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:
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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!
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.
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).
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
_______
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
_______
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
_______
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
_______
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.
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.
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!
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.
Tom Ford Beauty has some new launches this summer and I think they’re stunning! The recent shimmer eyeshadow quads and Summer Soleil de Feu collection items remind me of what Tom Ford Beauty used to be like! Fresh, glowy, easy to wear with good color payoff.
I also wanted to include swatches of two newer Eyeshadow Palettes in Golden Hour and Hazy Sensuality ($90 each). I bought these several months ago and never reviewed them but I 100% think they’re worth checking out (there are 3 new ones, I bought 2).
Soleil de Feu Eyeshadow Palette
There are two eyeshadow palettes in the summer launch. I picked up the more neutral option Soleil de Feu Eyeshadow Palette in Tropical Dusk. It’s really beautiful and wearable with a soft dusty matte pink, a soft deeper brown, a shimmery copper gold and a sparkling light glitter taupe topper. Colors have really good pigment and color payoff with easy to blend textures. The warmer option Island Haze also looks really beautiful. I was very tempted to buy it but opted to just get one this round.
Soleil de Feu Shimmering Highlighter
We all probably have way to many highlighters at this point. Anytime I find one I’m really impressed with I’m surprised and the Tom Ford Oasis Highlighter is just stunning. It’s a neutral warm champagne gold with slight peachy tones. The shimmer isn’t over the top – it’s smooth, doesn’t emphasize pores and the undertone is just PERFECT for olive skin tones! I’m sure it would also look great on cool tones too.
Texture is almost like a gel to powder. Pigment is easy to control and layer. I really try not to do back ups these days but this one is so perfect, I might order one more before it’s gone.
For the lips there are two shades of the Soleil de Feu Plumping Lip Balm. The stock photos are a bit misleading as these have an overspray of glitter on the outside which make the balms look completely different from the true color. I lots of reviews of these before ordering which saved me money on Sunlight (many have reported it’s not gold, but pale in color almost like a concealer color).
I’m 100% happy that I bought Sun Spark. It looks like a bold orange cherry red with gold flecks. On me it’s SO much lighter in color, almost like a neutral light-medium soft peachy color.
The glitter on the exterior did not show up at all, even on a hand swatch and I’m 100% ok with it. It makes for a really great wow factor when you open the tube, but one swipe and it’s gone.
The balm does seem to have a slight plumping effect but there’s no tingle or sting. On me it’s somewhere in between a balm and lipstick for how it feels. It’s hydrating and comforting on the lips, but it’s not really glossy or emollient like a traditional balm. For me this makes it feel like it lasts longer on the lips. Extremely pricy but I think the color is really pretty.
New Eyeshadow Quads
Last a quick look at the Hazy Sensuality (neutral/lighter tones) and Golden Hour (warmer peachy) Eyeshadow Palettes. Both have that finely milled pressed metallic finish like Nude Dip/Honeymoon. Pigment is on the medium-sheer side but easy to layer for more color payoff. I’ve been wearing Golden Hour a lot this summer.
I give both a solid A+ rating. I actually give everything I bought in this post a solid A+ which I haven’t in a long time (for Tom Ford beauty). Incredibly pricey and expensive, but all the colors perform exceptionally well and as a neutral makeup lover, I think the colors are perfect. They’re wearable but different enough from what we’ve seen lately to give you a fresh polished look.
I did a tutorial with Golden Hour in this Reel below:
Chanel launched a limited-edition collection of colorful accessories in their Codes Couleur Collection. The items launched on Friday and sold out online almost instantly. I shared a look on Instagram stories on Friday and some of you were able to order them before they sold out! I ordered a handful online the second they launched and they arrived very quickly so I was able to swatch them over the weekend. Colors in action here.
Onvi, Cavalier Seul, Premiere Dame, Diva and Rouge Noir are available in Chanel Beauty Boutiques so if you have one near you they might still have them in stock. The other colors Ballerina, Immortelle, Fugueuse, Incendiarie were exclusive online. I don’t know if they will restock them at this point. I hope they consider launching these again because the matching sets are really cute!
Each Les Pinceaux de Chanel Brush Trio Brush Set contains the same brushes, the only difference is the color of the case. I’ve really loved the Chanel beauty brushes I own. I’ve purchased many over the years each time they’ve revamped them and all but 1 has held up really well (one fell apart but it was after many years of owning it).
The Brush Set has brushes that seem to be the same quality as the individual brushes:
2-in-1 Foundation and Powder Brush 101 (angled, love this for bronzing creams)
Dior Beauty seems to be reformulating all of their products and the latest I’ve tried is the new Rosy Glow Blush ($40 each). Now available in six shades: Pink, Coral, Rosewood, Cherry, Berry and Mahogany. There are lots of mixed reviews on the new formula. After testing all the colors here are my thoughts. I also swatched the coordinating Addict Lip Maximizers to go with each blush shade. I know the Lip Oils are the more popular lip option from Dior these days but I really prefer the Lip Maximizers for the texture and colors.
I think the new formula performs just as well as the original for most of the colors. Color-wise the Original 001 Pink pulled a deeper more pigmented pink on my skin while the new 001 Pink pulls more true to pan and has a lighter baby pink finish. I think they are both really pretty on the skin. I like to use the pink on top of other blushes to add a pop of color.
Texture and finish depends on the color. I really love the colors Coral and Rosewood. The pigment is easy to control as these blend easily and layer nicely for more color. Coral makes for a really nice peachy summer color and Rosewood is your perfect year-round neutral.
I found the deeper bold shades to be really intimidating in the pan and initially thought Cherry, Berry and Mahogany were shades I would never wear. I didn’t buy them at first, but in the effort to try something new and different, and to give you a thorough review of the formula, I decided to order them anyways!
Cherry was a nice surprise with a red flush. Application is smooth and easy to blend out.
Berry has an intense color very contrasted with my skin but blended out ok. I wouldn’t call the application seamless – it did take some work to blend but it’s workable.
Mahogany was a streaky patchy mess and took a lot of blending to try to even out. Even after blending it still looked very uneven on my skin. I tried it as an eyeshadow and there is something about the undertone that doesn’t sit right with my olive skin.
Overall really happy with Pink, Coral and Rosewood. There are lots of beautiful powder blush formulas that launched this season and I think there is something for everyone.
That wraps up my Dior Rosy Glow Blush review! I think they’re beautiful. I don’t know that I would call them must-haves but they perform well, quality is there and I think the bold colors are fun for a more colorful look. The formula is really nice, but color-wise I feel like I’m more drawn to the Gucci or Armani powder blushes this season.
Have you tried the new blush launches this season? What formula is your favorite? Or are you reaching for colors in your current stash?
