Cheryl Shops

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. 

I really liked this outfit and didn't promote it enough, so here it is again!

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? 

Use code Cheryl15Fall24 for 15% off your purchase at Inez. 

You know that thing that happens when all of a sudden, you start hearing about a brand everywhere? I feel that way about Inez—over the summer, their Sara sandals were inescapable, with everyone raving about how comfortable they were. I was somewhat skeptical, especially about a 90mm heel—post-pandemic, coupled with the fact that I'm now in my mid-forties, anything that high is a tall order for me, pun intended. In other words, the sun is setting on my days of wearing heels. But before I go gentle into that dark night—and yes, I am completely mixing my metaphors here—Inez reached out to me and asked if I'd like to try a pair of their shoes. So in the name of investigative journalism (and perhaps as a hail Mary for my once-strong arches), I said yes. While Inez sent me a pair of boots for free, the following are my own unfiltered opinions on Inez shoes. 

I bought these leopard-print Madewell Dimes boots earlier this year on major sale, shoved them in the back of my closet...then promptly forgot about them until I was recently doing some cleaning. This doesn't happen to me as frequently as you'd expect; most of the time, I am very excited to wear my new things, but in this case, my timing was off in terms of seasonality. Thankfully, it's now peak fall and peak boot season, so here they are. I was first attracted to the Dimes boot because it's a dupe of the Staud Wally boot, which is itself a dupe for the Khaite Arizona boot. (Yes, I'm sharing yet another Khaite dupe—the fact that this brand is so popular yet so easy to knock off is...thought-provoking.) What all of these styles have in common is a squared toe, a boxy ankle, and a low, set-back heel—all of which are things I love in a boot. There are pros and cons to each (starting with price!), but I've done a thorough analysis. Read on for my honest thoughts.

The Sephora Beauty Insider Sale starts today for Rouge (VIBs and Insiders get to shop 11/5–11/11), so instead of rehashing my usual content (PSA: you can see all of my Sephora recommendations here), I decided to do a deep dive on one of my favorite skincare brands, Paula's Choice, which is of course sold at Sephora as well as on Amazon and a bunch of other sites. I've been using Paula's Choice for years and while not everything has been a success for me, I am incredibly loyal to several of their products. Thankfully, the appreciation is mutual and Paula's Choice keeps sending me new stuff to try. While I received all of the products pictured here for free, the following is a completely honest and unbiased review of Paula's Choice skincare. 

Even though it's late October, it's still pretty warm here in San Francisco, although that seems to be the case across the rest of the U.S. too. I really want to wear my cozy sweaters and newer fall items, but I keep telling myself that hopefully the longer I wait to wear them now, the less tired of them I'll be next spring. That said, we have been getting an occasional cool day here and there—or experiencing a pretty dramatic temperature drop at night—so I have been breaking out the cashmere here and there. I'd like for it to be actual fall sooner rather than later, but until then, here's what I'm wearing in the in-between-seasons weather. 

Confession: I sometimes forget what a great store Anthropologie is. They have a little something for everyone: boho printed dresses, unique but affordable jewelry, indie beauty brands, and housewares that look like you found them in a French antiques market. The prices indicate a certain level of quality but aren't too out of reach; the fashion feels current but not trendy; the size ranges are generally very inclusive; and overall, it has that lifestyle vibe that so many other retailers aspire to but often struggle to get right. Often when I'm looking for something specific and can't seem to find it anywhere—the right shoe, a printed curtain panel, a statement earring—I end up finding it at Anthropologie. So when they reached out to me about a partnership, I of course jumped at the chance to work with them. Anthropologie sent me the dress and accessories I'm wearing gratis, however they didn't ask me to write a review and the following opinions are 100% my own. Read on for my honest review of the Anthropologie Somerset velvet dress. 

You all really loved my post on Khaite belt dupes earlier this year, so I'm back with another Khaite dupe. It's a really good (and affordable!) one for the Khaite Scarlet cardigan. Katie Holmes first made this style popular in a now-famous paparazzi shot in which the plush-looking cardigan slipped off her shoulders as she was hailing a taxi, exposing a matching cashmere bra. If you can believe it, that photo was taken five years ago, but the sweater has been so popular that Khaite has brought it back every year since. I feel like I've also been looking for a good dupe since then as well. Good news: I've found one. Even better news: it's under $75. Now are you ready for your mind to really be blown? My cardigan is from Gap!

