Late Summer Favorites

Happy (?) last day of summer!  I thought I'd celebrate (???) the day with a favorites post.  And, because I didn't write a July favorites post, and I'm slightly late with August favorites, I figured I'd just call this a "late summer favorites" list.

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer -- This tinted moisturizer has a wonderfully light texture, has a light citrus scent, and leaves the skin slightly dewy.  It has decent coverage for a tinted moisturizer, and it protects the skin with an SPF of 30.  I have been wearing the shade Alaska because I've been using a self-tanner, but I think I'm going to need to switch to Finland for the winter.

MDSolarSciences Mineral Creme Broad Spectrum SPF 50 UVA-UVB Sunscreen -- This stuff has an interesting texture.  It's very silicone-laden, and kind of thick.  I love that it has a really high SPF, but my favorite thing about it is how well it works as a makeup primer.  I need to try to write a full review of this sunscreen.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara -- Whenever I use this mascara, I remember how good it is. However, I did manage to poke my eye rather seriously with the wand recently, and it really hurt.

Prada Candy -- Wearing this perfume puts me in a good mood.  It's kind of a sweet, but spicy
floral-y scent that has completely different top and bottom notes, so it smells totally different after a few hours of wear.  You really need to try it for yourself.

Sleek Garden of Eden Eyeshadow Palette -- I have really been enjoying this palette.  My favorite shades in this palette are Eve's Kiss, Evergreen, and Fauna.  Tons of possibilities with this.

from left: Eve's Kiss, Evergreen, Fauna

I sometimes find writing favorite things lists kind of tough, because the staple items (like foundation/tinted moisturizer, mascara, powder, etc.) remain pretty much the same each month, and I use so many different other things (like eyeshadows, palettes, blushes, lip colors -- I usually mix those up everyday) that it is hard to choose favorites.  Does anyone else have this problem?  How do you choose what favorites to write about?

Thanks for checking out my recent favorites!

Wee Sephora Haul and EotD

So, yeah, I bought the Kat Von D Monarch palette.  If you are a regular reader, you know the Chrysalis palette became a fast favorite, and this one is no different.

I also cashed in some points for an Elizabeth and James Nirvana White rollerball.

Swarches:

entomology, telepathy, tiny death

wrath, papillio, summerfly

killing jar, delaney, vanish

disintegration, shadow box, deadhead

Here's some eyes of the day using the palette:

I used summerfly (sparkling gold) all over the moving lid and lower lashline, papilio (shimmery brown) in the outer corner and crease and lower lashline, wrath (shimmery orange) above the crease, entomology (matte cream) under the brow, and tiny death (lightly glittery cream) in the inner corner.  I also used L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly mascara, and a black eyeliner on the lower waterline.

Actually, maybe the size of this palette makes this haul kind of large.

Oh, and I bought this.

Heh heh.

Perfumes for the Week Days 22-31 and Round-Up

This is the final installment for the "Scent of the Day Challenge" created by Rebecca from Hello Pretty Bird.  This has been an incredibly fun "challenge" for me.  It allowed me to finally get around to trying some of the fragrance samples I have been hoarding.  Truly, I have enough samples to do this for at least another month (yep, I love fragrance samples), but I think I want to wear some of the favorite samples from the past month to see if I want a full-size of any of them.  A bottle of perfume makes a great gift...

Here's what I tried on days 22-31:

Day 22: Bottega Veneta -- This was unlike any other fragrance I have and was quite complex and interesting.  It is definitely spicy, and I wasn't sure I liked it when I first sprayed it, but I really liked the dry-down.  It ended up being one of my favorite samples of the week.
Day 23: CLEAN Rain -- Now, maybe it's because the sample card was a greenish teal color, but this smells "green" to me.  I don't know how else to describe it.  The Sephora website describes it as "an aquatic floral."  I didn't care for this one.
Day 24: Prada CANDY -- I expected something fruity or sweet with a name like "Candy," but it is a soft, warm, spicy scent that I really liked.  I couldn't stop smelling myself.  My husband saw me smell my arm and asked what I was doing, so I explained I was smelling this awesome perfume, and I made him smell it, and he really liked it, too.
Day 25: Acqua de Gioia by Giorgio Armani -- This is a citrus floral to my nose.  It was light and crisp, and it seems like it would be a great summer scent, but I only kind of liked it.
Day 26: JIMMY CHOO Flash -- This started off as a spicy floral that had a sweet dry-down.  It seemed a little strong, but was very long-lasting.  I did like this one.
Day 27: philosophy Loveswept -- This is a light floral that felt sort of generic and inoffensive (if you love this scent, please don't be offended by that statement -- this is simply my opinion of this fragrance!). I was, unfortunately, not swept away by this one, and it faded into nothingness quite quickly.
Day 28: Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black -- This is quite a masculine scent, in my opinion.  I really wanted to like this.  I thought wearing it would up my cool factor.  Unfortunately, it was too sandalwood-y for my liking, although I thought the dry-down was ok.
Day 29: TokyoMilk Dark Tainted Love No. 62 -- Maybe the name is influencing my description of this, but I would say it's a dark, warm floral.  It starts out more floral, and gets more incense-y but softer as it wears. I wrote in my notes that it was "mysterious."  I definitely liked this one.
Day 30: Gucci Guilty -- It's described as an "oriental floral" on the little sample card, and I don't have a discerning enough nose to disagree.  I liked this one, but it was pretty much gone by the end of the day.
Day 31: Chloé -- The sample card says this is a "powdery rose."  I definitely agree with that description, as it seems quite rose-y.  I kind of liked the top notes, but it faded fast and I couldn't even smell the dry-down (bottom notes).

Favorites of the week in descending order: Prada CANDY, TokyoMilk Dark Tainted Love No. 62, and Bottega Veneta.

So, overall for this month:

My first tier favorite fragrances were Burberry Body, Dolce by Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci Flora Gardenia, Gucci Première, and Prada CANDY.

My second tier favorites were I ❤ NY by Bond No. 9, Thierry Mugler Alien, Marchesa, and TokyoMilk Dark Tainted Love No. 62.

I think found some new fragrances to add to my collection during this challenge.  Burberry Body and Prada CANDY might find their way onto my vanity.

I would like to than Rebecca for creating this challenge.  Even though I will now probably go and spend money on more perfumes.

Perfumes for the Week Days 11-21

Here is the next installment of the "Scent of the Day Challenge" Rebecca from Hello Pretty Bird created.

Day 11: Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf -- I liked this one but didn't love it.  It's a nice, warm scent.
Day 12: Narciso Rodriguez For Her -- A very warm floral that I like, although I may have over                                  sprayed it and given myself a bit of a headache.  It is quite sophisticated.
Day 13: Burberry Body -- I was kind of "meh" on Burberry Body Tender, but this one I really like.                             Like I want a full-size bottle like.  The dry down scent is warm and sensual.
Day 14: Tory Burch -- To me, this is a crisp, fruity floral that dries to a soft floral, and I liked it.
Day 15: Thierry Mugler Alien -- This one seemed fruity but warm, and was quite interesting.  I                                   wasn't sure about the scent right after I sprayed it (the mix of top notes, I guess), but I did like                       how it dried.
Day 16: Cartier Declaration -- So, I put this one on and immediately thought I had made a mistake                             and was trying a men's fragrance.  Well, I looked it up on the Sephora site, and                                                      discovered it was "Created for men, but also enjoyed by women".   It is very warm and spicy, but                               not overly masculine.  Really not a scent for me, though.
Day 17: Downtown by Calvin Klein -- I didn't really like this one.  The card that has the vial attached                        to it says " fresh florals and aromatic woods", and it seems like a complex fragrance.  It had                             completely disappeared on me by the end of the day.
Day 18: Versace Yellow Diamond -- I liked this one, but it didn't blow me away or anything.  It                                    reminded me of Lancome's Miracle (which is a staple in my fragrance wardrobe), but I don't                         like it as much.  It is a fruity floral to my nose.
Day 19: Vera Wang Preppy Princess -- I like this perfume quite a bit, but the name and marketing                            put me off.  The card says it's a "luscious, woody fruity fragrance."
Day 20: Gucci Première -- Another one I really like.  I put it on and actually said out loud "Whoa.                                   This is nice."  It seems sensual and warm.  It says on the card it is woody and musky.
Day 21: Marchesa -- This is quite a feminine perfume.  It smelled kind of powdery to me, and I did                                   like it.  It also lasted all day on me.

