Things I’m Loving 10.29.24

I can’t believe October is almost over! I’m normally not very into Halloween, but I’m very excited to take the boys trick or treating this year - keeping my fingers crossed for no sicknesses because so far Camden has ended up sick for both Halloweens he’s been here for. I’ve only skipped one week of “Things I’m Loving,” but it feels like it’s been longer. Last week I wrote about my experience on transitioning from 1-2 kids vs. 0-1.

Tower 28 OneLiner in ‘Paint My Number’ | I think at this point it’s impossible for me to do one of these posts without mentioning a lip product. I absolutely love the formulas of these liners from Tower 28 - they can be used on the eyes, lips, and cheeks (although I primarily use them as lip liners). It’s creamy enough to glide on easily, but waxy enough to stay put throughout the day without fading or smudging. They recently expanded their shades and my new favorite is Paint My Number, a true brown-mauve. It’s a great everyday fall lip - it’s a little deep and moody.

Madewell French Hair Pin | I’m always looking for ways to get my hair out of my face both at work and at home (Carter will grab a handful of my hair and not let go if it’s down) and lately my favorite is using this French Pin from Madewell. It looks so chic and is super sturdy - I’ve tried other French pins like this but they feel flimsy and just slip out of my hair. This holds my hair in place for hours without slowly sliding out or giving me a headache.

Stratia Velvet Cleansing Milk | I recently ordered a couple things from Stratia and while I was waiting for them to be delivered, it reminded me to pull out some other products from the brand I already had. I had forgotten what a nice cleanser this is. It’s a simple cream cleanser that is able to remove makeup and also gets my skin feeling really clean but not stripped. This has been living next to my sink for a few weeks now and I can’t stop reaching for it both morning and night. I just love everything I’ve tried from Stratia - the products are so effective yet affordable!

Universal Thread Betsy Clogs | I love my Birkenstock Boston Clogs, but this year I haven’t been a huge fan of the color I have anymore (it’s a really warm, almost yellow-brown - I think the shade was called Mink). As much as I love how comfortable the Birkenstocks are, I couldn’t justify the price of another pair in the taupe shade I was eyeing this year when I have a perfectly good pair, so I decided to try out these dupes/knockoffs from Target’s Universal Thread brand. They’re a good enough copy for me! They’re really comfortable and feel like they have memory foam in them, and they fit my feet really well - I have quite narrow feet and these feel perfectly snug (so if you have wider feet I’d consider sizing up!). Wearing them side by side with the Birkenstocks they’re a little bulkier, but I don’t mind. They’re the perfect taupe shade I was looking for, too.

Kulfi Beauty Zari Eyes Cream Eyeshadow in ‘Sitara Sparkles’ | I don’t really wear eyeshadow on a daily basis anymore, but I went to my friend’s wedding last weekend and wore this and was absolutely obsessed. I had gotten this eyeshadow a while ago but I don’t think I ever actually got around to wearing it until now! The Sitara Sparkles shade is a unique rose gold with silver sparkles. Rather than looking glittery, it gives a glossy look to the eyes that I really love. It is really easy to apply - it has a wet formula that spreads and blends easily on the eyelids. I used a primer underneath when I wore it to the wedding, and it lasted all night with no creasing.

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Things I'm Loving 09.17.24

September seems like it’s just flying by, doesn’t it? I went to check out a library book on Libby yesterday and was shocked when it said the return date was in October, then I realized it’s only a couple weeks away! Anyway, here are a few things I kept reaching for this past week.

PREQUEL Multi-Quench Serum | I just ordered a couple things from Prequel during their Labor Day sale, and they’ve already been big hits for me. The Multi-Quench Serum is a watery gel meant to deeply hydrate the skin. It contains polyglutamic acid, which is a moisturizing peptide proven to be an even better hydrator than hyaluronic acid. It also has glycerin to help retain that moisture and repair the skin barrier. My skin has been so happy since introducing this into my routine - I use it every morning after cleansing, and I’ve noticed my skin feels a lot smoother and doesn’t feel like it dries out throughout the day.

CeraVe Healing Ointment | I’ve used this on my kids since my toddler was an infant, and I finally got myself my own tube to use. I keep getting small eczema flareups on one eyelid, but this has been helping a lot. Now that it’s getting cooler and drier outside, I’ve been taking a pea-sized amount and applying it all over my face as the last step of my skincare routine to seal everything in. Using a small amount doesn’t feel too heavy or greasy, and I wake up with glowing, nourished skin.

