It’s Clinique Bonus Time at Macy’s!

October 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Macy’s is offering the newest Clinique bonus now through October 27 at participating stores with a $25 purchase. This couldn’t have come at a better time, because I am all out of Turnaround Concentrate Radiance Renewer ($45). I love this stuff, once I started using it, I noticed a huge difference in my skin. It really helped to bring things into balance.

Clinique Turnaround Concentrate

With your bonus, you get:

Bonus

What will you buy to get the bonus?

Click here to read about more of my Clinique favorites.

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Fall Favorites

September 22, 2013 by 6 Comments

I have to admit that Spring and Summer are my favorite seasons. I do like fall, but more for the fun activities we get to do like tailgating and football games. Because of this I wanted to wait until the first day of fall to give you my favorites so I could enjoy every last day of summer.

Caramel Apple Spice

Since I don’t drink coffee, I can’t jump on the pumpkin drinks at Starbucks, but I can enjoy my delicious Caramel Apple Spice. It tastes like a hot apple juice drink with cinnamon, caramel, and whipped cream. What could be better? It is great on a cool day to warm you right up. I can’t wait to get my first one of the season.

Starbucks Caramel Apple Spice

Starbucks Caramel Apple Spice

Fioni Booties

I first talked about these booties on my September Pinspired post here. I haven’t been a huge fan of booties, mostly because I have thicker legs and I think they are more flattering on people with long, thin legs. When I saw these booties, I thought they were perfect – more like heels with a little bit of bootie. The best part is that they are from Payless, so they’re very affordable. Since they are sold out, you can buy them on eBay here. I can’t wait to wear them with tights!

Fioni Booties

Fioni Booties

SPANX High-Waisted Tights ($38)

In order to keep you spring and summer dresses going through fall, you’re going to need a good pair of tights. Enter SPANX. I cannot stress how much I love these tights. I know it seems weird that they go all the way up to your bra, but trust me, you will love them. Because they go up so high, you don’t have to worry about  the muffin top problem that you would get with normal control top tights or pantyhose. This is the one item that I will definitely stock up on. I can’t wait to try different colors and maybe patterns this year.

SPANX High-Waisted Tights

SPANX High-Waisted Tights

Grace & Lace Legwarmers ($34)

I have been watching these all summer and I can’t wait to buy them for fall. I imagine I will mostly wear them for lounging around the house, but I like to think that I might experiment and wear them over jeans and leggings. My feet and legs are always cold, so I think these will be perfect and cute for downtime with the hubby.

Miss Molly Legwarmers

Miss Molly Legwarmers

Michael Kors ‘Everest’ Baguette Crystal Bezel Bracelet Watch ($325)

I’m in love. Now don’t get me wrong, I still love my white ceramic Michael Kors watch from the summer favorites list, but lately I’ve been adding some gold into my wardrobe and I need a watch that matches. I also think that I need to put the white watch away and bring it out for some winter white in December and January. When I saw this gold Michael Kors watch I thought I died and went to heaven. It is just so beautiful, I have to have it!

Michael Kors 'Everest' Baguette Crystal Bezel Bracelet Watch

Michael Kors ‘Everest’ Baguette Crystal Bezel Bracelet Watch

CND Vinylux/Shellac Masquerade

Now that summer is over, I am ready for a new fall color. I think that CND Shellac/Vinylux in Masquerade will do the trick. It is not red, but more of a dark red/purple that is perfect for fall. If you haven’t heard of Vinylux yet, check out my post here.

CND Masquerade

CND Masquerade

Flower Headband ($36.99)

I have a few outdoor events to go to this fall, an outdoor beer festival, not to mention lots of tailgating. I need to stay warm, but I don’t want hat hair. Enter the adorable flower headband. It keeps your ears warm without killing your hair for the evening. I particularly like this one from Lucy’s Knitting Shop because of the cute little button.

headband

Infinity Scarves

I bought two infinity scarves last year in black and camel and I wore them everyday. They solve the problem of having a bulky scarf under your fitted coat. They are great to wear with a t-shirt or with a coat or jacket. The place I got mine from doesn’t have them anymore, so I found a great Etsy shop, Beckers Creations, where you can buy them in any color.

infinity scarf

Sam Adams Cherry Wheat Beer

This beer is perfect for fall, it is crisp and fruity, but not dark. It has a cherry/honey taste and is great by itself or with dinner. Each bottle is 165 calories so I like to have one every once in a while.

