Sharing three gift guides today with Holiday Gift Ideas for the home! I have three roundups including cute Hostess Gift Ideas, Work From Home Gifts for the home office, and also gifts for the Kitchen.
I love Aesop for the home and the Protector Set has all of my favorites for the home. I ordered some USB lighters and really like them! I think pairing this with a cute candle would make a great gift. You girls know I love APL Slides and I still love their seasonal Shearling Slides (I plan on buying this year’s colors for myself too). You can’t go wrong with a cozy throw or blanket and I 100% love Barefoot Dreams! Also love Marshall Speakers and I have the Uxbridge Speaker in my home office. Has a lot of power, great sound, but compact so it doesn’t take up a lot of shelf or desk space.
Rounded up some cute ideas for the kitchen and home! I swear by my Nespresso Vertuo Next Machine since it makes both coffee and espresso. I used to work at Williams-Sonoma for years and put a lot of tools to the test in their cooking class demos and love both Staub and Le Creuset for dutch ovens or mini coquettes. I own both brands and use them weekly. A cute cheese board + knife set is a no-fail gift! And I also love the Williams-Sonoma Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. Olio Santo is another favorite. I’ve used them for over a decade!
I pulled some gift ideas for the home office especially since many of us work from home these days. I found a lot of things I actually want for myself! Two things I use on a regular basis are water bottles and tumblers. I own and love both the Lululemon Water Bottle and Yeti Tumblers. I think either make for great practical gifts people will actually use. Andrew bought me these Jaybird Vista2 Headphones recently which I really love. I have small ears that are sensitive and I really like that these have interchangeable ear gels that fit my ear shape/size without hurting them. They come with a charging case and the battery life is very good!
Shop the Post
If you’re looking for home gift ideas I hope you found some inspiration here!
I’m excited to share a Holiday Gift Guide today with some cute finds from Nordstrom for the Hostess and Home. There are so many fun seasonal scents this time of year for candles, shower gels, hand soaps and diffusers! For the new home owner or for the hostess you can’t go wrong bringing a chic candle (or set), fancy hand washes, room sprays or diffusers.
NEST
Nest has some beautiful options I think have excellent throw and festive notes. I love their Festive Votive Candle Set ($48) with 3 votives in Holiday, Birchwood Pine and Blue Cypress & Snow. The Festive Petite Diffuser Set ($54) is super cute! There are a few variations and I ordered the one with Birchwood Pine, Holiday and Spiced Orange and Clove. I got this as a gift but will probably order one for myself too.
JO MALONE
Jo Malone always has beautiful holiday options. I literally want them all but opted to try the White Moss and Snowdrop Candle ($74) which is a beautiful soft delicate scent. It’s hard to describe but it’s fresh, moss-like with a white floral vibe. This is the perfect holiday scent for those who don’t like pine or gourmand scents in their home. I think their Pine and Eucalyptus is a classic for holiday. They have it in a Scent Surround Diffuser ($105) and Room Spray ($74) too.
MOLTON BROWN
Molton Brown has the best hand soap sets and mini shower gel sets! I think these are versatile for any age and style. Their Holiday Cracker Bath and Shower Gel Set ($25) makes for the perfect stocking stuffer. They also have a Men’s Cracker Set ($25) and if you want to splurge the Stocking Filler Collection ($50) has 10 minis.
Another great brand for hand care is Aesop. I love their sets especially during the holiday. Anyone can use some extra love and care for their hands these days and I love their Adventurer Roll Up Set ($67) which comes with their Resurrection Rinse Free Hand Wash, Hand Mist and Aromatique Hand Balm in a canvas rolled pouch.
I’ve saved my favorite for last with Diptyque! I look forward to their holiday scents every year and I think the design this year is one of the most stunning! I love the festive design and the full-size candles come with a gold lid this year. Sapin ($42- 78) is their classic smoky pine I think everyone should try. There are two other scents which are lovely in Biscuit (smells like a gingerbread cookie!) and Flocon (floral). Love their Candle Set ($126) which is a trio of the small holiday candles.