REFY Lip Blur Liner in ‘Mauve’ | This is another new addition I just got over the last week, but I’m already hooked. As I’ve gotten older I’ve noticed my natural lip color has gotten paler, and my lip line has become less defined, so I usually use lip liner every time I’m wearing makeup. Sometimes a regular lip liner can just feel so harsh though, so I jumped at the chance to try this new launch from REFY. It has a velvety texture that glides on the lips and feels like nothing. It doesn’t have a precise point, so it does create that blurred lip line that I was looking for. It instantly makes my lips look fuller, so I’ve been using it under everything since I got it. Mauve is my perfect everyday pink shade - it’s pretty much the shade my lips used to be in my teens and 20s.

MERIT Bronze Balm in ‘Quince’ | I could have sworn I had already written about this recently, but I guess not! I bought this on a whim shortly after I gave birth to my younger son even though I wasn’t going to be wearing much makeup for a while, and I’m so glad I have it now. It’s basically foolproof - it’s so soft and blendable, and it’s on the sheer side, so it’s quick and easy to warm up the skin without going overboard. I can’t believe I didn’t jump on this right when it launched because this kind of thing is right up my alley.

Abercrombie 90s Relaxed Jeans | Now that the weather is cooling down and I’m coming out of my postpartum haze, I’ve been looking forward to wearing some of my regular clothes again. Right now these are my favorite jeans in my closet - I love the relaxed style, and I like that they’re still high-waisted. Most of my jeans are on the cropped side/come to my ankles, so I like having these ones that go all the way to my feet. I have them in a couple washes and just recently ordered the ‘Oat’ shade while it was on sale.

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Things I'm Loving 09.04.24

I think today (or maybe yesterday) marks 10 years since my very first blog post! So far I’m really enjoying getting back into blogging, and I can’t wait to have time to sit down and write more than just these favorites posts (if you have something specific you’d like to see, please let me know!).

Duolingo | I’ve gotten back into doing a Spanish lesson on Duolingo every night before I go to bed. I took up to Spanish 5 in high school but haven’t used it since then, so it’s been nice to refresh my memory on what I learned back then, learn some new things, and do something that isn’t doomscrolling every night before bed.

Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream | I got this moisturizer earlier this year when I saw it recommended as a dupe for the Dieux Skin Instant Angel Moisturizer - I love Instant Angel, but it was out of stock for awhile and I needed a replacement. It turns out I think I like this moisturizer even better, and it saves me so much money, too! It has an almost whipped texture and feels deeply nourishing and soothing on the skin. I use this at night, but once my daytime moisturizer runs out I’ll probably just use it in the morning too - it’s not too heavy to use under sunscreen/makeup.

Peripera Ink the Velvet Lip Tint | Again, I can’t seem to do one of these posts without including whatever lip product I’m fixating on for the week. I have a few shades of these lip tints (some were PR samples and some I purchased myself), and they’re such a good everyday product. It’s a whipped, mousse-y texture that really does feel like weightless velvet on the lips. It doesn’t feel drying, and it lasts really well throughout the day. Lately I’ve been mixing the Rosy Nude and Star Plum Pink shades to get my perfect everyday shade: something just between subtle nude and flushed pink.

Haus Labs Color Fuse Blush Balm Stick in ‘Glassy Acai’ | I’ve had this sitting in my makeup bag for most of the summer and finally started using it consistently this week. It’s such a beautiful formula - it leaves a lovely dewy sheen on the skin, but it dries down and doesn’t feel tacky. It’s pigmented but easy to sheer out and also layers well, so I think they’ll work well on all skin tones. The shade Glassy Acai is a really pretty red berry shade that adds a really natural-looking flush - I love it for a minimal makeup look. I’ve also been smudging a bit into my lips as well when I’m not wearing the Peripera Lip Tint to tie the whole look together, and it works really well there too.

Glossier Cleanser Concentrate | I always thought I was a Glossier Milky Jelly gal through and through, but when my skin started getting really oily and clogged during my first trimester last summer I decided to try the Cleanser Concentrate. Even though my skin has gone back to normal, I still use and love this - it makes my skin feel super clean without that stripped, squeaky feeling. It removes makeup in a pinch when I don’t feel like doing a double cleanse and using a cleansing balm first, which is nice when I just want to get my bedtime routine done and get into bed as soon as possible. It could be hormonal but I feel like I break out less when I’m using this consistently, too.

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