Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Fresh Sugar Cravings Kissing Trio

Fresh’ Sugar Cravings Kissing Trio ($28; sephora.com) is a three piece Sugar Lip Balm collection that features two tinted and one colorless lip balm in mini sizes. Sugar Cravings comes with a classic Fresh Sugar Lip Balm and two tinted ones in Sugar Berry (sheer plum berry) and Sugar Cherry (sheer red).

Fresh Sugar Cravings For Holiday 2014 Review, Photos & Swatches
Fresh Sugar Cravings For Holiday 2014 Review, Photos & Swatches
Fresh Sugar Cravings Kissing Trio





Cherry and Berry, both have great color payoff for a tinted lip balm. Even on my pigmented lips, they add a pop of color and a hint of shine. I love sheer balms and glossy tints, so these are something I’d use quite a bit. Like I've mentioned before, I’m not a big fan of the smaller sizes though since I’ve had them break off earlier, especially in the summer or if left somewhere warmer. These lip balms have a lemony, sweet scent and taste and they provide good, basic hydration. I won’t call them as heavy duty balms for extremely chapped/cracked lips, more like something to maintain than treat. As for the colors, I love the sheer washes they give, Berry being my favorite of the three - its my version of a wearable fall lip and Cherry is actually a red I’d wear often. The balms are a good purse size and make for a nice gift for someone who prefers something that’s easy to use and the set also makes for a great stocking stuffer!

Fresh Sugar Cravings Kissing Trio Review, Photos & Swatches
Fresh Sugar Cravings Kissing Trio Review
Fresh Sugar Cravings Kissing Trio Ingredients
Fresh Sugar Cravings Kissing Trio Fresh Cherry, Fresh Berry, Fresh Sugar Swatches
                                                 L-R : Sugar Berry, Sugar Cherry, Sugar

*Press Sample

Monday, November 24, 2014

bareMinerals The Magic Act & Main Attraction | bareMinerals Holiday 2014 Limited Edition

I have the last two of the fabulous holiday kits by bareMinerals to show you today -  The Magic Act Eye and Cheek Palette ($39; sephora.com) and Main Attraction Face Kit ($54; sephora.com).


The Magic Act is a gorgeous little travel friendly palette for the eyes and cheeks featuring six of bareMinerals’ ready eyeshadows, three of the Ready Blushes and one Highlighter. I love how the quality of these blushes and shadows are the same as the singles and duos sold - they are buttery smooth, little to no fallout with great color payoff. The palette packs lovely neutrals for the eyes and blushes for every skintone. It folds up to a compact little case that is travel friendly that also comes with a small mirror inside. I have absolutely no complaints about the Magic Act and highly recommend it if you are looking for something travel friendly with some great quality eyeshadows and blushes!

bareminerals The Magic Act Eye and Cheek Palette
bareminerals The Magic Act Eye and Cheek Palette
bareminerals The Magic Act Eye and Cheek Palette
bareminerals The Magic Act Eye and Cheek Palette Swatches






Main Attraction is a face kit that features all you need (except foundation) for an almost, full face of makeup. The kit comes with bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 2.0 The Curtain Call in Matinee and Opening Night, Lasting Line Long-Wearing eyeliner in Absolute Black,  Lash Domination 10-in-one Volumizing mascara in Intense Black, Mini Marvelous Moxie lipstick in Make Your Move,  Marvelous Moxie lip gloss in Leading Lady,  Blush in Flair and a Tapered blush brush. The brush is a natural hair brush according to the bareMinerals website and I quite like it with the powder blush. It could have been a tad softer and shed a little lesser, but it performs and blends product well without any patchiness. Lash Domination is a good mascara for very natural lashes and clean definition, while the Ready Eyeshadow in The Curtain Call is a good, everyday neutral. My favorites are the Mini Lipstick in Make Your Move which is a fabulous peachy nude for my complexion and the Lipgloss in Leading Lady which I like to top off the lipstick with to add a bit more dimension. Overall though, the kit is amazing, as are most value sets from bareMinerals. The box is nice and reusable as well and all products from the kit are full size with the exception of the lipstick which makes it a great value!

