Sorry I’ve been MIA. I had an entire week of content planned and ended up spending this whole week sick in bed. This has been the worst I’ve been in years. Meant to update everyone earlier as I know I had promised lots of new posts. But lots of sleep, liquids and extra care was required. I’m finally starting to get better and my strength is coming back. Last night I finally started to feel like a real human again. Andrew and the fur kids were by my side each day watching over me.
New skincare post tomorrow! Lots more coming in skincare, foundations, primers and lips. Will respond to e-mails and DMs as soon as I can.
Rounding up some FAQs from my Instagram feed! The sunshine is finally back in South Florida and everything is starting to warm up. I’ve been so lucky to live in a city that has warm weather but from New Year’s Eve through a couple weeks ago we had some low temperatures down to the mid 40s. I finally got to wear my leather jackets again! Now that we are back to warm weather I’ve been shopping around for new sandals and spring weather clothes.
Two weekends ago we drove to Miami for the day to see the Miami Boat Show. We’ve now been in Florida for almost a year and with all the water, keys and beaches around us are looking to buy a boat. I’m not familiar with boats at all so it was really incredible to see all the different models, sizes, types and designs. We did not buy anything but had the best time taking the day to browse and explore. We were in Miami last December for Art Basel and it was so packed and busy we were not able to see everything I wanted to. This trip I made sure we had some time to see the Bal Harbour Shops so I could visit the Diptyque store there. This was hands down the most luxurious shopping center I’ve ever seen in the US. I bought several of the Miami Candle (you can buy them in the two Diptyque Miami stores, the other is at Brickell City Center). They will also ship if you order over the phone.
So many of you asked questions about my outfits from Instagram stories. For reference on sizing I’m 5’3″ – top is from O’Neill (XS, true to size), shorts are from STS Blue (Size 25, shorts in general run big on me, I usually wear a 26 or 27 in denim), sandals are the Tory Burch Millers (true to size, I wear 6 1/2). Tote is the Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM which is the medium size. Straps have a lot of patina since it’s been exposed to a lot of humidity, oil and rain. It holds a lot of items and is quite sturdy.
This past weekend we had family in town so we rented a boat for the day. We also wanted to get a feel for what a small boat would feel like. We rented a small 20 foot motor boat and WOW when boats are in the water they look and feel so much smaller compared to what they look like when they’re above ground. Four of us took the boat for a spin around Tampa Bay. It was my first time driving a boat in open water.
The boat had a cover but we were in the sun a good portion of the day. I touched up once while we were out and got a little color but no burn, yay! Some of you asked why I had so many sunscreens with me. When I’m out and about I bring more than one kind of sunscreen because everyone I’m with usually has different preferences for what formula and finish they like. My husband has his fav and I have mine too. I try to buy the smaller travel sizes so it doesn’t weigh down my bag.
A few snippets from home. I found this simple bath tray from Amazon. We have a really wide tub and this was one of the few that would expand wide enough to fit. It comes with a removable book stand as well but I’m never in the bath long enough to read. I searched through dozens of options and reviews. I’m pretty happy with the quality and sturdiness of this one!
For those who don’t know you can always tap my Instagam photos for brand tags. I still received so many questions about this clothes rack. I bought several different options from Ikea to test them out. This one is Rigga Clothes Rack and it was only $12.99! It was very easy to put together and is fairly sturdy. I also bought a few of the Mackapar Coat Racks to try out. I’m still putting everything together so I’ll do a more detailed review and room tour later.
Details about some of the shoes I had on display as well. My most-worn shoes are the Hermes Oran Sandals and Tory Burch Millers. I tend to find a couple styles I love and buy all the colors. Details below and some notes on sizing in case you’re ordering online. Sometimes if I can’t try in person I’ll buy two sizes and return the one that doesn’t fit. Most places are good about returns as long as you don’t wear them or ruin the soles. I make sure to always test on a rug!
So many of you ask what my favorite Byredo is. It changes with each season but my top two are Mojave Ghost and La Tulipe. I think most of us can agree that perfume is something we should all smell in person first before buying, but some brands aren’t easily accessible for us all. You can purchase the 6-Piece Discovery Set at a number of retailers with 12 ml vials. This runs at $220 for 6. There are also trios available. This is still very spendy and online at Byredo they have a Small Discovery Service Set set for $20 with six 2 ml spritzers which I think all perfume brands should have.
