Travel Archives - Page 4 of 12 - The Beauty Look Book

What I Packed for a Week in NYC

July 6, 2018

Happy Friday! I have my packing post for what we packed for a week in NYC during the summer. Most of the time I’m a carry-on traveler and bring my suitcase onto the plane with me, but this round Andrew and I checked two of them! We had one more with us as well for a total of 3 suitcases in the Bigger Carry-on Size from Away (our shoes took up a lot of space). It would have been more ideal if we had larger sizes but we tend to pack last minute and by the time we realized what we needed it would have been to late to order a bigger suitcase.

I’ll be doing a separate updated review on the Away Luggage soon so if you have questions leave me a comment below. For now here are some answers to some frequently asked questions from you. I’m so thrilled to see how Away has grown over the years and am always looking forward to seeing their new launches! I first wrote about them when they only had 1 product in their line which is the Regular Carry-On back in 2016. I truly believe this is the best luggage I’ve tried which is why I continue to use them. They’ve since expanded their line and continue to improve their products. Some FAQs I’ve received:

What makes them so good? So many reasons why, but my top three include the design (sturdy, streamlined, no frills, wheels are AMAZING), interior fits a lot, and price point. Mine were gifted but since I discovered them I’ve purchased close to a dozen on my own as gifts for family.
Which size do you recommend? I recommend the Bigger Carry-On if you’re flying in the US. European airlines often have different luggage restrictions so if you’re traveling through Europe I’d recommend the Regular Size.
What’s the size difference? They have all the dimensions on their website along with weights. The difference is slight but enough to be noticeable when you’re trying to fit more stuff inside!
Which size do you carry with you? I’ve carried both, but usually the Bigger option.
Does the exterior get scratched if you check it? Yes, it will get scuffed and ours have a few scratches. But they hold up remarkably well.
Can you clean the outside? Yes, if there are markings you can use a Magic Eraser + warm water or a little dish soap. Away often has more tips on their Instagram stories!
Where can I find the mini Away case and what does it look like inside? It’s not available right now, they launched them during the holidays so I’m hoping they will be back again later this year. What it looks like inside in this post here.
Quick notes about the charging battery – Some airlines have changed their policy about having charging batteries on the plane. We’ve flown Delta and they stopped my husband at the gate, asked him to take everything out to unscrew the battery because he had the older style that doesn’t have a pop-out battery. We’ve also flown Jetblue and they didn’t stop or check anything! Check with your airline to see their policy. If you have an older style Away suitcase they have a page with some information you might want to check out. They’ve also launched a battery switch program with a few options.
Where can I find previous reviews? You can click my Travel – Packing Tag. You can also see a few below:

Onto what I packed for a week in NYC. I’m usually pretty good at editing what I bring. This round I didn’t pack enough sweaters or warm clothes. Summers in NYC are pretty warm but this year has been a really odd year for weather all along the east coast. During our stay in New York, we had some really cold rainy days mixed in with super hot days. I thought about buying a proper jacket, but decided to make what we had work! Living in South Florida there are very few days where I actually have to wear a jacket. I have my packing split into two parts: clothes and beauty.

Clothes I packed for the entire trip below! Outfits are laid out in the collage below. I didn’t get actual outfit photos of everything in the city but we did snap most of them! I’m going to try and be better about getting more for you in the future as some of you have mentioned it’s helpful to see them. Some of the shoes I changed mid-day. The only things I didn’t wear were the dress and heels. We tend to travel casual style so I often don’t pack anything formal or dressy.

My outfit packing list:

Button Pink Camisole by Topshop
Short-Sleeve Tie-Front Shirt from Madewell
Embroidered Side-Tie Tank by Madewell
Texture and Thread Wrap Tie Shirt from Madewell
Blue stripe Tie Back Shirt from Treasure and Bond
Distressed white shorts by STS Blue
Denim skirt by Free People
Le Skinny Jeans Frame
White denim skirt by Free People
White ankle jeans by Paige
Wallet on Chain by YSL
White sneakers Converse
Chloe Ballet Flats in Nude
Chloe Ballet Flats in Black
Hermes Oran Sandals
Boucle shell stripe from Banana Republic
White ankle jeans by Paige (on repeat)
Short sleeve button up from J.Crew
Joie Dezra Jacket (old style)
Stripe ruffle dress from Splendid
Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM
Black V-Neck Sweater from J.Crew
Tory Burch Sienna Sandals
Stuart Weiztman Nearlynude Block Heels
Nike Free RN Running Shoes
Bella Dahl Peplum Tank (not shown)

Also packed but not shown included a Goyard tote, Lululemon clothes for working out (which we didn’t get to), for sleeping this cute black lace camisole + shorts night set from Flora by Flora Nikrooz.

Four of my vacation outfits we snapped out and about, I’ll try to get more next time! Some of the days we just had too much fun eating, exploring and meeting with people to take photos.

Beauty packing packed into my Daily Edited Large Cosmetic Case, Away Mini Travel Case, Anya Hindmarch Inflight Travel Case and clear Ouai Mini Pouch. FYI full review coming soon, but as mentioned in my previous post this case is a cheaper dupe of the Anya Hindmarch! It’s also available in Navy, Taupe and Pale Pink.