Sam Adams Cherry Wheat Beer

Sam Adams Cherry Wheat Beer

ChapStick Velvet Cupcake Lip Balm

I live in Michigan, which means that the cold weather is approaching. Combine that with lots of outdoor events and you get chapped lips. It pays to always have chapstick on hand and what could be better than velvet cupcake flavor?

ChapStick Velvet Cupcake

ChapStick Velvet Cupcake

These are all of my favorite fall things. I would love to hear what your favorite fall things are, please share them in the comment section below. If you want to read about my summer favorites, click here.


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Make Your Own Sugar Scrub: Warm Vanilla Sugar

September 12, 2013 by 3 Comments

I’ve wanted to make a giftable Sugar Scrub for a long time now, so I finally decided that tonight was the night to do it. If I had known it was this easy to make, I would have done it a long time ago. In any case, I thought it would be the perfect addition to House of Rose’s Inspire Me Please Weekend Blog Hop.

inspire-me-link-party

 Warm Vanilla Sugar Scrub Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Coconut Oil
  • 1.5 Cups White Sugar
  • 1.5 Cups Brown Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Airtight Container

ingredients

My mom likes to gift me seasonal candles that she decorates herself. After I finished the candle I cleaned the jar out and decided to reuse it for this project. I figured I could make different scrubs depending on what the decoration was.

Jar

I threw all the ingredients together into a mixing bowl and added one secret ingredient:

Mix

We’ve had this little bag of Cinnamon Sugar left over from something else so I figured it would be the perfect thing to add to this scrub. It is completely optional and it isn’t necessary for this project.

Cinnamon Sugar

I ended up having to use my hand mixer to get everything completely mixed up:

done

I spooned everything into the jar and even had a little extra to keep for myself. I decided that I wanted to make a label so I found a template on Microsoft Office and used some leftover Avery 8160 labels I had.

final1

I was pleased with how this turned out, mostly because it smells amazing and it really does make your skin soft and silky. I can’t wait to gift someone with this and try out my leftover mix in the shower.

Sugar scrubs are great for exfoliating and moisturizing your skin. Some people like to use it everyday, but you can decide what works best for you. Just wet your skin and put a little in your hand to use. The easiest way to use this is in the shower or to keep by your skin for people to use when they wash their hands. Sugar is a great natural exfoliator and Coconut Oil has wonderful properties for your skin.

Have you ever made a sugar scrub before? What ingredients did you use?

For more DIY projects click here. 


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5 on Friday: Loved Me Back to Life

September 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

It’s time for another edition of Five on Friday with A Liz Adventures, The Good Life Blog, Hello Happiness and Carolina Charm.

5 on Friday Logo - Final

I didn’t have a specific theme this week, but there are a few things that I have been loving this week and needed to share with you.

1. Celine Dion’s new single “Loved Me Back to Life”

 

Celine Dion

I may have mentioned before that I am a HUGE Celine Dion fan. I have seen her in concert three times (twice in Vegas and once here in Michigan) and she is amazing. I remember how starstruck I was the first time I saw her in concert, she has the most beautiful voice and she is a great performer. I couldn’t wait to hear her newest single and have already preordered her new album on iTunes, which comes out on November 5th.

 2. Wen Fall Apple Spice Cleansing Conditioner ($29)

 

Wen Fall Apple Spice

Wen Fall Apple Spice

Chaz Dean has released a limited edition Fall Apple Spice Cleansing Conditioner on QVC. I can’t wait to get mine and try it out! Click here to read my post about the Wen Cleansing Conditioners if you’ve never tried it before.

