Think Outside The Box

I am a beauty junkie and with that comes a love for beauty product samples. There is something about the small packaging and the promise that this product may just be the best you have ever tried and if it isn’t you aren’t out the money of buying and trying full-size products. My friend and fellow blogger Allyson In Wonderland introduced me to an amazing new beauty website called Birchbox on her blog.

I was intrigued by a company that offers you a monthly subscription that happily deposits a box full of beauty samples into your mailbox. It’s pretty simple, for $10 a month you receive deluxe beauty samples that allow you to try top beauty products and if you like the samples you can order the real deal on their website (plus they usually give you a discount if you buy the full-size of one of the samples they sent you). It’s a brilliant concept and well worth subscribing to; I got my first box last week and it was full of great samples that I immediately put to the test; now if only I had thought of it!

PS I was in no way compensated for this post. It’s just a product I love and wanted to share with you all!

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Best Of Beauty 2010: Part 2

I covered all my favorite skin care products in Best Of Beauty 2010: Part 1 and now it is time to move on to makeup. I have always believed that you should have fun with makeup, don’t be afraid to experiment with new colors, trends and products.

Makeup is one of the true joys we can experience as women. I once read a quote from a makeup artist who said, “It is better to be remembered as the person who always wears red lipstick than the person no one remembers because they try to blend in and look bland.”

My favorite makeup brands and a few of my tried and true colors that always work. Just a side note: I am fair skinned with blonde hair and blue eyes, so not all the colors I list may work on you.

Powder/Foundation: MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation, I have used this since high school, it provides great, natural looking coverage without looking cakey or powdery. I have tried many foundations and powders and always go back to this.

Blush: Bobbi Brown Blush in Sand Pink, a soft, light-weight powder that gives my cheeks a pink glow.

Bronzer: Benefit 10, this bronzing and highlighting face powder duo is just perfect for adding a little color to fair skin.

Eyeshadow: tie between Josie Maran Eyeshadow and Bare Escentuals eyeshadow, I have sensitive eyelids and these are the only two brands that do not irritate my skin. Lucky for me they are both amazing products, providing a wide range of colors and staying power. Josie Maran favorite colors: Pewter and Beach and Bare Minerals favorite colors: Drama, Disco and Night Owl. I also loved Bobbi Brown eyeshadows before they irritated my eyes, the best selection of everyday colors.

Mascara: Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara, this is one area where I have tried a serious amount of mascaras, never quite finding one I loved until I received this one as a free sample. It is beyond amazing, gives me extra long full lashes with 15 hour wear with no smudges. It looks just applied after a long day in the barn working and bathing horses.

Eyeliner: tie between Estee Lauder Artist’s Eye Pencil and L’Oreal Lineur Intense Liquid Eyeliner, the eye pencil goes on smooth and smudges beautifully for everyday wear and the liquid liner is dramatic and intense for special occasions.

Lip Balm: Fresh Sugar Plum Tinted Lip Treatment, gives lips a plummy glow while protecting and moisturizing.

Lipgloss: L’Oreal Infallible Lip Gloss, smooth and creamy with amazing 6 hour staying power.

Lipstick: tie between MAC Lipstick and Chanel Rouge Coco Hydrating Lip Cream, I love, love lipstick and try so many colors and brands but my favorites always tend to come from MAC and Chanel. They both provide great coverage and staying power while also keeping my lips soft and natural looking. Favorite MAC colors: O and Russian Red and Favorite Chanel Colors: Mademoiselle and Rivoli.

Miscellaneous Favorites:

Perfume: tie between Balenciaga and Givenchy Very Irresistible, every time I wear violet scented Balenciaga I get compliments, like seriously daily compliments on how good I smell which is kind of weird but nice. Givenchy Irresistible is a rose infused fresh floral with a hint of powder, sexy and lingering.

Makeup Brushes: tie between Bobbi Brown and Bare Escentuals, both make high-quality brushes that get the job done.

What are your favorite makeup brands and colors?

The Perfect Gifts For Gals

Tis the season to shop! I have compiled a list of perfect gifts to give to the women in your life from your mom to your mother-in-law to your best friends and everyone in between.

FYI Click on each gift’s name to link to where the item can be purchased.

Philosophy’s Gingerbread Man Scrub: Yummy scented scrub that heats up as your scrub leaving you with warm, soft amazing smelling skin.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment: Available in Clear, Rose or Plum, leaves lip soft and shiny.

Twirl by Kate Spade Perfume: “She had a cocktail in her hand and confetti in her hair.” Surely, you know a girl like that! Twirl by Kate Spade encapsulates the floral fragrance of a garden in bloom, finished with a twist of fresh fruit.

Zoku Quick Pop Maker: An instant popsicle maker for any foodie you know and love.

Chocolate Chocolate Croissants: The most amazing, melt in your mouth pastry you will ever eat! Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma, they are a wonderful way to thank anyone who has been there for you this year.

White House Black Market Ruffle Scarf: This light as air ruffle scarf is reasonably priced to buy in bulk and pass out to all your female friends and family members.

