Happy Monday! Another round of Q&As for my Ask Sabrina series! I think I might make it every other week in the future! Also hosting another giveaway!
1) Have you ever wished for a different job? If you weren’t a beauty influencer/blogger, what would you be doing today?
Yes of course! Sometimes I wish I could do things differently, but I’m really happy to be my own boss. I left the corporate world when I was 33. I am grateful every day that I have found something to do with me and can make a living doing what I love. There are many challenges to working on your own, and working as a team can be overwhelming. I’ve been doing this full-time for nine years and have had a lot of ups and downs. Things have changed a lot since I started blogging, but I think every industry has gone through a lot.
If I wasn’t a beauty influencer today, I don’t know what I would be. When I left my corporate job, I was actually interviewing for several other finance positions at other companies. After several rounds of interviews, I eventually withdrew my application to blog full-time. A lot can happen in 9 years. If I wasn’t a blogger, I’d probably still be working a corporate 9-5 job, but who knows? I’m probably doing something completely different too.
2) Do you have any tips for packing for city travel? How about traveling in Europe?
I think packing skills depend on the city. Every city I’ve been to has been so different! For summer travel, I recommend bringing comfortable walking shoes (ie New Balance or APL sneakers are my current favorites). I love the Celine sneakers that I paid big bucks for last year, but they’re leather so they get hot. They’re really comfortable though, and there’s no break-in period. They only come in overall sizes, being a true size 6 1/2/36.5 I went with a size 36 and they fit perfectly.
A good messenger bag or tote is essential to me. I’ve always loved the Loewe Puzzle Bag (small) and as a shoulder bag. I like that it has a zipper at the top so you can keep things more secure. Summers are generally hot everywhere, but some areas can get chilly at night, so I recommend wearing layers, such as a light denim jacket or sweater. I love the Jenni Kayne cropped cabin sweater. The AG Robyn denim jacket is one of the softest jackets I own. It fits really well though, so I recommend going 1-2 sizes up.
It’s been a long time since I traveled to Europe! I really want to go back. In 2015 we went on a month long trip to Europe covering 10 cities (I think). If you are a long time reader, you may remember that Andrew allowed me to take 1 backpack on trips. Yes, it’s pure madness, but we made it work. His logic was that since we were going to Paris, Rome, Athens, Istanbul and a Mediterranean cruise and back to Paris, we were going in and out of a lot of airports. Backpacks can shorten our travel time and are more convenient than checking luggage, claiming luggage, etc.
We were traveling in the summer, so I rolled everything up as tight as possible and packed a tank top, bathing suit, shorts, and maybe two pairs of shoes (plus the ones I wore on the flight).
I don’t think we’ll ever bring that lamp with us again. We had a great time but had to buy extra luggage for the return trip as I did some shopping and we didn’t have enough room in our backpacks to bring souvenirs home. I guess the short answer is that I don’t have good packing skills for Europe. Backpacking is doable, but I don’t look cute the whole trip.
3) What is your favorite luxury item to buy this year?
Oh, the tough one! I really like the Chanel Coco Crush ring and necklace that I paid for.you can see they are here.
4) Best bronzer/your favorite right now? One cream, one powder.
Another tough one! I would say that Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream 392 is my favorite face cream and Gucci Eclat Soleil Luminous Bronzer Shade 3 is the pressed powder I have been craving. I also really like the Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Crème Contour and Powder Duo, which has both a cream and a powder in one compact (I like She’s Sculpted).
5) What are the 5 beauty products you can’t live without?
This keeps changing, but here it is: 1) Dior Lip Maximizer 038 Rose Nude 2) Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Complexion Touch 3) NARS Orgasm Blush 4) Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder 5) Patrick Ta Major Dimension eyeshadow palette
6) Best summer fragrance?
This will be a dedicated post! I’ll share my top three though: Celine Parade, Loewe Ibiza Eclectic, Creed Virgin Island Water
7) Please update Botox! Do you still like the result? Any regrets? Would you do it again?
