What to Buy in the Sephora Sale | 10 Recommendations

I feel like I only just wrote a Sephora recommendations post, but there are so many more new favorites that I need to tell you about before the next sale! Sephora seems to have bumped up their VIB Sale - it's usually in November, but it starts August 24th for VIB Rouge and August 30th for VIB/Beauty Insiders. If you're like me and are panicking a bit because you thought you had more time to save up, here are a few current favorites that I think are worth picking up in the sale.

Fresh Vitamin Nectar Antioxidant Glow Water* | I've only had this for a week, but I'm already hooked. I love a good fancy face water, and this one amps up the glow, smells like oranges, hydrates the skin, and gives it a good refresher throughout the day. The mist is beautiful and fine, delivering a fine veil rather than a sticky stream. It's alcohol-free so it won't dry you out over time, and I've really noticed it giving me a brighter and peppier appearance than other face mists. There's also a mini that's perfect for throwing in your bag for on-the-go refreshers.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer | This isn't a new release, but something I've been using consistently since I first bought it and would repurchase again and again. It's a thin, serum-y consistency that instantly plumps up the skin and leaves a moisturized, glowy finish. It makes my makeup go on so much better on top - nothing ever looks dry or cakey when worn over this primer. This is the primer that turned me into a primer-believer, too, so that's saying something. It really does make my makeup last longer, because my issue with longevity was always my skin getting dehydrated and drinking up my foundation. Now this hydrates my skin enough so that doesn't happen.

Bite Beauty French Press Lip Gloss in Dirty Chai | I've seen people raving about these glosses lately, and for good reason. They're one of the most non-lipgloss-feeling lipglosses I've ever used, if that makes sense. They feel more like a balm on the lips than a gloss, but they still give a beautiful shine. All the colors look beautiful, but I'm head over heels for Dirty Chai, a warm rose that is quite similar to my natural lip color. It's more pigmented than I was expecting it to be, but it still lets a little of my natural lip color show through, so it looks very natural. I've been pairing it with the Bite Lip Pencil in 016 too, if you're looking for a perfect match.

Origins Mega Mushroom Relief & Resilience Soothing Face Mask | This quickly became one of my favorite masks after I bought it in the spring. It's a creamy mask (it feels like a thick moisturizer) that feels so comforting and soothing on the skin. It's not exactly cooling, but it takes away redness and irritation right away for me. This has been so great for summer mornings when I wake up feeling a little dehydrated and heat rash-y. I love popping it on on a weekend morning, going about my chores, and then rinsing my face with cool water to get rid of any remaining mask that hasn't sunk into my skin. It leaves my skin plump, clear, and hydrated.

Caudalie Instant Detox Mask* | This has to be my favorite clay mask I own. It uses a combination of papaya enzymes, pink clay, coffee, and grape marc to detoxify, brighten, and purify the skin so pores appear smaller and skin is smoother. This really does give instant results for me without drying out my skin like other clay masks I've tried. It actually really reminds me of the Aesop Parsley Seed Mask - it looks, smells, and feels so similar. It's a thinner consistency than other clay masks, forming a flexible film as it dries rather than a thick, caked-on layer, so it doesn't feel super tight as it dries, and it's easy to rinse off. If you're in need of a new clay mask that won't strip your skin, look here!

Milk Makeup Kush High Volume Mascara | I don't know how this didn't get included in my last recommendations post, because it's been tied for my #1 favorite mascara since it came out. I was skeptical because I usually don't like fiber mascaras (the fibers usually fall into and irritate my eyes), but the fibers in this stay put and give the lashes a super fluffy, full appearance. It really looks like I've gotten a nice set of fluffy lash extensions when I wear this mascara. I'm going to be repurchasing this in the sale. 