3. Starbucks Refreshers

 

Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher

Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher

I am not a coffee drinker, I don’t like the taste or flavor of any coffee products. I also don’t like tea or soda, so this limits the choices I have to get caffeine. I recently tried the new Starbucks Refreshers and I am hooked! I find that they taste great and they don’t make me jittery and nauseous like some other energy drinks out there. They also don’t throw off my entire sleep schedule like a 5 hour or Red Bull, which is great.

Strawberry Lemonade Refresher

Strawberry Lemonade Refresher

 

I have tried them at the store, in a can and as a supplement in my water and really enjoy all of them. My favorite flavors are the Very Berry Hibiscus and the Strawberry Lemonade. It also gives me something to get at Starbucks when friends or colleagues want to stop there.

VIA Refresher Packet

VIA Refresher Packet

4. Jason and Molly Mesnick’s Podcast: This is Reality

 

mesnick

I love podcasts and I love the Bachelor and Bachelorette, so when Jason and Molly Mesnick came out with their own podcast I knew I would love. I just didn’t realize how much until I started listening to it. If you’ve ever wanted the inside scoop on what goes down on the Bachelor, look no further. These two give an inside look into their lives and their experience on the show. Each podcast is about 30 minutes each. I got caught up on them this week and I’m hooked!

5. ClearCheckBook.com 

 

register

I have finally entered the digital age! I am one of those people that keeps a paper checkbook register and balances my checkbook periodically. That is how I was raised and the habit stuck. I decided to try out an online system so I can better track my spending and get rid of my old paper checkbook register. I settled on ClearCheckBook.com and I really like how it works. You enter all of your transactions and then you can “jive” them once they clear your account. You can also place a category on each purchase which allows you to pull some cool charts to see where your money is going. This is a huge departure for me, but if I still like it after a few months I might decide to do my budgeting there as well, instead of with my trusty excel spreadsheet.

Do you have anything that you are loving this week and want to share?

For more Five on Fridays posts click here. 


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Get No Chip Nails with CND Vinylux

August 27, 2013 by 2 Comments

I have a confession to make…I am sort of obsessed with getting my nails done. I can’t stand having chipped nail polish and religiously get my nails “Shellaced” every two weeks.

My Shellac manicure in my favorite color, Tutti Frutti

Shellac manicure in my favorite color, Tutti Frutti

I am a huge fan of Shellac and gel polishes. They are no chip and look great for about two weeks (give or take). I am very hard on my hands so my Shellac polish doesn’t always stay put for the full two weeks. When it chips I usually run up to the salon and have them fix it, but I have been so busy lately and that is a huge inconvenience for me.

I have thought about getting the system at home and doing it myself, but the UV lamps are expensive and let’s be honest, it always looks better when you get it done at the salon.

Enter Vinylux…

Vinylux is a new product from CND, the same company that brought us Shellac. Vinylux is a new polish system that boasts a seven-day, chip free wear. It is a two-part system that uses a color coat and a top coat. The top coat contains a special technology that allows your nails to get harder after being exposed to natural light. With Vinylux, you don’t need a base coat, the color adheres directly to your nails.

I ended up purchasing Vinylux for myself and think it is a great product for a number of reasons:

  • When I go to the salon to get Shellac they never have a matching toe color. They always try to match it, but sometimes it just doesn’t look quite right. Vinylux is available in 62 colors, 40 of them match CND Shellac colors. This means that you can always match your pedicure to your Shellac manicure!
62 Vinylux Shades

62 Vinylux Shades

  • Vinylux is easy to remove, you just use acetone and it comes off just like regular nail polish. I purchased the CND Nourishing Remover, which works like a charm. The best part is that it doesn’t smell as bad as regular remover, so it doesn’t bother my husband or stink up the house.
CND Shellac Nourishing Remover

CND Shellac Nourishing Remover

 

  • I use Vinylux to touch up my Shellac manicure when it starts to chip. Sometimes it doesn’t last the whole two weeks or I just get one nail that doesn’t want to cooperate. With Vinylux, you can make your Shellac manicure last a lot longer. Here is a great Vinylux how-to video:

  • It dries faster than regular nail polish. I like to apply it when I get in the car to go somewhere and by the time I arrive at my destination it is dry and ready to go.
  • It lasts longer than regular nail polish. Where regular polish would start to chip right away, Vinylux lasts the whole week with only minor chipping. I am really hard on my hands and while it doesn’t last the full week, it gets pretty close. My pedicure stayed put for three weeks and still looked great.

I purchased a couple of shades and a top coat on Amazon to try out the product. So far, I have Strawberry Smoothie and my favorite, Tutti Frutti. I think this is a great product and can’t wait to get more shades! I am also looking forward to trying some of the other CND products.

Have you tried Vinylux yet? I would love to know what you think!

For more Beauty tips, click here.


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Clinique “Meet the Experts”

July 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment

A few weeks back, I was able to participate in a fun event at Macy’s for Clinique called “Meet the Experts.” Meet the Experts was an exclusive beauty event that offered women an opportunity to learn directly from the top experts at Clinique. I was thrilled to participate and learn about skin care and the newest trends in make-up application.

Meet the Experts

Another perk was a great Clinique bonus I was able to get after the event if I purchased any items:

Clinique Bonus

The bonus included:

I thought this sounded like a pretty great deal so I decided to sign up for an appointment. I usually take advantage of the bonuses, so the opportunity to get a free tutorial in the process sounded fun.

When I arrived at my appointment I was treated to a free treat just for participating, a special compact and a sample of the 7 Day Scrub Cream:

My Free Gift!

My Free Gift!

I started the appointment by answering some questions about my skin at one of Clinique’s new Skin Care Consultation kiosks:

Skin Care Consultation

Skin Care Consultation

At the end, I received a nifty little print out that gave me a shopping list of what to get for my specific skin type (Skin Type 3/Combination Oily). Here were their recommendations for me:

Acne/Breakouts

Clinique Turnaround Concentrate

Clinique Turnaround Concentrate

Dryness

Daily Care

After our consultation, I got to try some of these skin care products and then we got to work on the makeup tutorial. The consultants were great and I got to try a ton of new products. Here are my after pictures:

after picture

after pic

My consultant used the following products on me:

Lash Building Primer

Lash Building Primer

Clinique Long Last Glosswear

Clinique Long Last Glosswear

I ended up getting the Turnaround Concentrate, the Lash Building Primer and the Long Last Glosswear in Clearly Pink. After a few weeks of using the Turnaround Concentrate my skin has really balanced out, which is what I was hoping for.

I wanted to try the Lash Building Primer for a long time; it is really easy to use and I think it makes a huge difference in my regular mascara application. It makes your normal lashes fuller and more defined.

During my checkout they also threw in this adorable beach bag!

Clinique Beach Bag

Clinique Beach Bag

I had a great afternoon and think I made out like a bandit. Did anyone else go to the Meet the Experts event at Clinique? Have you had success with any of these products?

I hope the next bonus comes soon, because I have a great list of items to try out!

Click here to read about more of my Clinique favorites.

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Eminence Facial

July 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I mentioned a few posts back that we recently celebrated my Mom’s birthday. As part of her gift, I took her to a spa day at the MGM Grand’s Immerse Spa in Detroit. I like this spa because they are one of the only spas that are open on Sundays which is usually a free day for me. I recently learned that the Immerse Spa switched all of their products to the Eminence Organic Skin Care line, which I am a huge fan of. I was excited to go there and learn about some of the new products I hadn’t tried yet. For those of you not familiar, Eminence is an all natural line of organic skin care products.

Immerse Spa

Immerse Spa

My mom and I both got 50 minute Immerse Classic facials which are described as:

A high-performance facial designed to address dehydration, acne, sun damage and fine lines. The skin is cleansed, steamed, exfoliated and extractions are performed if needed. There is also a massage of the neck, shoulders and face as well as hands. The treatment is finished off with a toner, eye cream and moisturizer.