It’s been 1 month since I turned 1, and the movement of my forehead has increased significantly. I can raise my eyebrows a little bit now, and my 11 is back. The deep wrinkles on my forehead haven’t fully healed, but I’m starting to see them reappear. I have no regrets. I would 100% do it again. I don’t know if I will finish the same area and will definitely ask for fewer units.
When I did my first update, 1/2 of the people told me you guys do it every 6 months. The other half said it was crazy and that it could only last three months. From my experience, I do think I need a refresh every 3 or 4 months, which means the next appointment will be in August.
8) What’s your summer skincare routine?
I feel like this could be a whole blog post too! My routine hasn’t changed much, except that I’m not using retinol or acids as much because there’s more sun now and more sun exposure.
Summer in humid regions can be brutal on the skin! For one thing, I get sweaty and oily when I’m outside. My skin also gets dry from constant air conditioning or the extreme heat outside.
I have double cleansed many times. I love the Chanel Subimage Gel-to-Oil Cleanser, which is a cleansing oil that doubles as a moisturizer. I prefer this formula over regular oil cleansers because it’s less messy. I follow with my regular cleanser, like First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Cleanser or Dior Off/On Foaming Cleanser. I also use Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant when I want more exfoliation.
I clarify with the Glamglow Supermud Mask (my holy grail) once a week. For hydration, I really like La Mer Treatment Lotion Hydrating Mask. They are hands down the best face masks I have ever tried. For superficial acne spots, I alternate between Neutrogena Quick Clear (but beware, it contains benzene peroxide, which bleaches the color, and I use it at night) or Bliss Acne Spot Treatment.
For my daily moisturizer, I alternate between La Mer Soft Moisturizer or Drunk Elephant Protini Peptide Cream. For the eye cream, I’ve also been alternating between La Mer and Drunk Elephant.
I rarely use anything at night because I like to let my skin breathe. I still use Sunday Riley’s Good Genes, but in moderation since it’s an acid.
9) Are you a reader? what do you like the most?
I am not a reader. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book (longer than I care to admit). I do like listening to podcasts or watching them on YouTube while editing photos. I think the older I get, the less patience I have to sit and read. I know it sucks, but reading takes a lot of time (I’m not a speed reader) and I’d rather watch or listen to something. If you have any books that you really like, please let me know. I might pick a book or two to read.
10) We love Ollie! Did you put him in training? His behavior is really good! Does he sleep through the night? Have you ever loaded a train? Does he have separation anxiety?
When Ollie was 5 months old, we fed and trained him for 2 weeks. This is life changing. They have been great to him and he has learned a lot. He learns to listen, sit, lie down, stay, walk, jump without pulling or impulsively, and obeys commands profusely even when distracted. We are considering sending him back for review as soon as possible.
For crate training we failed. We did keep him in the crate for as long as possible, but he kept crying. He started sleeping with us when he was about 4 1/2 years old. We have a small bed in the corner of our bedroom that he sometimes sleeps on. But he also jumps up and likes to sleep on my feet. All the pets we have love to sleep on my feet, or on my head lol.
He does sleep through the night, but he has nocturnal sleep, and no matter how much activity or exercise he does during the day, even walking at night, he spends at least 30 minutes to an hour before bed going crazy and only at night. It’s as if he doesn’t want to miss anything.
Doodle seems to have a lot of separation anxiety, and so does Ollie, since he’s a half poodle. But he’s on the mend. As a puppy he would follow us around the house and not let us out of his sight. Andrew loves to take him wherever we can. We can keep him at home for a short time now. He has a kitten at home to keep him company. They play together all the time and it just melts my heart.
That wraps up this week’s Ask Sabrina! I’m giving away a box of beauty products to a reader! Open to US and Canadian readers 18 years of age or older. To enter, complete all steps in the widget below. I will select a winner on Thursday, June 29th and email them directly. Not sponsored or affiliated.