Soma Intimates Pajamas: I have already blogged about how much I love these pajamas but they are worth mentioning again. A fun and easy gift that any woman would love, plus they come in a wide range of sizes.

Ugg Cozy Knit Slippers: They will thank you as they slip their weary feet into these cable knit, sheepskin lined slippers.

Kindle: Amazon’s Kindle is the perfect gift for the reader in your life, pre-fill it with a few of your favorite books and hand them the world of literature.

My favorite cookbooks always make great gifts for married friends, moms or foodies. The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes From An Accidental Country Girl by Ree Drummond; A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg and Double Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld.

Viv and Ingrid Small Gold Rainbow Wrap Hoops: Every woman loves jewelry and these rainbow hoops are dainty but still make a statement and can be worn with all colors and outfits.

Juicy Couture Cocktail Rings: Give a little bling courtesy of Juicy’s delectable selection of cocktail rings.

J Crew Cashmere Sweater: Give someone you love a symbolic hug with a cozy cashmere sweater. J Crew has a great selection of simple styles at good prices, perfect for mom’s and mother-in-laws.

White House Black Market Suede Peeptoe Bow Heels: Buy your best girlfriend a decadent pair of heels she would never buy for herself. This pair is fun and fashionable and will look equally good with skinny pants or skirts and tights. Shoes are a great gift for guys to buy for their significant others, check her shoe size in the closet and buy her a sexy pair of heels.

Magazine Subscriptions: The gift that keeps on giving all year long plus who doesn’t love a good magazine. A few of my faves: Vogue, Lucky, InStyle, Allure, Marie Claire, Martha Stewart Living and Real Simple (perfect for everyone).

 

 

The Big Pony

I wouldn’t be a true “clotheshorse” if I hadn’t have gone completely crazy over the new ad campaign and video for Ralph Lauren’s Big Pony cologne collection. It is a delicious display of male model eye-candy, dressed to preppy perfection with clips of posh polo interspersed with gorgeous people at play. Oh, and don’t forget the soundtrack is One Republic’s newest single, Secrets. Before I even smelled my first whiff of the new cologne collection, I wanted to buy it for my husband. That my friends, is good advertising!

You can watch the video on a bigger screen and learn about each fragrance by clicking here. My favorite scent is #2 Seductive, a warm blend of dark chocolate and musk that is tantalizingly seductive.

I couldn’t talk about Ralph Lauren fragrances without a gratuitous nod to the very hot, very sexy Nacho Figueras, a real polo player and Ralph Lauren model.

Loving

Rocking around the Christmas Tree

at the Christmas party hop

Mistletoe hung where you can see

Ev’ry couple tries to stop

You will get a sentimental feeling When you hear voices singing

“Let’s be jolly; Deck the halls with boughs of holly” Rocking around the Christmas Tree

Have a happy holiday

Everyone’s dancing merrily

In a new old fashioned way

Rocking around the Christmas Tree

Let the Christmas Spirit ring

Later we’ll have some pumpkin pie

and we’ll do some caroling

You will get a sentimental feeling When you hear voices singing

“Let’s be jolly; Deck the halls with boughs of holly”

Rocking around the Christmas Tree

Have a happy holiday

Everyone’s dancing merrily

In a new old fashioned way

When I hear the above song on the radio, I know that the holidays are here! So make some hot cocoa, wrap up in cashmere and sing along! I am always a sucker for holiday themed and scented lotions especially when they are made by Philosophy. My current favorite is Philosophy’s Melting Marshmallow Cream, it is a light, fluffy and decadent lotion that smells like a hot marshmallow just pulled from a roasting fired and sandwiched between chocolate and graham crackers. Yum! Available online at www.sephora.com and your local Sephora stores.

Here is a yummy recipe for no-fire s’mores:

Ingredients

6 whole graham crackers

1 bag mini marshmallows

3 (1.55 ounces) Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars, split into 2

Directions

Split graham cracker into 2 halves. On top of graham cracker squares place mini-marshmallows. Place under broiler for a few seconds until toasty. Remove and place 1/2 of a Hershey bar on top of marshmallow. The heat from the marshmallow will melt the chocolate bar. Place other 1/2 of graham cracker on top. Press lightly to flatten marshmallows. These may be made ahead and wrapped in plastic wrap until ready to heat and eat.

Free Free Free!

Thanks to a class action lawsuit settlement involving price fixing on perfumes, lipsticks, moisturizers and other products, department stores such as Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Dillards and Bloomingdales will be handing out $175 million dollars in free cosmetics on Tuesday January 20th.

The cosmetics will be handed out on a first come first served basis to customers who purchased cosmetics from a department store between May 1994 and June 2003. Macy’s and Bloomingdales announced they will be giving away over 4 million product units! Depending on the store, Macy’s will distribute products from Estée Lauder, Clinique, Lancôme, Clarins, Guerlain, Givenchy, Chanel, Boucheron, Coty, Calvin Klein, L’Oréal, and Christian Dior. Bloomingdale’s will distribute products from Estée Lauder, Clinique, Lancôme, Clarins, Guerlain, Chanel, Boucheron, L’Oréal, and Christian Dior.