bare Minerals main attraction 7-piece face collection
bare Minerals main attraction 7-piece face collection
bare Minerlas main attraction 7-piece face collectionREADY® Eyeshadow 2.0 The Curtain Call in Matinee and Opening Night
bare Minerlas main attraction 7-piece face collection blush in flair and blush brush
bare Minerlas main attraction 7-piece face collection marvelous moxie lip gloss in leading lady
Mini Marvelous Moxie™ lipstick in Make Your Move
bare Minerlas main attraction 7-piece face collection swatches
Wearing Everything From The Main Attraction Face Kit

*Press Samples

Sunday, November 23, 2014

L'Occitane Arlésienne Collection | L'Occitane Holiday 2014

L’Occitane’s Holiday gifting features a brand new fragrance, Arlésienne, a lively feminine fusion of three flowers. Arlésienne features extracts of rose from Grasse, saffron and violets from Provence and comes in everything from a Lip Balm to Shower Gels, Hand Cream and Eau de Toilette ($12 - $50; usa.loccitane.com).

L'occitane Arlesienne EDT, Hand Cream, Shower Cream, SOlid Perfume and Body Milk

L'occitane Arlesienne EDT, Hand Cream, Shower Cream, SOlid Perfume and Body Milk
L'occitane Arlesienne Holiday 2014 Collection


The Arlésienne Holiday Kit ($60; usa.loccitane.com) comes with a Mini Shower Cream, Hand Cream,  Beauty Milk and an Eau de Toilette, packaged beautifully in a giftable box, but the folks at L’Occitane were kind enough to include a Solid Perfume as well. As for the fragrance itself, its a fabulous year round perfume for a rose lover like me. The Hand Cream is great for the day, does not feel heavy or greasy and absorbs quickly. The Shower Cream is a gentle cleanser that leaves you smelling amazing and doesn’t dry skin out. I love L’Occitane's Fragranced Beauty/Body Milk (their version of a light body lotion) - I’ve tried a few across various fragrances and think they are great for light layering, don’t feel too heavy and leave a beautiful trail of fragrance. The Eau de Toilette is great for everyday, it startes off a light circusy floral, the rose notes kick in after the fragrance settles down a little more and the dry down is a soft powdery floral with a touch of creaminess from the sandalwood. Its lovely and definitely one I’d be wearing a lot more in the Spring. The solid perfume is a great handbag size and while not as floral as the EDT on me, its quite light, fresh and not too strong. I love the packaging of the Arlésienne line as well. The EDT especially comes in a beautifully crafted bottle and all of them layer really well and last much longer when layered. If you like soft, powdery florals and anything rose based, definitely check Arlésienne out when you stop by a L'Occitane Boutique.

L'occitane Arlesienne Hand Cream
L'occitane Arlesienne Shower Cream
L'occitane Arlesienne Solid Perfume


L'occitane Arlesienne Beauty Milk
L'occitane Arlesienne Beauty Milk Ingredients
L'occitane Arlesienne Eau de Toilette
L'occitane Arlesienne Eau de Toilette Ingredients


*Press Sample


Friday, November 21, 2014

Laura Mercier La Petite Pâtisserie Soufflè Body Crème Collection | Laura Mercier Holiday 2014 Limited Edition


Laura Mercier’s La Petite Pâtisserie Soufflè Body Crème Collection ($59; lauramercier.com) is new for the holidays and comes with six of Laura Mercier's deliciously scened Soufflé Body Creams in mini sizes. Its a gorgeous gift for someone who loves luxurious bath and body products.

