Cheryl Shops

Margaux is a shoe brand that I've been curious about for awhile. I first noticed their (now closed) store in the West Village on a trip to NYC a few years ago, but lately, I feel like I've been seeing them everywhere—on social media, in department stores like Nordstrom, and even in my own neighborhood, where they recently opened a shop. When they reached out to offer me a pair of shoes to try, it felt like a sign from the universe. While Margaux gifted me this pair of shoes without any strings attached, the following are my honest and unfiltered opinions. 

A confession: I used to think that perfume discovery sets were a ripoff. They are technically made up of samples that you could, in theory, get for free. That, however, would require a lot of assertiveness and an abundance of chance that said samples even exist—and if they do, that you've properly convinced the salesperson that giving them to you would ensure a full-size sale. So why do all that work when you can spend a not-unreasonable amount of money—generally between $50 and $80—and guarantee yourself the full experience? My first foray into sample sets happened last year in Florence; I couldn't decide between several Matiere Premiere scents, and the salesperson suggested I instead go with a custom discovery set before I commit. That worked out for several reasons: one, it was much less money and two, I ended up not loving any of them enough to commit to a full bottle, so I feel like I still came out ahead. The other happy accident, though, is that I discovered a set is a fun way to try out fragrance layering. And so a new addiction of sorts began. 

Ever since I went to fashion school and learned about the Antwerp Six, Dries Van Noten has been one of my favorite designers. I've picked up a few of his pieces over the years, but lately I've been accelerating the pace with these pants that I wore most recently in Morocco—the brand is experiencing a renaissance under new designer Julian Klausner, and I am here for it. Like most thriving luxury brands nowadays, Dries Van Noten has a signature sneaker, and after first seeing them IRL in the New York store last year, I've been thinking about acquiring a pair ever since. When I came across a sale at Liberty of London last month, it was like a sign from the universe. I've been wearing the shoes pretty much nonstop since then, and the following are my honest and unfiltered thoughts. 

I have always had full cheeks—family lore is that when I was a baby, they stuck out so much that you could see them from behind my head—but a couple years ago, I noticed a few changes to my face. One was that I began losing volume along my cheekbones and, two, as a result, powder blush started to look cakey and would sit on my skin in an unnatural way. It was then that I made the switch to cream blushes, and while I haven't tried every product on the market, I've definitely developed some strong opinions along the way. One of the most noteworthy formulas I've tried is the Jones Road Miracle Balm, and while it is a bit ballsy to call something a miracle, turns out they have a good point. While I received this product for free, the following are my honest and unfiltered opinions. 

One of my most-clicked but lowest-converting links is for my Nili Lotan Shon jeans (formerly known as Emerson jeans). I think I know why: While these jeans are truly unique-looking in terms of fit, they are definitely an investment. I feature both my Shon jeans and pants on the blog frequently because I actually wear them a lot in real life. I've been trying to buy fewer but better-quality pieces over the last few years, and while I obviously still love a bargain, when I find a truly transformative, holy grail piece of clothing, I'm willing to spend accordingly. Here's why the Shon is worth the splurge.

 Use code cheryl15 for 15% off your purchase at Inez. 

When it comes to your fall-winter wardrobe, one of the most versatile things you can buy is a pair of black boots that go with everything. While fashion trends can definitely influence my choices, I personally like a low heel that's not too chunky, an almond-shaped toe, and a streamlined shape—a classic black boot, if you will. The funny thing is, I can't remember the last time I actually bought a workhorse black boot, so I decided this was the year. Thankfully, it didn't take me long to find the right pair. I've been partnering with Inez shoes for the last year and their footwear strikes the elusive, perfect balance between style and comfort. They gifted me this pair of Andrea boots, but the following are my honest and unfiltered opinions. 

