You Ask, I Answer

Cheers to Friday, friends, and the long weekend ahead! I loved all your comments on this week’s posts!! Thank you so much for the love on the Gibson x Hi Sugarplum Sneak Peeks, along with the easy dinner recipe, and yesterday’s bright Summer style! I love hearing your thoughts, and am so thrilled when something inspires you.

And as if you didn’t already know, we’re in the final countdown until launch day!!! Make sure you check the blog Monday for everything you need to know for Tuesday’s launch! #eeek!

Do you follow me on Instagram or Facebook? I love the conversations and back-and-forth engagement we have other there. I recently opened it up and invited my Instagram readers to ask me anything…and you didn’t hold back! I figured many of you might have the same questions, or be interested in them, so thought I’d share them here. And since I received so many (way too many for one post), I started a new You Ask, I Answer series! (See previous installments here.)

So let’s get started with more of your FAQ!

Q. I loved your Morning and Evening Skincare Routine posts, but noticed none of the products have SPF. Do you wear sunscreen every day?

Yes ma’am, If I leave the house, I’m wearing sunscreen! I believe it’s the single most important product for anti-aging. I just wish I could go back and convince my younger self of this truth! My favorite CC Cream contains SPF 50, so I’m fully covered on days when I wear makeup (see my 5-Minute Makeup Routine here).

If I don’t feel like putting on makeup, I layer this Unseen Sunscreen Primer over my morning moisturizer for a smoothing, matte finish and SPF 40 (see my full Morning Skincare Routine here).

1. CC Cream with SPF | 2. Blush | 3. Creamy Concealer | 4. Lipstick |  5. Cream Eye Shadow | 6. Eyebrow Pencil | 7. Bronzer | 8. Mascara

 

Q. I’ve noticed you wear the same gold hoop earrings a lot. Can you tell me about them?

My favorite aunt wore nothing but gold hoops when I was growing up, so I think I inherited the love from her. And yes, I’m always either wearing my hoops, or statement earrings. There’s really no in-between for me! This is my little rulebook when it comes to earrings:

1. If I’m wearing a statement necklace ~ Hoops
2. If I’m skipping a necklace ~ Statement Earrings
3. If I’m dressed super casual ~ Hoops
4. If I’m wearing a baseball hat ~ Hoops

And if I’m wearing hoops, I’m only ever wearing my Gorjana Hammered Hoops. They’re lightweight, slim, and add the right touch of chic and classic style. I’ve actually lost them twice, and replaced them with the exact same pair both times. I tell you this not to illustrate how irresponsible I am, but rather my love and adoration of them! No others will do! And nothing transforms a basic outfit as easily as a good earring and bright lipstick. #truths

Peplum Tee | Cut-Offs | Tassel Necklace | Hoop Earrings | Sandals

 

Q. How do you keep your teeth so white?

Funny you should ask, because every time I go to the dentist I always ask if my teeth look white enough! I used to do white strips and bleaching trays, but my teeth are just too sensitive for them. I swear by the power of an electric toothbrush! And bright lipstick.

But really, I use an electric toothbrush and Colgate Optic White toothpaste from the grocery store, and brush at least 2-3 three times a day. And I’m always wearing bright lipstick, which not only brightens your face, but your smile! My favorite lipstick colors are Nars ‘Yu’ and Bobbi Brown ‘Punch.’

Pleated Collar Shirtdress | Raffia Fan Earrings | Pink Circle Bag (5 colors available) |Lipstick in ‘Punch’

 

Q. I love your gift guides during the holidays, and would love your ideas for other occasions throughout the year! Especially now with all the graduations and weddings!

Thank you so much, I’m thrilled those come in handy! I used to create really clever gifts for wedding showers, teacher gifts, etc, but these days I’m all about simplifying. If there’s a registry, I stick to it! And as fun as it is to shop and wrap a special gift, everyone loves a gift card!

To make them more special, I’ll package it with a small gift. For a recent baby shower, I bought something off the registry, but tied this cute pacifier animal to the package. Mr. SP is getting a gift card for Father’s Day, tied to some fun socks. And what teacher wouldn’t appreciate some retail therapy at Nordstrom and some chocolates?! And don’t forget you can send Nordstrom gift cards electronically, too…especially handy for those last-minute gifts!

Since I spend my life browsing online, here are some fun ideas I’ve found lately for the upcoming gifting season!

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Q. I know you love the Barefoot Dreams cardigans and robe, but is it worth the investment?! 

Um, YES! Heck yes!! If I’m at home, I’m guaranteed to be in one of my Barefoot Dreams cardigans! And Little Miss is probably in another one. I can only describe them as heavenly. I physically and audibly sigh the moment I’m able to slip it on.

Yes, they’re pricey. And yes, they’re worth every stinking penny. My faves are the circle cardigan and this hooded cardigan. They also make great gifts for new moms, or your own mom! I’ve gifted both Mama Sugarplum and my sweet mother-in-law with them two years in a row! This style is on sale if you want to try one for yourself!

Hooded Cardigan | Scoopneck Tee | Jean Shorts

 

Q. I used to get an email with outfit details every time I liked your Instagram, but not any more! How do I shop your Instagrams now?

So super annoying, I know! Unfortunately, Facebook no longer allows the data transfer necessary for your Instagram ‘like’ to communicate with Like to Know It (the platform that made the handy emails possible). #thanksfacebook But the good news is, there are still several ways to get info on my outfits!

1. Click the link in my Instagram profile…which will lead you straight to this page, which has all my recent outfits.

2. Follow me on the Like to Know It app (free in the app store), for all my outfits and links in one spot.

3. Watch for Sugarplum Style posts here on the blog, a bi-weekly round-up of all my outfits.

 

Q. Do you food prep for the week, or just wing it?

My food prep consists of looking at the week ahead to see how many nights we’ll actually be home, then quickly jotting down the meals I know I can whip up quickly. I usually end up cooking dinner an average of four nights a week, and do all the grocery shopping in one trip.

