2018

Quick Look: Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Haul Picks

July 12, 2018

Hello from Miami! We are currently traveling for a mini summer getaway but per request I have a quick preview of my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale haul picks and a giveaway! I will be reviewing and swatching everything as soon as I get back home to Tampa so stay tuned. This sale is usually one of the top events I look forward to every year for fashion deals and beauty finds. I shopped in store while on my vacation for early access as a Level 4 card holder.

Quick recap of details, Early Access for the sale officially starts for all card holders today. The sale opens up to the public on July 20th and ends August 5th.

A few notes and thoughts. The catalog gives a small sneak peek at what they offer and this year I have a feeling that a large chunk of the sale is online only. This particular year I was really surprised to find the in-store clothing selection very limited. Different stores of course might vary on inventory and brands but the selection wasn’t quite like I remember it being in past years. For the Beauty Exclusives I found most of what I had on my wish list, however were a few beauty items I was told were online only and GWPs were a bit sparse in store. Whether you’re shopping in store or online I’d highly recommend you check out their Beauty Gift With Purchase Page first so you don’t miss out in the event you’re spending a lot for yourself or gifts.

Full reviews and swatches to follow in the upcoming days but here is a look at my in-store haul. I’ll most likely be adding a few more things from online that I couldn’t find in store. The beauty sets for the home are really nice to stock up on for housewarming gifts! Some of the associates told me they bought some of the tools as gifts for their nieces or grandchildren going to college in the fall which I think is super sweet. There are some really good prices for simplehuman, T3 and Clarisonic.

My fashion and shoe picks:

Rebecca Taylor Tie Neck Silk Top (also available in black)
Treasure and Bond Print Pleated Top (line runs big in my experience, I’d recommend sizing down, had to order an XXS online)
Leith Sweater Tank (wish this came in more colors!)
7 For All Mankind b(air) Denim High Waist Ankle Skinny Jeans
Madewell Off the Shoulder Eyelet Blouse
Tory Burch Marsden Flat Thong Sandal in Calf Leather (Tan, also available in white and black) – I took my regular size in 6.5
Robine Piccone Halter Bikini Top and Tie Bottoms (separates)
La Blanca 1-Piece Swimsuit

Quick look at the Madewell top which I wore last night! Also wearing non-sale items including the STS Blue Distressed Denim shorts and Tory Burch Sienna sandals.

My beauty haul picks:

Shown above numbered:

Charlotte Tilbury The Pretty Pink Lipstick Duo with Matte Revolution Lipstick in Rose Kiss, K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Blushing Dream and Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk
Charlotte Tilbury Glowing, Pretty Skin Palette – I’m dying to wear this but am trying to wait and photograph before I swatch it!
YSL Tint in Balm Set with Volupte Tint in Balm #9 and #13
Diptyque Assortment with three mini candles in Rose, Baies and Tubereuse and three spray perfume minis of Eau Rose, L’Ombre Dans L’Eau and Do Son
Jo Malone Travel Candle Trio with Lime Basil and Mandarin, English Pear and Freesia and Peony and Blush Suede
Le Labo Body-Hair Hinoki Travel Set – 2.5 mls of the Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Shampoo and Conditioner, both Andrew and I are obsessed with this scent!
Tom Ford Iris Bronze Set – has an Iris Bronze Eyeshadow Quad which has the same formula as their regular quads (not like Nude Dip or Honeymoon), and two mini lipsticks in Casablanca and Spiced Honey
Beautyblender Blend, Cleanse and Carry Set – LOVE this idea and so excited to have it for travel now
MAC Lip Trio in Nude – has three full-sized lip colors with Love Drought, Pretty Natural and Bodycon Lipglass
MAC Lip Trio in Pink – has three full-sized lip colors with Metallic Lipstick in Pink Addict, Matte Lipstick in Petalhead, Lipglass in Sweet as Pie
MAC Nordy Girl Metallic Palette with a Technakohl Liner in Graphblack and Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash Mascara
Moroccanoil The Ultimate Hydration Collection – Best set ever with the large pump size of Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner along with minis of their Body Souffle and Moroccanoil Hair treatment
NARS Undressed Liquid Lip Set 1
Chanel Rouge Coco Set Coral Trio has Rouge Coco Lip Blush in Corail Naturel, Rouge Coco in Adrienne, Rouge Coco Gloss in Sibylla
Glamglow x Becca We Know Glow Duo – has a mini Gravitymud and mini Becca Rose Glow Shimmering Skin Perfector Powder (can’t find this online at the moment but will update with link once I do)

Other things I bought and ordered:

Kiehl’s Exfoliating Body Soap
Kiehl’s Ultimate Man Body Scrub Soap
Jack Black Supersized Deep Dive Glycolic Facial Cleanser (284 g)
Hourglass Ambient Lighting (ordered online)

Also on the review list are the NARS and Sisley options. I have the Laura Mercier and Bobbi Brown palettes on my maybes list. The colors are SO good this year but I really don’t need anymore palettes! La Mer sets are always such a great value as well but I have individual items I’ve been wanting to try that aren’t in the sets this year but they’re always so expensive.