So girls, head to the malls, today is your lucky day! It is raining free products!

To read more about the free cosmetics click here.

Cognac Vanilla Limon

I am totally obsessed with the new scent by Caldrea, Cognac Vanilla Limon. It is the perfect blend of vanilla with a butterscotch/hazelnut creaminess paired with zesty limon that provides a tropical offset for the sweet richness of cognac cream. It is pure heaven, the warm cognac vanilla reminds me of fall but the touch of limon keeps it light and zesty, perfect to use now when fall is nipping at the heels of summer. I purchased this dreamy scent in the countertop cleanser and the candle, but you can also buy the Cognac Vanilla Limon scent in a dish soap, hand soap, hand lotion and room fragrance. All equally as yummy!

For those of you who are not familiar with Caldrea’s products, I suggest you get yourself to your nearest hip gift shop or kitchen store or visit www.caldrea.com and buy some of the best cleaning products you will ever use. Caldrea makes aromatherapeutic cleaning supplies that are free of harsh chemicals, formulated with plant based extracts and contain the finest essential oils. All the products smell so good you almost don’t mind cleaning and anything that can make cleaning pleasant is a good thing! Go ahead fill your home with this delicious scent! Available at www.caldrea.com and www.cheftools.com.

Smell of Paradise

Whenever I take a whiff of one of my favorite perfumes I can’t help but start singing to myself, “Aruba, Jamaica ooo I wanna take ya Bermuda, Bahama come on pretty mama Key Largo, Montego baby why don’t we go…” and I instantly feel as if I have been transported to a gorgeous tropical island. This magical passport to paradise is Comptoir Sud Pacifique’s Vanille Coco fragrance.

Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Coco combines warm notes of Tahitian vanilla, coconut milk and heliotrope and is a warm, creamy, dreamy, vanilla, coconut paradise. Despite the fact that is smells so yummy and makes you think of the islands all day it is also a bona fide male attention getter. There is something about the combination of scents and the fact that vanilla is an aphrodisiac that gets guys attention. One spritz and you will be hooked and dreaming of a tropical paradise and humming Beach Boy songs! Available at www.sephora.com.

Just a little fun fact I discovered while researching this post: Thomas Jefferson is credited with bringing vanilla to the United States, you learn something new everyday!

An Apple A Day

We all know the saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, but does that work if it is an Appletini a day?

Now you can get your daily dose of apple or Appletini thanks to Victoria’s Secret’s Beauty Rush Appletini Body Double Mist. I walked into Victoria’s Secret today and instantly smelled something wonderful, it was fruity, sweet, light and crisp and just smelled like summer and I had to have it, so I asked the very helpful salesperson what was that wonderful smell and she instantly procured a tantalizing bottle full of apple green liquid and said it was their new scent Appletini.

The Body Double Mist is a double dose of sweet smelling hydration, it mixes things up with two layers of skin conditioners that keeps your skin soft and leaves a light, crisp, apple-licious scent. The Appletini scent also comes in a lotion, moisture gel and glimmer wash, available at www.victoriassecret.com.

How to make a real Appletini, courtesy of http://drinkoftheweek.com:

2 oz Vodka

1/2 oz Apple Pucker Schnapps or 1/2 oz Apple Juice or Cider

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an apple slice. It is best served cold, so chill the Vodka and Juice before mixing! Na Zdorovia (Cheers, in Russian)!

Nose Candy (and not the kind you are thinking)

No, not that kind of nose candy, I am not that kind of girl. I may think Kate Moss is a fashion and style icon but I do not agree or partake in her extra-curricular activities, if you have no idea what I am talking about click here.

Anyway, on to the real nose candy, your nose will be tickled by the new summer fragrances by Guerlain, Aqua Allegoria. Guerlain puts a fresh spin on fragrances that are unexpected, effervescent, sensual and will tickle your senses. There are 7 fragrances in the Aqua Allegoria bouquet of deliciousness, Angelique-Lilas, Grosellina, Herba Fresca, Mandarine-Basilic, Pamplelune, Pivoine Magnifica and Tutti Kiwi.

Let Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune bring out your mischievous side with its blend of a sparkling citrus potion that is freshly squeezed and chilled before it melts into a delicious blend of patchouli and vanilla. Lose yourself in a field of flowers with one dreamy whiff of Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Angelique-Lilas, this delicate and romantic fragrance combines jasmine, lilac, ylang ylang and cedar.

Bring pure joy to your soul with the sparkling and happy burst of fragrance in the Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine-Basilic, its spirited blend of spicy basil and zesty mandarin spiked with orange blossom, green tea and sultry hints of sandlewood and amber is unexpectedly addictive.

Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca will remind you of a barefoot stroll through dew covered, fresh cut grass, imagine the cool soft grass under your feet and the scent of the grass mingles with the scent of mint, fruit trees and wild flowers. These fragrances are scent-sational and are longer lasting than real flowers and fewer calories than candy! Check them out at www.sephora.com.