I posted a snapshot of my vanity and everyone had two questions:
What Nail Color is shown – it’s Chanel Organdi Le Vernis (swatched and reviewed here)
My thoughts on the Lawless Soft Matte Liquid Lipstick – shades I bought include George, Leo and Brad, I’ll have a separate review but first impressions are they are super soft, they have a whipped lightweight texture, lasting power is pretty good and there’s a fruity scent to them. They don’t dry out the lips or leave them looking like raisins but the finish is definitely matte.
Last but not least, every time my fur babies make an appearance I get questions of how I deal with the fur and keep everything so clean. First, my husband Andrew is OCD with cleaning. Second our house require constant vacuuming + Swiffers. Third, our clothes require that we keep a stockpile of lint rollers. We have three pets with white fur – it wasn’t intentional, it just happened. They do shed quite a bit especially with the warm weather. Every time we rented an Airbnb or VRBO home over the last year, we spent the last two-three days of our stay vacuuming and cleaning every nook and corner. The cat leaves a poof of fur everywhere he goes. When we lived in San Diego we had a Roomba 980, but with regular daily use multiple times a day it died. We haven’t bought another one since since the ones that work best for us are of course the most expensive ones. I love the fur babies like crazy but I wish they didn’t shed so much!
Hope this covers all the questions I’ve received! I do my best to answer Direct Messages but I get so many I can’t always get to all of them. Press samples featured indicated with a *. Stay tuned for more beauty reviews to follow!
There’s a new beautiful limited-edition rose collection from Diptyque called Rose Delight. I’ve been collecting their special edition releases for a few years now and each spring I look forward to their new creation. I missed out many years ago on Rose Duet and have regretted it ever since so now I don’t hesitate to buy them as soon as they launch. This year’s Diptyque Rose Delight comes in a few different forms: a Standard 6.5 oz size ($68), a Small 2.4 oz size ($35) and a Scented Oval ($50). It’s also available in a Scented Drawer Liner box that’s exclusive to their stores and websites but appears to have already sold out online. I’ll say up front that I think the full size candle is the best buy. If you like soft feminine kinds of scents you will love this year’s version.
Rose Delight is a sweet soft rose that smells like honey with a bit of a well rounded powdery vibe. It smells like candy to me, inspired by Turkish Delight and it does have that kind of feel to it. I’m always surprised how many variations of rose scents there are. This one is supposed to have a bit of honey with lemon zest and I can definitely detect the sweetness in the jar and when it is burning. The throw is really good with this one!
The mini ones have launched for the third time in row this year. I think they make for the cutest gifts for girlfriends or to treat yourself. The small sizes usually sell out the fastest so if it’s on your list I’d recommend you buy very soon. Below is the mini Rose Delight held for scale.
The Scented Ovals make nice gifts as well. They last longer than a candle but over time they do fade. They’re supposed to last for a minimum of 3 months. I wish I could report on how long they actually last but I’ve broken a few on accident by dropping or knocking them over on concrete floors. I did have them approximately 2 months each and the scent does linger and progressively fades over time. I love that this year’s Diptyque Rose Delight Scented Oval version has a pretty pink patterned loop at the end to hang it. The regular ones have the standard black ribbon.
To compare a few others, Roses is the classic more traditional kind of rose. Baies is more of a berry blackcurrant kind of scent mixed with some rose. For previous limited-edition releases Rosaviola is less sweet and a bit warmer with cedar and musk. Rosamundi has a more green vibe with Damask Rose and Centifolia combined with a bit of currant, bergamot, lychee and geranium.
I cannot pick a favorite, although the Rosaviola x Olympia Le Tan had the best packaging and Rosamundi is one I like anytime it’s re-released. Rose Delight has a sticker exterior design that feels quite substantial but it has a matte almost thick paper-like finish. It’s not like the glossy labels their standard candles have – the only thing I wish it did have because if I recycle them, I don’t have to worry about getting the label wet or ruining it when I clean out the wax. A quick look at the previous years’ limited-editions in the small sizes. I buy backups each year.
Below: Diptyque Rosaviola (discontinued), Rosamundi (discontinued) and Rose Delight
As a Diptyque lover I think Rose Delight is a must. I don’t like all variations of rose scents because some have a really strong powdery vibe. Diptyque always makes ones that are beautiful and this one is amazing. Quick apology that I’ve been MIA for a week now but we been moving! We moved out of our last vacation home on the 30th of December into a temporary Airbnb while we continued our search for a more permanent place to live. After literally months of searching we finally found a place and moved again, but are thrilled to finally be able to settle down for at least the next year! At the moment we are waiting on furniture deliveries (I had forgotten how long it takes!) but in the meantime there’s nothing like burning a good Diptyque candle to make a place feel more like home.
