Happy Friday! I’m rounding up a few things I’ve been loving right now. I have a mix of things for hair, lips, nails and more I’ve had in rotation. As always I’d love to hear yours as well!
Hair Care Loves
For hair care there are four things I’ve been loving lately! I’ve still been obsessed with the Living Proof Instant De-frizzer to help smooth out the hair. It dispenses a super fine mist. I spray on dry hair and brush it through. I’ve gone through several minis of this one!
I remember back in the day when the original Kiehl’s Creme with Silk Groom was in every magazine and considered a cult classic. Did you use this in the early 2000s? Or do you still use it? I haven’t used Kiehl’s haircare in quite some time but ordered the Silk Groom Serum and the Smoothing Oil-Infused Leave-In Concentrate to try and am 100% obsessed. I’ve been using both as a pre-heat treatment before blow drying. Out of the two I prefer the Silk Groom Serum because it has a more lightweight feel. It really does help smooth hair and add shine without weighing it down.
The Smoothing Oil-Infused Leave-In Concentrate has a sweeter scent to it, it’s also a bit heavier but not too heavy. If you have super dry hair I’d recommend this one. For me I like to add it on the ends (dry).
For lips I’ve re-discovered my Bobbi Brown Crushed Oil Infused Gloss for a soft balm like oil/gloss in one. The colors are perfect for everyday, I want to order a few more shades. Colors shown New Romantic and In the Buff, but I’ve also swatched two others I have.
I just did a fun Pink and Red nail polish roundup, but the OPI Neutrals still have my heart. I feel Samoan Sand is the best everyday neutral clean polished beige that makes my hands look more put together. I also really love Pale to the Chief, Tiramsu for Two and Machu Peach-U.
For the eyes, my latest discovery is the Too Faced The Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette. This launched a while ago and it had been on my radar for a while. I was worried it might be too warm or glittery but it’s actually perfect. I think this may be my new favorite eyeshadow palette of the year! Let me know if you want a full review + swatches.
Current Mascara Obsession
Last but not least, I have been obsessed with the Maybelline Sky High Mascara. I’ve tried both the regular and waterproof version and like them both. It’s still pretty hard to find online but I’ve seen it restock several times at Target, Ulta and Walmart. If you haven’t tried it I highly recommend giving it a look! It’s one of the few rubber applicators that actually works for me!
What have you been loving lately? New reviews coming soon including the Pat McGrath Divine Rose Collection (spoiler alert is that it’s amazing), new Chanel and some NARS newness too.
I’ve swatched and rounded up some pink and red nail polishes to try for Valentine’s Day! OPI is one of my favorite brands for nail polish and they just launched their new Hollywood Collection. I received a few press samples to try but the ones that stood out to me were the lighter shades so I ordered them from Ulta (also available at Amazon). I decided to swatch of the new ones alongside a few of their classics. Colors I have swatched are all with two coats. I found they applied smoothly – I tend to prefer the opaque colors anyways!
It has been ages since I did a nail polish wheel swatch! I thought it might be helpful to do a side by side with a few other shades mixed in for reference:
You can find the new Hollywood shades available at Ulta Beauty and Amazon. Other classic colors are more widely available. Do you like pinks or reds for nails? What are your favorites? (I’ve linked a few of my favorite base and top coats below as well.)
Shop the Post:
Press samples include OPI Princesses Rule, I’m Really an Actress, 15 Minutes of Flame. All others purchased by me.
Natasha Denona recently launched her Mini Love Collection with new shades for eyes, lips ad cheeks. I’m thrilled to be able to share a look at the new collection today! She also added new shades of pencils in her I Need a Nude Lip Liner formula and I hauled a few colors from Sephora.
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Natasha Denona Love Cheek Duo
The Natasha Denona Love Cheek Duo has a soft cream blush in a pink coral cream and an iridescent pink gold shimmer. The cream dries down to a soft matte finish and while it’s more of a baby pink on me once blended it looks more natural and soft. The shimmery highlighter has a beautiful multi-dimensional sheen that flashes pink and gold without being too glitzy.