Some seasons there's a trend you can't seem to escape, and for fall, it's suede. It's everywhere this year—especially accessories—and to be honest, I have mixed feelings about it. Suede is notoriously hard to keep clean—dirt tends to get stuck in the nap and getting it out requires a thorough, frequent brushing. Lighter colors especially get schmutzy quickly; there's a reason you never see white suede. That said, there's something rich and textural about suede that lends itself to fall. Traditional autumnal colors like chestnut brown—and all the shades of brown that are also incredibly popular at the moment—really look good in suede. And if properly cared for over time, it can develop a gorgeous patina. I wouldn't recommend going for something you plan to use every day, but if you're strategic about it, suede can be a really luxe addition to your wardrobe. Here's how I'm wearing it. 

When I was a kid, I hated shopping for jeans. I would eventually acquiesce to a pair every season...then never wear them. This pattern continued through my adolescence, well into high school, where I found vintage Levi's 501s, which weren't perfect but were better than nothing. When flared, low-rise jeans came into fashion in the late '90s and early '00s, I finally found a fit that I liked, and I've been a jeans person ever since. I may have struggled at first with skinny jeans, but I eventually got used to them—although for the last 15 or so years, my go-to fit has been the straight leg. I will freely admit that since Gen Z declared that skinny jeans were "cheugy" and everyone started seeking out wider, higher-rise, and baggier fits, I have struggled to find a variation of this that works for me. I have a feeling I am not alone. Nowadays, the denim fit options are overwhelming—barrel, kick flare, palazzo, trouser, wide-leg, relaxed, reverse, '90s, whatever—and the sizing is frankly all over the place. It's enough to make a woman want to go back to her trusted skinnies, and if you want to do this (or never left them in the first place), you have my full permission. I still wear my slim-straight jeans all the time. But after a prolonged period of frankly ugly-looking jeans, I feel like denim has found its happy place. Brands have figured out a good balance of high (but not too high) waist, wide (but not too wide) leg, and relaxed (but not too relaxed) fit, and I'm especially liking all of the dark-wash options at the moment. Here's what I've learned in my wide-leg denim research.

Red has been trending for several seasons now—it was my accent color for my Italy trip this summer—which means that according to the whims of fashion, it's time to move on to a new one. For a minute, it looked like we were trying to make chartreuse happen with brat summer, but since that color looks good on 2% of the population, it didn't quite catch on. Thankfully the pendulum has swung in a more democratic direction to burgundy, which feels more natural and logical—this moody hue is red's goth older sister and feels totally right for fall. Deeper, darker, more mysterious, she's like a nice glass of pinot noir...which happens to be the grape in—wait for it—Burgundy (a.k.a. Bourgogne) wine. Since pinot happens to be one of my favorite wine varietals, and because I'm definitely embracing this rich evolution of red, here's how I'm wearing burgundy for fall. 

Ciao! I am back from 12 glorious days in Italy and am full of Aperol spritzes, pasta al frutti di mare, and gelato. (All totally delicious.) I will say, Italy in August is not for the faint of heart—temperatures were in the high 80s or low 90s every day, and I was sweating in places I didn't know I could sweat from, which made rewearing things a bit of a challenge. As I noted in my Substack, I packed for the entire trip in a carry-on, and I'm proud to say I wore everything I brought except one shirt and one skirt; I really should have packed one less pair of shoes (especially since I bought two new pairs, whoops), but overall, I was really pleased with what I brought. I tried to capture photos of all of my outfits, either out and about or in the full-length mirrors in our hotels, so I could show you how careful packing can pay off. Here's everything I wore on my trip to Italy.

I am leaving Wednesday afternoon for Italy and am deep in the throes of trip preparation, so this week's post is a bit on the lightweight side. I am taking the rest of the month off from blogging, however I will be posting up a storm on Instagram and am planning on sending out my Substack newsletter before I leave. In case you're not already subscribed to the Cheryl Shops newsletter, here's more on why I decided to move it to Substack and what you can expect going forward.

This is a photo from the last time I was in Rome, almost exactly 10 years ago!

