s hard to pick a favorite product from Vacation—we’re featuring three from them in this suite. I grew up on Bain de Soleil (it was my mom’s favorite), and this reimagined version with SPF 30 feels so comforting to me. Plus, the packaging is gorgeous!”
ZBiotics pre-alcohol probiotic drink
“This is science’s smartest party trick. Take it before drinking and wake up feeling like your best self the next day. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it really works. It’s a favorite we brought back from the Holiday 2024 suite in LA.”
Medik8 liquid peptides serum
“If you’re serious about skin, this peptide serum is it. I’ve personally seen it reduce my fine lines since I started using it. We featured it in our Holiday 2024 suite, too, and it made it into my go-bag when I lost my home in the Malibu fires. I love it so much.”
Hustle Butter tattoo balm
“This balm isn’t just for people with tattoos. It’s a naturally derived petroleum replacement—made with shea butter, coconut oil, and mango seed butter—that smells amazing. I’m also just really happy to have a new tattoo aftercare option. I stopped using Aquaphor and started using skincare products on my tattoos years ago. It’s multi-purpose, and that’s always the best.”
The Inkey List exosome hydro-glow complex serum
“I’m always blown away by how The Inkey List creates ingredient-driven formulas that actually work at such accessible price points. This one is just $22, even though the hero ingredient is cica exosomes, which are notoriously expensive because they’ve mostly been used in derm offices and med spas. It’s like a facial in a bottle. Personally, I love how hydrating it is—and how you see a pretty instant glow after putting it on.”
Fatty15 C15:0 supplement
“I’m obsessed with these capsules. They’re made with C15:0, a fatty acid that’s meant to help strengthen cell membranes. I’ve been taking them for about a month now, and within a week, I felt like I had more energy. Now that I’m on week four-going-on-five, my skin has a newfound glow that really looks like it’s coming from the inside out. The team also told me that some people have been going longer between Botox appointments since starting it—but you’ll have to be the judge of that. We’re gifting everyone a three-month supply so they can really see and feel a difference for themselves.” [BTW: use DAISE10 for 10% off your first Fatty15 order.]
Vegamour gro hair serum
“I can see why this went viral. We gifted such a generous size, and I can’t wait to hear about everyone’s experience. I love that it’s plant-derived and doesn’t make your hair oily or greasy at all.”
Bloom strawberries and cream colostrum and collagen peptides powder
“This dreamy powder is the easiest (and prettiest) way to sneak in daily gut, skin, and immune support. I like to mix it into my juices! (By the way, they also have an unflavored version if strawberries and cream isn’t your thing.)”
Society De La Rassi non-alcoholic neue brut sparkling chardonnay
“Society De La Rassi was another standout at our Holiday 2024 suite. It’s a sparkling dealcoholized wine that actually tastes amazing. Enough said.”
obvi my first thought was i only threw this party 4 u
Thanks for doing this party 4 us