Cheryl Shops

 It's officially spring, so yay to that! I, for one, am staring to get very tired of wearing the same sweaters and pants day after day, to the point that I've stopped shooting daily mirror selfies because I'm boring myself. But the good news is that the days are brighter and longer (I love that the sun sets after 7pm now!), everything is starting to bloom, and new spring things are hitting the stores. The problem with shopping for spring now is that it may be a month or two before you have the opportunity to wear your new things. The weather can go from one extreme to another this time of year—ask my mom about the time it snowed on Mother's Day—but the best thing you can do is check the forecast, get creative with layering, and go with the flow. Here are a few ways I'm starting to transition to spring outfits. 

I first started using the term "going-out tops" in college, when I had a collection of crappy, mostly polyester tops that I'd wear out to the bars or frat parties. I say crappy because they were not the highest quality—most of them probably came from Contempo Casuals, where I worked—but that was intentional, because they'd inevitably end up smelling like smoke and beer at the end of the night (remember when you could smoke indoors in the '90s?!), so I didn't mind if they got somewhat ruined. I paired my going-out tops with jeans or, if I was really getting dressed up, with black pants, all of which were low rise and bootcut. Once I started working and could afford something slightly nicer, I started collecting more grown-up going-out tops from Intermix (R.I.P.), Scoop, (same), or various sample sales in NYC. But then I settled down and while I still went out—more to restaurants than to clubs—I gravitated toward more subdued, serious clothes. After all, I didn't need to catch anyone's eye anymore! Fast-forward 15 years, and I'm in a different (and happy!) relationship now, but I am much more social, especially post-pandemic. Whether I'm meeting my girlfriends for drinks or going out to dinner with another couple, I've found myself struggling in recent years with what to wear. San Francisco is definitely a low-key town when it comes to fashion, but especially since I'm dressed pretty casually for most of the day, I really want to make an effort in the evening. And that's when it hit me: I didn't have any going-out tops! 

 For women of a certain age, I tend to think of makeup before Bobbi Brown and after Bobbi Brown. In BBB times, women wore bright, garish colors on their lips and eyes, heavy allover foundation, and everything was just a little overdone, not to mention mismatched in tone. Bobbi Brown was a makeup artist who favored a more natural look, and she launched her line at Bergdorf Goodman in 1990 with 10 revolutionary, neutral lipsticks that sold out immediately. Estée Lauder bought the line in 1995, and Bobbi herself ran it until 2016, when she stepped down (and later started the excellent Jones Road). There have been many makeup lines launched ABB, but you can't ignore how influential it's been. We have Bobbi Brown to thank for the no-makeup makeup look, neutral- and yellow-toned foundations, and the undeniable power of blending. And while it's been nearly 10 years since the founder herself left her namesake line, Bobbi Brown continues to make some of my favorite makeup on the market. While I haven't personally tested the entire line, I counted 14(!!!) products in my medicine cabinet that I use on the regular, many of which are holy-grail status for me. While I received all of these items for free from Bobbi Brown, this is not a sponsored post, and the following are my honest and unfiltered thoughts. These are the best Bobbi Brown products. 

We're not quite two months into 2025 and, well, what a year it's been so far. If you're into numerology, 2025 is a 9 year (e.g. its individual digits add up to the number 9), which apparently is a time of transformation, letting go, self-love, creativity, and emotional healing. It represents the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new one, which sounds good enough to me—hopefully the messiness of the first few months of the year is part of the process. (And we should trust the process!) My birthday is on Sunday, and while I've already got a whole list of things I want to manifest in 2025, here's what's on my birthday wish list. 

Like millions of Americans, I watched the Super Bowl a few weeks ago, mostly for Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance, which was incredibly powerful and layered. Also, like millions of Americans, I was transfixed by Kendrick's flare jeans, which, according to various sources, were the $1,200 Celine Marco jeans. When it comes to men's jeans, slim has been the dominant silhouette for close to 20 years now (even in the slouchy-slim variation that a lot of people in the hip-hop community tend to prefer), so when someone in the spotlight flips the denim script in such a dramatic fashion—particularly in jeans that fit as well as Kendrick's did—I pay attention. Did we just experience a major style zeitgeist moment or a flash in the pan? Are flare jeans in style again? Let's dive in. 

