Kicking off the holiday season with my first gift guide with ideas $25 and under! I’ve put together some ideas whether you’re looking for a stocking stuffer, co-worker gift or a gift exchange.
It’s starting to feel like the holiday season is here! Especially as the weather has shifted. We just put up our Christmas tree last night and are going to decorate it soon! With cooler dry temperatures my skin has definitely needed some adjustments in my routine. This is the first year I feel like my skin has been extra sensitive and dry. Here are a few things I’ve been loving lately. A number of these I’ve shared on Instagram but since there are several of you who aren’t on social I didn’t want you to miss out so I’m sharing them here too.
I feel like my body has experienced the most change with dry weather. Andrew has been feeling it too, so we’ve been using Shower Oils again. Right now we love the L’occitane Almond Shower Oil. I just discovered it comes in a value size and immediately ordered it. We’ve been using the standard option and go through it so fast and I love that the value size also has a pump.
We’ve also used and loved the Shea Butter version but the formula is not the same and I’m actually not a huge fan of the scent. I also think some of the Shea line has been reformulated and it’s just not quite the same as it used to be.
I also recently tried a new line called Cyklar and am obsessed. As a citrus lover I am head over heels in love with their Bergamot Bond and Naked Neroli Sensorial Body Washes. I received a press package with a few things and put one in my bathroom, the other in Andrew’s. We both love the gel oil-infused formula as it doesn’t dry out the skin and both smell INCREDIBLE. The line looks like it’s new and just starting, but I hope they expand these to perfumes or home scents.
Osea has been another line I’ve been loving for body care. I am obsessed with the Undaria Algae Body Oil and Body Lotion. These are quite a splurge but they do have quite a few good value sets. I finally bought the full-sizes in this Undaria Body Bestsellers Duo after going through several minis. I also love the travel sizes, they’re great for travel or your purse. The Bestsellers Body Care Set went with me on my October trips. I love the thick oil for extra hydration and the lotion absorbs well into the skin.
I’ve started using a new LED light mask and it is INCREDIBLE. I have been a fan of LED treatments for a while now and the Foreo FAQ 202 LED Mask is the most comfortable lightweight LED mask I have ever tried. I partnered with them to share a look at how I use it (see it in action and my favorite treatment here). I love that it’s cord-free and curved to mold to the shape of your face. It has 8 wavelengths and you can customize the intensity, pick your own light treatment or use their pre-programmed treatments via their app. I have been using it consistently 3-4 times per week and after a recent skin freak out, I can’t tell you how much I love this mask. It has been a game changer and really worked to calm it down with the Cyan LED, Blue LED and Yellow LED. It’s quite a splurge but they’ve given me a promo code to use for the Foreo website, use code SABRINAS10 to save an extra 10% off all items.
They have some great Black Friday deals and bundles going on right now. The code also works on top of the sale items (discount will be shown at checkout). I’m contemplating one of the LEDs for hair. My hair stylist said one of her clients splurged on the big ones that go on the entire top of the head and it really worked for her. I might try one of the smaller ones as Foreo has two that look really interesting.
Hair and scalp also need some changes for me, but luckily I don’t need to completely overhaul my routine. I started using the Kerastase Nutritive line again. It’s great for dry hair but doesn’t weight it down. I love the Split Ends Serum and Hydrating Scalp Serum. I’ve tried nearly every Kerastase scalp treatment and there are so many great one, but I really love the Nutritive one right now. They’re having a friends and family sale for 20% off sitewide with code FRIENDS24 (sets are excluded). They will most likely have some more promos for Black Friday and Cyber week as well.
I have purchased a few full-sized Guerlain perfumes in the past year but never realized you can customize and personalize the bottles! The Guerlain team gifted a Musc Outreblanc bottle with my name engraved on the back and a custom plated cap + ribbon/cord seal. As someone who has almost never ever been able to find my name available on any personalized items, anytime I have “Sabrina” on something it’s extra special. The second I opened the bottle I gasped. It’s something I will treasure!
I’ve gone down a rabbit hole with perfumes and another line I recently started exploring is The Harmonist. I’ve tried two scents so far (more on these soon) and I am in love with Moon Glory which is a beautiful honey scent. I can’t wait to try more.
For skincare I’ve been relying on my usual go-to’s but can’t rave enough about the La Mer Rejuvenating Night Cream. I know it is quite the splurge but I’ve been keeping this on my nightstand to apply at night and love it. It’s really made a huge difference and I am one who really doesn’t like to wear anything on my face at night. This one has the perfect consistency to hydrate without making me feel like a grease ball. Currently sold out at Sephora but in stock at Nordstrom.