Laura Mercier 'La Petite Patisserie' Soufflé Body Crème Collection
Laura Mercier 'La Petite Patisserie' Soufflé Body Crème Collection




I absolutely love each and every scent in here. They are the perfect consistency for a slightly thicker body cream, feel smooth, absorb easily and the scent lingers around for hours. Ambre Vanille is one of my favorite scents from the Laura Mercier bath and body line and the body butter version of it is just the most sweet, cozy and creamiest scent for fall and winter. Fresh Fig is another favorite too, its more of a softer, sweeter scent, Creme de Pistache and Creme Brûlée are true to how they should smell like, utterly delicious.  Tarte au Citron is very fresh, not too tart, but much softer and sweeter than most lemon fragrances I’ve tried, while Almond Coconut Milk is warm and nutty. All of them come packaged in small-ish plastic jars which are perfect to travel with. They also layer fabulously under the respective EDT’s and last all day. I find the formula to be moisturizing for Soufflé Creams, but may need to be reapplied towards the end of the day if you have uber dry skin in the winter. Overall, its a super luxurious, amazing pick for the holidays from Laura Mercier, perfect for anyone who loves deliciously scented body care. The soufflés truly have a soft, whipped texture and don’t feel one bit dry or greasy, so its great to be used year round.

 
Laura Mercier 'La Petite Patisserie' Soufflé Body Creme review, Photos
Laura Mercier’s La Petite Pâtisserie Soufflè Body Crème Collection



Have you tried any of the Laura Mercier bath, body and fragrances? What are your favorites?

*Press Sample

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Kérastase Carré Lissant | Limited Edition Anti-Frizz Hair Touch Up Sheets

Carré Lissant by Kerastase ($28; Available at Kérastase Consultant Salons), is a new, Limited-Edition, purse friendly hair product that helps combat frizz, add shine and eliminate static flyways. Its a really nice concept, very quick and easy to use that comes as a pack of 50 hair touch up sheets packaged beautifully to fit into a small handbag.


Kerastase carre lissant limited editon review, photos








The sheets, quite like dryer sheets, but thinner, are to be smoothed onto dry hair anytime there’s a lot of frizz and static going on. I have medium-fine hair that can get frizzy super easily even with a good amount of product and styling, so these are a great way to touch up without much effort or need for heat styling. The sheet sort of finely coats the hair surface lending it a satin matte sheen and takes care of most of the frizziness. There’s a very light, lavender oil scent that isn’t bothersome and most importantly doesn’t linger on. Unlike many styling gels/serums and creams, this one leaves no greasy residue or film that needs to be washed off, but it does a great job of keeping hair tamed and well behaved with a bit of added shine and bounce. If you find manageability to be an issue and if styling products wear off mid day, try Carré Lissant, its easy to use and can be tossed into your bag and needs absolutely no washing or styling. I can’t speak for extremely thicker hair types, as mine isn’t, but if you have medium/fine hair, one sheet definitely takes care of flyways on dry hair. I wouldn’t recommend more than a sheet though, since it can weight hair down a bit and make it look sort of limp, but if used the right way and kept away from the roots, it absolutely does what it says.

Kerastase carre lissant limited editon review, photos
Kerastase carre lissant limited editon
Kerastase carre lissant limited editon anti frizz hair touch up sheets
Kerastase carre lissant Ingredients
Kerastase carre lissant review, photos


*Press Sample

Monday, November 17, 2014

Vincent Longo Meta Gloss Lip Gloss in Rialto

Vincent Longo’s Metagloss Lip Gloss ($24; shop.nordstrom.com) is a new line of high shimmer and shine gloss that the brand recently launched. Metagloss comes in three shades and I have a gorgeous, sparkling nude copper, Rialto, swatched here.

Vincent Longo Metagloss Lip Gloss in Rialto Review, Photos & Swatches


Rialto is quite shimmery, a tad metallic too and borders on being semi-opaque. The color is very rich, beautiful on its own and great to layer on top of creme lipsticks. The shimmer doesn’t feel chunky and there’s enough color in the gloss to make it look not just like a layer of glitter on the lips. Rialto is a nude copper with hints of pink and a slight duo chrome quality that is a wash of a nude and shimmer on my lips. The gloss feels smooth, goes on evenly and doesn’t feel sticky or heavy for something with a slightly thicker consistency. Like all glosses though, this one too starts to wear off in about 2-3 hours, leaving behind some shimmer, which definitely needs to be touched up. It does’t dry lips out or provide any extra dose of moisture and is a really nice one to try if shimmery glosses are something you like. I also like that it doesn’t have any sort of scent/flavor which is a huge plus. 

