The Weekly, 11.15.21
I’m thinking I need to rename The Weekly, the Monthly, because that’s about the time frame in which I am getting these posts up these days. Time is flying by, and I was shocked to see it’s been a few weeks since I got it together enough on a Sunday to share with you some of my recent favorites of the week. But here we are, writing this with Sunday scaries, about to dive into the Adele special with Oprah, facing the week head-on by putting together a post about all of the goodness I am loving over the last few weeks…
It’s been super chaotic, and I just recently got promoted at work. It’s great news all around, and I’m so excited to begin this new chapter in my own career and community. So I am stressed, but honestly, who isn’t right now? I’m trying to focus on what I can control, and slow things down, and practice some serious patience with myself. But also take time to celebrate and look forward to good things ahead. Chris and I enjoyed a delicious dinner to celebrate at a restaurant I have been dying to try – Francie – on Saturday night, and it felt good to get out, enjoy some chillier temps, and just have a date night exclusively for the two of us. Did I need that caramelized banana sundae for two to top it off? No, but it sure was good :).
So as you can tell, there’s been lots going, and so many holiday sales/shopping are starting early, or maybe it’s just already half-way through November? How?! I feel like every influencer on Instagram is already fully decorated for the holidays, and this somewhat real narrative around shipping delays forcing the holiday shopping to start early is getting to me a bit. Regardless, I’m feeling myself getting into the holiday spirit, and I’ve been enjoying some shopping, too. With that, I have lots of great sale finds to share, and ideas for holiday gift guides hopefully coming soon. Let’s jump in…
01. The Sephora sale is still running through the end of today! If you missed my post loaded with lots of my favorite picks to grab in the sale, you can find it here. But I’m sharing a few honorable mentions with you here, that would be great to grab at any time. I had this gorgeous highlighter/blush palette from Tom Ford in my own Sephora order, and now that it’s here, I am so glad I bit the bullet and added it to my order. It is gorgeous, and honestly, the perfect finishing touch to any look. Whether you like a matte or dewy finish, this palette glides and sits seamlessly over your makeup, giving you a healthy, gorgeous glow that gives you just a slight flush and shimmering finish. I swept it over my whole face at the end of my look, and it just gave everything an extra wow. It’s a pricy little guy, but truthfully, worth the price tag, especially if you can snag it in the last day of the sale, as a little holiday treat for yourself.
02. My second must-have from the sale, and just a staple in my own routine right now, is this tubing mascara from Hourglass. I’ve seen both TIBAL and BrooklynBlonde recommend this mascara, and after using it for over a month, I know why. It is quite possibly my favorite mascara in rotation, and maybe of all time? Tubing mascaras are very liquid-like and have a spikey, plastic type spooly. But the formula allows you to build, with the mascara technology essentially creating a tub around your lashes, which lets you build gorgeous, long lashes, regardless of what your natural lashes look like. The key is that it takes more than one coat, but they really are the best mascaras that don’t move or flake throughout the day like many mascaras that build do. Do yourself a favor and pick this up!
03. Quite possibly one of my favorite purchases of the last month is this plug-in air diffuser from Pura. I love it so much I bought it twice – one for my office and one for home. Chris has the most sensitive sense of smell (family trait), and constantly feels like something smells if the dishwasher hasn’t been run or the trash is ready to take out or our neighbors cooked something. So this diffuser was really a gift to the both of us, and I love the plethora of scents you can choose, including from some of my favorite candle companies, like this set from Anthropologie that’s currently on sale. You can put in two scents, and you use an app to control the intensity and when to start and stop the scent, which makes it so easy to use. This is a great gift for anyone who is hard to shop for!
04. Ok, I admit, I got suckered in by an Instagram ad and bought these tights from Sheertex. But they arrived this week, and I am actually quite impressed. I really hate tights – I don’t think that these tights will change that, because it’s more the look and the going to the bathroom in tights I despise, but these will at least save me some money and frustration. It’s a female-founded brand, and the whole concept is indestructible tights that don’t rip. They do not disappoint. I like the material and the size-range, and the quality is definitely superior. It’s a higher price tag, but if you don’t have to replace, then it’s a worthy investment for me. I grabbed two pairs on sale after seeing them recommended by Rosey Beeme.
