I wear fragrance every day; for me it is just as important to my outfit as the rest of my accessories. It’s the finishing touch! A lot of you know this and a lot of you don’t, but I spent eight years working in the fragrance industry… first as an associate buyer of women’s fragrances and then in marketing for some big fragrance brands. After living and breathing fragrance for such a huge part of my life, I have accumulated a lot of knowledge about the industry and it is still, years later, a big passion of mine.

Today I wanted to share a few great fragrance gifts from Jimmy Choo, Montblanc, Kate Spade, and Coach… all available at Macy’s! I will tell you a little bit about the notes of each fragrance too. For reference: the top notes are what you smell when you first smell the fragrance. The heart is what you smell after the perfume has settled on your skin after an hour or two of wear. And the base notes (also called the dry down) of a fragrance is what lingers on the skin. Base notes tend to have a lingering depth and warmth, adding complexity to a scent.

Fragrance Gifts Everyone Will Love

I have loved Coach’s Signature fragrance for a long time now.

It’s a really light, easy to wear fragrance. I already own and wear this, so this year, I am giving one to my sister. The fragrance itself is inspired by leather tea roses. It has a citrusy top note but the jasmine heart makes it a little more sophisticated. The dry down is a soft, crystal musk. The blend of citrus and wood/musk really does it for me! (I love the larger 5 oz. size too!).

Since we are giving ourselves something (naturally), I am giving myself this Coach Wild Rose Set.

I think of the Wild Rose fragrance as the signature scent’s big sister. When you first spritz it on, you smell juicy fruit and redcurrants. The heart is where you get that delicate rose fragrance. The dry down is woodsy and warm.

My boyfriend has had fun getting more into fragrance since dating me (mostly because I am always giving him samples, to see what he will like!) There are two fragrances that I am gifting him this year. Both of these fragrances are on the lighter side — he is not a big over the top cologne person (just a spritz or two) and likes fragrance but not too much fragrance if that makes sense.

Montblanc Explorer has the coolest packaging.

I love the leather wrapping. This one is a little bit spicy and woody, I love it! The patchouli base notes really stand out to me. This one is perfect for evenings or events, etc. as it is a more sexy scent. .

Coach for Men is a great everyday fragrance for guys.

It’s aromatic and woodsy — but it feels very fresh and light too. It opens with bergamot notes, the heart has coriander and geranium, and the base features vetiver, suede, and ambergris. I’m giving him this set!

One last suggestion! Kate Spade Sparkle.

This smells amazing, with notes of peony, blackcurrant, and vanilla creme brulee. The set is a fantastic deal (I always love when a purse spray is included!).

Macy’s has great fragrance gifts for everyone in your life and Jimmy Choo, Montblanc, Kate Spade, and Coach all have such great gift sets this time of year. Shop them now before the holiday shipping cutoff!

Find more gift ideas here!

The post Fragrance Gifts Everyone Will Love! appeared first on The Stripe.

If you have been here a minute, you know I a) have very dry skin and b) absolutely love a decadent body skincare routine. I am not-not high maintenance (meaning I am most definitely high maintenance) when it comes to these things and I do not care. I like to pamper myself and take the best possible care of all my skin. Those extra five minutes after the shower don’t make a real difference in my schedule, but they do make a difference in my day. A few extra minutes spent being good to my skin make all the difference in how I look but even more… how I feel. And I’m not alone in this: Vanity Fair just did a big story on body serums!

So when it comes to the idea of a body serum? Sign. Me. up! If you ask me, the rest of your body deserves just as much attention as the face… I love a multi-step skincare routine for the body! That’s not to say that one should use their face serums on the body. That would be expensive… and less effective since the skin on your body is thicker than the skin on your face. You need stronger actives in your body products. The skin on your body is (usually) less sensitive as well.

Paula’s Choice Body Serum Review

Over the past couple years I have become a BIG Paula’s Choice fan. They put so much research into their products and their products are reallllllly effective. Not necessarily the prettiest packaging (really wish this wasn’t purple, ha ha) but fantastic products at fairly good prices. Highly concentrated actives, powerful ingredients, etc. etc. When I found out that they were launching a body serum (with Niacinamide as the key ingredient – you know I LOVE Niacinamide!), I ordered it immediately. Had to!

