March Fixations: trench coats, dupes, & beauty favs galore

On The Sunny Side #19 these are a few of my march favorite things

Mar 30, 2025

On The Sunny Side is a weekly round-up where I share a few sunny things that have brightened my days, what I’m reading, watching, and obsessing over too.

And with that the winter 2025 season has come to an end! Spring is here and apparently I can’t shut up about it 😅. Many folks believe spring is the true ‘start to the year’ and if you’re one of those people now would be the perfect time to assess (or reassess) goals for the year, create a spring moodboard, prep your tbr for the abundance of spring book releases, spruce up your house/wardrobe/car, try a new recipe… you see where I’m going here.

March was a new start for me—literally—with a new job, and getting back into a routine of a traditional 9-5. Historically I haven’t enjoyed change but as I get older, and realize change is constant, I’ve been leaning into going with the flow. And dare I say… I (kinda) love it??

Today is the last Sunday in March, and that means it’s time for a round-up of all my March Fixations. Grab your bevvy of choice and let’s dive in.

Wardrobe additions

As we yo-yo back and forth between false spring and winter here in Chicago, I’ve been breaking out my new, as I like to call it you got the job, trench whenever I can. A trench coat has been lacking from my wardrobe and when Sézane launched the Clyde trench a year ago, I knew it was the one for me. I love the A-line shape, the plaid detailing, and the crisp color. I opted for the camel and have no regrets. This is a pricier item, but I’ve seen them pop up on Poshmark and Depop. In terms of sizing, you’ll want to size down (it’s plenty oversized as is—Sézane online sizing is accurate, too) and good to note if you snag one secondhand.

Possibly my best (definitely most satisfying) purchase of the month was this nearly identical dupe to the viral Mary Lié Studios necklace in red carnelian— at a fraction of the cost! I’ve been lusting over this necklace since last summer but wasn’t about to shell out $300 for a jade necklace. Then I did some digging and found this TikTok. Now, I don’t know about you but I can’t tell the difference between the necklace I’m wearing on the left and the Lié Studio one. I am riding a dopamine high from such a good find!

Fitness switch-a-roo

As mentioned above, I’m easing into my new work routine and a big part of that has meant adjusting my workout schedule. I’m a pretty active person and I feel my best when I’m moving my body. I prefer lower impact workouts—think pilates, barre, yoga—with a mix of weight training mostly in the form of HIIT classes. Lately I’ve been vibing with reformer pilates. I enjoy the mental stimulation of needing to zero in on instructor cues and the sneaky way it targets small muscle areas. I took a class last week and left feeling humbled. Also mixing it up has got my creative juices flowing for my own yoga classes I teach.

Beauty faves

When it comes to beauty I take a minimal approach. I have no interest in a seven-step skincare routine, instead I want less products that pack a bigger punch. Same goes for my beauty products.

Enter: Tower 28. Specifically their SOS Spray, brown mascara, and concealer. The concealer is light-weight and perfect for brightening. The mascara gives a natural fluttery look. And, my esthetician actually recommended I start using the SOS Spray a year ago when I started breaking out during my yoga teacher training. I’ve sworn by it ever since, and spritz it on my face and chest after I either teach/take a class. I recently bought the Prequel spray to see how it compares to the SOS seeing as it’s ~half the cost. I’ll make sure to report back!

Watched & Read

Shows:

To have new seasons of Severance and The White Lotus airing at overlapping times of the year has been a blessing. Two shows that I love going down deep Reddit rabbit holes on. Both of these shows give me nostalgia for the weekly releases of TV past. That anticipation of not knowing what would happen in next weeks episode, chatting with friends about it, analyzing every little detail (not me, of course, but the highly capable sleuths on Reddit) has made me excited for TV in a way I haven’t been in a while.
In between Severance and White Lotus we finished up Bad Sisters, which we LOVED and I’m deeply sad it’s over. Then we’ve been enjoying the new season of Drive to Survive and oh, how I love being back with the boys (I promise you don’t need to be an F1 fan to enjoy the show, the handsome men of racing is enough of a draw).

Books:

My reading was off this month. The books I read/listened to were mostly good (some just meh). However, the standout of the month was Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley—I’ll be sharing more book thoughts in my March Reading Round-up later this week so keep your 👀 peeled. If you’re looking for superior millennial nostalgia à la early aughts music you need to add Deep Cuts to your TBR. Our FMC was so singular and it leans more literary romance in case you’re expecting a fluffy beach read. I *loved* the audiobook and would recommend that medium.

A few more links before we go

👖 A vulnerable post from The Wardrobe Edit about finding your style postpartum that is worth the read even if you’re not in that phase of life.

👩🏻 Jessica Joyce’s recent post about character development—it inspired me to conduct “character interviews” for my two MC’s in my next project.

🧀 A humorous yet insightful take on the cottage cheese craze. My teenage self who proudly ordered cottage cheese as a side at Steak’n’Shake is all for cottage cheese getting it’s moment in the spotlight.

🍔 You need to try this buffalo chicken burger recipe from The Pinch of Yum, if only for the whipped feta…. holy yum! I promptly made this recipe again, the following week.

That’s it for me. What were you hyper fixated on in March?! Drop a note in the comments. And if you liked this post please like, share, comment, do all the things—it means so much 🤎