The weekly edit: rediscovered beauty and renewed excitement for clothing
This is a spoiler alert that I broke my beauty and clothing no-buy after finally finding some things that sparked some excitement, and I’m so excited to share them! I am still very much trying to avoid mindless spending, but a bit of renewed joy and inspiration has been a welcome change from a bleak couple of months.
As usual, I have too much to share and it might be too much for your email to handle! To get the full dose of this week’s roundup, this is best read in the website or app. Also, this post may contain affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through one of my links. Thank you for your support!
The special occasion foundation I keep wearing during the daytime because it’s that good – For the past month I’ve really only worn skin tints (this and this especially) but in one of my reorganizing sessions I pulled out the YSL All Hours Foundation again and fell in love all over again with how natural it looks on my skin while perfecting all the little bits that I want perfected, and it gives me the perfect lit from within soft matte finish. It makes my skin look flawless while still looking incredibly natural. This his now back in my daily rotation. I wear shade LW8 or LW9.
The minimal neutral eyeshadow quad that I’ve used for a week straight – trust me, this is not a small feat for someone who switches up my products nearly every day!! This all-matte neutral-toned eyeshadow quad from Chanel has become a go-to in my beauty routine, offering a quick, effortless eye makeup look that subtly defines the eyes for in no time. While there are many all-matte neutral palettes available, this one perfectly balances tones and depths, making it a dream for minimal makeup lovers and anyone who wants a sophisticated, effortless eye look.
For the days I need a little more sparkle (and to be honest, it’s more often than not), look no further than this silvery pewter with just the right amount of silver sparkle. This is such a me shade that I kind of can’t believe no one has told me about this before. More often than not, a little touch of glitter can perk me up instantly, and a dab of L.E.S Artiste is ideal for this. It can also be packed on for a more dramatic look, making this a versatile shade that has a permanent spot in my custom MAC palette.
We all know by now that MAC is one of my true loves (and if you don’t, you haven’t been around long enough!), and I tried a couple products that were newer to me. First, this perfect non-blush blush has been the ultimate lazy day blush, with a brown-beige shade that is almost too brown to be a blush, but there’s a sliiiight hint of a rosiness to that pulls it all together. True Harmony has most certainly dethroned all the other shades I have in this formula as the easiest everyday blush.
The lipstick that makes me look instantly polished – this featherlight matte lipstick in a neutral mauvey taupe has been the perfect finishing touch to my makeup. It gives me a subtly plump yet polished look without feeling like too much. The Westman Atelier matte formula is as luxurious as the packaging, with a super light and thin formula that has a suede matte finish. It’s comfortable to wear for hours, so much so that I often forget that I’m wearing it.
The body mist that has been giving me a moment of relaxation every morning – It took me a long time to get on board with the resurgence of body mists, but these days I love a spritz or two of body mist first thing in the morning before I workout. My go-to is usually Salt and Stone Bergamot and Hinoki, but recently I’ve been reaching this sunny coconut spray for non-coconut lovers that helps make the spring forward time change a little more bright. I love that it’s not just straight coconut, but it also has floral notes like frangipani and jasmine, as well as a bit of caramel to make it a touch sweeter without feeling cloying or heavy. Definitely give this a try, even if you don’t usually like coconut scents, because it’s really just a gorgeous sweet floral.
We’re starting to be flooded with new makeup releases, and I’m definitely starting to feel a little bit of excitement again. I have plenty of testing and reviews on the way, but I have two highlights that I already can’t stop wearing:
This decadent and luxurious lipstick has an ultra-smooth glossy formula just glides onto my lips – these Shine Lipsticks have an instant smoothing and plumping effect, while keeping my lips hydrated for hours. While I’ve had a few shades, none have been as perfect my skintone and makeup preferences as Sheer Cocoa, a reddish brown shade that has just enough of both tones to be ultra wearable. Compared to my favorite glossy lipsticks, these feel even smoother with slightly sheerer pigment, making them idiot proof to apply liberally without a mirror.
I can’t get enough of this blush combo, and it includes a red blush! Leave it to ultimate French girl chic Violette Fr to make me fall in love with the red blush trend with the new shades of Bisou Blush. The original shades in the line didn’t really call to me, but the red shade and reddish bronze? Sign. me. Up. Marnie makes for a great bronzer or blonzer due to the warm, but not orangey, reddish tones, but Maryam is the shade that really shines. This creamy, long-lasting red blush has a hint of pink, blending out effortlessly to a natural, healthy flush that never looks too bold or clown-like. I’ve been dabbing a bit onto my typical minimal blush looks, and it adds the perfect touch of color for a subtle, fresh, and healthy glow.