This is one of the best body serums I have ever tried. I was kind of shocked when I realized that Sephora doesn’t carry it as it’s actually one of my favorite Paula’s Choice products. The key ingredient (5% Niacinamide) is important – it strengthens the skin’s barrier and evens out skin tone. If you get patchy, rough, uneven tone (or flakes) you will love this. I especially love this for my arms (it helps with keratosis pilaris on my upper arms, and addresses the discoloration and patchiness of my elbows). Niacinamide is the best. I look for it in all of my products!

The biggest things to know here are that this is a godsend for rough and bumpy skin, discoloration, and keratosis pilaris. I have dealt with KP my whole life (Ugh!) and this makes a difference. It’s really effective at both smoothing the skin and evening out discoloration. You will notice a real difference after just a couple weeks!

Ingredients:

• Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) is the best ever. We addressed that. Niacinamide helps to strengthen the skin, restoring the skin barrier. Besides that, it improves uneven skin tone and minimizes enlarged pores.
• 5% D-Panthenol (Vitamin B5) – fades discoloration and soothes redness.
• Prickly Pear Extract (Prickly pear extract is an incredible anti-aging ingredient. Read this post for more on that… when I was in Morocco years ago, all the pharmacies there were hawking it as “natural botox.” Now that I have actually had Botox I wouldn’t necessarily go that far but it’s a great ingredient). It helps to refine the skin’s texture.

Texture

For such an effective body treatment, this is silky smooth and lightweight. It sinks into the skin immediately and feels like nothing. In the summer I can get away with using it all by itself, but because I am a little bit extra with my routine, I like to do a cream anyway. In colder weather, I’d definitely need to apply cream over it. But again, I’m part lizard. So if you have oily/combination/normal skin, you could probably get away with using it as your lotion.

Scent

It smells like nothing. Literally, nothing. There is no detectable fragrance whatsoever. This is nice as most of my body lotions are fragranced so there is no worrying about conflicting scents.

Price

Priced at $29, it’s actually pretty affordable!

How to Use the Paula’s Choice Body Serum

After showering, towel the skin dry. I like to apply this all over and then do a body lotion (I have been using this with the Biossance body cream with great results – when I use this combo, my skin feels like SILK). For daytime, the brand recommends finishing with SPF 30+.

How does it compare to the Necessaire Body Serum?

I updated this part of the review as it was the number one question. First of all, I am Necessaire’s biggest fan, especially their body lotion, Eucalyptus body wash, and acid deodorant. I like their body serum, but if I am picking one, I prefer this. Their serum is more of a hydrating serum whereas this one is more active. This feels more like a body treatment to me – it really helps with rough skin and discoloration, whereas the Necessaire is more hydrating. I hope that is helpful!!!

Have you tried this product? Would love to know your thoughts!

The post Paula’s Choice Body Serum Review. appeared first on The Stripe.

Last year’s big and exciting Prime Day purchase was the Opal ice maker. This year, it was my epilator. I was influenced (once again) by Courtney Grow and I have to tell you, I absolutely love it! Besides being a most-loved recent purchase, this has become one of my most asked about products so I wanted to do an in-depth review now that I’ve had it for about a month.

I realize everyone feels differently about body hair and hair removal. I’m personally a religious shaver and waxer. I have never waxed my legs before (only shaved) and the epilator gives results most similar to waxing as it pulls the hairs out from the root. To be honest, I don’t think I will ever shave my legs again. I will say that I miss the exfoliation that comes with shaving so have been trying to do a better job at using body scrubs etc.

PS – for more on at-home hair removal, check out my guide to at-home waxing! Also, sugaring vs. waxing.

Braun Silk Epil 9 Flex Review

Before we dive in…

WTF is an epilator?

An epilator is an electronic device (some are battery operated, some (like this) you charge with tons of tiny tweezers. As you roll it along your body, it pulls hair out by the root. Epilators have come a long way since I first heard of them. Years ago (I was living in Boston so it was probably 2004 or 2005) my mom gave me one for Christmas. I hated it. It was super painful and slow. To me the pain wasn’t worth the hassle of shaving.

