Bri Books

Welcome to Bri Books! With the holiday season in full swing and 2024 on our doorstep, I’m sharing the 9 best gifts for the wine-lover in your life (or for yourself—I won’t tell!) If you’re searching for a unique gift for wine-lovers, look no further. In this episode, I’m breaking down the best go-to gift ideas for oenophiles. Spoiler alert: none of these is a bottle of wine. Shocker! Here are the silly, practical, and downright delightful gifts that any Bourdeaux babe or Chardonnay-sipper on your list and in your life. Instead of buying another bottle of vino, consider these cool and unique wine gifts for wine-lovers. Consider this your go-to wine gift guide for the 2023 holidays and 2024: Argaux “Year of Firsts” Wine Gift Box: This brilliant collection of wine gift boxes are curated to celebrate the birth of a new baby ($85), wedding anniversary,($150-$400), or an engagement ($100-$200). This genius (and thoughtful) gift is a reminder that every milestone matters, and it’s the perfect gift to remind the wi

Get to Know Austrian Wine: Your Ultimate Guide to Austrian Red and Orange Wines Welcome to Bri Books! Today, I’m talking about one of my favorite parts of the world for wine: Austria. Austria is often considered to be one of Europe’s best-kept wine secrets, with a wealth of indigenous grapes and top-tier wineries, producers, and vineyards. It wasn’t until I fell in love with the wines of Burgenland that I got a better sense of the versatility of Austrian soil and grapes, courtesy the brilliant Christian Zechmeister, the Managing Director of Wein Burgenland.  In October, I was fortunate enough to be invited to a presentation of an in-depth seminar hosted by Wein Burgenland with the best examples of Austria’s premium indigenous red grape variety, Blaufränkisch, from Burgenland, which is Austria’s most easterly wine growing area. Thank you to Constance Chamberlain of Wine & Co, Wines of Austria, and Wein Burgenland for an unforgettable afternoon. Brionna’s Favorite Wines of Austria: Blaufränkisch Edition B

We’re continuing Wine Week on Bri Books! I started the week with episodes about how to select the perfect wine and my wine-shopping hacks, and now we’re delving deep into the specific wines and regions. My love for orange wine led me to an NYC wine shop called Orange Glou in 2019, shortly after the shop opened. It’s a store dedicated 100% to orange wine! This past November, Orange Glou hosted their second-ever orange wine fair, and it was a roaring success. Hosted at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Orange Glou’s founders Doreen Winkler and Jack Won really knocked it out of the park and managed to secure nearly 5 dozen winemakers and importers. It was a veritable who’s who of the orange wine world.  A few facts about orange wine: Orange wine is a type of skin contact wine, made from white grapes that macerate on the skin. It’s not wine made from citrus oranges!  Orange wine was invented in the Republic of Georgia thousands of years ago and was reintroduced to the rest of the world 40 years ago by 2 Ital

The holiday party season is in full-swing—don’t be shocked if you find yourself popping by wine shops frequently during this time of year! I designed this episode to teach you how to shop for wine very quickly, and how to make buying wine an enjoyable and effortless experience. 1:30: Check your local wine shops and follow them on Instagram + join their newsletters: If your local wine shop has TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook Groups, Instagram accounts, or newsletters, get plugged in there, so you’re the first to know about any new opportunities to buy or taste excellent wines. Getting to know your wine and spirits community on Instagram is the fastest way to know what’s new in-store, hours of operations, and find out when they’re holding tastings. Part of the magic of wine shopping is wandering the aisles and getting recommendations in real-time, so get chatty with the staff!   3:00: #2: Take a photo of your favorite bottle labels and file them away. I love to make Pinterest Pins or add them to Instagram Stori

Welcome to Wine Week on Bri Books! Today I'm sharing with you my 3 can't-fail secrets for selecting the perfect wine, everytime. Whether you're making a wine menu for holiday festivities or you're selecting wine for the table whilst out to dinner, these 3 tips will make you an instant Sommolier.  2:20: #1: Start and end with bubbles! In my humble opinion, bubbles are a must for any summer gathering. Served chilled, it’s a decadent way to greet your fête’s first arrivals and toast the end of the evening. I learned this trick from Sarita Cheaves, author of the VineMeUp Wine Activity Book and host behind the Swirl Suite podcast. For a wintertime bubble, I’d recommend  Vigneron Luciano Saetti Rosso Viola Lambrusco Salamino, 2018 ($21), or the Opera Lambrusco di Modena. Lambrusco paired with capapes or passed hor'dourves is a great way to set the tone for the evening. PS, if you’re based in New York, shop Simple Syrup Wine and Spirits for your holiday libations! I love the team there, and I’ve been a fan since