The product description says the Cream Blush in the Duo is the same as the cream from her Diamond and Blush Palette Darya (reviewed here). I pulled mine out to compare even though it’s pretty old and the colors are identical on my skin. The Highlighter in this Duo is similar to the Duo Glow in the Diamond Palette but the one in the new duo pulls more pink in undertone.
Up next is her Mini Love Palette. I love her mini eyeshadow palettes because they come with perfectly coordinated colors for a complete look. The colors in this palette all perform beautifully – there is a nice mix of mattes and shimmers. Quality and performance wise colors blend nicely, they’re pigmented, lasting power is good. I just didn’t like the colors for me. I personally do not like purple eyeshadows for me. They don’t mix well with my olive complexion.
Colors include a sparkling mauve pink, matte mauve, deep matte plum, shimmery pale pink and shimmery rose pink.
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I Need a Nude Lipstick in Amorosa
For the lips there’s a new lip color called Amorosa which is a nude pink. Her nude lip colors come in a wide range of options and undertones, many are too light for my complexion, but I really like the look of Amorosa! It’s a nude pink and gives me a true-nude lip look. It is better if I pair it with a slightly deeper lip pencil and blend but I’ve swatched it below by itself for you to get an idea of how it looks. It’s creamy, opaque and has full coverage.
Last but not least as a nude lip lover I hauled some of her I Need a Nude Lip Pencils. Formula-wise they’re perfect. They have a smooth texture with high pigment and a natural matte finish. They’re not drying and glide on the lips perfectly. Lasting power is phenomenal and stays put for hours without budging or fading.
Color-wise I think these are best when used as a lip liner and combined with a lipstick + gloss. I know many of you like to use liners as a line and fill kind of product, like a lip crayon. For me these nudes pull too nude if I apply all over the lips. If you go to her Instagram @natashadenona and look at her Live Swatches highlights she has really helpful demo, application tips and live swatches.
For color selection nudes can be tricky depending on your skin and natural lip tone. A lot of nudes that I like don’t always work for you especially if you don’t have warm olive tones like me. My pigmented lips vary in color day to day. Sometimes they’re pink, other times they’re more purple, other days they look more brown. For me these lip pencils look really similar on my arm. If you look at the swatches on the @natashadenona Instagram Highlights you will see the colors have more variation on lighter skin tone.
She has her lip pencils labeled with a color code to distinguish the undertone (NP = neutral pink, NB = neutral beige). Colors I bought (please note they look so close on my arm in the photo but there are differences in undertone, especially when on the lips):
NP1 Natasha – light neutral mauve pink
NP2 Ilona – light medium pink brown
NP3 Julia – medium pink
NB2 Noa – medium beige
NB3 Dana – cool beige brown
The two that worked best for me are Ilona and Julia, but they pull very light on my complexion. The Pat McGrath Permagel Lip Pencil colors in Done Undone or Buff or Structure work better for my lip tone and complexion for a natural lip (swatched here) – but these have more color while the Natasha Denona Lip Pencils are nudes just as the name implies. Below wearing
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That wraps my look at the new items from Natasha Denona! You can find her new items available at Sephora and Beautylish. Hope you found these swatches helpful. Did you check out anything from her new launch yet? What did you think?
Mini Love collection provided for review. Lip liners purchased by me.
One of the most frequently asked skincare questions I get is how to treat dark spots and post-acne scars. Living in Florida I’m exposed to a lot of sunshine and I’ve experienced hyperpigmentation in patches around my cheeks from the sun. My skin is usually pretty good in terms of having minimal acne and break outs, but some are unavoidable. Even if I’m careful to not pick my face, my skin is often left with post-acne scars and dark marks. The good news is that these spots can indeed be treated! I’m excited to share a look at one of my favorite dark spot correctors from Kiehl’s today. The Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution is a great serum to help brighten the skin and treat hyperpigmentation.
According to their trials, after 1 bottle:
97% of women saw significant reduction in hyperpigmentation
97% of women saw significant reduction in dark spots
87% saw reduction in post acne scars
The Kiehl’s Dark Spot Solution formula has Activated C (stabilized form of Vitamin C) to help with dullness and uneven skin tone. It also contains Buffered Salicylic Acid to break up discoloration.
