May Monthly Favorites

This is a rather ridiculous grouping of montly favorites.  I, oddly enough, included some food items....which I haven't done before.  I'll explain why in just a few moments.

In the top photo were the things I gathered first and then realized I left out a single make up product and the food items I wanted to include.  

I am still loving my jojoba oil.  My husband likes to tease me and say that I am slathering hobo oil on my skin.  When I'm finished washing and toning my face, I dip a q-tip into the bottle and then swipe it all over my face.  After I've distributed it with the q-tip, I massage it in with my hands.  This has been my moisturizer.  I've liked it so much that I completely stopped using my Simple moisturizer that I have sworn by for so long.  I gave my mother in law some of the oil in a sample container, too, because I am so convinced of its amazingness. 

While I have been rotating between a lot of perfumes this past month, I think I've worn Vera Wang Princess the most.  When I'm not entirely certain what to put on, I end up grabbing Princess.  It is just so easy to wear any time of day and it is inoffensive. 

Now that it is warmer, I've been spending much more time outdoors.  Because of that, I've been more diligent about my sunscreen.  I've gone back to using the Neutrogena Dry-Touch sunblock.  I not only use it on my face, but I will slather it on any exposed areas of skin.  I even use it on my little one. 

My mascaras are nothing new.  I'm still using and loving the Cover Girl Clump Crusher mascara for my top lashes and Maybelline Lash Discovery for the bottom lashes.

On my eyes, I've been wearing a lot of pinky or rose gold colors.  My main go-to is a combo of a Color Tattoo and a shadow.  I start by applying the Color Tattoo in Inked In Pink (which is just as awesome all on its own) and then applying the pinkish color in the Maybelline Eyestudio quad. They are an absolutely perfect match.  And, it looks phenomenal on blue eyes.

A lot of people weren't fond of the Maybelline Dream Bouncy blushes.  I actually really like them, though.  With the right brush, they go on bright and can definitely be seen.  (side note: the awesome brush I've been using is a synthetic pointed foundation brush by Sonia Kashuk).  The particular color I have been reaching for is Pink Frosting.  It gives the perfect flirty blush to the cheeks.

Now, this is where things get weird.  I have 3 food products here and a make up item.  However, only 2 are actually being shown for food purposes.  Okay, so the coconut oil has been in my favorites before.  Not this particular brand....  But, coconut oil, in general, is amazing.  My mother in law gave me this one.  However, no matter the brand...  I love coconut oil for removing my makeup, for shaving, for moisturizing my body, and keeping my nails healthy.  I use it every single day.  I'm convinced it has made a huge difference in the health of my nails.

The shadow sitting there is Ulta brand and in the color Milk Chocolate.  I have had this shadow for a while, but I haven't really messed with it for a long time.  I pulled it out recently and discovered I really like it for lightly filling in my brows.  With a light hand, it is perfect!

Now, onto the strange food items.  I have been really enjoying these two items.  The first is a Hidden Valley spread in the flavor Spicy Chipotle Pepper.  I replaced mayo with this on my sandwiches.  The tiniest bit goes a long way and adds a HUGE burst of flavor to an otherwise dull sandwich.  And, it is very low in calories.  Bonus!  

The last item is a little fruit pack.  I know I can easily get the fruit and chop it up myself, but the convenience of these makes them so nice!  I can just grab and go, and still easily track my calories.   There are several to pick from at my grocery.  They have the plain apples, apples with grapes, apples with caramel, citrus fruit, etc.  I just find them handy and the price isn't bad either.  I always see one of the selections on manager mark down, so those are the ones I tend to grab. 

Well, that is the end of my rather strange grouping of montly favorites.  I really love to know what others have been using and liking, so let me know what is in your list of favorites for May!

More DIY Flowers

I mentioned in my other DIY Paper Flower post that I've become obsessed with painting glass bottles and vases, as well as making the flowers to go into them.  I've since made three more floral arrangements. HAHA, I know.. a little bit ridiculous.  Let me explain, though.  I am horrible...horrible at keeping actual plants and flowers alive.  So, if I want to bring spring and summer into my home, I have to do it through artificial flowers.   I have fun making these, so why not?  

This first arrangement, I made just a couple of weeks ago.  I had gotten some IBC Cream Soda that weekend and after finishing a bottle realized it might be really cute painted and then a bundle of flowers dropped in.  My other bottles and jars didn't have any script on them.  This one does, though, and reminded me of the lovely mason jar arrangement I did (shown in the original post linked above).  I think it gives them a bit more "country character," if you will. 