This one has 40 tweezers and a flexible pivot head. It goes fast, pulling quickly. The quicker the pull, the less pain. It feels more like a shock than anything (less painful than waxing, more like laser I would say). Braun epilators are all very high quality but this one is their Rolls Royce, it’s the fanciest (the pivot head + wet and dry capabilities).

Epilator FAQs

Does it hurt?

It hurts a lot the first time you do it but then it gets better as you do touch-ups. The first time, my legs were red + a little swollen kind of like they would be after waxing. It feels a lot like laser hair removal.. that zapping sensation. The first time you do it, there’s a lot of hair (and the hair itself is probably thicker if you are a life long shaver like I am). So it takes longer to do it, and it hurts more since more hair is being pulled out. Once you have the first time behind you, it’s all (literally) smooth sailing after that.

How much growth does there need to be?

This is probably one of my favorite things about the epilator. You don’t need as much growth as you do when you get waxed. Just a few days growth should be just fine.

How many “swipes” do you need to give each area?

It kind of depends. I basically just run it over the same area until there is no more zapping sensation because there’s no more hair to remove. I’d say I spend about ten minutes with it per week?

Can you use it on pubic hair?

It’s absolutely fine for the actual bikini line and maybe a touch up here or there but I would advise against going too “low.” Don’t try to give yourself a Brazilian. Like if you are going to the beach and notice a few stray hairs, YES, GREEN LIGHT. The actual bikini line is great. I wouldn’t do much more than that. The tweezers go fast. You just don’t want to chance hurting yourself.

What about under arms?

Yes, absolutely! Although I will tell you I almost screamed when I did mine. I love this for my legs but have to really psych myself up to do my underarms. For that reason these days I am using it mostly on my legs!!!! It might be too much for the sensitive skin of my underarms – though it does really work!!! I will add that I have not experienced any ingrown hairs when using this, which is a definite perk.

How long will results last / how often do you touch up?

It really varies since each hair follicle seems to grow back at a different time. For that reason, once you’ve done it the first time and pulled out all your leg hair, the worst part is absolutely over. From there, you’ll mostly be smooth for 4 weeks (as if you had waxed) but I like to do touch ups every week or so just because that is much easier than waiting and having it be really painful!

BRAUN SILK EPIL 9 Flex features

Materials:

The best part of this epilator is that it has a pivoting head, which makes it so much better than other epilators as it really facilitates the perfect grab. This also comes with a few different heads (two different epilator caps) and a facial cap (the facial cap is great for facial touch-ups… I tried it out on my upper lip and between my brows… it worked really well!).

It also comes with a body exfoliation brush, meaning you can use it like a Clarisonic (RIP). I used this once. It was nice but IMO not really necessary or exciting. I’m just here for the hair removal.

Shaving capabilities:

This comes with a shaver / trimmer cap as well, which is nice but I have not used it. I probably won’t use the shaver head, I don’t really see the point. But it’s a cool feature: the shaver head turns the epilator into a fully functional shaver, while the trimmer cap lets you trim hair if you prefer.

Convenience:

This product could not be more convenient to use. Just charge it up and you are good to go. It’s portable enough to easily travel with, it can be used wet or dry, etc. I have used this in the bath, sitting on the couch when I notice a random stray hair, in the shower, pretty much every where.

Ease of Use:

This is super easy to use. I think that the flexible head really helps here. Kind of like how our razors have a flexible head, so does this… allowing you to get harder to reach areas like knees and underarms. This is the only epilator I have seen that has a flexible head and while it is more expensive than other epilators, I think it really makes a difference. It’s also pretty great that you can use it wet or dry!

Efficiency:

This epilator is FAST. I probably spend about ten minutes with it a week and my legs have never been smoother or silkier. Furthermore, it is more efficient than waxing, removing 4x shorter hair than waxing. This also uses Micro-Grip technology with a 40% wider head removes more hair in one stroke, for more efficient epilation!