Last but not least if you’re looking for a splurge gift to impress, the large Baies Candle ($195 for 21 oz) comes in a beautiful matte vessel with 3 wicks. Their Hourglass Diffusers ($195) make for a beautiful accent piece with great throw that you can control when you turn the hourglass around. Their latest addition for holiday is their Glass Reed Diffuser ($190) which comes in a few different scent options. The strength of this one is pretty potent and you can buy the refills separately.
I still love the Best of Baies Set ($135) which has a small candle, mini room spray (love) and a scented oval.
Today is the last day of the Sephora Holiday Savings Event and I have a haul roundup of what I bought with a few first impressions. I haven’t been able to try or swatch everything but hope to soon! Would love to hear about your haul picks for the sale!
Use code YAYHOLIDAY at checkout:
Rouge Members: Save 20% off purchase from 11/5 – 11/15
VIB Members: Save 15% off purchases from 11/9 – 11/15
Insider Tier: Save 10% 11/11 – 11/15
Bath, Body + Hair
I’ll start with my favorites for the bath and hair styling!
Fresh Rice Sake Bath ($82) has returned and I could not be more thrilled. I am 100% a bath person and this is one of my favorite bath soaks. It doesn’t bubble up but you put 1-2 capfuls (or as much as you want) into the bath and soak. It has such a relaxing therapeutic feel and I truly feel a difference after using this. I am debating ordering a few more before the sale is over because it’s so expensive.
Fresh Body Sugar Body Polish Exfoliator ($67 for 400 g) is another favorite of mine. This is a hydrating scrub with real brown sugar crystals and oils blended into a body scrub. It has an oily moisturizing finish. I love this because it smells like a citrus blend of sugar and lemon.
Christophe Robin Perfect Hair Gift Set ($53, $74 value) has a full-size Cleansing Purifying Scalp Scrub and mini Regenerating Hair Mask. I had forgotten about the scalp scrub and am so glad to have it again. It’s great for cleansing the scalp without stripping it. I do think if you have ultra fine hair though you may find it challenging to rinse out.
T3 Aire Brush Duo ($179.99) has been on my radar for a few weeks now and I thought this sale was the perfect time to buy it. Unfortunately, it has sold out online at Sephora but I’d recommend keeping an eye out for it at other retailers like Nordstrom, T3, Ulta etc for upcoming Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals. Full review to come soon but I love it. I wish this was available last year because I would have asked for this for Christmas instead of the Dyson Airwrap Styler (which I love but still can’t get over how expensive it is).
Pros: Multiple heat settings and air flow options, gives my hair an ultra smooth blowout, interchangeable brushes, suitable for fine hair with all the options.
Cons: Price and will not cut down on dry time. The instructions say you need to rough dry your hair with your current favorite hair dryer to about 80% before you use this tool. To me if that’s the case I’d rather just go with the Dyson because the cost of a regular hair dryer + blow dry brush will amount to about the same. Although you can always just towel dry or air dry your hair first.
I still think the Amika Blow Dry Brush is a great option, especially in the Blowout Buffet Blow Dryer Set ($99). The T3 is definitely built better with more options, but the Amika is a great product that will get the job done. I find the Amika brush has more power/force even.
Huda Beauty
I have a few Huda Beauty picks from a while back along with a few new tries. The GloWish Multidew Vegan Skin Tint ($37) is a base I picked up over the summer. A few months ago I was a lot more tan and Shade 06 Medium Tan was a good match but I knew my skin would lighten for fall/winter. I also bought 06 Medium which is actually too dark for me now because this tint oxidizes/darkens. I like this mixed with another foundation or tinted moisturizer. By itself I find it too glowy and heavy looking for everyday although it does not feel heavy (if that makes sense).
GloWish Luminous Pressed Powder Foundation in 05 Medium ($33) is a really nice powder foundation with a luminous glow I find wearable and not over the top. I also find this oxidizes a little so I will need to order one shade lighter. For me the trick to making sure my powder foundation does not look cakey is to apply with a loose brush and also to layer on top of a tinted moisturizer or sheer foundation. If I apply on moisturized/primed skin I often find the pigments adhere too much to the skin and makes it look heavy. I like this although I don’t think it will be for everyone.
