Perfume: Bronze Goddness Soleil

Hello lovelies,

hope you all had a great week, mine was long but good, so no complains. today's post will be a new perfume that was added to my collection just very recently (this morning). This one was on my list since this spring while I was at Estée Lauder.They had 2 new limited edition perfumes for summer 2011. I tested both and I preferred this one. 

Here is the package little squinchy, it was in hubby's luggage 

As described by Estée Lauder,it was inspired by the warmth of the Mediterranean, a citrus floral blend with notes of Bergamot and Orange Blossom. 

It is a citrus floral fragrance. with Sicilian Citron, Calabrese Bergamot, Blood Orange, Sweet Tangerine, Provencal Lavender Flowers and Lemon Tree Leaves (Petitgrain) as "Top Notes'; Pittosporum, Neroli from Tunisia ORPUR™, Moroccan Orange Blossom ORPUR™, Indian Sambac, Grapefruit Tree Blossoms and Pink Lily Nectar as "Middle Notes'; Blond Woods, Iris Accord, Ambrette Seeds and Crystalline Musks as "BaseNotes". 

It has a warm base due to notes of blonde woods, iris, ambrette seed and crystalline musk.At first spray I notice the citrus, floral and musk scents, but after a while musk wears off and citrus becomes little sweeter which is much better.

The bottle is so simple and pretty, kind of  reflecting the transition from sand to sun in shades, with a cap of matte gold rings. It reminds me of beach and those summer smoothies. It is sunny, energetic, warm, fruity and delicious so what not to love. It is Eau Fraiche so the scent won't last much beyond 2-3 hours but I think it is reasonably priced (100 ml). However I would like the scents of vanilla and coconut in there too because they remind me of summer ( like summer tanning lotions and oils and body butters). It is a very nice perfume specially for summer but not one of those got-to-have-it ones.    

So what is your favorite summer perfume girls:)

Have a great weekend,

Mania

Estée Lauder gift with purchase at The Bay summer 2011

Hello lovelies,
hope you all had great week so far, I just wanted to inform you that is another gift with purchase times at the Bay from Estée Lauder‏. I probably will go there to check what they have for their fall 2011 collection.

You will receive a gift with a purchase of 36 $ and more which includes:

And

So if you have something on your shopping list it would be good time to check a Estée Lauder‏ counter at the Bay.
Happy Shopping :)
Mania

Perfume of memories: J'adore by Dior

Hello lovelies,

Hope you all had a great day and Happy Friday :) today post will perfume related, I wanted to do this post for long time, since I always enjoy reading or talking about perfume with others and discover new ones.

Perfume has always been a very dear subject for me and most of them (or actually all of them) carries a part of my life, memories ( good or bad) and special persons. I personally don't go buy perfume because I need to (cause frankly I don't really need another one), I get them on special occasions since they will carry memories for me, I don't know if that make scene to anyone but other than me.

Yesterday when I was looking through my perfume stuff, I noticed that each one of them comes with their own story and thinking about them made me smile :)

I keep the ones that I use usually on my dresser in a gold tray that I got years ago,the rest are in the drawer ( mostly the seasonal ones). I don't use the same perfume everyday because I personally get used to it so I don't notice it at all on myself and that may be dangerous in case of over spraying ;)

So I will stop rambling now and talk about my absolute favorite:

This is probably my most worn and also my signature scent. I had gone through 5-6 bottle of these and currently have 3 (for some reason!!!) and 2 unopened ones; it's J'adore by Dior.

It was launched by the design house of Christian Dior in 2000 and I got my first one in 2004 from my guy ( currently my hubby but back then was not yet). I think he knew me pretty well back then,because I fall in love with it as soon as I got the package ( yes it was that gorgeous). it came in a big gold box containing one Eau de Perfume, one small gold perfume for purse and one body lotion.

well I am not very good at describing scent so be prepared, I am going to butcher it: it is a fresh flowery fragrance. to be exact, it's a blend of floral orchids, violets, rose and blackberry musk ( as said on Dior website). it is a rather strong scent so one spray is often enough for me. it is very feminine, not too sweet not too musky, just perfect. it is like one of those classic things that everyone should own once in their life like trench coat. I get so many complements when I wear it so it must goes perfectly with my skin.

I have another one in Eau de Toilette which is much lighter compared to original one and has more freshness to it rather than floral scent, much better for summer time.

Well that is all for today's perfume talk :)  So what is your signature scent girls, love to hear about your favorite ones.

Have a great weekend 

Mania

L'Oreal Color Infallible Eyeshadow

Hello lovelies,

hope you all enjoying your beautiful summer days. today's post will be on one of my recent purchases which is "La Couleur Infallible" eyeshadow by L'Oreal. 