For those who love the Diptyque rose line, they’ve also re-launched their Eau de Rose in a few other products including an Eau de Toilette, Eau de Toilette-Roll On, Soap, Shower Foam, Hair Mist, Hand and Body Lotion and Hand Cream. I bought the hand cream many years ago and loved it. I’m not sure if I’ll buy this year’s version as I have a few other formulas I want to use up. For now I’m smitten with the candles.
You can find the Diptyque Rose Delight Collection now at Diptyque stores and online. Also available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Space NK, while supplies last and they usually sell out every year.
Have you smelled Rose Delight yet? What did you think?
Based on positive feedback I’m continuing weekly giveaways for at least the first quarter of 2018. You can check my Weekly Giveaway Page for the latest giveaway. They’ll be different each week! For example sometimes they will be on a specific blog post, other times on social or for newsletter subscribers. The first one of the year is going to be on this blog post!
I’m giving away 3 limited-edition Diptyque small candles from my backup stash in Rosaviola, Rosamundi and Rose Delight. One winner will be selected to receive all three. It’s open internationally but you must be 18 years or older to enter. Simply enter through the Rafflecopter widget below. I’ll pick a winner within 72 hours after the giveaway ends and contact them via e-mail. I typically ship prizes within a week. Not sponsored or affiliated.
I’m a die hard lover of home scents and good candles. They help change the mood of a room and during the holiday there are all kinds of great seasonal options to make the house smell like Christmas. I’ve rounded a few picks of what I think are the best holiday candles and gifts for the home. If you have any favorites you like to burn during the holiday season let me know in the comments below!
The holiday season would not be complete for me without Diptyque. I’ve bought the seasonal pine scent each year and this is the first year I’ve felt their pine is a bit different with a minty green touch to the scent. They have three seasonal candles with colored wax, a black jar in a cosmic theme with gold magical creatures on the exterior. It’s really just so beautiful! I bought the Cosmic Seasonal Candle Trio ($105 to $210). You can also find these individually although the orange one has pretty much sold out everywhere. Unicorn Frosted Forest Scented Candle is fir with a hint of mint and hinoki, Feu d’Argumes/Fiery Orange Dragon is a warm smoky orange clove and Larmes d’Encens/Incense Tears Phoenix with incense, cinnamon and myrrh. All three are phenomenal this year.
There is also the 10 piece Mini Candle Collection ($150) which makes for the ultimate luxury home gift. It’s the best way to sample a lot of Diptyque in a more affordable way than buying each one individually. Burn time is quick on these but it’s long enough to get a good sense of what they smell like when burned.
Antica Farmacista has some of the most elegant holiday sets. I just discovered them last year and love their diffusers. After writing about them last holiday I discovered that many of you have loved this line for years! Their Silver Cedar is a holiday release this year and it has everything I love for holidays: cypress, sandalwood, spruce and juniper in the most elegant combination ever. They’ve also brought back the Champagne Black Label which is the best sparkling sweet champagne scent I’ve ever tried. I have used this in the candle, room spray and diffuser and love it. All of their gift options here. You can find products directly from their website Antica Farmacista and also at Nordstrom. Shown below is the 100 ml Diffuser Trio ($64) with Silver Cedar, Champagne Black Label and Sandalwood Amber and their Candle Set with Silver Cedar, Champagne Black Label ($98) and a gorgeous wick trimmer. The diffusers are perfect for the guest bathrooms! They come beautifully boxed.
This year they also launched a gorgeous 12 Days of Antica Calendar ($175) with deluxe sized minis of their candles, diffusers, body products and a wick trimmer as well. I can’t think of a better luxury home gift than this set.
Molton Brown is also another favorite line. My favorite scent for any time of year is the Coco and Sandalwood 3 Wick Candle and Home and Linen Mist, but for the holiday they always have fun limited-edition launches. I was able to try the Vintage With Elderflower Candle and it’s such a lovely sweet holiday scent. It has grapefruit, mandarin, elderflower, petigrain, coriander, vetiver and ambergris. If you like something on the sweet side but not candy sweet this is a beautiful sweet citrus option. I’ve been burning it for the past few hours as I’ve been putting this post together and it’s definitely lifted my mood with a bit of energy. Other holiday scent options on their website as well including Fabled Juniper Berries and Lapp Pine along with their classic Festive Frankincense and Allspice.
