Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

Best Sunscreens & Sun Care Essentials

July 21, 2023

I have an updated sunscreen roundup today! I’ve tried so many formulas over the years but I often proceed with caution as I have sensitive skin. My top 2 go-to brands for sunscreen have been Shiseido and Supergoop! and for Andrew it’s Jack Black but I have quite a few formulas reviewed in today’s post.

You can always click on the SUNCARE tab to read past reviews and round ups. I’ve also shared my favorite self-tanner, after sun care loves and some misses in this post.

Best Clear Sunscreens – Face

When it comes to face sunscreens I usually try to find something that is lightweight in texture with a high SPF and that layers well with makeup. However there are days when I’m at the beach or on the boat where I go makeup free so those days I opt for something that will adhere well to the skin and hold up well under sweat/protect from heat.

Most of the sunscreens I’ve reviewed are chemical sunscreens. In general mineral formulas usually don’t work well with my skin type unless it’s a tinted option (like a CC cream).

The Chanel UV Essentiel with SPF 50 ($60) is one of my favorite clear sunscreens. Chanel reformulated it this year and I 100% love the new formula. It’s not as fluid/liquid so it doesn’t creep into the corners of my eyes as easily. It has a lightweight almost gel like formula and blends in easily. Doesn’t leave any white cast. Also works well with the Chanel foundations. The UV Essentiel is scented (similar to their previous sunscreens) so if you have fragrance sensitivities do a patch test first. Active Ingredients: Avobenzone 3.0 % | Homosalate 10.0 % | Octisalate 5.0 % | Octocrylene 5.0 %

Shiseido Vita-Clear Sunscreen with SPF 42 Vitamin C ($38) is another great formula. This is a clear liquid and has a lightweight texture. It has Vitamin C to help with brightness and target dark spots. Active Ingredients: Avobenzone 2.3%, Homosalate 10.0%, Octisalate 5.0%, Octocrylene 5.0%

In general I think Shiseido makes the best sunscreens I’ve tried. If you’re looking for other options, they make one for oily skin and mineral options too.

Cle de Peau Beaute UV Protective Cream SPF 50+ ($140) is a newer launch and quite the splurge. It has an ultra-luxurious texture unlike any formula I’ve tried. This one has a completely clear finish. It’s hydrating but has a nice dry down. It’s described as suitable for all skin types but I still think it’s best for normal/dry skin. That being said my skin tends to become very dry when it is exposed to a lot of heat outdoors so this one is still really good. It is scented with a floral fragrance, so if you have sensitives to scented sunscreens, do a patch test first. Do I think it’s work the steep price? I don’t know. Will use it up entirely but I don’t know that I will repurchase. Active Ingredients: Avobenzone 2.3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 5%

I also bought the Cle de Peau Refillable UV Protective Lip Balm with SPF 25 ($65) to try. I’m undecided on this. I really need to wear sunscreen on my lips but I can’t stand the taste or feel of most. This one definitely has a taste to it and I don’t really like how it feels (it has a waxy feel).

The Charlotte Tilbury Invisible UV Flawless Primer with SPF 50 ($55) is a great sunscreen that doubles as a primer. It works well under foundation and has a clear invisible finish. Love that it’s hydrating but lightweight. Active Ingredients: Avobenzone 3%, Octinoxate 6.7%, Octisalate 4.5%, Octocrylene 2.0%

The Shiseido Clear Sunscreen Stick with SPF 50 ($30) is one of the best face sunscreens I’ve tried. It has a sticky finish so it adheres really well to the skin. I like this for touch ups on the go on makeup-free days. It is easy to reapply. Since it adheres well make sure you wash your face really well at the end of the day. I recommend double cleansing with an oil cleanser first and then following with a regular cleanser. Active Ingredients: Avobenzone 2.5%, Homosalate 10.0%, Octisalate 5.0%, Octocrylene 10.0%

Vacation Inc. Super Spritz SPF 50 Sunscreen Face Mist ($24) is pure love. It’s the easiest way to touch up your sunscreen if you wear makeup, although be sure to spritz liberally. It smells incredible and did not irritate my skin. Doesn’t feel heavy and refreshes the skin. Active Ingredients: Avobenzone (2.9%), Octisalate (4.9%), Octocrylene (9.5%)

Tinted Sunscreens

I have quite a few foundations that also have sunscreen, but today’s roundup focuses more on products that are primarily sun care.

The Supergoop! Glowscreen with SPF 40 ($38) is one of my favorites. I really love that they added more shades. I alternate between Sunrise (the original champagne shade) and Golden Hour (bronzey). I love using this all over the face alone or under foundation to give a natural radiant glow. The Glowscreen also has hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to hydrate the skin. Active Ingredients: Avobenzone 3%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%

The Supergoop! CC Screen with SPF 50 ($44) is one of the few mineral cc creams I like. I’m currently out of this as I used mine up but I like it when blended with a sponge. If you blend with fingers it will feel too thick. Has good medium coverage that stays put and lasts.