Quick in-store look at some of the other beauty exclusives, Charlotte Tilbury Palette and quick swatches of the Pretty Pink Lips Trio:

Super value on simplehuman sensor mirror and skincare sets, Diptyque and Jo Malone.

Under $50 section:

Quick side by side of the MAC Nordy Girl Metallic vs Matte and cute Kopari Set!

To kick off the sale I’m giving away 3 $100 eGift cards to Nordstrom to 3 different blog readers. It’s open internationally but you must be 18 years or older. Simply complete at least one of the tasks in the widget below. Giveaway runs through July 16th 11:45 PM EST. I’ll pick a winner within 48 hours and e-mail them. They must respond within 48 hours or another winner will be selected in their place. Selected winners are going to be announced on the widget below. I’ll also be hosting more throughout the rest of the month so be sure to follow along! Not sponsored or affiliated.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tell me what’s on your Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Wishlist! Are you shopping in store or online?

225 Comments

Chanel Eye Makeup

New Chanel Eye Makeup Review

July 10, 2018

Chanel has some new eyemakeup out right now as a mini-release. I ordered some things from Nordstrom and Chanel including some eyeshadows, a lash primer and new eyeshadow base. After testing I think there are some hits and misses. By now their Fall-Winter Collection has already launched online with the Le Mat de Chanel. What I hauled:

Ombre Premiere Longwear Powder Shadow in High-Profile
Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadow in Ultra Flesh
Stylo Ombre Et Contour Eyeshadow-Liner-Khol in Nude Eclat, Electric Brown and Rouge Noir
La Base Ombre Paupieres Longwear Eyeshadow Primer
La Base Mascara Nourishing Mascara Base

There were also two new Eyeshadow Quads which I passed on because I didn’t love all the colors in each palette and knew there was a good chance they would be neglected.

Up first are the two eyeshadows in the Ombre Premiere Powder High-Profile and Ombre Premiere Cream Ultra Flesh. I reviewed the Ombre Premiere formula nearly a year ago. The formulas are indeed long wearing, the creams are particularly good to last in hot humid weather. With this launch High-Profile is a soft satiny nude gold that looks like skin but just a tiny bit lighter. The shimmer is ultra soft, a lot softer than Flesh or Ray (both of which pull more pinkish). Ultra Flesh has a pink peach shimmer finish. I was worried it would be too pink but it actually is light enough in color that it works for my skintone to give a soft peachy wash. Color is shimmery as well but in a natural way. To me these are both hits although High-Profile matches my skin so closely it almost looks like nothing on my lids.

Next are the Eyeshadow-Liner-Khols which I think are both hits and misses. I expected these to be like their previously launched twist up shadow sticks. They’re still twist up but a lot skinnier than I expected. Also there’s no sharpener and as many of you have commented in the past, this kind of packaging isn’t ideal for long term use. Once you wear down the tip it’s going to be difficult to line with the same precision as you can with a pointy tip. It has a smooth creamy texture that glides on the eyes like a liner. The lighter shade Nude Eclat (shimmery champagne) is easier to blend over the lid, but the other two Electric Brown (soft shimmery brown) and Rouge Noir (deep reddish plum) are best used if smudged slightly along the lash line. You can apply more and blend but blend quickly as they set fast. The best thing is once they’ve set there’s no smudging. My solution for when the tip wears down is to use a detail brush and swipe it along the top then apply on the eyes with the brush. I appreciate the design intent to be an all-in-one kind of product but I think it’s not going work well as both a liner and shadow if you can’t sharpen the tip.

Next are two base products. The Longwear Eyeshadow Primer seems to be only available at Chanel.com right now. It’s a pink tinted cream but applies to a clear finish on the lids. It dries down to a smooth soft matte and is designed to improve wear of shadows. This is one product I could not tell if it worked to improve wear or not. My shadow stayed put the same. What it does do is smooth out the lid surface and makes it stay matte all day. For me I prefer cream shadows as a base or liner because of the emollient texture. Since this is matte it doesn’t really help shadow apply richly like other bases. But it did keep my lids matte all day so if you have oily lids this is worth a look. The La Base Mascara also launched. I am not 100% sure if this is a new formula or relaunch. It’s labeled on the bottom as Volume and Care which to those aspects it does both. It’ a white base you coat onto the lashes and it does indeed add volume but nourishes them as well. The only downside for me is that once applied it straightens my lashes immediately even if I curl them. For me almost all mascara bases have straightened my lashes.

Overall some nice additions. The most interesting things to me were the two bases but I think your mileage will truly vary depending on your lash type or eye primer preference. I have difficult straight lashes so most formulas are hard to work with for me. The eyeshadow base is something I’m going to continue to try – right now I’m not convinced it improves my shadow but at the same time I do like how it smooths the entire eye area without adding any color.

You can find the new Chanel Eye Makeup Collection out at all counter right now. I bought mine from Nordstrom and Chanel. Have you checked these out yet? What did you think?

