One of my favorite times of the year is thisclose! Of course, I’m talking about Sephora’s Spring Savings Event. 😛 Sephora does these store-wide events a couple times a year, and it’s the best time to stock up on your beauty favorites, buy those luxury items you’ve had your eye on at a lower price, and try new products or brands.
I have a couple different Shoplists full of recommendations for the savings event!
1. Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom: these trees—gifted from Japan to DC in 1912—hit peak bloom early this week. Peak bloom came slightly earlier than expected! So on Wednesday morning, John and I got up early and drove downtown so we could see the trees around the Tidal Basin. This was the first time I had gone to the Tidal Basin since 2019, and it was so lovely to return. We went early enough in the morning that it wasn’t too crowded, but it was still fairly busy. The morning was chilly and a little overcast, but the trip was still totally worth it. You can see some more of my photos on my Instagram.
1. Yellowjackets: we’re a little late to this Showtime series, but I had been told it’s right up my alley. Indeed, I am loving it! The 90s nostalgia is S T R O N G in this show, as it revolves around a 1996 plane crash involving a high school girls’ soccer team. (I graduated from high school in 1996 so this show hits hard for me.)
I imagine the pitch went like so: “Lost meets Lord of the Flies, but with high school girls in the 1990s.” The cast is fantastic, particularly the grown-up versions of the crash survivors: Melanie Lynskey, who is always amazing, plus Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci, and Tawny Cypress. This show is dark, sometimes weird, and always pretty fucked up, so of course it’s totally my jam. And the 90s music makes me SO happy. We finished season one last night (great finale!), and I’m already excited for season two.
Image Credit: ShowtimeContinue Reading…
Last weekend, John and I attended our first wedding since the pandemic began. His business partner was getting married, and the venue was local—so of course we weren’t going to skip the celebration. Safety-wise, I actually felt pretty okay about attending; the COVID infection rate is way down here in DC, and vaccines were required for wedding attendees. Guests were also asked to test ourselves prior to the event (which we did on Friday).
The wedding was black tie optional, so it was the perfect opportunity to use Rent the Runway! We were also invited to the rehearsal dinner, so I rented a dress for that as well. I rented two dress styles and figured if both of them worked out, I’d wear one to the rehearsal dinner and the other to the wedding. Fortunately, I was able to wear both!
For the rehearsal dinner, I donned this beautiful Catherine Deane Novia Dress:
1. Euphoria Season Two: this week, we finished season two of this dark HBO series. The show is all over the place sometimes, but that tracks with its teen characters’ often volatile emotions. The acting is superb, but I was bummed to see Kat (Barbie Ferreira) relegated to a much smaller role after her season one development. On the flip side, it was nice to see Lexi (Maude Apatow) in an expanded role. The music that rolled when the closing credits began at the end of episode seven stunned me. I recognized the tune but couldn’t quite place it; when I learned it was the Cannibal Holocaust theme song, it blew my mind a little. I can’t stop thinking about it. Now I’m kinda giggling-slash-cringing at how folks will react when they try to watch that movie because of the song’s appearance in Euphoria…the film is a doozy.
Another month has come to a close, and John and I just hit a personal milestone: the fifth anniversary of our move to DC. It doesn’t feel like we’ve lived here for five years, but that’s because we’ve spent a full two years of that time mostly staying home due to the pandemic. Though the past two years haven’t been the best, I still feel pleased with our decision to leave NYC. And it kinda blows my mind that I’ve already lived in DC for nearly a third of the time that I lived in NY!
Before I discuss the beauty products that I emptied in February, I want to take a moment to acknowledge Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. I can’t claim a deep knowledge or understanding of what’s taking place, but I do believe that what’s happening is an atrocity and a threat to democracy. If you’re interested in supporting Ukraine from afar, NPR has an article listing out some legit aid organizations that need monetary assistance.
Quick note before diving in to this week’s Friday Five: yesterday was the seventh anniversary of my blog! It’s not a huge milestone, but it’s still a milestone. I’m proud of myself for keeping this blog going for so long, especially in a time where blogs are kinda passé. Thanks for reading!!
1. Mini Ulta Haul: last week I mentioned this year’s Make It Black collection. I ordered a couple of the items from Ulta, along with a few other goodies! Here’s what I got: Morphe X Make It BLACK 18-Pan Artistry Palette, MAC Make it BLACK Lipstick in Hug Me, Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Cleanser & Makeup Remover, Patchology PoshPeel Pedi Cure Intensive Foot Peel Treatment, and L’Oreal Elvive 8 Second Wonder Water. I’ve heard about the wonder water on a podcast and wanted to try it! I’ve used the micellar water many times and have also used this foot peel before. Lots of things to play around with!
In recognition of Black History Month, I wanted to share some things you can buy to support Black founders and writers. All links to purchase the books listed below go to Elizabeth’s Bookshop & Writing Center, which donates a percentage of sales to The Loveland Foundation Therapy Fund for Black girls, women, and gender-noncomforming people. Most if not all of the books can also likely be found at your favorite local book store.
1. Shop Make It Black: last year, I purchased a couple items during BHM to support Uoma Beauty founder Sharon Chuter’s Pull Up for Change initiative. The initiative is back again with another batch of beauty products; 100% of net proceeds from purchases will go to support early-stage Black founders. I ordered a couple items from the collection, which you can shop here or at sites like Ulta, Flower Beauty, and Uoma Beauty.
1. Haircut! I went WAY too long without a haircut. I’m talking, it had been two-plus years without setting foot in a salon (obviously due to the pandemic). I trimmed my hair on my own every time I felt like I needed it, but it was way past time for a professional cut. My hair is so fine and thin that it just does’t look good once it grows past a certain length, and I’ve been quite unhappy with it for awhile now. So I finally got a proper haircut this past Monday! I’m loving the shorter length; my hair feels so much healthier, swingy, and free! Wheeee!
Happy February! January seemed endless this year. Do I say that every January? Probably. Regardless, I’m glad we’re moving forward. Omicron infections are still going around DC, but the rate is a whole lot lower than it was in December and early January. So that’s a step in the right direction.
Take a peek at some of the products I emptied last month:
