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Sabrina

Holiday Gift Guide

Gift Ideas for the Guys

December 10, 2023

Holiday Gift Ideas for Him

hoodie / sweatshirt / vest / baseball hat / ear buds / travel bag / manicure kit / creed discovery set / creed leather bag / lip balm set / navy travel case / beanie / body wash trio / manscaped tool / refillable fragrance atomizers / electric face shaver / body shaver

Christmas is only a couple weeks away and if you’re looking for last minute gift ideas for the guys I’ve rounded up some of Andrew’s grooming favorites and things I am gifting him this year.

So many of you have asked for tips and ideas on how to get the guys in your life to up their grooming game. I highly recommend looking at the gift sets from Jack Black and Kiehl’s. I am so glad Andrew is a well-groomed man and has been since I met him when we were in our 20s!

My number one tip is to buy him a few simple sets with multi-taskers and replace (or rather REMOVE) his bar soap from the shower and put the sets front and center on the counter, near the shower or bath – pretty much right in front of him.

The Jack Black Turbo Wash is the best thing I think you can gift any guy in your life. They can use it on hair and body, so it’s two in one. Andrew uses it to wash his face too. (I actually borrow Andrew’s all the time because it’s the best at removing sunscreen.) Love this Body Best Sellers Set – Andrew picked it up during our travels so he could use them during our trip.

They have tons of body care sets, shaving sets, sets with a little bit of everything. Andrew has tried almost everything from the line. Even the lip balms. He also likes the Deep Dive Glycolic Facial Cleanser (doubles as a mask), Supreme Clean Shaving Cream and moisturizer – all found in the Carry On Essentials Set ($30).

Kiehl’s also has great products for the guys. The Energizing Essentials Kit is a great place to start and they have a bar soap that exfoliates too (it’s not your average bar soap).

 

For grooming tools I bought Andrew his own cuticle nail care set from Zwilling several years ago and he uses it all the time. I love the look of this one from Zwilling for travel (I just ordered it for him). He’s tried a lot of shaving tools and really loves the Braun Body Groomer. For an electric face shaver he really likes the Braun Electric Series 3 Razor. He also has used and likes the Manscaped Lawn Mower 4.0.

I know cologne and fragrance can be very personal but Creed makes some great discovery sets and in my opinion they make the best of the best. They have several different variations like the 3-piece discovery set or 5-piece discovery set. Andrew has a blue refillable atomizer which he really loves and brings with him every trip we go on. I just ordered him a grey one (new color) because he likes to wear a few different scents so now he will have two. His favorite scent is Aventus.

For clothes we’ve been really impressed with Vuori. The quality is great, styles are modern and the fit/cuts are very good and they’re comfortable without looking too casual. What Andrew likes the best about their tops and sweatshirts is they hold their shape really well, even during workouts and with sweat. We were able to see everything in person at the Vuori store in Miami. They have a lot of things on sale on their site right now. He loves the Tradewind Performance Tee. The Strato Tech Tee is super soft (I wish they made it in women’s sizes). He also bought some hoodies and joggers.

A few other fun gift ideas include dopp kits or travel bags from Away. I’ve bought Andrew so many travel cases over the years. He says the best one is the Away Large Toiletry Bag and it’s the one he’s been using on our trips. We’ve had the Everywhere Bag for several years now and we both use ours to this day. They’ve added other sizes and styles to pick from.

We saw some new leather goods at the Creed Boutique in Miami and they are quite the splurge but Andrew fell in love with the small case. I’m ordering it for him for Christmas.

 

If you’re looking for gift ideas for the guys in your life I hope you found this roundup helpful! I think any of these would suit a wide range of ages and styles.

Victoria Beckham Beauty

Victoria Beckham Beauty Finishing Touch Collection

December 1, 2023

Victoria Beckham Beauty Finishing Touch Collection

For holiday Victoria Beckham Beauty launched a limited-edition set called VB’s Finishing Touch Collection ($150) with 5 full sized items in a roll up tie-pouch. I’ve really loved a lot of what I’ve tried from her beauty line! This holiday set had products and colors I haven’t tried yet so I was really excited to order this.