So there are days 11-21.  I am really enjoying this challenge (which is actually encouraging me to use the samples I have accumulated), and I have discovered some new fragrances to put on my wishlist.

Favorites for the week: Burberry Body and Gucci Première.

(I'm sorry I'm so terrible at describing fragrances and notes and so on, but I did my best.  Hope it was helpful!)

Perfumes for the Week Days 1-10

Rebecca over at Hello Pretty Bird (do yourself a favor and go read her blog -- some of the best writing on the interwebz) is doing a "Scent of the Day Challenge" in which one wears a different perfume sample everyday for a month, and I thought I would participate.  Her choices are lots of indie fragrances, which are far more interesting than the standard perfume samples I have.  I'm also horrible at describing fragrances, so I'm only going to say if I liked the scent or a quick something about it because I thought that would be terribly helpful if you are looking into one of the perfumes I wore one day.

Day 1: Burberry Body Tender -- I'm kind of meh one this one.  I don't think it's for me.
Day 2: Killer Queen by Katy Perry -- I like this one, both on first spray and the dry down.
                                        It's kind of warm and spicy.  The packaging looks like a huge jewel.
Day 3: Dolce by Dolce and Gabbana -- I like it.  It's a pretty floral.
Day 4: Marc Jacobs Honey -- I only kind of like this one.  It's a fresh floral, to my nose.
Day 5: I ❤ NY by Bond No. 9 -- This is a light floral that I quite like.
Day 6: Ralph Lauren Romance -- This one faded really fast on me.  I wasn't particularly
                                        fond of it anyway.
Day 7: Versace Bright Crystal -- I liked this, but it was gone by the end of the day.
Day 8: I forgot to wear anything.
Day 9: Elizabeth Arden Untold -- A light floral that I like.  The bottle is really elegant.
Day 10: Gucci Flora Gardenia -- I definitely like this one.  It's described by Gucci as a fruity floral.

So there are the fragrances I tried out the past 10 days.  I am going out of town next week (on Thursday), and will be gone for several days, but I'm going to try to take samples with me to keep up with the challenge.

More fragrance samples to come in the future!

February 2014 Favorites

So, we have made it through February.  I wasn't entirely sure it was going to happen.  Here are a few of the things in my life that have helped me survive this past month.

Aquaphor -- This healing ointment has been helping my skin tremendously this month.  I have been using it mostly at night over my nighttime treatments on the parts of my face that feel particularly dry or are prone to flakies, as well as on my lips and cuticles.

L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara (review) -- I really like the length and definition this mascara gives my lashes.

NYX Pore Filler (review) -- This primer makes my skin look much smoother and blur pores quite well.  It really does make a difference.

Fame by Lady Gaga -- I think the bottle is cool and that the perfume smells good.  How's THAT for a quick review?  I think this fragrance is now available at mass market retailers like drugstores and such.

My New Spectacles (pics here)-- I've been wearing these more often than my contacts since I got them, which is unusual for me because my glasses usually drive me crazy (slipping down my nose, lenses getting dirty from my lashes hitting them, and so on).

Junior Mints -- These are addictive.  I just can't leave them alone.  Nor should I be left alone with a box of them.

