The Weekly, 02.15.21

This past weekend I celebrated my quarantine birthday, a day I was hoping I wouldn’t have to endure. But truthfully, it was a great birthday. While it wasn’t sitting on a beach in the Caribbean, it was low-key in the best possible sense. From my sixth graders singing happy birthday on Meets, to dozens of desserts, and a whole afternoon in bed binge-watching Real Housewives of Potomac, I could not ask for much more. As we persevere into our thirties, I realize I can still love my birthday without the pressure of celebrating it in a big kind of way. In some ways, it’s a relief.

I have this week off from school, and we decided to rent an AirBnb at the last minute to escape the city with some friends. So far, it’s been an excellent choice. We have zero plans other than cooking, laying and doing a whole lot of nothing structured. And I get my second dose of the vaccine later in the week, which will really lift a load of anxiety off of my shoulders. Overall, things are feeling the tiniest bit optimistic, but I don’t want to jinx it.

The best part of any school break is always getting through a week of reading books back to back. And I hope that this week is no different. First on my list is the newest Kristin Hannah novel, The Four Winds. If you’re never read The Nightingale, then you absolutely must pick it up. Two years ago it was the it book of the summer, and I remember crying like a baby on the beach reading this book. One of her other novels, Firefly Lane, is a Netflix show that came out recently, so I picked up that one to read before watching, too. Other books on this week’s list? Anxious People and Transcendant Kingdom, both of which have been sitting on my nightstand for far too long.

Considering we have zero plans to do anything beyond watching TV, reading, cooking and drinking, I packed nothing but sweats and leggings for the trip. I always always always pack my Everlane leggings, which are the best if you have yet to try. I own them in about 5 colors at this point, I think? I also grabbed this sweatsuit for $35 from Target last week, and I have to tell you, it is a great deal. The pants are the perfect jogger length for me, and the sweatshirt has a slightly cropped feeling that I am really digging. I think I am going to grab it for myself in a few other colors.

Last week a few of my friends and I were having a real talk about the new COVID wrinkles we are spotting all over our faces. And while I want to be like, “embrace your age,” we have way too much time to be staring at ourselves in the mirror right now, pondering life’s stupidest shit. They asked for a moisturizer to tackle some of those wrinkles, and simultaneously, one of my favorite moisturizers went on a crazy sale on QVC (it’s still going as of today!). I love the pro-collagen line from Elemis, and I snagged their ultra-rich version in a two for the price of one deal without hesitation.

If you aren’t following @things.I.bought.and.liked on Instagram, then you are probably saving yourself hundreds of dollars per year, but are missing out on some of the greatest finds you wouldn’t really know about otherwise. She recently posted this hyaluronic acid serum from one of my skincare favorites, CeraVe, and I grabbed it right away, as I was running out of my usual mist. I have zero regrets about this, and while I might still grab my mist (I still love this mist for daytime hydration layering and refresh), I think this new hyaluronic acid is going to be a staple in my routine. So much plumping action, and for a really great price.

Another recent top follow is @krisitinazias, who is truly like #newmothergoals. She is a recently new mom who has both kept it so real throughout her pregnancy and new mom journey, and also is just really staying true to herself in all of this (an unnecessary sidenote, but as I hit 31, there is something about parenthood horror stories that make you feel like the end of any fun in your life is over the minute you have children). Not only is she rocking the most confidence in her changed body with her fashion choices (yes for a crop top whenever you’re feeling it), but she is legit glowing. She shared her daily foundation is from new-to-hit-Sephora brand, Saie, and I snagged their Slip Tint Dewey tinted moisturizer so fast. It got delivered just as I left, but I cannot wait to try.

Sephora is running a big sale for President’s Day, with lots of great products set for 50% off. You know I can’t miss a Sephora sale, so I grabbed this Hourglass palette that I have wanted to try but couldn’t really justify the price for. It comes highly rated, and I think it’s going to be a great multi-purpose palette for face and eyes. I also snagged another one of the Fenty matte lipsticks in a hot pink, because I realized it’s one of the only colors I don’t have in my rotation after rocking a red lip earlier this week. They also have a ton of my favorite Huda beauty eyeshadow palettes on sale. I’m linking three that I love below for you.

And when I shop Sephora, you know it never stops with just one or two things. Since it’s my birthday, I decided to treat myself and try this Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk eyeliner; if you’ve never tried a maroon eyeliner and you have hazel/green eyes, then you must try. It really makes them pop, and this one looks premium. I also decided to finally try the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, as I’ve seen a lot of people using it under makeup lately. They have a mini option for just $15, so I can try it and see if I like it. I’ve also been on the hunt for a bright pink blush, as I feel like it’s a missing element to my supply. I picked up my favorite Tower 28 blush (seriously such a great beginner cream blush) in Beach Please, a bright fuchsia color.

The only thing missing from the house we are staying at is some candles; I feel like I need candles to give a real cozy vibe to a place, but I guess it is weird to pack a candle on a trip for a few days. I ordered some candles to try from Boy Smells, as I am always looking for votive candles for our bathroom. I grabbed this set, and have been in love with St. Al – super dreamy beach vibes. I also picked up their Slow Burn scent, and it is just as good as I anticipated it being. It reminds me of Diptyque’s Figuier scent that I love – kind of woodsy and fruity with some spice elements.

I have recently started picking up little odds and ends for more table top decor when I see things I like, as I am trying to add a bit more to our bedroom decor with my new paintings off for framing. I have wanted this donut vase from h&m home for a long time (they have great, affordable stuff if you’ve never looked), but it was always out of stock. Somehow, I saw it in stock last weekend and snagged it right away. It is a bit larger than anticipated but with some eucalyptus, it looks super chic. This one is sold out (here is a similar one), but I love this option for something a little funky.

Despite the sense of hope that I am feeling, I still think that we are going to be wearing masks for quite a while. And I think I will be okay wearing them on public transportation for a long time to come. So I haven’t stopped buying masks, and I recently grabbed these cottons tie-dye masks from Everlane, and I have to say, I am surprised how much I like them. They aren’t form fitting over your mouth, and so you feel like you have a small amount of room to breathe and to talk. And with the weird moisture situation in the winter, it’s definitely better to have something that isn’t always touching your face. They also fit great over a medical mask without being too tight, so if you’re wanting to double mask, as recommended, then this is a great option for a good price.

Now that my birthday celebrations are coming to a close, I might have to treat myself to a little something to keep the happiness alive as went enter the long stretch of winter. This rainbow striped cardigan from Anthropologie is currently top of my wishlist, and would certainly spark some optimism as we endure this ongoing snow.

Looking forward to a week of leisure, and I have a few shows lined up that I want to watch – Lupin, Your Honor, and the newer episodes of Euphoria that I haven’t watched yet. We bought lots of junk food, and I have tons of dessert to get through, so it will be all cozy vibes on the couch for the next few days.

For transparency, some of the links in this post are affiliated, which means I might make a small commission off of any purchases made using these links, at no cost to you. I only share what I love on Pretty Busy Brooklyn, so I thank you for supporting my work.