The Weekly, 03.01.21

Happy March! Somehow, I feel like I just wrote that about February, but here we are heading into Spring. I won’t say it’s my favorite season, because I think I say that every time we change a season, but I can say I just love the change of seasons (why I couldn’t wait to leave Florida for college). The few glimmers of sunshine and warmer weathers that we have gotten over the last week really brightened my mood at a time when I feel like my mood is troubled. The Spring always reminds me of fresh air and new starts and happy feelings – in Syracuse, the first day of Spring was basically a college holiday, and I carry that joy with me anytime the sun is starting to show. We all need a change of seasons, desperately.

I am officially fully vaccinated, and I must say, there is a sense of hope but also hopelessness that comes with it. I am so grateful that my parents, my in-laws and myself are all fully vaccinated, and much more protected than before. But it’s also hard to watch so much stagnation and sameness around me when I feel like I have this new superpower.

To be honest, creative energy has been low/thrown into art projects around the house, and so I haven’t shown my face as much around here. But this weekend, the rain came, and it felt like I had to throw myself into some sort of something, so we have lots of great content coming your way this week. And because I haven’t been here in a bit, I have lots of great stuff to share with you.

Let’s jump into beauty first? I started my weekend off on the best note with dinner with friends, and successfully purchasing a new set of makeup brushes from Spectrum’s collaboration with my favorite makeup artist and beauty icon, Katie Jane Hughes. I cannot wait to play with these when they arrive in a few weeks, and honestly don’t think I have been so excited about something in a while. It’s really the little thing these days. Unfortunately, these brushes sold out quickly, but Spectrum has some other great sets of brushes like these, or this similar set here.

Sephora just dropped a bunch of new brands for Spring, including my beloved Oribe. I just tried their Superfine Hairspray, and it is incredible if you’re not looking for intense hold. No crunch texture, and it just settled into my fine hair – it’s a yes for me, like most of their other products. I’ve also been trying their voluminous hair care shampoo and conditioner (I usually use their color care line), and I am loving the light-weight finish it leaves. Also new at Sephora is Black beauty creator, Danessa Myricks. Both Katie Jane and Isabel Rosado use their Colorfix pigments all over their faces, and I can’t wait to get my hands on some of these gorgeous pigments for some facepainting – one of my favorite ways to apply makeup. I also love to see Sephora bring in more Black-owned beauty brands to their shelves.

A few weeks ago I made a big Sephora order, and now I’ve had a chance to test and report back. Two stand-out favorites? The Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, which I am using a few dabs of anywhere I would apply a highlighter, but prior to putting on my foundation. It gives such a beautiful glow, and just sits so nicely under makeup. As someone who doesn’t love highlighter, it’s a great alternative to building that glow from within without caking on makeup. Another favorite that I have found myself grabbing for every day is the Ambient Light palette from Hourglass. I kind of knew I was going to like this, and have to say, I’m super impressed, especially by the blush. You know I don’t love a powder blush, but the two in this set are pretty pigmented and just sit so nicely on dewey skin. This is definitely a one-stop-shop kind of palette that would be perfect for travel, if we ever get to do that again….

I feel like I am really missing out on beauty TikTok, which is apparently just launching drugstore products into viral status. One of the most recent products that has everyone talking? This Sky High mascara from Maybelline, that I did purchase when picking up my prescriptions yesterday. Worth the hype? Unclear just yet. And now I’m seeing this L’Oreal Infallible Powder foundation is next…do I do it? I’m probably going to do it…blame Gen Z.

In my monthly empties, I just finished the last bit of my favorite night-time eye cream to date, the Beautycounter Countertime eye cream. I have now tried multiple others, but none can compete with the rich creamy texture and anti-aging benefits for me. I am going to give this one from Youth to the People a go, because I tried and liked a sample, but we shall see if it can stand up to my tried and true. I’ll put together a blog post on evening eye creams when I finish trying this last one out.

And last in beauty buys, I went in on Elemis products this week at QVC when they were running some daily deals. I grabbed this two-pack of my favorite cleansing balm before I run out for only $45, which is a great deal. I also grabbed this double pack of one of my favorite day-time creams for dry skin – their ultra-rich pro-collagen marine cream (if you don’t need ultra-rich, you can go with their regular version) Looking for a good night time cream to combat signs of aging? Invest in this duo of their incredible Pro-Collagen Overnight Matrix, one of my favorite PM moisturizers that leaves you feeling super plump and hydrated in the morning – it is worth the investment. All of these products are in their pro-collagen line, which is exactly what it’s name says- it helps with collagen production in the skin, which is how our skin fights signs of aging. These products are worth the investment time and time again for me, and the best deals are always on QVC.

One of the easiest ways to tell you are old is when you’re excited by buying household products. I feel like nothing screams, “You’re in your thirties!” like my enthusiasm and love at first sight with…a trash can. But not just any trashcan. When I saw this double trash and recycling bin at my friend’s apartment last week, I knew I needed to have one. Yes, there was some sticker shot and hesitancy asking myself, am I really spending this much on a trash can? But no buyer’s remorse here – I can’t wait for it to arrive later today!

I am also all about buying myself things that spark little joy lately. This week’s random purchases? This gorgeous agenda from Appointed, a new discovery that I found from Stephanie Trotta. I love the layout of the weekly pages, with the breakdown of the week on the left and the note/priorities on the right. Did I need a new agenda? No, but starting the year off with some new energy couldn’t hurt. Another random purchase? This Scandinavian candy I saw Carly snacking on this week. I have been inhaling strawberry licorice, and really upped my game with this sweet and sour box from Sockerbit – very much looking forward to indulging.

I feel like even my motivation to get dressed every day is slowly decreasing, a sign that I really need to get out of the house more. I have been all about minimal effort when it comes to clothes lately, and have been gravitating most towards sweatshirt. I recently picked up this quarter-zip sweatshirt, perfect for leggings, from Old Navy after seeing it on Shaheen from lowestoluxe. It’s a super great top for walks, post-workout, or just lounging around, and I think I snagged it for under $20. Also a current favorite on rotation is this new mock-neck sweatshirt from Everlane that I had on my wishlist for a while before they finally restocked. While I was at it, I grabbed two of these cropped tees from their organic cotton collection, and they fit like a dream. Looking forward to pairing these with jeans, skirts, and the likes as the weather the gets warmer.

Last up is what I’m reading, and this week, I’ve got a few books I just ordered from my cart. First up is quirky romance, Get a Life, Chloe Brown, which has taken me a while to get into, but is finally picking up speed (my mind just hasn’t been in books lately). I also decided to order, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, after hearing that the author, Emmanuel Acho, is going to be taking over for Chris Harrison on The Bachelor for the rest of this season – a much needed shift for the mega-series, I hope. And my most recent Book of the Month is, Infinite Country, about a Colombian family spread across two countries amidst a history of civil unrest. Looking forward to refocusing some TV time on books this week.

Hoping everyone has a good week, and that these glimmers of sunshine keep coming. Stay tuned this week for bralettes and skincare basics, two posts I have ready to go. In the meantime, stay pretty busy.

Thank you for reading and shopping my post! For transparency, some of the links in this post may be affiliated, which means that I may make a small commission, at no cost to you, off of any purchases made when you use these links. I only share what I buy and love on Pretty Busy Brooklyn, and appreciate your support.