While I will try everything when it comes to skincare, I tend to be more loyal to my makeup brands, and I really don't switch things up often. But if someone is raving about a certain product or line, I do like to try it for myself. I had heard great things about the clean brand Iris & Romeo—especially their Weekend Skin tinted moisturizer—so I was excited when they sent me a box of products. Iris & Romeo's tagline is "less makeup, more you," which as someone who usually goes for a "no-makeup makeup" look, I can get behind. So far, they have a pretty limited range of makeup, but I like a brand that takes its time and doesn't rush to launch a bunch of stuff just because. While Iris & Romeo gifted me these products without any obligation to post, the following are my honest and unfiltered opinions. Here's my review of everything I tried from Iris & Romeo. 

I just completed my first-ever No-Buy July and lived to tell the tale, which I'm now going to share with you. It may sound slightly ridiculous that a shopping blogger took a break from shopping for a month, but believe me, I needed it. After an alarmingly high credit card bill in June and with a big trip to Europe coming up later this month, I wanted to make sure I could enjoy my vacation without worrying about overspending. I also, to be honest, wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I will admit, it was not easy, and I got really in my feelings at one point (more on that later). But I learned a lot about myself and my habits, and it enabled me to take a much-needed—and very eye-opening—look at my spending. Here are my key takeaways from No-Buy July and some advice for those of you who want to try a no-buy month. 

It's peak summer in the northern hemisphere at the moment, but in San Francisco, we're approaching the time of year I affectionately call Fogust. (That would be fog + August = Fogust.) Today, it was glorious and sunny; I wore a T-shirt and linen pants. Yesterday, it was drizzling and so chilly, I put on a leather jacket. Long story short, layers are the way to go here. My go-to outfits lately might not look anything like what you've been wearing recently, but they're always an option any time of year in northern California. Here are some of my favorite recent looks. 

I have always had very fine, thin hair, but in the last year or so, I've noticed in photos that it looks even thinner than ever. Thinning hair can happen for a number of reasons—illness, stress, diet, over-styling—but for many of us, it's a natural part of aging. Which doesn't make it any easier. There are a ton of products on the market to address this, with varying degrees of efficacy. The most proven ingredient for hair regrowth is minoxidil, which requires a doctor's prescription and comes with its own set of side effects. The question is, can you rely on more natural, plant-based methods to help address hair loss? Vegamour kindly sent me a package from their highly regarded GRO line to try, and the following are 100% my own unfiltered opinions. Here's my honest review of Vegamour GRO. 

I have a complex relationship with Amazon; I find shopping it to be a frustrating experience if you don't know exactly what you're looking for, because there's so. Much. Stuff. I've also really dialed back the amount of clothing and accessories I buy on the site, because, really, most of it is junk. That said, Amazon sells many legit brands and products that I use on the regular, it's incredibly convenient, and to be honest, I probably order from it two or three times a week. And because I am human—or maybe just because I'm a shopping blogger—I do get a little excited about the deals they offer during Prime Day, which happens to be today and tomorrow. As with shopping any sale, it's best not to get too emotional about it; the thing I always ask myself is whether I'd still buy something if it were full price. Which is why Prime Day is a great time to stock up on staples: beauty products, kitchen items, and gadgets that you need to replenish and won't get all dopamine-boosted about. You can shop all of my Prime Day Picks in my Amazon shop (there are more than what I've listed here), but read on for more on the items I own, use, and would highly recommend. 

It's that time of year again: the time when influencers take a stand about not covering the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale...then a few days later, cave in and share their picks. I, on the other hand, will proudly cover it from the get-go, because, let's face it, I always end up shopping this sale—proudly. First, some key dates to know:

• Icon cardmembers can shop starting today, 7/9
• Ambassador cardmembers can shop starting tomorrow, 7/10
• Influencer cardmembers (that's me!) can shop starting Wednesday, 7/11
• Everyone else can shop starting Monday, 7/15 through Sunday, August 4th. 

Nordstrom seems to have fixed their pandemic-era stock issues, or at least they did last year—I ended up buying most of what I featured—so I'm following the same format this year. First up: my shortlist Nordstrom Anniversary Sale picks for 2024. 