Amika Polished Perfection Straightening Brush* | I just got this for free through Octoly recently, but it's already become such a staple in my haircare routine that I wanted to recommend it to you, too. Since it's a pricier item, it's definitely a good idea to get it during the sale! My hair is quite frizzy and in between wavy and curly, but I'm too lazy to really do any styling. Most days I would just put it up in a messy bun and call it a day. But the Straightening Brush makes it so easy - it would normally take me at least 20 minutes to straighten my hair, but I can now get it done in 5. Instead of dividing my hair into four sections to work through, I only need to do two. It straightens my hair easily, and while it doesn't leave it as pin-straight as a flatiron would, I actually prefer the way the brush makes my hair look - like I didn't try too hard. 

Herbivore Botanicals Blue Tansy Resurfacing Clarity Mask* | This is another product I got free through Octoly and fell in love with. It's a thin, jellylike consistency that you can really feel working (read: it tingles a lot). It's a mask full of natural AHAs (fruit enzymes) and BHA (willowbark), as well as calming ingredients like blue tansy oil and aloe leaf, so it is a powerful chemical exfoliator that won't irritate your skin. Despite the tingling, I find my skin is much less red after I remove this mask than it is before I apply it. It leaves my skin super soft and smooth, and I find it doesn't feel as sensitized as it does after I use something like Babyfacial. 

Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow | If you're like me and have been pouring one out for the Dior Fusion Mono Eyeshadows, hop on over to Hourglass and pick up one of their newest releases. These have the same not-quite-cream, yet not-quite-powder consistency and are filled with the most beautiful sparkles that don't feel chunky or gritty. I have the shade Aura right now, which is a beautiful pink shade, but I've got my eye on the champagne shade and will definitely get it in the sale if it doesn't sell out! These apply easily with a finger for a sheer wash of color, or they can be built up to be quite dramatic and metallic with a brush. They also stay very well on my creasy eyelids - I do need to prime them, but this lasts all day even when I just use concealer and powder to do that.

Pat McGrath Labs Lust Lip Gloss | I know I already put a lipgloss on this list, but I'm really having a gloss moment and this has to be one of the most beautiful gloss formulas I've ever tried. It's creamy, not too thick, not sticky at all, and it smells like frosting. They have just the perfect amount of pigmentation too - pigmented enough to show up over more pigmented lips, but not so much that it looks goopy or collects in lip lines or the corners of the mouth. I have the shade Flesh Fantasy which is the perfect everyday pinky-brown, and I already have two more sitting in my cart for the sale - a more rosy shade as well as the pink duochrome one.

What do you think you'll get in the Sephora Sale?

Info via Trendmood: The Sephora Sale starts on August 24th for VIB Rouge - 20% off with the code YESROUGE, and it starts on August 30th for VIB & Beauty Insiders - 15% off with YESVIB and 10% off with YESINSIDER.

Products marked with an asterisk (*) have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

The Sunburned Blush Look

While I certainly don't love getting a real sunburn, this summer I've been all about the sunburned cheek look. Wearing a blush to make you look like you maybe slightly overdid it in the sun is actually such a flattering look in my opinion - it gives the skin some life and color, and for me, it makes me look healthier. The key here is to look for blush shades that have a bit of a red tone to them and formulas that make themselves one with the skin. I like to apply these kinds of shades pretty much all over my cheeks, and even a little on the bridge of my nose, to really amp up that sunkissed/burned look.

T-B | Glossier Storm, Dawn, Onomie Tamar, Nudestix Naughty n' Spice, Milk Makeup Werk, bareMinerals Strike a Rose

Glossier Cloud Paints in Storm & Dawn | I'm sure it's no surprise there are Cloud Paints included here. Glossier's two newest shades of the fingerpaint/blush are perfect for this kind of look. They're much brighter/deeper than their first four shades, making them great for a more dramatic blushed look for summer.  Storm is a deep, warm rose that instantly makes you look like you've come in out of the sun or you've spent the whole morning doing some intense cardio. Dawn is a stunning bright orange coral that gives an even more sunkissed look - definitely the one to go for if you want to look more "bronzed" instead of burned. The Cloud Paints of course are a thin, gel-like liquid blush that instantly becomes seamless with the skin, making it look like it's your own natural flush. (As always, you can get 20% off your first Glossier order through my rep link!)

