Gabbi Hall
One of my favorite bloggers is Sarah Tripp, who is probably better known as @SassyRedLipstick. She has really perfected her brand online, and her curvy style is on point. While I’m currently moving towards a more minimalist wardrobe, I love how Sarah mixes prints, colors and textures. Her Instagram feed is full of fashion inspiration.
Hand-in-hand with her husband Robbie, she travels the world out of their home base in San Francisco, California. You might recognize them from the Instagram post that went viral in August. Together, they are building their content empire. When she put out the bat signal to say she was willing to do some interviews, I immediately reached out to get some of her advice for travel with unique blogger insights that only she can provide!
Let’s talk destinations. As a blogger, you’re always looking for gorgeous backdrops. In the last year, which cities/locations have produced your favorite photos?
SassyRedLipstick: Yes, good spots for photos always seem to be at the top of the list for places we travel! I always do lots of research online to find colorful walls and other cute spots. My tropical vacations always seem to do the best, ones where I can wear a swimsuit all day. Most recently, my trips to Palm Springs and South Beach, Miami produced some amazing photos. Robbie and I joked that we might need to move to South Beach because at the end of the week my feed was so colorful and fun.
You’re planning a trip to a new city. How do you find locations to shoot?
SassyRedLipstick: Like I said, lots of research! Sometimes you’ll get lucky and find a spot that you pass in the car or something, but most often I’m searching where other bloggers and photographers have shot. It’s fun when you find something unique that hasn’t been Instagrammed to death, but it’s also fun to put your own spin on the classic spots. I always try to be helpful to others by posting the location of cool spots when I travel.
I imagine you have a very large closet at home with a lot of outfit options. When you’re planning a weekend getaway, what is your process for building perfect outfits?
SassyRedLipstick: Depending on the weather and where we are headed, I start online shopping a few weeks ahead of time and buying fun pieces that I can pair with items I already have. It just depends. When we went to Lake Tahoe for a ski trip earlier this year, I had to find a lot of snow bunny attire that I didn’t have in my closet already. But our trip to Palm Springs in March just required a few new swimsuits! Of course, the goal is to really dress to the atmosphere of the place you’re visiting and have fun with it! Our recent trip to Miami had me in a lot of fun, tropical prints and I really felt right at home with the vibrant culture.
What is one thing you never travel without?
SassyRedLipstick: A portable charger! Robbie and I recently bought a phone charger with 100+ hours of charge in it. It’s rose gold and I love it. When it’s your job to be on social media, you can’t afford to be stressed about running low on battery. Especially if you’re attending a music festival or somewhere you know you won’t have access to a charger for the whole day, a portable charger is a must!
People notoriously look pretty haggard after a long plane ride (shiny skin, smelly, wrinkled clothes). Any pro-tips for looking fresh after getting off an airplane?
SassyRedLipstick: Haha, that’s just life! Sometimes I feel so gross after flying and that’s just part of the game. I try to combat that as much as possible by bringing deodorant and a toothbrush in my carry-on. That way I can freshen up and feel much better after a long flight! At the end of the day, you don’t need to be camera ready after a long flight. Traveling can be exhausting, so being comfortable is most important.
If I’m visiting San Francisco for 48 hours, what are three must-visit places that are fun experiences (and great photo destinations)?
SassyRedLipstick: Yay, so fun! This is definitely the most common question I receive, which is why I have put together a full San Francisco travel guide that I update frequently! You can find all my top picks here.
(Note from Gabbi: I also love Sarah’s post about the 10 Most Instagrammable Spots in San Francisco)
Which bloggers do you follow for travel inspiration?
SassyRedLipstick: I have a few! I went to college with Sam and Ryan of Our Travel Passport and in addition to being great friends, they are so incredibly talented! They are self taught photographer and videographer team and we love traveling with them because they get such great content. I also am good friends with Megan Anderson. She has such an incredible style and we had a blast doing Coachella together this past weekend!
More From SassyRedLipstick
Big thanks to Sarah for taking the time to share her insights! Follow her on Youtube, check out her article in Women’s Health, and, of course, read her blog.
Update 4/23: Sarah and Robbie were interview for a Forbes article about turning social media into a business. It’s a great read for up-and-coming bloggers. Check it out here.
Until next time, here goes nothing.