Inside we have:

  • Posh Gloss in Martini (new, sheer glittering champagne)
  • Satin Kajal Liner in Olive
  • EyeWear Shadow Stick in Oyster
  • Reflect Highlighter in Pearl
  • Double-sided compact mirror

Right now you can find the Satin Kajal, EyeWear and Reflect Highlighter individually. The gloss and mirror are currently exclusive to the set.

Victoria Beckham Beauty Compact Mirror

The new Posh Gloss in Martini is very sheer. It’s described as glittering champagne and I love the smooth texture and glossy finish but on my lips it’s almost clear. If you want something that shows up better I’d recommend Fenty Champ Stamp Fantasy or Anastasia Beverly Hills Peachy.

Victoria Beckham Beauty Posh Gloss Martini

I’ve really liked the Satin Kajal liner (I wear black all the time) and her EyeWear but hadn’t tried the Olive liner or Oyster shadow. Both are really beautiful shades I think would make great staples. I rarely ever wear green but the olive in the liner is very pretty and color is dark.

Victoria Beckham Beauty EyeWear Oyster and Satin Kajal Olive

Victoria Beckham Beauty Finishing Touch Collection look - Satin Kajal Olive

You girls know that highlighter sticks are usually a miss for me because I really can’t get that dewy cheek look to last on my skin. I find most too dewy, too sticky and too emollient but this Reflect Highlighter from Victoria Beckham Beauty is the best one I’ve tried. It is dewy and adds a glow but there is a slight dry down so it doesn’t feel too sticky on the skin. I’m ordering the other shade immediately.

Victoria Beckham Beauty Reflect Highlighter Stick Pearl

Victoria Beckham Beauty Reflect Highlighter Stick Pearl

Victoria Beckham Beauty Finishing Touch Collection look - REFLECT PEARL

Victoria Beckham Beauty Finishing Touch Collection swatches

Victoria Beckham Beauty Finishing Touch Collection look - REFLECT PEARL

I also recently tried her new Vast Lash Mascara. I ordered it from her website and think it’s a really nice tubing formula. I still prefer the Tarte Tartlette Tubing Mascara for holding the curl but this one from VBB is very good.

Victoria Beckham Beauty Vast Lash Mascara

We are currently traveling in Miami and I brought quite a few VBB products with me! Wanted to share what I packed from her line (I brought much more from other brands, will try to do a packing roundup when we get back home). I love her Lid Lustre in Honey and Posh Gloss in Bungalow. Also love her Contour Stick.

Victoria Beckham Beauty travel favorites

Victoria Beckham Beauty Finishing Touch Collection

Overall I really love the Final Touch Holiday Set. I don’t think the gloss is a must because it’s SO sheer, so for that reason I won’t call the set a must-have. That being said I do love the other items in it, I think I will get a lot of use out of everything.

Did you try this set or anything in it? Have you tried Victoria Beckham Beauty? What did you think?

Available online at Victoria Beckham Beauty.

Lips

Refy Beauty Tinted Lip Gloss Review

November 29, 2023

Refy Beauty Tinted Lip Gloss Review and swatches

Refy Beauty is one of those brands that keeps popping up on my radar. I’ve seen so many rave about their brow products so I ordered a few items to try like the Brow Pencil and while I really liked them, I feel like my tried and true brow staples from Benefit or Anastasia Beverly Hills were more my vibe.

I did a poll on stories asking you if you’ve tried the brand and what you loved. Dozens of you told me to try their Tinted Lip Gloss so I ordered all six shades along with a few of the Lip Sculpt. You can find them at Refy Beauty and most of the items also at Sephora.

Here are three things I’ve tried and love.