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Becca Highlighters

Becca Be A Light Face Palette Review + Swatches

July 9, 2018

Becca Cosmetics has launched the perfect natural contouring and highlighting compacts called the Be A Light Face Palette ($46 each 0.52 oz/ 15 g). There are two shade options Light to Medium and Medium to Dark. They have powders Becca calls their Sheer Glow Filter Powder and they’re skin-enhancing powders to smooth and blur the complexion. I’ve never been a huge fan of contouring because it’s been tricky for me. Powder colors are often too sharp or grey for my skintone, shades are often too light or too dark for me, and I’d rather just use a soft bronzer to add depth. Now that these Becca Be A Light Face Palettes have launched I’ve finally found a natural looking contouring and blurring palette with enough options to brighten, contour and add color.

The Be A Light Face Palettes come in huge mirrored compacts with four shades per palette. I love that the shades are separated so you can easily pick up one color at a time. I tested these with a few different brushes and to me really any powder brush will work. The texture is soft and smooth with a natural finish. It is medium to sheer but you can definitely build either the blush color or deepest contour color. Since the powders are soft there will be powdery kick up/debris from the brush. On the face it will stay put.

Color-wise I am the skintone right now that I could wear either. If I had to pick one I would probably pick the Light to Medium for everyday because the lighter shades are sheer enough that I can use them as a finishing power on certain areas of the face without adding too much color. For me it has the perfect amount of warmth to work for my olive skin tone. Wearing Light to Medium below, it’s really natural in the photo – everything shows up a lot better in real life. On the lips is the Becca Glow Lip Gloss in Opal.

A closer look at Light to Medium where you have a pale champagne beige highlighter powder to brighten, a peachy shimmer blush, a deeper beige to blur and even out complexion and a darker contour powder.

Medium to Dark has the same concept but colors are all a lot deeper.

I tested both of these on a few different occasions. It is natural looking but stays put on the face, even in heat and humidity. The Medium to Dark one stayed on my face all day and even lasted through a 12 mile bike ride in humid 90+ degree weather. My face was completely sweaty and was 100% dewy and then some but the color remained on the face and everything looked like it stayed put. Just in case you are wondering, I don’t usually wear makeup for exercise or bike rides. I had everything put together because I thought we were going to have a quick and easy weekend bike ride but my husband had something else in mind. He decided we were going to test some bikes out from a rental shop and bike back and forth across the Courtney Campbell Causeway from Tampa to Clearwater. I was really surprised everything except my foundation lasted through the sweat – I also wore the Sunday Riley Influencer Foundation in 190, Tom Ford Waterproof Extreme Mascara, Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Golden Pink mixed with Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Copper and the Sisley Phyto-Lip Delight in #3. I was really surprised that even though most of my foundation/base had sweated off my forehead and chin that my cheeks and eyes still looked like color stayed put. Granted everything was glowing with sweat but surprisingly was still there.

To me these are perfect. It has just the amount of glow it’s not 100% matte but at the same time there’s not really a lot of shimmer, except for the blush. They have a similar vibe to the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders but the colors of the Becca brighten, blur and contour options are more skin-like for me vs. color correcting like the Hourglass ones. I think you can also say they are similar to the Laura Mercier Candleglow Powders but softer in texture. If you prefer something matte, the best ones to me are still the Marc Jacobs #Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Duos (reviewed a few years ago here) although those are completely matte and therefore not the same as the Becca palettes.

Bottom line love.

You can find the Becca Be A Light Face Palettes out now, available at Nordstrom, Sephora, Ulta Beauty and Becca Cosmetics. Have you tried these yet? What did you think? More beauty reviews to follow from NARS and Chanel later this week. Also the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for Early Access starts as well, I’ll be sharing my haul picks for the Beauty Exclusives. In case you missed it you can see a sneak peek of the beauty offerings, dates and details on this page here.

Becca palettes provided courtesy of Becca Cosmetics for review.

148 Comments

New York Packing Travel

What I Packed for a Week in NYC

July 6, 2018

Happy Friday! I have my packing post for what we packed for a week in NYC during the summer. Most of the time I’m a carry-on traveler and bring my suitcase onto the plane with me, but this round Andrew and I checked two of them! We had one more with us as well for a total of 3 suitcases in the Bigger Carry-on Size from Away (our shoes took up a lot of space). It would have been more ideal if we had larger sizes but we tend to pack last minute and by the time we realized what we needed it would have been to late to order a bigger suitcase.

I’ll be doing a separate updated review on the Away Luggage soon so if you have questions leave me a comment below. For now here are some answers to some frequently asked questions from you. I’m so thrilled to see how Away has grown over the years and am always looking forward to seeing their new launches! I first wrote about them when they only had 1 product in their line which is the Regular Carry-On back in 2016. I truly believe this is the best luggage I’ve tried which is why I continue to use them. They’ve since expanded their line and continue to improve their products. Some FAQs I’ve received:

What makes them so good? So many reasons why, but my top three include the design (sturdy, streamlined, no frills, wheels are AMAZING), interior fits a lot, and price point. Mine were gifted but since I discovered them I’ve purchased close to a dozen on my own as gifts for family.
Which size do you recommend? I recommend the Bigger Carry-On if you’re flying in the US. European airlines often have different luggage restrictions so if you’re traveling through Europe I’d recommend the Regular Size.
What’s the size difference? They have all the dimensions on their website along with weights. The difference is slight but enough to be noticeable when you’re trying to fit more stuff inside!
Which size do you carry with you? I’ve carried both, but usually the Bigger option.
Does the exterior get scratched if you check it? Yes, it will get scuffed and ours have a few scratches. But they hold up remarkably well.
Can you clean the outside? Yes, if there are markings you can use a Magic Eraser + warm water or a little dish soap. Away often has more tips on their Instagram stories!
Where can I find the mini Away case and what does it look like inside? It’s not available right now, they launched them during the holidays so I’m hoping they will be back again later this year. What it looks like inside in this post here.
Quick notes about the charging battery – Some airlines have changed their policy about having charging batteries on the plane. We’ve flown Delta and they stopped my husband at the gate, asked him to take everything out to unscrew the battery because he had the older style that doesn’t have a pop-out battery. We’ve also flown Jetblue and they didn’t stop or check anything! Check with your airline to see their policy. If you have an older style Away suitcase they have a page with some information you might want to check out. They’ve also launched a battery switch program with a few options.
Where can I find previous reviews? You can click my Travel – Packing Tag. You can also see a few below:

Onto what I packed for a week in NYC. I’m usually pretty good at editing what I bring. This round I didn’t pack enough sweaters or warm clothes. Summers in NYC are pretty warm but this year has been a really odd year for weather all along the east coast. During our stay in New York, we had some really cold rainy days mixed in with super hot days. I thought about buying a proper jacket, but decided to make what we had work! Living in South Florida there are very few days where I actually have to wear a jacket. I have my packing split into two parts: clothes and beauty.

Clothes I packed for the entire trip below! Outfits are laid out in the collage below. I didn’t get actual outfit photos of everything in the city but we did snap most of them! I’m going to try and be better about getting more for you in the future as some of you have mentioned it’s helpful to see them. Some of the shoes I changed mid-day. The only things I didn’t wear were the dress and heels. We tend to travel casual style so I often don’t pack anything formal or dressy.

My outfit packing list:

Button Pink Camisole by Topshop
Short-Sleeve Tie-Front Shirt from Madewell
Embroidered Side-Tie Tank by Madewell
Texture and Thread Wrap Tie Shirt from Madewell
Blue stripe Tie Back Shirt from Treasure and Bond
Distressed white shorts by STS Blue
Denim skirt by Free People
Le Skinny Jeans Frame
White denim skirt by Free People
White ankle jeans by Paige
Wallet on Chain by YSL
White sneakers Converse
Chloe Ballet Flats in Nude
Chloe Ballet Flats in Black
Hermes Oran Sandals
Boucle shell stripe from Banana Republic
White ankle jeans by Paige (on repeat)
Short sleeve button up from J.Crew
Joie Dezra Jacket (old style)
Stripe ruffle dress from Splendid
Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM
Black V-Neck Sweater from J.Crew
Tory Burch Sienna Sandals
Stuart Weiztman Nearlynude Block Heels
Nike Free RN Running Shoes
Bella Dahl Peplum Tank (not shown)

Also packed but not shown included a Goyard tote, Lululemon clothes for working out (which we didn’t get to), for sleeping this cute black lace camisole + shorts night set from Flora by Flora Nikrooz.

Four of my vacation outfits we snapped out and about, I’ll try to get more next time! Some of the days we just had too much fun eating, exploring and meeting with people to take photos.

Beauty packing packed into my Daily Edited Large Cosmetic Case, Away Mini Travel Case, Anya Hindmarch Inflight Travel Case and clear Ouai Mini Pouch. FYI full review coming soon, but as mentioned in my previous post this case is a cheaper dupe of the Anya Hindmarch! It’s also available in Navy, Taupe and Pale Pink.

All the things laid out. Yes, I overpacked on lipgloss. I almost always do. Full list below:

Beauty breakdown (checked my bag!):

Lips:
- Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in Tendresse
- Pat McGrath LUST Gloss in several shades
- NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Swing
- Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Bare Pink
- Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk
Eyes:
- Pat McGrath MTHRSHIP Sublime Bronze Eyeshadow Palette
- Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Rose Gold and Copper
- Glossier Lash Slick
- L’Oreal Lash Paradise
- Hourglass Arch Brow Gel
- Sisley Phyto-Khol Star Eyeliner
- Diorshow Brow Styler
Foundation/Concealers/Powder:
Blush/Cheeks:
Skincare:
- Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist
- Chanel Le Creme Main
- L’Occitane Roll-On Deodorant
- L’Occitane Aqua Reotier
- Glamglow Supermud Mask
- Drunk Elephant Baby Facial (mini)
- Glow Recipe Watermelon Sleeping Mask (mini)
- assorted mini samples
Hair:
- Dyson Supersonic Dryer
- Mason Pearson brush
- Byredo Mojave Ghost Hair Perfume (now available in a mini trio)
- Ouai Hair Oil
- Moroccanoil light
- T3 Vent Brush (not shown)
Perfume:
- Creed atomizer with Love in White for Summer inside
- Tom Ford Soleil Blanc mini atomizer
Tools: My Laura Mercier brushes and a beautyblender sponge, MAC eyelash curler

One last look (this was taken pre-trip, so a few of the things in this shot didn’t make the cut):

What I would have done differently: I think I always have a warm weather state of mine, I often don’t pack enough warm clothes. Weather prediction is tough but for most trips I’ve always needed a warmer jacket. I would have packed one this trip. I also often forget to carry a tote with a zipper. I need to be better about doing this. I have been really lucky that I’ve never had anything stolen but Andrew is always reminding me to not carry my tote behind me as it’s easy for someone to slip their hand inside. Either a closed tote or cross body for city sightseeing or shopping will be safer.