The Chanel CC Cream SPF 50 gets a shout out as one of my all time favorite tinted sunscreens but it’s currently being reformulated. It’s nearly impossible to find this now. The Chanel counters near me told me it will be back in 2024. I will 100% be trying out the new one.

Tower 28 SunnyDays Tinted Sunscreen with SPF 30 ($32) is another mineral formula I actually can wear and like. It has a balmy texture more like a sunscreen and blends in easily on the skin. I wear 35 Point Dume but they added some newer shades I need to check out. Active Ingredients: Zinc oxide, 12.6%

Best Sunscreens – Body

For the body the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion SPF 50 ($50) is hands down the best of the best in terms of offering the most effective protection from the sun and heat. You still need to reapply frequently but this one holds up the best against sweat, water and heat. I love that it is easy to reapply even on sweaty skin. It’s easy to apply and blend. I highly recommend getting the Value Size Duo ($66) because it comes with a mini you can put in your purse.

Vacation Inc. makes the best smelling sunscreens on the market. I’m thrilled they added SPF 50 versions of the Classic Spray and Classic Lotion. I generally do not recommend body spray sunscreens because it’s so easy to miss areas with the mist dispenser. Also sprays typically don’t last you more than 1-2 days if you’re truly applying sufficient product and reapplying every 2 hours.

I really love both sunscreen oils from Vacation Inc although I do wish they had a higher spf. The Chardonnay Oil with SPF 30 feels heavenly on the skin and the Baby Oil with SPF 30 smells just like baby oil. I would say these are best for days you’re in a shaded area or for non-water days.

I tried the Soleil Toujours Antioxidant Sunscreen Mist SPF 50 ($36) and really like it. (There is an SPF 30 option too.) Has a slightly sticky feel but adheres well and has a shiny look on the skin. I would 100% try the body lotion if it came with an SPF 50 option. I like this enough to use up and consider repurchasing, but it just doesn’t have enough product to justify the price. Sprays get used up really fast! (Andrew tried it and says he is not a fan) Active Ingredients: Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%

Supergoop! Glowscreen Body with SPF 40 ($42) gets another shout out from me. I love this formula and love the added shimmer to it. It can feel a bit thick when you apply so you really need to work it in the skin to blend it, but it adheres well and never fails me. Active Ingredients: Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 7%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%

The Jack Black Oil-Free Sun Guard SPF 45 ($22) gets a shout out as this is Andrew’s favorite formula and the one he wears daily. It’s thick and takes some work to blend in but it’s the most effective and easy to re-apply. It’s the best water resistant sunscreen we’ve both tried. The only downside is that it also takes a lot of work to remove in the shower but in terms of protection, it’s one of the best. The Turbo Wash is the best at removing it. Active Ingredients: Zinc Oxide 8%, Octinoxate 7.5%, Octisalate 3%

Aftersun Balm

We’ve tried a lot of aloe and after sun care products. At the end of the day any good aloe vera gel is great to help soothe the skin. We often get a bottle of Banana Boat or Sun Bum Cool Down After Sun Gel. Two other formulas I’ve tried include ones from Dior and Vacation.

The Vacation Inc. After Sun Gel with Aloe Vera ($12) is one of our recent favorites. Love that it does not have any alcohol and soothes the skin.

The Dior Solar After-Sun Balm ($52) is another really nice hydrating balm that I love. Has a lightweight texture and cooling effect. It does have alcohol in the ingredient list but it did not irritate my skin.

Self-Tanner

Last but not least many of you have asked if I self tan and I usually don’t. I really don’t like the way self tanners smell or feel on the skin but I finally tried Loving Tan this year and loved it. I tried the 2 Hour Express Formula in Medium and it gave really impressive results. The tan looked very natural in color (no orange tones), did not streak and did not transfer. I was 100% impressed! I will say that any self tanner (even this one) can dry out the skin so my only added tip is to moisturize daily. You can see the before/after transformation here.

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Misses

Here are a few recent misses in sunscreen. A lot of these have positive reviews out there, they just did not work for me.

Kosas DreamBeam – I’m not sure I would call this a total miss because it blends out nicely, doesn’t pill or cake. I give this a miss because I just think there are better formulas out there and this felt exceptionally thick on my skin. So thick that I could not wait to wash it off.

Beauty of Joseon Matte Sunscreen Stick – I had such high hopes for this but it went on streaky, felt thick, had a noticeable white cast and clogged my pores.