My spa tech was great and they gave me a prescription card with all of the products I should be using:

Eminence Prescription Card

Eminence Prescription Card

Here are the recommendations I received:

Cleansers

Lemon Grass Cleanser ($38) – this  is for all skins including sensitive. I currently use the Eucalyptus Cleansing Concentrate ($28.82) with is for combination to oily skins. I would definitely want to try this one since I have sensitive skin. When I went to my appointment I was had a few sensitive areas, so this makes sense.

Lemon Grass Cleanser

Lemon Grass Cleanser

Toniques

Stone Crop Hydrating Mist ($30.25) – This is hydrating & healing for normal to dry skins. I am currently using the Mimosa Champagne Tonique which is refreshing for normal to dry skins. You apply this after cleansing, after moisturizing.

Stone Crop Hydrating Mist

Stone Crop Hydrating Mist

Eye & Lip Care

Wild Plum Eye Cream ($47.29) – For dark circles, hydrating for all skins.

Wild Plum Eye Cream

Wild Plum Eye Cream

Masques

Stone Crop Masque ($29.99) – This is regenerating for all skins especially oily to mature skin, irritated skin types and uneven skin tones.

Stone Crop Masque

Stone Crop Masque

Firm Skin Acai Masque ($34.94) – This is for anti-aging.

Firm Skin Acai Masque

Firm Skin Acai Masque

Serums

Stone Crop Serum ($31.46) – for all skins, this is hydrating and is good for pigment lightening. You apply a thin layer of this after cleansing or after a masque or exfoliation. You apply moisturizer over this and you can reapply 2-3 times daily. I bought this and have been using it daily. It is good for skin blotches which I have been experiencing on my chin.

Stone Crop Serum

Stone Crop Serum

Moisturizers

Apricot Whip Moisturizer ($43.28) – This is for normal & combination skins and is a day cream.

Apricot Whip Moisturizer

Apricot Whip Moisturizer

Stone Crop Whip Moisturizer ($41.27) – This is for dry & dehydrated skins and is good for day or night. Alicia Silverstone is a fan of this moisturizer.

Stone Crop Whip Moisturizer

Stone Crop Whip Moisturizer

My technician also recommended the new Firm Skin Starter Kit for me. This comes with a one-month supply of products including:

  • Firm Skin Acai Cleanser
  • Firm Skin Acai Moisturizer
  • Firm Skin Acai Masque
  • Firm Skin Acai Booster-Serum
Firm Skin Starter Set

Firm Skin Starter Set

These kits just came out, so they didn’t have them in stock yet.

I also learned that Eminence products are meant to be mixed and layered, so you can have a lot of fun experimenting with them. Also, it is really important to buy from an authorized distributor. Since Eminence products use all natural ingredients they have a limited shelf life – when you buy them online you don’t always know what you are getting.

What Eminence products have you tried?

To read more about Eminence click here.

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Best of Detroit Party Sephora Makeover

June 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment

A few Fridays ago, my husband and I attended HOUR Magazine’s Best of Detroit party at Motor City Casino with a few friends. We try to attend every year because it’s a great time and I like to get dressed up.

Glammed up for the HOUR Detroit party

Glammed up for the HOUR Detroit party

I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to get my makeup done at Sephora. I usually reserve this for special occasions or when I am in Las Vegas. Sephora technicians will give you a glam makeover with an appointment as long as you spend a minimum of $50. This is a great deal because you actually get to go home with product. I usually go to Sephora at the Somerset Collection, since my favorite technician is Elizabeth (she is the best and we share the same name!) who works at that location.

We decided to go glam, so we needed a lot of fun colors:

Makeover time!

Makeover time!

Here are all of the products that she used on me:

Stila One Step Correct ($36) – This was such a cool concept. It has a triple-swirl helix that color corrects, brightens, primes and nourishes the skin. I thought this did a great job and will definitely try it once my primer runs out.

Stila One Step Correct

Stila One Step Correct

For my foundation, she mixed Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Foundation ($39) in 2.0 and 3.5 to give me a custom look:

Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup

Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup

The concealer was YSL’s Touche Eclat Radiant Touch in Luminous Radiance ($40). I had been looking for a new concealer pen for my purse and this fit the bill. You click it up from the bottom.