Hope you enjoyed this packing post! Do you have any tips or tricks you want to share for packing on week-long getaways? Do you travel with carry-on’s or smaller suitcases or pack a lot? Now that I’ve done a few packing posts let me know what you find most helpful. Sometimes I list everything out, others it’s a more general list. Let me know which version you like the best!

Press samples featured include Away luggage, Pat McGrath Lust Gloss, L’Occitane Aqua Reotier, Laura Mercier Concealer, Sisley eyeliner, Hourglass brow gel.

20 Comments

New York Travel

Summer NYC Travel Diary

July 3, 2018

June flew by so quickly I cannot believe it! It’s already been a month since we went to NYC for a quick trip and I can’t wait to go back. As promised I finally have a NYC travel diary post and will have a separate packing post soon. We spent about a week in New York City and had so much fun. There’s so much to do in the city – I mapped out nearly 50 places I wanted to see, eat and shop. Of course we did not get to everything (not even half!). Looking back on our photos I can see that I was clearly most excited about the food. I had my fill of really good coffee, espresso, pastries and avocado toast. We walked nearly everywhere and had the best time exploring. (Top photo, embroidered tank is from Madewell, wallet on chain purse is by YSL, denim is by Frame, jacket is from Joie – old style).

Where We Stayed

For this trip we decided to try The Ludlow Hotel located in the Lower East Side. I picked this hotel because of the beautiful views and dreamy bathrooms! I always check Hotels.com and Trip Advisor first for prices and reviews but in terms of reserving a room, I’ve found booking direct is sometimes the best for customer service. I’ve learned the hard way using travel booking sites that often times I cannot make changes easily after the fact. Hotels are often happy to price match and in this case they did! I initially booked a Loft King but changed at the last minute to the Loft Queen because it had a bathtub. You can check their website to see all room descriptions. We were lucky to get a room on the 19th floor with some amazing views! The room we booked was very small at under 300 sq feet. It came with a windowed bathroom, separate soaking tub and shower. We had to request a separate clothing rack because the closet would only fit Andrew’s clothes. We had a pleasant stay, everything was really cozy and clean and quiet. They had a nice gym and terrace on the roof. We were planning to work out each night but were too exhausted to get any dedicated exercise in. We’d definitely stay here again. We liked the location and the rooms were nice. We would probably book a larger room next time though.

View from the roof:

Sunglasses are from J.Crew (old style called Irving), top is by Madewell.

Where We Ate

The food stops were the highlights of my trip. I almost felt like I missed my calling as a food blogger but then realized I’m really not the most adventurous when it comes to trying certain kinds of foods. NYC truly has some of the most amazing pastry shops and really amazing coffee and espresso. Based on my food wish list I think it would most likely take at least a month to try all the places I’ve bookmarked!

Above clockwise from left:

ABCV – We ate here because the lovely Gothamista booked us reservations for breakfast! I was so thrilled to be able to meet her in person, she is truly a beautiful person inside and out. We clicked instantly and if you don’t follow her on YouTube definitely give her videos a look! She’s a skincare expert and whatever she uses I need to add to my routine. Her skin is glowing! ABCV has really incredible food. I wish we snapped a photo but we ate it all too quickly. Everything was phenomenal. We’d absolutely go back. ABC Kitchen is next door – hope to try this next time!
Sweet Chick: Lower East Side – This was right next to our hotel. We could not resist chicken and waffles. I ordered one of their kale salads to try and balance out the chicken, waffles and mac and cheese. LOL. Everything was delicious. We stopped by when there was no wait or line. Service was great and quick for us.
Katz Delicatessen – This was also next to our hotel. Andrew picked up a Pastrami Hot Sandwich late one night and brought it back to the hotel room for us to share. It was every bit as amazing as we had imagined after seeing this on a few food channels.
La Mercerie – I had a meeting here for lunch and the food was delicious! I ordered the Salade Verte and it made for a perfect light fresh kind of meal.

So happy to meet Renee aka Gothamista!

Yet more eats below:

Above clockwise from left:

Dominique Ansel Bakery – I made Andrew wake up extra early so we would arrive when they opened. The wait for us was only about 5-10 minutes – no long lines like I had read about. I finally tried a Cronut and it was amazing! We also ordered a Little Egg Sandwich and Coconut Chocolate Croissant. Everything was really filling so we ended up taking most of it to-go back to our hotel. We went back again on our last day to buy some pastries to take home. I highly recommend this! Also the line is usually only for Cronuts. You can also order things to pick up in advance but double check the turnaround time as it will take some planning.
Ippudo Ramen – One of the best ramen places I’ve tried. We had a 20 minute wait but this wasn’t too bad considering the first time we tried the wait was 2 hours and we decided to try it another day. Glad that we did!
Eataly Flatiron – We stopped by one of the pizza counters and it did not disappoint!
Rubirosa Pizza – This was the most recommended pizza spot, we had about a 45 minute wait but it was 100% worth it. We shared the mini rice balls and a small Rubirosa Supreme pizza. There was nothing mini or small about any of it but I had no complaints!

