Now that I have your attention...
After a couple months of absence, I am now back on the blog scene! That's if there is such a thing ;) Let's roll out my Spring favorites! Spoiler alert: lot's of blasts from my past!
The packaging is vibrant and pretty and very 80's in it's homage to dazzling neon's. One of the lipsticks that stood out from the pack was Fuchsia Fever. This is a very close dupe for MAC's ambitious Candy Yum Yum, which could have been an easy addition to the Nicki Minage Viva Glam collection. I have always love Maybelline lipsticks for their wearability and creamy texture since the Linda Carter day's. If it's good enough for Wonder Woman, it's good enough for me. Fuchsia Fever will be incorporated into upcoming tutorials, but until then, you must add this to your spring and summer line up!
Nail polish has been something I started slipping on. Sorry about it, but kinda low on the priority list when I have a toddler who is hell bent on putting herself in dangerous and bizarre situations i.e. brushing her hair with a disposable razor that I thought I hid well, getting stuck in her shopping cart..in the bathtub, drinking out of the toilet, getting her feet stuck in her toddler potty, etc.
That said, I have been rocking Frisson by Chanel like it were spring 2012. Judge me. I love this polish. It is the one "glitter" polish that I can wear that doesn't look like a disco ball on my nails and doesn't require straight turpentine and a barrage of curse words to remove. I love how pretty it makes my hands look. It truly looks like I have a pro manicure going on every time I sport this!
Skincare. Sigh. As we all know I am a skin care nutter. I got the L'Occitane Olive Oil spray toning face mist in February when I was out of my Aveda toning mist. This brand has always been near and dear to my heart because when I was a poor college student, the one luxury I would afford myself, outside of my beloved Coco fragrance, was L'Occitane shea hand cream. I would use it for a face cream in the bone dry months of winter and the scent and hydration made me feel like I was a cocoon of love. Tangent over, but this is the faith i have in the L'occitane brand and this toning mist in their olive oil line, did not disappoint.
The fact is, every man and woman deserves a face mist. The L'Occitane toning face mist can double as both a daily refresher and a toner after cleansing. The scent is lovely and non cloying. It smells rather herbal and citrusy and perks me right up. I have combination skin that tends to get oily in the t-zone, using this by itself in the morning is the perfect way to clean my skin and prep it for moisturizer or my full skincare/beauty regimen. In the summer or if you are needing a pick me up, stash a bottle of this in the fridge for a pick me up when you feel overheated. You will thank me later!
I have been feeling very nostalgic lately and in March while at Target, I picked up Herbal Essences Colour Me Happy after running out of my spendy Unite products. Before you curl your lip at me, let me be clear: I realize that the Herbal Essences isn't the greatest for my hair, especially after babying it with Unite, i get that. I honestly just missed the scent. The scent is very late nineties and it brings back some amazing memories. I always loved that when i'd wash my hair, you could smell the scent of the shampoo and conditioner hours later. This is a close dupe to the original formula, which i just saw restocked at Target, but this was a recommendation from people who lost their minds after the 1990's formula went bye-bye.
Another trip down memory lane, this time in the fragrance zone. My friend Sarah hates my fragrance favorites almost as much as I hate hers (Light Blue, meh), and this is a particular dislike of hers. Sorry baby, but mama needs some Calyx. It's the shower gel for sobbing out loud! Adore! It boasts apricot, mint, bergamot (yeeessss!!!), passionfruit, grapefruit, lily, melon, freesia, oakmoss, cedar and sandalwood as its potpourri of fragrance notes. Calyx is a happy fragrance and was something I always had before Prescriptives went tits up a couple years ago. Oh, Prescriptives, the minimalist art school dropout middle sister in the Lauder cosmetic family.
DKNY was a fragrance launched in the genesis of my cosmetic career, ie. 2000ish.
The scent packs freshness from tomato leaves (?) and orange juice, then god knows what from vodka (!). Back in the day my chemistry did not like this fragrance. Sometimes when I wore it and woke up the next day, I could have sworn that I was waking up after a 3 day bender.
One day I smelled it on a dear friend of mine and it was beautiful, fresh and clean. It was the fragrance equivalent to a crisp white t-shirt worn with jeans and diamond studs and carrying an expensive bag. So I spritzed a tester and fell in love.
This fragrance is so unlike my usual suspects of warm, spicy orientals, yet seems like an obvious choice for daytime or for a summer signature scent.
Some beauty gurus recommend switching to the eau de toilette or cologne version of your signature scent for day time or summer, but those versions of my beloved fragrances just don't do it for me. I'd rather have something completely new and different, something that from the first spray, tells my senses that it is summertime!
My two holy grail loves, Shiseido's The Skincare Night Moisture Recharge lotion and Chanel Hydramax + Active cream, make my skin feel radiant and make me feel like the aforementioned.
People always ask me what I mean by "holy grail". It's the products you can't live without. The products that you always come back to, even after trying what your mom, friends or favorite magazine suggests. They are the products that you would literally shit a brick, while taking a hostage in Macy's, should they be discontinued.
Those two babies are mine and it feels so amazing to have them back in my rotation!
I also have a couple non beauty faves I'd like to share, but I'll keep it brief :)
My friend Kendra, from Vlogwithkendra on YouTube, had this chunky rose gold chain bracelet by Bella, in her fall favorites video. I fell in love with its elegance and simplicity. It's very lightweight and not the greatest quality, as in "won't last forever", but its beautiful just the same. This is what I wear with tshirts or tank tops when I want to dress up my outfit. It also is a great pairing with that LBD you have on the hanger. Check out Bella on Etsy, http://www.etsy.com/shop/ByBellaCollection .
There are tons of other bracelets for sale too if that doesn't float your boat!
Yes I did it. I took the Marc Jacobs plunge, just like Taylor and Jen. I love this bag! It's the Classic Q Hillier bag in smoke, but to me it looks like elephant skin. Whatever you want to call this color, it is my perfect bag. It's got a handle and strap, chunky hardware, pockets and great interior lining. It combines the best of fashion and function.
Remember that description of DKNY Energizing Fragrance? Not the "going on a bender" one, but the chic and carrying an expensive handbag one? Yeah, this is it and once I spray my DKNY, put my boyfriend tshirt and faded denim jeans, ballet flats, rose gold chunky bracelet, all I need is this bag. That is my daily uniform. Chic and comfortable, I feel like I can take on the day as soon as I step out!
What is your daily "uniform"? Do you have a holy grail product?
Stay tuned for my next post! I'm thinking of doing a follow up to How to Shop at a Cosmetic Counter: The Gift With Purchase ;)
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