That wraps up this year’s holiday gift guide for the best candles I’ve found. There are tons of great options and individual options from so many brands. I find that my top three brands year over year are Diptyque and Molton Brown, and Antica Farmacista has been added to the mix. If you’re looking for more affordable holiday options that still have amazing throw with a luxury vibe, Nest is a great line to check out. I also really like the Henri Bendel candles as well. One that isn’t new is Cire Trudon Ernesto which is probably the best luxury scent for the home, my husband smelled it for the first time right when we moved to Florida and said “that’s what we should burn all the time.” It really is phenomenal and I need to repurchase it at some point soon. There are a number of new ones out for holiday which I was really tempted to order, but given the price and the fact that I’m not that familiar with the entire line, I feel like they are something I need to smell first before buying – especially since part of me thinks it might not get better than Ernesto. I usually include something from Jo Malone and I do think their Pine and Eucalyptus Candle is a classic. This year they have a gorgeous one with a green label for holiday. I was debating whether or not to buy it (I usually do every year) but with the Florida sunshine combined with our travels this month I wasn’t sure I would have time to burn it before Christmas and I usually feel pine is best done in November/December. I skipped it this year.
What are your favorite holiday scents to burn? Other gift guides below:
Right now I’m obsessed with all kinds of scents that smell like spring. Since moving to Florida I’ve more into scents than I’ve ever been, but there’s something about warm sunny weather that makes me crave something that smells like a tropical vacation. I have a mix of home scents and perfumes I’ve been loving. Some are new launches others have been around for years. I did my spring transition scent post last month and loved hearing about your favorites. Over the years I’ve found a lot of scents I love for spring so this is by no means comprehensive of the best ones out there, but here’s a small selection of what I’ve been loving right now.
For the home I discovered Antica Farmacista last year thanks to the recommendation of Edward Bess. He knew I loved Diptyque and said that Antica Farmacista was a beautiful line with gorgeous diffusers and candles. I fell in love at first sniff and even though I had seen the line for years at Nordstrom I never really paid much attention. I stocked up on a lot of diffusers during the Nordstrom anniversary sale and over the holiday bought a lot of sets as gifts. The line is truly exquisite! Since diffusers do last a lot longer than a candle I’m slowly working my way through trying new scents.
The latest from their line is Lush Palm which is a green floral with Tahitian Gardenia, banana leaf and palm. Notes include Herbaceous Green Accord, Crisp Apple, Pear, Aloe, Grapefruit, Bergamot, White Pepper, Pine, Tahitian Gardenia, Sambac Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Crisp Water Notes, Cedarwood, Mexican Vanilla, Labdanum, and Sweet Amber. It has a lush green floral feel that has an uplifting cooling and relaxing feel. We’ve been using the large diffuser at home and it fills our living room. The candle has pretty good throw. In their catalog they have scent combinations and one of them is the Bergamot and Ocean Aria. I’ve already burned through two of the candles for that one and adore it. They sent the room spray for me to try and as a bergamot lover it’s really lovely. If you’re looking for a nice mother’s day gift they have a Spring Diffuser Trio with minis of Acqua, Lush Palm and Bergamot Ocean Aria – it’s really perfect. Pair it with a nice bouquet of flowers and I think it would look super cute.
For more in the home scent arena, one of my favorite spring time scents (also good for summer) is the Diptyque Tomas Maier Palm Beach (originally reviewed here). It was a limited-edition scent years ago but they keep restocking and you can find it exclusively at Diptyque stores or online at Diptyque. It has jasmine, iris, lemon, lime, salt and grass. It’s got a lovely lush tropical vibe that isn’t overly sweet. I’ve been exploring more in Cire Trudon. One of the cute stores near us is called the Oxford Exchange and they have a mix of things like a cute restaurant, coffee area, tea bar, Aesop Skincare and a shop with Cire Trudon. I spotted a mini duo called the Giambattista Valli and Cire Trudon Duet which has Positano and Rose Poivree ($105). So far I have not spotted the duo anywhere else online except on Cire Trudon’s website and online at Barneys New York. I’m a sucker for minis and even though this was extremely expensive I could not resist the beautiful design and cute box. Positano is a strong bright white floral with gardenia, orange blossom, jasmine, magnolia, tuberose and lily. Rose Poivree is a strong rose with pepper notes. You can also buy the individual full size at places like Net-A-Porter, Barneys New York or Lucky Scent. Cire Trudon candles are quite the splurge but in my experience the throw and intensity surpasses all other brands.