The idea of a capsule wardrobe is not new; I was first introduced to them by Lucky Magazine (R.I.P.) which had a recurring feature called the Lucky Closet (or something like that) where they'd mix and match a set number of pieces to create infinite outfits. Bloggers and influencers have embraced the concept in more recent years, but I've found I'm often underwhelmed by the results. Too many "classics" or "essentials" and you've got a bunch of really boring basic outfits. It is quite challenging to pick a very limited number of pieces to mix and match, and that's why I've never featured a capsule wardrobe here before—until now. I am not a stylist, but in the interest of getting more wear out of my closet this month, I challenged myself to come up with 10 outfits using only 10 pieces, and I tried to pick the most interesting (yet versatile) ones I could find. Here's what I came up with.

As longtime readers know, I love shoes, and I am frequently willing to splurge on a really unique pair, like my Chloe Susanna boots or Hermès Oasis sandals. Life is too short—and our feet are too precious—to wear cheap shoes. That said, designer prices have gotten really out of control in the last few years, and I've become very choosy on what's worth the investment or not. Case in point: the Sam Edelman Michaela flats I'm wearing in this post (they were a fraction of the price of a pair of the Alaia studded flats that inspired them), which I love. There have been several pairs that have caught my eye recently, and while they may be worth the sky-high prices in the long run, several felt way too trendy (and way too marked up) for me to commit fully. Thankfully, I found some great dupes. Here are three of my favorite shoe dupes at the moment, just in time for summer. 

I've casually mentioned this a few times in the last several months, but I co-wrote a book and it's finally available today! It's called Live Natural, and on the surface, it's a coffee table book filled with gorgeously photographed West Coast interiors. But if you actually read it—and I hope you do—it's filled with a ton of actionable tips on how to improve your indoor air quality, design and decorate more sustainably, and create a home that's healthier for you and for the planet. The author, Ali Davin, is my longtime client, and more importantly, she's an incredibly talented interior designer with an incredible eye and a deep well of knowledge on natural, nontoxic materials. I am so proud of this book (working on one was a lifetime dream of mine) and I hope you love it as much as I do.

So in honor of Live Natural's publication day—and considering it's peak beach reading season—I thought I'd share my favorite books that I've read recently. I don't talk about books much here outside of gift guides, but I am a voracious reader, mostly literary fiction. I read every night before bed, on planes, at the hair salon, or pretty much any chance I can get. In no particular order, here are my top 10 books from the last 5 years. 

I was incredibly fortunate to attend the Taylor Swift Eras Tour last summer in L.A. (yes, I was there one of the nights that the show was filmed for the Eras Tour movie!) and in spite of seeing the movie twice, I kind of wanted to go see the live concert again this summer. Of course, once I heard that she totally revamped the show and added a new era for The Tortured Poets Department, I REALLY wanted to go again. That's probably not going to happen for me unless I win the lottery, but for those of you who were lucky enough to score tickets this summer, I will live vicariously through you. In the meantime, you need to figure out what to wear. I have some suggestions, starting with this very sparkly blazer. It was sent to me as a gift without any obligations, and the following thoughts are my honest and unfiltered opinions. But first, here's what you need to know about what to wear to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. 

LoveShackFancy is a brand that I tend to shop very sparingly—it's ultra-feminine, in a way that often reads young to me (and I'm not alone)—but they do a boho summer dress like no one else, and when they get it right, they're very very good. Case in point: I still wear this dress, which I featured back in 2018, all the time. That said, their dresses are on the pricey side (usually $300–$400). So when I heard talk of a good dupe from Gap, my ears perked up—given Gap's propensity for sales, chances were I could get one for a song (spoiler alert: I did). So I decided, in the name of journalism, to put it head-to-head with its reported inspiration, the Edie dress. Here's how they compare. 

Conventional wisdom—and a gazillion fashion editors—will tell you a classic white button-front shirt is a wardrobe essential. I agree to an extent; like many essentials, however, it can feel a little...boring. White shirts also tend to be problematic because they're hard to keep clean and can sometimes be see-through. Which is why I prefer a chambray shirt. It has a little more personality than plain white, but it's just as versatile. It leans a little more casual, but we're in a more relaxed day and age, so I think that's quite appropriate. I've featured my chambray shirt many times here over the years, so I thought it was time to put all my best outfit ideas together. Here are my favorite ways to style a chambray button-up shirt. 