This bottle was simply painted with some aqua blue acrylic paint from the inside and allowed to dry.

So far, all, but one, of the arrangements I've made end up very multi-colored.  Once I saw how bright and cheery they look with a mix of colors, I've continued bundling them that way.  I think I will end up making a couple that only have one, or maybe two, colors combined.  This is a look at several of the flowers in this arrangement.  Yellows, red, orange, pink, blue, green, etc.

This second one has much fewer flowers than the others.  It only has five, I believe, flowers in it.  I didn't paint the vase for this one, though.  This is a vase that I have had for years and years.  It was sitting out as a decoration all on its own, but I thought it could be put to better use in a different room and with flowers put into it.  The colors of the vase work amazingly well with the flower bundles.  

This is the third bundle I've made this time around.  I went a little crazy with this one.  My husband says this particular one looks like a bunch of fruit loops because I threw random colors into each flower.  Not one of them is a single color or a gradient.  Most of the other flower bundles are mainly solid colored flowers or going from light to dark (or vise versa).  This time around, I grouped together sets of colors that I thought would be fun but look pretty in a single flower.

This bouquet is placed in a glass jar that I painted with yellow acrylic paint.  The jar was actually an empty cookie butter jar.  There are no etchings or designs on it.  It is completely smooth all the way around.

haha, okay, I have to agree with my husband.  This one is awfully bright and I see why he says that it reminds him of fruit loops.  It's still fun and pretty, though!

L De Lolita Lempicka

This isn't a review of L de Lolita Lempicka, simply because I have already done one.  You can see my thoughts on it here: L De Lolita Lempicka.   I did want to share some shots of the large bottle, though.  Previously, I just had a mini-sized bottle.  While the minis are designed after the large, there are minor differences.

The large bottles have all the charms danging from the nozzle area.  There is a starfish, a crystal, and their signature "L" with rhinestones in it.

The back of the bottle has the shape of starfish etched into it as well.

I have to say, this is probably one of my favorite perfume bottles.  I think it is absolutely, 100% beautiful!

I did get the tester bottle, so I didn't get the fancy box it would have otherwise come in.  Also, L De Lolita Lempicka bottles have a little golden net around the neck, just below the spritz nozzle.  Mine doesn't have that.  My mini bottle does, though.  I would have liked to have the bottle with the net, but I can't complain considering I saved quite a lot by going the route of a tester bottle.  Plus, I'm not buying the perfume for the visual appeal the bottle may or may not have....rather, the juice inside.  And even without the net, the bottle is eye-catching!

Here, you can see my large bottle and my mini bottle together.  You will notice that the juice of the mini has already started to darken.  This is normal for L.  Some people actually purchase it already turned amber.  The scent hasn't changed at all, it has just oxidized with use.  I imagine the mini bottle turned a lot faster than a bottle with a spritzer would because you have to pop off the lid each time you wear it, thus allowing more air into the bottle itself.  

While I linked to the post where I reviewed L De Lolita Lempicka, I wanted to add that my ideas on when this perfume is appropriate to wear have changed.  Initially, I said this was best suited to fall and winter because of the cinnamon in it, making it a very cozy scent.  I have worn this on quite hot days now as well, and love the result just as much.  It is a slightly different fragrance in the heat.  It becomes something relaxing and beachy. I think it can easily be worn year round for that reason.

Vera Wang Princess

Princess is not an unknown perfume.  It was created in 2006 by Ilias Ermenidis and Harry Fremont. It is considered an oriental floral.  While packaging shouldn't be important, let's face it, we all appreciate a lovely bottle. This particular bottle is a heart shaped jewel.  It is supposed to have a youthful, carefree feeling to it.  And it does.  Between the color of the juice (lilac), the name of the perfume (princess), and the shape of the bottle (heart), we are made to see something very young and sweet.  Lilac + Princess + Heart = SWEET!

You will notice that my bottle doesn't have the adorable little crown on it.  That is because I opted to purchase a tester bottle.  I was able to get the largest bottle available for a fraction of the price.  I'm completely okay with this because, really, very few people see my selection of perfumes outside of myself and my family.  And, at the end of the day, I'm wearing the juice inside and not the bottle. :-)

Onto the fragrance itself!  When I first spray this on, it takes a couple of moments to really come to life.  It opens, on me, with delicious sweetness.  There is a hint of zing from the mandarin, but it is swimming in a pool of vanilla. There is something floral in there that doesn't come off loud at all.  It is just enough to keep this perfume from being 100% edible.

