product test drive at the mall.....Lancome Magnifique and Estee Lauder Sensuous

i went for a little scented indulgence at my local Dillard's. though my main priority was to pay my bill, i also wanted to smell two new scents that i'd been keeping my eye on: Lancome's Magnifique and Estee Lauder's Sensuous. i predicted that i would like Sensuous the most.


Magnifique was a wonderful surprise to my nose. though i didn't love it immediately, i was pleasantly intrigued. it began to unfold on my skin as this warm, woody rose scent. and i don't attach this word to many fragrances, but i can use it here: it's sophisticated. not sophisticated like the fragrance ages you, but that it's so classy and well done. the longer i wear it, the more impressed i am. this is a perfect special occasion scent, perfect for evening. i am glad that it's missing that aldehyde note that so many fragrances out there have-i feel like it can sometimes cloud the fragrance, but this is not powdery. the notes are: nagarmota essential oil, saffron essence, cumin, Bulgarian rose essence, Mai de Grasse rose absolute, jasmine, Australian sandalwood essence and a vetiver note. this is a little black dress scent, and i can't wait to have it! this is what i wish Chanel 5 smelled like, but the aldehydes always turn me off. if you try it, do yourself a favor and put it on your skin. give it a few minutes to warm up, and you'll be glad you did.

Estee Lauder Sensuous didn't impress me as much. it's notes are: ghost lily accord, magnolia, jasmine petals, molten woods, amber, sandalwood, black pepper, juicy mandarin pulp and honey. though it smells like Bronze Goddess's redneck cousin, though by looking at the notes, they only share magnolia and sandalwood. it's sweet, almost overdone, and i keep waiting for the wood notes to come out, but the magnolia keeps stifling it. it doesn't seamlessly blend for me. it's as though the various notes are fighting each other for stage time.

go give these two newbies a whiff and see if you have found a new fragrance for yourself....

product crush...Bare Escentuals eyeshadows and brushes

my makeup personality refuses to be placed into any certain stereotype. some days, i'm doing the "sheer, fresh and pretty" thing, some days i'm feeling a little rock 'n roll, some days i'm even a little costumey. i adore dark eyes and a pale mouth, and i'm a sucker for glitter.


i used to think that Bare Escentuals didn't really fit my makeup personality. i thought that they were geared towards a sheer, more natural look.

i've been looking at it recently, and i think we might become friends. i'm not in love with the entire brand, but their eyeshadows and brushes are intriguing.

though they don't have the range of bolder colors that Urban Decay does, they do have more than just neutrals. they have some lovely deep shades and lots of shimmer. plus, all of their shadows are wet/dry. they also have some excellent kits that put shades together for you, and the brushes that come in the kits are amazing.


the individual shadows are $13.00, but it's the eyeshadow kits that are going to be painful ($32.00). tell yourself that the brush is worth it and the colors are fabulous. they often include brushes and eyeshadows in the kits that are not sold individually.


i'm excited about the release of their "rocker eye" kit, which is going to create that shimmery, smokey eye look that i crave!

application with this entire line is pretty messy. after all, it's loose powder. i generally have to do my face before getting dressed if i'm wearing BE.

do you love Bare Escentuals? any faves?

product crush....Cargo One Base

finding a good concealer can be difficult. mainly, because a lot of concealers are thick and a little dry, and a lot of the things we'd like to conceal are already dry (like blemishes we are trying to clear up!).

the wrong concealer can actually draw attention to what we are trying to hide.

i love Cargo One-Base. it's a liquid that doubles as a foundation or a concealer. since i have a healthy relationship with Urban Decay's Surreal Skin as my foundation, i needed a good concealer, and this one totally makes the grade. however, in a pinch, it can be a foundation, and that's good to know.

it's consistency is thinner than what i'm used to in a concealer, but the coverage is just as good. because it's thinner, it blends very easily into the skin. i can hide blemishes and my under-eye circles with this, and it doesn't look cakey, chalky, or un-skin-like. basically, it disappears, and you can't ask for better than that!

as a sidenote, you can use concealer on more places than just blemishes and under-eye circles. putting a little concealer on each side of your nose and around your mouth will totally brightens your face. these are areas that are most prone to discoloration and darkness, and when you want to canvas out your face (making it all one color and preparing it for your makeup), a lot of people forget these areas. it will really make a difference for a finished look!

hair envy revisited...the Pantene Volume collection commercial

ah, here we go. i want her hair. i NEED her hair. it's perfection.

product crush.....Too Faced Eyeshadow Duos in Totally Toasted

marketing goes a long way in cosmetics. brands have an intent to draw a certain crowd, and the marketing makes that happen.

for instance, Too-Faced has a vintage-yet-juvenile feel. it turns some people off, while the brand does have some redeeming products. they have glitter and shimmer, things that plump, and some interesting color choices.

i recently discovered that they have something that every girl ought to have in her arsenal. their Eyeshadow Duo in "Totally Toasted" is a go-to, foolproof neutral that any girl can pull off. it's the perfect eye look for someone who likes a less dramatic look, or if you want to focus on your mouth instead of your eyes. i discovered it on a co-worker who was rocking a red pout, but her eyes were perfect with the look. defined, but not overpowering. it's a combo of a bronze shimmer shadow, and a champagne shimmer (off-white) shadow. that champagne shadow goes with a billion other things that you probably already own.

you've got to get your hands on this stuff!

product test drive.....Benefit B Spot

if you know me at all, you know that if you cut me, i bleed perfume. the release of a new fragrance is completely enthralling to me.

i had high hopes for Benefit's B Spot. it advertises itself as being seductive...a fragrance to be put on certain spots of the body (b spots).

to my nose, it's not the least bit sexy. it's notes of mango, freesia, peony, sandalwood, and amber don't do a thing for me. usually adding sandalwood and amber to anything make it a little more suggestive, but those notes are barely noticeable in this fragrance. mainly, i smell an overload of freesia.

it's not a scrubber, but it is a disappointment. it's immature and easily overdosed, surrounding you with shrill giggles. i hope i don't run into anyone who actually puts this juice on all those "b-spots". i'll have to politely walk away coughing!

it smells a bit like hair gel to me....not unpleasant, but not something i want my entire body to smell like. i much prefer their first fragrance, Maybe Baby, to this.

product crush....Nanette Lepore fragrances

for reasons i'll choose not to explain, i was dead set on hating any of Nanette Lepore's fragrances before i ever set eyes on them. and, at first sniff, i didn't love them either.

Her signature scent, simply called "Nanette Lepore", has notes of Moonstone Rose, White Peach, White Cranberry Juices, Magenta Nectar, Black Currant, Orange Jasmine, Persian Lime Juice, Velvet Violet, Amber, and Indian Sandalwood. i swore it would be too "girly" for me, but it's growing on me. it's light and feminine, and although it really has no feisty attitude that i like in a fragrance, it's simple and pretty.


"Shanghai Butterfly" lured me in before NL did. it is so close to Encanto Shine (which i like) that it's unnerving. it has notes of Lemon Slice, Mandarin, Snow Apple, Carnation, Lily of the Valley, Gardenia, Poet's Jasmine, Whisper Rose, Oriental Leaves, Green Cedar, Siberian Musk, Sandalwood. it's a clean, fruity smell that doesn't have the pretty whisper of NL, but more of a fun-loving, almost sporty smell. i don't feel like the name suits the juice, but the juice is good, so we'll leave it alone.

both of these are pretty affordable, with the smallest bottles being just $38.00. they'd make excellent daytime warm-weather scents!