GloWish Soft Radiance Bronzer ($31) in Medium 02 and Tan Light 03. I am wearing Medium in this post and I love these. These have a soft satin finish with a tiny bit of glow. (Also available in a mini size.)
GloWish Cheeky Vegan Blush ($21) in Happy Peach and Caring Coral are pretty peachy blushes. The lighter shade Happy Peach is a little too light in color for me but I can make it work by layering both shades. Sometimes it’s nice to have a sheer wash of subtle color on the cheeks versus something that pops. Formula is soft, blends easily, lasts long. I hope they add more colors!
Wearing Armani Luminous Silk Foundation + Huda Beauty GloWish Tint in Medium, Soft Radiance Bronzer in Medium + Cheeky Blush in Happy Peach, Armani Lip Power 103, NARS Mini Palette in Laguna
Eye Makeup
I picked up all three NARS Unwrapped Mini Eyeshadow Palettes ($25 each) in Orgasm, Laguna and Dolce Vita. I love these because they have all the colors you need for a full eye look in a mini palette form. So far I’ve only tried Laguna and I love it enough to order another one. It has a beautiful mix of bronze, gold, brown, mattes and shimmers. They are incredibly tiny but to me these are the perfect vacation palettes – packable, won’t take up a lot of space, enough for an entire eye look!
I also ordered the Anastasia Beverly Hills Primrose Palette ($55) and have mixed feelings. I think I need to play around with it more. Overall quality and pigment is phenomenal. Shadows are like one swipe wonders and easy to blend. I’m just not sure the colors are for my skin tone. The palette runs fairly deep and warm even though there are some cool tones mixed in.
Lip Picks
I hauled a lot of lip products I had on my wishlist! The Armani Lip Power ($38) is a really nice formula! It’s a satin finish long-wear and it almost has a velvety finish when you swipe them on the lips. I hauled neutral colors and love them all, although the 500-range shades I picked don’t appear as cool-toned/rose as the stock swatch photos. They still ended up working for me but I was expecting some mauves or pinks but I think it could just be my skin and lip undertone.
Summer Fridays launched their Lip Butter Balm Trio ($48) with their Clear, Vanilla Beige and Brown Sugar (new). This unfortunately sold out already at Sephora but you can still find it at Summer Fridays, Revolve and Net-A-Porter.
That wraps up my Sephora haul and first impressions of some of the things I tried! If I had to pick my top 3 favorites that I hauled so far it would include:
T3 AireBrush Dryer
Fresh Rice Sake Bath
NARS Mini Palette in Laguna
Shop the Post
What did you haul? Or did you find any good deals/sales elsewhere?
I have my first Holiday Gift Guide of the year with some Budget Picks $25 and Under! Rounding up some cute ideas for stocking stuffers or White Elephant options.
Sephora Sets
Lots of cute lip sets, mini palettes and some good skincare options from Sephora. If you’re shopping the Holiday Savings Event don’t forget to use code YAYHOLIDAY at checkout!
_________
For the Desk/Home
Cute ideas for those who work from home, yourself or co-workers!
_________
Nordstrom Sets
Love the hand cream and mini skincare sets from Nordstrom. Also love their good return policy which makes it easy for the recipient to exchange items without any fuss.
_________
Ulta Sets
_________
Tarte Sets
Cute ideas that are budget-friendly. Nice for teens, those who are just getting into makeup, or those who want no-fuss easy to apply formulas.
Doing a fun roundup today with a look at some of my favorite everyday off-shoulder and one-shoulder tops! I get so many questions about my tops from Instagram Stories I thought I’d do a roundup. I love the longer-sleeve options that are lightweight so they still have some movement. These are fun to wear especially during the holiday season. If you’re looking for some casual but chic options to wear for Thanksgiving hope this gives you some ideas!