For some reason, I didn't do a Mother's Day gift guide last year, but since my holiday gift guide was so popular, I decided to bring it back. I don't happen to be a mother, but I do have one and I'm a woman, so that at least counts for something. These are all gifts I think many women would love to receive, although of course every woman is different (and for the record, my mom wants a reading lamp this year!). Anyway, Mother's Day is less than two weeks away, so let's get to it! 

It's that time of year when the weather keeps taking big, annoying swings in every direction: rain, sun, cold, warm, wind, clouds, you name it. It makes getting dressed so unpredictable—and frustrating, especially when you just want it to be sundress season already. (Seriously, I have so many cute spring and summer clothes that I just can't wait to wear.) Transitional dressing is more of an art than a science, and it relies heavily on layering, especially if you want to start wearing those lighter spring pieces. Thankfully, I've figured out some strategies for adapting my wardrobe to the ever-changing weather. Here are four of my favorite recent spring outfits. 

I am not on TikTok, but thanks to people resharing the most pertinent stuff on Instagram, I tend to find out what's getting a lot of buzz. While there is a lot of dubious information on that platform (ahem, Tide Pods), I appreciate the no-gatekeeping spirit, and once in awhile, you uncover a life-changing gem. Versed is an L.A.-based affordable clean beauty brand that's only been around for a few years but has become incredibly popular on the platform; it's now sold in Target. Most products in Versed's line are under $25, all are vegan and cruelty-free, and they formulate to EU standards, which are the strictest in the world in terms of avoiding potentially harmful chemicals. All of which is great, but that leads us to the all-important question: Is Versed skincare actually effective? I've been using a bunch of their products for the last several weeks and I have some thoughts. While Versed sent all of these products to me for free, the following opinions are 100% my own. Here's my honest review of Versed skincare. 

I saw a meme recently that gently poked fun at Pisces for over-accessorizing, and as a Pisces who loves her accessories, I felt very seen. If had to pick just one accessory, however, I think it would be a belt (although scarves would be a close second, and jewelry doesn't really count as an accessory, does it?). If I'm wearing pants—which I am most days—I'm most likely wearing a belt too. As I've noted before, I have a very short, somewhat thick torso, so they help me balance my proportions and carve out more of a waist. They're one of my favorite things to invest in, and I will gladly splurge on a designer belt (pro tip: they tend to be way more affordable than bags or shoes, and last much longer!). Within the last few years, I've been noticing more and more influencers wearing belts by Khaite, a fairly new New York label that is very successful commercially but maybe not so much critically. I see the appeal—Khaite does classic-with-a-twist very well—but to me, the pieces are incredibly expensive for what they are. Lucky for us, they're getting knocked off left and right, and because there's not anything completely original about the designs (Western-style belts have been around for years!), I don't feel bad about it. Here are my favorite Khaite belt dupes, all under $300. 

I don't know how nearly a month has gone by already, but it feels like just yesterday we went to New Orleans for my birthday. It's always such a fun city to visit, and it had been eight years since my last trip there. While some of my favorite spots were thankfully as lively as ever (the Carousel Bar is one of my favorite places on Earth), we explored some corners of the city I hadn't traveled to before, which was really refreshing. New Orleans is such a gorgeous, unique place, but it's the hospitality that always keeps me coming back—everyone is always so warm and welcoming and friendly. We spent a long weekend in the city in early March; here's what I wore. 

As of Tuesday, it's officially spring, and for once, I feel like the weather is cooperating. This is the time of year when I start to get really tired of my winter clothes, and while that sentiment isn't quite as strong now that I live in California, I still welcome a change of season, especially when that means lighter colors, lighter fabrics, and cuter shoes. I am still working my way through all of the March fashion magazines—yes, I still read them!—but so far, three strong key pieces have emerged for me. And somehow I managed to combine them into one outfit. Here are my must-haves for spring 2024. 

I've never been a sneakerhead, but in the last several years, sneakers have become my most-worn type of shoes. Since I don't go into an office every day anymore—and since I spend most of my day at home, inside—my style has definitely become a little more casual. Thankfully I'm not alone; there seem to be more sneakers on the market than ever, at every price point (even by luxury brands like Dior and Chanel). I've been slowly building up quite a wardrobe of sneakers—everything from classic Vans and New Balance to higher-end designers like Isabel Marant and Chloe—but I hadn't considered Veja until someone in one of my subreddits declared that Golden Goose sneakers were out and Veja sneakers were in. All of a sudden, I kept spotting Veja everywhere, so I decided to see what the hype was all about. Read on for my honest and unfiltered thoughts on the brand. 

