5 (S)SENSES with sandy sanchez

surprise! 5(S)SENSES is back. this time, with sandy sanchez of small pleasures in the driver's seat

and

Jun 29, 2025

Meet 5 (S)SENSES. Yes, the extra S is because I have a never-ending SSENSE wishlist I’ll never buy. One of the very first recurring series here on DIGITAL FRUITS, where I chat about how I’m engaging with my 5 senses, whether that be through a niche perfume, fashion, nature, art books, weird music, or a new cookie recipe. Because…

Our senses are our language with the world around us, and the more we can engage with them in the ways that are accessible to us, the deeper our experience with the world can be.
The deeper our experience with the world can be, and the more offline we are, the more engaged we are with ourselves, our lives, our experiences.
…Resulting in the development of your taste and personal style, creativity, curiosity, not hating your life, & a general sense of anti-brain rot/doom scroll culture.

In today’s edition of 5 (S)SENSES, we’re welcoming Sandy Sanchez of Small Pleasures and picking her brain about what she’s seeing, smelling, touching, tasting, and, of course, hearing.

Sandy has the most impeccable taste and eye for curation that feels so authentic and refreshing. Reading Small Pleasures makes me want to clean my room and go thrifting for the perfect little trinket dish—because it really is the tiniest of details that make the biggest difference.

I could go on! But I won’t make you wait any longer to read about what she’s digging right now. Let’s dive in and let Sandy take the driver’s seat.

Hi!

I’m Sandy Sanchez, a writer, brand strategist, and content creator in Brooklyn. Currently, I’m a Senior Copywriter at Headspace and I also write Small Pleasures, a newsletter on interiors, style, design, and everyday delights.

5 (S)SENSES, according to Sandy

Sight

My books are my favorite things to look at! I have hundreds of art and design books — some old, some new. They’re forever my go-to source of inspiration and I love flipping through pages and noticing something new every time.

Right now, I’m particularly fascinated by the books on Mexican interiors. There’s so much to learn from them in regards to color, textiles, and textures.

Smell

My favorite perfume for the last several months has been L’eau rouge Heirloom from Henrik Vibskov. My best friend gifted it to me for Christmas last year and it’s become an everyday perfume for me. This one smells like basil and tomato leaves. It’s the most refreshing scent and the packaging is beautiful. She really knows me and my taste in perfumes so well.

Touch

I’ve never been one to moisturize my whole body, but for some reason, the body lotion from CYKLAR made something finally click in my brain. I look forward to lotioning up every day after my shower and now my skin has never been softer. I have the lotion in lots of different scents, and I’ve also been using their body oil, which is new for me. There’s just something about it being hot outside and me being soft and shiny and radiant. We should all be taking a few extra minutes a day to apply body lotion!!! I have a large body gua sha I need to learn how to use, too.

Emma note: I am ADDICTED to CYKLAR’s entire line too and I couldn’t agree more with Sandy. Let’s slow down and honor ourselves through the ritual of applying a lil lotion!!! And the formula for CYKLAR’s lotions and oils alike really are out of this world. Sacred Santal and Crescent are my fave scents.

Taste

Berries are my favorite fruit and luckily, it’s finally berry season! One of my go-to afternoon snacks (or desserts) is a bowl of Painterland Sisters Meadow Berry skyr yogurt with fresh berries, Early Bird granola, and honey.

This yogurt is easily the best one out there. The description for the Meadow Berry flavor is “Kinda like frolicking through a field at sunset” and that’s exactly how it tastes.

Sound

I have a hard time listening to podcasts. My mind always goes elsewhere, but for the first time in my life, I’ve found a podcast that has captivated me. It’s called ArtHoles. Rose, who writes the art newsletter The Rose Period, recommended it to me and I’ve been listening to it every day. It’s this guy named Michael Anthony who talks about art in a ridiculously amusing way.

He does multi-part series on different artists like Frida Kahlo, Caravaggio, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Right now, I’m halfway through an 8-part Frida Kahlo deep dive. I love art history, and I’m learning so many new things about Frida that I didn’t know before. I listen to it in the morning when I’m getting ready, or in the evening when I’m making dinner. I also can’t stop listening to this song.

A big digital hug and fresh flowers to

Sandy Sanchez

for sharing her 5 (S)SENSES with us—just in time for strawberry season.

You can find Sandy at Small Pleasures here on Substack, Instagram, and TikTok 🤍

How are you engaging with your 5 senses this summer? We’re nosy, let us know.