Tinted Lip Gloss

Refy Beauty Tinted Lip Gloss Review

The Tinted Lip Gloss ($20) is available in six shades and clear. They also launched a limited-edition Red color for holiday but it seems to have sold out. The Tinted Lip Glosses are smooth with sheer-medium pigment, not quite super sheer and not quite medium, but somewhere in between.

Refy Beauty Tinted Lip Gloss swatches

They’re described as a lip gloss with the benefits of a balm. They feel very comfortable on the lips and while they don’t last a long time on me they last long enough that I don’t have to constantly reapply. They do not have any scent or taste. I love the glossy finish and every single neutral shade is amazing. A few of them look similar on me as my natural lip shows through.

Taupe, Blush and Rosewood are the lightest options all variations of a neutral pink. Fawn is a beautiful tan beige. Dusk is a beautiful warm pink. Sepia is a cool toned brownish plum. I think it’s hard to pick a favorite but I really love Rosewood, Dusk and Taupe.

Below swatches of all shades, also wearing:

Refy Beauty Tinted Lip Gloss Blush

Refy Beauty Tinted Lip Gloss Rosewood

Refy Beauty Tinted Lip Gloss Dusk

Refy Beauty Tinted Lip Gloss Taupe

Refy Beauty Tinted Lip Gloss Fawn

Refy Beauty Tinted Lip Gloss Sepia

Overall really love. They have a metal tip applicator which can get kinda messy when you swipe them over the lips to blend the product. You will have to wipe it clean after use but it’s not a deal breaker. The only thing I would change is the packaging color. Right now they’re all the exact same color. If they had some kind of stripe or tinted exterior (like Summer Fridays or Rhode) it would make it so much easier to grab the shade you want just from looking at the tube (versus reading the tiny print on the back). Some shades have launched at Sephora but you can find all of them at Refy Beauty.

Swatches in action here:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Sabrina Shorb (@beautylookbook)

 

Lip Sculpt

Refy Beauty Tinted Lip Gloss and Lip Sculpt

The Lip Sculpt ($26) has so many mixed reviews and after testing some of the shades I also have mixed feelings. These are available in the same colors as the gloss. I absolutely LOVE the colors. Pigment is pretty good. I’m not the biggest fan of the formula though. If you have dry lips (ie if you don’t have lip balm on or a primer) they will tug. I know with any matte kind of formula there will be some level of tugging but these aren’t the easiest to apply because they set quickly. They have a pencil at one end and a setting product on the other side which I do not like at all. It has an odd texture and almost off-white finish.

Cream Bronzer

Refy Beauty Cream Bronzer Tan

Last I tried one of the Cream Bronzers ($26) in Tan. I love the color and the formula is pretty good. It doesn’t have the best lasting power for all day wear on my skin type and in Florida weather, but it’s nice for a night out or if you have dry skin. For a cream bronzer I still swear by the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream or Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick for better formula and wear time, but the ones from Refy Beauty aren’t bad.

That wraps up my Refy Beauty review! I ordered the Tinted Lip Glosses from the Refy Beauty website and a few things from Sephora.

Shop the Post

 

Have you tried anything from the line? What did you think? Hit or miss?

Chanel

Chanel Light the Way Set – Black Friday 2023

November 24, 2023

Chanel Black Friday Light the Way Set

Today Chanel launches their Black Friday Limited-Edition Set called Light the Way ($111) with full-sizes of the LES BEIGES Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette in Warm and LES BEIGES Healthy Glow Lip Balm in Medium. Both are permanent items in their Les Beiges lineup and it’s packaged in their holiday makeup pouch. I’ve included swatches below from my review of the items when they launched in previous years. I think both are classic staples you can wear year round.

Chanel Les Beiges 2020 Eyeshadow Palette Warm

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Eyeshadow Palette in Warm

Below left to right: Light, Medium, Deep

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Lip Balm Light, Medium and Deep

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Lip Balm Swatches

Their holiday sets usually sell out very quickly. If you had your eye on one I hope you can get your hands on this!

