Happy MONDAY. This is a weirdo week – the end of October is here, but the beginning of November happens midweek. So it’s like a beginning today, and ANOTHER beginning on Wednesday. Anyone else feeling jazzed by that?? And speaking of being jazzed, it’s been *pouring* rain for the past 24+ hours, and I’ve been in heaven. I swear the rain just works in my bones + gets me hyped on life. And speaking of being hyped on life, there very well might be a ghost in my office right now. I woke up this morning, stumbled out of bed on beeline to the Keurig…and my office door was shut. It’s never shut. And all three cats were out + about, so none of them shut it internally. The front door was locked etc etc., but thankfully my laptop was downstairs…so really, I’m cool not checking. I’m sitting here blasting Jesus music so any ghost knows I ain’t messin’. Also I #CantStopWontStop shopping lately…have y’all heard of Blue and Cream? SUPER cool retailer to shop (slash just window shop too, ha!) designer pieces. They have a warehouse sale section, which is my fave cos #SALE. And they carry one of my fave brands of jeans (rag & bone)!

That ends this morning’s pre-coffee stream of consciousness. Now clearly I need a cup.

*Gets coffee, discovers the meaning of life, keeps calm and carries on*

I realized I’d been doing 8 links for so long, and then 5 things…and it was becoming a whole lotta, well, lot. So, to keep things cute, we’re doing 5 links, 5 things. Nice n’ even stevens. And then we added stuff on sale + a playlist, and it quickly became a whole lotta cool sh*t that’s really long + absurd to list out in a title. So…maybe we should rename this bad boy? I’m thinking “cool sh*t I lovelovelove” to keep things short n’ sweet. Plus I have no other ideas at this point at something that accurately summarizes this hodgepodge curation of goodies. HA. Thoughts? 😉

Sound off below in the comments, wouldja?

Now, for some cool sh*t I lovelovelove.

Links I Love:

Quotes from 25 famous women on how to be productive.
How to make $1000 this month selling your clothes on eBay. (I’m thiiiiiis close to doing this myself!)
The only time you’re actually growing is when you’re uncomfortable.
How to develop unlimited willpower.
A Korean Grandma Vlogger with more Instagram followers than you.

Stuff on Sale:

Extra 45% off everything, + extra 80% off CLEARANCE at Neiman Marcus Last Call

One of my *fave* tunics for fall layering (+ just whenever wear), 33% off in a buncha colors!

Extra 50% off everything on sale at Ann Taylor

40% off the most gorgeous pink peacoat I ever did see…

Up to 40% off everything at Express

40% sitewide + free shipping at Missguided (code: BABEDOLLAR)

20% off my black thigh-high boots (that you guys looooooveloveloved on Instagram over the weekend!) – they’re under $100 now!

$50 off your $100 purchase at LOFT (code: MYSTERY)

October Playlist:

Things I Lovelovelove:

Lilac off-the-shoulder sweater

Actually, all Missguided sweaters (which you can save even more on with that handy dandy discount code above! 😉 ). They’re so stinkin’ affordable and so SOFT – something sometimes hard to come by in cheaper knitwear. I am *obsessed* with this pretty lilac color (it’s coming soon in a full shoot to a Coming Up Roses near you 😉 ) cos it’s something a little different for sweater weather. I feel like we see a lotta creams, greys, neutrals, blush + pumpkin spice color right about now, and the light purpley hue adds a nice feminine touch. Or maybe I’m just trying to justify my childhood obsession with the color purple continuing on into adulthood. Either way, can’t beat it. HA.

All of the off-the-shoulder-everything that’s been just about everywhere this season has been hit-or-miss for me. Personally, I don’t really get “cold shoulder” either. I’m wearing a sweater to not be cold, and you’re gonna just cut off some fabric and leave me, well, cold? And then I need a sweater on my sweater, but then my pits will sweat and I’ll get all self-conscious and need to switch shirts and then probably switch bottoms to make sure top + bottom matches and it’s all just a hot mess from having cold shoulders. The struggle, yo.

BUT, I like this one since you can really shift it wherever you want it – it doesn’t automatically fall down. But if you have one that DOES, this bralette is a favorite.