Kopari Sun Shield Body Glow – another one I had high hopes for, but left my skin a greasy mess. I felt like everything stuck to me. The shimmer wasn’t really noticeable on my skin. It is hydrating and gives your skin a glow, but there is zero dry down and it feels very slippery.

First Aid Beauty Weightless Liquid Mineral Sunscreen – I had such high hopes for this as I really love First Aid Beauty. There is an overwhelming number of positive reviews so if you’re looking for a mineral sunscreen, I still think it’s worth checking out. It sank into my pores and did not blend easily (I made sure I gave the bottle a through shake).

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I know I covered a lot here! If you’ve been wanting more details on any of these formulas I hope you found this roundup helpful!

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Nail Polish

OPI x Barbie Collection

July 20, 2023

OPI launched a Barbie Collection with nine shades and they’re really fun, especially for summer. I have swatches of all nine. You can find them all at Amazon, Target and Ulta Beauty. They have a pink OPI x BARBIE logo on the cap but it’s a sticker (one of mine already popped off).

Bon Voyage to Reality is a creamy pale pink, almost an off white kind of pink. Applied below with 2 coats.

Every Night is Girls Night is a chunky glitter with a sheer shimmery base. The base is almost clear. Glitter is very dense in the polish so you only need 1 coat to cover the entire nail, but I applied it with 2 below.

Best Day Ever is a pale frosted pink shimmer base with different colors of glitter suspended throughout. I think this one is really fun.

Feel the Magic is a classic cream pink Barbie shade. Applies with smooth perfect coverage. 2 coats on the nails below.

Welcome to Barbie Land is a sheer hot pink jelly shimmer but I can get full coverage with 3 coats.

Hi Barbie! is a pretty hot fuchsia pink cream. Applied with 2 coats.

Hi Ken! is a bold yellow (reminds me of Big Bird). Applied with 2 coats.

Yay Space! is another jelly shimmer, it’s a pale blue with silver sparkles. Applied with 3 coats.

My Job is Beach is a bold blue cream. Applied with 2 coats.

I love the pink creams. Even though I don’t wear a lot of blue polish I think the blue shimmer is really fun.

You can find them all at Amazon, Target and Ulta Beauty.

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Beauty Favorites

Latte Makeup

July 19, 2023

I jumped on the Latte Makeup trend as I’ve been seeing it all over my feed and I love it! I don’t know that I would call it a new trend as it has a neutral everyday almost 90s vibe, but I’m loving everyone’s take. I also love that many are picking lip colors that have a bit more pink which gives it more fresh and modern take (vs the 90s deep rose brown).

I did a quick demo on Reels which I’ll link below. I’m wearing so many long-time favorites!

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Beauty breakdown:

Foundation – Too Faced Born This Way Healthy Glow Tint in Warm Beige
Powder – Hourglass Veil Translucent Powder in Medium (they added new shades)
Contour – Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Bronzer in Always Sunny
Brows – Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Caramel
Eyes – Makeup by Mario Eyeshadow Palette Master Mattes
Eye Contour – Victoria Beckham Beauty Contour Stick in Marble
Eyeliner – Tarte Quick Stick in Rosegold Lustre/Brown
Eyeshadow Topper – Natasha Denona Mini Nude Palette
Mascara – YSL Beauty Lash Clash
Blush – Laura Mercier Blush in Ginger + Fresco
Lipliner – Huda Beauty Lip Contour 2.0 in Terracotta
Lip Gloss – Pat McGrath LUST Gloss in Faux Real

Also wanted to round up a few other favorite in the neutral category since they’re my everyday favorites.

Complexion Favorites

For the complexion I’ve really been loving the Too Faced Born This Way Healthy Glow Tint for my summer base. It has SPF 30, natural medium coverage, evens out the skin and blurs. Holds up really well even in this humid weather!

I still really love the Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Drops and Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter for complexion enhancers. They give the skin a really nice natural glow without being too heavy or looking overdone. Even after trying to find dupes, I still have to say these two are holy grail material.

The best brightening under eye concealer is the YSL Touche Eclat.

Cheeks/Contour

For the cheeks I love a good neutral blush with some peach tones. Laura Mercier Blush Color Infusion Ginger and Fresco are probably the best neutral blushes I own. They are neutral with brown undertones but have warmth so they work really well on olive/golden skin.

Victoria Beckham Beauty Cheeky Posh cream blush sticks are really nice too. I love the shade Playground for a neutral tan. The new VBB Contour Sticks are really nice too for eyes or cheeks. I picked up Marble and love it. It has a neutral undertone so it’s not too grey/cool and not too warm.