Available at Chanel.com.

 

Sales

The Best Black Friday + Cyber Week Deals 2023

November 22, 2023

Best Black Friday Cyber Week Beauty Sales 2023

Happy Thanksgiving! Black Friday Sales and Cyber Week deals have arrived early! Rounding up the best sales and deals in beauty, fashion, home and more. If you have any great deals or sales you’ve found that I missed please share in the comments!

Big Retailers

Anthropologie Gleaming Primrose Vanity Mirror

Anthropologie – 30% off (select items excluded), discount applied in cart, extra 40% off sale items

Bloomingdale’s – Take 25% off items labeled “BLACK FRIDAY TAKE 25% off” through 11/26

Neiman Marcus – Save up to $500 off purchases with code THANKFUL, includes beauty, fragrance, grooming – ends 11/24

  • $50 off $250
  • $125 off $500
  • $250 off $1,000
  • $500 off $2,000

Net-A-Porter – Save up to 50% off

Nordstrom – Over 1,500 items marked down on sale for Black Friday, Black Friday Beauty Deals here

Saks Fifth Avenue – earn a $75 Gift Card on purchases $150 with code HELLOBFSF plus 15% off Beauty (no code needed, ends Friday)

Shopbop – 25% off with code HOLIDAY, exclusions apply

Target – tons of mark downs and deals on home good, electronics, decor and more

Beauty Sales and Deals

ghd Platinum+ 1” Styler Curled Hair

30% off select ghd tools at Ulta Beauty

Armani Beauty – 30% off sidewide plus up to 50% off select items with code BF30

Bobbi Brown – 30% off sitewide plus receive a 5-piece set with purchases $85+, no code needed, valid through 11/26

Briogeo – Save up to 50% off

Charlotte Tilbury – Save up to 30% off beauty kits, ends 11/23

Diptyque – 3 Piece Holiday Gift set with trio of a Baies mini candle (35g), Feu de Bois mini candle (35g), and a set of three Diptyque gold Basile ornaments on purchases $175+ with code CYBER23

Drybar – Save up to 40% off

Farmacy Beauty – 25% off with code CYBER25

Fenty – 25% off thru 11/27, no code needed

Fresh Beauty – 50% off best sellers plus 30% off sitewide

Jack Black – Black Friday Savings up to 50% off

Jo Malone – Choose a limited-edition 4-piece gift in an exclusive pouch with any $100 order, plus a full-size 30 ml cologne with orders $200 (automatically applied at checkout)

Kerastase – tbd

Kiehl’s – 50% off select best-sellers plus 30% off sitewide

La Mer – Customizable 8-piece gift with any $150 purchase, plus bonus full-size step up gifts with qualifying purchases

Molton Brown – 25% off everything

Nuface – 30% off cyber week sale

Pat McGrath – Black Friday Blitz $12 MatteTrance Lipstick select shades

  • plus save 30% off $50+
  • save 35% off $150+
  • save 40% off $250+

Phlur – Save 20% off sitewide including travel sizes with code THANKS20, receive a free Lost Cause Travel Size on all orders $75+

Refy – 20% off everything

Rephr – 50% off all items (just started testing their brushes and they’re super soft!)

Sephora – save up to 50% off top brands, 30% off brands every day thru 11/27

Sisley-Paris USA – Black Rose Friday save up to 45% off best selling items thru 11/24

Summer Fridays – 20% off with code CYBER plus a mini travel pouch with orders $75+

T3 – 25% off everything

Tarte – 30% off everything with code CYBERSZN

Tatcha – 25% off sitewide plus 2-piece mystery gift with orders $100+ or 4-piece gift with orders $200+, use code CYBER23

U Beauty – Save 20% off everything including kits with code BF20, now thru 11/27

Ulta Beauty – MAJOR Black Friday deals with savings up to 50% off every day

Victoria Beckham Beauty – 20% off sitewide for early Black Friday

Violet Grey – Save up to 25% off

Westman Atelier – 20% off with code CHEERS thru 11/27

YSL Beauty – 30% off sitewide

Fashion Home Accessories

Best Holiday Gift Ideas Under $100

sweater from Jenni Kayne (save 25% off for Black Friday)