Free People Fuji Thermal Off Shoulder Top
Free People Fuji Thermal Top ($49) – Love this medium weight waffle weave with a fitted look. Feels like a thick tee with minimal stretch. Also has a thumbhole cutout. This is the one I get the most questions about! It sells out quite frequently so you may have to shop around for your size/color. Also available at Revolve, Nordstrom, Dillard’s, Lulu’s.
Treasure and Bond Off the Shoulder Thermal Knit Top
The Off the Shoulder Thermal Knit Top ($49) has been a long-time favorite and I love the seasonal colors! In general Treasure and Bond runs on the larger size so I go for a size down. This one is a thin waffle weave. It is semi-sheer (not see through though). You can wear this off both shoulders, on the shoulders with a wider neckline or off one shoulder. Makeup breakdown in my Charlotte Tilbury roundup post.
____________
Treasure and Bond Off the Shoulder Thermal Knit Top
Treasure and Bond Ribbed One-Shoulder Pullover ($69) is one I bought recently that has a thicker weave. It’s warm and cozy but for me runs on the long side. I love the way it feels and the color but think it is just too long. I can tuck it in but am undecided at this point.
Linked all of my favorites plus a few other styles I’ve found that I have on my radar. Some cute styles also from Shopbop, Express, Line and Dot and more below.
The Sephora Holiday Savings Event is here! Early Access for Rouge Members starts today from 11/5 through 11/15! I’ve partnered with Sephora to share a look at the Top 10 Beauty Sets to gift this year. There are lots of great value sets to pick from at all price points for any beauty lover.
You can shop the Holiday Savings Event with code YAYHOLIDAY online (also available in stores). You can use the code more than one time if you shop multiple times. Access dates and savings per tier this year are as follows:
Rouge Members: Save 20% off purchase from 11/5 – 11/15
VIB Members: Save 15% off purchases from 11/9 – 11/15
Insider Tier: Save 10% 11/11 – 11/15
All Sephora Collection products are 30% off (no code needed). Some exclusions and limitations apply. Rouge Members can also bring a friend to shop in store and they can also receive 20% off as long as they are a beauty insider! Here are 10 Beauty Sets to put on your radar for gifting this year!
Sephora Favorites Swipe of Lip Color Lipstick & Lip Balm Set
The Sephora Favorites Sets are pretty good this year! The Sephora Favorites Swipe of Lip Color Lipstick & Lip Balm Set ($36) comes with three full-sized lip products and two minis in a good range of colors to take you through the holiday season. It includes the YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick in 70 Le Nu (mini), NARS Velvet Matte Lipstick in Cruella (full-size), Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Vanilla Beige (full-size), Huda Beauty Lip Contour 2.0 in Honey Beige (full-size), Clinique Black Honey Lipstick (mini).
Sephora Favorites Bestselling Beauty Must-Haves Set
The Sephora Favorites Bestselling Beauty Must-Haves Set ($54) is another great value set with a little bit of everything including a beautyblender, Natasha Denona Mini Biba Palette, Mini Nars Laguna Bronzer along with some products for the lashes, skin and hair.
Sephora Favorites Healthy Hair Must-Haves Kit
For the hair care lover the Sephora Favorites Healthy Hair Must-Haves Kit ($38) is a great value set to give! I bought this as a gift but am considering getting another one for myself. There are a lot of items I haven’t tried that are in this kit.
Olaplex Holiday Set
Every year the Olaplex sets sell out, so I highly recommend acting fast on the Olaplex Healthy Hair Essentials ($60). This is one of my favorite brands for strengthening hair. I cannot live without their Shampoo and Conditioner!
Amika Blowout Buffet Blow Dryer Brush Set
I shopped early for myself to test a few items. As much as I adore the Dyson Airwrap Styler, I wanted to find a more affordable option for a blow-out brush that I could recommend. The Amika Blowout Buffet Blow Dryer Brush Set ($99) is a pretty good tool if you’re looking for a blow dryer + brush in one. This set has their Hair Blow Dryer Brush along with the Amika Wizard Detangling Primer and Perk Up Dry Shampoo. The brush is really easy to use and gives me a smooth blow out. I’ll towel dry hair first and then use the brush dryer in sections. If you find using a round brush + blow dryer challenging, this is a great alternative that makes getting a smooth blowout super easy.
beautyblender Sponge Set
There’s no other sponge quite as good as the beautyblenders and I’m always on the lookout for sets during the holiday. The Beautyblender Loaded Sundae Makeup Sponge Set ($49, $78 value) has three sponges, a solid cleanser and a scrub mat inside.
