Monday, March 31, 2014

Laura Mercier Gel Lipcolor & Rendezvous in Monte Carlo Eye Quad- Summer 2014




New Attitude is Laura Mercier's new Summer collection.  The most exciting news? The return of Gel Lipcolor.


Gel Lipcolor is a super hydrating, light to medium pigment lipstick. It's feels very much like a balm and leaves a nice shine on lips. These first came to my attention back in 2011  and  it was love. I'm glad to see them back in four new shades.


Shown here is Flushed, a pale pink nude  . It's great for balancing a smoky or bright eye and as a base for deeper shades. There's a coral shade as well called Clementine that I also need to check out. Rounding out the color selection is a plum and medium pink.


Also new in New Attitude are two Baked Eye Colour Quads. One has bright blues with copper called Summer in St. Tropez.  Rendevous in Monte Carlo  is the plums and pinks quad. I like this quad , especially the metallic lilac and the bronzy/brown plum at the top. So far it's been very wearable and nice for Spring.

The full New Attitude Collection is available now and also includes new Longwear Creme Eyeliner,  Sheer Creme Colour and nail polish. The eye quads, Gel Lipcolor , nail polish and Creme Colour are LE.





Sunday, March 30, 2014

Ralph Lauren Midnight Romance



Romance by Ralph Lauren celebrated it's 15th anniversary last year.  In today's fragrance world  that's staying power. Now Romance gets a new addition- Midnight Romance. 

Midnight Romance is a big sister if you will to Romance. With it's fruit and wet floral beginning with the peony and freesia notes standing out to it's drydown where it becomes less floral and the vanilla and amber take over,  it's a very feminine scent. The peony does stays  present  in the drydown adding a light floral touch to the deeper notes.



Midnight Romance is not a dark fragrance but it's not an overly light floral  either. To me it's quite wearable day or night despite the scent's name connotation. It's easy to wear and soft but has some depth  as well.

Full Note List:
  TOP:  raspberry, Italian bergamont, juicy lychee
  MID :  peony, jasmine sambac, freesia
 BASE :  black vanilla, iris absolute, ambrox

Ralph Lauren Midnight Romance is $ 94 for 3.4 oz,  $74 for 1.7 oz,  $ 23 for a rollerball and available now .



Friday, March 28, 2014

Aldo Mara Sneaker


I blame this on Eva Chen , editor of Lucky Mag. She's very present on Instagram and Twitter and lately she's been wearing slip on sneakers a lot.  Leopard ones from Steve Madden among them. They look very comfy as well as fun. I figure if Eva Chen can get away with them then surely I can even if she is pairing hers with Proenza Schouler and Prada.

So in my search for the Madden ones I came across these tropical print Aldo ones. I haven't hit the buy button yet but it's close. I did see them in person but did not try them on . They have a thick sole with plenty of cushioning.

For the transition from Winter to Spring and before full sandal weather, these look like a party on your toesies.

Aldo Mara Sneakers $ 70 (Currently marked down to $ 56)

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Algenist Algae Brightening Mask



I'm very iffy with masks. I know they can do great things but rarely want to be bothered. For years I used clay masks for my oily skin, not often enough and every time I did use one, I wondered why I didn't more often.

So when this new mask from a fav skincare brand Algenist landed in the inbox , at first I was meh. Then I read the ingredients and when I saw salicylic and lactic acids ,  kaolin and bentonite along with all the antioxidants, I was  sold. I knew it should then be very exfoliating along with being good for the blackheads/oily parts too.


Can I say I'm really glad I gave it a test ? After using this my already pretty smooth  skin felt so much more smoother and soft.  My nose pores looked a little more cleaned out and shrunk as well. Score.

It is as you can see a kind of ick green color and yes, you look green while it's on and there is a not fabulous plant smell but there are also results.


$ 59 for a 2 oz jar at Sephora



Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Marc Jacobs Daisy Delight


There's a new bloom in the Daisy family, Daisy Delight.

This new LE  EDT is a dewy floral with freesia and apple up front , hints of the iris note then musks and light cedarwood and sandalwood come in at the drydown.

It's a light , easy to wear scent that stays somewhat close to the skin , and is sure to be one you like if you already enjoy the  popular Daisy.


Daisy Delight comes in that cute floral topped bottle, with Spring colored flowers at the top and a blue tint to the juice itself. I like, too, that they have stated right on the box- new fragrance- since the names are so close.

Full note list :
  • Top: apple, quince flower, freesia
  • Heart: iris, gardenia, peony
  • Base: musks, cedarwood, sandalwood

Marc Jacobs Daisy Delight is available now at Sephora  , Macys and more at $ 75 for a 50ml/1.7 oz EDT.