Abercrombie – 25% off everything

Alo Yoga – 30% off sitewide

APL – Free pair of slides with every pair of shoes purchased using code H23, some exclusions apply

Barefoot Dreams – buy more save more event, Buy 2 items save 20%, buy 3 items save 25%, buy 4 items save 30% (automatically applied in cart)

Boden – 40% off select full price styles with code E3N4 plus 20% off everything else thru 11/28

Calpak – 60% off sidewide

Cuyana – 30% off just right sale on select items

Eberjey – 25% off almost everything

Everlane – Up to 50% off almost everything Black Friday Sale

Jcrew – Save up to 50% off almost everything

Jenni Kayne – 25% off everything now thru 11/27, no code needed

Joie – 40% off sitewide

Madewell – 40% off your entire purchase

Pottery Barn – Save up to 50% off select items

Rails – 30% off with code SHOP30

Reformation – 25% off everything

Simplehuman – 30% off best tools thru 11/27

Splendid – 40% off sitewide with code GRATEFUL

Theory – 25% off sitewide

Therabody – save up to $300 on select devices

Truffle – 25% off sale, no code needed

Vince – 25% off almost everything with code GET25

West Elm – Up to 70% off Black Friday Deals

Happy shopping!

Holiday Gift Guide

Holiday Gift Ideas for Her

November 22, 2023

Luxe Gift Ideas for Her

Rounding up some chic holiday gift ideas for her. Sharing luxury splurge gift ideas for the makeup lover, fragrance lover and some other fun finds.

For the Makeup Lover

Makeup Gift Ideas for the Beauty Lover

Mirror / VBB set / Luxe Lip Balms / Cream Shadow Set / Byredo trio / Nude Palette / Westman Set / Hourglass Palette / Lip Trio / Mini NARS Blushes / 5-pan palette / Lip Serum / Brush Set

Lots of beautiful sets this year! The most practical beauty item I have that I use nearly every single day is the Riki Loves Riki Glamcor Mirror. I own several different sizes and the Skinny is the most practical (they’re having a pretty good Black Friday sale too).

This brush set is the best brush set I’ve splurged on. Also love the I Need a Nude Eyeshadow Palette and Westman Atelier Sets this holiday.

For the girl who has everything I recommend checking out Victoria Beckham Beauty or Byredo. They have tons of exclusive sets and newer launches you can’t find anywhere else.

The Fragrance Lover

Fragrance Gift Ideas for the Beauty Lover

BR540 Trio / Byredo Trio / Shimmer Body Oils / Jo Malone candle / Le Labo Minis / Diptyque Holiday Trio / Jo Malone set / Mizensir Candle / Creed Atomizer / Byredo hair perfume set / Phlur set / Creed trio / Diptyque 10 piece mini set

Love the fragrance and candle offerings this time of year! Perfume shopping can be tricky since it’s so personal, but there are lots of beautiful sampler sets and minis great for any perfume lover. If you’re looking for a more unique gift I highly recommend checking out Mizensir or Phlur. Both are relatively newer brands.

This year Byredo has a sampler trio you can customize. There are lots of different fragrance sampler sets to pick from online.

Luxe Gifts for Her

Luxe Gift Ideas for Her

Preserved roses / half zip sweater / scuba sweatshirt / belt bag / scarf / Naghedi tote / Hermes lip balm / Cuyana Travel Set / Small Vanity Case / Clear Travel Makeup Bag / Luxe Brush / Cozy Slippers / APL Slides / Hermes Nail Polish / Eye Mask Set / SKIN Makeup Bag / Gucci Zip Coin Purse / Gucci Card Case / Bottega Wallet / Silk Sleep Set / Waffle Robe

For the person who already has all the makeup or fragrance, I’ve rounded up some chic gift ideas. Many of these are things I gift to friends and family!