05. Is it just me, or is buying winter coats an annoyingly exhausting process for everyone? Last winter I spent so much time looking for a classic and simple winter parka, and this year, I decided it was time to upgrade my short puffer for throwing on on the weekends to run errands and to workout or go for a walk. I love J.Crew coats, and have always had good luck with them, so I decided to take a shot on this short puffer style with their 40% off sale, and I was not disappointed. Excellent quality, perfect fit, and it even has the little ribbed sleeves for your wrists, which is a must for a person like me who hates gloves. So many cute colors in this coat! I grabbed black, but also love the orange and light pink.
06. In the name of my promotion, I’ve been trying to put a little bit of polish on my work wardrobe. I’ve always been lucky I don’t have a serious dress code of any kind at work, and while I need comfortable shoes for running around the building, and can wear jeans any day of the week, I’m feeling the need to put myself together a bit more to help with the imposter syndrome you face when you step into any new role. And for me, a large part of shaping my perspective every day has always been through fashion – look good, feel good has always been my motto. So I bought some skirts for the winter and I’m pretty excited for this little plaid mini, bringing all of the catholic school vibes back to me. It’s also 40% off right now!
07. If you’ve been following for a while, you know I am always on the hunt for some good underwear. And I do love a Tommy John, but they are pricier. So after hearing lots of positive reviews, especially from curvy influencers, I decided to give this pair from Parade a go, and grabbed a 5 for $40 pack. And honestly? I love. LOVE. The fit is comfortable, secure, and doesn’t have any digging or rolling – all positives. My favorite pair are by far this boy-short style, which is cute on the booty, and super comfortable for sleeping. I just ordered myself a few more pairs with code 30PARADE, which gets you 30% off for their holiday sale. I love the fun colors and styles of the RePlay line.
08. I’m having a love affair with a leather pant. I am seeing them all over, and love that you can dress them up with a bootie, or down with a sneaker. I have been stalking the vegan leather straight-leg styles on Abercrombie, and ended up grabbing this burgundy pair with a criss-cross waist. And they are so cute, even if Chris keeps calling me Carmella…I love them paired with a chunky sweater (see item 10), or a tee-shirt and cardigan for a more casual look. The waist-line is super flattering, and they make the butt look good. They have a fleece-like lining which will keep you warm as the temperatures continue to drop.
09. Speaking of temperatures dropping, I’m addicted to these socks. I feel like slippers can be quite claustrophobic, but I love a chunky sock these days – to sleep, to lounge, to run errands. I grabbed this pack of Hanes classic crew socks on Amazon, and I’ve been wearing them constantly. If you’re looking for bang for your buck, and just a good pack of socks for winter, these are a great staple to have. Who would have thought I could have passion for socks?
10. It is most definitely sweater season, and this week I finally pulled out some of mine and cleaned out the ones I am ready to part with. Which, naturally, made room for some newer sweaters. I saw this gorgeous little neutral number on somwherelately, and grabbed it almost instantly. I have super sensitive skin, and am very reactive to wools, which can make sweater selection quite tricky for me. This one is not a wool, which does mean dry-cleaning, but I’ll take it over neck rashes. It’s super soft, and I love the chunky knit, balloon sleeve, and the cropped style which makes it easy to tuck or fold under for a few different looks. So happy with the quality of this one, and it will definitely be a staple this season.
11. Speaking of staples, this sweater is one of my all-time favorites. I now own this in five colors, including their older/discontinued turtle-neck version, and just snagged another one on sale last week in gray. No itch at all, the softest material, washes so well, and just pairs perfectly with just about anything. I love the oversized fit with a leather legging, front-tucked into jeans, or even over a dress. It’s just the best, and one of those items I will buy again and again because it’s that good and something I get so much wear out of. There’s a reason it comes back season after season.
12. The most random, but saved the best for last. A friend of mine sent me a post sharing this book, and I immediately bought it as a little surprise for Chris. If you don’t live in NYC and/or haven’t been to Don Angies, then you are probably wondering why I am so jazzed over an Italian American cookbook, but this one is by the founder of what is probably my favorite restaurant in the city. The pinwheel lasagna on the cover is one of their signature dishes that is just so special, and it includes the recipe for the salad I dream about constantly – their Chrysanthemum salad. This would make a great gift for anyone this holiday season!
Wishing everyone an easy week, as we near the start of the holidays! So many great sales happening, and I’ll be sure to share what I am using and loving as frequently as I can, as things are moving quickly around us. If you missed the Adele special, do not skip it! So wonderful – a celebrity special and just out-of-body experience. Light a delicious wintery candle (I am loving this one from Otherland’s new collection I just got), and get ready for chills and tears if you’re even remotely a fan. ‘Tis the season to slow down and enjoy!
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