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 hairspray and the electric toothbrush. We asked YouTuber Emma Chamberlain — who recently won a People’s Choice Award, launched a planner, and rebranded her Chamberlain Coffee company — about the towel, creamer, and boots she can’t live without.
I’ve been using this perfectly designed “As Seen on TV” product since the fifth grade. My mom and I saw it at CVS, thought it was smart, bought one, and I’ve used it ever since. I’m telling you, it is not like a regular towel. It’s super thin and light — you twist your hair in it then button it in the back. I hate the feeling of sopping wet hair on my neck after a shower. With this, I can just walk around my house after a shower without dripping water everywhere. I’m a very chill person, but the minor inconveniences of wet hair or a heavy towel on my neck will send me over the edge.
Milk is a huge no-no for me. This creamer is a non-dairy, vegan dream. My mom found it years ago — she’s super into healthy food and wanted a tasty creamer that didn’t have sugar in it. We used to order cases of it because we would go through it so fast. At the time we started using it, the company was small, but now it has gotten really big — I buy it at Whole Foods or order it on Amazon. All the flavors are really great; the original one takes your coffee from good to crazy good. It’s so creamy but not overly sweet.
Everything bagels are probably my favorite food, but recently bagels haven’t been sitting right with my tummy. So this everything-bagel seasoning is a dream. After it went viral on TikTok, I was like, “This is kind of genius.” I first put it on avocado toast and it changed my life. Now I put it on everything — eggs, sandwiches, pasta. It makes most anything taste like an everything bagel. I’m pretty obsessed.
This is another put-it-on-everything product for me. Cholula is honestly going on anything I put the Everything But the Bagel seasoning on. I’m really into it. I make cauliflower rice with tofu, like a little stir-fry moment, and put Cholula on that. I’ll mix it into tomato sauce and put it on eggs, avocado, and toast, too. The flavor is just unmatched. It’s spicy but it actually adds something. With some hot sauces, the flavor disappears and they’re just hot. Cholula has its own unique flavor — it doesn’t just burn my mouth and make me uncomfortable.
I don’t really have a specific style. Like, the other day I was wearing a full black-leather look and tomorrow I might wear a pink miniskirt. I’m truly all over the place. But Doc Martens are such a staple for me. They give me a rockstar feeling, like I could stop on a drum set with my boots if I wanted to. My first pair was shorter; I don’t know what I was thinking because these platform ones are life-changing. I only wear platforms now. They’re so comfortable, too, once you break them in. They take every outfit from “that’s cool” to “whoa, look at her.”
Growing up, my dad wore Levi’s. I don’t always take his advice, but when I do, it’s never a mistake. Nothing fits me or hugs my body better than 501s. My dad inspired me to get into 501s and then vintage jeans, to the point that I became a denim collector. I mainly collect vintage Levi’s and probably have 50 pairs. Each one is so unique.
I have astigmatism in one of my eyes, so my eyes get fatigued pretty easily. Everybody always says, “You’re too young to have reading glasses!” And I’m like, “I need them! I can’t look at a screen without them.” My vision is pretty good, but without reading glasses, I cannot edit an Instagram photo or even read. So I have these with me all the time. The Durand frame is the perfect shape for my face; I used to have readers from Rite Aid, which were fine, but I wanted to upgrade. These are still pretty affordable, too. Before I got them, I would fantasize about needing glasses — I always thought they were so cute. But that’s a real lesson in being careful what you wish for, because now I literally can’t read without them.
I’ve been fantasizing about traveling and cannot get on a plane without this mask. I need to sleep through an entire flight in order to function on a trip; I will actually pull all-nighters before flights to deprive myself of sleep before I get on a plane. The mask makes sure no light keeps me up. It’s also the best mask for my sensitive skin; I’ve found that when you sleep for 12 hours on a plane, certain materials will dig into your face and leave nasty marks or irritate the skin. This one is so soft, which makes it relaxing, too. It’s breathable and I don’t break out after.
We originally launched the coffee company in December 2019. At first, my team and I were mainly focused on the product, not so much on the brand’s aesthetic. We spent all our time on developing the product and we wanted to launch quickly to test the waters before we focused on branding. A few months in, it became clear just how many things we wanted to change, which led to a total rebrand. My eyes often buy things before my mouth does, which really served as a starting point. I was like, “I want this product to be something that people want to keep out on their counters.” It took a long time, but now I love everything about my brand. If you’ve never tried Chamberlain Coffee, the Family Blend would be a no-brainer to start with because that’s the blend the company started with. My mom told me that she’d be very upset with me if I got rid of this blend and I didn’t want Thanksgiving to be uncomfortable.
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