The Air Milkshake Gifting Suite
is adult trick-or-treating (and it's all treats).
For as long as the Air Milkshake gifting suite has been on my radar, it’s been a pipe dream of mine to get the invite. And if we follow any of the same people on IG, it’s yours too.
Created by entrepreneur, branding visionary, and alleged (by me) real-life mermaid, Marta Freedman, Air Milkshake is an effortlessly cool creative agency, with a gifting suite that has quickly and deservedly reached cult status. In industry terms, one might best describe Air Milkshake as a full-service influencer marketing, experiential, and branding agency. Marta, fittingly, prefers ‘bb creative agency.’
And bb/angel/darling/ethereal it is.
& btyb the power of manifestation, in September, I got the highly-coveted invite to the 2024 Fall Suite.
The gifting suite — which, this year, took place in a sun-filled corner suite at the Ace Hotel—feels like the the antidote to the tired, bulky PR mailer. Instead, attendees enjoy a hyper-curated 20-minute experience that begins the moment they step foot in the door.
Upon entering the suite, I was greeted by a makeup artist with an irresistible offer: Half Magic Face Pearls for my bedazzled pleasure.
Around the corner revealed a giant rack of high quality lounge wear, which I would later learn was RicherPoorer. In front of that—a table full of SHOES. Doc Martens to be specific. “Later, you can let me know your size and which ones you want,” Annabella Farrugia, the Air Milkshake Special Events Coordinator offered with an air of casualty I immediately felt like I needed to match. (I went with the Jadon Platforms, if you’re wondering.)
Kitschy retro milkshakes and I<3NY memorabilia adorned every corner, and seated on a couch by the window was Marta, who introduced herself with the warmth and ease of an old friend. She then promptly offered me a Pizza Cupcake, which, upon my acceptance, emerged hot and fresh from a black box (which, as I reflect back, I’m still not even sure was a toaster oven??).
At Air Milkshake, every personal touch feels a bit like magic, even (and especially) the Pizza Cupcakes.
Invitees include tastemakers, MUAs, editors, influential people within hyper-specific niches (ring ring, hello, it me), but the real secret is that Marta IS the tastemaker. The brands, the invitees, the experience — it’s all so intentionally and tightly curated that by mere virtue of being included, it/you is/are the ‘placement.’
No rules, # of posts, specific types of content are required, and that’s all part of the strategy. It’s a guest list of people whose closets, makeup drawers, and medicine cabinets you’d kill to snoop through, and the reality is that Air Milkshake (and in general, good PR) is largely how said people discover their most coveted items. They share the products they love most from the suite in the ways most natural to them. And then in turn, you/I/*we* want them.
So, now, a month and change later, I’ve tried all 40+ products from 26 different brands (save for one nicotine product I didn’t try bc N/A).
Here are my top 10 fave products from the Air Milkshake 2024 Fall Suite.
Hard Candy Glosstopia Lip Slide in shade Espresso
Hard Candy is so back, and nothing makes me happier. All six shades of their Lip Slides (lipgloss) were in the suite, and tbh, none of them miss. The formula is moisturizing, not at-all sticky, whimsically scented, and while pigmented, all are sheer enough that you could apply them in a dark, crazy taxi without mirror or care. For my Clinique Black Honey loyalists, Espresso fully competes (and—hot take—IMO, outperforms). Also, it tastes like an Espresso Martini. (And as I learned in Perfume Room Ep 154, with Flavorist Joan Harvey, lipgloss is edible. Do with what info what you will.) For the very reasonable $8, just get one. [Or four.]
If you know me, you know that oil > lotion is the hill I die on, and this is a GOOOOD oil. First thing’s first: the scent. It has a light, botanical, woody, citrus smell; think like Italian lemon grove where cypress trees bloom nearby. (For context, all I want is a body oil that smells amazing and all my BF wants is a body oil that smells like nothing; we both love this one.) I tend to find that a lot of body oils just sit on top of my skin; not Undaria Algae. It penetrates and moisturizes every crepey little crevice with the emollience of a lotion and the lightness (and non-stickiness) of an oil. Perfection. (Also, it makes a GREAT massage oil (from what I’ve received.))