You can use this serum a number of ways, either as a spot treatment or as an all over face serum morning and night. Kiehl’s recommends using the serum to treat discoloration on hands, neck or chest which I am going to try soon!
My favorite way to use this is as a spot treatment on areas that I have noticeable darker patches or sun spots. For acne scars and discoloration I feel it’s important to treat those as soon as possible to prevent longer-term scarring.
Seeing results will take time and consistent use. Time to see results will depend on the level of hyperpigmentation or discoloration you have. For my cheek bone sun spots I saw a noticeable difference within a couple of weeks. For my acne scars, I usually see dark spots form immediately after the acne has healed. The dark spots stay around for weeks and don’t fade until the skin has fully regenerated and everything has resurfaced. I applied the Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution as a spot treatment on my chin area where I had break outs and the scars started to fade immediately. It significantly sped up the healing process for my post-acne scars. I can’t emphasize how important it is to treat acne scars as soon as you can to prevent discoloration from developing and settling in. It’s also important to combine brightening treatments with SPF and moisturizer to protect and nourish the skin.
Bottom line is I think it’s definitely worth checking out. My husband Andrew also struggles with hyperpigmentation on his cheekbones and is super diligent about wearing sunscreen and trying dark spot treatments. He’s started to use this and I’m excited to see what he thinks!
You can find the Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution available at Kiehl’s. Use the code CLEARLY15 for 15% off any purchase (this excludes sets and cannot be combined with other promos). Do you have any favorites from their line?
Best treat to me are flowers whether you’re looking for something simple or something a little extra! Some of you may remember Andrew bought me a box from Venus Et Fleur when we were still in San Diego and they truly last at least a full year. They have a special preserving process that keeps them looking fresh and beautiful for a long time. I love the single Le Mini Round Rose and the Le Mini Square too.
I recently ordered a few bouquets from Urban Stems and really liked them! They come nicely packaged in a delivery box and you can add on extras like candies or vases.
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Favorite lip products
I think the best thing to treat yourself with is a new lip product. The best long-wear mattes are from Pat McGrath Labs and she just launched her new Divine Rose II Collection with some new colors! (Review coming soon.) Anytime someone wants a recommendation for the best matte lip I always recommend the Pat McGrath MatteTrance.
For the person who doesn’t wear makeup you can always pick out a fun nail polish or hand cream. OPI and Essie are my friends’ favorites. I’m personally team OPI and they just launched their Hollywood Collection for spring and I’m in love with all the colors! Hand creams from Molton Brown and L’Occitane are a few of my favorites to gift away. If you want to splurge extra Chanel makes the most chic hand creams (and the formulas are really good!).
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Things for the Home + Fun Gifts
A few useful and functional things I use everyday are my makeup bags from The Daily Edited, Lululemon Water Bottle and Yeti Tumblers and Diptyque candles. To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Diptyque they’ve launched their Hypnotic Graphic Collection with their best sellers in limited-edition jars. Roses is the prettiest one! Available in the standard size and also a cute Trio Set with the small candles.
To store bracelets and necklaces I have two T-Bar stands from Kendra Scott (often seen on stories, you can see them in action on my HOME highlights @beautylookbook) For something more fun or unique the Fujifilm Instax 11 Instant Print is really fun (comes in a wide range of colors) and there’s a super cute bundle here. As a candy lover I love all things from Sugarfina – the Love Letters Tasting Box looks fun (I ordered one for myself).
Today have my Ask Sabrina Part 3! I’m sharing more about my cameras, photography tips and tools I use! I’ve always loved snapping photos – even from a young age. I do not have a professional background in photography. Most of what I do has been through experimentation and learning through YouTube videos. My younger brother has a BFA from an art university and studied photography for a part of his schooling so he helps with some of my questions and gives me tips sometimes. This is by no means a list of the best tools – it’s just a look at what I use and have tried.
For those who have asked for a comprehensive list of my equipment and more, I hope you find this helpful!
1. What camera do you use?
My current camera is the Sony a7RIII. I bought this in November 2020 after my other camera stopped working. I had the Sony a7RII since around 2015 and I still think it’s an excellent camera – after many years of use and accidentally dropping it a few times the shutter stopped working.