For a very natural cream bronzer/contour my top three these days are the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream (I use 390 and 392) in the new travel sizes. The formula of the minis is different than the original. The travel sized variations this year have a slightly matte finish with a blurring effect on the skin.

Tower 28 Sculptino in Getty is another great cream bronzer that does not have shimmer. And the Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick is the softest creamy stick I’ve tried that isn’t too dewy in finish.

The brush I use for most of my cream products is the Hourglass Vanish Foundation Brush.

Latte Eye Makeup Favorites

For the eyes I don’t think it gets more classic than the Makeup By Mario Master Mattes Palette. It’s been in my Top 5 for a long time and I still wear it every week. Natasha Denona’s Mini Nude Palette is another favorite and one I think is perfect for the latte makeup look trend.

Best Neutral Lips

Last but not least neutral lips – my favorite! I love nearly every variation of a neutral lip. These are some of my favorites right now. In my Reel I paired the Huda Beauty Lip Contour 2.0 in Terracotta with Pat McGrath LUST Gloss in Faux Real.

Other favorites include the Kosas Wet Lip Gloss Oils (Revealed is the perfect pink nude, but they have lots of great neutrals). I also think the MAC At First Lipglass Set from the Nordstrom Sale has great neutrals this year, I wish they made Rose Recollection permanent.

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That wraps up my Latte Makeup roundup. Would love to hear about your favorite neutrals you have in rotation right now!

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Lips YSL Beauty

YSL Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick (new shades)

July 17, 2023

YSL launched new shades of the Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick ($39 each) and they are stunning! I tried this formula when it originally launched in Shade 02 for a pretty clear juicy shine but the other shades never really stood out to me. There are new colors in Shades 13, 14 and 15 and they do not disappoint! I ordered a few other shades too and love every single one.

The formula of the YSL Candy Glaze is a jelly-like lipstick lip gloss. They have a twist click top and recommend six clicks for one application. They are on the soft side for the formula. Not as soft as the Makeup by Mario MoistureGlow Plumping Lip Serums though.

Pigment and color payoff is pretty impressive for a glossy lip stick (although 02 Sweet Pink is pretty much clear on me). They have a slightly thick almost jelly like texture so the lasting power is very good for a glossy lip. They are sweetly scented with a candy mango like scent. They feel very comfortable on the lips and have less slip than the Rouge Volupte Shines which I still love, but I actually like the Candy Glaze formula better. Shades I hauled:

02 Sweet Pink is a clear milky pink
04 Nude Pleasure is a caramel peach brown
05 Pink Satisfaction is a deep rose pink
13 Flashing Rosé is a healthy medium rose pink
14 Scenic Brown is a 90s neutral brown glaze
15 Showcasing Nude is a perfect nude pink

Two sets of swatches to show the color and shine

Swatches of each shade below, also wearing:

Foundation YSL Bare Look Tint in Shade 9
Concealer YSL Touche Eclat Shade 3
Powder Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Medium
Bronzer Gucci Bronzer Shade 03
Eyeshadow Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Mini Nude Palette
Mascara YSL Lash Clash Mascara
Top Reformation Dillon Top (wearing a size 6, could have also worn a size 4)
Nail Polish Chanel Le Vernis in Diva

Shade 13 Flashing Rose is my favorite that I’ve been wearing on repeat. It’s also the one many of you keep asking about from my Instagram stories!

A few of you asked if I had any issues with the product melting and I can’t say that I have yet. The heat is so extreme here we are outdoors for a very limited time (ie walking from the car to a restaurant or store). I have the lipstick in my purse but we are usually only outdoors for a short time or under a shaded patio with fans blasting. Evenings outdoors are more tolerable and I haven’t had any melting issues. YMMV depending on how hot it is where you are.

You can see them in action here too!

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Bottom line perfect. The new shades seem to be only available at Sephora and YSL Beauty so far. Other shades can be found at all other retailers like Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

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P.S. If you’ve been looking for the Couture Mini Clutch Eyeshadows they just launched at Bloomingdale’s. I’m not sure if I will be purchasing any, currently debating whether to buy these new ones or the Cle de Peau Eyeshadow Quads.

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Nordstrom Sales

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Haul

July 13, 2023

I shopped the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale at my local store in Tampa and ended up finding a lot of great things from the beauty exclusives offerings this year! It was really fun to see everything in person although lots of the shoes and clothes were already sold out. My store also didn’t have most of the tops or denim on my radar in stock. If you’ve shopped the sale I’m curious to hear what the stock was like at your local store.

Here’s what I hauled and a few things I tried on. There’s lots in this roundup!

Accessories

I picked up these Cubic Zirconia Earrings in the2ct size ($29.99 on sale) and think they’re really pretty. They’re sparkly and the price is great. They have lots of size options available in store. You can find them in the gold stud or silver stud options.

