What’s in My Medicine Cabinet: a Skincare Roundup, Fall Sweater Tees, Penny Loafers + More

Today on weekend meanderings, what’s in my medicine cabinet: a skincare roundup, circling back to my essential fall sweaters (I missed one), and my suede penny loafers finally arrived … they’re so good! A new cookbook that’s already a best seller, and the Netflix thriller I’m watching this weekend.

Happy Saturday, friends!

It’s time for the weekend post with Kim and Elizabeth, our weekly roundup of inspirations and goings on.

This week’s been kind of a whirlwind although I’m at a loss to say exactly what I did. I must have been blinded by the spectacular harvest moon. Did you see it?

Over at the new house it wasn’t a very eventful week. After demolition, followed by tree work, there are three big stumps left to be removed. Once that’s done the foundation will be staked out … and poured in a couple of weeks. And that means plumbing fixtures need to be chosen to be prepared for rough-in plumbing. That’s kind of exciting!

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Last year at this time I was thinking about my fall table centerpiece. All my fall bins … all my any season bins … are in storage and I’m getting by with one little white pumpkin. It’s fun to see everyone else’s fall decor as I run around town and cruise the inter webs … and I’m dreaming about decking out our new house next fall. Our new neighborhood is very trick-or-treat friendly and I’m looking forward to going all out.

What’s in Your Medicine Cabinet?

Moving into our pied-à-terre was a challenge from a space perspective. Most of our things went to storage and we had to be very selective about what we brought here so as not to exceed our two bedroom apartment’s cabinet and closet capacity. The kitchen and bathrooms were the most difficult. One happy surprise in our new space is that both bathrooms have medicine cabinets, in addition to vanity mirrors. I’d forgotten how great a medicine cabinet can be and how much it can hold. It’s especially nice since neither of the bathroom vanities have much in the way or storage.

Remember when medicine cabinets were the norm? My parents called ours the medicine chest. And I think there were actually chests way back before indoor bathrooms became the norm and the recessed cabinets most of us grew up with became commonplace. They started to lose popularity in the 90’s as bathroom designs shifted and mirrors got fancier and vanity cabinets larger.

I remember when curiosity around what’s inside other people’s medicine cabinets was a frequent gag on television. Who can forget the Father of the Bride scene when Steve Martin’s character, George, tries to snoop inside his daughter’s future in-laws medicine cabinet. Hilarious.

I think medicine cabinets are sort of cool again. And they’re bigger, sleeker, with softly lit mirrors ideal for applying make up and that wonderful anti-fog glass. A friend recently showed me her beautiful primary bathroom medicine cabinets which included all those features. Certainly something to consider for our new house.

Skincare Update

Now that I’ve showed you what’s in my medicine cabinet it seems like a good time to do a skincare roundup of products I’m currently using and loving.

A few months ago I shared my new evening skincare routine using GoodJanes products that were gifted to me. I’m still using them and I recently reordered the Collagen Cocktail serum which I love and use at night followed by their Collagen Sleep Butter. I use their Say Goodnight Exfoliating Cleaner when I’ve been wearing a lot of makeup. It’s very effective at getting it all off without having to double cleanse. I use their Best Face Oil sporadically, but as the weather cools and my skin gets dryer I’ll reach for it more. As I’ve mentioned, more than you’d like to hear, I’m still in recovery from the trauma of bad teenage skin and oils and heavy moisturizers are anathema to me even though my skin is now a little dry.

Because of my positive feedback for their nighttime skincare goodies, GoodJanes just sent me their Face Latte (vitamin C serum) and H20-My-God Water Cream Moisturizer to incorporate into my morning routine. The timing is excellent because this week I tragically knocked over my Skinceuticals C E Ferulic Serum and lost most of the contents. It was less than half full, but still … this stuff is expensive and it kills me to waste a drop. It’s considered the gold standard of vitamin C serums and it’s a product I’ve happily splurged on for years. That said, the bottle is empty – still crying – and I’m going to hold off replacing it and give GoodJanes Face Latte a try. Stay tuned.

Other products I use on a regular basis ~

Morning –  Amore Pacific Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleaning Powder which I absolutely love. I use it once a day, usually in the morning and it’s a wonderful cleanser and exfoliator. I alternate it with Liquid Neutrogena Facial Cleanser which is mild and gentle and I’ve used for decades. Skinceuticals C E Ferulic – we’ve already discussed – I use in the morning after cleansing. About six months ago I added Skinceuticals P-TIOX (a peptide rich serum) at the suggestion of a facialist, it comes after C E Ferulic. My daily moisturizer + SPF is Neutrogena’s Oil Free Moisture. I know I should up the SPF during the day and if I’m going out in the sun I’ll use a SuperGoop product. If I’m home all day I’ll use Clinique’s Moisture Surge, it’s very light so I might add something a little more substantial later in the day like Versed Rich Barrier Cream. I’ve fallen in love with it because it’s not heavy and glides on without the dreaded tugging (a pet peeve) of heavier creams. I’ve recently bought Caudalie Beauty Elixir spray to see what all the fuss is about. Used as a toner or to set makeup, a good spritz is said to tighten pores, and enhance radiance. I’m all for that. As someone who doesn’t like scent I do enjoy this one which is clean and fresh. The peppermint give it a real pick me up quality.

