Loving Right Now

Another month has flown by and I cannot believe it! I hope your summer has been going well! I haven’t been as active on the blog as I would have liked to be the past few weeks. I’ve made some changes to my setup at home office for photography + video content and learning how to use everything has been a process! I am working on new fall beauty reviews though so stay tuned (lots I’m excited to share!).

In the meantime here are the products that made my Top 10 list for August. I’d love to hear what you loved this past month too!

BASE FAVORITES

I finally tried the Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Bronzing Drops and love this! I love this mixed with a moisturizer or foundation to add a bit of warmth and color with a natural bronze glow. It’s worked well with my go-to Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation, Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Foundation and a number of other formulas too.

Two loves from YSL include the Touche Eclat Radiant Touch Concealer and new NU Bare Look Tint. I’ve found myself reaching for the Touche Eclat in Shade 3 almost daily for brightening and under eye concealing. I ordered the new YSL Nu Bare Look Tint in Shade 9 from Sephora and am in love! It took some guessing to pick a shade as the numbers/shade names are completely different from their other bases (which I found a bit confusing). Shade 9 is a bit yellow in the tube but the finish is sheer so it’s forgiving. I ordered it sight unseen and it’s a good match for me although I might order another shade to try. It has a natural sheer lightweight finish – similar to that of a tinted moisturizer or the Touche Eclat All-in-One Glow Foundation but without the super dewy finish.

Swatches below of the Touche Eclat Shade 3, NU Bare Look Tint 9, Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow B40:

I’ve been loving all things Charlotte Tilbury lately (Super Nudes Collection review coming soon!). I cannot live without the Airbrush Flawless Finish Pressed Powder in Medium (just hit pan again and started using a new fresh compact) and the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter in Shades 3 and 4.5 for the best natural glow product. Reposting swatches below for reference. The standard size is 100% worth the splurge. The mini size is available at Sephora and Charlotte Tilbury in select shades.

EYE MAKEUP FAVORITES

For the eyes I’ve been reaching for 3 palettes (more on this soon) but the one that gets the most compliments and questions for “what are you wearing” has been the Patrick TA Major Dimension Eyeshadow Palette. It has 2 brown creams you can use as a contouring base and then a mix of mattes, shimmer and sparkles – all in neutral shades. The mattes blend well and I think the color mix is perfect! For the shimmers there is one iridescent shimmer and the rest are sparkle toppers.

Another love is the Patrick TA Major Dimension Precision Gel Eyeliner in Deep Bronze. This is a twist up pencil that has smooth rich pigment. It’s long wearing on me and I am always on the hunt for good deep bronze colors for the eyes. It’s a nice alternative to black or brown and the shimmer adds a more interesting vibe while still looking natural.

LIP FAVORITES

It was a tough one but I managed to narrow down my August favorite lips to just three products. I’ve been really loving the Chanel Le Crayon Levres Longwear Lip Pencil in Nude Brun 162 for a good neutral brown beige that goes well with a wide range of neutrals I love (more swatches of all the other lip pencils from Chanel here).

For lip balms the new Summer Fridays Lip Butters in the new packaging have been in heavy rotation. I love both the Clear version and Vanilla Beige.

My go-to everyday beige nude lip has been the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine 123 Nude Transparent. It’s effortless! I can just swipe and go and it works for every occasion. (Review + swatches of the newer shades from spring here.)

I had a lot of other favorites in skincare and hair care loves but I am saving those for separate posts. I’m in the process of putting together an updated skincare routine and hair care favorites round up.

What were your favorites this month? I’d love to hear about what you have been loving this summer!