2. What do you think Sony vs Canon, Nikon, Leica etc?
I’ve stuck with Sony because it’s what I used from my early blogging days and it is what I am familiar with. My first serious camera was the Sony NEX-6 (discontinued) which I loved! The current versions have improved significantly with better technology and more features. I would eventually like to try other brands but it will take quite an investment for the body, lens, etc. so I’m holding off for now. I have tried Canon (loved my brother’s 5D) and a few Leica models.
3. What equipment do you use to take your photos? Tripod, reflectors, light modifiers etc.?
I think many of you will be surprised to learn that my equipment is very basic! There is so much I have on my wishlist to buy for taking better photos. I use natural light with an on-camera flash. I don’t have any light modifiers but really want and need to invest in some. I shop primarily at B&H Photo, Adorama and Amazon for my equipment and tools.
Small vlog camera – Sony ZV-1 (I have the bundle with the grip tripod)
Camera tripod – I have one main tripod which is the Manfrotto 190 3-Section Aluminum Tripod, I bought this many years ago and it was such a big investment I haven’t tried anything else since. I like it because it’s sturdy enough to hold a heavy camera + lens. However for me it’s not really easy to change angles or rotate quickly. It’s also fairly heavy so it is not travel-friendly. If you need something stable and don’t plan on moving your camera around a lot for different angles it’s great!
iPhone tripod– I bought the UBeesize Selfie Stick Tripod based on raves from a few girls I follow on Instagram and I kinda hate it. It works but I find it very flimsy and lightweight, it does work to hold my iPhone and it is extremely inexpensive but I’m not a fan.
Reflectors – I have two reflectors that I use to bounce light off of. I like this 32” Glow Portable 5-in-1 Reflector Kit from Adorama (available in multiple sizes). I also bought a larger 42” Raya 5-in-1 Collapsible Reflector Disc from B&H Photo. I use these at primarily at home. When I’m traveling it’s usually just me and Andrew – we don’t have a third pair of hands to help us hold the reflector.
C-Stand – I have one stand which is a Flash Point 10’ C Stand from Adorama. I really like it because it has a super sturdy base that doesn’t move and it’s well made. I haven’t used it for much other than my reflectors but I have the arm grips and attachments for other items.
Lights – I have two small lights from Apurture that I just started playing around with, the Apurture MC RGBWW LED Light is a great little tool that you can use for a portable light. I like that you can control the brightness and color. The battery does run out fast if you have it at the max output. But I like the concept and the fact that it is portable!
Scotch Tape – essential for preventing lipsticks, mascaras, pencils or anything round from rolling around on the surface!
Microfiber cloths for cleaning dust or smudges
4. Where do you get your backgrounds?
BTS look at one of my shoots for Bite Beauty from their Amuse Bouche launch many years ago
I pick up colored paper backgrounds from a local art store. I’ve had a Blick Art Store near me in both San Diego and Tampa. I usually pick up foam boards or color paper for backgrounds there. For my white background I’ve used the Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Smooth Pad, it has a bright surface with a thick texture that is sturdy and smooth. It reflects sunlight and flash well for me. It’s what I use for taking sunlit photos.
5. Who takes your photos? Do you take them yourself or do you have a photographer take your face/outfit shots?
I take most of my own photos. For my own face photos and product shots where I’m holding something I use my iPhone as a remote that I connect to my Sony camera through the Image Edge Mobile app. You can adjust and control the camera settings right from the app too! It’s really useful and allows you to transfer images to a computer or phone. It also doubles as a remote. When using the connect to smartphone remote feature you can see the image you’re shooting on your screen. Ideally I would also have an external monitor or tether the camera to an iPad or laptop. But I am a super minimalist and just haven’t taken the time to buy more tools. I do have an equipment purchase list that is ongoing. The options are overwhelming but I’ve found a lot of YouTube videos helpful.
For outfit or travel photos Andrew takes my photos. He has helped me with some photos for a few projects at home too. I think he’s better at taking my photos, but the process is time consuming and he still has his own job/firm to run.