I found some great sunglasses on sale this year! The quality is hit or miss depending on brand and style but I bought two pairs from Tom Ford. I really loved the Alistair 56 mm Gradient Style.

They have 3 colors and all 3 are priced differently. The Blonde Havana/Blue Gradient ($287.99, after sale $430) fit perfectly (bought these). I also loved the darker red/brown in Red Havana/Brown Polarized ($299.99, after sale $535) were really cute too. Also available in Shiny Black/Smoke ($299.99, after sale $535).

They had some men’s sunglasses mixed in, which could be unisex, but on the Nordstrom website they’re under the Men’s Sale Accessories. I also bought the Tom Ford Milla 59 mm Gradiant Aviators ($179.99, after sale $575) in the Gold Blue Gradient (lots of options available).

Also tried on the Tom Ford Leo 52 mm Retro ($246.99 on sale, after sale $370). It’s available in Shiny Black, Brown Wood/Black and Tortoise Havana. I ended up passing on this style as I already own a few Celine Sunglasses in a similar style.

My store was nearly sold out of all the Celine sunglasses but I did try the Celine Bold 3 Dots 58 mm Flat top ($289.99, regular $450) which were not really my style. I also had my eye on the Burberry 56 Square Sunglasses ($169.99 on sale) but they ended up feeling very flimsy.

I passed on all the bags this year although the Dagne Dover Ace Water Resistant Belt Bag ($65.99 on sale, after sale $95) and Mila Toiletry Organizer ($49.99) were both pretty cute!

The All Saints Ida Crossbody Bag ($199.99 on sale, after sale $319) was also cute but my store only had the Pampas White Color (both colors are still online).

Shoes

The Nsale sneaker section was pretty good but I am pretty well stocked right now so decided to pass. The 327s were already sold out and they’re no longer on the website. I do think you might have luck finding them in store though if you have a Nordstrom near you. Below a look at the:

Top: New Balance 574 and 327
Bottom: Adidas Swift Run and Ultraboost 1.0 DNA

Clothes Try-On

The clothing section was very limited at my store. They didn’t stock all the colors or styles. I’m petite and a lot of the XS and XXS sizes were already gone.

I did pick up the FP Movement The Way Home Shorts in a Small ($19.99 on sale, $30 regular price options here) and the Zella Anya Ottoman Knit Pullover in an XS which runs big but is comfy ($49.99 on sale, $79 regular price).

This Pistola Oversize Muscle Tee ($44.99) comes in a really pretty purple color but the fit was off. I love the look of muscle tees on others but for me it just doesn’t look right.

This Madewell Alna V-Neck Sweater ($59.99) was really soft and airy, I loved the feel! It runs big though and I felt the XS was too big for me.

Beauty Haul Picks

Onto the big haul! I ended up with more than I anticipated. Here is what I bought with swatches.

Byredo Eau de Parfum Les Triples Set ($95, value of $104) was at the top of my list with Mojave Ghost, Bal D’Afrique and Gypsy Water. All three are phenomenal scents. The minis are 8 ml each and do not come with atomizer sprays but have a twist off cap. I 100% think all minis should come with sprays. I bought it anyways – the minis are cute! Below a look at the Full Size 50 ml vs 8 ml minis.

Slip Pure Silk Scrunchies ($44 on sale) have some fun colors in the set this year. They also have some nice Pillow Case + Scrunchie Sets ($86 each) in a Caramel and White Color (both have the queen size pillow case).

Lip Sets

The Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Duo ($32 on sale, $64 value) has two full-sized options with the Telluride Crushed Lip Color and Free Spirit Oil-Infused Gloss. I love both formulas. I think the colors are great wearable neutrals. This was a no brainer even though I already own Free Spirit, I really love the formula.

MAC lip kits did not disappoint even though there are repeats with the lipliners. I really love the Treasured Lip Kits ($30 on sale). The Neutral Option has Powder Kiss Lipstick in A Way With Words and Lip Liner in Soar. The Pink Set has Powder Kiss Lipstick in Forgotten Bloom and Lip Liner in Dervish. I LOVE the Pink Set!

The At First Lipglass Set ($28 on sale) has two really pretty neutrals I can see myself wearing a lot. Rose Recollection is a neutral pink with gold shimmer and Pleased to Be Here is a stunning gold shimmer.

Charlotte Tilbury has yet another Pillow Talk Lip Kit ($62 on sale, $92 value). I neglected to realize I already own the Jewel Lips Gloss but the set is really nice if you don’t already own the lipstick or liner. Swatches below of all the Pillow Talk shades in different formulas below including the Lip Lustre, Collagen Lip Bath and Blur Lips.

