Five Friday Faves - 6.7
It's my birthday...and I'll tell you about my skincare if I want to
So today is my 36th birthday. I love a good even-number moment, so I am actually pretty excited for this year. I always have a bunch of mixed emotions about my birthday, I feel privileged that I get to get older but often feels like it is all happening too fast. I'm going into this year feeling incredibly grateful for my family and friends, my health, and this little podcast and newsletter. To celebrate, I am going out to lunch with my mom, and then dinner with my husband and best friend who’s in town from SF! I can’t wait!
On the topic of aging, I have always been pretty religious about my skincare routine, but more than ever, I’m making sure I never leave the house without sunscreen. I started using a Tretinoin about 10 months ago, and I have really noticed an improvement in my “glow” so if that’s something you’re interested in, talk with your dermatologist, and be hypervigilant about sunscreen. Below are some products I’ve been loving for my skincare routine recently and my quick 1-minute makeup routine. I have never really worn makeup every day, but this is so fast and has been making me feel more alive in the mornings.
Five Friday Favorites:
Vintners Daughter Serum and Essence- This has been my absolute holy grail set of products for FOREVER. I know I’ve shared them before, but I would (and have) buy these again and again. If you join the membership on Vintner’s Daughter, every 6th product is free, so it’s not real math, but I feel better about the high price tag. In the morning, spray the essence in my hands and pat it on, and then put on the oil once it’s dried a bit.
Vitamin C Serum - I am a huge fan of the CE Ferulic from SkinCeuticals, but the cost is HIGH. I tried out this from DRMTLGY and it was OK, but it caused my skin to peel a lot. I know Nan Philip’s Substack raves about this one from Prequel, and when I run out, it’s what I want to try next.
Decalt - TIBAL has talked about this one a lot, and I wanted a toner at night and finally ordered this. Amber Katz agrees, this product is worth it. I noticed a difference in my skin almost immediately after using this toner and I just pour a bit onto my hands and rub it into my skin before I apply tretinoin or lotion.
UrsaMajor Golden Hour - This is a great thick moisturizer that keeps my face hydrated at night. I have been rotating through a few, I loved the Tatcha one I got at my Favorite Things Dinner1, and I am also trying the Extreme Cream from InnBeauty after trying some of Christina Tumminello’s2. I usually use this after Decalt and my tretinoin.
Outset Cleansers - I admittedly am not the best about washing my face with a cleanser, but it’s something I have been working on. I love this one for exfoliation, and this one when I just need to wash my face because it lathers nicely and comes off easily - I hate when you have to rinse your face a number of times before the cleanser comes off.
La Roche Posay Anthelios - My husband gets me this sunscreen in Europe when he travels over there, and I love it. It’s so light and doesn’t leave a cast. I know it’s a different formula in Europe, and the bottle is more square than rectangle.
Merit - I purchased the 5 min routine a while ago, and I have loved this stick ever since. I use it over my whole face when I want more coverage, but I have been using it just on my under eye with the brush in the morning and it’s perfect. They will help you color match to the correct color for your skin, I was skeptical but they nailed it. I also use their mascara and love it. It doesn’t give raccoon eyes and comes off easily. I often do a quick rub of this on my cheeks after either Makeup by Mario or Kinfield.
Makeup By Mario Skin Enhancer - Christina Tumminello has raved about the product for a while, and I tried it in April3 and immediately ordered. I like this for a little pick-me-up with very light coverage. It’s buildable, but I really don’t use more than a dab with a brush per area, and it makes me look alive.
Kinfield Sunglow - I have used this interchangeably with the Makeup By Mario since I got it a few weeks ago, and this is such a great product. It has SPF and I use it over my other Sunscreen.
Kosas Brow - IDK what it is about brow gel, but it makes a difference.
What’s for Dinner
This was a busy week in our house and I missed dinner two nights in a row with the kids, so sitting down tonight felt extra special. Liz talked about it in our chat this week (listen below), but dinner with my family is one of my favorite, though sometimes hectic, part of my day.
Sunday - Chicken and Salad - We tried the Lemon Herb Marinated Chicken from Whole Foods, and it was a big hit!
Monday - Brats and Tots - Nothing if not predictable.
Tuesday - Salsa Chicken Tacos - Liz and I discussed this in her episode this week, but I recently discovered the InstantPot feature of my CrockPot/InstantPot Combo and WOW. Just revolutionary. I forgot to put the chicken in the crockpot (again, and shock to no one), so I just grabbed the chicken thighs I bought, threw it in the pot with two small cans of green salsa, and turned on the InstantPot for 10mins. AMAZING. We served this as tacos and then as nachos on Wednesday and another taco for my son on Thursday.
Wednesday - Leftovers from Salsa Tacos
Thursday - Dumplings - Dumpling Daughter all the way. Mac and Cheese for the kids because I was low on dumplings.
More A Day In Her Life:
ICYMI this week’s episode with Liz Kirkpatrick was so fun. Liz is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Feeding Therapist living outside of Chicago with her two kids and husband. I loved hearing about her passion for food, cooking, and dinner with her family. Listen here!
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One major perk about a girls’ trip is trying all of the products your friends use and figuring out which you need to buy immediately.
Seriously.
Love this skincare roundup!! And YES to that Prequel Vitamin C, it works so well for me (and the price is amazing!)
Happy belated birthday, Ellie! I hope you had the loveliest weekend celebrating!