Other eats we enjoyed included multiple cookie stops at Momofuku Milk Bar, two stops at Prince Street Pizza, quick lunch at Shake Shack, coffee and avocado toast at Bluestone Lane Coffee, a meeting Blank Slate Tea and a couple meetings a few different Maison Kayser places around the city. Andrew also stopped by Levain Bakery without me while I was in a few meetings. He brought me back part of some kind of chocolate fluffy kind of cake. He said he went to two different locations because the first one he went to had a long line, but down the street there was another location that had no wait. Someday I will finally make it there in person.

Places We Stopped to See

A few touristy things we did included a walk around the Flatiron Building – so many fun places to see around the area, not to mention Eataly is right next to it. We went to the Top of the Rock which I’ve always wanted to do! We definitely want to go back since we went during a busy time. I’d recommend going early if you can and also buy your tickets online. During our stop we bought tickets at the digital kiosks but found we had to select a viewing time and the closest option for us was 45 minutes out. We picked something a couple hours later so we could walk around Rockefeller Center and grab a snack then go back. Mornings or early times in general are probably best if you want to get photos without crowds. A stop at Grand Central is always fun although it’s often really busy. There are lots of boutiques inside including a Diptyque store which I adore!

We took a nice stroll through Central Park on Memorial Day and it was so packed! We did some fun people watching and enjoyed the view. We walked by the Loeb Boathouse and Bethesda Terrace and Fountain which has some nice places for photos.

Top from Treasure and Bond (I’d recommend sizing down), denim by Paige, Louis Vuitton Neverfull is the MM size.

Where We Shopped

I never plan enough time for shopping during my trips. There is so much to see and everything is spread out. Most of the time it’s a quick stop to take a super quick peek and then off to a meeting! I did have some time to walk along Bleecker Street and made a couple stops.

Top photo from left, clockwise:

NARS 413 Bleecker – finally stopped by! It’s so cute inside the store!
Diptyque 377 Bleecker – such a beautiful interior
The Daily Edited – They have a pop up shop in NYC and the interior has given me major organization inspo!
Bond No 9 and Amore Pacific – I didn’t have time to stop inside but I’ve book marked it for my next trip.

I did make a full dedicated stop at Sisley at 343 Bleecker Street and they treated me to a luxurious facial! If you ever have a chance to stop by their stores I highly recommend it. Beauty boutiques often have a more intimate feel to me with less sales pressure (at least in my experience). I wish I had more time to play with their foundations. I use their Tinted Sunscreen Cream and have been dying to try more of their foundations. Next time! This was the first time I experienced a lymphatic drainage massage and it was truly amazing at how much of my face swelling was reduced!

Everything in Soho opens up a bit later than most retail stores, often around 11ish. We walked through in the mornings when everything was still closed but it was fun to explore without any traffic!

I had two facials in one week which is something I’ve never done before. My second one was later in the week at the L’Occitane Flatiron Flagship store. They used their Divine Collection which I already adore and my skin was left glowing. This was a completely relaxing experience. It’s been over a year since I’ve had any facials. I need to look into trying more of these. Another lymphatic drainage massage technique was used – I think from the weather changes and travels my face was extra prone to swelling. The massage definitely helped!

On my priority list was a stop at Diptyque Grand Central. They have a super cute small space and it’s literally decor goals! I have yet to try their diffusers but am going to pick one to order soon. If you’ve tried them let me know what you think of them compared to the candles!

Last but not least was a stop at the Saks Fifth Avenue new beauty floor. I was completely overwhelmed so I didn’t buy anything. They seemed to have almost everything from Sisley, Aesop, Creed, Chanel, Armani, Tom Ford, Penhaligon’s, L’Artisan, Decorte and so much more.

A few more snapshots:

Above top by Madewell, skirt by Free People.

Overall we packed a lot into five days but I don’t think we overdid it and we had a lot of fun. The weather was unpredictable from humid highs to pretty low colds while we were there. It rained on and off a couple of our days but we were expecting it so we had our umbrellas. With a busy meeting schedule and lots of walking I got sick by the end of the trip and it took me a couple of weeks to recover at home. There’s still so much on our list to see, I’m hoping to make another trip soon. Thank you to everyone who messaged me food recommendations! We loved everything we tried. Each trip I’m partially torn between going back to favorite spots and trying new places. There’s usually not enough time to do both! I know many of you were expecting a mega haul post. Aside from pastries I bought two things: a Diptyque New York City Candle and The Daily Edited Transparent Case which is a $70 dupe for my Anya Hindmarch Inflight Case that cost me over $200 (reviewed here)!