Whenever I create my birthday posts, I like to look back on the previous year and see what I ended up getting. (Update on 2023: two of five items received, plus one more in progress.) Turns out these posts have some pretty strong manifesting powers, and who am I to argue with that? In the spirit of abundance, here's what's on my wishlist for this year. 

Of all the famous quotes Coco Chanel dropped in her lifetime, for some reason, people tend to remember this one: "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off." It's solid advice, but if you like accessories as much as I do, it can feel a bit stifling. (And frankly, I prefer "The best things in life are free. The second best are very expensive," which is 1000% spot on.) I truly believe that accessories can make your outfit: a strategically placed belt can transform your entire silhouette, the right earrings can light up your whole face, and never underestimate the power of a chic scarf. I do agree that too much can be...too much, but when you find accessories that you love, a little can go a long way. So with that in mind, here are the 5 accessories I'm wearing the most in 2024 (so far).

As I've noted several times in the last year or so, we're in the middle of a silhouette shift from skinny jeans to wide-leg jeans, and for some of us, it's been a bit rocky. Honestly, I was happy to see skinny jeans go—I owned several pairs over the years but was never a huge fan; I have very bony ankles and if my jeans are too fitted there, they make me look awkwardly out of proportion. I like wide-leg trousers in general (shout out to the Madewell Harlow pant, one of my best buys of 2023), but because denim is such a thick fabric, any sort of slouchy or relaxed jean can be tricky to pull off. That hasn't stopped me from trying (check out this post at your own risk) and still probably won't in the future, but I recently came to the conclusion that straight-leg jeans just work so much better for my body type, so until I find a fit that I like even more, I'm just going to stick with them. I have three go-to cuts from three different brands; read on for my honest opinion on the best straight leg jeans out there.

It's wild to think that a little over 10 years ago, I left NYC after 14 years to move to San Francisco. In those years since, I've been back to visit at least once a year (even in 2020, before the pandemic), although usually in summer or fall; I am the first to say that living in California for the last 10 years has definitely made me much less tolerant of actual winter weather (I do not miss it in the least). That said, I will never turn down a free hotel room in Manhattan, so when Sean had a last-minute work trip come up, I decided to join him. What was meant to be a super-quick 2-day trip turned into a really regenerative 4-night trip (thanks to Alaska Airlines for canceling my flight home!), and in spite of the COLD AF weather, we had one of our best NYC getaways ever. Here's what I wore in New York City in January. 

The concept of clean beauty—products formulated without potentially harmful ingredients—has been around for several decades, and while the market has been flooded in recent years, I always enjoy seeking out new and independent brands that are bringing something fresh (and effective) to the table. One Love Organics is not necessarily new (they've been around since 2010) but unlike some of the bigger brands that have sold out to, say, Unilever, you get the impression that they're still a founder-driven company focused on making really effective, cleanly formulated products. I've had the pleasure to partner with them a few times on social media but wanted to share my frank and unfiltered thoughts on their products. While I received all of the following items for free, this is an unsponsored post, and all of the following opinions are my own. Read on for honest reviews of One Love Organics products. 

Within the last year or so, I started to notice that the color black has begun to look very harsh against my complexion. This is unfortunate because I like wearing black (it goes with nearly everything!) and have a lot of black clothes (it always goes together!). So I've been trying to incorporate lighter, softer colors in my wardrobe—when I'm about to buy anything for my upper half in black, I have to stop and ask myself if it comes in another shade—and thankfully for me, a trend of sorts has taken hold in the last few months, called latte dressing. While I'm generally quite choosy about which trends I do and don't wear, latte dressing is one that I can totally get behind. Here's how to do it.

In starting to plan the year ahead, I decided to take one look back at 2023 and realized there was a new idea there—I've never done a recap of my favorite things that I actually bought. I'm not including anything I received for free; these are things I spent my own hard-earned dollars on, and more importantly, these are things that I wear all the time, use all the time, or simply bring me joy. Here are my best buys of 2023.