Skincare Sets
The Peel Pads from Dr Dennis Gross come highly recommended but I have not tried them yet! I thought the Peel.Love.Joy Set ($34, $51 value) was a good set to try since it has all three variations for Extra Strength, Universal and Gentle.
I’m a huge fan of the Farmacy Beauty Green Clean Cleanser so I knew I had to get the Farmacy Garden Party Green Clean Trio ($42). These are mini solid cleansers in scented options (but still suitable for my sensitive skin). It makes removing makeup at the end of the day a lot more fun and the cleanser is really effective!
The Tarte Bow and Go Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm Set ($35) is something I can’t rave enough about it. You get 4 full-sized balms packaged in 2 sets of 2 which makes them easy to gift! I’m getting multiples of these to give this year as stocking stuffers. The formula is hydrating and glossy. Colors have good color payoff for a balm. The click style applicator is fun. Colors in this set are Coconut, Petal, Orchid and Wild Berry.
The Sephora Holiday Savings Event is back with early access for Rouge Members starting on 11/5. You can shop the Holiday Savings Event with code YAYHOLIDAY online (also available in stores). Code is multi-use and for Rouge Members you can bring in a friend to shop in store and they will also receive 20% off as long as they are a Beauty Insider. Access dates and savings per tier this year are as follows:
Rouge Members: Save 20% off purchase from 11/5 – 11/15
VIB Members: Save 15% off purchases from 11/9 – 11/15
Insider Tier: Save 10% 11/11 – 11/15
Sephora Collection items are 30% off. (Some exclusions and limits apply.) I’ll have a few roundups and reviews throughout the savings event. For today’s roundup I’ve included my Top 3 in every makeup category. (A few categories I couldn’t narrow it down to just 3, but I’ve still kept it edited.) If you’re looking for my recommendations of the best keep reading!
Foundation
Best Matte Foundations
Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation – the best long-wear matte foundation that looks natural, doesn’t oxidize, smooths out skin and gives me airbrushed looking skin (I wear Buff)
Dior Forever Skin Glow Foundation – medium buildable coverage, evens out imperfections, good shade range and various undertone options (does oxidize slightly, I wear 2.5N or 3N)
Best Satin Finish Foundation
Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection Foundation – best classic in between finish, not too dewy or matte, good coverage, good shade range, looks natural and makes skin look healthier (I wear 14 or 15, reviewed here)
Fenty Eaze Drops Blurring Skin Tint – nice lightweight tint but still offers decent coverage for a natural finish blurring tint (I wear Shade 10)
Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick – a nice foundation stick, pricey but offers natural medium coverage, blends well and looks nice on the skin (I wear Shade VI, on the face here)
Best Sheer Tints
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer – a classic no-fuss dewy sheer tint to add a bit of color and tiny bit of coverage, for the no-makeup-makeup kind of person (I wear 3N1 or 3W1, on the face here)
I prefer creamy concealers so they are easier to blend and melt into the skin, favorites + my must-have setting powder:
Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer – probably my favorite right now, makes me look more alive, brightens under the eye area and covers any red spots well (swatches here)
There are so many great highlighters, it was a challenge to narrow it down to just three, especially with the holiday launches, but if I had to just pick three:
Fenty Gloss Bomb and Fenty Gloss Bomb Cream tied – love love love so much, really like this year’s Glossy Posse (on the lips here)! Still adore Fussy and Fenty Glow (worn in this older post here)
That wraps up my best-of list! Stay tuned for another roundup coming tomorrow with a look at some of the best sets! To recap, the Sephora Holiday Savings Event access dates and savings per tier this year are as follows:
Rouge Members: Save 20% off purchase from 11/5 – 11/15
VIB Members: Save 15% off purchases from 11/9 – 11/15
