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 hair spray and the electric toothbrush. We asked actor and comedian Anthony Anderson — who recently partnered with Charmin on the launch of its new toilet paper — about the sneaker drops Michael Jordan sends to his house, the fragrance he liked before it was cool, and the products he swears give him “one of the best beards in the game.”
I don’t like to play golf in silence and neither do my friends. We used to bring a radio to listen to music and then, years ago, the Bluetooth era started. Rad came to one of my golf tournaments one year and gifted my celebs these speakers. And that’s what I use. When I’m playing by myself, I’ll play some music and smoke a cigar, and I’ll just have a nice leisurely day at my country club. It has magnets on the speaker that attach to the cart so you don’t have to worry about it falling out, and you can position it to give you your surround sound, so to speak. When I travel, I take my golf clubs wherever I go; but more importantly, I take my speaker.
I have over 400 pairs of shoes. The majority of them are tennis shoes, and the majority of those tennis shoes are Jordan brands. But the shoe I’m talking about is not a high top. It’s a low shoe. They’re understated with jeans, or you can put ’em on with a suit. I’ve gone to the White House in a tuxedo and a pair of Jordans. Fortunately for me, I can say I’m friends with Michael Jordan and so I can make a call. I try not to bug him for free stuff, but sometimes, there are some exclusive shoes that I may miss the opportunity to purchase myself. So I call him up like, “Yo, MJ, can you help me out with this?” And next thing I know, there’s something at the house. He’s a great friend that way. I try not to abuse the relationship, but he makes a great product, a great shoe to play basketball in. But what I love about it is you can play basketball in it and you can be stylish in it as well.
I stumbled across it more than ten years ago, and I loved the story because Baccarat Crystal wanted a scent for its crystal. There was only one chain brand where you could buy it at the time — I think it was Neiman Marcus. I found it, and every time I wore it, people were like, “Yo, what is that?” Before the whole 540 craze. I think I was a pioneer that way. And then it caught on, and more people started wearing it. Now everybody has it, and I think it’s dope. I don’t feel special anymore because it used to be Anthony’s scent. Now it’s like, “Ah, I know what that is.”
They just recently created a new fragrance, Gentle Fluidity, and I happened to be in the store again. And they were like, “Yo.” I said, “Nah, I’m cool with what I got. I don’t need any new fragrances.” And they’re like, “No, you need to smell this one.” I fell in love with it instantly. I don’t layer them, but I do find myself wearing this one in the daytime.
I never wear traditional socks — even when I’m wearing tuxedos, my pants are always tapered to show ankle. I was hosting a live award show, and while I was backstage during a commercial break, I got a text from Samuel L. Jackson. He said, “Hey, bro, your ankles are ashy. You need to slap something on your ankles, man.” He was just messing with me, but I always want to be properly moisturized when I’m out. I just happened to be in a CVS, and I came across this. It’s very light. It’s a body butter. It goes on smooth. It feels good, and it’s not greasy. And it lasts the entire day. My knuckles, elbows, knees, and heels stay properly moisturized throughout the day.
It makes you feel like you’re doing something in the bathtub, bathroom, or shower because you get this tingling sensation. That’s the peppermint that’s activating whatever it is that’s activating. But be careful on certain parts. You may get a little bit of a tingle that you weren’t expecting, but that can sometimes be a good thing.
I’ve used other devices. They all work the same, but I like my Freestyle Libre 3. I’m wearing it right now. It’s connected directly to my iPhone and monitors my blood sugar 24 hours a day. I set parameters up on it — how low I want it or if it exceeds this — to alert me. It immediately shows you what your blood sugar is doing based on what you’re eating. You’re like, Oh, okay, well, I know I can’t eat this because this spikes my sugar almost instantly. I’ve been a type-two diabetic for 22 years now, and this is just one of the things I use to monitor my glucose level and to help me stay on track.
I like to think I have one of the best beards in the game. I just got hip to this new Murray’s Billey’s beard balm, oil, and wash that I’ve been using, and I enjoy it. It’s a great beard wash. The oil and balm keep my beard fresh. It also makes it glisten and keeps it soft.
It’s been a hundred years since they changed the shape of their toilet paper. And they’re changing it now because they’re listening to their consumers, which is another thing I love about the brand. Their consumers complained about toilet paper not ripping properly or easily. They’ve reengineered the square for a smoother tear. It’s no longer a square; it’s square-ish, but you have these scalloped wavy edges. I grew up on Charmin, and Charmin has always been in my bathrooms since I was a kid. It’s a must-have.
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