Recent Favorites.

A couple of my favorite purchases thus far in 2019:

+Calvin Klein Carousel Racerback Bralettes (on sale for $12 a pop in all kinds of great patterns and colors!)

+It Cosmetics Mascara. This is a super-inky, super-thick, super-goopy mascara — just how I like my mascaras. I’m not normally “over the top” about cosmetics; I don’t like eyeshadows with shimmer/glitter and generally prefer a natural look, but when it comes to lashes, the bolder and bigger and blacker the better. This fits the bill. My only gripe with it is that it’s hard to remove, even when I bring out my big guns. Still, this mascara is just what the doctor ordered as I recover from lash extensions. (Don’t do it. Or do it, because it’s AMAZING while they’re in. But only sparingly.)

+Belif The True Cream. Already hooked on this gel-like, ultra-hydrating moisturizer from Korean skincare line Belif. This is a great gel to alternate with La Mer in the winter months, and it’s ample-sized for the price ($38!)

+Chantecaille Tinted Moisturizer. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. I’ve already raved about it, but — don’t think I’ll be switching to anything else any time soon. For those asking, I wear the Bliss color.

+Narcisco Rodriguez For Her Perfume. I occasionally stray from this but it is my all-time favorite scent and I’m so glad I replenished. I’m not particularly adept at isolating scents, but the site describes it as “enhanced by radiant notes of rose petals, iris, and hints of amber, the result is a pure fragrance of soft florals and powdered musc.” Um, it just smells like soft and feminine heaven.

+Harney & Sons Peppermint Tea. I drink like 34 cups of this a day. It is super smooth. (And it sounds like I have a lot of fellow tea-lovers!)

+Prune cookbook. We are loving this new addition to our cookbook collection. Gabrielle Hamilton’s ethos is refreshingly — lowbrow? modest? “whole hog”? — I don’t quite know how to describe it, but she makes use of every part of the vegetable/animal and makes the most of the humblest of ingredients. We had a ton of leftover cabbage from a slaw I’d made and Mr. Magpie managed to make the most outrageously satisfying cabbage dish with only ingredients from our pantry using her book: butter, vinegar, anchovies, some herbs. It was nuts. We served it up with an indulgent ribeye and these ridiculous oven fries Mr. Magpie has made for years. I know — oven fries. They can’t possibly be as good as deep fried fries, right? Wrong. Take a few basic russet potatoes, slice them into 1/2 wedges (Mr. Magpie goes crazy with his knife skills and trims his into perfect little fry-like shapes with equal proportions all around), and soak them in water with a little glug of white vinegar for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 425 while this is going on so it’s good and hot. Then dry the potatoes really well on a paper towel, toss in oil and salt, and throw into the oven. Turn once, meticulously, using tongs. THEY ARE PERFECT. Because we’re from the Midatlantic, we dip them in malt vinegar. (Our Chicago friends thought we were nuts.)

+Pretty paper napkins. I have gotten a bizarre number of compliments on these — and I feel like I always have cool napkins when I have guests over! But these have garnished the most favor!

+Natori Feathers Bra. My absolute favorite ever. So comfortable, and comes in the prettiest shade of shell pink right now.

+Darn Tough Socks. The comfiest, warmest sock in these cold temps. I love the “cushion” effect on the insole! Mr. Magpie put a pair in my stocking at Christmas and I immediately ordered three additional pairs!

+The North Face Minna Mittens. Could not survive the polar vortex without these. They are super thick, lined with fleece, and my favorite answer to sub-zero temps.

+Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream. I have used this since I was a child, when my mother would liberally apply it to everything from burns to chapped lips to minor abrasions. I now worship this stuff and am never without a tube of it. Ever. I have one in every drawer of my home and every bag I routinely use. It comes in particular handy in the winter, when I apply it to my lips, my poor chapped nose (from all the nose-blowing thanks to this darned cold I can’t seem to kick), my cuticles, and even my uber-dry feet, mixed in with lotion.

+Plaid Cashmere Scarf. Talbots generously sent me this as a Christmas gift in the gray/beige/cream colorway and I LOVE IT. The picture online doesn’t do it justice — it’s actually pretty large/oversized (more like a ruana) and just the most lovely mix of colors. I like to pair it with ivory, camel, or gray oversized sweaters like this one. I’ve been wearing it constantly.

+Gap Maternity Full-Panel Leggings. I favor my David Lerner maternity leggings, which are pricey, but stand up to many, many washings and never stretch out, but these Gap ones are fantastic for puttering around the house. They’re crazy soft. They do stretch out a bit by the end of the day, but they’re like buttah.

+Tweed Dress. I bought this Chanel-esque shift a few weeks ago — can you believe it cost $20?! It accommodates my bump and is fun to dress up with pearls and heels. I had been inspired by this Goop dress I saw on Gwyneth but was concerned about ordering something expensive that might not fit my six-month-pregnant build, so I JUMPED on this inexpensive little ditty.

+Alexandre Birman booties. Have been getting a lot of wear out of these beauties. In my opinion, the key to surviving pregnancy style-wise is keeping a simple wardrobe of neutrals and investing in fantastic shoes.

+Just a fun little way to make any old outfit feel of-the-moment.

P.S. My favorite things from winter 2018 and my favorite purchases from the entirety of last year.

P.P.S. The best investment item I’ve ever purchased for myself. I’d place it above my black Chanel bag — highly functional and uber-elegant. I can wear it with a t-shirt and jeans and feel like I’m a million bucks.

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