My semi-new wristwatch -- Story written in the form of a run-on sentence and without commas: My mom purchased this for herself last year sometime but decided it wasn't quite what she wanted so she asked me if I liked it and I said YES IT'S SO PRETTY so she decided to give it to me for Christmas and I love it so I decided to include it in my favorites list.  I neglected to include it in the group photo, so here is a pic:

According to ABC News, Detroit has been the city hardest hit by the winter weather this year.

I'm hoping by the time I write another favorites post the snow will have melted.

Sephora and Drugstore Haul

Cosmetics companies are so good at making us (me) constantly buy new things.  All the pretty new colors they constantly manage to introduce that aren't like anything else on the market or in my stash (:P), and the beautiful packaging that it really just a feast for the eyes.  Plus, Sephora occasionally comes out with some nice free stuff.  So, here is my latest haul.

From my local CVS where everybody knows my name (cue the Cheers theme song):

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hr Eyeshadow in Caramel Cool -- After seeing so many swatches of the Limited Edition Dare to Go Nude collection, I knew I had to have Caramel Cool.  I think copper colors are flattering for my eye color, and I don't actually have any cream shadows this color (surprising).

Maybelline Master Hi-Light Highlighting Bronzer in Light Bronze -- This is one that looks pretty in the pan, and I've read that these blush/bronzer/highlighter hybrids from Maybelline have a good formula.

Swatches of Caramel Cool eyeshadow and Light Bronze Hi-light Bronzer:

From Sephora (I used a gift card that my mom gave me for my birthday back in November):

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush -- I didn't jump on these during the VIB preview sale because I wanted to wait until I saw some swatches.  This one appealed to me the most.  I still kind of want Diffused Heat just because of the way it looks in the pan.

Swatch of Ambient Light Blush in Luminous Flush:

Also from Sephora:

MAKE UP FOR EVER Lab Shine Diamond Collection Lipgloss in D8 and D14 -- This set has 2 full-size lipglosses.  D8 is described as a shimmering baby pink, and D14 is a shimmering indian pink (p.s. what is indian pink?).  This is a $38 value for $16, so it seemed worth it.

Swatches of MUFE Lab Shine lipglosses in D8 and D14:

The free stuff from Sephora:

Balenciaga Rosabotanica EDP deluxe sample and printed scarf -- This was a 500 point perk.  I had been saving my points for a really long time, waiting for something cool to come along.  I decided to use them on this because the packaging of the perfume and the scarf looked really pretty.  The perfume itself smells really nice.  I am terrible at describing scents, so I'm not going to bother trying.  The large box in the group shot above contained the Rosabotanica set.

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Eyeliner in Intense Black -- I think this was just a deluxe sample with any $25 purchase.  Sephora says this is one of their best-selling liquid eyeliners, so I figured this would be a good way to try it.  It has a nice calligraphy-style pen tip, which is my favorite kind of tip, so I'm looking forward to using it.

Swatch of Stila Waterproof eyeliner:

What have you been hauling lately?

P.S.  I have a feeling I need to update my pop culture references.

My Fragrance Wardrobe

When I was a teenager I always wore the same perfume that my aunt gave me for Christmas one year: Anaïs Anaïs.  It became my signature fragrance, and whenever my friends smelled they said it reminded them of me.  That is one of the best things about having a signature scent.  I don't really wear Anaïs Anaïs any more, but I still have a bottle that I will spray every once in a while just to remind me of the first true perfume I wore (and to think of the wonderful gift my Aunt Martha gave me).

I have come to think it is really fun to have a scent for every mood.  Here are my favorite fragrances.

When I want to feel--
     
       Grown Up:  Chanel No. 5

     

       Sophisticated:  Stella Nude

     
       Flirty:  Victoria's Secret Heavenly

       Mysterious:  Hanae Mori Magical Moon

     
       Sexy:  Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

     
       Girly:  Lancôme La Vie Est Belle

     
       Clean:  Philosophy Pure Grace

     
       Nostalgic:  Cacharel Anaïs Anaïs

     
       Myself:  Lancôme Miracle (which has been my "signature" scent for years now)

How about you?  Do you have a signature scent or a fragrance wardrobe?