Charging:

The Braun Silk Epil 9 Flex battery lasts about an hour. I think it lasts even longer than that. But because I probably only epilate for maybe ten minutes at a time I found it lasts me a long time (I think I charged it to full and then it lasted me about a month). I LOVE that this is portable but battery free. It makes it great for taking it on trips, etc. It takes one hour to charge the epilator to full.

How To Use The Braun Silk Epil 9

You can use it wet…

I love that you can use this wet (in the bath or shower) as well as dry. I was asked in the DMs if I use a shaving cream or oil when using it. No, I don’t and I don’t think that would be a good idea – I (think?) it would make it harder for the tweezers to grab the hair. Since this is pulling hairs out vs. shaving we care less about glide!

And you can use it dry!

My favorite way to use this is dry. Usually while watching TV or doing something to distract myself, ha ha.

Touch ups…

I probably touch my legs up once a week? It is a little bit addicting, and touch-ups don’t hurt very much so I kind of just grab it any time I see a stray hair or two. Regrowth is so much nicer than with shaving (it’s the same as waxing, no stubble!) so I don’t always notice regrowth. Once a week seems to be the sweet spot.

Facial Hair

The facial cap is great. Honestly I felt like it was a little bit awkward using it on my face (you totally can) and would prefer my trusty Flamingo wax strips, but it works!

Where to buy!

Again, I bought mine on Amazon. But it is also available at Target, Kohl’s, Wal-Mart, and Best-Buy.

Is the Braun Silk Epil 9 Worth it?

In my opinion, yes – this is absolutely worth it. Especially if you regularly get waxed. While I use mine primarily for legs and still get bikini waxes, this would pay for itself in a few months instead of getting your legs waxed at the salon. It’s a super effective product. It’s more expensive than a lot of other epilators but I think that the flexible head makes a huge, huge difference. Also the ability to use it wet or dry. I really love mine.

The post Braun Silk Epil 9 Flex Review. appeared first on The Stripe.

Fragrance is so subjective. Even though I am a massive lover of fragrance (and spent 8 years working in the ‘biz), I don’t feature perfume here too often because fragrance can be hard to describe and you can’t exactly smell the fragrance through your phone or computer. And what smells great on one person may be terrible on another. So really, you have to purchase it in-store or you are taking a huge risk (so why can’t I stop buying perfume online? That’s another conundrum for another day.

I will say that last year I made the mistake of investing in Baccarat Rouge 540, the “it” perfume everyone loves. It came in the mail and smelled so bad on me that I nearly threw up. I gave it to a girlfriend who absolutely loves it. It’s wild how much our body chemistries can differ. One woman’s trash is truly another’s treasure!

The five fragrances above are what I’ve been rotating through this summer, though there has been one recent addition (so recent that it didn’t make it into the photo): Costa Brazil’s Aroma Eau de Parfum. This became an instant favorite. It’s hard to explain the fragrance. A little bit smoky, a little bit citrusy? All around, intoxicating and so unique. This may become my new signature.

PS – you can peruse the rest of my fragrance posts here.

PPS – this article has some great tips on making your fragrance last longer.

My favorite summer fragrances

Here are my personal favorites!

Cocqui Cocqui Flor de Naranjo

This is the perfect orange blossom fragrance. It’s heavenly. I still remember the first time I ever smelled it. It was blasting through the Coqui Coqui hotel in Tulum (seriously, they have diffusers all over the place and the second you walk onto the property, it’s all you can smell! This will forever be a classic favorite in my fragrance wardrobe; I’ve featured it here multiple times (and the perfumery!); it’s a long time favorite.

Byredo Sundazed

This just smells like summer in a bottle to me. It’s a little bit citrusy, a little bit of musk… it’s bright and really distinctive. In three words: Cheerful but sophisticated. It’s citrusy and sunny (top notes of lemon and mandarin) with a warm dry down (the base notes are cotton candy and musk!).

Bobbi Brown Beach

A classic! It smells… like the beach! The notes are sand jasmine, sea spray, and mandarin. But to me, it smells like sunscreen (coconut) and sand. It’s the perfect vacation fragrance.