Onomie Boosting Lip + Cheek Stick in Tamar | I've fallen hard for these lip and cheek sticks again, and I've been using at least one of them in every makeup routine lately. The formula is so creamy and leaves a beautiful dewy look on the skin, but they don't move around or wear away quickly. They're quite a bit more pigmented than you'd expect for a "makeup/skincare" product, so you really only need to dab on a bit and blend. The shade Tamar is a lovely wine shade that adds the perfect flush to the skin - it's a little bit brown and a little bit red, so it's great for looking like you've been in the sun.

Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek in Werk | Another new shade - Milk's chubby sticks for lips and cheeks have always been a favorite formula of mine, but there was never a shade I constantly wanted to reach for until they brought out Werk, which is a dusty rose. On me, it has enough warmth and enough of a red tone to give that perfect mix of a little bit tanned and yet a little bit pink. In the sun I only turn pink, so this is an upgrade for me. The formula is creamy and easy to apply and blend, making it a go-to for summer when you just want to get out the door and get to the beach or something.

NUDESTIX Nudies All Over Face Color in Naughty N' Spice | This is another creamy formula that becomes one with the skin. I love the Nudies formula because it's quite thin, so it really does sink into the skin, feels weightless, and it moves with the skin without sliding around. Naughty N' Spice is a similar dusty rose shade to Milk's Werk, although it's a little more vibrant (less "dusty"). It adds a really nice natural flush to the skin and looks a little more red (on my skin) than Milk's Werk.

bareMinerals Gen Nude Blush in Strike a Rose | This is the only powder blush on this list, but this really speaks to how lovely and skinlike the formula is. When you swatch these blushes they almost feel like a cream to the touch, and I've found that no matter what brush I use, the perfect amount gets picked up every time for a soft wash of color on the cheeks. Strike a Rose is, you guessed it, a warm rose shade that perks up the complexion and looks like a shade a lot of people would naturally blush. This one is perfect for summer because it's the most long-lasting (because it's a powder), so it won't melt off your face on a hot day. 

What are your favorite blushes for a more "sunburned" look?

All About Our Wedding

It's taken over two months, but my wedding blogpost is finally here! I've been gathering questions since before the wedding on Instagram and Twitter, so here are the answers to them all.

Were you a bridezilla?

I don't think I was at all! I feel like I was very easy-going about the whole thing. When I was waiting to walk down the aisle with my dad, the staff member that was holding my train told me I was the "most chill" bride he had ever seen and that he could normally feel them shaking as he held their dress. In regards to how everyone looked, I thought as long as everyone had the same dresses & tuxedos, they could pretty much do whatever else they wanted to make themselves feel comfortable. I let my bridesmaids pick how they wanted to do their hair and makeup, wear whatever shoes they wanted, etc. It was more important to me that everyone felt their best instead of looking like cookie cutter bridesmaids. I think the one thing I was more of a stickler about was that I didn't want any cell phones during the ceremony - I had nightmares about people stepping into the aisle to get a photo and ruining one of the photographer's shots. I wanted to look out and see my family and friends' faces instead of a sea of cell phones. I had our officiant make an announcement before the ceremony started to please put cell phones on silent and keep them tucked away.

Why did you get married on a Friday?

The most simple reason is money - at most venues, it's so much cheaper to get married on a Friday or Sunday than it is to get married on a Saturday. We also liked the idea of ourselves and our guests having the whole weekend to recover and get back into the swing of things. Brett and I are also not super into being the center of attention, so we liked the idea of people coming and celebrating with us after their workday, rather than having a whole entire Saturday revolving around us if that makes sense.

Where did you get your inspiration from?