At the 10-15 minute mark is when I, personally, detect the dark chocolate.  It isn't exactly sweet.  It actually is slightly bitter.  I read somewhere that said it is dusty and hinting at patchouli.  DING DING DING!  Spot on.  It really does have a dusty patchouli quality to it. The vanilla is also livening up even more at this point.  There is something a bit fruity tip-toeing in, but I couldn't put my finger on it.  While researching, I came across some information about guava and I believe that must be the note.  It is almost lemony citrus-like, but without being kitchen cleaner sharp.

About one hour in, something about Princess reminds me of Coach Poppy.  It has the same cozy sweetness to it. The difference is that Princess is easily detected.  In Poppy, it was there, but you had to breathe deeply to find it. This is vanilla, vanilla, vanilla, and snippits of amber.

I can definitely see where everyone says this is a young, youthful scent.  However, I enjoy wearing it.  It is playful and lighthearted.   It is just a very happy fragrance.  I'm pleased that I went with the big bottle because I've enjoyed wearing this often.

Lolita Lempicka Coral Flower

Lolita Lempicka's Coral Flower was launched in July of 2008.  This is considered an oriental floral perfume.  You will notice the bottle is very, very similar to that of L De Lolita Lempicka.  However, Coral Flower has a frosted finish where as her sister, L, does not.  Also, Coral Flower has flower charms and no netting.  There will be no mistaking, though, that they are of the same family.

The opening of this is sharp and slightly bitter.  I don't see it listed, but I promise you, I get black licorice.  It doesn't last long, only the first couple of minutes, but I swear it is there. It isn't sweet, but rather spicy.

A few minutes later, after it has settled a bit, it becomes citrus-like.  I can pick up on the grapefruit and bergamont.  I think the bergamont was there in the opening, too, because there was something bitter about it.  I think the sharpness was coming from the bergamont note.  The more clean, bright, fresh citrus scent is the grapefruit that I am picking up on. Right along side that are clean, tropical flowers.  I also get jasmine, which isn't listed.  I think that is the frangipani.....which I don't believe I've ever smelled in nature (at least that I know of)....but upon research, it is in the plumeria family and takes on a jasmine scent.  It definitely smells like jasmine, as I am reminded of Thierry Mugler Alien, which is heavy on the jasmine note.

Around the 30 minute mark, the strangest thing happens.  On my wrists, it is an all jasmine smell.  however, on the crook of my elbows, it is soft and powdery.  It is lovely orchid! Isn't it odd how different areas of the body will allow perfumes to develop unlike one another?  I don't know that I'd have been able to place an actual name with the next thing I detect, but I read a review where someone said it smells faintly of calamine lotion. It's true!  I don't find it to be bad, though. I smell it when I am sniffing the elbow area that I sprayed.  I think it is something about the powderiness of the orchid that is creating it.

Around an hour and a half in, I am reminded of salted sea air at the beach.  There is a slight musk to it but also something that is a tiny bit woodsy.   If all the other fragrance developments didn't hint at summer and warm evenings, the dry down definitely does.  I just keep thinking "vacation", "beach", "sea air", and the like.

Maybe I am crazy, but the base is sweet and salty at the same time.  I'm still getting all the beachy references, but also something almost vanillic.  There are slight hints of the amber, but I really detect vanilla!  I don't know if it is the amber tricking me and taking on a, somehow, vanilla form, but I really find something sweet in the base.

This is different than a lot of the other Lolita Lempicka perfumes, yet tips its hat, recognizing they are still from the same family.  There are similarities to the others in the licorice at the opening as well as a spiciness that initially reminds me of L de lolita Lempicka.  However, it all stops there and Coral Flower makes a name all its own. It is from their family, but has created its own personality and is more vibrant and playful.

Van Cleef & Arpels Oriens

Oriens comes from the house of Van Cleef & Arpels, who are mostly known for their jewelry. This perfume was launched in 2010 and is considered a chypre floral.  One of the first things you'll notice is the stunning lid on the bottle.  This bottle was actually designed after one of the Van Cleef & Arpels rings, the Arbre aux Songes ring, to be exact.  That translates to the tree of dreams.  Isn't that beautiful?  It already gives a romantic, fantastical image for the perfume. The perfume is supposed to bring to life the Orient, or the East.

This is the Arbre aux Songes ring.

Upon first spritz, I was a bit shocked.  I always anticipate the initial spray is going to be the strongest and most powerful.  Oriens was definitely NOT a fragrance bomb.  In fact, it was very light.  It had a fresh, slightly scented-water quality to it.  I picked up on something very sweet, like candy.  There was almost a bubblegum quality to it.  Along side that I picked up on a juicy berry.

