This article may contain affiliate links; if you click on a shopping link and make a purchase I may receive a commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Sale Alert
Middle row: one | two | three | four
Bottom row: one | two | three | four
Anthropologie has 40% off full-priced tops and sweaters at this link. I don't know how long this will last; I'm writing this Thursday and it says, “For a limited time.” I took advantage of this sale by ordering this top; I like how it's a fun print for Zoom meetings and Instagram Stories, it's flowy, and would look nice with black pants and come summer with some distressed denim shorts.
Hush Puppies has really upped their style game in the past couple of years. They have a shoe of the month that is 30% off, this month it's the Hadley Boot. This is a great classic boot that comes in a pull-on Chelsea or side-zip option, is water-resistant, and available in three colors and two widths. Use promo code FEBFAVE at checkout to get 30% off the Hadley Boot.
Equilibria has a BOGO sale going on through Monday, and this is a sale you do NOT want to miss! Buy any product sitewide and get the second of equal or lesser value 50% off. This sale is for new and existing Equilibria customers; if you are a new customer use WARDROBEOXYGEN at checkout and get an additional 15% off your entire order. My picks:
- For the face: I use this face oil every night without fail and since using it my skin has been so happy. The winter skin issues I've dealt with before (dry patches, red and broken skin around the nose and mouth, crepey under the eyes) is gone thanks to it and no breakouts.
- For aches and pains: I need to do a review of all the CBD topicals I've tried, but the Equilibria Relief Cream is by far the most effective I've tried. I put it on my back every night before bed, and it's healing too. After a Wardrobe Oxygen reader shared she uses it to heal her cuticles I've been doing the same and it works wonders! I also love the Mindful Mineral Soak; it's not cheap so I save it for special/achy occasions but it too works wonders and is more effective than other brands I've tried.
- For anxiety/sleep/inflammation: I have written about how I use CBD before and how I use CBD for sleep. If you are curious about CBD for these purposes, or have tried CBD and want to get it cheaper and delivered monthly, I highly recommend the Balance Box. It's easy to pause or cancel a subscription, but with a subscription, you automatically get 20% off each month.
Keep in mind, you can subscribe to any individual product as well as the boxes at Equilibria. Subscribing ensures you get the items every month at a 20% discount, no shipping or subscription cost, and I know from experience it's easy to pause, adjust, and cancel your subscriptions. And if you're new to Equilibria, WARDROBEOXYGEN will get you an additional 15% off that first month.
The Body Shop is a company I have loved for decades. I even worked as a trainer for the company for a couple of years in the early '00s. Through March 8th, The Body Shop has all cleansers and toners 25% off and free shipping on any orders $35+. I am partial to the Vitamin E Gentle Face Wash and the Vitamin E Face Wipes (were a go-to for travel).
What I Bought and What I Thought
Accessories That Make Me Feel Pulled Together
Maxwell Scott is offering Wardrobe Oxygen readers an exclusive discount! Save 10% at checkout on your entire purchase at Maxwell Scott with promo code ALISON10.
This has been a tough week for a lot of reasons, and the best way I've found to make myself not look like I just woke (other than wetting my hair as soon as I wake if I'm not immediately showering so my hair doesn't look a hot mess) is to add accessories.
- Tube Hoops: I have always been a fan of hoops; they have been my signature earring style since middle school. It's an accessory where I like trying out new trends, and I liked the look of tube hoops. Exactly what they sound like, tube hoops are thicker than traditional hoops but aren't heavy because they are hollow/tubes. They come in a range of sizes; I of course like big but not so big they're heavy. I went with these from Baublebar since the price is reasonable ($38) and I know Baublebar's costume jewelry is good quality and holds up. They're what I'm wearing in the photo above.
- Chain Link Necklaces: All 2020 I rocked the Baublebar Hera Link Necklace; so did my daughter. And now it's starting to look like it. I've come to love the look of a statement link necklace; it's a perfect way to look polished with little effort and works with everything from silk to sweats. I've been wearing my Baublebar Michel Curb Chain more often these days (many of you saw it in Wednesday's Instagram Stories) and like my Hera, it has held up beautifully. I am also loving my statement link necklaces from Chico's; above I am wearing this one (it has a matching bracelet and both are a brushed gold), and when I want silver I've been loving this one (seen in this blog post).
- Lavender-lensed Aviators: I have already raved about these aviator sunglasses from Ray-Ban that I'm wearing quite a lot. With everything so gray right now, the purple-tinted lenses make the world more beautiful and I swear they improve my outlook and mood. I originally got my violet/gold 62mm Ray-Ban aviators at Nordstrom but they're now sold out; I did find them at the Ray-Ban website.