All the things laid out. Yes, I overpacked on lipgloss. I almost always do. Full list below:

Beauty breakdown (checked my bag!):

Lips:
- Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in Tendresse
- Pat McGrath LUST Gloss in several shades
- NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Swing
- Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Bare Pink
- Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk
Eyes:
- Pat McGrath MTHRSHIP Sublime Bronze Eyeshadow Palette
- Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Rose Gold and Copper
- Glossier Lash Slick
- L’Oreal Lash Paradise
- Hourglass Arch Brow Gel
- Sisley Phyto-Khol Star Eyeliner
- Diorshow Brow Styler
Foundation/Concealers/Powder:
Blush/Cheeks:
Skincare:
- Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist
- Chanel Le Creme Main
- L’Occitane Roll-On Deodorant
- L’Occitane Aqua Reotier
- Glamglow Supermud Mask
- Drunk Elephant Baby Facial (mini)
- Glow Recipe Watermelon Sleeping Mask (mini)
- assorted mini samples
Hair:
- Dyson Supersonic Dryer
- Mason Pearson brush
- Byredo Mojave Ghost Hair Perfume (now available in a mini trio)
- Ouai Hair Oil
- Moroccanoil light
- T3 Vent Brush (not shown)
Perfume:
- Creed atomizer with Love in White for Summer inside
- Tom Ford Soleil Blanc mini atomizer
Tools: My Laura Mercier brushes and a beautyblender sponge, MAC eyelash curler

One last look (this was taken pre-trip, so a few of the things in this shot didn’t make the cut):

What I would have done differently: I think I always have a warm weather state of mine, I often don’t pack enough warm clothes. Weather prediction is tough but for most trips I’ve always needed a warmer jacket. I would have packed one this trip. I also often forget to carry a tote with a zipper. I need to be better about doing this. I have been really lucky that I’ve never had anything stolen but Andrew is always reminding me to not carry my tote behind me as it’s easy for someone to slip their hand inside. Either a closed tote or cross body for city sightseeing or shopping will be safer.

Hope you enjoyed this packing post! Do you have any tips or tricks you want to share for packing on week-long getaways? Do you travel with carry-on’s or smaller suitcases or pack a lot? Now that I’ve done a few packing posts let me know what you find most helpful. Sometimes I list everything out, others it’s a more general list. Let me know which version you like the best!

Press samples featured include Away luggage, Pat McGrath Lust Gloss, L’Occitane Aqua Reotier, Laura Mercier Concealer, Sisley eyeliner, Hourglass brow gel.

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New York Travel

Summer NYC Travel Diary

July 3, 2018

June flew by so quickly I cannot believe it! It’s already been a month since we went to NYC for a quick trip and I can’t wait to go back. As promised I finally have a NYC travel diary post and will have a separate packing post soon. We spent about a week in New York City and had so much fun. There’s so much to do in the city – I mapped out nearly 50 places I wanted to see, eat and shop. Of course we did not get to everything (not even half!). Looking back on our photos I can see that I was clearly most excited about the food. I had my fill of really good coffee, espresso, pastries and avocado toast. We walked nearly everywhere and had the best time exploring. (Top photo, embroidered tank is from Madewell, wallet on chain purse is by YSL, denim is by Frame, jacket is from Joie – old style).

Where We Stayed

For this trip we decided to try The Ludlow Hotel located in the Lower East Side. I picked this hotel because of the beautiful views and dreamy bathrooms! I always check Hotels.com and Trip Advisor first for prices and reviews but in terms of reserving a room, I’ve found booking direct is sometimes the best for customer service. I’ve learned the hard way using travel booking sites that often times I cannot make changes easily after the fact. Hotels are often happy to price match and in this case they did! I initially booked a Loft King but changed at the last minute to the Loft Queen because it had a bathtub. You can check their website to see all room descriptions. We were lucky to get a room on the 19th floor with some amazing views! The room we booked was very small at under 300 sq feet. It came with a windowed bathroom, separate soaking tub and shower. We had to request a separate clothing rack because the closet would only fit Andrew’s clothes. We had a pleasant stay, everything was really cozy and clean and quiet. They had a nice gym and terrace on the roof. We were planning to work out each night but were too exhausted to get any dedicated exercise in. We’d definitely stay here again. We liked the location and the rooms were nice. We would probably book a larger room next time though.

View from the roof:

Sunglasses are from J.Crew (old style called Irving), top is by Madewell.

Where We Ate

The food stops were the highlights of my trip. I almost felt like I missed my calling as a food blogger but then realized I’m really not the most adventurous when it comes to trying certain kinds of foods. NYC truly has some of the most amazing pastry shops and really amazing coffee and espresso. Based on my food wish list I think it would most likely take at least a month to try all the places I’ve bookmarked!

