Love Notes: Five Things I'm Loving This Week
Reluctantly loving the things I have in a week filled with grief.
Welcome to the second installment of Love Notes, a short and sweet roundup of the delectable treats I’m loving most right now. From the skincare products saving my skin from the winter weather to that one pair of jeans that always fits just right (you know the ones), the latest finds I’m obsessing over, the only sweater I want to wear, the makeup products that made an impact and everything in-between. Love Notes is a collection of brief yet passionate entries about a few things that are filling my cup to the brim and other miscellaneous delights. You can find every installment of Love Notes here. Let’s dive in.
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Love Notes: Page Two
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I could write an entire post about my undeniable love for Superegg, specifically my favorite product in their line — Sound Renewal (save w/ myskinterest). This is a true serum cream, and those with oily skin may be able to get away with using this as a daily moisturizer. However, as someone with skin akin to an arid climate, Sound Renewal is an invaluable layering step in my skincare routine. I talked more about how I use this in my post about my morning routine, but I appreciate the quiet excellence of Sound Renewal even more in the winter — as the lightweight, silky serum-like cream helps lock in hydration and soothes my skin no matter what. Then again, everything from Superegg has truly and completely blown me away (save w/ myskinterest).
We all knew this was coming, particularly if you happened to watch any of the eighty-seven Instagram stories I posted this week about the new Prada Beauty Reveal Skin Optimizing Refillable Soft Matte Foundation. I did not expect to get along with this foundation — not the least of which because it’s described as “soft matte” and I go out of my way to be as glowy as possible. But truth be told, it was love at first application. While most designer brands can’t help but make their beauty products insultingly fragranced, this foundation is different. Yes, there’s a fragrance but it’s nearly undetectable (in my experience). And because this foundation has light to medium coverage and I always use my holy grail primer, I’m still able to get all the glow I want. This has quickly eclipsed all other coverage products in my collection and is easily my favorite foundation — a surprise to you and me both. Note: Prada Beauty has more inventory at Nordstrom (their site is linked throughout this post) than at Sephora, and I would buy from Nordstrom so you can have access to the entire line. I wear shade LN5.
Finally, the Urea Advanced Relief Face & Body Moisturizing Milk is back in stock (though probably not for long) and if you haven’t picked it up yet, this is your sign. I was lucky enough to test this last June before Prequel had even launched and I loved it. Urea is such an underrated yet incredibly helpful ingredient as it supports your skin barrier and helps lock in hydration. Prequel’s Urea Advanced Relief is formulated with 10% urea, which allows it to help soothe rough and/or dry skin without causing potential yet mild irritation that is more common with higher concentrations. Yes, Urea Advanced Relief is generally safe to use daily and that’s how you’ll see the best results. I’ve personally been very impressed with the results I’ve seen when I use it consistently on my arms. And as I venture into the wild world of wedding prep (cringe), I’ll continue to use this daily to help keep my arms smooth, moisturized and even.
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There’s something you should know about me and my wardrobe: I crave comfort and practicality, and I refuse to invest in any article of clothing, accessories or shoes that don’t check both boxes — there’s a reason why I don’t own a pair of heels. And after scouring the internet for a pair of black boots that I could wear in the rain and snow, as well as the everyday without looking like I was wearing full on rain boots, I stumbled upon the Refined Chelsea Stitch Boot. They’re perfect. I’ve worn them constantly for the better part of the last year and they’ve held up incredibly well — plus I always get compliments whenever I wear them (which is all the time). Like with most shoes, you have to wear them in at first but it’s not bad at all. These were easily one of the best purchases I made in 2022. True to size.
As someone with chronically dry lips throughout the year, winter can be pretty touch and go. Thankfully, the new Liplights Overnight Lip Mask from RMS Beauty has helped save my lips from the winter woes (save w/ myskinterest20). I’ve already put a considerable dent in my first tube (see above) and have a backup ready to go. Because this is pretty thick lip treatment, I only use it at night. During the day, I’ve applying my favorite clear lip gloss/balm non-stop.
A Personal Update
I mentioned in the subtitle of this week’s installment of Love Notes that it’s been a hard week. After three tumultuous months of hospital stays, constant worry and relentless, unexpected waves of grief, a member of my family passed away. The end is never easy. Whether it’s a relationship that’s fizzled out, a gut wrenching chapter in life, a glorious weekend spent with friends or saying goodbye to one of the most important people in your life — it feels very human to want to prolong the good even when we know time is not on our side. So with that, I encourage you to reach out to your loved ones today and be there for them during the hard times. One of the greatest gifts we can give to the people we love is our time and showing up when we want to run.
I guess, if anything, this post is a reluctant, unfortunate reminder to celebrate the things you love, to reach out to the people you love and to honor those who left us before we were ready to say goodbye. The end is never easy.
Until next time, follow along on Instagram and browse all of my favorite things. Don’t forget to click the 🤍 before you go! Thank you for being here. Talk soon.
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