Mostly Pinterest - the second I got engaged I pretty much started scouring the wedding boards on there. I started with a general "wedding moodboard," where I figured out what the colors would be and a general idea of how I wanted decorations and flowers to look. Once the wedding got closer I broke it up into more specific boards - one just for wedding dresses, one for bridesmaids dresses, one for cakes, one for flowers, etc. I also started following a few wedding accounts on Instagram, but Pinterest was by far my main source of inspiration. I took some inspiration from weddings we had been to, too - we went to one big, traditional wedding and one that was a more intimate affair, so it was nice to have that contrast to pick and choose ideas from.

How did you choose your venue?

I actually thought I had my heart set on a different venue when we first started wedding planning. I originally wanted it where my parents had had their wedding reception, but it was a little too small. I also wanted somewhere I'd be able to have the ceremony and the reception, but I didn't like the ceremony room at that venue at all. We then went to look at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, MA - I thought I didn't want to have it there because I had been to a few different events there before and felt like it would make it less special. But right before we drove over to go see it, my dad mentioned it would be nice to have it there because of the location - it's near the top of the mountain in my hometown, and depending on where you stand you can see my parents' house and Brett's parents' house from up there (we grew up down the street from each other), so that really helped change my mind. Seeing how beautiful the ceremony space was as well as the view, and the fact that they took care of so much on site and had a separate room to have the ceremony inside if it rained, made it the perfect choice for us. It was also a huge plus that we got a built-in wedding planner (who was amazing), as well as separate day-of coordinators for the ceremony and reception.

How did you choose your vendors?

They were actually super easy to pick, and since so much was covered by the venue, I only really needed to look for a photographer and a DJ. I knew immediately I would want Sandra Costello as the photographer - she had photographed a family friend's wedding and the photos were amazing. I loved that all of her photos on her website seemed like they were candids rather than super posed. I gave her a call and instantly knew she would be a perfect fit for us - normally I get the worst anxiety talking to strangers on the phone, but she made me so at ease, which she carried to the actual wedding day. She was great because she made everyone feel so comfortable in front of the camera, so every photo is perfect and natural.

I didn't even look for or meet with more than one DJ - again I went with one who had done a family friend's wedding and who my parents said was great (Chris Bigelow from Cloud 9 Productions). When we met with him a few weeks before the wedding to go over specifics, I knew it would be perfect - he instantly understood the kind of music I wanted, and I was confident he'd keep everyone dancing all night. And he did! I was especially impressed with how well he could read the room and know what song to play next - at one point my Bridesman went up and asked him to play Bad Romance, and he said, "Oh I'm saving it to be the last song, I thought it would be perfect for this group."

How did you budget for the big day?

Honestly, we kind of just winged it. We had a general idea of how much we were going to spend and how much our parents would be helping with, and luckily most things were covered under what we were paying the venue. So if you're bad at budgeting like me, I'd highly recommend looking for a venue that has many things included - things like a wedding planner, the cake, the food, and the bar were all covered under the package we chose through the venue. We also did a lot of things ourselves - I designed the save the dates, invitations, place cards, and programs, so we only had to pay to get them printed at a local printing shop. We made sure we always had a list going of everything we were paying for to keep track - there are a lot of little things that add up!

How did you pick your dress?

I actually ended up getting the very first dress I tried on. After looking on Pinterest for wedding dress ideas, I found I was pinning a lot that were from Maggie Sottero. So I looked up places where her dresses were sold, and there ended up being a bridal shop down the street from where I was living at the time that carried them. So I went into that first appointment with a few photos and the designer name in mind, and the consultant just knew what I wanted right away. I ended up trying on about five total just to be sure, but the first one was the one. I also got the first and only veil I tried on with the dress, too.

How was the tailoring process?

Pretty easy! I had it altered through the shop where I got the dress (Mariella Creations in Rocky Hill, CT). I had three fittings - the first where she did all the pinning, the second where some things were sewn and others were still pinned, and the third where everything was done and any final tweaks were made if necessary. Then they pressed my dress for me and I picked it up a few days before the wedding. I had my first fitting in the middle of January, and then it was ready for me to pick up at the beginning of June.

Who was in your bridal party and how did you pick their dresses?

