Jo Malone Wild Bluebell Cologne

I have read about the Jo Malone brand on several beauty/fashion blogs over the past few months and have been dying to try out their scents since they seem to get rave reviews from everyone.  I am kind of a weirdo when it comes to fragrance, I have a strong and sensitive sense of smell so most perfume are way too overwhelming for me.  I have been wearing the same perfume for ages now and still love it; Bvlgari Voile de Jasmin which I think has been discontinued and replaced by Jasmin Noir which I don’t love as much.  I was able to find my last bottle on a discount website and will probably go back for another. Voile de Jasmin is a light basic scent that my nose doesn’t go crazy when I wear it.  Since the Bvlgari is getting harder to find, I thought it was a perfect time to try something new.  In walks Jo Malone Wild Bluebell Cologne.

“Deliciously dewy, this cologne drenches the skin with the delicate scent of bluebells. Luminous with lush persimmon, lily of the valley and eglantine. Mesmerising.”

• Top notes: bluebell, clove
• Middle notes: lily of the valley, eglantine, jasmine
• Base notes: amber, musk

Wild Bluebell is a light and fresh floral fragrance that is a very pretty scent without being overly sweet/powdery smelling, and wears quite well to the body through out the day. I have a small sample size of this that I carry in my bag for touch ups.  I am guessing the reason I love this scent so much is the jasmine it contains, similar to the Bvlgari.  This is a perfect perfume for anyone who wants a fresh lightly floral fragrance.  I would say it is suitable for spring, summer, and early fall but might be a bit florally for winter.  Wild Bluebell Cologne is available in 30ml ($60) and 100ml ($110).  You can also purchase Body & Hand Wash, Body Crème, and Home Candle at Jo Malone.

With my purchase I also received some sample Jo Malone fragrances to try out and I must say I have loved all of them.  Nectarine Blossom & Honey and English Pear & Freesia are both amazing scents as well.  I definitely see myself purchasing more Jo Malone in the future. 

Dior Diorskin Nude BB Crème

This summer, Dior has launched a brand new BB Cream formula, Diorskin Nude BB Crème ($44).  I picked it up at Sephora but it is readily available at several department stores as well. It comes in four different shades, which is more than most BB creams.  I chose the shade Fair 002 which seems to match my skin perfectly right now but might be a tad dark in the winter.  The lighter shade was too pink. Here are the details from Sephora’s website:

What it is:
A BB cream with SPF 10 that moisturizes, smoothes, protects, and corrects.

What it does:
Diorskin Nude BB Crème provides the benefits of skincare and makeup in a fresh and airy formula. Enhanced with mineralized floral water and a blend of antioxidants, it moisturizes smoothes, protects, and corrects skin with sheer coverage. Available in expert shades to match every skin tone, the complexion is illuminated with a unique fresh glow and dewy finish.

Diorskin Nude BB Crème provides pretty good coverage for BB cream; it’s a light to medium coverage. It’s a creamy formula that leaves a completely natural healthy finish.  I think this product would suit just about any skin type.  The texture is really nice; smooth and creamy. It feels and applies like a lightweight foundation. It truly did perfect my entire complexion, leaving me with only a bit of touching up under my eyes.  It blended beautifully on my skin and looks completely natural.  I did find that I needed to set the product with a little bit of powder, since my skin is oilier in the summer. I have been skipping my moisturizer and just using this. I have tried a few different BB creams (Smashbox, Bobbi Brown, Boscia, Urban Decay…) since they became so popular and I would say that this one is one of the best so far.  So if you are looking to try one out, check out Diorskin Nude.  I have also been trying out the newly released CC creams as well that are suppose to color correct/fade imperfections as well as nourish.  Smashbox has a great one and I will be doing a review on that in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

Josie Maran Argan Love Your Lips Hydrating Lipstick in Happy Honey

I was browsing my local Sephora looking at what’s new and came across Argan Love Your Lips Hydrating Lipstick ($22) by Josie Maran. I haven’t really paid much attention to the Josie Maran line but something about this color and the concept drew me in.  Josie Maran is a former model who wanted to launch a more eco-friendly beauty line but at the same time be luxurious.  One of her main ingredients in most of her products is Argan Oil, which high in antioxidants, vitamin E, etc. and perfect for skin and hair.