The kids pack their lunches for school, but fortunately both are creatures of habit and eat the same thing most every day, so my breakfast and lunch shopping list remains the same week after week.

You can see some of our fave dinners (all super easy, and most one-pot!) here.

 

Q. Your shower cap has been a total game-changer for me! I can’t believe I used to think those plastic ones from hotels were actually working! Do you have any issues with yours molding though? 

YAY, I’m so glad you’ve discovered the magic of that shower cap, too! The terrycloth lining whisks any moisture away from your hair, leaving it looking just as it did before showering! I use it several times a week, and even pack it when I travel.

I’m careful not to submerge my head in the shower, and drape my shower cap over the bathtub faucet after use (not in the shower where it’s more humid)…that way it dries completely between uses. I’ve had mine for about two years with no problems!

Sidenote: The shower cap is so popular on my Instagram Story, it has its own highlight video. You can see it in action in my profile.

 

Q. Do you use the Colleen Rothschild detox mask and the dual enzyme polish on the same night?

Oh man, do I love those masks!! For years I used each once a week, always on different nights, before the rest of my Evening Skincare Routine. But now I multi-mask a lot…putting the Detox Mask on my t-zone, and the Enzyme Polish every where else. I also use the Detox Mask for a spot treatment when I get a breakout. It always speeds the healing.

See my complete Evening Skincare Routine here, and Morning Skincare Routine here. And all my beauty posts can be found here.

 

Q. Thanks to you, I’m obsessed with the Bobbi Brown mascara now! But does yours get clumpy? It goes on smooth, but I notice it clumps up in my tube sometimes.

I’ve been a drugstore mascara junkie my entire life…until discovering the Eye Opening mascara! Now I’m never without a back-up tube, for fear of running out! I love the huge brush and smooth formula, and of course the way it lengthens and thickens my lashes.

The brush holds a lot of product, so it does clump up around the opening of the tube sometimes, but after a few good pumps it’s all mixed again. You could also add a drop of contact lens solution to thin it out a bit, too.

 

Q. I’ve noticed in your Instagram Stories and photos lately that your eyelashes are really long! Did you get extensions?

I thought about getting extensions, but everyone I know that’s had them swears they ruin your own lashes! That’s not a risk I’m willing to take (plus the upkeep is really expensive and time-consuming). So I started using NeuLash Enhancing Serum, and after about a month I started to see some serious growth.

Now my lashes are so long I only need to use the serum a couple of times a week, and sometimes worry they’re too long! So the lash enhancing serum paired with the Eye Opening mascara are the dream team combo for me! (I’ve had the same large tube of serum for 7 months!)

Eyelash Serum | Mascara | Earrings | Lipstick

 

Q. Can you talk about getting spray tans? What’s the process? How do you chose a salon? What do you wear? Do you get to pick your shade? I want to get one for the first time ever for a trip we have coming up but I’m rather intimidated.

Spray tans are one of man’s best inventions, I’m sure of it! I’m the queen of self-tanner (see my tips for applying it here), but sometimes you need your whole body tanned…all the nooks and crannies you can’t reach on your own. For instance when you go to the beach in the dead of Winter, like this pic from our January trip to Mexico!

Most tanning salon have booths that spray you down, but I prefer an air-brush tan by hand. The process is a little humbling, but over quickly and the results more than worth it! They provide me with a disposable thong underwear and a hair net, and I stand in a variety of positions while the technician sprays it on.

For your first time, I’d err on the side of selecting a lighter shade, but most places can tell you what color will look the most natural on your skin tone. It lasts about 7-10 days if you don’t exfoliate and keep your skin well moisturized.

I get spray tans before trips or big photoshoots, but most of the time I apply self-tanner myself. I just started using this one and am obsessed! The color is like a true ‘Where have you been?!’ tan, and there is no smell!

Tie-Back Romper | Wedges | Hat | Sunglasses | Tassel Earrings

 

Q. I am in my 40s, with teenagers, and skirts and dresses that are an inch or two above the knee suddenly feel too young for me! Am I making myself sound like a stodgy old lady here? You always look absolutely darling in your clothing, and I just wondered if this is something you might have an opinion on? 

Of course you don’t sound stodgy! I’m totally there with you! And the best advice I can give is just to follow your instincts. If you look in the mirror and ‘feel‘ uncomfortable, then maybe the hemline is too short for you. If you like how it looks and feel confident, then go with it!

I don’t follow any rules when it comes to what I ‘should or shouldn’t’ wear, but instead follow what feels right. And obviously a lot of that has to do with the circumstance and audience. I’ve always worn a bikini, regardless of who we were with…and then suddenly last year I felt uncomfortable wearing it around my teenage son’s friends.

Not that I wasn’t confident to wear a bikini, I just felt uncomfortable being that exposed in that company. That’s when I made the choice to switch to a one-piece for some instances. It’s also easier for me to encourage modesty for my daughter when I’m practicing it myself.

All that to say, wear what feels right for you.

Dress | Sandals | Bag | Cuff | Ring | Sunglasses

 

Whew! I think that’s enough for today! I have a bunch more for another time, but feel free to leave any questions of your own in the comments and I’ll add them to a future post. Find more You Ask, I Answer posts here.

Happy weekend, lovebugs! And don’t forget to come back Monday for all the scoop, and Tuesday for the Gibson x Hi Sugarplum Collection launch!!!

 

 

 

*This post created in collaboration with Nordstrom, but all styles, thoughts and ideas are my own. Thank you for supporting Hi Sugarplum sponsors.*