I 've been noticing the new eye-shadow stand at L'Oreal section for a few months now, each time I pass them I try some of the colors on the back of my hand ( well by time I left my hand looked like it was hit by a glitter bomb) but still did not really see the need to buy these. because 1st of all I am not a big fan of glittery eyeshadows that much (specially at this intense level) and 2nd I honestly don't need any more makeup stuff  in my life at this moment. 

But finally I gave up and got one color which could be one of the most boring ones but I liked it and I think this is the one I could wear the most and it's called Hourglass Beige.

The shadow itself looks like a packed glitter, but the glitters are soft and not chunky at all.  this one is a very light gold-white color (very nice color description by me)  I used my fingers to apply it all over my lid, then in the outer V I used a brown color from a palette by Lancome called La Vie en Rouge (the color is called guess list which is a slight shimmery brown). 

Now let's look at them in action, I used only one layer though since it was a day look but as I said you could build it up as much as you like :)

this is just one layer of Beige eyeshadow and please try to ignore that annoying fallen eyelash ;) 

this is the complete look 

Let's start with the good: it is very smooth, the glitters won't fall off like some powder shadows, very pigmented. I also liked the packaging, it is small and efficient. 

Now to the bad: although it supposed to be long lasting, it is not. I noticed it creasing after about 3hr. as I told you I had another shadow on the outer V, but that color stayed put, the L'Oreal one was creasing from under ( which was looking pretty funny ). I didnot use an eye primer, I rarely use though.Another thing is that I liked to see more colors in that range or maybe some less glittery ones, I don't know maybe that's just me. 

There are some pretty colors there like the green, or navy ones which both looks gorgeous with brown eyes. maybe I get those too, not sure yet, will see.

So this is all for today :) have a great Friday everyone and don't forget to enjoy your weekend;)

Mania

Summer Besties

Hello lovelies,

Hope you all having a great day wherever you are,I decided to a tag which is been going around in youtube mostly and also in some blogs. it is about some of my favorite summer items in beauty and fashion categories:  

Favorite Summer Items

1. Lip product

2. Blush

3. Nail polish

4. Liquid face product

5. Powder face product

6. Hair product

7. Eye product

8. Self Tanner (or any tanning item)

9. Fashion accessory

10. Clothing piece

1. Lip product my favorite or most used lip product is "Soft Nude" & "Nude Attitude" lipsticks by Revlon usually in weekdays when I go to office; and for the weekend I try to use the other side of spectrum like "In the Red" by Revlon or "Speak louder" by mac.

2. For Blush I intend to wear more cream blushes like "Natural" by NYX which is a very nice creamy pink color with no shimmer. and as powder ones I use more pink-peachy colors like "Orgasm" by Nars.

3. Nail Polish which I did an extended post here, but mostly I've been wearing hot pink or nude tones.

4. For liquid face product the one and only Estee Lauder double wear foundation which I talked about here in details.

5. In powder face product I would say that I rarely set my make up with powder ( because it is unnecessary in my case), and if I use, it would be a translucent powder by Physician Formula.

6. For Hair product is basically nothing, I shampoo everyday ( I know it is not good but since I workout  almost everyday, doing shampoo is inevitable) I use my regular hair stuff nothing special for summer. I usually do not use hair dryer in summer times. let them air dry and the conditioner that I use after shampoo is quite moisturizing enough, so I don't get frizzy dry hair. 

7. My favorite eye product of summer will be Estee Lauder cream shadows which are great, stay put  ( talked in more details here). and also Bobbie Brown gel liners, they stay on all day and are also great for waterline.

8. Self tanner is a big NO for me, I use bronzer on my face all the time if that counts and my favorite is Soleil Tan de Channel.  bronzer posts in more details are here and here.

9. My favorite and most used fashion accessories would be rings, I don't use them a lot in winter times because of gloves and  my habit of losing them. but love me some big chunky colorful rings.they always cheer me up.

10.my Favorite clothing piece would be maxi dresses, I wore them a lot this summer because they are super light and comfortable. here some of my favs and most worn. sometimes I belt them also :)

So that would be all for me, I tag everyone of you, I always enjoy reading other people favorite stuff. 
Have a great Tuesday & splendid summer everyone :)
Mania

My Holy Grail Foundation

Hello lovelies,

today I wanted to talk about my favorite foundation, which I've been using since January for almost every day. and I have to say this is by far the best.

I am personally very impressed with double wear line from Estee Lauder, so far I tried their eye pencil, under eye concealer, cream eyeshadows. and one of my favorites from the line is Estee Lauder double wear and my color is Tawny.

It gives a medium to full coverage with matte finish and stays on my skin all day. even in humid summer days that we had these past weeks. I rarely use concealer with that since it covers everything perfectly. I heard from people that it dose not photographs well ( with flash & everything) but I had my photo taken at Estee Lauder counter and I think it was not bad at all.

