Maeve Likey: The Best of 2022 (Part 1)
The best recommendations I got in 2022.
Welcome to Maeve Likey! Thank you for subscribing. I hope this newsletter will land in your inbox every Wednesday and be a worthy companion as you sit on the train on the way home from work, lean on the bar waiting for a drink, or stand at the kitchen counter in the morning while your eggs boil.
According to Google, it takes four minutes and 12 seconds to read 1000 words, which is how long this newsletter aims to be, and approximately the amount of time it takes for the whites of the egg to be fully set but the yolk to remain thick and runny.
I have started this newsletter because I think there aren't enough good, honest recommendations out there. Working for magazines has taught me that often the advice you read has been written by someone who hasn't read the book, seen the TV show or stayed at the hotel. That isn't a diss (it's not the time-poor writer on a deadline’s fault) and I don't think it's particularly revelatory. However, what I think it does mean is that there’s a gap to be filled for tried and tested recommendations you can trust.
In the spirit of this, and because it's January, and not much has happened yet this year, I wanted to begin the newsletter by looking back at the ten best recommendations I got last year. Enjoy!
When I arrived in Denmark in June I quickly adopted the Havi — inarguably the unofficial IT shoe of Copenhagen— after seeing it flimsily falling off the golden feet of the most stylish girls in town. A few weeks later Leandra Medine Cohen dedicated an entire newsletter to the flip-flop. I now own a pair in black, barbie pink and am eyeing off a pair in royal blue, opting for the “top” style with a thicker strap and sole. I think the beauty of the Havi is encapsulated in this clip from a podcast interview between Dolly Alderton (no introduction needed) and Emma Freud (who script edits all of her husband Richard Curtis’ films) talking about why Julia Roberts insisted on wearing rubber thongs in the iconic “just a girl” scene from Notting Hill.
Thanks to Harriet, who, as we sat on the tube on a sticky summer night in London, reached into her tiny shoulder bag and fished out this sleek refillable compact. Filled with the most warm and seductive smelling scent that melts into your skin, the discreet packaging means it’s perfect for travelling, nights out and reapplying to your pulse points in public. When you run-out simply reload the case with a solid perfume refill and voilà.
After Reema told me about this movie (now available to stream on Stan) in January last year I booked to see it at the Golden Age ASAP. I came out deeply affected, wanting to move to Norway and craving an ice-cold glass of white wine (this will make sense once you’ve watched it). It’s got a sort of Fleabag/Sally Rooney quality, and manages to feel warm and cosy but still intensely clever. It’s the third film in Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s so-called “Oslo Trilogy”, a disjointed but similarly set group of films that began with 2008’s Reprise and continued with 2012’s Oslo, August 31 — both of which can be streamed on Mubi and are worth a watch.
Toll the bell, for the Aperol Spritz is dead, or so declared the friend of a friend. Slightly more subtle and balanced than Aperol and her bitter older sister Campari, the Montenegro Spritz still follows the classic 3-2-1 spritz formula, but the star of the show is this botanical digestif from Bologna with hints of lavender, rose and bitter orange peel. Serve in a short glass (there's something offensive about drinking out of a wine glass with a straw) with lots of ice and a slice of lemon for the perfect refreshment that will make you feel like you're studying abroad in Italia, having dinner at 10 pm, with six men on read.
When my long-suffering mentor-slash-friend Sama saw me spill one too many spoonfuls of red sauce on my almost all-white outfit she gifted me her tide-to-go pen and begged me to buy some more. Now I barely leave the house without this detergent-based, highlighter-like stain-removing stick that lifts and “erases” fresh food and drink stains on the go.
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
One night in June, following the release of Everything I Know About Love, my friend Reema and I discussed the complexity of the best-friend relationship (she actually wrote about this for InStyle). She told me that for her, no piece of culture captured the intensity of female friendship as much as her all-time favourite book, My Brilliant Friend. At the time I was on the brink of a European summer, and would end up reading three of the four books of the series while I was in Italy (where the books are set). It is, without a doubt, one of the best books I've ever read, managing to be both intensely intimate, observational and epic.
Before I was recommended this web series — that combines fried chicken with flirting in a one of a kind interview format — I had never fallen in love with a YouTuber before. But as soon as I watched Amelia Dimoldenberg’s date with Daniel Kaluuya I started working my way through the back catalogue of her hilarious interviews. Dimoldenberg certifiably blew up last year following her interview (and subsequent viral hit) with Louis Theroux, and she’s definitely hitting her stride (this video of her and Andrew Garfield flirting at the Golden Globes has the whole world talking), but it’s not just her hilarious interviews that I find so enjoyable to watch but her hard-won success on her own terms that I find very inspiring (I’ve attached this clip from her episode of Grazia Life Advice as an example).
VS Sassoon Anti-Frizz Roller Brush
I was sold this blow-dry tool by a friend who always looks like she’s just stepped out of the salon as a (much) cheaper alternative to the Dyson air-wrap and it’s completely changed my life. Cheap, easy to use and gives the perfect bouncy blow-out, it has transformed my mop into a mane and makes me feel so good every time I use it.
Tula Rose Glow & Get It Cooling & Brightening Eye Balm
I was sitting at a long lunch when my friend Carlie pulled this little tube out of her bag, took off the cap and applied a swipe under each eye. She instantly looked dewy and refreshed, offering everybody around the table a chance to try this miracle product. It has a strange, wet texture that is smooth to the touch, but once applied to the eyes, it gives instant hydration paired with a tingling, cooling sensation that's sure to wake your eyes up.
For those planning a European summer this year, I highly recommend putting Hamburg on your list. Both spiritually and geographically halfway between Copenhagen and Berlin, Germany's largest port city (and the third-largest container port in Europe) has all the grit, grunge and punk of Berlin, but on a much smaller scale and still with a feeling of nordic efficiency and style. We had the best local tour guide in our friend Lloyd who showed us around the beautiful and vibrant city and took us to my (now) favourite bar in the world, Le Fonq, a small, smoky place, with low soft seats, red-tinged lighting and live DJs playing at the bar seven nights a week.