Welcome to Bri Books and happy Valentine’s Day. In honor of the day of love (self love, familial love, etc), I want to bring a quick beauty-focused episode about my favorite skincare, makeup and beauty picks to help you practice the art of self-love 24/7. I’ll jump right in.
Lush Valentine’s Day Collection. Once again, as always, Lush has pulled out the stops when it comes to Valentine's Day. I think Lush is the perfect 'To me, from me' gift. Love can be friendship and laughter and wild nights and quiet mornings. Lush is all about celebrating all the loves in your life and finding ways to celebrate them. The brand has several V-Day specific gifts, but I want to talk about my favorites: The Flower Bombshell, Love Letter Bath Bomb, Sex Bomb Bath Bomb gift set, and the Strawberry Heart soap. If you want something luxe feeling and special, Lush is the way. The flower bombshell gives the most romantic rose scented soak ever. Flower petals float atop shimmering pink waters, and rose absolute and lemon oil create a cheerful, rose scent that'll sweep you off your feet. It's a truly dcadent bathing experience, and the best part is, you can save half of it for another day.
Bakeup Makeup Beauty Palettes for Valentine’s Day inspired color. For the color fanatics, the gotta-catch-em-all types, this one's for you. Save $20 and get all four Palm Palettes (pastels, primaries, neons and neutrals)! Each Palm Palette features eight buttery, buildable shades that can be mixed and matched for endless looks. From Monday morning to Saturday night, any occasion and every emotion. This kit will truly unleash your creativity. Curated by Jo Baker from the most loved neutral palettes of the last 20 years, Desert Road Trip contains eight everyday, essential neutrals. The bold Micro Palm Palette primaries represent foundational colors, empowering you to express your primary emotions.
Nakery Beauty Skin Repair Double Retinol and Collagen Face and Body Treatment. Super, concentrated yet gentle, 2 fast-acting retinols unite to firm & reduce wrinkles from head to toe. A revolutionary innovation in anti-aging! Encapsulated retinol targets fine lines + wrinkles over time while fast-acting retinoids, boosted with collagen peptides, instantly penetrate the skin for skin repair and immediate wrinkle-fighting action Counteracts skin aging + UV damage and improves cell renewal process Controlled, constant release delivery system allows for no redness, no irritations, no flakiness, no dry-feeling or down time between uses Multi-tasking: face + body, gentle enough for daily use.
Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Micro Serum and Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Facial Oil. I love this serum and the luxurious, soothing facial oil. The serum phase delivers skin-quenching actives whilst the oil phase has rich soothing properties. Enriched with a unique Red Algae, clinically proven* to deliver 3x more hydration than Hyaluronic Acid, and antioxidant Rose Centifolia extract, to support and strengthen the skin’s barrier. Plumps, firms, and smooths fine lines and wrinkles. The exceptionally lightweight facial oil formula is infused with precious English Rose Oleo Extract and a blend of hydrating marine actives. This anti-aging oil helps to soften the look of lines and wrinkles and leaves the skin looking more youthful. Nourishing oils of Sweet Almond, Jojoba, and Coconut provide a lightweight base easily absorbed by the skin for a radiant and dewy fresh complexion.
Be Delicious DKNY Orchard Street. This is an excellently romantic fragrance, inspired by the energy of the Lower East Side. Floral, fruity, lady apple and jasmine scents combine with cedar wood to create an unforgettably luxe fragrance.
Real Techniques Pastel Pop Collection. The Real Techniques Pastel Pop Plumped Up Base Set features 3 dense face brushes and a makeup spatula to conceal, cover, and brighten for your dreamiest complexion yet. The makeup brush kit includes the 098 Small Conceal Brush, 099 Expert Edge Brush, 100 Soft Accent Brush, and a Makeup Spatula. These makeup brushes work best with liquid and cream foundation, concealer, highlighter, and blush for a bright, skin-like finish. The makeup spatula helps you spread foundation and color correctors into a thin layer for an even finish.
Shani Darden Moisture Plumping Serum. A silky, non-sticky serum powered by snow mushroom and glycerin to effectively attract, retain & replenish moisture for instant and continuous plumping hydration. Unlike other serums that hydrate only temporarily, our high-performance formula floods skin in long-lasting hydration. A breakthrough blend of visibly plumping pentavitin, water-binding snow mushroom and glycerin, moisture-replenishing panthenol, seamlessly melts into skin to reveal plump and bouncy, dewy skin. Snow Mushroom & Glycerin provide instant moisture and long-term hydration.
