It Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Wand Ball Brush

I deeply love makeup brushes , and large ones even more so. I suppose because I use them for blush and powder more than any other .

The Heavenly Luxe Wand Ball Brush from It Cosmetics very much lives up to it's name.

It's a bit hard to measure a brush but at the widest part it's about 1 -1/2 inches and it's just over 2 inches long. It's truly  a  big fluffy ball with super soft synthetic hairs.

What do you use  a brush like this for ? Any kind of powder  or bronzer. It's too big for blush but  it does a fab job with powder, applying it very lightly. The size is large enough that it can also be used for body , highlighting decolletage or down  the legs .

The handle comes in a 4 -1/2 inches , a nice size  and not too short. For me, the longer the handle the better on my brushes. 

The Heavenly Luxe Wand Ball is $ 48  www.itcosmetics.com  or you can buy it as part of a set of 3 brushes at QVC for $ 49 which is  quite a deal. 

RoC Winner

And our winner is Chat Chien .

Email me your info and we'll get the package working it's way to you. My email is on the About Me page.

Thanks to everyone who entered .

Vita Liberata pHenomenol Self Tanner

 

Vita Liberata is the unusually named  self tanner from the UK now available at Sephora. Have you noticed that the UK has some of the top self tanners ?  Remember St. Tropez is UK as well. Most would say it's because no chance of a sunburn there but I might disagree , since I got a little  burn on a Thames boat tour when I was there. Of course the Duchess of Cambridge and her sis Pippa are  two of Britain's most famous tanners with Kate even getting a  spray tan just before her wedding.

So Vita Liberata has hit our shores just in time for tanning season.  And I self tan, all Summer.   Their pHenomenol is said to be long lasting ,   up to 3 weeks with 3 applications which really appeals to me. It's organic and odorless.

Let's test it out.

 I did 2 back to back applications ( it's a foaming liquid)  which the company says should bring 10 +  days of wear.     I can say that Vita Liberata is one of the easiest tanners I've used. It goes on smoothly, dries incredibly fast  with no streaks , no missed spots. I did use the mitt, first time I have ever used a mitt. I always thought. " I don't need a mitt". Well after using it, I like the mitt. It's especially helpful when a tanner has deep bronzing agents as these do. Bronze legs= good, bronze palms= not good.

I applied per instructions in a circular pattern . Up, down , around. It dried in 5 minutes , had a nice not too dark , but very noticeable , bronze color.  With the pHenomenal, you wash off with water  the bronzer before re-applying. Then I did coat 2 the next day. You need to wait 3-8 hours between applications.

When the bronzer was washed off I was left with a light, natural looking tan. Nothing deep and  a little paler than I like and this was using the dark formula.  So building this is the way to go for me.

As for the lasting color, well that's where I had some issue. It's been about 7 days and I have little color left. That's about normal for all tanners with me but not quite extra long wear.

Vita Liberata does say everyone's skin  reacts different with tanner, which is true. So your results may vary.

Overall though, I like this a lot. Many people still have fear of self tanner . This is practically goof proof and so anyone who's worried about looking orange or streaked, forget about it. No worries with Vita Liberata and that's a huge plus. Dress and go drying is a bonus as well, as is absolutely NO odor.

Also available is Sheer Tinted Mousse, equally easy, fast drying ,  streak and odor free  with normal wear time.

pHenomenal 2-3 week Tan comes in fair, medium and dark - $ 54
Sheer Tinted Mousse- one shade - $ 37.50

Both at  Sephora  

Laura Mercier Summer Nudes- Nails & Lip Glaces

Bare Beige

Want to go nude this Summer? Well if it's the makeup version you're after, Laura Mercier can can help with 6 new LE nail shades and 6 new  Lip Glaces, 3 LE, 3 permanent.

Bare Blush

Bare Baby-LE

Pink Diamond-LE

Pout-LE

Quartz

Bare Angel

Bare Haze

Bare Espresso

Bare Mocha

Bare Rose

Frédéric Malle Rubber Incense

It's always fun to find a unique  product that also dovetails with one of your favorite things, hence this new scented fragrance mat from Frédéric Malle.

Called Rubber Incense , I am totally intrigued by this. Malle released these in a very limited run three years ago and  now he has tweaked the design  and  brought out new versions  . They are made of recyclable EVA  and infused with fragrance for the home.

Not only will they  scent small spaces like a closet , in the car ( chicest air freshener ever, no ?)  , or at your desk,  but I imagine sitting my cup of warm tea on the mat and letting the scent heat up and waft even more. Needless to say I really want to try one, especially Russian Nights or Jurassic Flower. Ahh , the smell of magnolia.

The four aromas available are:

• Russian Nights- evokes a polar chill

• Jurassic Flower-reproduces the citrus-like waft of Magnolias, 

• Rosa Rugosa -transports you to wild rose bushes that grow against the wind of the Atlantic coast

• Marius & Jeannette- infuses the minty freshness and anise side of Pastis.

 Frédéric Malle Rubber Incense is $ 110 and are available at Editions de Parfums in NYC, shop.fredericmalle.com , Barneys New York and barneys.com

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration SPF 30 and After Sun Lotion

It's almost Memorial Day , which means most are gearing up for Summer. No matter what your seasonal plans may be, you know SPF is a must .

If you've got fond memories of that  iconic Hawaiin Tropic scent from  the oil years  ago, you can a slighty  different variation in the new SPF 30 Silk Hydration Spray .  This is an easy to use spray and while a chemical sunscreen it is listed as broad spectrum.

The spray goes on clear and dries fast leaving a nice coco-nutty scent behind while also giving skin a little moisture. It's not heavy but you can feel  it on skin.

While this is the new addition, the line is very large . I previously reviewed Shimmer Effect SPF here  

After sun there is  Silk Hydration After Sun Lotion, a  rich ,  floral  and papaya scented shea butter and aloe gel/lotion blend  for parched skin. 

More good news from Hawaiian Tropic-  the bikini girl ad/contests are gone. Buh bye. Instead the company is looking for a new brand spokesperson and you can enter.

Here are the deets:

"The brand has officially retired their Miss Hawaiian Tropic Bikini Contests, and is launching an online search for the "New Face” of Hawaiian Tropic. Women are invited to enter a nationwide Facebook contest to become the brand’s new spokesperson. The woman who best embodies beauty, confidence, style, enjoying the sun and keeping skin healthy will appear in Hawaiian Tropic advertising, receive an all-expense-paid tropical vacation and serve as an official brand spokesperson. "
 

"Now through May 31, 2013, women can enter by visiting the Hawaiian Tropic Facebook page and submitting a photo and information about their personality and interests. The top five will be announced June 28, and the finalist with the most fan votes will be unveiled as the New Face of Hawaiian Tropic on July 19, 2013. Throughout the contest, the brand will give away weekly prizes including designer sunglasses, beach towels and Hawaiian Tropic product."