I had my sister as my Maid of Honor, my oldest best friend as Bridesman, and my cousin that I used to spend every summer with, as well as my two best friends from my ballet days were Bridesmaids. Finding the bridesmaid dresses wasn't hard, either. I brought my sister with me to look at David's Bridal, and she probably tried more dresses on than I did when looking for my wedding dress. I already knew I wanted them to be blush pink, and I liked the shade David's Bridal had in their catalogue of colors. I found one dress that I loved and was ready to decide on that for everyone, but then my sister tried on one more with a rhinestone belt that she fell in love with. I decided since they'd all be the same color, she could have a slightly different dress as maid of honor! My Bridesman wore the same gray tuxedo and pink tie that the Groomsmen wore, but he had a pink vest instead of the gray the rest of them had.

Did you do a First Look & take photos before the ceremony?

Yes, we did! Taking our photos before the ceremony was important to us, because we wanted to be able to relax and start mingling with our guests during the cocktail hour. It was also nice to get to see Brett before the ceremony and spend some time alone together (with the photographer). I didn't really feel that stressed while getting ready, but I immediately felt so much calmer once I could see and talk to Brett.

What personal touches did you include?

I wanted to try to include a lot of personal touches to make the day unique to us. For the ceremony, we asked my parents' best friend to officiate because she knew us well, and we knew she'd do a great job and be able to add in anecdotes that a Justice of the Peace wouldn't. I also had family members participate in the ceremony - my aunt did a reading, and my uncle and great aunt performed a song. We chose a song from West Side Story because it was Brett's grandmother's favorite movie, and my great aunt who sang also sang a song from a Broadway show (Phantom of the Opera) at my parents' wedding. We had super talented friends of my parents sing and play guitar during the cocktail hour, too. I also asked my grandfather to say the blessing before dinner, because he always gives a really nice, heartfelt blessing before our family Thanksgiving dinners.

We also included a memory table with photos of family members and loved ones who had passed away. I've seen a few wedding websites saying not to do these because they're "too depressing," but it was important to us both to honor loved ones that couldn't be there. We collected photos from both of our parents, and Brett put them all together in a really nice collage.

I put a lot of thought into the music that would play during the ceremony and parts of the reception too, instead of picking cliche wedding songs. My bridesmaids walked down the aisle to "Reflecting Light" by Sam Philips, aka the song Luke and Lorelai first dance to in Gilmore Girls. I walked down the aisle to the version of "Moon River" that Audrey Hepburn sings in Breakfast at Tiffany's. We all recessed to "Crazy Love" by Van Morrison. Our first dance was to "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson. My dad and I danced to "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, because he had told me it was one of his favorite songs a few years ago, so it then became my favorite song and I would think of him every time I heard it.

What was the most surprising thing that happened at your wedding?

I was surprised by how many people ended up dancing! At many points throughout the night, pretty much every single one of our guests was out on the dance floor. A joke from the rehearsal dinner (we wanted the bridesmaids & groomsmen to do some kind of dance as they entered the reception, and one groomsman jokingly said he wanted to "horse gallop") ended up carrying over to the day - everyone was doing "the gallop" in a big circle at one point and tagging other people to join in. Also, my closest family friends went up and requested the Hava Nagila and 1) I'm surprised the DJ actually played it and 2) I'm surprised that so many people joined in.

What was your favorite part of the day?

I think it's impossible to pick one thing, but Brett cried during his vows and made pretty much everyone cry, and I think that has to be my favorite moment. I also loved my dad's, my sister's, and Brett's brother's toasts, and just being able to see all my favorite people at once in one place made it the best day ever. It also still warms my heart how well my bridal party got along, too - they hadn't all met each other before my bachelorette party and yet it was like we had all been best friends forever when we were all together.

All photos by Sandra Costello Photography
Dress: Maggie Sottero from Mariella Creations
Hair: The Lift Salon
Venue: The Log Cabin
DJ: Chris Bigelow, Cloud 9 Productions
Flowers: DuRocher Florist