Here are some photos I took myself with a tripod + remote:
Versus some of the photos Andrew took for me below:
6. How do you edit your photos?
Quick look at one of my favorite projects for Louboutin Beauty! Setup in progress in the above photo, one of the final edits below
I edit most of my photos (as in 90%+) in Photoshop on my desktop computer. As much as I would like to do everything on my phone it’s just better for me to do it on a computer for better quality. If I’m posting a video for stories I’ll use the Tezza App.
7. Best photo editing apps? What app has the best presets?
My favorite photo editing apps are Afterlight, Snapseed and the Tezza app. I’ve bought so many presets from a number of influencers and quite frankly most of them do not work for me. The only one I love and use is the Tezza app! It has presets and also has options for you to customize your edits on your own – with or without filters. I love that her app also allows you to edit videos.
For Instagram stories and templates I love Storyluxe.
8. What’s your favorite style of photography?
I think I have a number of favorites! My earliest photographs were all product photos mainly shot in direct sunlight with a flash, often on a pure white background. I would love to take all my product photos this way but like to mix things up. I’ve tried to mix in a bit more lifestyle and application photos versus just product photos.
In Florida the heat gets so intense I often get sunburned and products can melt quickly. I could shoot indoors and mimic sunlight with lights but I don’t have any (yet).
9. Tips for better photos?
I think having good light is the best thing you can do for better photos! But the rest is more personal. Do you like sharp photos? Something with a grain? Edited with a filter? Reduced saturation? Sunlit or natural light? I think it is really a matter of personal preference!
I did ask my brother for his opinion on how I could improve my photos many years ago (aside from professional lighting, or better camera settings, or learning how to shoot in RAW) and he said it is actually the small things that can improve photos. Taking extra time for a proper setup is key. He showed me some examples of professional beauty ads and said the setup can be sometimes hours!
Little things like cleaning up dust (with a small dust blower like the one in this Zeiss Lens Kit) can help make your product photos look better. Wiping smudges from compacts or removing splash water marks from mirrors helps. A lot of times it is hard to see the small details in the viewfinder and I don’t catch it until after I’ve taken a batch of photos. You can edit out small dust particles or smudges with the spot healing tool in photoshop and a lot of apps like Snapseed also have this feature. I don’t have perfect photos, I still have smudges, finger prints, hair, dust etc on my compacts and mirrors. My lighting isn’t always consistent since it is natural light which changes depending on time of day, weather conditions, season and even time of year!
YouTube is the great resource for improving photos and learning new things. The best way to take improve photos is to problem solve specific things. Asking yourself more targeted questions will help you improve. For example do you want your photos to be sharper? Maybe you have camera shake so add a tripod, or try a different lens or different camera settings! Looking for brighter photos? Look for tutorials on how to change your settings on manual, also sometimes things can be fixed in editing! Are you looking for tips on posing or ideas for props? Are you looking for some more creative inspiration? There are lots of resources other creative minds have put together.
10. Best camera for beginners?
This is a tough one because it really depends on what you want to do, for example are you looking for video or photography? For photography do you want to take photos of products, faces, outfits, or something else? There’s no one size fits all but I do think the Sony A6400 is a great versatile camera! The best way to find the right camera for you is YouTube – there are tons of videos on every camera imaginable with side by side comparisons for different subjects, light scenarios etc.
That wraps my camera and photography Q&A part one! I know some of you have more detailed questions and you can feel free to leave them below! But hope this is a good starting point for those curious about the basics and my equipment.
Chanel launched a collection of lipsticks called Rouge Allure Velvet Le Lion de Chanel ($42 each at Chanel.com). These have the classic Rouge Allure lipstick click magnetic packaging in a black and gold case with the tops embossed in a lion motif design. Luminous matte with a soft diffused look on the lips. Comfortable and weightless without feeling dry.
The formula is one of the smoothest softest mattes I’ve ever tried. Coverage is flawless and soft like velvet! Lasting power is very good and non-drying. I don’t detect a heavy scent although they are very softly fragranced with a super soft clean powder floral that I find pleasant and soothing. Color-wise they all run bold and dark on my complexion. Even the lightest color 227 pulls darker on my skin tone (Chanel B40).
Overall I think the formula is a solid A+ for all the shades. Color range is bolder and more dramatic than I am used to wearing but still classic and chic. I hope they continue making more shades in this formula because it feels so smooth and luxurious!