Today I’m sharing everything you need for the perfect Clean Girl Aesthetic autumn beauty look. It’s mid-November, and my beauty closet has done its semi-annual turnover. I’ve put away the summer/ early autumn products and I’ve pulled out my heavy-duty autumn-winter winners. This episode will be breaking down my ‘autumn face,’ including a few new picks and my heavy-hitters. We’ll start with skincare and move through to fragrance. 1:45 - #1: Marianella Royal Kalahari Face Serum with Baobab and Mongongo Oil ($68). This face oil is perfect to use after washing your face. It has 12 beneficial nutrients, and the Baobab oil helps to nourish and strengthen the skin while reducing inflammation. This is probably the most regal-feeling and regal-smelling face serum that I own. 2:50 - #2: Fenty Skin Hydravisor Mineral SPF 30 Moisturizer ($39). Hydravisor is my favorite sunscreen to put on under makeup in the autumn/winter. It gives shine without looking greasy, and it’s the perfect everyday autumn sunscreen--remembe

Today on Bri Books,  I’m sharing a, deep-dive on a beauty brand (and homeopathic powerhouse) I know and love: The Organic Pharmacy, and the 7 best products worth your money.  I’m excited to continue our National Skin Health Month storytelling as part of KnowVember, wherein I’m challenging myself to record and publish a podcast episode every day in November.  1:45 - The Organic Pharmacy was founded in 2002 in London. The founder, Margot Marrone, is a pharmacist and homeopath. She co-founded the company as a way to evangelize her holistic approach to health and beauty. To me, The Organic Pharmacy products bookend my at-home spa days. The brand is deeply rooted in Margot’s knowledge of organic ingredients, nature, and the link between the body and mind. I’m sharing the best toner, serums, masks and dietary supplements from the brand--consider this your 101 class on all things The Organic Pharmacy. You can find The Organic Pharmacy at theorganicpharmacy.com, Skinstore, Dermstore, Bloomingdales and more. 4:25

Yes, I try and test a lot of products. But there are some brands in particular that have been knocking it out of the park. I have seven brands, ranging from drugstores to luxury beauty, that I want to introduce you to.  1:25: #1: Neuma - Neuma focuses not just on your natural hair texture as it is, but the hair you want to have. It’s a sustainable, high-performance haircare range. They recently underwent a full brand refresh and re-introduction. I was lucky enough to attend a launch breakfast with Neuma, and ever since then, I’ve been adding these new products to my routine. My favorite products: Neuma NeuVolume Styling Spray ($32), which I’ve been using for months now as a styling product. If you have natural or curly hair and you want your hair to have volume on demand, this is a great product. It’s the perfect fix-all for volume. The Neuma NeuStyling Air-Dry Shaper ($32) adds body and shine for easy, everyday air-dry styles.  5:10: #2: Kerastase Paris - You’ve probably stumbled upon this brand in a hai

Happy Healthy Skin Month! The sun’s UV rays don’t slow down just because it’s winter. Wearing SPF should be part of our daily skincare routines, but it’s easy to let this practice lapse during the colder months. In the past, I’ve recorded an episode about the best SPFs for dark skin, and I wrote an article on Glamour.com about the best SPFs for dark skin according to gorgeous girls. In this episode, I’m reviewing and recapping the best SPFs of 2023 that are perfect for year-round use. 1:45: Black Girl Sunscreen Make it Glow SPF30 Spray ($15.99) and Black Girl Sunscreen Make it Pop Lip Gloss ($10.99) - BGSS launched the SPF 30 spray-on sunscreen, and it’s without a doubt their most wearable, lightweight sunscreen yet. Packed with jojoba oil, avocado oil, vitamin E, and glycerin, this lightweight spray protects all skin tones with a radiant glow for on-the-go. 3:30: Bondi Sands Sport SPFSunscreen Lotion 50 ($13.99) - This sunscreen stood out for me, because of its high protection, reef-friendly formulatio

Welcome back to Bri Books! Today I’m sharing with you everything you need in your autumn weekend getaway bag. November is National Skin Health Month, which makes this week perfect for me to bring to you the best picks for your autumn vacation toiletry bag. We’re a couple of weeks away from the autumn-winter holiday season kicking off in earnest. Whether you have family trips, baecations, or a 96 hour jaunt, this episode is breaking down what you need to take with you. Here are 9 products across skincare and lifestyle (spoiler alert: books!) that I recommend you have in your getaway bag.  2:00: #1: Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm ($68) and Elemis Pro-Collagen Glow Boost Exfoliator ($78) - I love this cleanser for any and all travel. It’s perfect for double-cleansing, and feels super luxe to use after traveling all day long. This cleansing product is the essential first step in my daily skincare ritual. 100% mineral oil-free, this cleanser is perfect for effortlessly removing long-wear makeup, daily grime