A few makeup loves. I actually have a lot of recent favorites, but a couple shout outs. I am so happy to hear that many of you have also loved the new Tom Ford Lip Color reformulation and found some new loves. My go-to lip for the past week has been the Lip Color in Spanish Pink combined with the Lip Pencil in 101 Close Up (both reviewed + swatched here).
The eyeshadow palette that has been getting me the most compliments is the Urban Decay Moondust Quad. It’s still available at Kohl’s x Sephora if you have been thinking about it I recommend acting fast. (More gift ideas under $50 from Kohl’s here). I’m still thinking about the one that’s exclusive to Ulta Beauty too.
That wraps up some things I’ve been loving lately! Will be sharing some gift guides soon but wanted to quickly mention the Holiday Monogram Bistro Mugs are back. I think they’re so cute and make a great gift under $15. The red and green letters are so festive for the holidays. I also have the standard black tile ones. I ordered the holiday ones last year for a number of friends. Andrew loves his.
Stay tuned for some holiday gift guides, a few holiday makeup collection reviews and some fun giveaways!
Chanel launched another Holiday Beauty Set for this year called the Active Beauty Set ($221). It seems to be exclusive to Chanel.com and and Chanel beauty boutiques. The set has three full-sized permanent items in a large pouch. I love that Chanel released two sizes of pouches this year, the fluffy bag with the snowflake charm is so cute.
I ordered the Active Beauty Set online at Chanel.com and my order came with a cute little charm. I am not sure if all online orders come with one but I do know a lot of stores and counters have them with holiday purchases. The snowflake charm is one I got from my SA in store.
This set has the La Creme Main hand cream (my favorite for a non-sticky formula), UV Essentiel (love this formula) and a Hydra Beauty Essence Mist (scented but I love it).
Quick side by side look at the Active Beauty Set (large pouch) and Maximum Brilliance Set (small/regular pouch, swatches in this post here, still in stock!). You can buy all the items individually and they do not give you a price break for buying a set, but for a holiday gift I think the pouch sets have such a beautiful presentation and definitely have that wow factor.
Tom Ford reformulated a few of their lip products for the Lip Color Lipstick ($62 each) + Lip Pencils ($46). It seems a number of items are going through a revamp as it appears the Foundation Stick has been pulled (or not restocked) along with a few other items. I hauled quite a few of the new shades and am 10/10 happy with everything I picked out.
It has been a while since I’ve repurchased a Tom Ford lipstick and have to say I am shocked at the prices these days. I don’t know that luxury makeup is “worth” the steep price tags that keep increasing, but I have been really pleased with the performance, quality and colors with this particular haul. If you missed out on the Sephora sale, keep an eye out for upcoming holiday sales. A lot of retailers offer a good discount (flash sale) or gift card events and with Cyber Week approaching I’m sure you will be able to find these at a lower price.
Lip Color Lipstick
Tom Ford Beauty Lip Colors have been reformulated and with nearly every single brand revamping or repackaging I suppose it was only a matter of time before Tom Ford followed. The new formula has a little more slip to it. It glides on the lips better, isn’t quite as opaque, has a tiny bit of shine but still has great color payoff. I think the new formula is a noticeable improvement for a more modern look. The original was a classic for sure but because some of the colors were so opaque (especially the pale ones) they ended up looking a little too heavy.
The new formula looks a little more natural on the lips while still being a true classic lipstick formula. These still have the same classic soft vanilla scent and mahogany + gold packaging (which I love). I am a bit sad they didn’t keep all the shades though.
Shades I hauled below:
Spanish Pink is a nude pink, it’s more wearable and a bit warmer than the original
Sable Smoke is still the same flattering beige nude I remember (unfortunately I don’t have the original anymore to compare)
West Coast is a 90s kind of brown cinnamon sepia shade
Slip is a blue-based baby pink
Runway Rose is a plum pink rose
Casablanca is a mauve pink, the new one seems to have less grey undertone and I can actually wear the new version (the original one made me look a little ashy)
Impassioned is a pretty reddish plum, it’s almost identical to the original, I could barely tell the difference between the two variations
I ordered mine sight unseen and was lucky every single color works for me! Lasting power is just like the original formula and stays put for hours but fades nicely/evenly. These are a solid win for me.