Above clockwise from left:

ABCV – We ate here because the lovely Gothamista booked us reservations for breakfast! I was so thrilled to be able to meet her in person, she is truly a beautiful person inside and out. We clicked instantly and if you don’t follow her on YouTube definitely give her videos a look! She’s a skincare expert and whatever she uses I need to add to my routine. Her skin is glowing! ABCV has really incredible food. I wish we snapped a photo but we ate it all too quickly. Everything was phenomenal. We’d absolutely go back. ABC Kitchen is next door – hope to try this next time!
Sweet Chick: Lower East Side – This was right next to our hotel. We could not resist chicken and waffles. I ordered one of their kale salads to try and balance out the chicken, waffles and mac and cheese. LOL. Everything was delicious. We stopped by when there was no wait or line. Service was great and quick for us.
Katz Delicatessen – This was also next to our hotel. Andrew picked up a Pastrami Hot Sandwich late one night and brought it back to the hotel room for us to share. It was every bit as amazing as we had imagined after seeing this on a few food channels.
La Mercerie – I had a meeting here for lunch and the food was delicious! I ordered the Salade Verte and it made for a perfect light fresh kind of meal.

So happy to meet Renee aka Gothamista!

Yet more eats below:

Above clockwise from left:

Dominique Ansel Bakery – I made Andrew wake up extra early so we would arrive when they opened. The wait for us was only about 5-10 minutes – no long lines like I had read about. I finally tried a Cronut and it was amazing! We also ordered a Little Egg Sandwich and Coconut Chocolate Croissant. Everything was really filling so we ended up taking most of it to-go back to our hotel. We went back again on our last day to buy some pastries to take home. I highly recommend this! Also the line is usually only for Cronuts. You can also order things to pick up in advance but double check the turnaround time as it will take some planning.
Ippudo Ramen – One of the best ramen places I’ve tried. We had a 20 minute wait but this wasn’t too bad considering the first time we tried the wait was 2 hours and we decided to try it another day. Glad that we did!
Eataly Flatiron – We stopped by one of the pizza counters and it did not disappoint!
Rubirosa Pizza – This was the most recommended pizza spot, we had about a 45 minute wait but it was 100% worth it. We shared the mini rice balls and a small Rubirosa Supreme pizza. There was nothing mini or small about any of it but I had no complaints!

Other eats we enjoyed included multiple cookie stops at Momofuku Milk Bar, two stops at Prince Street Pizza, quick lunch at Shake Shack, coffee and avocado toast at Bluestone Lane Coffee, a meeting Blank Slate Tea and a couple meetings a few different Maison Kayser places around the city. Andrew also stopped by Levain Bakery without me while I was in a few meetings. He brought me back part of some kind of chocolate fluffy kind of cake. He said he went to two different locations because the first one he went to had a long line, but down the street there was another location that had no wait. Someday I will finally make it there in person.

Places We Stopped to See

A few touristy things we did included a walk around the Flatiron Building – so many fun places to see around the area, not to mention Eataly is right next to it. We went to the Top of the Rock which I’ve always wanted to do! We definitely want to go back since we went during a busy time. I’d recommend going early if you can and also buy your tickets online. During our stop we bought tickets at the digital kiosks but found we had to select a viewing time and the closest option for us was 45 minutes out. We picked something a couple hours later so we could walk around Rockefeller Center and grab a snack then go back. Mornings or early times in general are probably best if you want to get photos without crowds. A stop at Grand Central is always fun although it’s often really busy. There are lots of boutiques inside including a Diptyque store which I adore!

We took a nice stroll through Central Park on Memorial Day and it was so packed! We did some fun people watching and enjoyed the view. We walked by the Loeb Boathouse and Bethesda Terrace and Fountain which has some nice places for photos.

Top from Treasure and Bond (I’d recommend sizing down), denim by Paige, Louis Vuitton Neverfull is the MM size.

Where We Shopped

I never plan enough time for shopping during my trips. There is so much to see and everything is spread out. Most of the time it’s a quick stop to take a super quick peek and then off to a meeting! I did have some time to walk along Bleecker Street and made a couple stops.

Top photo from left, clockwise:

NARS 413 Bleecker – finally stopped by! It’s so cute inside the store!
Diptyque 377 Bleecker – such a beautiful interior
The Daily Edited – They have a pop up shop in NYC and the interior has given me major organization inspo!
Bond No 9 and Amore Pacific – I didn’t have time to stop inside but I’ve book marked it for my next trip.

I did make a full dedicated stop at Sisley at 343 Bleecker Street and they treated me to a luxurious facial! If you ever have a chance to stop by their stores I highly recommend it. Beauty boutiques often have a more intimate feel to me with less sales pressure (at least in my experience). I wish I had more time to play with their foundations. I use their Tinted Sunscreen Cream and have been dying to try more of their foundations. Next time! This was the first time I experienced a lymphatic drainage massage and it was truly amazing at how much of my face swelling was reduced!

Everything in Soho opens up a bit later than most retail stores, often around 11ish. We walked through in the mornings when everything was still closed but it was fun to explore without any traffic!

I had two facials in one week which is something I’ve never done before. My second one was later in the week at the L’Occitane Flatiron Flagship store. They used their Divine Collection which I already adore and my skin was left glowing. This was a completely relaxing experience. It’s been over a year since I’ve had any facials. I need to look into trying more of these. Another lymphatic drainage massage technique was used – I think from the weather changes and travels my face was extra prone to swelling. The massage definitely helped!

