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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Grow Your Hair with Biotin!

June 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The next step on my journey to fabulous hair is to get it to grow out. I have been trying to grow out my layers and get my baby fine hair to come in a little bit thicker. I tried taking prenatal vitamins years ago and didn’t notice any results. I read about Biotin online and thought I would give it a try. I have been using it for about 4 months now.

Biotin

Biotin

I have noticed big results in hair growth using Biotin, my roots have come in a lot faster (I almost upped my hair appointment to five weeks instead of six) and I’ve noticed a difference in my eyebrows and eyelashes too. I haven’t noticed any changes in the thickness of my hair though.

Biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin (B7) and is also known as vitamin H. I asked my doctor about it during my annual physical and she said that you can never have enough B vitamin, so that sealed the deal. I haven’t noticed any negative side effects.

If you want to boost your Biotin naturally you can find it in wheat germ, whole-grain cereals, whole wheat bread, eggs, dairy, nuts, Swiss chard, salmon, liver, cauliflower, carrots, bananas, soy flour, yeast and chicken.

Remember the old wives tail about pouring beer in your hair to improve growth and shine? Well this came from Biotin in a roundabout way. Beer contains yeast, which is a good source of Biotin. So now you can skip the beer and just take the supplement. There are also Biotin enriched shampoos and conditioners that you might try.

You can purchase Biotin at any drugstore, pharmacy or grocery store or you can get it on Amazon here for $13.99.

UPDATE: After a session with my hairdresser, I realized that I’m not taking the recommended dose of Biotin, which is probably why I haven’t seen any changes in thickness to my hair. I was just taking one capsule a day, but on the back of my bottle it says to take three capsules a day…who knew? I am now taking three capsules a day and will let you know the results.

Have you tried Biotin or any other hair supplements? I would love to hear about your experience.

Read more about my journey to get fabulous hair here.


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Keep Your Skin Looking Flawless with Eminence

June 3, 2013 by 1 Comment

About six months ago, I was introduced to a new skin care line out of Hungary called Eminence Organic Skin Care. I was looking for a new line of products and this intrigued me.

Eminence is a line of all-natural organic products that has been around since 1958. What better ingredients to use on your skin than what’s found in nature? Everything smells amazing and I love all the different flavor choices.

Eminence is environmentally friendly and for every product sold, they will plant a tree. How cool is that? For the amount of beauty products I use, I will contribute to a lot of trees.

A number of celebrities use Eminence including Dita Von Teese, Madonna, Mena Suvari, Jessica Biel, Stacy Kiebler, Cher, Katherine Heigl, Jennie Garth, Amber Valetta and many others.

Eminence is mostly sold in spas, but I have been buying my products online at Amazon. There are a number of spas in the area that have the line in stock. You can check the spa locator to find the closest one to you.

I am still experimenting with the line, but these are the products I have tried so far and love:

Eucalyptus Cleansing Concentrate ($22)

This is for oily to combination skin and includes eucalyptus, lavender, camphor and a soap base. I really like this for my skin – it is gentle and doesn’t dry my skin out, but it is strong enough to keep my oily skin in check. I also love the eucalyptus smell in the morning.

Eucalyptus Cleansing Concentrate

Eucalyptus Cleansing Concentrate

Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant ($38.08)

Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant

Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant

This is a rice-based exfoliant for all skin types and contains strawberry, rhubarb, lactic acid, rice, chickpea flour, thermal mud, oats and Biocomplex (an antioxidant mix). I like to use an exfoliant every day and this is gentle enough for me to do that. I tried mixing it with the cleanser at first, but it didn’t mix very well so now I just use it separately after I cleanse my face. You need to get some in your hand and wet it a bit before you rub it on your face. I think this has really improved the texture and brightness of my skin.

Mimosa Champagne Tonique ($25.55)

Mimosa Champagne Tonique

Mimosa Champagne Tonique

I hadn’t used a toner in years, but I wanted to get my skin care process back on track and I knew I needed a toner. I loved the ingredients in this one and it was perfect for normal to oily skin. It contains champagne grapes and orange essential oils. It just sounds so indulgent, I love it. It comes in a spray bottle which makes it really easy to use. You don’t have to pour the toner on a little beauty pad, you spray it directly on your face.

There are a lot of other Eminence products that I would like to try and as I do I will review them. Have you tried any Eminence products? Which ones do you like?

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I was not compensated for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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The Journey Begins with Wen

May 26, 2013 by 8 Comments

I have been on a journey this year, a journey to get fabulous hair. To do this you have to go back to the basics-shampoo and conditioner. I have tried many different shampoo brands in my life, all promising to give me more volume, make my hair thicker, shinier, better. Unfortunately, all of their promises fell flat. There isn’t much you can do with baby fine hair like mine. That is, until I discovered Wen.