For my birthday a few years ago, I decided to try eyelash extensions for the first time ever, and I loved them. I got a volume set (e.g. 3–4 additional lashes to each natural one) but kept the length and curl more natural-looking so it didn't look like I had tarantulas stuck to my eyelids. The best part was the "I woke up like this" effect plus the fact that I had to wear very little makeup otherwise, and it was enough to convince me to keep up with the habit for a few months, getting the lashes "filled" every 3 weeks at $90 a pop (plus tip). At some point, I realized this was not the most cost-effective beauty routine, so I sadly let it go. Of course, ever since then, I've tried multiple lash serums in the hopes of achieving a similar effect by way of growing my own lashes. While some have done...something, none have worked nearly as well as Revitalash Advanced Eyelash Conditioner. After years of it not being available in California (more on that in a minute), I finally got my hands on a tube in November of last year. Revitalash provided me with this product for free with no obligation to review, however the following are my honest and unfiltered opinions. 

This is the time of year when I tend to get the outfit blahs. It's cold and dark and wet, and all you want to do is wear something cozy...but that gets uninspiring after awhile. You may be tempted by all of the spring stuff rolling into all the stores and websites, but if you're like me, you're trying to be responsible and not go out and buy a whole bunch of new stuff just because you're tired of what you already own. Whenever I start to feel this way, I like to take a look at the pieces in my closet that I love but haven't worn in awhile, then try to find new ways to wear them (okay, maybe with some things I've bought more recently). Here are some of my favorite outfits that I've put together recently.

Once upon a time, I used to stomp around Manhattan in four-inch heels all day long and well into the night. I would silently judge people who wore "commuting shoes," e.g. flats they kept in their tote bag for the sole purpose of getting from point A to B. But now, thanks to a combination of aging and lifestyle changes (working from home and wearing slippers all day), I am a flats girl. Sure, I'll wear a low heel on occasion—to a party or for a dressy night out—but when it comes to my everyday shoes, I'm all about sneakers, loafers, Mary Janes, and, of course, ballet flats. When Tieks reached out and asked if I'd like to try a pair of their signature shoes, I jumped at the chance—the brand has a strong cult following, which is usually a good sign of a well-made product. While Tieks provided me with a pair of ballet flats free of charge, the following are my own honest and unfiltered opinions. 

The Internet recently lost its collective mind over the Wirkin (no longer available), a knockoff of the famed Hermès Birkin bag offered via a third-party vendor on Wal-Mart. The bag promptly went viral, then sold out and spawned a bunch of think pieces on whether it's the end of luxury as we know it (short answer: nope) and/or whether it's signaling a class revolt (well, maybe). In case you're not familiar with the Hermès Game, the Birkin (named after the famous model Jane Birkin, who was previously known for using a literal basket as a handbag) and the Kelly (the Birkin's older, slightly more structured shoulder bag, named after the iconic Grace Kelly) are highly controlled in terms of inventory and only offered to clients who spend a certain amount of money with Hermès—e.g. you can't just walk in off the street and buy one when the mood strikes. Oh, and they start in the high four figures. This scarcity—plus the fact that they're hand-stitched by actual French artisans—is what makes them so luxurious, so the irony of a dupe being offered at the most pedestrian, middle-American mass-market store of them all is not lost on me. Granted, you're not going to fool anyone with a Wirkin (especially if you're shopping at Wal-Mart), but that's beside the point. Yes, Hermès has been duped for years, but when a luxury item is knocked off so much, it can lose its luster. Shall we topple the aristocracy? 

Do I own any real Hermès items? Yes. Do I own any dupes? Also yes. These A New Day slippers were $15 at Target, and while they're faux, they're a pretty good dupe of the lamb-fur version of the famous Oran sandals. They're comfy, they're chic, and did I mention they're $15? Size down. Read on for more Hermès dupes. 

1. While we're on the topic of Oran sandals, they've been duped to high heaven, but arguably the most democratic entry is Steve Madden's $60 Haydn sandal, a real leather style they keep bringing back year after year. 

Steve Madden Haydn slide $59.95

2. The secret, of course, is that Orans actually aren't very comfortable at all; if you can handle the dorkiness of the Birkenstock-esque Chypre, it's a much more walkable sandal. Steve Madden's version doesn't have a leather footbed, but overall, I think it's a pretty damn good dupe. 