“Kiss your love/hate relationship with lipstick good-bye. You'll love your lipstick to the core with this 3-in-1 formula with the shine of a gloss, the high pigment of a lipstick, and the hydrating benefits of a balm. The clear outer core drenches lips in shine and hydration with pure Argan Oil, while the high pigment inner core saturates lips in color. The buildable, medium coverage is foolproof—even when you're applying it mirror-free.”

Love Your Lips is available in six shades, from nude to a deep berry.  It has a similar design to Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balm or Avon Shine Attract Lipstick; it has a color core that is surrounded by a layer of clear balm. The idea behind this lipstick is that it's a gloss, a lipstick, and a lip balm in one. I chose the shade Happy Honey which is a beautiful nude pink that gives the lips a nice shine.  The lipstick goes on quite smooth but due to the clear outer core the color pigment doesn’t reach the edge of the lips.  So it’s important to rub your lips together or mix on your finger, then apply. 

• Available at Sephora, QVC, Josie Maran.com

RIMMEL London Show Off Lip Lacquers

I have been a fan of Rimmel Stay Glossy Lipgloss for a long time now.  They are affordable and come in colors that are basic and easy to throw on anytime/anywhere.  So I was excited to see Rimmel London Show Off Lip Lacquers in my local Walgreens and was intrigued to try them out.   Originally released overseas as Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers, they are finally available in the US. You can find these now in stores for $4.99 each in 14 different shades.  I picked up 3 shades:

200 Comet – Rosy Brown, deep nude

101 Celestial – True Pink that brightens up any pout

100 Nude Eclipse – Nude Beige

All three shades are crazy pigmented, long-wearing and not sticky. Only one swipe is needed to get full opaque coverage. I have been mixing them to create different shades as well, mainly using Nude Eclipse as a mixer to lighten up the other two shades.  It works perfectly.

Top to Bottom: Comet, Celestial, Nude Eclipse

Show Off’’s are described by Rimmel as, “Intense rich colour of a lipstick, enhanced by a satin smooth shine.” Basically what they are trying to say is that these are a lipstick/lip gloss hybrid. The finish is shiny, like a gloss and creamy like a lipstick.  Sometimes long-wearing formulas can be drying but I didn’t find that with this product.  I found the staying power to be pretty good for a gloss formula; it almost leaves a little stain behind once the gloss has worn off. The texture is a bit on the thick side but it feels smooth and creamy on the lips.  Show Off’’s come with a doe foot applicator with a little dip in it making it easier to swipe on an even application.  One thing I wasn’t crazy about was the scent of this product. It has sort of a watermelon scent that kind of bugs me. I basically dislike anything that smells like that cheap watermelon scent (Bubble Yum gum is the worst!!).  This scent doesn’t seem to hang around too long to bother me too much though.  Overall, another great lip product from Rimmel. If you are looking for a highly pigmented version of Stay Glossy, Show Off’s is exactly what you need!

6/21/13

6/21/13 by spauline13 featuring ballet shoes

Cardigan
factory.jcrew.com

Gap tank top
gap.com

Skinny jeans
factory.jcrew.com

Ballet shoes
factory.jcrew.com

Stella dot
stelladot.com

My First Stitch Fix!!

I first heard of Stitch Fix through my sister Amanda.  We were sitting around the patio table at our parent’s house chatting it up and she happened to ask me if I had heard about this cool service that sends a personal clothing selection straight to your door.  She explained that a few of her friends had been trying it out and loved it.  So of course I was instantly intrigued by the whole conversation and went straight to the Stitch Fix website.

So what is Stitch Fix?  Well, the first thing you do when you sign up is fill out a style profile which is an extensive survey that let’s your stylist find out exactly what you like, what you don’t like, what colors you like/dislike, if your more dressy or casual, and you can even type in more specifics!  After you fill out the survey (be honest or you might get more things you dislike than like) your stylist put together 5 pieces of clothing/jewelry and/or accessories and ship them out to you. Quite fast I might add, it only took 2 days!  It’s a great way to add to your current wardrobe and get a hold of pieces that you might otherwise not have access to. 

Up front you pay what they call a styling fee, which is $20.  If you keep any of the items in your box, that $20 will be applied to your overall purchase. Pretty easy right??!! Also, if you decide that you like all 5 pieces in your box, they give you 25% off the entire purchase price.  Each piece varies in price and you have the option in your survey to tell the stylists your price point for each type of item.  Don’t like some things in your Stitch, just return any of the pieces they sent you in the prepaid envelope included in your box. 