Welcome back! As you know, I’m endeavoring to produce a podcast episode daily for the month. For the first week, I’m focusing on skincare because November is National Healthy Skin Month. The goal is to use November to pay attention to your skin, learn about skin care, and adopt habits that can lead to a lifetime of healthier hair, skin and nails.  I want to discuss one of the best platforms/ publications/ outlets for all things beauty and skincare--that’s Allure! I used to work at Conde Nast where I lead social for Glamour magazine, and desk was a few rows away from the Allure editorial team. Shoutout to Jessica Cruel, the EIC of Allure! I’ve been obsessed with her since I used to bump into her in the halls. I’m so impressed at the volume of work that Jess and her team put out, in addition to the quality and caliber of work. The Allure Best of Beauty Award winners were recently revealed, and suffice it to say, Allure is responsible for a large number of the products on my shelves. I want to share 5 of my favo

Welcome to November with Bri Books! For this entire month, I’m focused on delivering a podcast a day--unedited. It’s been months since my last podcast recording. 2023 has been an absolute blur. As I kick off my goal of recording and releasing an episode everyday this month, I want to start off with softness. We’re talking about how to go softly into the end of the year. If you’re new to the show, leave a review of Bri Books on Apple Podcasts, and listen to Bri Books on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and SoundCloud! Please tell me where you’re traveling to by using #bribooks on Instagram and subscribe to the Bri Books newsletter at bribookspod.com/newsletter.  1:15 - It’s peak autumn. We’re staring down the barrel of the last 6-8 weeks of the year. When we reflect, it can be easy to remember the failures before the successes. This episode is about going softly into the end of the year.  1:50 - Time is soup. If you’re finding yourself approaching the holiday season with a sense of emptiness or loneliness, that’

Welcome back to Bri Books! This podcast episode is part 2 of our discussion all about transitioning from winter to spring (listen to part one here), and the products I recommend for jumpstarting your spring beauty routine. We're talking everything from serums to supplements and everything in between as I share my go-to's for the months ahead.  1:00 - Merit Great Skin Instant Glow Serum: If you know Bri Books, you know I love Merit Beauty. I just included Merit's gloss in a recent episode about my favorite winter beauty picks. The Merit Instant Glow Serum is excellent for creating a well-moisturized base for any makeup or skincare look. The serum has 2% niacinamide, which helps brighten the skin and smooth the texture, which is so important for spring. ($38) - Available at Meritbeauty.com, Sephora. 3:00 - The Face Shop: TFS is one of the brands I most clearly associate with in springtime. Whenever I reevaluate my routine, I look to include more clean, vegan, and eco-friendly products, which always leads me

Welcome to Bri Books! This podcast episode is all about transitioning from winter to spring, and the products I recommend for jumpstarting your spring beauty routine. We're talking everything from serums to supplements and everything in between as I share my go-to's for the months ahead.  1:00 - Black Girl Sunscreen Make it Pop sunglass for lips - Formulated with SPF50, jojoba oil, and hyaluronic acid, this lipgloss will be my saving grace during the warmer spring days when the sun is starting to reach its full strength. Available for: $8.99 at BGSS or Ulta Beauty. 2:35 - Charlotte Tilbury Magic Body Cream - Inspired by the Magic Cream face moisturizer, this body cream perfect for moisturizing your skin as the spring sun starts to warm up. I love the smooth, gentle, and non-greasy formulation. Available for $65 at the Charlotte Tilbury site. 4:10 - Elemis Pro-Collagen Skin Future Supplements - The Elemis is formulated to improve the hydration, firmness, and elasticity of the skin. I love Elemis becaus

Looking for a signature scent? Bri Books has you covered. There's a lot of power in a signature scent--consider it the beauty counterpart to personal style. It can take a while to find a scent that resonates with you, so in honor of National Fragrance Day, I'm sharing my 10 top perfumes and fragrances for 2023 and beyond. These picks definitely deserve a spot on your signature scent wishlist.  PRODUCTS MENTIONED Clive Christian: 1872 Feminine, $595 REPLICA, Maison Margiela: On a Date, $125 Moodeaux: Worthy, $135 bundle Robert Piguet: Fracas Eau de Parfum ($185), Casbah ($215) Lush Cosmetics: Rose Jam Perfume ($22) Lake and Skye: 11:11 ($98) Boy Smells: Hinoki Fantome ($98) Amouage: Escape Discovery Set ($46) Frederic Malle: Portrait of a Lady by Dominique Ropion ($295) Tocca Eau de Parfum: Florence ($80) EPISODES MENTIONED 1. 5 Winter Skincare and Beauty Essentials (Clive Christian Art Deco Blonde Amber fragrance review at the 11:00 mark)   I hope you're loving Bri Books! If you’re new to the show, l