On my priority list was a stop at Diptyque Grand Central. They have a super cute small space and it’s literally decor goals! I have yet to try their diffusers but am going to pick one to order soon. If you’ve tried them let me know what you think of them compared to the candles!

Last but not least was a stop at the Saks Fifth Avenue new beauty floor. I was completely overwhelmed so I didn’t buy anything. They seemed to have almost everything from Sisley, Aesop, Creed, Chanel, Armani, Tom Ford, Penhaligon’s, L’Artisan, Decorte and so much more.

A few more snapshots:

Above top by Madewell, skirt by Free People.

Overall we packed a lot into five days but I don’t think we overdid it and we had a lot of fun. The weather was unpredictable from humid highs to pretty low colds while we were there. It rained on and off a couple of our days but we were expecting it so we had our umbrellas. With a busy meeting schedule and lots of walking I got sick by the end of the trip and it took me a couple of weeks to recover at home. There’s still so much on our list to see, I’m hoping to make another trip soon. Thank you to everyone who messaged me food recommendations! We loved everything we tried. Each trip I’m partially torn between going back to favorite spots and trying new places. There’s usually not enough time to do both! I know many of you were expecting a mega haul post. Aside from pastries I bought two things: a Diptyque New York City Candle and The Daily Edited Transparent Case which is a $70 dupe for my Anya Hindmarch Inflight Case that cost me over $200 (reviewed here)!

Two things I would have done differently. The first is that I would have packed a couple more sweaters and also made sure to bring a tote with a top zipper. I had left my Longchamp Le Pliage Small Tote at home but this would have been more ideal and safer for city travel. The second thing would have been to be a little more organized with my purse swapping. On one morning I was rushing out the hotel to get to a meeting and decided to bring a small bag instead of the larger tote I had been using. I grabbed some cash, my ID, phone and metro card. I left my credit and debit cards in the hotel as I did not realize some cafes in the city are cashless! I stopped by one and sat down for a quick bite in between meetings but luckily realized it was cashless before I ordered.

Hope you enjoyed this NYC travel diary! If you have any NYC favorites let me know in the comments. Also hotel recommendations would be immensely appreciated! We are planning to go back and I want to know from you where I should stay next!

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Florida Home / Interiors Lifestyle

Instagram Roundup

February 27, 2018

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.

What I packed with me included: Straw Tote Bag from Revolve, miniature R+Co Dry Shampoo, Supergoop! Mousse Sunscreen, new Invincible Setting Powder * (review soon), Everyday Sunscreen * (my favorite), Sisley Phtyo-Lip Twist in Shade#11, Tory Burch Foldable Sunglasses, Defense Refresh Spray + other minis from this Meet the Minis set. Leica Sofort Instant Print Camera, same Tory Burch sandals I wear almost all the time.

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.

Outfit details: top is from LA Made Aria Top, shorts are from O’Neill (size 3)

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!

Also shown includes the Kate Somerville Exfolikate Face Scrub (I use this once a week because it’s pretty strong), the Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Rescue Mask (a great five minute soothing, cooling and refreshing face mask), Shu Uemura POREfinist Cleansing Oil (all formulas reviewed here), Glossier Shower Oil (yes I know it’s for the shower, but I still use it in the bath), Aesop Geranium Body Cleanser from the Sway Set (I usually get the larger size with the pump) and Herbivore Botanicals Calm Bath Salts.

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.

Bench is from Wayfair, rug is from Pottery Barn, mirror is from Anthropologie.

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!

Top row from left to right: Splendid Knotted Sandals in White Leather 6.5, Hermes Oran Sandals in 36 1/2, Tory Burch Millers in 6.5, Avec Les Files in size 6, Splendid Knotted Sandals in Dark Blush Suede 6.5

Bottom row: Stuart Weitzman Nearlynude Ankle Strap Sandals in Size 6, the best comfortable heels I’ve tried with no break in period and no pain for me!

Another look below at the Avec Les Files sandals in white. On me they run similar in size to the Stuart Weitzman (which is big). They have a slight cushion sole which makes them comfortable to wear. Other items shown include OPI Lisbon Wants Moor OPI, Byredo Eau de Parfum in Mojave Ghost, NARS Lip Cover in Embrasse Moi* (review here), Marc Jacobs Shameless Foundation in Y320*, Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray mini size, Chanel La Creme Main * (review here), Sisley Brow Gel * (review soon), Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Glow Stick (review soon).

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!

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Florida

Happy New Year! Hello 2018

January 1, 2018

Happy New Year from Florida! We had a few days of sunshine the last week of the year and today I woke up to rain and cold weather. A first for us since moving to Tampa Bay! I wrote months ago wondering if I was ever going to wear a leather jacket again and here I am wearing layers, jackets and more. The past year I have been all over the place (literally) and my one true constant has been this beauty blog. Thank you for following along on my weekly beauty discoveries and testings. Being able to share what I love and having your support means more than I could ever express. A few highlights I wanted to share from the past year and some thoughts looking forward for 2018.

Your Favorite Blog Posts

The top five posts of the year were about bases and lips:

I’m currently testing a few new bases that many of you have been e-mailing me about. It’s quite a process to test these but I’ll have them up as soon as possible! Stay tuned for reviews on Estee Lauder, Dior, Erborian, Tarte and more.

