A Relaxing Winter Evening Routine

With the holidays fast approaching and work being as busy as ever, it is so easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed during this time of year. End of the year work deadlines, holiday shopping, and end of the year parties often mean that “me time” gets taken off the agenda almost completely. While I find myself negatively affected by the shorter days of winter, it can also offer a good reason to have a cozy night in. Whenever I have a relaxing evening in I normally gravitate towards these three things to really get my mind off of the craziness of everyday life. 

Go Without Screens  ~ One of the things that really gets me to unwind is not being bogged down by screens, whether it be my phone or my laptop. I find that I am able to relax so much better when I’m not constantly being reminded of the outside world. There is also a lot to be said for sleeping better when you don’t look at screens before you go to bed, a habit which I am working to adopt more and more into my usual evening routine. Reading a book or a magazine is a guaranteed way for me to stop thinking about all of the things on my to-do lists for the days ahead. I’ve also been getting into doing adult coloring books, which I find helps me relax because I still feel like I’m doing productive (can you tell I don’t like to sit still?) without using the part of my brain I use for work or other everyday tasks. 

Get Cooking  ~ Spending the evening baking or even just cooking myself a simple dinner is another thing I love to do when I need to just switch off for the night. I find the precision of baking and the linear-ness of following a recipe oddly therapeutic. It also can’t hurt to have extra homemade baked goods lying around the house during the holidays. Cooking or baking also really helps me to switch my mind off everything else that is going on around me, since I’m focusing on something that needs my full attention and is completely disparate from all my other tasks at hand. I tend to peruse my Pinterest board for recipes the day before (so I’m not glued to a screen all night when I’m trying to relax) and pick out one or two recipes for the night. One of the best one’s I have tried lately is the classic mince pie recipe from BBC Good Food, because I can never go a Christmas season without making mince pies at least twice. 

 Pamper Yourself  ~ There’s simply nothing better than having a good ol’ pamper night when you’re trying to relax from the busy holiday season. And there is nothing that typifies a pamper night quite so much as taking a long bath. Especially in the wintertime when it’s so cold, it feels so much more relaxing to take a bath rather than a shower. Because the wintertime also coincides with the busiest season work-wise, I tend to gravitate towards bath products like Epsom salts that help me to relax and de-stress. Doing a facemask is always part and parcel of a relaxing night for me as well, especially since  stressful moments often coincide with stressed out skin. My favorite face mask of the moment has hands down been the Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask. Along with a face mask I always like to give myself a fresh manicure since my hands and nails always look worse for wear during the winter months. 

My Month in Film | November

I’m really excited for November’s month in film post because of two reasons: November is one of my favorite months and I got an iPad pro (as an early Christmas present) so I now have the ability to annotate my photos instead of just writing captions for each one. I have to make the disclaimer of course that this idea of annotating my photos is not mine. I have to give credit to Lizzy from Shot From the Street for this idea, who annotates almost all of her photos in her weekly film posts. Lizzy and Claire Marshall’s content have absolutely inspired me to incorporate my own writing and doodles into my content to make it that much more personal and creative. With all that said, November was a great month with brainstorming content for the new year, some nice leisurely days off, catching up with friends, and of course Thanksgiving! 

Eyeshadow Sticks I Love

Gone are the days where I spend a lot of time on my eye makeup, instead if I use eyeshadow at all I opt for a single wash of color all over the lids. To me not only does that look more modern, but its also incredibly quick and easy. I have found over about the past year that cream eyeshadow sticks are perfect for achieving this very understated and minimal eye look that I am drawn to nowadays.  However, I have also realized that eyeshadow sticks are very easy to get wrong; they can be too creamy and have no longevity or be too dry and not blend properly. That being said, I have found two brands that really nail a cream eyeshadow pencil formula that blends well and stays put all day. 

First and foremost is a longstanding favorite in the beauty blogging community: the By Terry Ombre Blackstars. These come in at a hefty $45 a piece, and while I was extremely skeptical of that price tag, they really do live up to all the hype they have received over the years. The formula, to me, is the gold standard of cream eyeshadow sticks because they blend so effortlessly but stay put all day long. I have two shades (although I plan on adding more to my collection): Misty Rock, which is a gorgeous mauvey purple with the most beautiful and complex metallic shimmer, and Bronze Moon, which is another very complex shimmery bronze shade (as one might suspect). I think the thing that really sets this formula apart is the shimmer itself. Because they are so multifaceted, the shimmer gives off that wet look that looks absolutely gorgeous on the eyes.

My most recent find in the cream eyeshadow stick world has been the Burberry Eye Contour Sticks. Much like the By Terry version they have incredible longevity and blendability. They come in at a slightly cheaper $28 a piece, which is definitely not cheap but considering how close they are to the By Terry offering in efficacy, they are a decent value. I have three shades in total: Pale Copper, which is a mid-tone gold/copper shade, Rosewood, which is a purple-toned brown, and Midnight Brown, a cool-toned shimmery dark brown (which also happens to make the best smudgey smokey eye). The shimmer is definitely more subtle in these compared to the Ombre Black Stars, but it still adds a gorgeous dimension to the eye that lend themselves perfectly to that one wash look on the eyes. 

What are your favorite eyeshadow sticks? 

My Month in Film | October

This installment of my month in film series is coming to you a bit late because of two reasons, first off being that my camera broke around mid-October, which then meant that I had to re-order a new camera and quickly shoot a roll of film within a weeks time in order for it to be truly considered a month in film of October. To be honest this is more of a week and a half in film but I think it'll do just fine (hope you lot agree). October was an interesting month, I've been working non-stop, which I love but it also has meant that I have very little to do outside of work that is worth photographing. That being said, October is easily my favorite month out of the year since it really starts to feel like Autumn in California, its the month of my sister's birthday (who just turned 21!), Brad and I celebrated our anniversary, and of course Halloween! 