Vincent Longo Metagloss Lip Gloss in Rialto Review, Photos & Swatches
Vincent Longo Metagloss Lip Gloss in Rialto Swatch



Have you tried any of the Vincent Longo Metagloss Lip Glosses?

*Press Sample

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Narciso Rodriguez Limited Edition ‘For Her’ Atomizer | Narciso Rodriguez Holiday 2014 Limited Edition

This Holiday Season, Narciso Rodriguez For Her comes in a gorgeous limited edition bottle in a new design, with an atomizer bulb. Both the Eau de Parfum and the Eau de Toilette come in these limited edition atomizers!



I absolutely love the packaging - the bottles in black and pink are gorgeous as it is, but look a lot more fancy now. The Eau de Toilette has notes of musk, a delicate mix of floral osmanthus notes, soft amber and patchouli, while the EDP is a mix of Musk, Rose, Peach Pulp and Soft Amber. I found the EDP to be surprisingly a tad more softer and less stronger than the EDT. The EDP is a lot more floral, feminine, sophisticated and creamy. The EDT is a little more of a clean scent, a bit more fresher, stronger and a bit heavy on the patchouli. Both fragrances are musk heavy and definitely more of grown up scents, but in a sophisticated way. The atomizer spritzes them both only as a sheer veil which makes them both much lighter than they actually are, but the wear time was still good. I also think these are definitely fall/winter fragrances and the EDP especially is a must have if sheer musks blended with soft florals are something you prefer to wear in the colder months. If you like something a bit more stronger, cleaner, the EDT is one to look into. Not to mention the fabulous, limited edition bottles that would look pretty as part of any perfume collection!

Narciso Rodriguez For Her Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum with Atomizer Limited Edition
Narciso Rodriguez For Her Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum with Atomizer
Narciso Rodriguez For Her Eau de Parfum with Atomizer
Narciso Rodriguez Limited Edition ‘For Her’ Atomizer Eau de Parfum

                               Narciso Rodriguez Limited Edition ‘For Her’ Atomizer Eau de Toilette


Price : Narciso Rodriguez ‘for her’ Eau de Toilette with Atomizer retails for $96.00 USD and the Eau de Parfum retails for $112.00 USD for 2.5 oz bottles.


Available at Fine retail stores nationwide including Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom


Have you tried Narciso Rodriguez For Her?


*Press Samples

Friday, November 14, 2014

L'Occitane The Secret To Beautiful Hands Kit | L'Occitane Holiday Gifting 2014 Limited Edition

L’occitane’s The Secret To Beautiful Hands ($60; usa.loccitane.com) holiday kit which is limited edition, features some of the brand’s beast selling Shea Butter infused hand care.

L'Occitane The Secret To Beautiful hands Holiday 2013 limited edition gift set



The kit contains full sizes of the Shea Butter Hand Cream (with 20% Shea Butter), the Shea One Minute Hand Scrub (15% Shea Oil) and the Shea Nourishing Nail & Cuticle Oil. The L’Occitane Website also lists a Magic Key Press Tub as part of the kit, but mine din’t come with one, so I'm not sure if its a typo. Everything comes packaged in a gorgeous, reusable gift box. Except for the Nourishing Nail & Cuticle Oil, I’ve tried everything else before. The hand scrub (full review here), which is a two phase scrub, when combined with the super moisturizing hand cream keeps hands looking extremely well maintained and neat. The Cuticle Oil with 30% Shea Oil, is nice as well, it does take a bit of time to absorb, but once it does, it seals in the moisture. I would have preferred it to be a tad more balmy since it needs to be reapplied in a few hours. Applying hand cream on top sorts that out though. Overall, its an amazing kit and a beautiful gift for anyone who loves hand care and a little bit of pampering at home!

L'Occitane The Secret To Beautiful hands Shea Butter Hand Cream
L'Occitane The Secret To Beautiful hands Shea Hand & Cuticle Nourishing Oil
L'Occitane The Secret To Beautiful hands 15% Shea Oil One Minute Hand Scrub
L'Occitane The Secret To Beautiful hands 15% Shea Oil One Minute Hand Scrub, Shea Cuticle Oil, Shea Hand Cream Review, Photos



*Press Sample