- Rings Over a Size 8: I love the idea of rings, but they don't always love me. My right ring finger is a size 9, my middle fingers size 10, and I used to be a size 11. These aren't sizes easily found at retailers. I have this insignia ring from REALM and I wear it ALL THE TIME because it looks classic but also badass and comes up to size 11. I also have an adjustable ring from Sorrelli (seen above) that is sparkly and beautiful and doesn't look cheesy and fits even my pointer finger. I have also had great success with Chico's for rings up to size 9 (but a roomy 9), and Baublebar also goes up to 9.
The Face Masks I Actually Wear
I have a lot of face masks, but honestly this far into this existence, I don't like most of them. They're not secure enough, I end up breathing them in, they are hot, no nose wire, no filter pocket… I think many of you can relate.
Going through my face mask collection, these are three face masks I choose over and over again:
- For Style: Candace Cort Designs masks do not have a filter pocket, but they are two layers of 100% cotton, they wash really nicely, and fit my face beautifully. I love them so much I ordered a bunch to give to brand contacts and a few readers this holiday season. I have a… medium-sized face. Masks that run small are too small for me but a lot of masks seem to want to cover my eyes as well as my nose and chin. These are a snug, comfortable fit and look beautiful too. I own about five now; my favorite is Featherweight. Candace Cort is a NYC-based Black woman designer who makes clothing as well as face masks.
- For Activity: I heard of MasQd over and over because they must have gifted these to every celeb on the planet and every celeb has been wearing them. Most of my masks drive me crazy when I go for a hike or more serious walk and I liked the idea of these masks being made for fitness. I got the Ultra Sport Face Mask in Magenta and it's pretty fantastic. It is made from three layers plus a filter pocket and a nose wire. It fits my face great; I feel I can breathe better than most of my other masks and I don't end up breathing it in. I have only steamed it, can't say how it washes. The only negative is the ear loops are a bit thick and sometimes because of that slip off my ears. MasQd is a female and minority-owned small business that has all its masks made in the USA.
- For Everyday: Tom Bihn's face masks are the family favorite. I find the S/M size to fit me perfectly; my husband wears the M/L. Our kid can wear the S/M too; it fits well around the edges and the ears but has a lot of extra volume at the nose and mouth and she ends up breathing it in. I also find myself breathing it in a bit, but it's not too bad. Tom Bihn has four styles of masks; the V3 is by far our favorite for everyday (though I want to try the V6 which is the most recent offering). The V4 is a great one if you will be outside a lot as the flannel keeps you warm while not overheating and being able to breathe well. Tom Bihn is a small business located in Seattle that does a lot of good for their community and the world as a whole; read my Tom Bihn review.
Hi Alison! Quick question: have you used the Herbivore Emerald CBD + adaptogens face oil, and if so, can you please compare it to the Equilibria CBD face oil? I’ve also fallen in love with Equilibria products in part thanks to your recommendations and would like to try CBD for face, but I’m trying to decide between the two products. They seem similar and are both highly reviewed so I wanted to see if you have any insight! Thanks so much for all you do 🙂
I have not tried Herbivore’s version. I’ve tried a couple others (Lord Jones, Colleen Rothschild) and they broke me out so I stopped trying until Equilibria told me it was the carrier oil Once I tried Equilibria and it worked so well and didn’t break me out, I stopped the search.
I very impulsively bought the face oil because I’ve had some atypical weirdness this year, and now I am second guessing that decision! Usually I do virtually nothing to my face — it’s super sensitive and truly the less I do the better. But masks are causing some inflammation/breakouts and I was eager to try something different. After ordering I remembered my face is super sensitive, especially to botanicals/florals. Oops, that’s what this is. Plant-based things are usually the worst thing for my skin. Really hoping this works out! Otherwise someone in my Buy Nothing group is getting a really awesome gift!
I exclusively use the Tom Bihn masks, they are well made and I like the adjustable ear loops so I can get a close fit on my face, and the lanyard is handy.
My face is small so to prevent breathing in clumps of fabric I put a silicone insert frame inside when I’m wearing it for a longer stretch of time.
Thanks for the suggestions for hearing aid wearers. I think having a mask that ties behind my head will be a better fit than using ear loop extenders, so I ordered a couple of masks from Quality Mask Supply to try out.