Two things I would have done differently. The first is that I would have packed a couple more sweaters and also made sure to bring a tote with a top zipper. I had left my Longchamp Le Pliage Small Tote at home but this would have been more ideal and safer for city travel. The second thing would have been to be a little more organized with my purse swapping. On one morning I was rushing out the hotel to get to a meeting and decided to bring a small bag instead of the larger tote I had been using. I grabbed some cash, my ID, phone and metro card. I left my credit and debit cards in the hotel as I did not realize some cafes in the city are cashless! I stopped by one and sat down for a quick bite in between meetings but luckily realized it was cashless before I ordered.

Hope you enjoyed this NYC travel diary! If you have any NYC favorites let me know in the comments. Also hotel recommendations would be immensely appreciated! We are planning to go back and I want to know from you where I should stay next!

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Sisley-Paris Skincare

Best Beauty Oils for Summer from Sisley-Paris

June 29, 2018

I’m excited today to have a roundup of some of the best beauty oils I’ve ever tried. As I age I’ve become more and more interested in oils for the face and body to help restore moisture and elasticity to the skin. So many of you have raved about the Sisley Black Rose Precious Face Oil as the only face oil some of you will use. I test this in a trial size last year from one of the Beauty Subscription Boxes and was instantly hooked. I’ve since hoarded every mini I could find from various GWPs but now am thrilled to be the happy owner of a full-sized bottle. This now completes my Sisley oil collection for hair, lips (launched earlier this month), legs and face so I thought it would be perfect to do a roundup – especially since so many of you have been really curious about the Hair Rituel Precious Hair Care Oil! In addition the Sisley team has offered to do a really fun giveaway. Details are at the bottom of the post.

I’m going to start with the best one which is the Black Rose Precious Face Oil. After testing this in person I understand why so many of you only use this oil. It’s easily the most concentrated face oil I’ve tried so a little truly goes a long way. It’s rich and thick but has a silky smooth finish that is super nourishing. Sisley recommends using between three to seven drops in the morning or evening on clean skin. You can apply it on the face and neck. I’ve been using it only on the face and at night. I also will sometimes mix in a drop of the oil with the Black Rose Skin Infusion Cream which I usually use for day if I need a bit more moisture. For the Black Rose Precious Face Oil, the key ingredients are plum oil, camelina oil (to soothe), phytosqualane, Natural Tocopherols, Avocado unsaponifiables (to plump), Black Rose extract (to soften), Bulgarian Rose essential oil (to tone), magnolia essential oil (to soothe) and geranium to purify.

After using this at night I find in the morning skin that my skin is plump, firm and my fine lines on my forehead are not visible. Skincare usually takes a while to see results but with this oil I see results by the next morning. With regular use skin looks a lot more bouncy and youthful. As I’m aging I’m more conscientious of fine lines and loss of firmness in certain areas and since I’m still terrified of needles I haven’t tried Botox yet, although a number of you have e-mailed me some really thoughtful messages about trying it.

One more quick note about the oil is that it’s intended for mature or dry skin, but I know many readers who used this starting in their 30’s and also some who have normal/combination skin that still use it. I have truly combination skin these days. It’s prone to dry patches and dry feeling in general with air conditioning that I’m around constantly. At night I need extra moisture so I’ll work an oil in 2-3 times a week, as needed.

Next is the White Ginger Contouring Oil for Legs. This is priced at a steep $190 but I tried it in a sample packet, loved it and bought the full size last summer. I tried to use it sparingly but used it up entirely and am now on my second bottle. It’s an energizing contouring leg oil but I use it mainly for it’s nourishing properties. It does make tired legs feel energized. This year both Andrew and I have made more of an effort to live a healthy and active life. We’ve been exercising more and started to incorporate some weight training. The White Ginger Contouring Oil for Legs does relieve some tension from soreness of working out. The texture allows for you to massage the legs so the effect is partially going to be in the application technique. It’s an emollient nourishing oil that smells amazing. I’m desperately trying to find a dupe but have not. The texture and scent is unmatched.

For the hair, Sisley launched a haircare line with their Hair Rituel by Sisley collection. Everything is exquisite and I am working on a full dedicated post on all the products. I know hair care picks depend a lot on hair type, length, and treatment but I think the best and most universal product that will work on anyone is the Precious Hair Care Oil. My hair care process has completely changed since moving to Florida, especially with shampoo and conditioners. The water here simply won’t rinse out everything like it does in California! Quick note that the Revitalizing Smoothing Shampoo is one of the few that works for my hair here (I’ve already repurchased it twice). I’ll review it in detail in a later post.

The Precious Hair Care Oil is one of the best smelling hair oils I’ve ever tried. It’s hard to describe but it has a very nice, pleasant natural scent. It adds just the right amount of shine to the hair without weighing it down. Texture is rich enough to hydrate dry ends but light enough that it won’t weigh down my hair. You can use it on both damp or dry hair. I like to use it as a finishing product starting from the middle to the ends and then finish by rubbing any remnants at the top. It has a blend of oils including shea oil for smoothness and shine, passion fruit, shea, cotton and Moringa oils for added nourishment and shine.