In perfume long-time readers know I like to switch things up. I finally splurged on a full bottle of the Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt after using up a few minis I had from sets and GWPs. It’s funny because when it first launched I did not like it – but I gave it another chance before I moved and fell in love. I love layering it with the Mimosa and Cardamom and Wild Bluebell both thanks to the rec from one of my favorite Jo Malone reps in San Diego).
Tom Ford Soleil Blanc remains one of my favorites for warm weather but the latest launch Sole Di Positano is just absolutely amazing, especially for bergamot lovers. It an extension of the Neroli Portofino line which gets better with each new launch. This one has Italian bergamot, petitgrain bigrate, lemon and mandarin and shiso leaf. Sole Di Positano is not as citrus or sweet as the Neroli Portofino (one that I find smells great on others but not for me). It’s happiness in a bottle. The All Over Body Sprays have been around for quite some time but I never looked into them. I saw them in person for the first time (I finally discovered a counter near me) and was really surprised by how big the bottles were. They’re aerosol sprays and I decided to try Fleur de Portofino. I have the perfume version which I love for a more floral version of the Neroli Portofino line. I have mixed feelings about the sprays. When I’m indoors the scent lasts a long time on me with good staying power. However if I spray it on me and am outdoors for an extended period of time I find it fades after a few hours. I absolutely love the scent and am going to try layering the spray with the perfume. More thoughts to come soon – but Fleur de Portofino is another spring time favorite.
Last but not least Creed Virgin Island Water is pure love. It’s more of a summer scent but since it feels like summer where I am this is perfect. I don’t know that I’ve fallen in love with a scent as much as I have this one. I’m trying to ease up on use because I bought the smallest one and an worried I’m going to use it up too fast. I know it’s a silly thing to worry about since perfume is meant to be used – the small bottle was just so expensive!
That rounds up my loving right now spring home and perfume roundup. What are you loving right now? Do you have anything you’ve been obsessed with for the home? This time of year I feel like it’s the best time to makeover one’s home whether it’s updating bedding, home accents or new scents. Since we just moved, we are still in the process of furnishing our home. Going from a small loft to a full size house with a backyard and more bedrooms has been so exciting for us, but our furniture is pretty much swallowed up by the space. The last time we moved it took us about 6 months to fully furnish our loft because we started from scratch. This round I suspect it will also take time to fully furnish the home.
Press samples include Tom Ford Sole di Positano, Antica Farmacista Lush Balm and Bergamot Ocean Aria.
Today I’m taking you inside our loft with a peek at our living space. Over the past couple of years so many of you have asked for a home tour. I’ve shown snippets here and there but as a rather private person I’ve been a bit hesitant to share our home, but today I’m finally giving you a look into our loft. This post is bittersweet for me because as this post is being published we’ve actually packed everything up inside a moving truck and are on the road as we are relocating to Tampa, Florida! If you remember our Florida trip over the holiday this was a trip to explore the area and see if we could actually live there. I’ve lived in California for pretty much my entire life but both my husband and I felt like we were ready for a change of scenery and so decided to embark on a new adventure. There were a number of reasons we picked Florida, but the main reasons were weather and pet-related. We both like warm weather (I can’t remember the last time we’ve seen snow!) and the warm Florida climate seemed like the perfect place to transition to. Also because we have two dogs and a cat we ruled out cities for the time being. Our dogs need a nearby park or a backyard to run around in. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions for me. I can’t help but feel excited, sad, thrilled, apprehensive, and happy all at the same time. California has been home and I’ve never lived in another place since I was seven (aside from a couple months of travel) so leaving kinda breaks my heart. However we aren’t really saying goodbye. Who knows what will happen in the future, we may return or might find we fall in love with another city. Right now we’re saying yes to new adventures.
Enough rambling, onto our home tour. When we moved into this loft we were looking for a small-to-medium yet modern looking space. The floor to ceiling windows were just to die for beautiful and we fell in love with it as soon as we saw it. The concrete building was so different from our beach house that we had lived in previously for almost a decade. Out of all the places I’ve lived this has definitely been one of the most unique and memorable. I wanted to document bits here and there for memories and thought I’d share it with you too.
