2 hours ago
10
Laura Jackson is a creative director and broadcaster who works across design, food and culture. She co-founded the homewares website Glassette in 2021 and later founded the skincare brand Rocco. Her broadcasting career spans television, radio and digital.
Jackson launched a collection with British jewellery brand Astley Clarke in September 2026, featuring gemstones, celestial motifs and tarot symbolism.
What’s the last treat you bought for yourself?
A bunch of cosmos from the market on the way home. Completely worth it: I’ve put them in individual stem vases dotted around the house. You can’t beat a bunch of fresh flowers; they instantly lift your mood.
Where do you buy your food?
I do a big weekly shop online from Ocado, but I’m lucky to work off Broadway market in east London, where there are great delis. Bread from a bakery, eggs from somewhere I actually trust. I also like Pesky Fish and the Ethical Butcher.
What’s the best present you’ve given?
A photobook. There’s something about them that a phone gallery will never be able to replicate: the weight of them in your hands, flicking through pages instead of swiping, knowing every single photo was chosen on purpose. I’ll spend hours going through pictures, narrowing them down, getting the order right, because I want it to actually tell a story, not just be a random collection of moments.
In a world where everything’s so instant and disposable, a gift that forces you to slow down is one worth spending a little more time on.
… and the best present you’ve received?
For our wedding, we received books from all our guests filled with handwritten notes – proper, heartfelt, personal messages. There’s something so special about someone sitting down and actually writing something for you. It’s the kind of gift that genuinely gets more precious with time.
What’s your favourite online store?
I love the Newt in Somerset. It’s my go-to for gift buying, and it always puts together great curated selections. It has a brilliant home and garden section, and I buy its cordials over and over again.
A Taste of the Newt hamper
What’s your favourite bricks-and-mortar shop?
I love my local Boots in Westfield. I have shopped at Boots since I was a kid, and I’m in there so much that the staff know me. I bring my empties there to recycle and love discovering new brands and products.
What’s the gadget you use most often?
My Berkey water filter sits on the counter and gets used throughout the day. It sounds unglamorous, but once you have one, you genuinely can’t go back. The water tastes completely different, and it’s great for a busy house like mine.
Big Berkey water filter
What’s the purchase you regret the most?
When you first buy a house, it’s normal to get overexcited and want to pick up things instantly, but I’ve learned to take my time and understand the space, how the light works, how it’s used before making a decision on buying something. It’s the same with my wardrobe: I have to sit on something for a while before I reach for my purse.
What’s the thing/s you get delivered?
Not hugely exciting to some, but the joy I get when my Miniml order arrives … from shampoo to laundry detergent to bubble bath, these products are so good, and they last so long, even with three kids.
Miniml body wash + bubble bath Uplifting pink grapefruit, 400ml
For more, check out our review of the best eco-friendly laundry detergents
Where do you buy your underwear?
Comfort first, always. For everyday, you can’t go wrong with M&S. But I’ve recently fallen a bit in love with Fruity Booty, particularly its bridal range. It’s so fun and joyful and just makes you feel good. I said to my husband, maybe it’s time to renew our vows, just so I have an excuse to wear it all … he’s yet to respond to that one.
What would you buy with £20?
A really good candle or the best bunch of flowers I could find from the local market.
Daylesford geranium leaf candle
after newsletter promotion
… and £200?
I’d head straight to a market or a reclamation yard and see what found me. That budget can get you something genuinely special.
What’s your ‘saved search’ on eBay/Vinted?
Vintage Missoni knitwear, the real stuff from the 70s and 80s. The colours, the patterns, the quality. You find it occasionally if you’re patient enough, and when you do, it feels like an absolute victory. We’re giving the studio office a little revamp, so my saved searches are a bit all over the place: vintage desk lamps, interesting shelving, office chairs.
What item do you buy on repeat?
Good olive oil, Greek yoghurt, fresh fruit and flowers. Every single week without fail. My kitchen doesn’t function without them.
How do you make your coffee at home?
A cafetière, always, and good quality coffee, freshly ground. We have a busy house, and I often work from home, so a big pot in the morning makes early starts easier. We have a huge 1-litre Bodum cafetière at the office and at home. It looks great on the shelf and in the middle of a messy desk. I love Hard Lines coffee or Union.
Bodum 1l Caffettiera french press coffee maker
For more, read our guide to the best cafetières
Hard Lines coffee
Union coffee
What’s your biggest splurge?
Travel, without question. I’d rather spend money on a really special trip, somewhere that genuinely shifts your perspective, than on things.
And what everyday item do you scrimp on?
Mechanical pencils. I love them, and they don’t cost much at all. I’m a chronic list-maker and note-taker. I love Muji, or a multipack from the supermarket does the job perfectly well.
Muji mechanical pencil with eraser
Bic mechanical pencil set, five
And what’s your greatest vintage find?
The cabinetry in our kitchen, reclaimed from a church and restored to become the centrepiece of the whole room. Every single person who comes to the house asks about it. It has more character than anything you could ever buy new, and the story behind it is half the reason I love it so much.
For more, read How I Shop with Millie Mackintosh and Fred Sirieix. You can also find out the celebrity shopping recommendations that readers loved the most
Don’t buy anything until you’ve read the Filter, the Guardian’s home for truly independent product reviews and recommendations. Whether you’re after rigorous tests or shopping inspiration, affordable gifts or advice on how to make your belongings last longer, we’re here to help you make smarter, more sustainable choices.
The Filter is packed with trustworthy buying advice on everything from coffee machines to hiking boots, mascara to secateurs. So visit us today and start buying better and smarter, and wasting less.