Phlur Missing Person

This perfume keeps selling out. I was on a conference call with the Sephora team a few months ago and someone on the team was talking about how it constantly sells out but was back in stock so of course I took the plunge and ordered it on the spot. It is so hard to describe the fragrance so I will say a couple things. First of all, it smells like nothing… but definitely something. The Plur website states, “If nude were a perfume, this is it.” A little bit of musk, a little bit of orange blossom… it’s light and just smells like skin, but really good smelling skin? If that makes any sense at all! You can get it at Sephora (presently sold out) but it’s in stock right now on Amazon!

Hermes Eau des Merveilles

This is another new favorite (also bought site unseen) bright and light. Bright and sparkling but not at all floral. When I smell it, I smell light citrus and amber. This is really light, perfect for summer.

Costa Brazil Aroma Eau de Parfum

As mentioned above, this is a recent addition to my fragrance wardrobe; so recent that it didn’t make it into the photo shoot. Oh my. This is a really beautiful, special fragrance. I was influenced by a Violet Grey email, calling it the fragrance we’ve been waiting for. And I think it is… for me personally at least. It’s all at once smoky, floral, and slightly citrusy; and just downright sexy. It is all I have been wearing for the past week since arriving in the mail; I’ve never smelled anything like it.

Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only feature things I truly love here. Thanks for your support.

The post My Favorite Summer Fragrances. appeared first on The Stripe.

90’s nostalgia is here and I am pretty much unequivocally in the “not for me” camp on pretty much all of it. One thing I can get on board with? Body spray. The very notion of body spray transports me back to the late nineties. I ran three seasons in high school (cross-country, indoor track, track) and the ultimate girls’ locker room status symbol was the Bath & Body Works (or Victoria’s Secret) body mist. Freesia was my gateway drug. I soon branched out to Sun Ripened Raspberry and Cucumber Melon. Warm Vanilla Sugar followed shortly after that. (Tell me what you wore in the comments!)

Body Sprays are Back

The new generation of body sprays are a bit (scratch that, a lot) more sophisticated. Two that have earned a permanent roster on my fragrance tray are the Moroccanoil Hair & Body Mist and Sol de Janeiro’s body spray.

The Moroccanoil smells, probably, just as you would imagine it to. Like the hair oil. The hair oil wasn’t really for me (it’s fine, just not my favorite – for me, the fragrance was the best part of the oil) but I cannot get enough of the body mist. The smell is addictive… clean and sweet. But there is no real way to describe the fragrance exactly, just to say that it smells like the hair oil. I like this so much that sometimes I will spritz it on before bed, just to fall asleep in a gently perfumed cloud.

The Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Crush Body Fragrance Mist is sweeter… this one has the same fragrance as the brand’s Brazilian Bum Bum Cream (another personal favorite – so hydrating + absolutely fantastic for firming the skin). It smells like salted caramel ice cream but maybe a little more sophisticated (besides salted caramel, it has notes of almond, vanilla, pistachio, and sandalwood). It’s positively intoxicating.

Addictive, intoxicating… the beauty of both of these sprays is that they smell so good but you can keep spritzing on more as the day goes on without worrying about going overboard.

I only wish that I could make my blog posts scratch & sniff!

The post Body Sprays are Back. appeared first on The Stripe.

If you have followed for a long time, this post probably won’t come as a surprise, but I have always believed that when it comes to skincare, it shouldn’t just be limited to your face… I want to take as good of care of the skin on my body as possible. Since hitting my forties, I have definitely noticed a few things that bug me. Freckles have turned to sunspots… the skin on my thighs and upper arms sags a little… and the same woes that I have for my face: dryness, dullness, a lack of radiance. Here are some of my favorite total body care tips and skin care products. I would say that the two best things I do for my body skin are dry brushing (it makes such a difference and feels incredible) and using this Vitamin C booster in my body cream.

collage details above: one // two // three // four // five // six // seven // eight // nine // ten // eleven // twelve

Full Body Skincare Routine

Dry Brushing

As a first step of a body skin care routine, before showering, I love to dry brush. I don’t always remember to do it, but when I do, my skin feels SO good. My favorite dry brush is probably this one from HigherDose but I also love this dry body brush too. I put together a guide to dry brushing here. I try to remember to spend a few minutes dry brushing before I shower or take a bath and have noticed smoother, softer skin and a reduction in cellulite.