 

My Stitch Fix box arrived yesterday, Wednesday. I was and still am really excited!

So let me show you what I got in my first fix:

• Stationed Bead Strand Necklace $28

Basic gold strand necklace with taupish stones….will truly go with anything so that’s why I kept it.

• July Printed Beaded Detail Dress by $58
  

I love the pattern of this dress and was really excited when I first saw it in the box but it looked shapeless on me and more like a beach cover up, so it went back.

•  Kiara Front Pocket Cap Sleeve Top by Collective Concepts $58

I like the design of the shirt by not crazy about the design, it’s kind of plain and not      that exciting, it went back.

• Fallon Belted Cotton Shorts by Sanctuary $58

Cute and I need some new white shorts but they were a tad small and the inseam was a bit short for my liking, sent back.

• Wylie Leaf Print Cap Sleeve Top by Collective Concepts $58

Such a cute top and different from anything I have it my closet.  It’s a similar cut to the Kiara top but has a cool print and will go with jeans on the weekends and can be easily dressed up for work. Love it and kept it!

Another cool thing is that each article of clothing comes with a style suggestion tag.  It shows pics of that item and ways that you could wear it. I have included a pic of the card that was included with the Wylie top I decided to keep.  You get a casual option and then an option to dress up the item.

Overall, I was pretty impressed with the stylist’s picks for me and the service overall.  I think Stitch Fix is great since you get to try on the clothes at home, where you can really try it on and coordinate with items you already have.  I have scheduled my next fix for July and I’ll be sharing all my Fixes with you in the coming months.

Wanna get your fix? Click here (it’s my referral code!) to sign up to be one the wait-list right away!  It only took me a few days to be added to this awesome service. Check it out!!



COVERGIRL Flamed Out Mascara in Black Blaze

One of the items I picked up on my Walgreens trip was COVERGIRL’S newest mascara called Flamed Out.  It goes for $7.49 at Walgreens plus I had a $2.00 coupon.  I have needed waterproof mascara for the summer because I much oilier and I always find that regular mascara runs when the weather is hot. 

CoverGirl says:

“Make a bold statement with winged lashes that curve up and out. The unique wire brush coats your lashes for an instant volume boost.”  This formula is designed to fire up the volume for a flamed out lash look with up to 3 times the volume.

Flamed Out comes with a wire bristles wand that has a large, hourglass shaped brush, which has become common for most curling mascaras. I found that since the brush is on the larger, stumpy side, I have some trouble applying to the inner corner lashes without getting some product on my lid.  The formula itself in on the drier side but that allows for it to set quickly, which I like.  I found that it didn’t clump much when applying and didn’t experience any flaking or smudging throughout the day.  As far as the look this mascara gives, I didn’t get any extra length or volume than I would from any other mascara. I got more of a natural everyday look with about 2 coats and I normally don’t go for more than that or the clumping starts.  So I would say this mascara is alright if you are looking for an everyday normal lash look, but I would pass on it you are wanting a dramatic result.

Stitch Fix!!

I got my first Stitch Fix box today!! Can't wait to tell you more about it....stay tuned.

Drugstore Goodies!

I stopped by Walgreens last night to pick up some milk and was quickly distracted by some new products that were just released.  Reviews to come....

I'm Back!!

Hello everyone!! It's been awhile, so here is a little recap of what has been going on in my life the last few weeks.  The first big thing is that my husband, tot and I have moved to another state, West Virginia.  Only three hours from our hometown of Louisville, KY.....but hey, it's a different state and a totally different atmosphere.  The hubby got offer a great promotion with his job and luckily I was able to transfer to another office with my job, so everything has worked out great so far.  We just moved in to our brand spanking new house, which is awesome and something I have never had before. I have so much more space and can't wait to decorate with the help of pintrest and design blogs. 


Eventhough I have taken sometime off from blogging, I still have purchased some great beauty products in the past few weeks and would love to share my thoughts about them!  So stay tuned for many new posts/reviews.....

6-7-13

6-7-13 by spauline13 featuring graphic design tees

J Crew graphic design tee
factory.jcrew.com

Skinny fit jeans
factory.jcrew.com

Cognac flat
target.com

J Crew antique gold jewelry
jcrew.com

Errands 6-3-13

Errands 6-3-13 by spauline13 featuring cotton t shirts

Madewell cotton t shirt
madewell.com

Gap boyfriend shorts
gap.com

Flip flop sandals
factory.jcrew.com