I have an empty space photo to show, this is what it looks like right before we moved out, empty just like it did when we moved in. Since it’s a loft it’s primarily an open space although the kitchen area is lined up on a dividing wall to separate the bedroom/office area. Shown below our Away Carry-Ons reviewed here.
How we furnished the living room below. Since lofts tend to be small, all space had to be used or multi-purpose. The living area also has a work out section with a treadmill and a marble desk that doubles as a dining area and work space. By the time I took these photos we had already started packing up some of our things but this is pretty much what it looked like while we lived here. I’ll list our furniture at the bottom by room.
Our loft is basically one big open space however we did have a partial dividing wall to separate an area for the bedroom and a corner by the window that I could use as my blog/work/storage area. The bedroom area was large enough for a king size bed and Ikea closet units with plenty of room for dressers and a side chair (not shown).
Bathroom:
My work corner and a peek at how I organize my beauty products. Organization has always been a challenge. As a beauty blogger I go through quite a bit of product for testing and also for use. Being able to find things is essential especially for referencing items for comparisons or just know where something is when I want to use it. The organization system has always been evolving. I’ll do a separate post on organization for beauty. For now here’s a look at the different items I’ve tried. My husband had begged me for months to invest in a good tall cabinet or tall drawer unit. I was reluctant to install a closet system anywhere because for beauty products I either needed shallow drawers to be able to see things laid out versus stacked. Or I needed something clear to be able to see things easily.
Since I don’t use products from a single brand, bur rather many and also since makeup and skincare comes in a shapes, sizes, heights, widths etc. finding something to store a wide range of items has been challenging. I started with Muji acrylic drawers which I find great for lipstick, glosses, small compacts, but it requires you to lay things flat. Also sizes are limited. It took me over a year of research to decide what other acrylic units to invest in. Many are expensive and the biggest deterrent for me was the time it took to make and ship the units. Some said it would take anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks as each one was custom made. I lack patience when it comes to shipping so I didn’t order one until I found two options that would ship immediately. GLAMboxes launched on QVC with inexpensive quick shipping so I ordered the GLAMboxes GLAMpetite with a Partial Lid ($199). Another one I found with good reviews is the Original Beauty Box and they did not have a long wait time for shipping so I also ordered the Deluxe Beauty Box ($159) to compare. Both are well made and the drawers slide easily and smoothly which was really important for me. I haven’t seen a wide range of acrylic units so I can’t report on quality comparisons to other brands, but both are functional, well made, sturdy and work well. Since the Original Beauty Box has drawers that are taller it worked better for me. Although it can get heavy if you stack items – I haven’t had any issues opening the drawers with what I put inside though. I liked the Original Beauty Box so much I ordered two more.
Other storage units include Ikea Alex Drawers (I like the wider ones). Inside I use Container Store plastic bins and lipstick dividers to store and organize products. They aren’t completely filled with plastic bins as I find some items are ok free floating.
To organize new products to be tested or swatched I started using clear plastic shoe boxes from the Container Store. The ones I bought were relatively cheap in price and look and feel cheap, but they are functional and fit my bookshelves perfectly so right now they work.
I’ve tried to list everything by room for those curious about where we bought our home furnishings. It took us at least six months to fully furnish the place as we found it challenging to find what we wanted that would ship within a reasonable time. It had been a few years since we did major furniture shopping so we did not realize that buying furniture would require sometimes several months for delivery time. If there’s anything I missed let me know – I will be traveling cross country this week but will get back to you as soon as we’ve had a chance to settle in.
Makeup organizers from Muji, GLAMboxes and Original Beauty Box (I will do a separate review on these detailing why I ordered what I did and what I ended up liking or disliking about each style)
Clear containers in drawers from the Container Store
I hope you enjoyed this home tour even though by now we have moved on. There were some areas such as our closet, kitchen details and bathroom areas which I didn’t photograph but hope this gives you a glimpse into how we decorated and styled our home. My husband and I have similar but different tastes. He loves more color and fun accents while I would be thrilled to have an entire monochrome house with neutrals. I think we found a good balance with this one. For our next home the space we will have is going to be 2x the size of our loft so there will be a lot of space to fill and decorate.