Just some  important points to keep in mind:

It is a heavy foundation ; I only use 2 dots for all of my face ( yes really and it is enough) and if I use a lot it will show and looks cakey and bad; so be careful with that.  sometimes if I feel that it looks unnatural and heavy I use a wet sponge to blend them all in. 

It dry pretty fast, so I just do sides of my face one at a time in order to get it blend before drying. 

It does not come with a pump! which is bad but I heard the MAC pumps fit very well so if that is an issue for you it is fixable. 

If you have a very dry skin, before applying this foundation, moisturize very well!

I  love this product and highly recommend it specially for oily skins. so if your are looking for a good, long lasting foundation try this one, you won't be disappointed :)

Have a great day everyone,

Mania 

My favorite and not so favorite bronzer-Part2

Hello Lovelies,

here is the part2 of my face bronzer post, the 1st post is here:

the 3rd favorites are:

-Rhoda which is really a face powder but it's in a dark color, has a very soft texture and  blends very well.

-Revlon color stay Mineral finishing powder, on the back it says it suppose to be all over face powder but I use it as a bronzer. it has little bit of shimmer and it's my winter bronzer.

-Cargo OneBase concealer+ foundation which I got the time when Sephora were discontinuing this brand for under 10$ I think. it's a cream product in a really dark color but since it's cream it blends very well and it's perfect for contouring. and it stays put all day. 

-Joe fresh stick in Bronze, this is Canadian brand by the same guy who is one of the founder of Club Monaco (one of the brands which I have a slight obsession with). I got it last summer and it was around 6$ I think. I hate the smell but it's just a cream shimmery bronzer.it goes on very nicely but wish they had more colors.

-Natural Origin 2-in-1 Bronzer and Blush in color light by Physician formula, I love this brand, I never got disappointed by any of their stuff, both colors are very nice and soft. I used a lot in winter but I think it's getting too light for me now. 

-Bronzer mousse by Vichy which I talked about here. 

And here are the disappointments :(

-Nars in Casino: I think I got disappointed by this because I had high expectations of it ( yes being Nars and everything). I got it about 2 years ago. they come in 3 colors and when I was at the counter the lady suggested this is my color. it blends very hard and has orange undertones.if I am not careful I could end  with very intense orange color!! I kinda get used to it now and I use it with the lightest hand ever. but still it is a disappointment to me.

-Ooh La Rouge blush compact duo by Too Faced, I got it during winter time, the blush color is fine but the bronzer which suppose to be for contouring does not have any color. it is more of beige color rather than bronze and I don't know on what skin color would show ( maybe the most fair skins)!!

-Pink Leopard by Too Faced, which I can summarize as a pink-slightly bronzed disco ball. it has too much shimmer and its color comes more pink. it could be used as a light highlighter though ( use with very light hand). I used it once as a bronzer and took it off immediately :( now I just open it once in a while and look at it because it is so pretty but not on my face just in the package ;)

Hope this was helpful, wish you all a great Wednesday

Mania

Lancome gift with purchase at The Bay 2011

Hello lovelies,

It's time for another gift with purchase, from Lancome (July 7- 31). all the details are shown at the picture below. I really don't care that much about Lancome and honestly for someone like me ( not being a fan and all)  I have a tons of Lancome products sitting in my drawer; I think they are really overpriced (I tried their foundation, eye-shadow paletts, lipsticks and lipgloss, mascara). although I must say I love their perfume specially Hypnôse Senses Eau de parfum. their new collection which is coming in September I guess is just gorgeous and I have my eyes on this blush. so I won't be buying anything this time but if you're a Lancome fan or need something it's a good time to check your Lancome counters.

Happy shopping!

Mania

What I have on my Night Stand

Hello lovelies,
hope you had a great week so far, I am here with another beauty related post. yes, it helps me to forget baking and cakes ....mmm cakes, I miss them so much.

But anyhow back to reality, I wanted to share with you the stuff that I keep on my night stand and use them every night before I go to bed.

Advanced night repair eye cream by Estée Lauder. I got this  in gift purchase thingy and it is one of the most hydrating eye-creams I ever tried. I use just a tiny amount and tap it with my ring fingers under my eyes, where my top cheek bone is. I highly recommend this, you could try them when they have GWP because I think they pop one of these in that all the time. 

Born Lippy Strawberry Lip Balm by Body Shop which I got as a gift from a dear friend of mine. it is so moisturizing and also tastes yummy. and I wake up in the morning with soft lips.

Diacneal Acne Treatment by Avene,  has Retinaldehyde and glycolic acid which has so many benefits for skin. it kinda balances skin texture and tone by helping to lose dead skins and lots of other good stuff. In overall it's a great product.