Welcome to Bri Books! February is in the rearview, and we're entering what I like to call the ‘winter fake-out period.’ There’s no predicting if we’ll have a mild entree into spring or if the snow will come at last. In this episode, I want to share the beauty essentials that have gotten me through from holidays, to deep winter, to now. This winter, I focused my beauty routine on clean, restorative, hydrating, natural, moisturizing, and ‘fatty’ products--I simply wanted my skin to hibernate for the season, and these are the products that made it possible. 2:20 - Soho Skin Travel dopp kit:  I reviewed it on a podcast episode about my summer travel-worthy skincare picks. I want to call out the lightweight serum. All winter long when I was traveling, this lightweight concentrate held my skin down, thanks to the super moisturizing niacinamide, pepetites and white bark extract.   3:40 - All things Charlotte Tilbury. In the winter, I reach for the Nudegasm face palette, Super Nudes lipstick, or the Matte R

Brace yourselves: the 2022 Cyber Week beauty deals are coming. Here's my curated list of the best brands products to buy during Cyber Week 2022. These are the picks I've been loving (and lusting after) all year, and with up to 50% off full-price items, now's the time to pounce Last year, I recorded a Bri Books episode about what to buy during Sephora's annual December VIB sale, and wanted to share a Cyber Monday-ready curated list. Here's what I'd stock up on if I were you: Caudalie - Cyber Week is here at Caudalie with up to 50% off select products.  I’d stock up on the Vinoperfect Instant Brightening Solution Set which comes with the Vinoperfect Essence, Vinoperfect Serum, and Vinoperfect Eye Cream. Merit Beauty - Merit’s offering 20% off sitewide, free shipping over $40, free signature bag with every first-time purchase, and free returns.  I recommend the La Fete Holiday Essentials. Bread Beauty Supply - 25% off site wide, free full-size Macadamia oil (for hair and body) with purchase. I recommend the de

Welcome back to Bri Books! If you’re new to the show, leave a review of Bri Books on Apple Podcasts, and listen to Bri Books on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and SoundCloud! Please tell me where you’re traveling to by using #bribooks on Instagram and subscribe to the Bri Books newsletter at bribookspod.com/newsletter.  It’s July, and we are approaching high summer! I kicked off the season with a travel “bang”—a work trip to Johannesburg, South Africa for 9 days, during which I put my international skincare routine to the test. In this episode, I’m walking you through my 9 summer skincare essentials, AKA my summer skincare ‘empties.’ Listen to my recent episode about your 6 Travel Essentials for a Summer Holiday! 1:40 - Paula’s Choice Omega + Complex Cleansing Balm (Sephora, Paula’s Choice) - This luxe cleansing balm melts away everything from sunscreen to makeup as the lather transforms from an opaque liquid into a soapy, oily balm. This  Paula's Choice cleanser got me through my travels in Johannesburg, and I l

Welcome back to Bri Books! If you’re new to the show, leave a review of Bri Books on Apple Podcasts, and listen to Bri Books on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and SoundCloud! Please tell me where you’re traveling to by using #bribooks on Instagram and subscribe to the Bri Books newsletter at bribookspod.com/newsletter.   Summer is in full swing, and travel is ON. IIn this episode, ’m sharing my key carry-on essentials-- matter your destination, these carry-on travel winners will be everything you need for road trips, staycations, long weekends, and more! 1:13 - Calpak Packing Cubes 5-Piece Set - This 5-piece travel cube set is essential for staying organized and keeping track of your items during a trip. I use this set for shoe storage, important document storage, outfit storage, and so much more. I even use a separate cube for technology pieces—chargers, cords, external hard drives, etc. These travel packing cubes help you visualize where your items are, so you don’t have to go ripping through your bag in se

 If you’re interested in going in-depth on how I create this podcast, I'm sharing all of my tips, secrets and resources! All in the Bri Books Podcast Newsletter.   Today’s episode features @abeautifulnestTV, talking all about the book “Garden Fresh Cooking” by Judith Benn Hurley, and it’ll leave you longing for summertime! We’re infusing harvest-time healthy foods into our everyday menus. 1:40 - About @abeautifulnestTV - Sandria’s YouTube channel focuses on building strong relationships, growing as a family, ecohing truth and knowledge and teaching folks to love unconditionally. “Our YouTube channel is a family lifestyle channel. We focus on faith, family, inspiration and life. We believe in making a house a home. I love making a house a home. I want to infuse love and beauty in everything i do. I try to make sure that comes across in our videos. 8:25 - Sandria on authenticity in her videos: “People need to be able to relate to the real life things.” 9:25 - Sandria’s Soil Story: “I come from a long line of g