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I hope you have been enjoying your summer! I’m rounding up my Top Summer Essentials and favorites I’ve had in rotation. Also answering a few FAQs you’ve sent over about my favorite slides and peach lip glosses below! Here are my Top 10 Summer Staples:

1. Best Summer Hats

You girls know that I’m a huge fan of Eric Javits hats and I am so happy anytime I receive messages from you showing me your hats and visors from the line. It wasn’t until we moved to Florida that I started noticing that most of my hats didn’t have sufficient scalp and brim coverage. We saw these at Nordstrom and Andrew actually picked up one of the Hamptons Hats and said “this will be cute on you, try it.” My jaw dropped when I saw the price tag but we decided to splurge on one in Cream. It’s the best hat I’ve tried and blocks 95% of the UVA and UVB rays. I love that it has a wide brim that isn’t too floppy so it doesn’t cover my eyes. I also really like Helen Kaminski hats and visors too – but find myself wearing Eric Javits more frequently.

They occasionally have good sales on the Eric Javits website or on Nordstrom. I splurged on several more over the past year after. I would say my most-worn one is Cream. I think Bark has the prettiest color mix/weave though.

2. Sunglasses

Sunglasses have been my weakness to splurge on but I’ve been good the past year and stuck with my current collection. My Top 3 Go-To’s are the Celine 48 mm (CL4003IN Mineral 01A) in Black and a Pink Brown shade and the Ray-Ban Phantos 53 mm (RB4305). While in Miami I tried on some of the newer Chanel styles and have the Pantos Sunglassses on my wishlist (round and available in polarized/non-polarized options). I’m soooo close to ordering them online!

3. APL Slides

As much as I love beautiful chic sandals, I find that I pretty much live in APL Techloom Slides or the leather Lusso Slide. I wear them so much I have a terrible APL slide foot tan. I prefer the Techloom Slide because they’re the most comfortable and super easy to wash. I’ll soak them in the tub first and they clean up with detergent or dish soap and a sponge then put them in the washing machine. Super easy to maintain, just make sure you air dry them.

They come in whole sizes and I wear a size 6 in the slides (they run a little big). I’m a true 6.5 in shoes and 7 in sneakers. Andrew wears a 12.5 in sneakers and wears the slides in a 12. He says they’re the most comfortable wear-around-the-house things he’s ever tried. My bestie bought a pair for her husband he is also obsessed.

There’s no break in period, super comfortable, I’ve worn them on 5 mile walks, to the beach, to run errands, at home. I buy them from APL’s website, but they sell out pretty fast. You can also find them at Nordstrom, Shopbop and Revolve. For the guys I also recommend East Dane.

Colors shown top left clockwise: Techloom Black, Clay, Lusso Pristine, Techloom Caramel, Warm Silk, Nude, Black

4. Best Basic Tops:

The three tops I get the most questions about are the basics I wear. My go-to tee is the ATM Schoolboy Tee (runs small, recommend going up one size). They’re quite spendy but I love the fit and they wash well without losing their shape. I usually buy mine from ATM or Nordstrom.

For white button down shirts I love Rails Ellis Gauze Button Down Shirt and one from Treasure and Bond (no longer available, but similar cut in their Classic Drapey Shirt or Dobby Classic Shirt).

5. Peachy Gloss

Above wearing Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in 166 Physical and Les Beiges Healthy Glow Luminous Color in Deep as a bronzer. Foundation shade is the Chanel CC Cream in B40.

The three glosses I rotate between the most are the Chanel Rouge Coco Glosses in peach tones. A number of you asked for swatches side by side as they look similar in stories, I have 166 Physical, 744 Subtil and 782 True.

6. Glowy Bronzer

I’m still in the process of putting together a bronzer favorites roundup but the one I’ve been most impressed with is the Chantecaille Real Bronze in Sirena. It’s a gel-powder formula with a soft glow to give you that sunkissed look. I think it’s 100% worth the splurge. Lip color shown is the Lip Tint in Beach Rose (reviewed here).

7. Glowy Eyeshadows

The eye look that has been getting the most wear this summer has been a mix of the Chantecaille Luminescent Eye Shades in Cheetah, Lion and Giraffe. They have the prettiest pearl particles and I love wearing these alone or on top of matte shadows to add some dimension and shimmer.

8. Best Summer Bags

Three bags I’ve been loving are the Eric Javits Squishee Isla Straw Bag (gifted) for the beach or boat. Love the quality, size and pockets!

Loewe Small Square Leather-Trimmed Raffia Basket Bag for a cute summer woven tote!