Lush cuticle butter which I use every night to moisturize my cuticles. why ? I explained here in more details :) and last but not least a good and light moisturizer which for me is body butter form Body Shop to get rid of annoying dry skin and sleep well with smooth soft skin :) 

So that was all my beauty products on my night stand. because sometimes I do forget to use them and it seems as soon as I settle in my bed I remember that. I keep them there so I don't have to get out of the bed.

So do you have specific routine or products for your night time, as always love to hear about yours.

Have a great day everyone :)

Mania

My favorite and not so favorite bronzer-Part1

Hello lovelies,

hope you all having an excellent day. I got back from vacation ( which was AMAZING, I 'll write about it in not very far future!). I noticed that I've been very lazy on terms of blogging in the past few days. and I don't have any specific reason for that! me here just trying to survive my sugar free challenge, now on my 10th day and still doing well ( I wrote about it here), since I started my brain feels like to be in hibernated mode.! Honestly people, no sugar is HARD. enough of that now let's talk about some other sweet stuff like bronzer.

I have light-medium skin tone but I easily get tan during the summer even when I use SPF 60+!! I don't use self-tanners or anything in that category but I use face bronzer pretty much every day. they give a  really nice glow ( not disco-ball glow) to the skin and specially in winter times it gives a illusion of sun kissed face.

There are so many bronzers out there like cream ,powder bronzers or matte,shimmer ones and each in different color range. the best one out for you is basically depends on your skin type and color. here are some of the ones that I loved and at the end ( well in the next post)  the ones that kinda disappointed me :)

Just one quick note: when we apply bronzer we should have a sheer tint, a nice sun-kissed glow; not have like an orange, carrot color or burned toast or even disco ball ( and believe me I've seen that). so be careful because  I think no  one wants to look like a Oompa Loompa (expect Snooki and her followers) ;) apply with light hand and build it up gradually and don't forget to BLEND:)

Hands down the best cream bronzer I ever tried ( it has a hard creamy texture) . it's a matte color and you can use it with  light hand or build it up depending on the level of tan you want to get. when I got it I used it with my mac116 brush, it applies nicely but the brush shred ( that's why you see black hair on the bronzer, I should have take them out before the photo!!).

but now I find the perfect applicator for that and it is a small kabuki brush by ecotools. I scroll it on the product and take the excess out on the back of my hand then apply it to my face ( basically to hallows of my cheeks, my temples, under jawline and lightly on the nose). you could use this also all over the face to dark your skin tone a little.just remember when you do dark your face  like that don't forget to even out every other part of your skin that is exposed.


My 2nd favorites are : 

Hoola by Benefit because it is matte color and it blends very nicely. 
Contouring blush & bronzing powder by e.l.f : I don't care that much for the blush but the dark contour color is pretty, soft and pigmented with a very soft tiny shimmers. oh did I mentioned it was 3$. so what not to love :)
Maybelline bronzer in color sunlight ( # 10) which as you can see I almost ate it. the color and shimmer just come in  good proportion.when I get tan it's little bit light for me and it does not show but it's perfect for  winter times.
I wrote the post and discovered that it was too long so I'll post it in 2 parts, stay tuned ;)
Hope this was helpful, wish you all a great Wednesday
Mania

Physicians Formula: Eye booster,eyeliner-serum review

Few months ago I came across this product at pharmaprix and it was on sale for 10.99 $ ( I think reduced about 30% or something). On the package it says it is a eyelash serum and eye-linear at same time. And I thought I should give it try and  got it in color black.

It is like a marker but with a softer applicator. I am a little clumsy in eye lining thing but felt really comfortable while applying it. No mess, out of line, too thick, too thin problems at all. It applies perfectly and very smoothly.

Now there are 2 different categories to look at:

Long lasting ( up to 24 hr as claimed on the package): Important point to consider is that is NOT waterproof  or water-resistant (although it claimed to be water resistance on the package!!) so if you have teary eyes like me (usually in the afternoons or due to allergies) it will wash off. But other than that it is quite long lasting but definitely not up to 24 hours.

2^nd point is its lash boosting claim, well I used it for a month and half every day and it did not affect my lashes, I read reviews online and  for some people would work and some not. Actually on its ad says “100% of women noticed longer lashes”  to me that is a very bold statement to make, nothing is 100% and it definitely wasn't the case here either.

On the left: L'Oreal Linuer Intense Eyeliner Carbon Black
On the right: eye-booster by Physicians Formula in Black

The color black is little bit like gray-blackish and compared to L'Oreal Linuer Intense Eyeliner Carbon Black. 

However the application to me is much better than the loreal one.I have it probably for more than 2 months and used it quite often but it is going strong and no signs of drying so far. I definitely would repurchase it again (actually I did and this time in ultra-black color). it is a good eye-liner but it does not stay up to 24 hr and it may or may not boost your eyelashes ( so keep that in mind). 

That was my takes on this product. Have a great Tuesday everyone :)

Mania