This Dior Set is so cute, the little soft pouch is beautiful and I love the lip balm and hand balm.

The Cuyana Travel Set is 100% worth the splurge. You can add a monogram to it. Quality is on point and I’ve had my sets for years. Also think Stoney Clover Lane has super cute customizable options (pricey but cute!).

Luxe Gifts for Her

The Lululemon Scuba sweatshirts are among my favorites. Naghedi bags are so chic and versatile. I think virtually anyone would love to have one. I’ve gifted a few and they have been well loved (and easy to clean/maintain).

Advent Calendars

Sisley Advent Calendar

Advent Calendar Gift Ideas Holiday 2023

Shop the Advent Calendars

 

 

If you’re looking to splurge and gift something with the ULTIMATE WOW FACTOR an Advent Calendar is a generous way to go. I unboxed the Sisley Advent Calendar they gifted this year and it is absolutely stunning!

I bought a few food ones this year. I buy the Bonne Maman Jelly Calendars every year since Andrew is the ultimate jelly lover. I’ve gifted them to my niece and nephew before too and they loved it. This year I decided to order the Laduree Advent Calendar but have not yet opened it.

Holiday Gift Guide

Holiday Gift Ideas & Stocking Stuffers: $25 and Under

November 20, 2023

Holiday Gift Ideas and Stocking Stuffers $25 and Under

Happy Thanksgiving week! Kicking off this week with some holiday gift guides and ideas per your requests. My first roundup features budget friendly gift ideas and stocking stuffers all $25 and under.

Makeup Gift Ideas $25 and Under

Makeup Holiday Gift Ideas and Stocking Stuffers $25 and Under

Mascara set / Mini Fenty Gloss Bomb (individuals) / Mini Charlotte Tilbury / Natasha Denona Mini / Mario Lip Duo / Stila Eyeshadow Duo / Anastasia Lip Duo (love this, wearing one here) / Saie Duo / Laura Mercier mini / NARS Lip Duo / MAC Trio / Tower28 Set / NYX Set / Charlotte Tilbury Mini Lip Duo / Tarte Duo

Prices have definitely increased on everything so finding deals under $25 are more limited than previous holidays. You can still find a lot of cute options but keep in mind these minis will be “extra mini.”

 

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Fragrance, Skincare and Hair Ideas

Skincare Hair Care Holiday Gift Ideas and Stocking Stuffers $25 and Under

Laneige set / Naturium set / Clarins mini lip oil set / Drybar mini brush / Tangle Teaser mini / Caudalie hand creams / mini Tocca duo / Malin + Goetz / L’Occitane minis / Saltair Travel Set / Dae Duo / mini candle / silk hair ties / Kiehl’s duo / philosophy trio / mask set / lip balm set

There are tons of smaller sets available for skincare, haircare and more.

 

 

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Fun + Novelty Gift Ideas

Fun Novelty Holiday Gift Ideas and Stocking Stuffers $25 and Under

Monogram tile mugs / trinket box / Sugarfina Box Duo / Monogram Bistro mug / Calendar / Sugarfina Champagne Bears / star tray dish / star box / tray / chocolate caramels / dish cloth set / mini mirror ornament / cozy socks / monogram trinket box / desk calendar / letter ornament

For fun gift ideas I love the practical things like a desk calendar or notepads. There are so many cute options available at Etsy! Personalized gifts like the Letter Mugs are super cute. I ordered a bunch in different letters and plan on stuffing them with sweets and putting them in a cello bag + bow.

Candy is always a fun idea. I love any kind of sweet. Sugarfina definitely always has the WOW factor. They have tons of options at different price points.

 

 

If you’re looking for some inspiration for budget friendly gift ideas or stocking stuffers I hope you found this roundup helpful! If you have any fun gift ideas or traditions please share in the comments! I’d love to hear what you gift!