Steve Madden Mayven $89.95

3. The Birkin and the Kelly get all the notoriety, but I personally prefer the slouchy look of the Picotin, which, if you're lucky, you can sometimes order directly on the Hermès website (and often for under $5k, a veritable bargain!). This, however, is a good bag to dupe, because the logo stamp is on the inside of the bag, making it somewhat easier to pass off as the real deal—if that's what you're going for. 

Amazon leather bucket bag $79.88

4. All luxury brands are dupe-able if you ask Tiffany & Fred—a search on Rue La La brings up faux Bottega Veneta, Celine, Balenciaga, and so on. I am partial to their scaled-down take on the Garden Party tote, another more under-the-radar Hermès bag. 

Tiffany & Fred Paris Pebble Cashmere & Leather Tote $169.99

5. But if it's a quota bag you want, Lily & Bean makes ridiculously tiny, candy-colored versions of the mini Kelly that, at this price, seem actually cute; as a so-not-authentic bonus, you can add your name or initials (I'd be tempted to go with, simply, DUPE). 

Lily & Bean Hettie bag $144

Normally I'd combine my best buys of the year into a single post, but I had so many good products I wanted to tell you about, I decided to break it into two. Last week I recapped my favorite clothes, shoes, and accessories of 2024; this week, it's the best beauty products I tried in 2024. In full transparency, because I receive so many gratis products, I haven't actually paid for all of these with my own money, but I am noting which ones I received for free. That said, I highly recommend (and would spend my own money) on all of the following, so let's dive in.

Before I move on to 2025—and set some clear shopping intentions—I thought I'd take look back at the best things I bought in 2024. Note: while I often feature a lot of gifted products here on the blog (which I always disclose!), these are all things I spent my own, hard-earned money on. This week I'm focusing on clothes, shoes, and accessories, and I'll be back next week with my beauty favorites. Here are my best buys of 2024. 

Mid-December is the time of year when I start to get all introspective—and retrospective. I started 2024 by trying Dry January for the first time; I lasted 18 days, which I was proud of, and caved as soon as I set foot in NYC, which in spite of being cold AF, was a great trip. I also traveled to New Orleans, Vegas, Chicago, and, of course, Italy. Sean got a new job; the book I co-wrote finally came out. I saw a lot of great concerts and movies, had a lot of quality friend time, did a No-Buy July, discovered the joy that is ResortPass, and started doing yoga again. It was not all sunshine and rainbows—I had a few really bad viruses, I got stuck with a ridiculous medical bill after a totally unnecessary (and stressful) procedure, and the presidential election didn't go the way I had hoped, to put it mildly—but I prefer to focus on the positive. Working on this blog is always a bright spot in my life, and I hope 2025 is my best year yet. But first, here's a look back at 2024. 

Full disclosure: I love the holidays. I love the lights and the decor. I love that everyone is in a joyful, celebratory mood. I love spending time with people I love. And I especially love getting all dressed up in something brighter, fancier, and/or more sparkly than what I normally wear. For the holidays, that tends to translate into the color red and a bunch of sequined things, sometimes at the same time. Not every holiday occasion is a super-dressy one, however. Nor do you need to buy an entirely new outfit for everything. Over the years, I've built up a small but effective collection of pieces I tend to wear only a few times during the holiday season, and that's ok—you don't have to wear everything in your wardrobe all the time! Things you wear infrequently, like sequins, can last years, and the best part is that you don't have to spend a fortune on them (keep reading for more on affordable sequined things). Here are my favorite ways to dress festively, whether you want to show a little holiday spirit or a lot.  

Whew, I feel a little late to the game this year—it seems like every other blogger and influencer on the planet has already dropped their gift guide for the holidays. But hopefully mine was worth the wait. I always love putting these together—it's like shopping for gifts with an imaginary unlimited budget—and I hope you find some great ideas. I already own and highly recommend many of these items (and some may be, ahem, on the way), but everything is something I'd be glad to give or receive. Also, special shout-out to Anthropologie for sponsoring this year's gift guide—I've included something from them in every category, as their store is a treasure trove of really great presents. Ready to check off your holiday shopping list?