Your Favorite Instagram Posts

You girls went nuts over my #shelfies! I had no idea these would be so popular. I hope once we find a more permanent place to live that I’ll be able to do a beauty setup and organization post. The past few months I’ve been living out of bankers boxes and suitcases. I was lucky to have a good shelf in our last place.

Current #shelfie situation ✨ putting a lot of face mists to the test!

A post shared by Sabrina | the beauty look book (@beautylookbook) on Nov 29, 2017 at 9:09am PST

Moving and Travel

This has been the year of moving and it’s been very stressful for me. In August we no longer had a home and since then we still haven’t found one. Details why we moved so much in my Six Months in Florida post and yes I’ve had a couple melt downs in the process. Since August we’ve made a move every month and this year we moved a total of six times. We had no idea how BIG Florida was! Each area has it’s own unique character, pros and cons. The beach areas are very different from the places closer to city center. Then there are suburban places which are quite dense with huge homes but traffic is pretty bad. We’re not quite ready to buy as we have plans to travel and possibly move again in the next year so finding a place to rent has been a huge challenge. We have pets and the areas we would like to live places go really fast. We’ve come close to finding a place several times but others have beat us to it! Right now we are in a temporary place (yet again) and hope to find a more permanent place soon. Fingers crossed! For those who have asked, our moves this year:

San Diego Home

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Apollo Beach

In Florida we first stayed at our in-law’s home in Apollo Beach. They bought their home to retire in within 1-2 years and asked us to rent it so they wouldn’t have to find strangers to rent. We thought we’d have plenty of time to settle in, explore and find our own place. They changed their plans, decided to retire early in July of this year and gave us a week’s notice that they were moving. This is one of the Apollo Beach neighborhoods – in a canal district where houses all have their own dock!

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St. Pete Beach – such a cute beach house with pool and near the beach! We found all our places on VRBO and Airbnb. In general we had better luck finding places with VRBO although for the beach areas there are a lot of added fees which can add up. We also used a property manager to rent one of the places below and we will probably never do that again. The process was such a hassle and they had an inconvenient application process even though we paid everything up front.

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St. Petersburg Cottage – the smallest place we’ve ever stayed at with only 740 sq ft, surprised we survived in this with out pets but it was so well put together and super cute! The location was so good, our favorite restaurants and coffee shops are all in Saint Petersburg!

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St. Pete Beach – house on the water which was SO amazing, we would have stayed here permanently but it was booked solid for months! We were lucky to find it when we did. The owner of the property was so nice, she restocked us the day we moved in with all the basic living essentials. New towels, sheets, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, laundry detergent etc. With some of the vacation rentals they will have living essentials stocked, others are on the more sparse side as it’s really meant for short term like a vacation or getaway.

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The last house of the year was a cute beach house, also in St. Pete Beach – beach house away from the water but still central to everything in the beach town. We stayed here for a couple of months.

This year alone from the time we left our home in San Diego we went from San Diego, California to Tuscon, Arizona to El Paso + Houston, Texas, Pensacola, Florida. Once in Florida we were in Apollo Beach for a few months, then moved to St. Pete Beach, St. Petersburg and South Tampa. For travel I did trips to Dallas, NYC, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Miami and Los Angeles. When we evacuated we made stops in Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky. Perhaps this isn’t a lot for those who travel, but it’s the most I’ve ever traveled in a single year!

Most Impressed By

The most impressive thing this year has been the box of Venus Et Fleur roses Andrew gifted me on Valentine’s Day. They’re supposed to last an entire year (and yes they stay IN the box – details are all on their website). I’ve been documenting how they held up and they still smell fragrant and look incredible. They lasted the entire road trip in the back of a hot moving truck from San Diego to Tampa. Starting in the fall I haven’t been photographing them as they’ve been in storage with all of our other belongings. I just checked on them and they’re still good!

Best Beauty Finds of the Year: Sunscreen

I’ve never been as diligent with sunscreen as I have this year and it’s all due to the Florida sun. I should have been better in San Diego but the climate is mild and I felt like I stayed indoors so much. Even indoors I know we still need it. I am excited to test more this year. Body Sunscreen Testing here. Face Sunscreen Testing here. My favorite sunscreen brand review on Supergoop! here.

Most Disappointing Beauty Buys

I’ve been a long time die hard Diptyque addict and this was a very disappointing buy. They came out with a car diffuser called Diptyque Un Air de Diptyque. I was so excited I ordered it immediately. For me it was a total fail. For one it comes with just the case for $60 and you have to buy the scented refills separately for $38 each. I tried two scents in Baies and 34. Lasting power is probably good for only a week at best . The back has a rubber grip to insert into your vents and it warped into an odd shape so it would not hold it’s grip. I do understand the Florida heat can be intense but there are many things inside the car part of the actual design that do not melt, I felt Diptyque should have made a better grip. Ranked second biggest fail was the Jouer High Pigment Lip Gloss. These are so popular on the web, if you like these keep on loving them. For me I had such high hopes but they were all pretty much streaky with really bad lasting power.