Lip Pencil
Tom Ford revamped their Lip Pencil and the formula is exceptionally good. It’s everything I want in a lip liner! Formula is smooth, creamy, opaque, doesn’t look too dry on the lips and stays on the lips really well. They’re not completely budge-proof but they adhere well to the lips. I do miss some of the shades in the older formula (ones with the brush) but the four I picked are stunning. The colors I bought are all variations of a neutral tone.
101 Close-Up is a nude pink
102 Re-See is a light beige
103 Irresistible is a tan brown
106 A-List is the perfect brown tone
Overall some solid wins even though I’m not too happy about the ridiculously steep prices. Quality is 10/10 and they launched some really beautiful classic colors that you can apply without any fuss or tweaking.
I picked mine up from Sephora and Nordstrom. Available at all Tom Ford Beauty counters now.
I have a Gucci Beauty haul to share for the holiday collection! If any of these items catch your eye I recommend buying them quickly because they are limited-edition and one of the blush shades has already sold out.
I spotted the Holiday Quad Eyeshadow Palette in Festive Glow (Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue) last month while traveling. I shared a quick snapshot asking what many of you thought about this palette. I initially passed because it was a glitter fallout mess when I swatched at the counter. An overwhelming amount of responses told me to give it a second try. Many of you said on the eyes it blends better and there was no fall out with a brush application. You were RIGHT! This is a beautiful quad with three shimmer sparkles and one soft matte.
Colors are beautiful but the formula is just ok in my opinion. It’s a solid B+/A- for me in terms of texture, the matte is on the sheer/soft side but I do think that was the intent with this creation. I do think the shades are dupeable across different palettes but they are extremely beautiful for a holiday eye look. I am happy I bought this although I would not call it a must-have.
Holiday Blush de Beaute
I love the Gucci Blush de Beaute formula and especially the new shades (peach is still available at Sephora, Saks and Bloomingdale’s). It’s a satiny luminous matte. The pigment is soft but easy to build. Soft Peach is a very soft brownish nude peach on my skin, it is very natural looking because of my skin tone but I love the look and finish. Intense Ruby surprised me because it looks a little intimidating in the pan. It’s a raspberry pink but is very easy to blend. Right now the ruby shade seems to be sold out but I do think it’s close to the True Plum shade. If you can find it definitely snag it as fast as you can!
Soft Peach
Intense Ruby
Hydrating Plumping Glosses
Another initial miss for me was the Hydrating Plumping Gloss (Sephora, Gucci Beauty, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s). I picked up the light pink shade Bertha Pink months ago and I was not impressed. There was no color payoff and the tingle was pretty intense. Not to mention the very strong cherry-like scent. I was again swayed by many of you to try again, but a different shade and thanks to you I did! The darker or bolder shades definitely show up on the lips and the plumping effect is the most intense I’ve seen on my lips. It volumizes the size of my lips dramatically and the tingle/scent only stays for a few minutes then fades. I am glad to report these do not numb my lips but your mileage may vary depending on your sensitivity.
Bertha Pink is a pretty pink in the tube but gives zero color. Suzane Brown is a soft brown shade. Mina Rosewood is the new shade for HOLIDAY which is a plum mauve (I love this color).
Holiday Collection swatches, there are also some red lipsticks I think are repromotes but I didn’t end up picking any up
Overall some beautiful launches. Quite the splurge so if you’re looking to save I recommend picking them up at Sephora while the sale is still here!
With the Sephora sale in full swing I’m sharing my favorites in skincare, body care and fragrance today. As a beauty creator I am fortunate to be able to try a wide range of products. I love trying new skincare but to keep my list edited I’m focusing on my tried and true staples, ie products I repurchase over and over again. Dates and details below, use code SAVINGS if shopping online! (some exclusions apply):
Rouge members 20% off: 11/1 – 11/11
VIBs 15% off: 11/5 – 11/11
Insiders 10% off: 11/5 – 11/11
All Sephora Collection 30% off: 11/1 – 11/11
Makeup Removers and Cleansers
For removing makeup double cleansing is still a must to effectively remove all traces of makeup or sunscreen. I love a good cleansing oil but my favorite isn’t sold at Sephora (it’s this one from Chanel). I do have several solid balm makeup removers I love which I’ll list below.
Farmacy Green Clean is one of the best makeup remover balms. I love the classic one and this is the one I always keep stocked at home, but their limited-edition scented ones are always so fun for me to try.