Last but not least are the newest oils from Sisley which are the Phyto-Lip Delights. These are my go-to soft lip tints for summer. They’re a nourishing and plumping lip oil. They also contain a blend of oils to hydrate and plump the lips including Shea, Jojoba and Plum oils and Padina pavonica extract. I reviewed them in this post here so you can check out the lip swatches and more thoughts there. Quick takeaway is that they’re beautiful nourishing oils that give an effortless shine! They are expensive but I’ve loved every Sisley lip product I’ve tried. I loved the Phyto-Lip Twist in Baby that I discovered last year I bought several other shades. These lip oils do not disappoint in terms of how soft they make the lips. Pigment is sheer-medium. Enough color that they show up, but definitely on the natural side.

Swatches of 1 Cool, 2 Pretty and 3 Sweet:

One last look:

Everything from Sisley is pure luxury and the skincare line is among the best I’ve tried. The Black Rose Precious Face Oil is in my top three face oils that I’ve ever tried and I agree 100% with everyone who has recommended it to me that it’s definitely worth giving a try. All of their products are on the expensive side so I recommend either trying their Beauty Subscription Program (6 months reviewed here) or make a wishlist and save your haul for one of their gift with purchases (they have them frequently online). If you are ever near one of their free-standing boutiques I highly recommend stopping by – they are really quite amazing. In the US they have one in Miami, New York, Las Vegas.

To end this roundup Sisley has offered a fun giveaway! They are giving away one set of the three new Phyto-Lip Delights to one reader on my blog. Simply enter through the Rafflecopter widget below. Open to US Residents only. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Will run through Monday July 2nd, 11:45 AM EST. I’ll select a winner and email them. Sisley will ship out the prize. (P.S. They’re also going to host another one on my Instagram so be sure to check it out sometime today to enter there as well for a separate chance to win.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sisley products provided courtesy of Sisley for review. Many thanks to the team for hosting this giveaway!

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Highlighters Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Sublime Skin Highlighting Trio, Buffer Brush + Highlighter Balm Duo

June 28, 2018

The latest from Pat McGrath Labs includes products in her Skin Fetish Collection. Today I have a review of three new items that are part of her collection and one item I previously hauled including the:

Sublime Skin Highlighting Trio ($50)
Buffer Brush ($25)
Skin Fetish Highlighter Balm Duo in Nude ($48)
Lip Fetish Lip Balm ($38)

As usual in addition to individual products, there are also bundle options available on her website where you can find a price break for buying the sets.

The Sublime Skin Highlighting Trio is a highlighting palette that comes with three iridescent ultra shimmery highlighters. They are versatile in the sense you can control the shimmer from light to intense depending on what kind of brush you use. The less dense the brush (or more fluffy) the lighter/sheerer look you can get. You can layer for an extreme sheen. Lasting power of the highlighters is excellent. They’ll stay put all day without budging. The only color I wasn’t crazy about was Fine Gold – long time readers know I don’t really wear yellow golds well. Iridescent Pink surprised me because I’ve tried duo-chrome pinks before and find them harsh on my olive-toned skin. However this one actually went on quite nice!

Colors include:

Bronze Nectar – super sparkly gold bronze, this had some brush fallout with the sparkles but once it’s on the skin it pretty much stays put on the face
Fine Gold – is an iridescent pale yellow gold shimmer
Iridescent Pink – is a duo chrome opal pink, shimmer is ultra smooth

Each of the highlighting powder on the cheeks just by themselves to show the color:

Above I’m wearing the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff, Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation #4, Diorshow Brow Styler in Universal Brown, Pat McGrath LuxeTrance Lipstick in Realness, Pat McGrath Eyeshadow Palette in Bronze Ambition.

There is a white Buffer 003 Brush that is a smaller sized duo-fiber brush. It’s well made and performs well but if you already own the MAC 188s then you most likely will not need this one. I do think the Pat McGrath version is softer and better than the MAC one but they are really similar. The Laura Mercier Fan Brush will also give your skin a similar finish.

Swatch comparisons to the NARS Highlighting Powders and Hourglass Vanish Flash Highlighting Sticks:

The Skin Fetish Highlighter Balm Duo comes in three color options, I received the lightest one in Nude for review. It looks like your standard champagne pale cream shimmer on one end but on the skin it glides on beautifully to give a real skin glow look. The other side is a balm which I would only use on the lips. From my testing it appears to be the same as the Lip Fetish Lip Balm although the description seems to indicate you can use it on the face as well. Indoors in cool weather the highlighter wore well all day long without fading on top of my powder + foundation.

Above wearing the Nude highlighter blended, on the lips is the LUST Gloss in Flesh Fantasy.

Last but not least is another look at the Lip Fetish Lip Balm in Clear. This is going to be launching in shimmer shades soon. I bought the clear version months ago and it kept selling out. I’ve reviewed it in a roundup before and I really like it. It’s hydrating, smooth, not sticky or thick and does hydrate dry lips beautifully. That being said I think the $38 price tag is steep. I still enjoy mine and have no regrets buying.

Overall these are true to Pat McGrath Labs style in terms of quality and color payoff. I think you can definitely dupe the colors although the Skin Fetish highlighter is so smooth and pretty I’m tempted to see the others when they launch in stores near me (hopefully).

You can find the Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Collection out now. Available at Pat McGrath Labs. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Skin Fetish collection provided courtesy of Pat McGrath Labs for review. Lip Fetish purchased by me.

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