One guy’s last word—my first. The air around here is starting to get chilly, and when a colleague asked what was the first thing I’d be buying for fall (well, aside from the Dries suit I picked up last month), I told him it was a no-brainer: lip balm. Specifically, Smith’s Rosebud Salve. Sexy, it’s not; but then, neither are bleeding, cracked lips. Okay, they’re sort of bad-ass-looking after a bar fight (make that a bar fight you won), but otherwise it’s just not a great look. Rosebud’s been around for over a hundred years, and it’s made of natural ingredients right here in the U.S.A. More importantly, the shit keeps the old kisser chap-free no matter how cold it gets outside. For years it flew under the radar, and I’ll admit the indie snob in me was bummed to see it had been picked up by places like Urban Outfitters and Sephora a while back. But when you’re talking about something this essential, I’ll take accessibility over coolness any day.

$6 to $8, available at sephora.com and urbanoutfitters.com (note: Urban Outfitters stocks only the mint version; I prefer the original flavor)

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