Exfoliation

There are a lot of great ways to exfoliate. It doesn’t matter how you do it, it’s just important to slough off those dead skin cells. You can use an exfoliating wash cloth with your body wash (I still have, love, and use my LuvScrub – it is the greatest ever!!!). Or, you can use a body scrub scrub! If you have chicken skin (keratosis pilaris) on your upper arms (or elsewhere), nothing is better than First Aid Beauty’s KP Bump Eraser Scrub. It is incredible. ALSO: It did not make the collage as it literally just came out at the end of last week, but Follain’s new resurfacing body scrub is absolutely incredible. I miss their old sugar scrub (I loved that it was blue!) but this is favorite scrub status.

Body Serum

Admittedly, I do not always get this far but when I do, my skin feels absolutely amazing. When I have a little extra time (especially after shaving my legs) I love to do a full body serum, body cream, and body oil. (Keep in mind, I have really dry skin… my skin loves any and all extra moisture, depending on your skin type you might not need all this!). Necessaire has a really amazing body serum that is packed with good for you ingredients like hyaluronic acid niacinamide. Again – I just love when body products feature skincare grade ingredients. I also really like this body serum from Ren. This is really good when you need a little exfoliation, you can feel it tingling!

Body Cream

I have so many body cream favorites. It is sort of a problem (as is body wash, below!). I usually have two or three body creams open at a time… I rotate! And I love the Necessaire body lotion (especially when my skin is itchy or irritated – it’s unscented which is great for sensitive skin types). For something fragranced, I am absolutely obsessed with the scent of this Sol de Janeiro body cream… it smells like salted caramel and pistachios. Bonus points for the firming properties! Also a big fan of this one from Biossance. It’s just $28 and probably the best of the bunch when it comes to firming. Plain old coconut butter is also very very nice. It’s inexpensive and smells so great!

I have been really into adding a few shakes of this Vitamin C booster to my body cream… it really makes a difference in terms of radiance and evening out the skin tone.

Body Oil

Just like with your face, oil is the last step. My go-to’s are Everyday Oil or this one from Biossance. Simple and easy. This Patrick Ta has just the right amount of shimmer and is perfect for the beach or a big night out. And this one from True Botanicals is rich and indulgent.

A few other things:

My favorite body washes.

I LOVE BODY WASH! This cracks me up but I just love having lots of options in the shower. My absolute favorite is probably the Necessaire one (in Eucalyptus! Heaven!) but I always have a few others on hand as I like having options. I really love Native’s Coconut & Vanilla… and of course Moroccanoil’s body wash (love that fragrance). None of these will dry out your skin.

The best body mask!

Megababe’s butt mask… holy cow. But it really isn’t just for your butt, I love to do it all over my entire body. It is also very good for KP/chicken skin.

The best trick I’ve learned all year.

This Vitamin C booster is meant for your face but is absolutely incredible for the body. It makes a huge difference in terms of radiance, glow, and evening out the skin tone.

Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only feature things I truly love here. Thanks for your support.

The post My Full Body Skincare Routine. appeared first on The Stripe.

This post originally appeared on the blog in 2019 but I’ve been getting a lot of fragrance questions and really love the three of these, so wanted to give this post a little update.

I am a huge fragrance person but don’t talk about it here very much as it can be hard to describe a fragrance. Besides that, fragrance is so personal – at the end of the day it comes down to personal taste and body chemistry… what smells amazing to one person won’t smell amazing to someone else, and what smells amazing on one person may smell awful on someone else. Just take Baccarat Rouge 540 – amazing on so many of my friends, awful on me. Same with a lot of the Tom Ford fragrances. It’s heartbreaking!

Still, fragrance is something I’m really passionate about (fun fact: sixteen years ago I started my career in the fragrance buying office for a department store) so I like to share my favorites from time to time. Last summer I rounded up five of my favorite summer fragrances and I still love all of those (I have a LOT OF PERFUME), but here are three spring fragrances I’m loving right now (funny: Coqui Coqui Orange Blossom made both lists!) Le Labo Santal 33 is also still a favorite (there’s nothing else quite like it) but for warmer weather I like something light and happy (and anything, everything orange blossom!). And yet another favorite (that is harder to find/nobody knows about it)… my beloved Crema di Latte.