Baebody Gummy Collagen Vitamins. These 60 citrus-flavored gummies provide you with the building blocks of your body. Perfect for strong bones, skin, muscles, ligaments and more. Can be supplemented with collagen moisturizer, collagen cleanser, and collagen teas for your inner and outer beauty
Beia Beauty Lavender Lust candle and Intimacy Serum. For anytime moisture, wherever you need it most, Body & Intimacy Serum was formulated for all-purpose pleasure—anywhere. Made with sustainably sourced ingredients—like squalane, coconut oil, and green tea—this luxurious serum naturally rejuvenates your skin and body to enhance your everyday skincare routine and intimate moments alike. Featuring sleek glass packaging with eco-conscious, refillable packaging, this serum was made for the nightstand—not the back of the drawer.
Welcome to Bri Books! This week is all about trends. We’re a few weeks into 2024 and I’m getting cozy in the new year. This week, we’ll be discussing trends of all kinds: from bridal and wedding to Pinterest Predictions, Beauty trends, fashion trends, and tech/ media trends.
I attended the Anthropologie Weddings x Pinterest Trends pop-up last week in NYC to explore the future of bridal. The pop-up was in partnership with AnthroLiving and Terrain, and they leveraged Pinterest Predicts trends to highlight the best of 2024 wedding trends. I left feeling very inspired about the emerging bridal trends on Pinterest, and enjoyed getting a glimpse into the future of bridal design, decor, and lifestyle.
The Anthropologie Weddings team revealed three major trends that are predicted to dominate the wedding world in 2024--Groovy Nuptuals, Bow Stacking, and Western Gothic--complete with interactive sessions and consultations. Each trend included a deep dive into the world of retro-inspired wedding, the art of bow-stacking and imaginative ways to bring rugged, moody hues into your world. I especially loved that the pop-up had ideas and styles for later to save via Pinterest QR codes.
In addition to Groovy Nuptuals, Bow Stacking, and Western Gothic, here are a few bridal trends that’ll be all over the place in 2024 and beyond.
Audacious bows and gentle floral appliques: This bridal season, it’s all about the bow. They’re everywhere from hair accessories to wedding gowns. Floral appliques are an excellent way to personalize a veil or a dress. The great thing about both floral appliques and bows is they can be show-stopping or as subtle as you’d like. From the brand Amsale, the orchid dress boasts an oversized 3D flower and stem. Similarly, the Nori dress by Amsale is a take on a one-shoulder bow in satin. The Rin gown dress captures a taffeta ruched bodice tulle ball gown with an arched neckline, low back, and gentle orchid-ish bow at the back. I think the best place for a floral applique is on a veil, and Amsale has an excellent long veil cape with floral appliques. Similarly, the Antonia silk dress with a big back bow is playful yet romantic.
90s nods: Paging '90s supermodels! Imagine columns of white silk with slight crewnecks, thin straps and backless seduction. I love this style and I’m happy it’s coming back. Brands like Jane Booke, Jenny Yoo and Amsale have mastered this. The Jane Booke brand is absolutely flawless for all things 90s, especially the brand's signature low back slip dresses. The Amsale Embry dress captures the magic. Italian crepe satin gowns will be big in 2024, and the 90s Emery supermodel style dress from Jenny Yoo ticks all of the bridal boxes.
Removable capes and sleeves: Capes are glamorously feminine and also mysterious, and they’re the perfect statement piece for any gown, especially when intricately detailed (helloooo bows and floral appliques!) I love how romantic a cape is. The Hayworth cape from Jenny Yoo with blooming floral embroidery is one of my favorites, as it adds a little glamor to the gown. I especially love Jenny's Jewel cape, with dramatic puff sleeves and ruffle. It adds whimsy and romance and drama, like you're a fresh marshmallow. A cute little shrug adds a dramatic layer to create a unique look. Pair organiza puff sleeves with any stunning base dress for a completely different look. Organza is light as air and looks so extravagant, especially on brown skin. The dramatic puff sleeve and ruffle lend a bit of whimsy and romance to this dramatic silhouette
Unique veils: I have loved Halfpenny London for years and years. The Periwinkle veil is super voluminous, airy, and drape-y. "The Jubilee ethereal tulle cape is hand beaded with subtly shimmering sequins and beads arranged in intricate rose motifs which grow organically from the choker neck, over the shoulders, then fade throughout the extra-long train. The necktie has added length for extra drama and can be tied in an epic bow, or flow freely down the body."