Many of you have asked how we keep the loft clean with three fluffy pets, all of which have white fur and shed a lot. My husband is the organized and clean one so he did a lot of research on vacuums and pet grooming. We have used an iRobot Roomba for the past 10 years. They get regular use on a daily basis so we’ve gone through 3. We always bought the cheapest option which runs around $400. For Christmas Andrew decided to get the iRobot Roomba Robot Vacuum 980 as my Christmas present. It’s more than double the price but works noticeably better and hands down well worth the investment – especially if you have pets or if your home gets dusty easily. If you want a list of the other vacuums he’s bought I can list them in this post, but the Roombas are a life saver.
I’ll be on the road for the next several days and will have limited access to my computer while we make our way across the US to our new home. You can follow along on Instagram @beautylookbook as I’ll be posting a few things here and there along the way.
Hope your week is going well! More fun beauty reviews to come as soon as I’ve settled in. I was able to get a sneak preview of the new Tom Ford Soleil items yesterday (details on Instagram and if you can catch IG stories before they disappear) and everything is to die for! I also bought three of the Rouge Coco Glosses which I’ll be putting to the test while on the road.
Happy Monday everyone – I hope you had a great weekend! I’ve received a lot of questions about my desktop, home decor and how I clean out candle jars to recycle them. I’ve shown snippets of our home and my desktops here and on Instagram – by popular request I have answers to the most frequently asked questions:
Where is your table from? Our marble table is from Crate and Barrel. We liked this one because of the size options and the simple classic yet modern design. If you search their tables you’ll find a wide range of tops and bases to pick from. I also work on a glass wood table – sometimes you’ll see my computer or what’s on my desktop. That table used to be called the Anderson Desk, but has been re-named Clear Glass Top/Elm Base Table (dimensions and style appear to be identical). This one also comes in different sizes.
Where do you get your trays? I love searching for decorative trays to help organize things. It usually takes me forever to find ones that are the right size and style! I have trays everywhere – on the nightstand, on my bookshelves, on my desks, in the bathroom, in the closet.
The mirrored brass one in the top photo with mirror is from West Elm.
West Elm also makes some of the best Acrylic Square Trays – they’re sturdy, sleek and well made – not to mention they have a really clean minimalist look.
The black and white marble trays I have are from Restoration Hardware (black marble no longer available, similar style here).
Where are your pink sunglasses from? They’re the J.Crew Irving although the pink color is sold out.
How do you clean out the wax from the candle jars without ruining the sticker? I did a post many years ago about how I clean out candle jars here. I use warm water and dish soap (or hand soap). For candles with stickers or labels I find Diptyque is the easiest to clean out – the sticker has a coating that makes it sturdy so you don’t have to worry about getting the exterior wet. Other brands like Byredo, Le Labo, Jo Malone, Cire Trudon or anything with a more delicate label so getting them wet will usually usually ruin the exterior. If you read the comments in the old thread you’ll see many other ways to clean out the wax. Do what works for you! I prefer warm water and soap to clean out the wax and any burnt remnants around the edges. I will say I tried putting several in the freezer and it did not do anything for me. I do suspect it depends how much wax is leftover after you finish burning.
How about the Diptyque Rosa Mundi 2017 version, can you recycle even though the exterior is paper? Yes you can, I got mine a little wet and it was just fine. That being said – since it is paper I wouldn’t soak it in water. I would try to keep the warm water inside only. If you get a little on the outside it won’t hurt it, I just wouldn’t let it sit on the paper. By the way, Rosa Mundi appears to be sold out almost everywhere. I ordered 2 more a few days ago from Neiman Marcus. If you have this on your radar I recommend you act soon.
You showed Nails Inc. Bond Street Passage on Instagram, can you do a neutral nail polish roundup? Yes! I will – finishing the last bits of swatching today so yes, I will be sharing my most-worn neutrals that work for my medium olive toned skin. A lot of beige nail polish pulls really warm and makes my hands look sallow so I’ve found the ones that have pink tones work best for me. Nails Inc Bond Street Passage (shown here and below) is more of a mauve pinky color, but still kinda in the neutral category.
Hope this answered some of your questions! Many of you have asked for a home decor post and I’ve been working to put one together. I hope to have it up very soon.
One last thing, Chanel.com just launched the Rouge Coco Gloss (exclusive to them for now) along with four new nail polishes. I have not tried them yet but they are offering free overnight shipping for Valentine’s Day if you order by 4:00 PM EST on 2/13. Do note that nail polishes still require ground shipping (there will be an alert at checkout). I have my eye on the glosses in Subtil 744 and Rose Pulpe 728!
(old style, but it’s the PRO version)
