April 2020 Favorites
Beauty
Photo: olaplex.com
I started dyeing my hair about a year ago and was tired of my shampoo stripping my hair of the color and turning it into a coppery orange color. I figured if I’m going to spend $100+ on getting my hair highlighted I might as well treat it well, so I researched shampoo and conditioners for color-treated hair. This one had a five star review on Sephora and was certified clean, which means it’s formulated without parabens, sulfates SLS and SLES, phthalates, mineral oils, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, and triclocarban. I gave it a try and the reviews were right, the shampoo and conditioner leaves my hair feeling super soft while ensuring the integrity of my color treatment. Bonus: these bottles last a while, a little goes a long way.
Staring at screens all day for work, school, blogging, and entertainment has really taken a toll on my eyes. Since we’ve all gained a little extra time I’ve been using it to treat my eyes a little kinder than normal. This starts with a good eye gel and cream. Fresh products have always worked really well with my skin, while using clean and effective ingredients. These two items are a little pricey, but do wonders. Sephora is currently having their VIB beauty sale where you can get 10% off everything, I’d grab these now while they’re on sale.
Another facial treatment I’ve been loving, especially for my under-eye area, is jade rolling. There are many benefits to Jade rolling such as stimulating circulation, encouraging lymphatic drainage, depuffing and calming the skin. I picked this jade roller up from Herbivore a while ago at Sephora, but just never found the time to actually integrate it into my skincare routine. This is something that has become essential to my morning and nighttime routine that I won’t be leaving out anymore!
What I’ve been wearing…
Photo: Aerie.com
I have been working from home for the last seven weeks. My favorite part about working from home is wearing leggings all day, everyday. I don’t care what people say, I am definitely more productive while wearing leggings than work pants. It also allows me to easily transition from my home office to my at-home yoga studio (aka my mat rolled out in my guest room haha) during my lunch time yoga practices. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m obsessed with Athleta leggings but dropping $100 on a new pair of leggings I probably don’t need didn’t sound like a sound financial decision. So, when I found out Aerie was having 40% on their leggings I said why not. Turns out, I really like them. I still don’t think anything will replace my Athleta leggings, but for a quarter of the price, they’ll do!
What I’ve been watching…
(via Amazon Prime Video)
Photo by: Christos Kalohoridis/USA Network “Dirty Little Secrets”
This show started in 2011 and recently ended last year. My friends raved about this big-shot lawyer show set in Manhattan, but I never thought it was really my kind of show. When I ran out of Friends and Grey’s Anatomy episodes, I was on the hunt for a new show. I wanted a lot of drama with a little bit of romance and A LOT of seasons to binge during the quarantine. Suits checked every box and I was hooked after the first episode.
(via HBO)
Photo: hbo.com
After Season 1 of Westworld, I was desperately waiting for season 2. After being completely confused by season 2 I was not as excited for season 3, but HBO has proved me wrong. Season 3, set in a futuristic world controlled by an algorithm, has me gripping the edge of my couch. I’m excited to see how this season plays out. Also interesting to think back on how the show started and where it is now.
(via Hulu)
Photo: freeform.com
Who doesn’t love a feel good show about young empowered women navigating the adult world? This show is everything I love, a little bit of current events, mixed with a coming-of-age story, and just really fun characters! It’s a tad bit cheesy, but in all the good ways.
What I’ve been reading…
My friend and I were at a work conference in Minneapolis and picked this book up at a local bookstore. We both realized that we hadn’t fully read it and decided to do a virtual book club! I thought it was such a fun way to connect friends while reading some great books. I posted a quarantine reading list with a bunch of great memoirs, thrillers, and best sellers. Check it out here.
I had heard about J.K. Rowling’s famous commencement speech at Harvard in 2008, but never got a chance to read it. About five years ago, she released the text of the speech in the form of a book. I downloaded it a few weeks ago on my kindle and finished it that day. It’s a great speech about how embracing failure and imagination can lead to great turning points in our lives. Very relevant for the times. Know a senior graduating from college this year? This would be a great grad gift 🙂
What I’ve been eating…
Honestly, receiving my Hello Fresh delivery every Tuesday afternoon has been one of the best parts of my weeks. It allows me to eat fresh, home-cooked meals for less than $10 a portion and the best part is I don’t have to leave my house or spend hours scrolling through Pinterest for a recipe to make and realizing I don’t have the right ingredients.
If you haven’t heard of Honeygrow, it’s kind of like the Chipotle for fresh noodle stir-frys and salads. I love their stir-frys and I have even tried to recreate them at home, but something about their noodles and sauces just makes it unique. Recently, I saw that they were offering fresh groceries, homemade noodles, and sauces for curbside pick-up. I immediately jumped on the opportunity to stock up, especially on their sauces. It’s a great way to support our local Honeygrow restaurant and reduce food waste by buying the surplus produce delivered to restaurants that will most likely go bad.
What I’ve been doing…
Photo: ninetendo.com
Anyone else obsessed with this game? It’s just so cute and honestly very calming. My favorite is playing during sunset, while listening to the waves in the background. It’s so pretty and walking around your island doing mindless things like picking weeds and collecting seashells has to count towards some kind of meditation. If you have a Nintendo switch, I highly recommend it! I haven’t tried the iPhone version yet, but I’m sure it’s still fun. You can download the iPhone version here.
I’ve been missing the gym a lot lately, but found moving my body at least for 30 minutes a day has been really helpful in improving my mood and breaking up my days. These videos are free on YouTube or on their new platform active. I typed up a whole post on my favorite at-home workouts, check it out here!
What has inspired me…
Photo: traviserickson.com
In my older favorites posts, I’ve highlighted those who’ve inspired me. In light of the coronavirus, I thought I would take a moment to thank everyone working on the front lines of fighting this battle and supporting the efforts to stay home. I know it’s a small gesture, but I think it’s an important one. So, thank you for all the work you’re doing to keep people safe and healthy. Your determination and spirits despite the situation are truly inspiring.
