1. I’ve fallen in love with skincare all over again. I’m sure getting a 30-lb. swag bag (courtesy of CEW and sponsors) and a generous care package from a friend at La Mer (talk about #skincareporn) had plenty to do with it, but really, it was a giant trio of blemishes I have to blame/thank. I haven’t been taking care of myself for a while; I haven’t danced much, my daily dose of exercise consists of walking from my desk to the water dispenser, I’ve been eating shit (and too much of it). It’s a downward spiral from there: I see and feel the difference in how I look, and I chuck deuces. What’s the point in going through my five-step-plus skincare regimen? Why wash my hair when I dry shampoo and throw it up? Why bother getting dressed nicely if I’m just going to be in my cubicle all day? Why eat healthy when eating absolute crap is so much easier and addicting?
I know I’ve reached rock bottom when my face breaks out. (For reference, my “breakout” norm is usually 1-2 baby whiteheads that come and go in a day.) Three angry, inflamed spots in the center of my face that only seemed to get worse with time. The solution? A skincare overhaul, which included three crucial ingredients:
- Water (I needed to get back to drinking at least 2-3 L a day);
- Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay; and
- Raw apple cider vinegar (to mix with the clay; dilute with water to drink; and tone my face).
I will never be without these things. And to my face/body: I promise to be kind to you again.
2. In a similar vein, I’ve come to finally understand the importance of self-care as survival. (I. Deserve. Crème de la Mer.)
3. I spent this Halloween with my two best friends, reunited after god knows how long. I forget how incredible I feel when I’m around them—like I’m home, I’m safe, and myself—and how revitalizing even a few hours can be. And while I’m a little sad that my squad (loljk, I’m not about that word) is spread out all along the East Coast, I consider myself the luckiest girl in the world to have found such an incredible group of smart, independent women. We’ve already planned a full reunion (there’s four of us in this lot) for the end of January and time cannot go by fast enough.
4. I’ve been wearing black nail polish for a month straight now—a feat given how often I like to switch up my varnish. It’s easy, it’s chic, and I feel all sorts of sassy with it on. My two cents? The best in the business is Essie ‘Licorice,’ a creamy, opaque jet-black. I love me some ‘Lincoln Park After Dark,’ but sometimes you just wanna commit all the way.
5. Elena Ferrante literally gives me life. I’m about three-quarters of the way through the first book of the Neapolitan Novels, My Brilliant Friend, and already have the next three books in my Amazon shopping cart. It’s currently 70 degrees out (yes, in New Jersey, in November) and while I’m not complaining for the lack of cold, few things are better than cozying up on the couch with a stack of books come winter.
. . .
xx
Your turn. Thoughts?