The February Ten

1CHARLOTTE TILBURY DRY SHEET MASK

I’ve been experimenting with Charlotte Tilbury’s skincare for a couple of months now (I actually featured the brands night & eye cream in last month’s roundup). I recently tried this dry sheet mask – YES, it’s actually DRY and requires NO serum / moisturizer. You pop this thing on your face for about 15-20 mins – enjoy looking like Jason for a bit, scare your roommates – take it off and BOOM you have miraculously glowing skin. Somehow, the heat in our skin activates the mask, it’s the weirdest / most amazing thing ever.

2MAURICIO CATTELAN

We’re in the decorating phase at our condo, and both Leo and I have been on the hunt for artists we like / themes we want to incorporate to fill up our blank walls. Leo recently found this Italian artist, Mauricio Cattelan, whose photography is so out there and strange, but reels you in. He has a sizable following in Instagram, where he only keeps one post up at all times and a magazine called Toilet Paper, where you can find his photography (among other things). Need I say more?

3WOVEN KNITS

Finding decorative pillows is so tough! Obviously, there are more than enough options out there, but to find ones that are good quality and not $100+ (I’m not kidding about that price, I did see that being thrown out there)…is close to impossible. We went through a phase where there were 30+ pillows delivered to our place, and Woven Nook pillows were the winners. If you’re looking for geometric / minimalist prints, you’re bound to find something you like, and they’re all under $50.

4DESIGN NATURE LIFE EARRINGS

I was lucky enough to come across Design Nature Life late last summer strolling through an art fair right down the street from my house. I picked up these earrings at the fair, and it seems like you guys love them as much as I do! I got to meet the designer up close & personal and have been keeping up with what she’s been doing ever since! I love that her earrings are lightweight, so you can wear them all day long…and the designs / colors are so unique and fun. She recently sent over these adorable mismatched earrings and I can’t wait to wear them this spring & summer.

5ASRAI GARDEN

I am kicking myself that I didn’t know about Asrai Garden sooner! On Valentine’s Day, I needed a little something for Leo and popped by this gift shop in the West Loop (one that I walked by LITERALLY every day and had never walked in). I was mind blown and wanted to spend basically my evening in this cozy spot. From flowers, to candles, soaps, plants, and jewelry…this place has it all. I discovered so many new brands just spending twenty minutes in here!

Because we all need ANOTHER Netflix show to add to our queue! Leo and I stumbled on this show a few weeks back, as we were looking for something light to watch before bed. As someone who’s been off the market for years now, I’ve forgotten the awkwardness and excitement of a first date…Dating Around was a nice refresh on what 1. dating is like nowadays, and 2. the beautiful & horrifying things that can happen on a first date. Each episode, you watch one person go on five blind dates. At the end, you see who they picked for a second. Men, women, young, old, straight, gay…they’ve covered it all! It’s entertaining & actually really sweet.

One of Leo’s favorite pastimes is discovering new music, and he puts together these little mix tapes a few times a year rounding up his recent favorites. They usually have a theme, and this one is “Winter Depression” – perfect timing :). I like to think they’re pretty good (maybe I’m biased but have a listen and let me know what you think!).

8AZUL

We’re admittedly board game nerds (or at least Leo is and he’s turned me), and a recent favorite we’ve been playing is Azul. Inspired by Portugal’s beautiful tile, you work on laying gorgeous tile patterns down on your board to earn points. There’s a lot of moving parts (the patterns, rows, how you get to move tile on to the board) which makes the game easy to learn but hard to master. I’ve played two full games, and am really loving it so far!

I recently found a super chic knotted headband at H&M (thanks to a close friend of mine who was wearing it a few weeks back). I’m wearing it in this video here if you want to see it live in action. This exact one is sold out, but I found a similar one here (in more Spring friendly colors!). Headbands are having a major moment – totally reminiscent of my childhood days – and I’ve got to say that they’re AMAZING if you have bangs. On days when I’m not feeling like styling my hair, I pop this bad boy on and head out the door looking like I’m trying ;).

10VAJRA CHICAGO

I’m ALWAYS on the hunt for good Indian, and I couldn’t be happier that we found Vajra, an amazing gem in our neighborhood. It’s literally a ten out of ten, and I’ve had a LOT of in Indian food in my life. Our former favorite was Rangoli, but as it got more popular, it kind of fell off in terms of quality & taste. I’m pumped that we’ve got a new favorite! If you live in Chicago, definitely check this place out & keep them in business!