I’ve also bought a couple of things that haven’t arrived yet:
This sale comes ahead of the spring Sephora sale in April, and 25% off is a better sale to stock up on their iconic lip liners. The smooth and creamy formula is so easy to apply and its blendability makes these great for a contoured lip look. I switch interchangeably between Anywhere Caffeine (warm midtone brown), Wherever Walnut (muted rose mauve), Limitless Brown (deep warm brown), and Endless Cacao (Cool Brown). I took the sale as an opportunity to pick up one more shade, Versatile Chestnut, which is a warm, almost berry brown.
I also picked up Anywhere Caffeine in the Extreme formula, which is their longer wearing waterproof formula, and one of the new Super Boost Lip Glosses in Boundless Berry. When I swatched them in store, I was impressed by how smooth they felt, with a nice weight but not a thick or heavy feeling. More thoughts to come soon when they arrive!
Finally, I bought the Lisa Eldridge Betty Palette, with a gorgeous shimmery pastel shade selection, as well as a couple of the new Hermes Rouge Hermes Silky Lipstick Shine. Stay tuned for next week’s edition of my wishlist roundup for my first impressions of those!
It seems like the change of seasons is bringing on a whole wave of sales, and after my few months of austerity, I’m starting to feel the itch to browse and shop again. Here are some sales that have caught my eye:
Is it just me, or is Madewell good these days, especially their accessories? This sale includes some of their gorgeous bags, which are often excluded from their other sales. I wandered into my local store the other day and was so impressed with some of their items – here’s what caught my eye:
Super Wide Leg Jeans
I’ve been craving some wider leg jeans lately, and these were absolute perfection. They were loose and comfortable and the airy fit is so soft and comfortable, like a pair of well worn jeans that you’ll have for years. These came home with me! I usually wear the curvy fit but I felt like the regular size was a good fit for me in these.
Darted Barrel-Leg Jean
I know the barrel leg silhouette is still divisive, but I’m a little obsessed with a barrel leg right now. I find that they’re super flattering for my body shape, as someone with a smaller waist and bigger thighs, since the barrel shape kind of skims over the widest parts of my thighs and gives me a loose fit throughout the leg. I tried these on and absolutely loved that the barrel leg wasn’t super exaggerated, and the Edmonson wash is the perfect wash for a casual effortless look, with a raw hem (which I love!) that adds to that casualness. I would get the curvy fit for these for my best fit.
Maycie Asymmetric T-Strap Sandal
The search for the perfect minimal sandal is over! These minimal sandals are under $90 with the sale, and they are the exact sandal I’ve been looking for for the past year. I’ve scoured the internet for options from Ancient Greek Sandals, Reformation, Emme Parsons to Jenni Kayne and all the options had just something slightly off or were too expensive for me to justify. But this one from Madewell? It has just the right amount of strappiness to make my feet feel supported while still maintaining a minimal silhouette, plus the tiny heel give me just a bit of lift. I tried these on in store and they felt so comfortable, without any digging into my feet, which lean slightly on the wider side. This, with a straight leg jean, a sleek black knit, and a minimal bag? That’s a night out, sorted.
The handwoven leather tote in a dreamy gray-blue, micro bucket bag, and this gorgeous suede with silver hardware
Madewell is killing it with their bags right now, and this leather crossbody bag caught my eye immediately. It gives sleek minimal Cuyana vibes, with leather that feels exquisite. Some of Madewell’s leather bags feel a little too stiff for my taste, but this bag felt buttery, and at $100 and some change, it’s a steal. If it had silver hardware, this would have come home with me because the buckle makes a little minimal statement itself.
The bag that is still living rent free in my head is this micro bucket bag with silver stud details. Besides being absolutely adorable, it is also deceptively large and it looks like I could easily fit all my 10 emotional support lip products, along with my wallet and key. I had to basically repeat a mantra that I have enough bags already to resist taking this home with me, especially since it was under $75 with the sale on sale.
My favorite sweatpants are on sale and they are definitely backup worthy. I wear these 3-4 times a week and they go in the wash, and then immediately back on my body. They truly live up to the off-duty name – they feel like a light sweatpant, but look polished enough to wear around town for an effortless casual look that’s slightly more put together than just wearing your old and worn sweatpants. The slight barrel leg is a great way to dip into the barrel leg trend without the exaggerated shape. I’m usually between a small and medium in pants, and a small is a perfect relaxed fit for me. The matching top makes for a perfect work from home uniform that’s comfortable, yet still keeps me in a mood to work instead of staying in bed all day.
What are you all loving lately? What are some recent beauty gems you’ve unearthed from the back of your makeup drawer, or clothing and fashion that’s getting you excited again? I want to know all your bright spots lately – beauty/fashion, or otherwise.
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