My Favorite Spring Fragrances

Byredo Sundazed Eau de Parfum

This one became an instant favorite spring perfumes. Literally I smelled a tiny sample of it and was like OH WOW I NEED THIS.  (I rarely react to a fragrance in this manner, for the record.) It makes me think of afternoons at the beach. It’s a little orange blossom-y, mixed with soap/clean laundry. The result is intoxicating. Citrus top notes with base notes of cotton candy and musk. It is the perfect summer fragrance – one of my favorite signature scents for warm weather.

Annick Goutal Petite Cherie Eau de Toilette

I bought this one in Paris while shopping with my good friend Briony a few years ago. (Note: I’ve had it a few years now so the packaging is a little bit different.) This is one of her favorite fragrances and we have very similar taste in fragrance (we’re both orange blossom obsessed, for example!) and when I smelled this, it instantly made me so happy… it smells just like fresh pears. There’s nothing like it, such a special scent. It’s the perfect scent for Spring.

Coqui Coqui Orange Blossom Eau de Parfum

This is one of my all time favorite holy grail fragrances and it’s another one that I bought while traveling (I love buying perfume while I travel as then the fragrance makes me remember my vacation). If you love orange blossom, this is the purest, truest orange blossom fragrance I’ve smelled. (And if you’ve ever visited a Coqui Coqui property, it will bring back all of the nostalgia; they diffuse it throughout the property!)

photo by Carter Fish.

The post 3 of My Favorite Spring Fragrances. appeared first on The Stripe.

We talk about this a lot but I am trying to take better care of the skin on my body! I spend so much time doing my skincare routine but sometimes get lazy after a bath or shower. And I get sent so many great products and aspire to be the sort of person who dry brushes every day, then uses a body serum, cream, and oil, but most days I am just NOT THAT PERSON. I am trying though! Sol De Janeiro makes two of my absolute favorite body creams so today we’re going to talk about them! I really love this brand. It’s cruelty free and everything they make just smells so good (I totally realize that’s not the point but it’s the truth).

PS – this is my other favorite body cream. I do love that it comes in a TUBE, I wish every brand would do that, I hate sticking my fingers in jars!

Sol De Janeiro Body Creams Review

Sol De Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream

This is my favorite of Sol de Janeiro’s body creams. It’s pretty much the holy grail – I even have a travel size jar of it that I’ve used up and refilled from the big one. Besides all the skincare benefits which we obviously LOVE, it just smells SO freaking GOOD – like salted caramel. It smells so good that they even made a body spray with the fragrance (I have and love this too!!!!). This one is especially good for dry skin types (ME!).

The key ingredients in the bum bum cream (pronounced BOOM BOOM) are Cupuacu Butter (full of fatty acids to lock in moisture and restore the skin’s elasticity, Acaí Oil (an antioxidant), and Coconut Oil (my favorite oil – melts into the skin to soften, condition, and moisturize). This one is also caffeine rich (thanks to the guarana).

If firming the skin is your priority, this is your body lotion. It tightens the skin and also has just a touch of shimmer… those light reflecting particles are SUBTLE but will help camouflage any imperfections.

Sol De Janeiro Bom Dia Bright Body Cream with Vitamin C

While the Bum Bum Cream is really focused on firming, this one is amazing for brightening and evening out the skin tone. I just finished my jar of this (full disclosure, I was saving the Bum Bum Cream – for what, I don’t know!!!! If I was going to choose between the two I would pick the Bum Bum, probably just because it’s thicker in consistency and I like the smell so much). Even though this one is just my second fav I will tell you that with daily use I definitely notice the brightening effect. It’s an excellent body moisturizer (I think it’s a little more lightweight than the Bum Bum Cream which is more of a body butter IMO) and smells like vanilla, plum, and jasmine.

You truly can’t go wrong with either one. They both smell so good and will leave your skin so silky and soft.

photography by Clay Austin.

Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only feature things I truly love here. Thanks for your support.

The post Two of My Favorite Body Creams. appeared first on The Stripe.