YSL TOUCHE ÉCLAT - Radiant Touch

YSL TOUCHE ÉCLAT – Radiant Touch

We had a lot of fun with the eyes and went with a purple theme. Primer is the key to any great eye look and we used Urban Decay’s Primer Potion ($20):

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer

Urban Decay’s Fun Palette ($36):

Urban Decay The Fun Palette

Urban Decay The Fun Palette

Sephora Collection Jumbo Collection Pencils ($14) in Purple Glitter and Lilac Shimmer:

Sephora Collection Jumbo Liner

Sephora Collection Jumbo Liner

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Liner in Distortion ($18) on my lids:

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter

And my favorite part, fake eyelashes! We used the Sephora Collection Eyelashes in Mink ($10). They come with glue and are really easy to apply. You do have to purchase the eyelashes as part of your minimum, but you can keep them and re-use them:

Sephora Collection False Eyelashes in Mink

Sephora Collection False Eyelashes in Mink

For my face we used Hourglass Ambient Light Powder ($45) in Diffused Light on the planes of my face and Mood Light all over:

 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder

Nars The Multiple in Luxor ($39) for highlighting:

Nars The Multiple

Nars The Multiple

Sephora Collection MicroSmooth Baked Sculpting Trio in Sassy ($20):

Sephora Collection MicroSmooth Baked Sculpting Trio

Sephora Collection MicroSmooth Baked Sculpting Trio

For my lips we started with Urban Decay’s Lip Primer Potion ($20) to help my lipcolor stay put:

Urban Decay Lip Primer Potion

Urban Decay Lip Primer Potion

and layered Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Hoochie and Iced. These two colors came in a set ($49), but it looks like you can buy the Iced color separately:

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetic's Lip Tar

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar

And finally we used Urban Decay’s All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray ($29) to finish the look:

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

Here are a few shots of the final look:

sephora6

I really liked the final look and it was super glam for this type of party. As an added bonus, when I checked out, Sephora gave me my Benefit birthday gift a few weeks early:

Have you tried any of these products before? Which ones did you like?

For more Beauty posts click here.

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Summer Favorites

June 22, 2013 by 5 Comments

Summer is finally here! This is one of my favorite times of the year. I am a summer baby and so are my husband and father which means lots of birthdays and celebrations. I think that 4th of July might be my favorite holiday. I used to be jealous that my grandmother’s birthday was on the 4th of July. I thought it was so cool that she got fireworks for her birthday every year. My husband also proposed to me on the 4th of July, so that cemented my love of the holiday.

I am especially excited about this summer and thought it would be the perfect time to share my favorite summer things!

Leinenkugel’s Lemon Berry Shandy

Leinenkugel's Lemon Berry Shandy

Leinenkugel’s Lemon Berry Shandy

Leinenkugel recently released Lemon Berry Shandy and it is available year-round! This is my go to drink for baseball games, parties and concerts. It is brewed with blackberry juice and a natural lemonade flavor. It only has 126 calories so it doesn’t completely blow your calorie budget either.

Michael Kors ‘Madison’ Watch

Michael Kors Madison Watch

Michael Kors Madison Watch

I got this watch a few weeks ago during the Nordstrom sale and I LOVE it! The white ceramic band makes it the perfect summer watch. It seems to be out-of-stock at Nordstrom, but I found this one on eBay that is still available.

Steve Madden Cuff Sandals

Steve Madden Cuff Sandals

Steve Madden Cuff Sandals

I first saw these sandals in gold on Ashlee Frazier (Bachelor alum) and thought they were so cute. I am not a huge gold person though and I saw the pewter ones in Nordstrom and immediately fell in love. They are so comfortable and I have been wearing them pretty much everyday so far. I may need to get an extra pair just in case I wear them out. They are $59.95 and worth every penny!

Natori Zen Bra

Natori Zen Bra

Natori Zen Bra

This bra is on my summer wish list. I have so many low cut dresses and tanks and this would be perfect to make them wearable for showers and work events. If anyone has tried this out let me know. It’s $58 at Nordstrom and the reviews look pretty good. I may have to get it in all three colors!

