How I Shop with Jonathan Van Ness: ‘The price you pay for impulsivity is years later’

Jonathan Van Ness rose to fame as the beauty and hair care expert on the multi-award-winning show Queer Eye. Their eight-year tenure as one of the “Fab Five” presenters ended when the show’s final season aired in January 2026. A hairstylist by trade, they have their own cruelty-free, vegan haircare brand, JVN Hair.

Beyond TV and beauty work, Van Ness has continued a career as a comedian, writer and podcast presenter. They have written five books, including the New York Times bestselling memoir Over the Top and their latest young adult novel, which they wrote alongside Julie Murphy, Let Them Stare. Van Ness continues to be an advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, working on campaigns with The Trevor Project and Planned Parenthood.

What’s the last treat you bought for yourself?

A spray tan at Sugared + Bronzed.

Where do you buy your food?

The farmers’ market. I live two blocks away from it in New York and go there all the time.

What’s the best present you’ve given?

This obnoxiously hard-to-find twilly [narrow silk scarf] also from Hermès. The queen of my heart, my very best girl[friend], wanted one so bad that I went to 15 Hermès stores in like 15 cities and finally got it; it was the best Christmas present ever.

… and the best present you’ve received?

My mum made this stunning throw blanket with the nicest, thickest yarn, but I don’t want to use it because I have five cats who would slice it with their claws. I begged her to make me a duplicate, but she made me the world’s skinniest one – not as nice. I was like: “Mom, that’s not as big and chic as the first one.” She’s like: “Use the one I made you! I’m not knitting you another!” She’s a really crafty, fierce artist.

What’s your favourite online store?

EBay. I think resale is really interesting; I’m particularly obsessed with bags. It’s a little bit nerve-racking because who authenticated it? But I do like the prices, and I’ve seen so many gorgeous pieces on there that do check out.

What’s your favourite bricks-and-mortar shop?

In England, I’ve got to say Space NK – I love to buy Skin Rocks by Caroline Hirons products there, especially the eye cream.

Skin Rocks the eye cream, 15ml

What’s the gadget you use most often?

My Mophie portable phone charger.

Mophie PowerStation 5K

What’s the purchase you regret the most?

A house in Texas. I was in this era where I was like, “I must have more space”, but then it was way too much space – I bought at the top of the market, and then real estate in Austin tanked. It taught me that sometimes the price you pay for impulsivity is years later.

What’s the thing(s) you get delivered?

A grocery delivery service called Gopuff, for non-farmers’ market staples like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, milk, and kitty litter.

Where do you buy your underwear?

I am obsessed with Hanro. It’s stupidly expensive, like $50 (about £38) for a pair of underwear, but those bitches hold up. I think I’ve had some of them for like five, six years, and they are very well made.

Hanro cotton essentials pants, two-pack

What would you buy with £20?

JVN Hair notwithstanding, what I do like that’s under £20 is CeraVe body moisturiser. I suffer from psoriasis and, in a really bad flare, it is gentle, so nurturing and doesn’t sting.

CeraVe moisturising cream, 454g

… and £200?

For £200, fragrance from D’Orsay. Oh. My. God. One I would choose right now is Vanilla Affair.

D’Orsay Vanilla Affair extrait de parfum, 90ml

What’s your ‘saved search’ on eBay/Vinted?

My husband wants a 50cm Hermès Kelly Relax bag the soccer guys were carrying during the World Cup. He says he wants one that looks as if he filled it up with rocks and then threw it down the stairs, a bit [beaten up], but that’s kind of hard to find.

What item do you buy on repeat?

Protein Pop-Tarts. I’m so addicted to them, I can’t keep a box in my house for more than two days. (Though it says “protein” in huge letters, it’s just 5g per tart – or 10g per suggested serving of two tarts – instead of the regular 2g).

Protein Pop-Tarts Slammin’ Strawberry, box of eight

Also, the fizzy tail Percy Pigs. Target just started carrying them, so now my husband isn’t hiding them from me. Before, I would be like: “Why are there 40 packages of Percy Pigs in the back of my sock drawer?”

Percy Pig Phizzy Pigtails, 170g

How do you make your coffee at home?

In a Breville (marketed under the Sage brand in the UK) coffee machine – an americano with a splash of cold milk.

Sage Oracle Jet automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine

What’s your biggest splurge?

Bags. Being socialised as a boy growing up, purses were for girls, so my mum let me carry around one of her bags in secret when my dad wasn’t around.

Alongside Hermès, I love bags by the Row, and also Ikea shopping bags. Do I quit my life and start a bag resale business, where I just find people’s dream bags?

What everyday item do you scrimp on?

Taxis: I ride my bike [instead], or use public transport. In London, I’m up on that tube or on Lime bikes. I was spending so much money on taxis, I was like, girl, I don’t need to do all that. I love to bike; I’ll just get a helmet.

And what’s your greatest vintage find?

My birthday present to myself this year. I found a black lizard Hermès Kelly Sellier from 1987, the year I was born, which has its original hardware, at Sotheby’s. It’s [so pristine] I think someone bought it in ’87, wore it twice, put it back in the box and thought: “I don’t like that thing.” In order for me to convince my business manager that this is OK, I had to sell however many bags it takes – which was seven – so it was not coming out of my income. I told myself the famous lie when I’m buying something too expensive: “This can be my everyday bag. I’m just gonna beat it up, it’s gonna be totally worth it.” But then I get it home, and I’m like: “I could never!”

For more, read How I Shop with Laura Jackson and Tom Daley

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