JANUARY FAVORITES
This new year has been a breath of fresh air. Exciting things are in the works and I cannot wait to share them all with you, but first, I wanted to recall a little story from about a year ago for this monthly favorites. It was a regular winter/spring day in the city, and I was about to go meet my friends at a local bar/restaurant on the Upper West Side. When I arrived, they were speaking to an older woman at the table next to them. She looked about in her 90s, donned a long bright orange dress, and had a nurse with her. She sipped on her wine and her eyes were bulging with excitement as she spoke to us. The first thing she said when she saw me was, 'You have eyebrows!,' and I laughed, replying 'Yeah, I like to do makeup to accentuate them.' She snapped back: 'You should be in my bathroom!' Pretty sharp for a 94 year old, I'd say. Sooner or later, I found out who she was -- a woman named Joan Copeland, the sister of playwright Arthur Miller and good friend of the Marilyn Monroe. Trust me, we couldn't believe it either. She spoke fondly of her family and teared up when my friends pulled up a google image of her, her brother and Monroe. My friends even jokingly asked her about the night of Monroe's serenade to JFK, 'Happy Birthday Mr. President,' and she promptly said she was at their table that evening. I'm not sure if I can disclose what else she said about those legends, but it'd be pretty easy to guess. After our drinks, we walked her back home to her Central Park West apartment with her nurse. It was probably one of the coolest experiences I've ever had in my life -- to meet a walking piece of history. I thought this was a great story to reminisce about at the beginning of this year, for it's a reminder that you never know what or who you'll run into at any moment. And the very possibility of having history at your fingertips isn't that unlikely. Without further ado, my favorite products for this month, this one's for you Dame Joan!
beauty
01. Colourpop's Cat Nap and Puppy Love Eyeshadows - Gifted to me by the ever-so-wonderful PR ladies at Colourpop, I couldn't not mention these as one of my favorite go-to eyeshadows this month. Both highly pigmented, these colors are easy to build up on the lid or crease. I've been religiously using Puppy Love as a lid color and/or highlight, and have traced my lower last line with sparkly Cat Nap on a few night outs this month. These are two really good finds and are so gorgeous for the winter months.
02. Glossier 'Moonstone' Highlighter - Unfortunately only available in their Black Tie Set from the holidays, but definitely worth it if you can get your hands on it somehow. This is a gorgeous thick, white shimmery stick that not only moisturizes, but adds the coolest sparkly sheen. I've been reaching for it almost everyday since the holidays, and it will definitely be a staple going into the spring months. Not to mention, it's super compact and fits in any clutch or bag. 10/10.
03. Tom Ford Bronzer in 'Gold Dust' - A splurge item, but worth every penny. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on two of these thanks to one of my old internships, and haven't used any of my oldie favorite bronzers since (sorry, Laguna). This literally gold-dusted bronze has been keeping my skin looking a little tanner during these cold New York months, and it seriously lasts just about all day. If you happen upon a Sephora gift card any time soon, I recommend you going for this one, you'll have #noregrets.
04. Colourpop's Hollywood BLVD Lippie Stick - Literally, you cannot go wrong with this one. Recently, I was looking for a sugar-brown lip color (and trying to avoid ordering a Kylie Cosmetics one, sorry not sorry), and I found this after reading a couple of lip round-up articles on various magazine sites. It's creamy, long-lasting, and is that perfect wintery brown that is dainty enough to carry over to spring with you. Plus, it's five dollars, sooooo you seriously cannot go wrong.
05. Glossier's Mega Greens Galaxy Pack - I've definitely gushed about this product before, but after recently using it on my dried out, irritated skin a few times this month, I knew I had to mention it again. I love this stuff because it's gentle, so so refreshing, and it really gets all of that gunk out from under your skin. Definitely a must-try in my book.
06. Ben Nye Final Seal Setting Spray - I had first heard about this product back in the day when I used to spend my time in rehearsal and on stage as opposed to behind a computer screen. It's commonly used for stage makeup/costume makeup, so I knew the stuff was strong and stayed away up until Miss LMW began trying it out as a regular product. She was having the issue of using makeup setting sprays time and time again, but none worked. I never personally had that problem during the daytime, but on the going-out night scene in New York, it was definitely an issue I also ran into. And this is the solution to both of those problems. I used it for the first time on NYE, and will be using it on every going-out-late night occasion or party/event. I'm really impressed how well it locks makeup, and keeps you matte all throughout the day/night. Fair warning, it stings your face a little and smells like a lot of mint, but it's worth it.
MiscellAneous
07. Feminists Have More Fun Tee by the Lala Shop - Yessssss, some more Lala shop gear!! I am obsessed with this white embroidered tee we just cranked out, as it's super comfy, super cute, and well, frankly, super relevant today. Check out more cute Lala shop stuff here.
08. Terrarium !!! - There is something seriously so chic about a cacti terrarium these days, and this one was a Christmas gift LMW gave to me, which I am obsessed with. The gilded clear container was an easy purchase at Homegoods, and the three little plants inside were picked up at Home Depot. Really great simple DIY gift.
09. Aviator Glasses From Amazon- If you pretty much live on Instagram like I do, you're no stranger to these cute clear aviator glasses that keep popping up around the bloggersphere. I just thought it would be fun to get a pair for shoots and/or really bloggy things (can you tell I am totally making fun of myself? BC I am, lol). They were a fun buy, and I love them. Nuff said.
Happy February, and let the NYFW games begin!
"The common curse of mankind, - folly and ignorance".
[Troilus and Cressida 2.3]
Cheers, xx - A. Martine