Westman Atelier Petite Lit Up Stick Set ($40) has really cute minis in Nectar and Brulee. The set is kinda spendy for the size but I think it’s a nice way to try them out. They’ll be really easy to use up or throw in a travel bag without taking up too much space.

For skincare I splurged on the Augustinus Bader On the Go Refresh Set ($140). I’ve tried both formulas and really like them. I do think they 100% live up to the hype. This set also comes with a mini Eye Cream which I have not tried but am excited too.

Tom Ford Beauty launched the same set as a previous set with the Day Classics Eye and Lip Mini Set ($90). It comes with a full size Eye Color Quad Crème in Tiger Eye, mini Lip Colors in Casablanca and West Coast. I already own the quad and can confirm it’s a great everyday neutral with easy to blend texture and color payoff.

I also bought the Vacation Inc Duo ($28) with the Classic Lotion SPF 50 and Chardonnay Oil with SPF 30. We can never have enough sunscreen here so I didn’t mind stocking up on this set.

A few other things worth mentioning: The Armani Fluid Sheer Glow Enhancer Set is a pretty good deal ($52 on sale, value of $78). The minis are pretty generously sized. It has #8 which is a pale frosty pink and #10 which is a gorgeous golden bronze shimmer. Both are really quite beautiful. I already own so many highlighters I decided to pass on this set.

In my excitement I forgot to buy the YSL Rouge Volupte Duo ($55) or the Lash Clash Duo ($39). Both are great value sets. I have so much makeup to work through right now I’m 100% ok that I forgot to add to my buy pile.

For the guys in your life I 100% recommend Jack Black especially the Body Best Sellers ($49). It has three great cleansers that guys can use on body and hair (who doesn’t love a multi-tasker?). Andrew swears by the Turbo Wash and he also loves Big Sir. He says he’s not the biggest fan of the All-Over formula but I’ve tried it and I think it’s ok. Turbo Wash is hands down the best one.

That wraps up my shopping haul for this year’s Nsale! I posted a BEAUTY REEL with a closer look at more Beauty Exclusives if you want to see more!

What did you end up buying this year? Did you find anything good!

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Nordstrom Sales

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2023 Preview

July 10, 2023

The NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE 2023 is almost here starting on Tuesday July 11th with first access for Icon Nordy Club Members. They’ve already launched the preview online so everyone can browse and save favorites to a wishlist.

Here are the dates and info for the NSALE. I am at the Ambassador Level so I’ll be shopping on the 12th.

Icons early access July 11 – 16
Ambassadors early access July 12 – 16
Influencers early access July 13 – 16
Open to Everyone July 17 – August 6

I went through the entire catalog and saved a bunch of favorites I want to check out. I’ve shopped the sale every year for as long as I can remember. I always look forward to their Beauty Exclusives for new launches and special edition sets or colors. I have to say this year I have mixed feelings about the beauty offerings. They seem to have more value sets and discounts on bundles rather than truly new or innovative colors.

I have a feeling that many of these will be on sale during the holiday season so I don’t think there is any rush to go-buy-now unless you already have them on your wishlist anyways. Whether you’re shopping in store or online, PLEASE check out the Gift With Purchase Page before you shop. In store associates don’t always know about the gift offerings and I often miss out and don’t realize that until I get home. Make a list or screen shot the gifts on your phone to show the sale associate helping you. Nordstrom updates the GWP page regularly – right now there isn’t much listed but they always add tons of special offers once the sale starts.

BEAUTY EXCLUSIVES

I will 100% be getting the MAC At First Lipglass Duo ($28) and the YSL Lash Clash Mascara Set ($38). The Tom Ford Beauty Day Classics Set ($90) has one of my favorite quads if you haven’t checked it out, it’s a great deal! Trish McEvoy has some pretty impressive beauty offerings if you’re into a full look in an organizer.

Shop the Beauty Sets

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BEAUTY EXCLUSIVES: Skincare, Haircare, Fragrance

There are some really good fragrance sampler sets from Byredo, Creed, Maison Francis Kurkdjian and Jo Malone – all of which I think are great for those who want to try scents out at their leisure vs splurging on a huge bottle. I have my eye on the Byredo Eau de Parfum Trio (it will be interesting to see how small they are in real life, they’re 8 ml each).

You can always rely on Nordstrom to have good deals on hair tools and mirrors. If you’ve had your eye on any it’s a great time to save on a simplehuman Sensor Mirror, T3 AireBrush Duo, riki loves riki Mirror, ghd Flat Iron and more.

If you’ve had your eye on Vacation Inc Sunscreen, I think this SUNSCREEN Duo is a must.