I originally published this post last March but I think it’s extra relevant right now (my hands have been so dry!) and it keeps coming up in the Facebook group, plus I’ve tried a few new ones, so I wanted to update it.

I don’t know about you but my hands are dried out from all of that washing + hand sanitizer! Obviously this is a teensy tiny problem in the great scheme of things going on in the world right now, but today I wanted to share a few of my most favorite luxurious hand creams. If you treat yourself to one nice thing right now for me, hand cream would be it… it’s a small luxury that’s also very much needed right now.

My Favorite Hand Creams

one // two // three // four // five // six // seven // eight // nine

Augustinus Bader The Hand Treatment is what I am using right now and I absolutely love it so much.

I am obviously a huge fan of all things Bader, so I was very happy they came out with this product. It is expensive, but you do not need much (I’m still on my first tube from the beginning of quar). It leaves skins so soft and young looking, and it hydrates all day long.

Beauty Pie’s Super Retinol Hand Cream has probably been my all time fav hand cream;

Simply because it makes such an immediate difference and the retinol actually helps permanently counteract the signs of aging. The price tag is fantastic, too. Dehydration is the big problem right now. But if you feel like your hands are looking a little old, give this a try! Also worth noting based on some questions in the comments; this is probably the least greasy of the bunch!

Aesop’s Hand Cream smells incredible

Looks incredible (the packaging is gorge) and leaves hands hydrated all day (or at least until you wash your hands again 30 minutes later, lolz)

Susanne Kaufmann Hand Cream is a little jar of amazingness.

It smells so good and is so hydrating and you only need the tiniest amount.  I wrote an entire blog post about it three years ago and it remains one of my absolute favorites.

Byredo Tulipmania Hand Cream is so luxurious

And every time I pull it out of my bag I am met with “WHAT IS THAT IT SMELLS SO GOOD!?” because everything Byredo makes just smells beyond. It’s also deeply hydrating (and with everything else here, you only need a tiny bit!).

Lastly (and not pictured), you can’t go wrong with Weleda Skin Food.

It’s the most hydrating, smells so good, and is a lot less expensive than everything else I’ve shown here! (PS – you can read more about Skin Food and all of its MANY amazing uses in this post!!!)

DISCLOSURE: IF YOU BUY SOMETHING THROUGH MY LINKS, I MAY EARN AN AFFILIATE COMMISSION, AT NO COST TO YOU. I ONLY FEATURE THINGS I TRULY LOVE HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Photography by Carter Fish. 

The post My Favorite Hand Creams! appeared first on The Stripe.

Just a little mini post today to tell you about two of my most favorite bath products. I am such a sucker for products that really appeal to the senses… especially when it comes to fragrance and texture. The Herbivore Coconut Milk Bath Soak and the newer Body Scrub do exactly that.

Herbivore Coconut Soak + Scrub

First there is the scent. It makes sense as these are both organic products but a lot of coconut products smell really sweet like a pina colada or a Mounds bar. And there’s nothing wrong with that… I actually do like an artificial coconut smell now and again and the smell of sunscreen always makes me feel like I’m on vacation. But the scent of these is more subtle: like the inside of a coconut, with a touch of vanilla.

The bath soak is only $18 and will give you at least 10-12 baths. It’s one of my favorite most luxurious baths, and compared to a lot of my other favs it is relatively affordable. The powdered coconut milk is super hydrating and leaves skin ultra silky and soft. I have been through a few jars of this and always recommend it as a gift. I keep a few on hand to give to others, or to treat myself!

The body scrub is a newer item (and if you are only going to get one I would say do the milk bath) but it has that same real coconut scent and gets skin so smooth and silky! I love using the two of them together; it’s kinda nice that they have the same fragrance… a double whammy for the senses plus your silkiest, softest skin ever!

DISCLOSURE: IF YOU BUY SOMETHING THROUGH MY LINKS, I MAY EARN AN AFFILIATE COMMISSION, AT NO COST TO YOU. I ONLY FEATURE THINGS I TRULY LOVE HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

photography by Carter Fish.

The post Herbivore Coconut Soak + Scrub. appeared first on The Stripe.