Evening – after cleansing I’ve been using GoodJanes Collagen Cocktail followed by GoodJanes Collagen Sleep Butter. The sleep butter has a bit of a botanical scent which I don’t love but it’s natural. I prefer products to be scent free. That said, there’s a big difference between an ingredient related scent and an artificial added fragrance. Other evening moisturizers I’ve been trying this year are Versed Rich Barrier Cream (love – see above), Osea Advanced Protection Cream (another one with a natural scent that I’m not thrilled about, but I like the texture and easy application), and Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Cream. Augustinus Bader has such a great reputation but it’s very pricey. I dipped my toe in the water by purchasing the smallest size during Nordstrom’s anniversary sale. I haven’t finished the bottle because the cream is so thick it feels like I have to pull and tug at my skin to apply it. That’s a non-starter + I noticed no difference in my skin so I won’t be making future investments. Finally eye cream, I’ve been using Osea Advanced Repair Eye Cream which I like. It has a little bit of botanical scent but it’s not overwhelming. My favorite eye cream is La Mer The Eye Balm Intense, but it’s ridiculously priced and I’ve sworn off it. It’s time to start experimenting with some new products … any suggestions?

A couple other products I can’t live without are Clinique Clarifying Lotion No. 2 which I use after cleansing to remove any last traces of make up. And SaltyFace Tanning Water when I want a little color overnight. I also love Laneage Lip Sleeping Mask and use it during the day too, if I’m going to be at home.

Fall Sweater Tees & Loafers

A couple of circle-backs … last week I talked about my fall sweater essentials and overlooked a biggie … the sweater tee. Last year I bought this cotton cashmere tee in gray and black and wore them all the time. They’re great on their own and under a blazer. This year I’d like to add a brown sweater tee and this felted Merino tee is a beauty.

The brown suede penny loafers I mentioned recently arrived and they’re even better than expected. The fit is perfect, not too tight, or too loose (I ordered my usual size which is 7.5 but depending on brand can range from 7 to 8). They’re roomy enough that I think I’ll avoid heel blisters – the bane of my existence with closed back shoes. They came with a weird, shiny, fake gold penny which I removed. I may insert real pennies. When I was a kid my dad put pennies in my loafers like he did back in the day.

My Southern Kitchen

The adorable Ivy Odom has a cookbook, her first … My Southern Kitchen: From Suppers to Celebrations, Recipes for Every Occasion. Released this week, and already a best seller, I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Ivy is a Southern Living Magazine lifestyle editor with an extensive food background including lots of time in the Southern Living test kitchen. Her bubbly personality and infectious presence on Southern Living’s Instagram is a total delight as she dispenses advice, recipes, entertaining tips and the peculiarities of Southern culture.

The Woman in Cabin 10

The Woman in Cabin 10 dropped on Netflix yesterday. Based on a 2016 book by Ruth Ware, the movie has a stellar cast … Keira Knightly, Guy Pearce, Art Malik, Hannah Waddingham, and David Ajala for starters. Keira Knightly’s character, Lo, is a journalist invited to cover the maiden voyage of a luxury yacht (reminds me of the Ritz Carlton Yacht we sailed on last year), and its owner’s big announcement. It’s a physiological thriller aka scary and we’re going to watch it tonight.

Odds & Socks for my locals friends ~

• Today is the 13th Annual Zombie Brew Crawl in historic Downtown Martinez … from 1-4pm. Buy same day tickets here. Sip craft brews and stroll … and be sure to stop in and say hi to my friend Tami at Partner’s Place, an adorable pet provisions shop at 511 Main Street. Their freeze dried shrimp and turkey nuggets are Pippa & Maggie favorites.
• Flaunt’s Mother Denim 2025 Holiday Collection debut event is coming up next week … Friday, October 17, 10-4.

• Walnut Creek’s Historical Society holiday teas are on sale now.
• Ruth Bancroft Garden & Nursery’s very popular Garden of D’Lights tickets are available now. The self guided light and laser garden tour runs from November 22 through January 11 and it’s a holiday tradition for many families, including ours.
• Town Hall Theater Company’s Snowbound: A Holiday Tale tickets are on sale for the show running December 6-20.
• Pippa and Maggie are happy to announce that Big Woof Pet Supplies & Spa is open in Lafayette. And the girls were their very first spa clients. Both dogs gave groomer extraordinaire Lori a 5-star review. What they really appreciate is that Lori only books one dog at a time with none of that drop-off-your-dog-off-for-the-day nonsense. She took Pippa and Maggie together which made it less stressful them. I’m glad Lori has a sense of humor because Pippa and Maggie are a comedy routine.
  

Current Favorites ~

That’s what I have for you today.

Let’s see what’s inspiring Kim and Elizabeth.

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