Cheryl Shops

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.