About 15 minutes in I really detect the praline note.  It is creamy chocolate with a hint of something nutty.  Creeping in is also a boozy berry quality.  It is like a bubbly champagne. I also notice that the perfume is getting stronger and blossoming.  YAY! There is something about it at this point that reminds me of Miss Dior. I think it is the orange blossom and jasmine coming to life.

Right around the half hour mark, I smell vanilla.  It is a delicious, sweet, creamy vanillic aroma. Beyond that, the strong scent stepping forward is patchouli.  I have a real love for the earthy, dirty form of patchouli.   Maybe it has to do with my mother wearing patchouli oils for as long as I can remember or every year going to renaissance festivals and being greeted by the shops selling incense and oils.  I've always had a love for patchouli...at least for as long as I can remember.  While some people enjoy the odd smell of gasoline, I adore the smell of fresh turned soil (which is similar to a dirty patchouli). I went off on a tangent.  Anyhow, the patchouli is quite an earthy one in this perfume.

Three hours in, this perfume is still going strong! The amber is noticeable now.  It has become something creamy, and cozy in scent. It has melted with the natural skin smell and is warm and....well....cozy! HAHA!

This is quite long lasting on me.  I put it on late afternoon and the next morning I could still smell it in the crook of my arms as well as on the sleeve of my night shirt.  Same with day wear.  I can put it on in the morning, and that evening I am still catching whiffs of it.

I think the bottle is stunning.  Photos don't even capture how beautiful it is in person.  I have heard some say the bottle is cheap in appearance.  I disagree.  I think it is elegant and doesn't cross into tacky territory. But, that is just my opinion.  I enjoy looking at it.  It has some serious heft to it, too.  It is much heavier than I expected it to be.

All around, I really enjoy this perfume.  I think this is a fragrance that can be worn, pretty much, year round.  The only exception I, personally, would make is wearing it on very scorching summer days. I would probably pass at that point because I think it might be a bit too heady for the very hottest days.

Top Notes: mandarin orange, black currant, raspberry
Mid Notes: jasmine, white flowers
Base Notes: patchouli, praline, amber, vanilla




*Photo of the Arbre aux Songes ring from the Van Cleef & Arpels website.

Skin Clearing Arsenal (or trial, anyway)

I have mentioned that I am working towards clearing my skin without resorting to going back to oral medications.  I have picked up several items to work into my routine to see if I'll have any success.  Some of these items are new, and others not so much.  I have opinions formed on a few of these products, but I'll get to that in due time.  This isn't everything that I am using, just the newer products.  For example, I'm still using a Neutrogena Naturals cleanser, which I've been using for well over a year now.  I didn't show that, though, because it isn't a new item that I am trying to determine will work for me in the long run.

Some of the first items I picked up were Clean & Clear as well as a generic scrub.  I didn't do much research before purchasing, I just snatched up whatever appealed to me that day.  (hint at my opinion of one of these: RESEARCH FIRST!) I got a black head eraser scrub, an acne cleanser, and a medicated scrub.

I read a lot about jojoba oil helping people with congested skin and working as a great moisturizer, so I figured I would pick it up and give it a shot.  It is supposed to closely resemble the skin's natural oil & sebum.   The tea tree oil is a multiple time repurchase.  I always come back to it.  I like it as an all over astringent (diluted down) and a spot treatment.

The final items are the newest to the group.  They are a couple of masks.  I had all intentions of just getting a clay mask to draw out impurities, but then last minute decided to also get a peel off mask to help with dead skin removal and another form of  pore cleansing. 

I would like to give more time before I share my official opinions on these products, but I plan to do periodic updates.  If there is a particular product you think is worth giving a shot, let me know!  I'm open for suggestions! 

Perfume Package!

Yesterday was a very good mail day.  I have been waiting for a few perfumes to arrive and most of them did!  YAY!  I was only expecting one to arrive yesterday and others to arrive today, but luckily they all came together.  They were all in different boxes, but that is fine.

I won't be doing reviews just yet.  I will slowly start getting those out.  This is more of a heads-up of what to expect to start showing on the Vanity Table!  :-)

The first perfume is a 1.7 oz of Van Cleef & Arpels Oriens.  I'm madly in love with the bottle.  That lid is just stunning!  I have a fun little back story on it when I get to the review.

The second perfume is a 1 oz of Lolita Lempicka Coral Flower.  I've come to adore Lolita Lempicka and can pretty much blind buy any of them and fall in love.  I've yet to come across a bad Lolita Lempicka. Sad note: the "L" is missing some of its beads.  They fell out and into the box.  I can glue them back in, just haven't yet.