And also the Chloe Small Woody Tote (available at Chloe and Nordstrom, also love the look of the Medium Size with the Beige Trim).

9. Summer Sunscreens

Sunscreen is a must and I did a full updated sunscreen roundup here. I am so impressed with the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ and I am ordering backups since we go through a lot.

10. Bright Red Coral Nails

Last category is bright red/coral nails. I still think the best bright oranges were Chanel Espadrilles and Holiday, unfortunately both discontinued. I currently love Chanel Le Vernis in Arancio Vibrante (worn on the left with Sam Edelman Amy Sandals), OPI Cajun Shrimp and Smith and Cult Poppy Papi.

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What are your summer essentials right now?

Today I have a 10 Things I’m Loving Right Now post and I’m rounding up my top beauty favorites right now. Narrowing down the list to ten items was a bit of a challenge as there are quite a few things I have in rotation. Here is the edited version! I had a couple questions for comparisons so I’ve added some notes below.

Lip Favorites

1. Chantecaille Lip Veil in Plumeria* has made it to my favorites for the perfect medium-sheer formula with a lovely shine. On the face and swatched in this post here.

2. MAC Powder Kiss Liquid Lip Color in Date Maker is one of the newer formulas from MAC. They made their Powder Kiss formula into Liquid Lipstick form. I bought a couple colors but Date Maker is my favorite – it has impressive lasting power, doesn’t look too dry on the lips even though it’s matte and I love the color.

3. Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath in Walk of No Shame is the latest addition to the lip plumper gloss formula from Charlotte Tilbury. It’s a pretty soft reddish tint. This formula is amazing in all the colors – it’s actually the one that gets me the most compliments and questions when I wear it on IG Stories! I swatched the new Collagen Lip Bath in Walk of No Shame next to Pillow Talk and Rosy Glow below for reference. It’s a nice plumping gloss that has minimal tingle. (Also added swatches of the new Jewel Lips glosses below which are more pigmented and have some sparkle.)

4. Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm is worth the hype! It makes my lips soft and moisturized. I had some bad flaking and peeling going on and after using this it helped tremendously. I’m not the biggest fan of the packaging style since the tube doesn’t retain its shape when you squeeze it. But I really do like the formula.

 

Body Care

5. Chanel Huile Douce Gentle Oil for Hair and Body* this has been a favorite for nearly a year now (featured photo is an older one I took) and it is barely half used up because a little goes a LONG way. I love it soft fresh scent it has, it absorbs into the skin nicely, doesn’t feel too greasy or heavy. If I use it overnight on the body I wake up with baby soft skin. I haven’t used it much on the hair but love it as a body oil all over.

Some of you have asked about other body recommendations so I’ve added them in this post to leave a few notes:

• Augustinus Bader Body Oil was a recent splurge and I do like it but find it a bit sticky in the finish. It is richer in formula than most oils I’ve tried and is super hydrating. It leaves a veil of moisture on the skin and makes the skin feel like it’s protected. I like that it is not scented, it didn’t irritate my skin at all, left legs and arms hydrated, but I don’t like the sticky feel. It doesn’t have a dry down or smooth feel like other oils do. It has a little hole in the top to control how much oil drips out. I think it’s good and really does hydrate, but I prefer the Chanel feel and formula.
• Kate Somerville Dry Skin Saver is one of the best unscented body creams I’ve tried. I’ve used it for years and it helps on days I have irritated skin. I think it’s reasonably priced and absorbs into the skin nicely. It’s a great no fuss no gimmick kind of product that does what it says it will do. Andrew likes this one as well! (You can still use my code SABRINA20 to save 20% off at Kate Somerville until 9/30)
• Necessaire Body Lotion is another great unscented option. In terms of how rich/thick it is I would say this is one of the lighter weight lotions for the body. For me that’s a huge plus as it absorbs quickly and nicely into the skin without feeling greasy or heavy. This is a nice unisex option as well. I felt this might have been one of those overhyped products as the ads are everywhere on my feed. I do think it’s worth the hype.