There is also a new Daisy Eau So Fresh Delight edition.




Monday, March 24, 2014

MAC Mineralize Glass- Be Nice & Lovingly Yours


Lovingly Yours, Be Nice
MAC's newest gloss is Mineralize LipGlass.  The gloss is infused with nutrients and a 77 Mineral Ferment Complex according to MAC.

Mineralize Gloss seems thicker than Cremesheen glosses and maybe bit more than Lipglass as well . The color payoff is semi sheer , not full pigment. The colors I  have here, Lovingly Yours and Be Nice, are pretty, especially so for warmer weather.


These have a new style  wand , not a traditional slanted doe foot but an oval shaped one. I like doe foots in general over brushes although I know many don't, but the  full oval shape here with no slant isn't a favorite. It doesn't make a huge difference in application but I do feel like it's not as precise .

The gloss here is very moisturizing with a balm like feel from ingredients murumuru butter and squalene.  I do like that added moisture boost . They  are somewhat tacky but less so than many glosses .

MAC Mineralize Glass is on counters now in 12 shades  for $ 22 each.




Sunday, March 23, 2014

AG Hair Cosmetics BB Cream & Deflect Spray



Two new products from AG Hair Cosmetics recently hit the shelves at Ulta.  Providing extra care for hair , especially colored hair, I gave them a  test drive.

I like hair BB or CC Creams. I've used a couple and while the naming might seem gimmicky, that they add plenty of lightweight leave in conditioning along with other benefits like UV blocking, breakage reduction and more, is what's important.


 BB Cream is a thick cream that you emulsify a little in hands and then spread through hair. The directions say to use a dime size amount but I needed a good bit more than that to do all of my long hair. Maybe a half dollar amount. It does  a good job conditioning , taming down split ends and adding moisture without weight.  It is not super hydrating though, and if you have drier hair you might need something heavier , or another leave in like an oil with it.

 Deflect is a heat protecting spray. If you use any heat styling you should be using protector. If you use a flat iron you really need to use one. This one not only adds that protecting but also smoothes  and has UV protection built in. It also is said to speed up blow drying. I can't say that it did speed up drying time, maybe a little but not a big difference. It worked well though as a heat protector, hair was smooth but not deflated.


AG Hair Cosmetics BB Cream is $ 26
AG Hair Cosmetics Deflect is  $ 24




Thursday, March 20, 2014

MAC Prep & Prime CC Colour Correct Cream and Powders



A little late on this but have you checked out MAC's Color Correcting line yet ? If you're not too familiar with color correcting skin products , you might find yourself asking , exactly what do I use them for ?

These CC Creams and powders help to correct  and even skin tones basically. They can tone down redness or brighten dull skin among others. It's a subtle thing and they are not going to suddenly make you look like you have magazine perfect skin. But they definitely polish up skin, set makeup well and add a little oomph to your skin, making it and you look just a little better . It's good wakeup makeup.

Neutralize

My favorite of the group shade wise is yellow Neutralize .Yellow powder is something I've used for a long time off and on. Yellow powder not only can perk up winter dull skin but it also cancels redness. It doesn't change the color of your makeup or add color to skin that's visible .

Adjust

I love the CC and the loose powders best. The solid powder I found a little too thick for lack of a better word. It's nice but just not as light feeling on as I'd like  it to be. The CC Cream here is lightweight with just a touch of moisture , has SPF 30 and will act as a primer under makeup or can be worn on it's own .

If you want to explore the other shades, Illuminate ( lavender) is the most brightening and gives skin a bit of a non shimmer  translucent glow.  Adjust is a great shade to bring some warmth to dull skin  as it has a just a little color to it and Recharge is the shade deeper skins  might want to look at  for an overall warmth as well as perfecting, as it will add color to the face on anyone pale . This shade could also be used for contour.

The full MAC Prep and Prime CC Colour Correct Collection is at all MAC locations in the permanent line.

MAC Prep and Prime CC Cream SPF 30 is $ 30
MAC Prep and Prime CC Loose Powder is $ 24
MAC Prep and Prime CC Compact Powder is $ 24





Miss Dior Cherie Blooming Bouquet Returns As Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet


If you loved Miss Dior Cherie Blooming Bouquet, it's back for a return engagement with a few bottle tweaks like a new silvertone bow .  Originally released in 2011, it's now called Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet, minus the Cherie . Reading the note list it sounds very much the same as Cherie but it's now an EDP vs. an EDT.

You can read my review of the first one here

Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet is $ 98 for 3.4 oz EDP and available at Sephora


Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Ban Total Refresh Cooling Body Cloths



I feel like I have been waiting for something like for well, ever.  Cloths that cool and refresh.  I like cool. I am usually warm, even in Winter . Come Summer I'm really warm. Far more than I'd like to be.