Alison, thought you would be interested in this NY Mag article about The Wing. A lot of the comments are pretty negative on the writing, though I enjoyed its breezy, mild snark. https://www.thecut.com/2021/02/what-happened-to-the-wing.html
I appreciated it too, and while it wasn’t some in-depth dive into the history and problems of The Wing it touched on all the things I noticed as a member who started thinking this would be amazing but as her membership went on, saw how problematic it was from the start and its unfortunate ending/current situation. I have it in this weekend’s Weekend Reads. Thank you for thinking of me!
Now that I am wearing glasses pretty much full-time, antifog spray is a must. I found some stuff on Amazon, and it has been a game changer. My glasses NEVER fog up now, even in a mask, even in the cold. I give my lenses a good cleaning each morning, and then apply the antifog spray. One treatment lasts me all day.
Would you mind sharing the link? Thanks,
Sure thing! This is the one that I use:
https://www.amazon.com/Spray-Glasses-Prevents-Lenses-Devices/dp/B08F2WTS2W?ref_=ast_sto_dp
Thank you!
I initially thought you’d written tube TOPS instead of tube hoops! Those aviators are great. I was hoping I could order them with prescription lenses but it doesn’t look like the purple is an option.
How about some masks that hearing aid wearers can use safely? By safely, I mean that putting on and especially removing a face mask dislodges my hearing aids from behind my ears and at $2,000 each, I do NOT want to lose one! Plus, I can’t hear without them! Adding to the problem is that I also wear glasses, so I have hearing aids, glasses and mask strap all fighting for behind-the-ear space, and making my ears stick straight out from my head. I would love a recommendation for masks that go around my head instead of behind my ears. My uncut hair is now long enough for a ponytail, so smooshed hair isn’t an issue, Help, please!
I have the same issues except I keep my curly hair trimmed. I’d like some suggestions too.
I found these masks through comments in the Wardrobe Oxygen facebook community. They are super soft, very adjustable, and great for all day wear. https://qualitymasksupply.com/collections/new-styles
Tom Bihn! At the end of last year they had this blog post about a customer with hearing aids: https://www.tombihn.com/blogs/main/hugh and based off it they made this gadget that can work with their face masks and honestly any other kid that has ear loops: https://www.tombihn.com/collections/facemasks/products/maskheadstrap?variant=37724921397437
I have tried a few of the plastic things on the market that you can use to connect your face masks behind your head and they’re not always functional or comfortable.
I have gotten masks with ties to go around the head instead of the ears at Kaela Kay: https://kaelakay.com/collections/masks and Osei-Duro: https://oseiduro.com/collections/accessories and found both well-made and nice fitting.
My father in law wears hearing aids and he was just telling me yesterday that he likes the behind the head masks because they don’t interfere. I don’t have a specific recommendation though! There are clips that can make behind the ear masks into behind the head masks so you wouldn’t have to jettison your existing masks.
I like these (they tie at the back of your head): https://shopdolan.com/collections/protective-essentials/products/dolan-surprise-mask-set
Thank you for the ring suggestions! I also have larger fingers and hate tight fitting anything, so rings are generally hard to find. I’ll be checking out your mentions, and if you find any others in your Internet travels be sure to share.
I have a Tom Binh mask in flannel, it fits really well and it is really nice for walks outside in winter.It is well made and and comfortable. I’ll try the other two you mention.
Fogging glasses is a problem I recently read in a UK newspaper that anti-fog gel for glasses is the best solution. Has anyone tried that?
I read your original Tom Bihn review and downloaded the V2 pattern. I’ve made that over and over.
It’s roomly through the nose and mouth, comes up about right, and lays flat across the nose.
So I would recommend that one, the pattern if you’re sewing it yourself or to buy from them.
The pattern is easier than it looks and I’ve been sewing filtering material in with it. At this point I’m often wearing it over top of a plain surgical mask, the belt and suspenders approach to avoiding airborne infection.
OMG the hunt for a mask that actually fits has consumed me. It’s take me a while to diagnose the problem, apparently my face is pretty narrow but the length from nose to chin is longer than average. The Athleta masks seemed to work, but as soon as it turned cold, it was apparent they did not work because my glasses were so fogged up i could not see. I’ve tried so many different brands and spent a lot of money. I’d like to say I’m over it, but unfortunately being “over it” isn’t an option. So I’ll keep trying.
It’s so interesting — my face is not narrow, but is apparently shorter than average from nose to chin! I don’t need masks cut smaller overall (like a child’s size), I just need them less tall so they don’t ride up into my eyes. It is both uncomfortable and blocks vision, plus I end up touching them constantly to pull down. I’m grateful I don’t leave the house a lot, and therefore don’t have to wear masks a lot, so I can make do with okay-fitting ones for short periods.