Looking Forward

I’m looking forward to the new year. I’m personally glad 2017 is over because it was the most exhausting year of my life. Looking forward I hope to start video this year. Let me know in the comments what you’d like to see more of! I tried to mix it up this year – focusing still on beauty and skincare, but also adding some more of my life and travels.

Happy New Year to you! New beauty posts and reviews to resume very soon!

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Florida

Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2017

Merry Christmas to everyone! Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday and a happy new year. This is our first Christmas in Florida and our pups Jake and Lucy are living their best lives in the warmth and sunshine. (They actually turned 13 this year but they’ll forever be my pups.) We are thrilled to have some family in town on two separate occasions this season. We’ll be spending time at the beaches here.

New posts, best of the year roundups and giveaways to resume tomorrow! In the meantime I hope you have a wonderful Christmas! Hope Santa brought you something good!

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Florida Travel

Miami Beach Travel Diary

December 19, 2017

As promised I have another travel diary to share today! We did two back to back trips to Los Angeles on the West Coast for a wedding and then flew back to the East Coast to visit Miami for Art Basel. Miami has been on my list for over a year now and I couldn’t have been more excited for our trip. This was my first time there and we spent a total of four days in South Beach. We had an amazing time although Miami was extremely packed due to the crowds of people coming into town for the art shows, parties and events. We knew this would be the case but planned a trip anyways for a few events and to plan our last getaway before the end of the year. If you’re looking for a beautiful warm place to vacation put this on your list! This post is photo heavy so grab a cup of tea or coffee before reading. I’ve recapped most of everything we did!

Where We Stayed

Since everything tends to go up in price and get booked quickly when there are large events in town, I’d recommend planning your trip at least two months in advance if you go during busy times. We found even with advance planning most of the hotel rates were more than double their normal rates. We found a few good Airbnb options that had great reviews in Coconut Grove and around Miami, but we wanted to stay in Miami Beach. Andrew booked two hotels for our four day stay at the Royal Palm South Beach Miami and the Stiles Hotel. Both are located on Collins Avenue in South Beach near tons of cute restaurants, cafes and shops. During non-busy times their rates are fairly affordable and we had a pleasant stay at both of them. With some of the boutique hotels we were a bit worried as reviews are so mixed. We were so relieved to find both had clean rooms, excellent service and had great locations.

We would definitely consider staying at the Royal Palm South Beach again. The hotel rooms were cute and beds were super comfortable. There are cute restaurants inside the hotel, there’s a beautiful pool and outdoor bar. There are organized beach chairs and cabanas right along the beach in the hotel and they have rooms with an amazing view of the water. If you want a hotel that’s right along the beach that you can walk out and lounge around this one is a great one that’s affordable.

The Stiles Hotel is more of a budget hotel in a more simplistic way. It reminded both of us of some of the European hotels we’ve stayed at with the no-frills simple kind of approach. There’s no driveway to park the cars although they do offer valet services. The elevators are tiny and on the slow side much like some of the older boutique Parisian hotels. The staff was extremely friendly and courteous. They recommended a parking garage around the corner which they told us would be significantly cheaper to use than their valet service. While there isn’t anything luxurious about this one, sometimes all you need is a clean place to sleep while traveling and if you want an affordable option this is a great pick.

Where We Went

We had a few meetings, lunches and events on our agenda and then planned to take our time exploring in between. Since our hotels were near the beaches we spent a lot of time just walking around Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue. There are lots of cute Art Deco style buildings which was fun to see.

One of our favorite things to do each time we visit a new place is go on the hop-on-hop-off bus tours. It’s a great way to see the city without having to worry about getting lost, hectic traffic and parking. Plus with the double-decker buses you can see a lot from the top. I’m not sure how we would have survived the heat if we tried this a month or two ago, but we did go on these in the heat of Europe and still had a lot of fun. Due to time restraints as we had meetings to get to we didn’t spend as much time as we would have liked on these. If you’re new to an area and don’t know exactly where you want to go these buses hit all the popular hot spots. It gives you a good idea of where everything is, then you can go back on your own later to the spots you want to spend more time at. We’ve tried a number of different ones, this time we did the Big Bus Tours.

Also on my list was the Museum of Ice Cream. Tickets had been sold out in LA and San Francisco and I had been dying to see this. We bought preview tickets before it opened to the public and it’s literally the most pink EVERYTHING that I have ever seen. I’d definitely recommend going. It does seem better suited to girls, if you have a girls trip planned it’s the perfect place for photos. Everything is perfectly designed for Instagram photos and they give you ice cream or candy in every room.

Shopping

The shopping is something I’d definitely go back for. There was so much on my list but we had to save it for another trip. We did go to Aventura Mall (for Nordstrom to pick up a few things).

We had a breakfast meeting in the Brickell District and there’s a new multi-story mall there with Diptyque and Sephora. The Saks store there is what all Saks stores should be like. I feel like they’ve lost their luster over the years but this one is amazing! The shoe department is heaven.

No trip is complete for me without a stop to a Sephora!

Not really shopping but we had breakfast at EAST Miami Brickell. The hotel space is lovely, I’d really love to stay here next time we visit Miami. Plus it’s connected to the mall!