This next one is another Lolita Lempicka.  This is L de Lolita Lempicka and is in a 2.7 oz bottle. This is actually a tester. I was able to score a big bottle for a steal! If you aren't picky about not having the fancy aesthetics included, tester bottles are a fabulous way to go.  I have a mini of this perfume, but love it so much that I had to get a big bottle.  Now I've got a mama and baby bottle of L. 

The final perfume I got is Vera Wang Princess.  This is a 3.4 oz tester bottle.  As I mentioned with L, some of the knick-knacks aren't included with testers.  This tester bottle doesn't have the signature crown at the spritzer.  That doesn't bother me in the very least, though, because I got a giant bottle for next to nothing. Also keep in mind, there is nothing wrong with the tester bottles.  They're brand new, never used bottles of fragrance.  They just don't always come with the fancy-shmancy stuff. 

Now I just need the remainder to arrive!  EEKS!

April 2013 Monthly Favorites

I'm trying to do better at remembering to post about my monthly favorites.  I think I've done okay so far, remembering the past couple of months.  HA! :-)

I'm really trying to keep my selections down to a minimum because, really, even on a product heavy month...  there are only a small handful of items I keep coming back to and really enjoying using. 

In the blush realm this month, I've busted out pretty much all brights.  There were one or two days where the weather was gloomy and I went for a more toned down blush, but for the most part, I was lusting after cheery colors.   The colors here are:

• elf: Pink Passion (square pan to the left)
• Sonia Kashuk: Sunset (round pan at the top right)
• Revlon: Flushed (round pan at the bottom)

Pink Passion and Sunset are both powder blushes and Flushed is a cream.  They all are quite pigmented so I slowly build up the color.

I tend to use my makeup brushes just out of habit and not thinking too much about them.  However, I've been using these two elf brushes like crazy since I bought them, and each day I think about how amazingly well they apply my makeup.  They cost me $3.00 and work wonders!  On the left is their flat top powder brush which I have been using to buff in my liquid foundation.  On the right is the small stipple brush which I have been using to apply my under eye brightener and concealer.  

I have been wearing a lot of brighter lipsticks this month, but one I have had in my purse and tend to top up with, or have used on its own from the get go, multiple times...  is Revlon's Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti.  It is a bright, orangey-coral without being obnoxious.

The shadows, I am showing because I have been wearing the brighter colors as liners.  While I adore fun colored liquid liners (like Urban Decay, for example), I've found that using a powder gives me a softer look, which I've been enjoying.   These are in the I ❤ Matte palette from Wet n Wild.

My skin took a turn for the worse this past month because I stopped taking one of my oral medications my dermatologist had me on.  I wanted to try and tackle my skin issues without ingesting a pill.   Everything flared up and was horrible for a couple of weeks.   I repurchased some Jason's Tea Tree oil and a gritty exfoliant to use.  The tea tree oil I have been using after washing my face.  I wet a cotton ball with cold water and then drip 2-3 drops of the oil on.  That is wiped all over my face as an astringent. Also, on individual pimples, I drop a bit onto a q-tip and use that to apply directly to the spot. The exfoliant I chose is just a cheap, Kroger brand scrub that is medicated with salicylic acid.  While this scrub is one of the more coarse kinds, I don't have problems with it as long as I'm being gentle and not trying to scrub away the flesh of my face.  HAHAHA!  The two of these things seem to have really helped.  At the very  moment, I have a single blemish that I'm treating but everything else has dried up and gone away.

I was all over the place with my perfume this past month.   The three I've worn the most are Coach Poppy, Dior Miss Dior, and L De Lolita Lempicka.  Coach is the sweetest and the one my husband commented one night and said he liked out of all of my perfumes.  This is also the one he bought for me this last Christmas.  Miss Dior is a delicate scent that makes me feel very feminine.  I wanted to save this one as more of a special perfume, but I love it so much that I've been wearing the heck out of it.   The final one (L de Lolita Lempicka) was a bit strange of a choice because it is a perfume I love in the fall and winter.  It is such a cozy perfume because it has notes of cinnamon.  However, I found that in the heat, it is just as beautiful of a fragrance.  It is different in the warmth, though!  Instead of this cozy, comforting perfume... it is a relaxing, sandy beach kind of perfume.  It is amazing how different it seems in different seasons!  I'm thrilled it works so well in heat, too, though, because this is one of my all time favorite perfumes!  This just means I get to wear it year round!