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Bon Weekend: 20 February 2021

by habituallychic

02 . 20 . 21

Are you sick of snow yet? I know I am. I don’t remember the last time it snowed so much in New York. I guess it is one good way of getting most people to stay home in a global pandemic though.

One thing that’s helping me get through are flowering branches. Those are quince above from a few weeks ago. I’m currently waiting for cherry blossoms to open. I can’t wait until they bloom in Central Park in March too. Until that happens, I’ll be staying home and watching some of these shows and movies, reading new books, and using some of these products.

If you wish to be transported to Italy in the 16th-century, I recommend renting SIN (Il Peccato in Italian) via the Film Forum. The story of Michelangelo by filmmaker Andrei Konchalovsky follows the artist, sculpture, and architect as he descends into madness and melancholy which completing commissions such as a Sistine Chapel and a tomb designed for Pope Julius II among other projects. “The film’s gorgeous cinematography does not idealize or glamorize – but limns a complex, sophisticated world in which paranoia, greed, lust and lies feed the spectacular creativity of one of the world’s greatest artists.” It looks a bit heavy so I haven’t watched it yet but I might watch it Sunday or Monday when it’s supposed to snow again. SIN is $12 for a 48 hour rental that includes a Q&A with filmmaker Andrei Konchalovsky.

I don’t even know how to describe I Care A Lot except that it’s like Gone Girl with grandparents. The fashions and suits that Rosamund Pike wears in the film are getting a lot of buzz but I can’t say that I enjoyed this latest release from Netflix. “A court-appointed legal guardian defrauds her older clients and traps them under her care” until she chooses the wrong mark. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been a black comedy instead of a commentary on capitalism but it’s worth checking out.

I found The Mallorca Files on BritBox after looking up other work by Rachel New who created Miss Scarlet and the Duke. It’s getting a lot of attention right now since the second season just started airing in the UK. It’s another “will they or won’t they” Moonlighting inspired series set on Mallorca with a charming German detective played by Julian Looman who gets paired with a straight laced English detective played by Elen Rhys. You can get caught up before season two soon debuts in the US and Canada.

The cast of the series adaptation of one of my favorite books, Conversations with Friends, has just been announced. Taylor Swift’s boyfriend Joe Alwyn will play Nick, newcomer Alison Oliver as Frances, Sasha Lane as Bobbi, and Jemima Kirke as Melissa. It will air on Hulu in 2022 so it gives you plenty of time to read the book and Sally Rooney’s new book, Beautiful World, Where Are You, coming out this September.

I’ve felt like there haven’t been too many exciting art exhibitions in recent years but I’m definitely looking forward to seeing Alice Neel: People Come First. “It will be the first museum retrospective in New York of American artist Alice Neel (1900–1984) in twenty years. This ambitious survey will position Neel as one of the century’s most radical painters, a champion of social justice whose longstanding commitment to humanist principles inspired her life as well as her art, as demonstrated in the approximately one hundred paintings, drawings, and watercolors that will appear in The Met’s survey.” It runs from 22 March to 1 August 2021.

One of the reasons that the French tend to be cranky toward Americans is our overeagerness and sense of immediacy. The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard outlines how the French “barely seem to be trying, yet the results are world-famous–thanks to a certain je ne sais quoi that is the key to a more creative, fulfilling, and productive life.” It’s a fun read to ride you over until we can travel to Paris again.

I’ve been wearing the same grey sweaters for most of this winter and I’m ready to burn them. I thought I should find some replacements before I set them on fire so I ordered this lovely Recycled Cashmere Crewneck Sweater in oatmeal and black. It’s the perfect sweater to wear with jeans as the weather warms up. I’m hoping I can convince them to make it in charcoal grey so I’ll have a new grey sweater to add to my closet.

Most people want soft and light cashmere now which tend to pill. I don’t really mind since I know that’s the reason. My smaller sweater shaver was on its last legs so I decided to upgrade to this Conair Battery Operated Fabric Defuzzer/Shaver. It has over 47,000 reviews and seems to be the cult favorite for those who like to keep their sweaters looking pristine.

My favorite two Diptyque candles are Figuier and Baies but I decided to branch out recently and order Bois Ciré. It smells like freshly waxed wood and instantly transported me back to Paris. I almost fell down a freshly waxed wood staircase once and I’ll never forget the smell of the floor wax and wood.

I saw Dr. Wade two weeks ago for a Clear + Brilliant laser treatment and my skin is looking so much better now. I was convinced that my skin was looking extra tired since the pandemic started and according to the Wall Street Journal article, Aging in Quarantine? It’s Been Fast and Furious, I was right. Dr. Wade gave me a trial size of Elta MD Post Procedure Balm which soothed my skin and kept it hydrated after the laser so I ordered a full size jar and their Laser Enzyme Gel to use at home after my Tria Beauty Hair Removal Laser.

I mentioned by new found love of SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense to combat maskne and it really is a miracle serum for anyone suffering from skin issues right now. I just ordered another bottle and use it with my Le Prunier Plum Beauty Oil.

Bon week-end!

XOXO,

HC