Last week, I had an unfortunate incident involving a stale bagel, a bread knife and my finger. After speeding to Gannett with my bloody hand held out the window, upon arrival and examination I received great news — my cut was so clean, I could get “glued” instead of stitched. With a general dislike of needles, and a childhood fondness for Elmer’s, I was ecstatic (until, of course, I remembered how much pain I was in). The reason for such a clean cut? The quality of the bread knife culprit. Part of my 18-piece J.A. Henckels Twin Pro S block set, my knife was so sharp and such high quality that I didn’t even need stitches. The knives cut through vegetables and meat as well as they cut through my finger, though I don’t recommend trying to slice a stale bagel.

Like most women, I try to take good care of my hair and part of my regimen includes using the best hairbrush money can buy. Enter the Mason Pearson Boar Bristle hairbrush. A hand-me-down from my mother, my Mason Pearson quickly became my most beloved beauty tool. I was convinced that without it, my hair would become dull, lifeless, flat — and that I might need to use (gasp) more than shampoo and a blow-dryer with any other brush. Enter the bitch who stole my hairbrush. (I wish I was kidding — someone actually stole my hairbrush. Ew.) My Mason Pearson was great, but without it, my life didn't end, and my hair didn't become flat and dull. — $150

Where does luxury belong during the recession — on our feet or holding our wine? Daze checks out sneakers and wine glasses.

Like many other girls, washing my hair is a bit of a production — shampoo, conditioner, comb, brush, blow dry and, if I’m feeling up to it, a quick run-over with the flat iron. All said and done, my gorgeous mane can take up to an hour (!) to beautify, even with my relatively low maintenance hair. So, on many a day, my shower does not involve washing my hair — instead, it involves a rather cute bathing cap. But how to freshen up? My Rene Furterer Naturia dry shampoo does just the trick. In a convenient aerosol can, I just flip my hair upside down, spray away and brush. Next thing you know, it’s like I just went through the whole wash-brush-blow dry process, in a total of 30 seconds. Amazing. — $24 for 3.2 oz

Pricy books got you down? Daze compares textbooks, coursebooks and Amazon’s Kindle.

Ahh, buying textbooks. Whether standing in line at the Cornell Store, lugging your books back to your dorm or apartment, or explaining to your parents how you maxed out Cornell Card before school even started, it is overall a very unpleasant process. All said and done, if I had purchased all of my books at the Cornell Store this semester, it would have run me $404.14 (plus medical bills after I break my back carrying said books back to Collegetown). To make matters worse, one is faced with the general unpleasantness that comes with out of stock books and the inevitably rude service at the Cornell Store. Ouch. — $404.14

One of the hardest things to adjust to freshman year is, undoubtedly, dorm living — and (ew) shared bathrooms. While the bathrooms I frequented in Clara Dickson some years ago were pleasantly clean, you still couldn’t have paid me to shower without some protection between my feet and the shower tiles. Thus, for once, cheap rubber flip flops became a new wardrobe staple. My flops of choice? Personalized, bejeweled white Havaianas, weighing in at a cool $98 back in 2006. They lasted about three weeks before gathering enough soap residue to force their retirement. The replacement, $18 plain Havaianas, lasted about as long before the thong came apart from the sole. — $18 to $98

Hard to believe, but summer is just around the corner. Whether you'll be sunning yourself on Sconset Beach or stuck behind a desk in Midtown, there are a few summer essentials that nobody can ignore. In celebration of summer, this week I am giving a list of summer essentials for everyone.

Reef sandals are comfy and durable whether you're walking the beach or running to the nearest subway station. While their leather (Rainbow) competitors stain your feet an ugly shade of yellow, Reefs won't ruin your soles (or the inside of your favorite sensible Manolo slingbacks). Also, if you buy them online, they are practically free — or at least as cheap as $10 in some cases, much better than $42 Rainbows.

Does a higher price tag really mean a better product? This week, Daze checks out chips and oreos.

When I moved to college, I was terribly afraid that I would no longer be able to enjoy my favorite crunchy snack: Cape Cod potato chips, produced in my beloved home state. Much to my delight, I discovered that Cape Cod chips are conveniently sold at Wegmans. They are light, crunchy, kettle-cooked in small batches — basically, the perfect chip.

— $3.50 for a 9 oz. bag

Cape Cod chips

Does a higher price tag really mean a better product? This week, Daze checks out tequila and sunscreen.

Having recently returned from Spring Break, it is only appropriate to share the new knowledge that I acquired while in Mexico. Now that I am a certified Tequila Connoisseur (with a certificate to prove it), I will never again order another Patrón Silver shot at Johnny O's. Patrón was the marketing design of a brilliant Las Vegas businessman, and has none of the character or flavor of other tequilas. Order Patrón in Mexico, and they'll laugh at you. Order it in Collegetown, and you're paying too much for something that tastes like rubbing alcohol. — $50 for 750 mL

The ubiquitous square bottle, Fiji water has been trendy since its market debut several years ago. Bottled in Fiji and shipped over (can you say carbon footprint?!), this water has neither a distinctive flavor nor a superior quality that I can discern. Further, the damn square bottle doesn’t fit in car cup holders. — $3 for a liter