Shop the Skincare, Hair Care and Fragrance Sets

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ACCESSORIES AND HOME

Barefoot Dreams is on sale and I will be buying a few. The ones we currently own have seen better days, especially since Ollie loves them a lot. It’s the perfect time for me to buy some fresh new ones.

Tons of designer accessories are on sale this year. To be honest the designer sunglasses on sale aren’t always the best quality like the regular offerings, but I have been really happy with previous year’s Celine.

Shop the Sale Accessories and Sunglasses

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WOMEN’S TOPS

Lots of cute tops and sweaters for fall! It’s too hot to think about cozy wear but there are cute options to shop for the upcoming season. It has been a long time since I’ve worn a leather jacket. I never have the occasion to wear one but this nude one from L’Agence is just SO beautiful.

Shop the Post

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ACTIVEWEAR

There are always lots of great deals on active wear. I’m a pretty loyal fan to Lululemon or Vuori for workout tops and shorts, but I also really like Zella and Free People. My favorite New Balance sneakers are on sale too with lots of styles available including the 574 and 327 in different colors.

Shop the Active Wear

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Are you shopping the Nordstrom Sale this year? What’s on your wishlist! I’ll be posting a haul as soon as I can after the 12th!

As always I’m hosting a giveaway as my way of thanking you for following me! I’ll be giving away 1 eGift Card to Nordstrom (US site only). It’s open internationally but know that the gift card will be for the US site. 1 winner will be selected on Friday. To enter complete ALL THE STEPS in the widget below. Partial entries will be disqualified.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Shopping!

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Ask Sabrina

Ask Sabrina | July 2023

July 9, 2023

Happy Sunday! It’s time for another Ask Sabrina roundup! You sent in SO many great questions in my last poll on the blog and on Instagram, I think I have a list long enough to keep this series going on for the next several months!

Here are 10 more questions I’m answering today. As always if you’re curious about something personal, my background, etc. you can always click on the ASK SABRINA category to read past posts!

Even though many of you have been with me from the beginning (ie before I ever showed my face to the world) there are lots of new readers who want to know more about how I started my blog, how to become a beauty influencer/blogger, why we moved to Florida and more. All of these are answered in past Ask Sabrina posts, but I’ll elaborate on a few since many of you have asked follow up questions.

1. Can you tell us more about your upcoming move? Why are you moving again? How can you decide between San Diego or Miami?

Andrew and I love exploring and our jobs give us the flexibility to do it! San Diego is still home to me. I have family and friend there although many have moved away over the past decade. A lot of our friends moved away from San Diego to bigger cities like LA or San Francisco for more job opportunities. Also when the pandemic hit and everything was shut down many of our friends moved to different states to be closer to family.

We might move back to San Diego because of Andrew’s job and my family there. But right now our heart is set on Miami for our next adventure. We are exploring our options and are are taking our time exploring both.

For our move to Miami, I’ve always wanted to live in a big city and we both love all that Miami has to offer. It’s significantly bigger than Tampa and whenever we travel to Miami we are always sad to leave. We still love Tampa/St. Pete but we’re ready for a change after being here 6 years.

And who knows? We might be back after a year or so! A lot of readers have told me they have places on both coasts. They travel back and forth depending on what vibe they want. Tampa/St Pete is more casual laid back and relaxed while Miami is busier and has more energy.

2. Do you ever regret leaving your 9-5 corporate job? Do you feel your education and background in finance helps you with your blogging career today?

I have ZERO regrets about leaving the corporate world. When I quit my corporate job to blog full time nearly everyone told me I would regret it. At the time I decided to leave I was really torn. It was the first company I worked at that had a good workplace culture and environment. I really loved the team I worked with and the management. All that said, I still felt limited in what I could do and how I could grow. I was expected to advance to a managerial position eventually and managing people is not my thing at all. The transition of working at a big company to working alone was quite a shock for me. It took some time to get used to but I haven’t regretted it at all.

All of my experiences have been beneficial to me in some way. I do think my education helped in many ways. I don’t know that I would call it essential for me now, but I’m happy I went through it.

3. What is your favorite concealer these days?

I still swear by the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer but there are LOTS of great new options out today. My top 2 right now are the Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Concealer and Givenchy Prisme Libre Concealer. Also really love YSL Touche Eclat (best for brightening) and the Armani Luminous Silk Concealer (always a classic).

For blending I usually use a beautyblender but my 2 favorite brushes are the Real Techniques 210 Brush and the Hourglass Vanish Concealer Brush.

4. What is one beauty product you wish existed but doesn’t?

I REALLY love that Chanel makeup applicator machine from the movie Fifth Element. Instant look that’s also Chanel? Sign me up! For something more realistic, I would really love it Chanel brought back their best colors they discontinued (ie Nude Lip Liner, Seashell or Glow Glossimer, or any of the glossimers really).

