The November Ten

I used to think that all lipsticks & glosses were the same, but I’ve been proven wrong over the years. This tinted gloss is one of the best ones out there. The colors are rich and deep, and it stays on for HOURS. Recently, after a long night out I quickly washed my face before bed, and woke up with a nice pink tint left over from the previous night’s Luxe Liquid Lip. Leo was like, “what’s going on with your mouth?” LOL. I own this lipstick in the Wild Orchid color. It’s a beautiful balance of burgundy, plum and brown. I’m addicted.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I JUST made my first ever Everlane purchase this month. I happened to catch their $50 denim day in early November, and knew it was a deal I had to jump on. I purchased two pairs of jeans, both of which fit like a GLOVE. I was so so impressed with the fit and quality of their jeans – I’ve had many issues with jeans in the past, so it was nice to have these fit on the first try with no sizing issues (they run true to size btw!). My favorite of the two pairs I ordered was the cheeky straight jean. I’ve been wanting a “mom jean” look for years now, and couldn’t find a pair that worked with my curves. These are AMAZING and I can’t wait to buy them in other washes – they’re just the right amount of loose and in all the right places.

At the end of the summer, I dragged Leo out to the Logan Square farmers market. I’m glad I did because I hit the lotto with the River Valley Ranch tamales! River Valley Ranch is a local brand with stores in IL & WI, and they make vegan/vegetarian friendly foods. I actually discovered they have a restaurant in the north side of Chicago! They have grocery stores in IL & WI (along with a presence at various markets), but also have an online shop where you can order their sauces & dips. Sadly, the tamales are not available online, but if you live in Chicago, you absolutely need to check these out.

Elemis was generous enough to gift me a ton of their product (I’ve never tried the brand before!), and I fell in love with their Pro Collagen Marine Cream. It makes my skin feel like butter! I definitely noticed a difference after a few days of using the cream – my skin felt more radiant, the fine lines weren’t as noticeable and it was nice & dewy. There are a few drawbacks with the product, including the price (it’s $128) , the fact that it doesn’t have SPF (though, the do have a version with SPF in it), and the fragrance being a little stronger than I would like. However, all in all, I am a fan and am excited to try more of their stuff!

OMG – I am dying for the Sincerely Jules x Scunci collab. All of the clips & hair pins are adorable and at such an affordable price point! You’ve heard me rave about hair accessories earlier this year, and this line has just crushed it in terms of delivering trendy and decent quality pieces. I picked up the sparkly hair clip and the resin hair clips from Target and have been wearing them on repeat.

Alexandra Marks is this adorable jewelry shop in my neighborhood that I’ve become a regular at (it’s dangerous). Recently, I popped in there and purchased this adorable rainbow eternity band, and I can’t get this thing off my finger! I’ve been trying to explore more colorful jewelry (since my standard is usually all gold), and this ring was the perfect stepping stone in adding a touch of color on my fingers. Luckily, they have an online shop so you can enjoy it too (if you’re heart desires!).

Yes, don’t judge me, but I am HOOKED on Barry’s Bootcamp. It’s so tough to stay in shape this time of year (with all the booze & the sweets being WAY too accessible), so I’ve been trying to switch up my routine to keep me motivated. A close friend of mine is a Barry’s regular, and he’s sucked me into the vortex! I’ve been limiting my classes to like once a week or once every couple weeks (because they’re damn expensive!), but I’m really enjoying them so far. I leave feeling like a badass, and I’m sore for days after – butt & legs day is my all time fav.

Now that we have a rug (FINALLY), we’ve been a having fun making a few updates to our living room. One of the updates we made was adding this lovely throw to my vintage chaise lounge. I’ve been wanting a touch of femininity in our living room (Leo disagrees, but we had a lot of masculine colors going on), and this light pink throw was just what we needed. It’s super soft & cozy, and also incredibly cheap ($15!). One tip if you decide to purchase – make sure you throw it in the wash before putting on your furniture so that it doesn’t shed all over the place. After a quick wash, you’ll be set to snuggle up on your couch!

While I was at my Mom’s last week for Thanksgiving, I went through her closet (as I always do), and case across this gorgeous silk robe that she bought 25 years ago. It felt so luxurious and soft against my skin, I brought it home with me. Luckily, without a fight, ha! After experiencing what it’s like to have a silk robe handy around the house (I’ve been wearing it when I get in & out of the shower, and the few minutes afterwards while i wait for my hair to dry), I feel like everyone should have one of these things. Here is a similar one to check out!

As a birthday gift, my mom gave me a certificate to Aire Ancient Baths. It’s a fancy bath house in Chicago that I’ve been wanting to check out since they opened a couple years back. I recently featured them in my collaboration with American Express for Small Business Saturday, and that is because I am in LOVE WITH THIS PLACE. It’s the most “zen” I’ve felt in a while. It’s one large space with several pools that vary in temperatures & composition (there is a salt water pool that is to die for), along with a couple of steam rooms infused with different scents (the lavender room is my fav). The best part about it? You can’t bring in your devices so that you are forced to unplug. I just did bath time for 2 hours, but you can book massages & other services as well. Unfortunately, they’re only in NYC & Chicago in the states, but if you catch yourself in either of these cities, make time to check it out!