Gloves: Gloves that are delicate, barely-there, tulle help to juxtapose your dress. Love to style gloves with base dresses for the ultimate city look, or layer with more dramatic pieces to make a dramatic statement. The Violeta gloves from Alexandra Grecco are also fabulous.
Brands and Links Mentioned
Welcome back to Glow Up Goals Week on Bri Books! Today we’re doing a deep dive into the world of bullet journaling: What it is, what it solves, and how to get started. I’ll be sharing the steps you want to follow in order to turn any notebook into a bullet journal, and how to optimize your life using bullet journal strategies like daily and weekly logs.
What is Bullet Journaling? What’s the Difference Between a Bullet Journal and a Regular Notebook?
A bullet journal, in essence, is a notebook with bulleted on-page dots and an accompanying system of organizing your world. Your bullet journal index, weekly spread, and daily logs are the foundations of a successful bullet journaling strategy.
Your bullet journal weekly spread is where you map out your week ahead, and supplement with categories you want to focus on. Often, when you search bullet journaling on YouTube and Instagram, you’re met with highly-designed, washi-tape wrapped notebooks. What’s important to remember is that you want your bullet journal format to be flexible, fast, and fit to your focus.
How to Start Bullet Journaling
Create an Index. It’s the Table of Contents of your bullet journal, where you write down page numbers and their corresponding sections.
Write a prayer, a grounding thought, or, 3-5 simple joys in life. Write down three peaceful thoughts and joys you find. I find that it’s helpful to have something grounding and centering at the top of my journal, to put myself into perspective.
Categories. This is where you break down and compartmentalize your priorities for this notebook. Your bullet journal categories will organically start to build up as you journal more regularly. Use your categories to keep you honest and mindful of the tasks, projects, and priorities you avoid.
Logs and Calendar. The daily log/ weekly spread is where you outline the state of your union: I begin with a breakdown of the categories we mentioned: personal, financial, spiritual, etc. On a weekly basis, it’s important that you keep yourself honest and review your logs. Notice what tasks roll from week to week. Notice what categories get neglected and moved back week to week.
Create Your Spread. A spread is a few pages devoted to a certain project or time period. For example, each week I create a 2-page spread, and write down what’s on my calendar along with a little checklist built on tasks pulled from the….CATEGORIES LIST! The daily and weekly spread keeps me honest.
Links to My Favorite Bullet Journaling Resources:
The IGTV about setting up your bujo is live on @bribookspod
BeRooted journal
Welcome to Bri Books! Today, I’m sharing the 6 steps to more intentional goal-setting (and goal-keeping!) Consider this your guide to healthy and effective goals. Goalsetting is a healthy practice, but it can be hard to find the best strategy that empowers you to execute your goals.
Be compassionately realistic about where you are.
Be specific about your “why'“: Drill down on precisely what you want to achieve. When you spend time understanding the “why” that drives your actions, it’s easier to avoid distractions and focus on pursuing your goal. Remember, you don’t have to achieve all of your goals at once. You can always iterate as you accomplish.
Be intentional about how you’re going to get there: Break your goals down into smaller goals you can accomplish daily. Focus on continuation and consistency, and remember, getting to your destination will require several steps steps. You don’t simply arrive at a destination immediately—you get their mile by mile.
Be SMART in your goal-setting: Your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. The more specific you can be with your goal, the higher the chance you’ll complete it.
Write your goals down: When you write your goals down, they become real and tangible instead of a vague idea that resides only in your mind. Once you’ve written your goals down, keep them somewhere visible. This tactic reminds you to keep working on your goals daily. As you're writing down your goals, use a positive tone so you stay excited about completing them
Evaluate and iterate: Always, always, always take time to evaluate your successes, identify your growth areas, and iterate on how you’re feeling. Accomplishing your goals should be fun, not draining.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Bri Books! What are your goals for 2024? Let me know on Instagram! ! If you’re new to the show, leave a review of Bri Books on Apple Podcasts, and listen to Bri Books on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Please tell me where you’re reading by using #bribooks on Instagram and subscribe to the Bri Books newsletter at bribookspod.com/newsletter.