In a month that has been filled with stress, uncertainty, and long periods of confinement/quarantine in my apartment in an earnest effort to “flatten the curve”- to compile a list of my favorite things was, admittedly, a little tricky. Certainly the news didn’t make the cut- and neither did social media (and all the misinformation that comes with it)– but it wasn’t *all* bad.
Saving money on gas that would have otherwise been spent on my commute to/from work was pretty nice. Catching up on all those Netflix series and documentaries people have been urging me to watch was fun, as was video chatting with friends from across the pond who are in the same predicament as the rest of us here in the States- and sure- I had a few things I’d purchased before peak pandemic that made my days a little less dreary.
So I’m going to find the silver lining in what has been the strangest past few weeks and share some of the things I enjoyed and that have been making me feel a little more pretty despite the fact that I have been wearing sweatpants nearly every day.
Here are my favorites for March 2020!
Now, I didn’t panic buy packs of these Clorox wipes at a time- I swear. I’ve consistently had stashes of these around my apartment and in my car long before coronavirus was even a thing. I like to do occasional sweeps over my phone, laptop, remote controls, doorknobs, steering wheel, so on and so forth. It’s just a good habit to have even without a dangerous virus spreading around.
Of course, in recent weeks I’ve been even more diligent in disinfecting surfaces- doubling my efforts to keep myself and my loved ones safe from harm and germs. I love these because they’re good on any surfaces- including wood and granite- which means I can clean my home office and counter tops even more thoroughly.
Working from home means a lot of things for me. It means I can sleep in a little later than usual. It means I can wear pajamas or sweatpants at my desk without being judged. It means I have more time for food prep and cooking meals because my kitchen is just a stone’s throw away from my home office- and it means I have to take better care of my skin since not leaving my apartment for hours at a time can cause some serious dryness.
For my face, I turn to this lovely and lightweight (and vegan!) water-based gel moisturizer from cleen beauty that makes my skin feel soft and smooth- and for my body, I love this rich body butter from Mary Kay. It smells like buttercream frosting and keeps my elbows, knees and ankles feeling moisturized during a time of year when they tend to look/feel patchy and parched.
There’s no excuse not to stick with a skincare regimen- especially now!
I admittedly have not worn a full face of makeup since all the quarantines started- just serums, moisturizers, and maybe a swipe of mascara out of habit- but some days I just need to have some color on my face to feel some semblance of normalcy again. And, since we’re now officially in the early days of Spring- I’ve gradually been transitioning out my smoky and dramatic Winter makeup for more pink and nude tones.
On my eyes, I’ve been playing around with the rosy-colored mattes and sparkle shades in Physicians Formula’s “Rose All Play” shadow palette– which has been a lot of fun, especially when my wardrobe is starting to get a little brighter with the changing season.
And on my cheeks, I’ve opted out of my silver and gold highlighters I use in the colder months for something a little more pink/peach-toned. This sculpting/blush/highlighter combo from CoverGirl, “Peach Punch”, gives me a subtle pop of color and sheen every time I wear it. It’s perfect for the days when I don’t want my face to feel totally naked and bare.
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And as always, a few other things made the list, too!
– Movies/Music/Television –
“Tiger King” – So quarantine has given me an opportunity to catch up on some absolutely insane documentaries and limited series, “Tiger King” being one of them. I binged this entire series earlier this week and it was a JOURNEY. This one has everything- meth, murder, cheap green screen music videos, arson, FBI informants- you name it. If you’ve got a few hours- this is the one to watch. I’m still reeling.
– Tech/Apps/Games –
“Resident Evil 2” – I know playing post-apocalyptic video games might be frowned upon given the current state of things- but this seemed like just as good a time as any to revisit Raccoon City and take out zombies (and my frustrations.) I’ve been playing a lot of PS4 lately to pass the time- and I keep coming back to the revamped journeys of Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. I can’t wait for the “Resident Evil 3” remake that’s coming out next week!
And I think that just about does it for my March favorites. I’m hoping in April I can venture outdoors a bit more and find different things to add to the list- but I’m just taking it one day at a time until then.
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 