The Design District had a lot of events, pop-ups and new store openings. We went to see the new Creed Boutique and Sisley-Paris store openings – both of which I was so excited to see!

Sisley store sneak peek:

Gorgeous Louboutin Store

Food Picks

There were so many restaurants we wanted to try but after some bad eating habits in LA we started to gain weight and tried to limit our junk food eating while in Miami. We stopped by a few casual eating places in Miami – thank you SO MUCH to each of you who gave me recommendations! I have a solid list of 50 spots to try on our next visit when we have more time to explore. We found this cute French sandwich shop where you order and eat at the counters. They have the biggest sandwiches I’ve ever tried. We liked it a lot.

I didn’t get a photo of every place we ate. We tried coffee and pastries at Shepherd Artisan Coffee (cute but wouldn’t recommend), tacos at Taquiza (would definitely go back!), La Sandwicherie in Miami (so fun), Michael’s in the Design District (delicious), Bodega in Miami (best fish tacos we’ve ever had), Rosetta Bakery on Collins (sooooo cute!!).

Some more Miami Beach Travel Diary photos

I never travel without my favorite sunscreen ever, Supergoop! (favs here). My full comprehensive sunscreen testing stories below from this summer, ingredients, recommendations etc below:

Summer Sunscreen Testing Part 1: For the Body

Summer Sunscreen Testing Part 2: For the Face

If we were to do our trip over again we would have definitely picked another time to visit for our first trip together. Things during Art Basel week can get pretty hectic and busy. Traffic is pretty bad. We did go see exhibits at Art Basel although there were tons of installations and pop ups all around the city. I didn’t take any photos inside as I felt a little weird taking pictures of other people’s art – not sure why exactly, but it just didn’t feel right to me. We enjoyed a lot of people watching, walking along the beaches, enjoyed the sunshine and wished we had another week to just explore at our leisure. The good thing is we had a great last trip of the year and definitely plan on going back. We returned back home to St. Pete Beach which is a lot quieter and more laid back than Miami. If you’re looking for a warm beachy place to really kick back and relax, I’d recommend opting for the other side of Florida (our favorite Tampa Bay spots here). If you’re looking for something more cosmopolitan and energetic, Miami is the place to be.

Hope you enjoyed this Miami travel diary! I could have probably split this up into several posts. We definitely want to go back and see more. There’s a lot we didn’t get to. If you have any favorite Miami Beach spots you’ve been to let me know in the comments.

Beauty reviews coming soon on Laura Mercier, Tom Ford and NARS. I’ve been swatching away the past week and hope to have the posts up shortly.

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California Packing Travel

Weekend Los Angeles Travel Diary

December 10, 2017

I have two travel diaries to share as we’ve spent a few weeks traveling this holiday from coast to coast! Two weekends ago Andrew and I flew to Los Angeles for my bestie’s wedding. We spent a few extra days in town to visit some of our favorite spots and meet up with some family as well. It’s been only 10 months since we left California and I can’t believe a lot has already changed in LA! Lots of new construction, new stores and massive mall renovations. We were in town for close to 3 days. This was a short trip and I wish we had been able to stay a full week but hopefully we will be able to travel back to the West Coast in the new year. Trip highlights and photo diary below!

Where we stayed: Mr. C Beverly Hills

For this trip Andrew and I stayed at Mr. C Beverly Hills and had an amazing stay. This was our second time staying at this hotel and it couldn’t be more perfect. I’ve stayed at a number of hotels in Los Angeles before and this one has been my favorite. The hotel has beautiful rooms, excellent service, amazing views and it’s also located in a great spot in Beverly Hills. It’s clean, modern, romantic and just lovely.

His and hers Away Suitcases, these are the regular Carry-On Size (reviewed here)

Travel beauty shelfie: let me know if you want the full beauty pack list and I’ll try to do a separate travel beauty post. In the meantime you can see my Travel Beauty Cases post here. What I packed on previous trips in my Dallas Travel Diary and San Francisco Pack List. I tend to repeat a lot of items. I traveled with the Dyson Supersonic Dryer for the first time and found it was absolutely essential for me. It will definitely be going on future trips! If you buy one make sure you find a good storage case for it. The one I have came with a pouch. I think the hard case version will probably be more ideal to protect it.

Sightseeing spots:

We’ve both been to Los Angeles a number of times so we picked a few sightseeing spots to visit. One of our favorite things to do is to look for night-time viewpoints. Since my brother is based in LA he has been able to show us some amazing view points! Places we stopped by:

Santa Monica for the sunset and beach

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Night City Views from our Hotel

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Griffith Observatory

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View of the Hollywood Sign from Beachwood Drive. If you’re driving along this street make sure you don’t keep going straight up into the hills! Turn off before you reach the hill otherwise you’ll get stuck like we did. The streets are narrow and windy and it took us forever to find our way back down!

Where we shopped:

Westfield Century City is a newly renovated mall and it’s amazing! There are still a lot of stores under construction with “coming soon” signs but there is a lot to find there. It’s especially great if you want a central location to shop with a lot to offer. The Nordstrom there has the most amazing beauty department I’ve seen in the US – they have Tom Ford, a Space NK wall, Atelier Cologne, Frederic Mall, a Natural Beauty section and so much more.