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant

I recently discovered Cashmere Mist and had no idea there was such a cult following for this product (just read the reviews and you will see what I mean). This deodorant smells AMAZING! It is great for my sensitive skin and it works really well. It keeps you dry and smelling great for the entire day. This is a must-have for summer. You can get it everywhere, Nordstrom, Ulta, Sephora any major department store. It can run $10-20 depending on the size you want. I want to get the small travel size to keep in my purse.

CND Shellac Tutti Frutti

Tutti Frutti

Tutti Frutti

This is my favorite summer nail color! I have already gotten this color three times in a row and can’t wait to get it again. For those of you not familiar with Shellac, it is a long-lasting gel nail polish. It lasts about 14 days and dries instantly at the salon. You can’t apply it yourself unless you have a UV lamp to treat it. My nail salon is running low and I might just buy my own bottle to bring in. It is $12.25 on Amazon. I have toyed with the idea of getting the UV lamps myself, but my nail salon does such a great job, I don’t really need to.

Nordic Care Foot Care Cream

Nordic Care Foot Care Cream

Nordic Care Foot Care Cream

This is basically a magic foot cream. There is no other way to describe it. I love to wear sandals, wedges and heels in summer and that leads to blisters, cracked heels, calluses, etc. This cream is a godsend for summer wear and tear. I put it on at night and my feet are magically restored to normal the next day. I have never found another product like this and can’t say enough good things about it. It’s only $12.47 on Amazon and a little goes a long way.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Turnlock Katie Stretch Bracelet

Marc Jacobs Turnlock Bracelet

Marc Jacobs Turnlock Bracelet

This was another Nordstrom sale purchase (it is still on sale for $34.80) and a great piece for summer. The best part about this bracelet is that it doesn’t clang on your desk when you are typing at work because it’s rubber. It’s very versatile – you can wear it with a dress or at the beach. I like this one so much I will probably get the pink one too.

Bath and Body Works Let’s Go to Italy Collection

Bath and Body Works Let's Go to Italy

Bath and Body Works Let’s Go to Italy

My husband and I LOVE Italy. We went there on our honeymoon and fell in love with it. I was so excited when Bath & Body Works came out with their “Let’s Go to Italy” Collection. John and I recently made our own limoncello (more to come on that later) so this was perfect.

My favorites are the Limoncello Candle ($10), the Gelato Candle ($10) and the Sparkling Limoncello Soap ($14.50). They are limited edition, so I am going to have to stock up before they’re gone.

Pig Corn Holders

Pig Corn Holders

Pig Corn Holders

My favorite summer food is corn on the cob. I have loved this since I was a little girl. My other favorite thing is piggies! I collect pigs and one day want to have a cute little potbellied pig that I will name Wilbur.

My mom will periodically bring me cute pig stuff for the kitchen and she recently got me these pig corn holders. I think they are adorable and bring my two favorite things together. You can still pick some up on Amazon for $10.08. I have already used them about five times now and I’m sure I will wear them out before summer is over.

So there you have it, my favorite summer things. Now that I’ve shared my favorites, I would love to hear what summer things you can’t live without, so please share them in the comment section below.

 

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How to Find Your Signature Scent

June 18, 2013 by 5 Comments

Like any girl, I want to smell nice, but not overpowering. Lately, I have been experimenting with different scents and mixing different them for different occasions. There is no bigger compliment then having a man say you smell nice. That is one of my favorite things to hear.

This got me thinking, how do you determine the right scent? I think it helps to understand the basic choices:

Perfume

Perfume has a 30-40 percent perfume oil concentration which is meant to last for 6-8 hours. This is the most expensive type of fragrance and you want to use it sparingly. You should focus it on your pulse points.

Eau de Parfum

Eau de Parfum contains 15-20 percent perfume oil concentration and lasts about 5 hours. This is a great scent to spray on your hair or clothing.

Eau de Toilette

Eau de Toilette has a 10 percent perfume oil concentration. This only lasts for a few hours.