In an effort to get back into reading this month I started Orlando by Virginia Woolf, who is easily one of my favorite writers ever. While it isn't the easiest book to read, the writing is gorgeous and the plot is so incredibly complex and unique. It's not a super fast read but I would highly recommend it!

I took this shot on my way back home after work. One of my favorite parts about this month in film series is being able to show you all my favorite parts of San Francisco. Elixir is one of my favorite bars and if you are into whiskey I would definitely check it out, they literally have hundreds to choose from!

Bought three polishes from J. Hannah earlier in October and have fallen in love with them. I got Blue Nudes, Himalayan Salt, and Ghost Ranch. While the formula doesn't quite compare to Smith & Cult, the shades are incredibly sophisticated and unique. In fact, I've never been complimented on my nail polish as much as I have when I've worn Ghost Ranch 

I've been wearing these wide leg pants endlessly this month and they've really broken me of my compulsive denim wearing habits. 

For some reason when it gets cold here I am always drawn to the Victorians in the city. Not only are they incredibly gorgeous from an architectural standpoint but they always look very festive, and like they are ornate gingerbread houses. 

I don't know why I was so drawn to taking pictures of bars this month. However, Orbit Room is another one of my favorite more neighborhood/relaxed bars in the city. They also make a great G&T that won't completely break the bank. 

Wore this outfit to work and my co-workers said it looked very Diane-Keaton-in-Annie-Hall-esque, which is both very kind of them and pretty much the best compliment I could ever hope to receive. 

Brad and I went to Absinthe for dinner on our anniversary. I think it's an absolute classic in the realm of San Francisco restaurants and if you want weird but wonderful cocktails, this is the place to go. 

Had to pull over while I was driving because this shot just seemed too good to pass up. I love the moodiness of shooting film during gloomy weather and Sutro Tower is always photo-worthy in my books.

One of the highlights of the month was easily my parents finishing the kitchen in our house. We had been sans kitchen for about 4 months and it has been a very welcome change to eat something besides cereal for breakfast and takeout for dinner (first world problems). This oven has also already been exposed to some marathon baking sessions!

Bailey, whose fur coincidentally blends in the floor, is also very much enjoying the new kitchen. 

I've been cutting down on coffee the past month, which has basically just meant that I have been frequenting Samovar, where they have THE best chai, more than is considered a normal amount. 

I wasn't joking about being obsessed with Victorians, now was I?

I've also been obsessed with this cashmere cardigan from Everlane and have worn it several times since I got it. Ever since Lizzy Hadfield mentioned wearing cardigans as a top rather than another layer, I have absolutely loved the idea and how they look. 

This is without a doubt my favorite shot from this month. It had rained the night before and when the sun rose the clouds broke in the most picturesque way!

Skincare Products I'm Switching Into My Routine For A/W 2017

Every Autumn without fail my skin does a nose dive into serious dryness and sensitivity. Not only is this odd because I generally have very well behaved skin the rest of the year, besides the odd hormonal breakout, but also because I don't live in a particularly cold or harsh climate. It's as if my skin has an internal clock, realizes its October and decides to deplete itself of all moisture. I jest, I jest. I know there is nothing scientifically accurate about that statement, but because my skin tends to freak out from October through February I have to insert extra products into my routine in order to keep my skin in check. 

The most recent addition to my Autumn/Winter skincare routine is the Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask, which is an exfoliating mask that you leave on the skin for 3-5 minutes to get rid of any dull or dead skin. Not only does this mask smell like you're slathering a pumpkin pie on your face (I don't know about you but that sounds incredible to me), but it is extremely effective at removing dead skin without irritating. The mask does make my face sting a bit when I first apply it, which is totally normal since that is the acid doing it's job. (I always follow the Caroline Hirons rule: burning is bad, stinging is good). My skin does look a bit red after using this, but that calms down pretty fast. I always do this mask at night, and without fail, whenever I wake up the next morning my skin looks and feels pretty incredible (if I do say so myself). 

Glossier's Super Bounce Serum is in my skincare rotation year-round but come October, it becomes my most-used serums. The hyaluronic acid in the serum really helps my skin absorb moisture better and just generally look and feel less dry and dehydrated. I love using this in the morning underneath my daily moisturizer just to give an added boost of hydration. I am definitely curious to try The Ordinary's version of this serum, since it is a fraction of the price, but for now I'll be sticking with the Glossier offering since I know that it works so incredibly well. 

The ultimate "comforter" in my A/W skincare routine is by far the Pai Rosehip Seed Regenerate Oil. This oil seriously does everything, from helping with hyperpigmentation, to hydrating, to calming down aggravated skin. I use this oil almost every night during the winter because it always "resets" my skin. No matter how awful it is feeling or looks, this oil always makes my skin feel and look much healthier and hydrated. I would definitely recommend this to those who suffer with acne-prone skin (who often have oily skin) as well, because it really helps to heal existing breakouts. 

Last but certainly not least is the La Roche Posay Cicablast Baume B5, which is definitely the meatiest "skin fixer" in my routine. This stuff works on both the face and the body to repair really dry, irritated skin. I usually have a few instances over the course of the colder month where I have small patches of eczema on my face and this stuff works great to soothe the irritation as well as hydrate the effected area. If my lips are extremely dry and cracked I will also use this on them to get them back to normal. 

What are your skincare essentials for Autumn and Winter?