Bronzer

6. Gucci Eclat Soleil Bronzing Powder in Shade 3 has made my favorites list for powder bronzers. I have gotten SO many questions about this bronzer asking

• which shade is my favorite? Shade 3 is my favorite (all three swatched and reviewed here)
• do I recommend Gucci or Charlotte Tilbury? I prefer the Gucci because I like a tiny bit of shimmer and glow. The Charlotte Tilbury options (reviewed here) are matte and have a more flat matte look to them which isn’t bad, I just prefer the ones from Gucci.

Rose Blush

7. Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Blush in Walk of No Shame is one of the prettiest soft warm rose glow blushes I’ve tried! This is a newer color in her blush formula which I LOVE for the subtle glow and color (I own all the shades). Many of you have asked whether I would recommend the Charlotte Tilbury Walk of No Shame or Hourglass Blush in At Night and I think it’s a tough pick! On my complexion the Charlotte Tilbury has a warmer finish with more glow to it while the Hourglass is a little bit more flushed cool-toned and has a more dressy feel (see At Night on my face here). If I had to pick one I would pick the Charlotte Tilbury option for everyday.

New Cle de Peau Beaute

8. Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Fluid Foundation Matte launched recently and I think it’s amazing. It’s currently available at Nordstrom and Cle de Peau. I ordered two shades O40 (more golden/beige) and BF50 (darker and more olive) to try. I tan easily and at this time of year I’m normally more tan. However with everything going on in the world we have been limiting our beach trips and with hurricane season here we’ve had a lot of wind and rain so we haven’t been out as much as we’d like. Right now O40 is a great match for me. I can make BF50 work but it’s very olive and is a little too dark on me.

Formula is one of the best soft matte foundations I’ve tried. It has medium to full coverage, has minimal oxidizing when it sets/dries down, lasts all day, doesn’t look dry or cakey. I think it’s a winner! I haven’t tried other Cle de Peau foundation formulas in a long time so I can’t compare, but I really like this matte one.

Side notes: Cle de Peau also added new shades of the Concealer Stick and Radiant Corrector for Eyes. I ordered both in one of the new shades Buff which is a good match for concealing. I still like Ocher for some brightening on my skin tone. I will have a separate and more detailed review on this in an upcoming foundation roundup. For now I hope this helps you!

Swatches:

Quick look at the Cle de Peau Radiant Fluid Foundation Matte in O40 on my skin at the top. Bottom photo I’m also wearing the Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in Walk of No Shame on the Eyes, Cheek to Chic Blush in Walk of No Shame, Collagen Lip Bath in Walk of No Shame along with their Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes Mascara. Tee shirt is from Madewell.

 

Fragrance – Jo Malone and Le Labo

9. Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt Cologne is one of my favorite perfumes! It’s a unique unisex scent that has a mix of ambrette, sea salt and sage. It’s hard for me to describe but it’s the best year-round scent I own. I own it in multiple sizes in the 100 ml size and 50 ml size because I love it so much. The minis are harder to find but you can find it in a Wood Sage Sea Salt + English Pear Duo or Wood Sage + Peony Blush Suede Duo at Sephora. If you wait until holiday they usually have 5-piece mini sets as well.

10. Le Labo Another 13 is one I bought in the Nordstrom Travel Spray Duo with Santal 33 and Another 13. As with most of their perfumes you can find it in a wide range of size options and sets. Another 13 is a musky mix of amber, moss and jasmine. For me it is another hard one to describe but it feels fresh and musk but not too powdery. If you’re hesitant about buying perfumes without smelling them and don’t have a store near you – they have some discovery set options on their Le Labo website. If you’re a Le Labo fan can you tell me if I need to try any of their city exclusives?

Shown above: Clear black travel case from The Daily Edited, Nail Polish is OPI Let Me Bayou a Drink

That wraps up my Top 10 this month! Let me know if you want another one for skin, hair or home. Would love to hear about what you’re loving right now. I hope you are all doing well and staying safe and sane. We are hanging in there!

 

Press samples have a * next to them. All other items purchased by me.