We also stopped by a few boutiques including Penhaligon’s and Aesop. The Aesop store is just so beautiful – all of them are! The staff is genuinely friendly, helpful, non-pushy and knowledgeable.

We made a quick stop inside Barneys New York on Rodeo Drive, I love this store 🙂

One evening we had dinner in Venice Beach on Abbott Kinney. I made a quick stop inside Hourglass store to see what was new. Anxiously waiting for spring launches!

Also on Abbot Kinney is an amazing Smashbox store! They have a lipstick bar and lipstick wall, it’s incredible. I highly recommend stopping by.

Where we ate:

Unfortunately I didn’t get many good food pics as the times we ate we were in dark restaurants or in a rush and didn’t get a photo! As a junk food junkie I’ve been dreaming about In-n-Out for months. I had been dieting for weeks beforehand to be able to eat junk food on our two recent trips. We ate at In-n-Out twice, had Mr. C room service a few times which was AMAZING (best burger I’ve ever had), dinner spots included Gjelina and Marino. Gjelina is one of my favorite restaurants of all time. In the event you aren’t able to get reservations and don’t want to wait for a table (dinner can get busy) there’s a take out Gjelina right next door.

What I packed and what I wore:

I packed an Away Carry-On with a few outfits, makeup, skincare and my Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer. I definitely over packed but didn’t quite pack the right clothing for the weather so I’ll share what I actually wore. I’ve also come to the realization that I need a wardrobe makeover for travel. Living in South Florida I’ve been living in super lightweight clothes, sandals, shorts, dresses because it is HOT here! For the rest of the country it’s really not warm enough to wear what I have right now. Funny how quick we can be to forget what real seasonal weather can be like. Although I do have to say I’ve always lived where it is sunny year round.

What I wore:

Tan leather jacket by Joie (older style, similar here, here and here)
Cotton floral sundress by Zara (old style)
Louis Vuitton Neverfull Tote MM size
Strapless navy floral dress by Majorelle
Black denim jeans from Paige (my favorite brand of jeans ever!)
Long sleeve sweater/tee by Rag and Bone/JEAN
Cotton button down shirt by Joie (old style, similar here, here and here)
Denim cut-off shorts from Blank NYC
Nude leather wallet on chain clutch by YSL
Black block-heeled sandals by Stuart Weitzman
Patent leather sandals by Tory Burch
Foldable sunglasses by Tory Burch

One snapshot I have from Laura’s wedding, thanks to Jessica Alexander for the photo! Laura wearing a chic white dress from ALC, I’m wearing Majorelle.

A few more photos:

Prosecco and chocolate strawberries courtesy of Mr. C Beverly Hills! We’ve never been treated with such a surprise before!

Additional thoughts:

We had a lovely stay and it was great to be back on the West Coast. There were a few things we would have done differently if we could have a do-over on the trip.

If you plan visiting LA from out of town and are going to stay mainly in the Beverly Hills area I’d recommend you Uber instead of renting a car. Any hotel in the Beverly Hills area is going to have pretty high overnight parking fees and the traffic in LA is pretty stressful no matter where or when you’re driving. Not to mention finding street parking adds more stress. I’ve driven to LA from San Diego for events and weekend trips a number of times and my brother has recommended I take the train instead and Uber around the city to save time and stress from parking. That being said a lot of things are spread out in Southern California sometimes having a car is essential.
We probably would have booked 2 more days to be able to take our time, see more places and visit more with friends/family. I think if we had 4-5 full days it would have been plenty of time.
Shopping-wise I would have planned out my stops a little better. Abbot Kinney on Venice Beach has grown so much since I’ve last been there. I would have definitely allocated more time to walk the streets and browse. There are a lot of beauty boutiques there like Aesop, Caudalie, Hourglass, Smashbox and lot of clothing stores there. I think the Century City mall is quite amazing though.
We would have probably skipped visiting Santa Monica. I think it’s great to see once, but we’ve both been there so many times seeing it again was a bit redundant and it was pretty far from everything else we wanted to see.
Take some time to just sit back and do absolutely nothing! This is something we both need to work on. When we travel we tend to travel for adventure and I pack in a lot of things. Sometimes I need to remind myself to slow down and take a break.

Hope you enjoyed this travel diary! I’m working on my Miami trip post but probably won’t have it up until the end of the week or early next week. Stay tuned for more beauty posts soon!

Travel

What I Packed for a Week in NYC

Summer NYC Travel Diary

Where We Stayed

Where We Ate

Places We Stopped to See

Where We Shopped

Instagram Roundup

Happy New Year! Hello 2018

Your Favorite Blog Posts

Your Favorite Instagram Posts

Moving and Travel

Most Impressed By

Best Beauty Finds of the Year: Sunscreen

Most Disappointing Beauty Buys

Looking Forward

Merry Christmas!

Miami Beach Travel Diary

Where We Stayed

Where We Went

Shopping

Food Picks

Some more Miami Beach Travel Diary photos

Weekend Los Angeles Travel Diary

Where we stayed: Mr. C Beverly Hills

Sightseeing spots:

Where we shopped:

Where we ate:

What I packed and what I wore:

Additional thoughts:

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