Caviar Color hinge cuff bracelet

As I’ve gotten older, my jewelry tastes have changed *significantly*. I used to kinda just go all out, the more the merrier. Now, I tend to gravitate towards classier, daintier pieces, or just classic statement pieces. More metals than plastic, more investment pieces than costume, etc. And I lovelovelove it – I’d rather wear pieces that I’ll have for, well, ever than things that might break when I inevitably walk into a wall or something. #classic

This cuff bracelet is a newer piece from LAGOS – it’s a “color” hinge cuff, so you can basically choose from approximately a bajillion color options for the little end ball thingermabobbers. By a bajillion, I mean 7. Close enough. 😉

Of course, this piece is pricey. It’s considered a “luxury” item. So this might not be an immediate treat yo’self…but maybe it’s a save-and-crack-the-piggybank-in-a-few-months treat yo’self, or the biggy on your Christmas list. Hey, the Hallmark Channel has started their new Christmas flicks already + Halloween is tomorrow, so HO HO HO bring on the holly jolly, add it to yo’ list + check it twice. 😉

Tula Discovery Kit

I’ve loveloveloved Tula from the moment I first tried their stuff. Their skincare is bombdotcom, especially for folks like me who are oily usually but then have a dry day, or just generally suffer from what-the-****-is-happening skin. Ya feel? 😉 Its probiotic skincare (I’ve talked about it before here, here, etc), so it’s formulated to help bring balance to your skin the same way a probiotic that you’d ingest might bring balance to your gut, etc. This little set is called their “discovery kit”, and it’s really the perfect way to get yo’ feet wet with the brand. It’s got their Purifying Face Cleanser (MY FAVE), Illuminating Face Serum, Hydrating Day + Night Cream (not too heavy at all – I lovelovelove this for winter hydration, even tho my skin is oilier), their Eye Serum, + the Exfoliating Treatment Mask (SO SO good – one of my all-time favorite facemasks, as seen here). This is my little go-to for travel. Being in the position I am as a blogger, I often have the opportunity to test a whole BUNCHA products. Constantly, really. And it can become super overwhelming + confusing, especially for someone like me who is so very bad at creating one set product routine + sticking with it long enough to see true results. I’m just blatantly bad at that most times. But Tula is a brand I constantly go back to, because they’re just reliable. I’ve met the team in New York (CUR’s first intern, Sarah, now interns for Tula actually! Go Sarah go!), and hearing about how they formulate + test products to really create a dynamic lineup was awesome. It’s a line that folks swear by once they try it, simply cos it works. Pointblankperiod. (And it works for different skin types – dry, oily, combination, sensitive, etc!) On Tula’s website, it tells you everything from how to use a product to its specific benefits, and ets you take a quiz to get a customized routine for your specific skin type. AND you can set it up to automatically reorder after a month, etc., if you find yourself using up a type of product in a given time frame pretty regularly (like facewash or your fave moisturizer). FYI, not sponsored at ALL – just legit SUCH A HELPFUL TOOL AMIRIGHT?!?!

Tula actually also recently launched a daily probiotic pill – super cool! I lovelovelove that the brand cares so much about wellness + balance holistically, so it makes sense that a skincare line all about balance would come out with something for balance on the *inside*, too. If ya hop over to my Instastories, you can still catch my unboxing + info on the probiotic from yesterday! (@ericaligenza)

AND AND AND, make sure ya use code COMINGUPROSES15 at checkout to get 15% off sitewide (so *anything* from Tula) + free shipping. #BlessUp

Linking the kit + some other best-of-Tula products here – happy shopping. 😉

Leaves candle

My all-time favorite candle OF ALL TIME, EVER. I have no less than 3 of these bad boys lined up on my candle shelf at all times, year round. Not sure what it is about it, but it’s just the BEST scent. I’m such a candle hoarder that you’d think it’d be hard to pick a favorite…nope. This is it. On the jar it says it’s a “classic blend of spiced berries, Red Delicious apple, and golden nectar.” IDK what golden nectar is, but I think it’s code for “unicorn snot” and that’s why it smells so dang magical.

Now I’m sitting here inhaling the candle since I had to grab it to read the label, and I’m distracted. If I’m high on Leaves by lunchtime, you know why…

Really tho, it’s the best. Grab it ASAP, thank me later.

Ballerina highlight

Chances are, if you’re a highlight snob like me, you’ve got Laura Geller’s cult-classic Gilded Honey in you makeup bag. Or, you’ve at least gotten wind of it. I recently tried another shade of the Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminators (how COOL is that name?!? A+, LG. A+.) – Ballerina. It’s a beautiful warm rose gold. And of course as soon as I heard it was rose gold, I was all over that ish.

It’s definitely a little pinker-toned than Gilded Honey – truly, rose gold. I think it’s a really pretty transitional highlight to wear through fall + winter since it’s not as golden as highlights you probably wanna rock when you’re going for that golden glow (aka sweet summahtime).

Pigmentation is fabulous + I think the fact that it’s rosier makes it blend so beautifully with any blush (if ya wear it).