Eau de Cologne

Eau de Cologne has a 5-7 percent perfume oil concentration which is meant to last 2-3 hours. You can reapply this frequently without being overpowering. This is usually a great body spray.

The strength of the scent determines its price, so that longer it lasts the more expensive it is. Once you know what type of scent to get you then need to figure out what scents you like.

Here is the standard fragrance wheel, created by Michael Edwards. The four main scents are Floral, Oriental, Woody and Fresh. Each of these are divided into sub-groups on the wheel:

The Fragrance Wheel

The Fragrance Wheel

Floral – Floral fragrances can be from the scent of one particular flower or several flowers.

Oriental – Oriental fragrances include animalistic scents comgined with vanilla, tonka bean, flowers and woods

Woody – These typically include agarwood, sandalwood, cedarwood and patchouli.

Fresh – These include citrus, green and aquatic notes.

Now that we know a little bit more about the different types of scents I thought I would share my favorites with you and my newest purchase.

One of the first fragrances I remember wearing in high school was a Peach Nectar Long Lasting Body Fragrance from Bath & Body Works. They have long discontinued this, but I still have the bottle in my cabinet. I don’t wear it frequently, but when I do the scent takes me back to when I was 16. I love it just for that reason. I love the way different scents can bring back old memories.

Peach Nectar

Peach Nectar

In college I upgraded to Victoria’s Secret Dream Angels Halo which was launched in 2000. This is a floral fragrance from Ilias Ermenidis. The top notes are poinsettia, fig leaf, freesia and tiare flower. The middle notes are orchid, pepper and vanilla. The base note is sandalwood. One of the reasons I love this scent is because my husband complimented me on it when we first met, before we started dating. I usually save this for a special occasion with my husband.

Dream Angels Halo

Dream Angels Halo

This is an Eau de Parfum and has been discontinued from Victoria’s Secret. Sometimes they re-release it into the stores, but I usually find online at Sears or eBay.

After college, I started selling Mary Kay for a while and discovered Embrace Dreams Fragrance Mist. I remember getting so many compliments on this one from my tour groups when I worked at Pewabic Pottery. This is a creamy floral scent containing bamboo, decaffeinated red tea and sandalwood. I still love this scent, it is great to wear every day. It has been discontinued, but I like to get it on eBay periodically.

Mary Kay Embrace Dreams

Mary Kay Embrace Dreams

Once Embrace Dreams was discontinued I went back to Victoria’s Secret and tried Dream Angels Heavenly. This is usually my standby when I can’t get the perfume I want. It is $45-60 depending on the size you get. It was created in 1999 and has notes of quince, cardamom, ivy and mandarin. The heart includes lotus, white peony, freesia, iris and violet. The base contains white musk, sandalwood, orchid and vanilla. This was also created by Ilias Ermenidis and is an Eau de Parfum.

Dream Angels Heavenly

Dream Angels Heavenly

I have also enjoyed the spin off to this, Dream Angels Heavenly Kiss, which was introduced in 2008. They don’t always have this in the stores as it’s a limited edition scent, but you can find it on eBay. This is an Eau de Parfum and has top notes of red currant, red fruit and watermelon. Middle notes include the heart of freesia petals, guava, apricot nectar and jasmine. The bottom notes are soft vanilla, creamy notes of wood, English toffee, marshmallow and sensual musk.

Heavenly Kiss

Heavenly Kiss

This brings me to my current scent, Jimmy Choo Eau de Parfum, which debuted in 2011. I am still on my first bottle, so I haven’t decided if this will be my new favorite scent yet. This can be very overpowering, so I have to be careful not to spray too much. This is a floral fruity composition with a deep woody base. It opens with ginger, pear and green accords. The heart includes exotic tiger orchid and is blended with tea rose. This was created by Olivier Polge.

Jimmy Choo

Jimmy Choo

After going back through all of my scents over the years I realized that my signature scent needs to be a floral Eau de Parfum. Now that I know what to look for, I can’t wait try out some new scents.

Let me know if you have any fragrances that you can’t live without, I would love to try them.

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