Elemis and Clinique also make great solid cleansing balms, but I feel like the Farmacy one is the best and most effective.
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser is the best everyday cleanser for me and Andrew. After trying dozens of cleansers over the years I have to say this has the best consistency to clean the skin without drying it.
Serums and Moisturizers
I’ve been neglecting essence treatments this year but I think I need to start using one again since they really make a difference! I just repurchased the La Mer Treatment Lotion for the sale.
I would rank the La Mer and Charlotte Tilbury in my top 2 right now. Those are the two formulas I packed with me in October. While La Mer is quite the splurge, I do think it has been worth it for me. I have repurchased the Moisturizing Soft Cream multiple times and also bought one to gift to my sister-in-law for Mother’s Day and she loves it.
With any of these formulas I highly recommend checking out a travel set or value set to try first. I always find it helpful to try something in a smaller size to sample before committing to the full size. Some great options:
Several of you asked me if I use retinol or tretinoin – I do not. I have really loved the Kiehl’s Micro-Dose Retinol Serum in the past but haven’t repurchased in a while. Right now I’ve been loving La Mer’s new Rejuvenating Night Cream. I’ve been using this for several months now and every other night (it is suitable to use nightly though) and I 10/10 love it.
Eye Treatments
I have a few eye treatments I love from Sephora. The La Mer Eye Concentrate Cream is my go-to right now. It has the best consistency and texture for me – not too thick and not too thin. It helps with fine lines and hydration.
I have used pore clearing and detox masks the most this year out of any face mask or treatment. I have three I think are 100% worth checking out. Innisfree Super Volcanic AHA Pore Clearing Clay Mask is one of the most gentle pore masks I’ve tried and I’m obsessed. Caudalie Pore Minimizing Instant Detox Mask is also excellent but it’s on the stronger side (absorbs a LOT of excess oil). A few readers recommended the La Mer Deep Purifying Mask to me earlier this year. I decided to give it a try and it 10/10 lives up to the hype from you! It is quite the splurge and currently sold out online but you can always add the notification restock alert to your account if you’re interested.
I love trying different body washes and shower creams. I don’t have any loyalty to a particular formula or brand as I love trying new ones all the time. I will say I gravitate towards ones that can be unisex or have that clean smell because Andrew likes to use them too. Our top three most repurchased formulas are the Ouai Dean Street Body Wash, Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Play Body Wash and Jack Black Turbo Wash. I will say that for winter the turbo wash is a little too drying so we’ve switched it out for the Necessaire Body Wash in Santal (love this Body Wash Discovery Set they’ve launched this year).
For a shower oil Andrew loves the L’occitane Almond Shower Oil. We used to love the Shea Shower Cream but they changed the formula/scent recently and it has an unflattering floral scent to it now.
That wraps up my current skincare and body care favorites! I know finding the best skincare can be overwhelming as it really takes time to try and see if something works for your skin type or needs. I really wish there was 1 single brand I could use all of my skincare from. If I had to pick just one I think Drunk Elephant has the best variety and range.
If you’re looking for recommendations I hope you found this post helpful!
Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint – one of my most-reached for skin tints that has a very fluid texture and sheer finish, I wear Shade 4 or 5
It Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow – has a little more coverage than a traditional skin tint, but the best CC+ cream I’ve tried because it’s not as heavy as most, I wear Medium Tan
All of my favorite skin tints are reviewed in this Best Skin Tints for Summer post (note not all of them are available at Sephora, but it has all my shades + swatches listed).
Dior Forever Skin Perfect Foundation Stick – one of the newest foundations I’ve tried and love, it blends out easily and feels weightless on the skin, I wear 2.5N or 3N, application in action here
I feel like I don’t have new favorites for powders except for those Hourglass Palettes which are sold out online. There are 3 favorites I have with shimmer and 3 more that are more satiny/matte.
Laura Mercier Blush Color Infusion – a classic formula that will work for any skin type or age, particularly beautiful if you don’t want to wear shimmer
That wraps up my makeup favorites for the holiday savings event! What’s on your list/radar?
I’m going to be hosting several giveaways this holiday season! Kicking it off with a $250 egift card for Sephora (US site) to one Beauty Lookbook reader! It is open to anyone 18+ and to enter for a chance to win, use the widget below to enter. Best if you open this on a desktop browser or Chrome. Giveaway ends 11/5/2024 11:45 PM est. I’ll pick a winner from the entries within 48 hours and announce on this blog post and email them directly from [email protected].
