The Sephora spring sale is here and we thought it would be fun to do a special Monday Missive that focused on things we want to get this year-old favorites that we want to stock up on and new things to try. The change in season and arrival of warmer weather definitely has us thinking more about lighter skin care, make-up to wear now that we’re starting to get out and about more, and the start of shorts season (my pale legs aren't ready!).

(Click on each photo to link to the product)

Monday Missive: April 12th

What We’re Reading and Watching

• Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano is a mystery/mom drama told with a distinctly tongue in cheek voice. Finlay’s husband has left her for another woman and wants custody of their children, her novel is past over due, and she is stuck in a major rut. When a mystery woman offers her money to kill her husband, Finlay’s life starts to take on a lot more action, but it may be very dangerous. This is a stressful but fun read and I’m really enjoying it. -E

• I am almost done with The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna, which is a new YA fantasy book (hopefully a series, although I need to see how it ends first!). The main character Deka is discovered to be “impure” during a ritual all young women participate it, and after a violent backlash, she is rescued and taken to become an elite soldier. She explores her special abilities while building a group of friends that protect each other as they fight the Deathshrieks, their kingdoms mortal enemy. It’s great so far and I really didn’t see the big revelation coming! - D

• I’m dying to watch a documentary about the 1990 robbery at Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, This is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist, which just came out on Netflix. The suspects entered the museum dressed as cops, and the whole series of events basically sounds like a movie-especially because no one was ever arrested and none of the works have ever been recovered. The filmmakers are Boston natives who spent seven years researching and interviewing people for the film and the results are supposed to be very compelling. - E (I am dying to watch this too!!! - D)

What We’re Buying at the Sephora Sale:

Classic Favorites:

• Biossance is one of my perennial favorites, and I’m planning to stock up on my favorite Squalane and Vitamin C serum and the Lactic Acid night treatment. -E

• Speaking of stocking up, now is the perfect time to order the extra large size of the Supergoop sunscreen that I dose myself and the kids in all summer. -E

• SK-II Facemasks are the original gold standard of sheet masks and something that I love to do before a big event. We’re going to a wedding in June and I know I’m going to be so excited to do all of my event rituals, so I should probably grab those now. -E

• Now that the weather is warming up and getting a little bit more humid, it’s time to reup on the Bumble and Bumble Straight Blow Dry, which I typically use in the summer. -D

• I’m restocking on my favorite cleanser, the Youth To The People Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser. It’s the perfect gentle gel cleanser that doesn’t dry my skin out.

• I am super close to running out of my favorite concealer, the Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer, so I’m going to get a new tube. It has such a nice, creamy texture, matches perfectly with my skin and is very buildable. -D

New Products to Try:

• I’ve been using the Ilia mascara for the past few months and really liking it-it’s clean, it lifts and lengths and it really stays put. I’m going to get another and then I’m also thinking about trying their tinted lip oil. I’ve read great reviews of the colors and texture and can’t wait to check it out. -E

• You know how much I love Gwyneth Paltrow, and I’m thinking about trying the newest GOOP offering: GOOPGLOW Glow Lotion, a light daily moisturizer that’s supposed to be light but still very hydrating. If Gwyneth says it’s good enough for her dry skin, then it’s probably good enough for mine (haha!). -E

• Josie Maran Pro-Retinol Body Butter: There are several new body creams with retinol on the market right now, and I love the idea of taking care of the skin on my body as much as I take care of the skin on my face. Plus, with warmer weather here, it would be nice to do something for the skin has been covered up all winter. I don’t normally spend a ton of money on body care, so scooping it up during the sale seems like a good idea. -E

• I desperately need a new eye cream, so I’m splurging on the Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Cream. I’ve heard so many good things about it and love so many other products from the brand. - D

• The way Eloise loves GOOP beauty, I love Drunk Elephant, and their Protini moisturizer (I swear, I keep trying to quit it, but nothing makes my skin so happy!). I am so excited to try the new Protini™ Powerpeptide Resurfacing Serum and hope that it works as well as the moisturizer. - D

• While I’m also pretty devoted to my Supergoop sunscreens, I am seriously debating the Sun Safety Kit, which has minis from 13 different brands. I love being able to have sun protection stashed in my different bags, the car, parts of my apartment, plus having some that I keep at home and others that I leave at our parent’s house in Rhode Island. - D