Category: Beauty

Beauty, Holiday, Holiday Gift Guides

Sephora Holiday Bonus Event: My Top Picks

by Carey SpenceLeave a Comment on Sephora Holiday Bonus Event: My Top Picks
Sephora Holiday Bonus Event: My Top Picks

Happy Monday friends! I don’t usually post on Mondays, but today I had to because the Sephora Holiday Bonus Event has started and I couldn’t not share. You may be wondering what the event is and why you should even care. Well, don’t worry, I’ll fill you in. Sephora has tier-membership sales a few times a year, and this one is amazing because it’s ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday events. So, if you’re looking to purchase beauty/makeup gifts, now is the perfect time.

Here are the specifics: Sephora Rouge members (highest level) can start shopping now until the event ends on November 11 (a full week before others can start shopping) and save 20% with code HOLIDAYSAVE. Everyone else can start shopping the sale on November 7. VIB members (second level members) will save 15% with code HOLIDAYSAVE while Beauty Insider members (first level members) will save 10%. And, if you aren’t already a member you can sign up now and still shop the event!

Now that the details are out of the way, here are my top picks. But side note: I’m suggesting a lot of gift ideas, but by all means shop for yourself! It’s the perfect time to stock up on the beauty favorites you use every day!

Value Sets

I kind of went overboard with this section, but I love a value set!

 

Gifts Under $100

 

Gifts Under $50

 

Stocking Stuffers

 

Luxury Gifts

 

I hope you liked this Sephora Sale guide/gift guide! I can’t wait to share more gift guides with you this holiday season. If there’s a specific gift guide you want to see next, let me know in the comments below!

xo,

Carey

P.S. Shop my top picks from the last Sephora sale!

Beauty

The Fragrances I Wear on Repeat

by Carey SpenceLeave a Comment on The Fragrances I Wear on Repeat
The Fragrances I Wear on Repeat

Hello hello! I’m here this Wednesday to break up my usual fashion content with a quick beauty post. I realize that fragrance is a very personal preference, but I had to share the three fragrances that I absolutely love. Honestly, I won’t wear anything else—I’m extremely picky about scent and have sensitive nose (a lot of fragrances give me migraines). So, I thought I would share the three fragrances that work for me for those out there that are also sensitive to smell and even for those who aren’t because these three fragrances are amazing!

Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet

First up is the very first fragrance I fell in love with. I’ve been wearing Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet since I was about 16 or 17. It was the only fragrance I wore up until my sophomore year of college! I love how subtle it is. I also love that it’s a combination of floral and fruity scents. I don’t like just floral perfumes or just fruity ones so this is the perfect compromise. My only complaint about this one is that the scent does fade easily. But otherwise it’s a classic that I can always see myself going back to. And I obviously love it since you can see that my bottle is practically empty!

 

Tory Burch

If you’re looking for a stronger, more summery scent than the Tory Burch perfume is perfect. It’s similar to the Miss Dior one in that it mixes floral and citrus scents, but it has a sharper, stronger smell. I don’t like to wear this one in the winter, but it screams summer nights to me. Because I’m so sensitive to smells I do only spray this lightly on my wrists (it’s too strong for me if I spray on my neck), but the scent stays on all day! While the Miss Dior perfume leans more towards the floral side, I’d say this leans more towards the fruity side.

 

Wood Sage and Sea Salt

Finally, the perfume I haven’t stopped wearing since I bought it! I’m surprised that I love this scent so much since it’s a woody/mineral fragrance, whereas I generally go for the floral/fruity fragrances like the other two. But, this is just perfect! It’s a very subtle scent (which I love) and I definitely feel like it’s a summery scent but will work year round. On Nordstrom’s website the “mood” associated with this scent is “energetic, lively, spirited, joyful” and I think that perfectly describes it! Highly recommend this fragrance!