My boyfriend is not exactly hard to shop for, but I definitely agonize over what to get him for his birthday or Christmas, and while gifts aren't his number-one love language, I always want to give him something that he'll use and enjoy. I will award myself a pat on the back for giving him an Oura ring last year at Christmas; he immediately loved it and I could tell that he was using the data it provided to help him make subtle improvements in his health. I decided to get one for myself after seeing him enjoy it so much, and while not every data point has been a big surprise, I've learned some interesting things about my health. 

I have the Oura ring in gold—as you can see, it's a little more yellow than the 14k gold ring on my middle finger.

Let's face it, makeup is getting more and more expensive. (I'm looking at you, $160 Louis Vuitton lipstick.) But while the luxury brands are luxuriating, thankfully, there are a lot of brands looking out for us girls on a budget. One of my favorite drugstore, or mass, brands is Versed. I never hesitate to recommend their skincare products—you can read my honest review here—which have been around for several years and top out at about $21. Versed recently branched out into makeup, and while I haven't tried the entire line yet, I've definitely found some favorites. Versed sent me a bunch of products to try for free, but the following are my honest and unfiltered opinions. 

Once upon a time, I spent thousands of dollars on laser hair removal for my underarms and bikini line. Not only was it a financial commitment, but a time commitment as well: 6–8 appointments every 6 weeks, including schlepping to a salon, waiting for numbing cream to take effect, then the procedure itself. It's been about 15 years since I went through this whole rigamarole, and while most of the hair removal was permanent, I have a few stubborn hairs that refuse to go away, so I just keep shaving them occasionally. Speaking of shaving, I really hate doing it and always have. I had contemplated laser hair removal on my legs, but even with all of the competition and advances in laser hair removal over the years, I'd be looking at a four-figure bill. What's really been holding me back, however, is that my leg hair is blonde—yes, I am a real blonde—which tends to have mixed results with laser hair removal (it works best with a high skin-hair contrast). But then Nood reached out to me and offered to send me The Flasher 2.0, their at-home IPL device and I figured I had nothing to lose, except maybe some hair. While I received The Flasher free of charge, the following are my honest and unfiltered opinions. 

Confession: in the last five years or so, I have bought and eventually sold or given away at least five pairs of wide-leg white pants or jeans. I don’t know why this cut is so tricky to get right, but I have a feeling it has something to do with the color white—which can be a challenge especially on the lower half of one’s body—coupled with the fact that for a wide-leg silhouette, the fabric either has to be very fluid or very stiff, and anything in the middle can be a disaster. Like many women, I struggle to see my lower half with compassion, so I tend to be incredibly picky with what I wear on it. Because the color white reflects lights and often makes things seem bigger than they are, this can be especially problematic in regard to white pants. That said, when it comes to pants, there is one brand I trust more than most, and that is Spanx. When they offered to send me a pair of their upgraded stretch twill wide leg pants, I of course jumped at the chance. While I received these pants for free, the following are my honest and unfiltered opinions. 

Use code Cheryl15 for 15% off your purchase at Inez. 

There've been a lot of think-pieces lately about how women don't wear heels anymore as well as some heel-shaming from Gen Z. We definitely have the pandemic to blame—we all dress more casually now, with an emphasis on comfort, and the many of us who used to suffer through foot pain in the name of fashion have since breathed a huge sigh of relief. I wore heels nearly every day for years, and while I wouldn't have called them comfortable per se, I think there was a lot of muscle memory involved; now that I spend most of my day in slippers as I work from home, my feet have pretty much atrophied and any heel over an inch is not doable for more than an hour or so. And yet on the rare occasion when I do wear heels, I feel more confident, more intentional in my movement, and more elegant. Please, feel free to take away my feminist card, but I don't think there's anything wrong in wanting to feel more feminine, whatever that looks like to you. So the question is, can we as women have it all, e.g. the boost that comes from wearing heels with the comfort that we're used to from flats and sneakers? Inez is a brand that's trying to bridge that gap. While they sent me a pair of high-heel sandals to try, the following are my honest and unfiltered opinions. 

 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. 

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. 

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. 

Use code Cheryl15 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. 

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. 

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. 

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 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 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.