Angel Therapy 444 Strawberry Moon edibles
Je suis une 2.5 MG fille through and through. While my dosage may be low, the cadence is high, and as such, I’ve tried my fair share of low-THC gummies. Angel Therapy is an instant fave. The high itself is mellow, calming, and gentle, and lulls me into an evening of sound sleep. And the texture and taste are superb. Think less gummy and more jelly; if you’ve ever had [my favorite candy ever] fruit jelly slices, these taste like that — sugar-coated and all.
Just a really great, effective, cleanser. Unscented, non-irritating, removes my makeup, and doesn’t dry out my skin (I feel like it even actually hydrates it a little bit?). A new staple.
If you’re sensing a theme here, the Fall Suite birthed a new evening routine for me. At the heart of this change: Agent Nateur. I’ve been drinking this liquid supplement almost nightly. It claims to ‘bring your body back to a state of natural rest and stable calm,’ with added anti-aging, hair repair, anti-inflammation, and skin benefits. It’s hard for me to quantify those claims, but I can tell you this: I sleep really well on nights when I drink it — like you know how one minute babies are fluttering their eyes closed, and the next, they’re out? Kind of like that. Also it has a really pleasant tart but sweet cherry flavor that’s almost Dr. Pepper adjacent? I’ve been adding it to seltzer (for this reason) so I can pretend it’s soda, which has been surprisingly effective at satiating my sweet tooth.
Something about the act of rubbing a stone on my body post-shower makes me feel like
I’m better than youa more productive member of society? As a former pastry chef with dry skin, Founder Kate McCleod sought to make a product with a similar consistency to the ingredients she used in baking (think: BUTTER, CHOCOLATE, etc.). The stone, made from all plant-based ingredients, boasts a gentle yet earthy, floral, frankincense aroma, is easy (and fun) to apply, and provides exceptional hydration. The gifting suite also included a bamboo travel case (for the stone), and I am waiting for the day a house guest will inquire about mine so I can finally say, “That’s where I store my stone,” out loud.A hyper-pigmented, easily-blendable, long-lasting cream blush in the perfect (flattering) shade of hot pink. That is all. I love this shade. I didn’t know I could pull off this shade. It adds a youthful, flushed, pop of color that feels so girly and fun.
Half Magic Glitterpuck (shade: Dopamine Sparkle)
If the word ‘Glitterpuck’ doesn’t already scratch every itch of your brain, the actual Glitterpuck will. A perfect high-impact, buildable, pressed glitter with minimal transfer or fallout. It’s no mess, no effort, and doesn’t leave me with a face full of glitter (except for when I want it to). Dopamine Sparkle has a peachy pink shimmer so I’ve been applying it underneath peachy pink eyeshadows to create a wet, sparkly, more pigmented look.
I don’t know if this one counts because it was already a holy grail in my routine, but I was thrilled to see this product in the suite. I have DRY skin. Like really dry. It’s hard for me to find facial moisturizers that feel like they actual quench and relieve the dryness/tightness I often feel. Ceramidin is heavy duty enough for a nighttime moisturizer, but non-pilling enough for morning/to go under make-up. And I wear it both times of day.
That Girl That Did Your Hair BTS Clips
I didn’t know that all hair clips weren’t created equal until I tried the BTS clips. These are truly creaseless, large enough to actually clip all of my hair out of face, and because of the rubber material, don’t pull out any pieces upon removal. They are SO helpful when getting ready (more so than any clips I previously owned) and I’ve used them every day since.
This list was me *really* editing myself because there are so many other products from the suite that are now heavy in the rotation. (A few honorable mentions: The Docs(!), HUME Amber Woods Deodorant, Nomadica Orange Wine, Dirty Labs Bio Enzyme Laundry Detergent in the Murasaki scent, Half Magic Sparklestik in Champagne Snowflake, Sofie Pavitt Mandelic Clearing Serum)
And in case it’s not abundantly clear from this post: all products mentioned were gifted with no expectation of review.
Thank you so much Marta & Annabella for for including me in the magic! <3