 

So these are the three fragrances I’ve been wearing. Like I said before, I’m extremely particular when it comes to fragrance and these are the ones that I feel work for me! What’s your go-to fragrance? Let me know in the comments below!

xo,

Carey

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Beauty, Style

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale: Best of Beauty + Items I Love Still in Stock

by Carey Spence1 Comment on Nordstrom Anniversary Sale: Best of Beauty + Items I Love Still in Stock

Every year I shop the Nordstrom sale I get so caught up in the new fall clothes, shoes, and accessories and I feel like I hardly pay any attention to the beauty products. So, this year I did and there are some great options! I went through and picked out products that I definitely think are worth it and would probably buy myself.

  1. If there is one beauty item you should buy during the sale it’s this palette! I got it on Saturday and have been wearing it non-stop. The colors are so pretty for summer and going into fall. I usually stick to browns and grays, but these colors help me go outside my comfort zone without looking too crazy! Plus, the price is so good for a Charlotte Tilbury palette.
  2. Staying on the Charlotte Tilbury discussion, this lip trio is such a steal! I love her lipsticks (unfortunately the one I had died a sad, watery death in my washing machine) and “Pillow Talk” is one of her most popular colors. If it’s a nude lipstick, you know I’m in!
  3. Ok. This Laura Mercier set is another great deal! I’ve wanted the secret brightening powder for so, so long and it’s a part of this trio. Also, the setting powder alone is worth the price of the entire trio!
  4. If you’re looking for a hair tool, look no further than T3. I’ve wanted a T3 curling wand for so long, but can’t justify it since my hair curls so easily, even with my inexpensive wand! But, if you hair doesn’t love to curl like mine does, I’ve heard so many great things about this tool—it’s fast and the curls last for days.
  5. You know a lipstick junkie like me can’t have just one lip option in the bunch! I didn’t see these in person at Nordstrom, but from online I would wear every single color! Again, nude lipstick is my weakness…
  6. Finally, this lash serum might be the best deal on this list. You get two for $95 when that’s usually the price of just one! I’m actually putting this on my Christmas list this year because I’ve heard so many amazing results!

 

Still in Stock

Now that the beauty purchases are covered, let’s talk about what’s still left in stock from the sale. I know a lot of hot ticket items are gone (I really wanted the Vince Camuto snake skin booties but such is life), but there are still some amazing finds still left in stock! I’m rounding up every thing I really like that’s still in stock in all or almost all sizes (as of when I’m writing this post on 7/16). And, I’m going to share my top 10 items still in stock below—because I truly love these items and have them on my own wishlist.

Items I Love Still in Stock

 

Must-Haves Still in Stock

 

Which items would you add to your must-have list? Let me know in the comments!

xo,

Carey

 

Beauty

Sephora Beauty Insider Event

by Carey SpenceLeave a Comment on Sephora Beauty Insider Event

TGIF am I right? And what better way to start your weekend off than with a Sephora sale! I honestly could spend millions at Sephora if I had the money—it’s my go-to retailer for beauty products. I swear, every time I’m in line, the little goodies /mini products kill me!

So, to shop this sale, you need to be a beauty insider. Don’t worry, it’s super easy to sign up and it’s free. I’ve been a beauty insider for years and love the perks. And the more you spend, the better for your membership. Once you hit certain spend amounts in a year you move up a level. I usually fluctuate from the standard beauty insider to the VIB (Very Important Beauty Insider) depending on the year.

So here are the deets: Rouge member (the highest level) you can start shopping the sale today at 20% off with code HEYROUGE! The sale is only open to Rouge members for early access from April 26-May 1. Starting May 2, all tiers (VIB and Beauty Insiders) will have access! VIB members get 15% off purchase in store and online with code HEYVIB and Insiders get 10% off with code HEYINSIDER. Of course, Rouge members still get 20% off purchases in store and online with code HEYROUGE. 

So now that the sale details are out of the way, I want to share some of my all time favorite products, as well as the products I have my eye on!

Products I’ve Used and Loved:

 

Products On My Wish List:

 

Are you shopping the Beauty Insider sale? I’d love to know your favorite purchases from Sephora in the comments below!

xo,

Carey

Beauty

The Beauty Products I Can’t Live Without (Not Makeup!)

by Carey SpenceLeave a Comment on The Beauty Products I Can’t Live Without (Not Makeup!)
click on the products directly to shop

 

Happy Thursday! It’s been a while since I’ve done a beauty based post, so I thought today I would share some of the beauty products I use all the time. These are the products I use either every day, or at the very least every week.