5. Best wedding lipstick?

This would be a great question for me to ask YOU! I’d love to do a poll on what lipstick you wore to your wedding because Andrew and I didn’t have one. We got married at the courthouse in San Diego because planning a wedding was overwhelming. Andrew proposed while we were both in grad school. We had been dating for nearly 7 years and knew we were ready, but school was very time consuming for both of us. We had very busy schedules and I felt like we barely saw each other for 3 years!

We had planned on having a big ceremony a year later after we both graduated when we had more time to plan and have fun with it all. But by the time a year rolled around we were both very happily married, felt like we didn’t need a big wedding and decided to save the $$$ for a future honeymoon trip.

For weddings I’ve attended I actually don’t recall what beauty products I’ve worn, but I feel like for lipstick it would have usually been something from Tom Ford or Chanel. It’s really the ceremony or being there for loved ones that I remember versus what I wore. It’s been a long time since we’ve been to a wedding – most of our friends all have kids by now!

6. What’s your favorite guilty pleasure?

Hands down anything sweet. I love Jeni’s Ice Cream and Trader Joe’s Pancake Bread. I also love Swedish Fish and Haribo gummies.

7. Do you like to cook or bake? What are your favorite foods?

Yes, I love baking and cooking! I used to work at Williams and Sonoma and assisted in their cooking classes. I had to stop baking though because it was incredibly unhealthy.

When we moved to Florida we both started cooking a lot to eat healthier but right now I actually don’t cook very much. Andrew wanted to find a way to help cut down on my cooking time so we’ve been trying out some meal plans. If you want an overview or recs I can definitely share them. Finding one we both like has been a challenge because I’m the ultimate picky eater. We’ve tried a lot!

8. What’s a habit you’ve build into your routine?

Both Andrew and I have made an extra effort to improve our health and wellness and it’s made such a huge difference in our lives. We don’t always eat healthy, we still like to indulge, but we’ve made a huge effort to cut down on sugar intake and we’ve never felt better! It’s been a challenge since I have a sweet tooth, but we really make an effort to consume it in moderation.

9. You’re stuck on a desert island, what 5 beauty products do you want with you?

This question always has me laughing because I have follow up questions! Am I by myself? Who else is there? Can I escape or get off the island? If I’m by myself chances are that I really won’t care about beauty products and would rather want something to get me off that island!

But I can’t live without baths or showers so I’d want a lifetime supply of good shower gel (if I had to have only one, I’d steal Andrew’s Jack Black Turbo Wash because it will double as a shampoo) and face cleanser (probably First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Cleanser). Sun protection in which case I’d have my Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion Sunscreen. Native Deodorant because even if I’m by myself I don’t want to smell bad. A good lip balm, I think the Vaseline Lip Therapy Cocoa Butter would be my pick. Also I’d probably cheat and ask to be allowed a 6th product which is a really good hair brush.

10. Pet stuff! I’m combining 2 in one. What shampoo and grooming products do you use for Ollie? Do Ollie and Kitty get along?

We started with Earthbath Oatmeal and Aloe Fragrance Free because that’s what we used on Jake and Lucy for over a decade. We’ve since started using the Ouai Pet Shampoo because it smells amazing (available at Sephora and Ulta). We alternate between the two brands.

I did take a whiff of the Aesop Pet Shampoo but thought the scent was too strong so I didn’t buy it. I could see myself using it, but I felt like it would be too much for Ollie’s nose. If you have tried it on your pet let me know!

Ollie still hates baths so we wash him in the shower which he tolerates.

And yes Ollie and Kitty get along well. They don’t snuggle but they actually play together now and have zoomies where they chase each other. Sometimes the cat is the one who initiates play time with some playful swatting. It’s so cute.

That wraps up this week’s Ask Sabrina series! If you want to share your wedding lipstick in the comments I’m sure future brides would be absolutely grateful to hear what your favorites are! I’ll also do a poll on Instagram this week and share results in my next Ask Sabrina series.

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Ask Sabrina | July 2023

1. Can you tell us more about your upcoming move? Why are you moving again? How can you decide between San Diego or Miami?

2. Do you ever regret leaving your 9-5 corporate job? Do you feel your education and background in finance helps you with your blogging career today?

3. What is your favorite concealer these days?

4. What is one beauty product you wish existed but doesn’t?

5. Best wedding lipstick?

6. What’s your favorite guilty pleasure?

7. Do you like to cook or bake? What are your favorite foods?

8. What’s a habit you’ve build into your routine?

9. You’re stuck on a desert island, what 5 beauty products do you want with you?

10. Pet stuff! I’m combining 2 in one. What shampoo and grooming products do you use for Ollie? Do Ollie and Kitty get along?

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