These new cloths from Ban actually feel cold on the skin when you use them. It's hard to believe but true. They also leave behind a  powder like feel ( not one you can see) to further make you feel less warm, sweaty etc. The formula used is a proprietary one from Japan that makes these cloths cool on contact.  I think I might need them by the case full .


Anytime you need a little refresh, hit pause and use one of these. They'll be great too at the gym , for day trips , beach visits and more.


The cloths come 10 to a pack and in three light scents. Retail is $ 3.29 per pack and you'll find them in the deodorant aisle at drugstores, Target etc.





Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess 2014


The Nudes Eyeshadow Palette


 Bronze Goddess from Estee Lauder is always a favorite collection. Years past have brought not only the fabulous fragrance but some great eye palettes and bronzers as well.
Whipped Body Cream

This year's collection is just out with some new products like Lip Crayons . Yes lip crayons are so old news by now but I still love them.  There are also several fragrance options with a body splash and a body cream now available.

Mandarine
Luscious Plum


Body Splash


Cheek Glow


Rowenta Inspiration Pro Hair Dryer


Sometimes I forget that Rowenta makes hair tools as well as those fabulous irons. Considering how much I use hair tools vs clothing irons you'd think it would be the other way.
 
Rowenta makes pro level tools that you may have seen at your salon. The good part- you can have them too. The Inspiration Pro is a great dryer that not only gets the job done well but has neat features as well.


The best feature ? AutoSensor  shut off. When you are using the dryer, if you sit it down it automatically shuts off.  It only blows air when it's in your hand.


The 1875 watt  Inspiration Pro also is infrared ionic with a tourmaline boosted ceramic system. There are two speeds and three heat settings along with a  true cold shot button at 75' F. My hair came out smooth, shiny with plenty of volume.


One of the things that I liked here beside that auto sensor was that the dryer doesn't blow singeing hot air. Even on the hottest setting it's plenty warm  but not scorching which is so much better for your hair.  I didn't notice longer drying time as the dryer itself if supposed to cut  drying time down by 20% compared to some other brands. It has plenty of power .



Next up is the super long cord. Most of us probably don't need that but the cord is 9 ft. long

The box includes a 5" diffuser and a 1/3 inch thin concentrator.

The Rowenta Inspiration Pro Hair Dryer is $ 159.99 at Ulta.

 Celebrity stylist Josue Perez has created a video/tutorial for each of Rowenta's newest hair tools. The one for Inspiration Pro is here





Monday, March 17, 2014

Luvocracy Giveaway



Have you checked out Luvocracy ? It's a great site for browsing/shopping a gazillion ideas in one space. It's one of those fall down the rabbit hole sites.

I joined up when they started last year and created a few shoppable collections. It's fun to put them together  and I have ones for beauty of course but also pets and fashion.  My Spring grouping includes lip balm, mint colored jewelry and a bright Chanel lipstick. You'll find home, tech and more as well across the site.


Want to try it ? I have a $ 20 shopping credit to Luvocracy to give away. You have to enter via the link to my collection ( but do not have to buy what I picked, you can buy anything) and you do have to sign up/register.

You must enter through this link http://www.luvocracy.com/BeautyAlchemist and then sign up.

The Giveaway ends on March 24. Winners will be notified via email on Tuesday, April 1 . Luvocracy will be picking the winner randomly.
Giveaway rules.


Good Luck. What will you buy if you win?




Friday, March 14, 2014

A Bevy Of Blushes


Spring and well late Winter  has been the season of the blush. It's a very good thing if you're a blush fan , and I am ,  as the choices are  myriad and pretty.

Here's a quick round up of my favorites with links back to the original post.

Hourglass  Ambient Lighting ( shown in Dim Infusion )

MAC Petal Power

Clinique Cheek Pop ( shown in Ginger Pop)

NARS Love Blush

NARS Altai Matte Multiple





Thursday, March 13, 2014

Marc Jacobs Daisy Delight & Daisy Eau So Fresh Delight



Daisy is blooming in two new version for Spring. 

Daisy Delight is described as a "luminous bouquet of fresh picked florals" with notes of apple, quince flower, freesia, iris, gardenia, peony , musks , cedarwood and sandalwood. 


Daisy Eau So Fresh Delight is  a lush and fruit floral with blood orange and tiare added in. Other notes include pink pepper, white tea, violet, raspberry, apricot skin, musk and amber. 

Daisy Delight is $ 75 for 50 ml EDT
Daisy Eau So Fresh Delight is $ 89 for 75ml EDT