First up is a jade roller. And to be perfectly honest, my dad broke part of mine awhile back, so I’m only really using the smaller end. While I do plan to get a new one (eventually) I still love using the smaller end after I apply eye cream. I have chronic puffy under eyes and dark circles from genetics and allergies, so I like to do anything I can. I really think the coolness of the jade helps with the puffiness—at least marginally.

Next is the new self tanner I’ve been using. I have to say, this is one of my favorite self tanners ever! I put it on and am instantly tanner, so by the time it’s been on for a few hours I look like I’ve been in Florida! Also, you can’t beat that $13 price tag. One caveat: it definitely transfers color onto clothes and sheets, but it easily comes out in the wash! But, if stained sheets really bother you, I also really like this pre-shower self tanner that’s stain free (it just takes a little longer to build a tan).

You guys. I have been using the Josie Maran Argan oil since middle school and can’t imagine life without it. I use it for literally everything: my face, my hair, my cuticles, even on my legs, arms, and feet! A little goes a long way with this stuff and it is so worth it. I usually use it on my face at night under moisturizer, but like I said there are so many different ways it can be used.

I don’t know about you, but dry shampoo saves my life on a weekly basis. I’ll be perfectly honest here, I hate washing my hair. The shower pressure in my apartment sucks so it takes 7 years to get shampoo out of my thick hair. And then blow drying and styling? Way too much effort on my part. So I try to go as long as possible without washing and I am pretty lucky because my hair doesn’t get greasy very fast. But when it does, this dry shampoo comes to the rescue. I’ve tried others and have yet to find one that works as well as this product.

Just like the Argan oil, I’ve been using Clinique moisturizer for years. Occasionally throughout the years I try a new moisturizer, but this is the one I always go back to. As someone with dry skin, this really does do the job.

Ok, you’re probably thinking, why is there a toothbrush on this list? But, I think keeping my teeth looking clean and white counts! My mom just got me an electric toothbrush for Christmas and I will never go back. Regular toothbrushes just don’t clean half as well. If you don’t have one yet, order ASAP!

Last on the list is this body lotion. Once again being honest, I forget to put lotion on my body (aside from my face and neck) all the time and have dry skin. But one use of this product and my legs are looking fresh and moisturized! I love that it’s pretty much fragrance free too—I weirdly hate when my lotion competes with my perfume. This is the perfect lotion to put on before bed and wake up with fresh looking skin!

That’s it for this week, I hope you enjoyed it! What other beauty posts would you like to see in the future?

xo,

Carey

Beauty

What’s In My Makeup Bag

by Carey SpenceLeave a Comment on What’s In My Makeup Bag

Welcome back! Sorry for the brief sabbatical, but I had a family emergency that caused a delay in posting. But anyway, I thought I’d share some of my favorite products in my makeup bag. I generally use these products every day!

First up is my tinted SPF. This summer I started to really read up on skincare I should be doing in my 20s. I obviously knew SPF was a must, but I was only using a foundation that had SPF15 in it. I realized that I needed a separate SPF product so I can really protect my skin. The best part is that I feel like I no longer have to use foundation with this product. For the most part my skin is pretty clear so a little tint just evens everything out and I’m ready to go!

Of course, I do like to use my concealer for any blemished and my under eye circles. I like this one because I feel like it’s slightly brightening, making it perfect for under my eyes. And to round out my face products, I like the tarte Pro-Glow To-Go palette for highlighting and bronzing!

I’ve probably said it before, but eyebrows are SOOO important! They literally frame your entire face and can make or break your look. I just bought this eyebrow pencil from Benefit and so far I’m loving it! For eyeshadow, lately I’ve been reverting back to my Naked Smoky palette. I am so sad Urban Decay decided to discontinue it because it’s one of my go-tos. I would definitely get it before it’s completely gone!

And finally, mascara. I’ve mentioned before, but I’ve been using a lash booster before my mascara and it makes all the difference! My lashes looks so much longer and fuller when I use it.

That’s all for this week! Also, hover over the images for direct product links!

xo,

Carey