Mid-week Quickie #8
Everything I bought from the Friends with Frank Sydney sample sale, an excellent drugstore concealer and surviving the end of year madness
The end of November is upon us!
How is everyone surviving the end of year race to the finish line? I thought I was doing well and balancing my work, mental/physical health and all my commitments but this past week or so has hit me hard. I’d been trying to ignore it but sometimes you just have to surrender to that feeling of overwhelm.
Bad sleep, the state of the world, probably (definitely) too many drinks at events, procrastinating and neglecting admin, looming deadlines that all seem to fall on the same timeline; all the classic silly season headaches! Because of this, my anxiety took over and I couldn’t seem to shake it for the last little while but I’m feeling much better today.
In those anxious moments, I try to remind myself I won’t always feel this way and I do my best to do all the things I know make me feel better - like actually tackling my to-do list, going on my daily walks, better food choices, less screen time, more reading, quiet time at home etc. But the countdown is ON until the work year wraps!
I’m sure your inboxes and social media feeds are flooded with Black Friday deals. I debated whether I should include more of that here but I love a good deal so I’m going to share my top picks (with holiday gifts included in that) in a dedicated Substack because why not save a buck or two!? I’ll have that ready in the next few days.
Yesterday afternoon I got a preview of the Friends with Frank’s sample and archive sale. FWF is one of my favourite brands! If you live in Sydney - it’s on from Nov 23-26, 17 Oxford St, Paddington. More info here. If don’t live in Sydney/can’t make it - FWF’s Black Friday online deals are here. I made a TikTok previewing the sale:
Here’s what I got, including prices:
Didn’t get these but loved them too:
A few other things I’ve loved this week:
Venroy launched their first ever fragrance, Paradiso. I loved this immediately. It’s fresh but spicy, quite sexy. It’s really good. Here are the actual fragrance notes:
Top: Neroli (sparkling), Shiso (herbaceous), Pink Bay (peppery)
Mid: Green Tea (textural), Iris (rounded), Mimosa (powdery)
Base: Sandalwood (woody), Myrrh (mineral), Frankincense (soft)
Perfumer, Barnabé Fillion created this fragrance and he’s also behind so many of my favourite Aesop scents, amongst many others. He also has his own brand, Arpa Studios. See all his other projects here too. So if you’re a fan of what Aesop do, good chance you’ll be like me and love this Venroy offering.
Budget concealer:
I’ve been trialing the Revlon Colorstay Flex Wear Full Cover Concealer. I’m so impressed. Creamy, great coverage, long wear. Good price. Shop here. Great timing as I just scraped the last remnants of my beloved Charlotte Tilbury concealer.
Cleansing Balm:
I’m a sucker for a good cleansing balm. Feeling my makeup or SPF + skincare just melt off my face when the product is massaged in, it’s one of the most satisfying ways to remove the day. This one from The Secret Skincare is truly phenomenal. It removes everything with ease and leaves my skin nourished and clean but with no icky residue or excess oil.
I got word of a new drop of Bou Bags at the Ganni store in the Galeries, Sydney (Incu have some too). I’m short on lighter neutral bag options so the buttercream Bou was a no brainer. So pretty! She is on the smaller side but fits my phone, some lip options, keys, my camera (all the essentials). The Bou also comes with a crossbody strap. Snap one up here.
Lastly, there’s rumours swirling that Harry Styles shaved his head for a role as a yoga teacher for the new season of White Lotus. Is this true?! I saw some discussion about this on TikTok but I’ve only found this article and this one about it so it might just be wishful thinking at this point. I’m in the minority in not really caring that he shaved his head. He still looks good! Sure, his longer locks were fantastic but let the boy live! And if it’s for White Lotus - INCREDIBLE!!
Thanks for reading! As always your likes, comments, anything always make my day.
More Smooth Brain Thoughts soon,
Ali xx