I first heard about Wen in a random celebrity interview, but it intrigued me. Could this be the shampoo I was waiting for? I did more research online, watched the infomercial and was hooked.

Wen is made from natural ingredients and contains no sulfates or harsh chemicals like regular shampoo. It doesn’t strip your hair and takes the place of your shampoo and conditioner.

I had to try it, but I didn’t really want to sign up for shipments from the infomercial or QVC so I ended up buying the starter kit from Sephora.

This came with the Cleansing Conditioner, Replenishing Treatment Mist and Re Moist Intensive Hair Treatment all in Sweet Almond Mint for $39.50.

 

Wen Healthy Hair Kit

Wen Healthy Hair Kit

I tried it out and loved it! At the time Sephora only carried the Sweet Almond Mint Scent and you could only buy 12 oz. at a time. Now they have expanded and carry the Sweet Almond Mint, Cucumber Aloe and Fig Cleansing Conditioners in the 16 oz. size for $32.

There are a lot of other scents that you can get through the Wen website or through QVC. I like to buy mine through eBay because you can search for the cheapest one and try all different scents. So far I have tried the Sweet Almond Mint, Lavender, Tea Tree and Fall Ginger Pumpkin. The Lavender is my favorite so far.

Here is a list of the different scents and what they work best for:

  • Sweet Almond Mint – Universal for every hair type
  • Pomegranate – Universal for every hair type
  • Fig – For medium to thick hair, coarse hair, dry, damaged or color-treated hair – This is the most moisturizing
  • Lavender – Specifically created for fine, thin hair – Gives volume and is the second most moisturizing flavor
  • Tea Tree – Recommended to anyone who has scalp problems, for dandruff, dry/itchy scalp or thinning hair
  • Cucumber Aloe – Clarifying for those with oily scalps and dry ends or if you need extra cleansing
  • Fall Ginger Pumpkin, Winter Vanilla Mint, Spring Gardenia Green Tea, Summer Mango Coconut, Fall Apple Spice, Spring Orange Blossom – Seasonal scents that are universal for all hair types, lengths and textures

I’ve noticed a huge difference in my hair since I started using Wen. It looks healthier, thicker and less frizzy. I really notice it when I run out of Wen and have to use regular shampoo so I try to make sure I replenish my supply on time. I find that the Lavender works better for me, so if you aren’t seeing results you might try changing up the scent.

Here is how I use Wen: I wet my hair in the shower and use as many pumps as I need to thoroughly cover my hair. This is usually 8-10 pumps. Wen doesn’t lather up like shampoo it is more similar to conditioner. I don’t have a lot of hair to begin with so you may need to use more if you have thick hair. Then I run a wide-tooth comb through my hair to make sure that I have my entire head covered. I do this first before I do anything else so I can let it sit while I finish my shower. When I finish everything else I rinse it out.

So there you have it – pretty simple for great results.

I have also experimented with some of the Wen styling products including:

Wen Styling Creme- $24

Wen Styling Creme

Wen Styling Creme

Wen Volumizing Spray – $30

Wen Volumizing Spray

Wen Volumizing Spray

Wen Texturizing Balm – $26

Wen Texturizing Balm

Wen Texturizing Balm

My routine before blowdrying is to spray the Wen Replenishing Mist and the Wen Volumizing Spray on my entire head. I then add the Wen Styling Creme to just the ends. I only use the Wen Texturizing Balm if I have flyaways that won’t stay put. I also use the Wen Replenishing Mist if I need to restyle my hair to go out and before I go to bed for a little extra moisture. A little of these products go a long way.

I know this may sound weird to some of you, using a conditioner instead of shampoo, but trust me it works. I have always had very oily hair and this doesn’t weigh my hair down at all.

Have you tried Wen yet? Let me know what you think!

Read more about my journey to get fabulous hair Tools of the Trade.


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It’s Clinique Bonus Time!

May 22, 2013 by 3 Comments

At one point in my life I was obsessed with the Clinique Bonus. I signed up for their emails, I knew when and where the bonuses were and would plan out my shopping trips to capitalize on free stuff!

Fast forward to today and I have tried a lot of new brands and I like to mix it up, but there are still some Clinique staples I can’t live without.

Nordstrom is offering the newest bonus now through June 3rd at participating stores. With your bonus you get:

  • Tracy Reese for Clinique Cosmetics Bag
  • Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream
  • Liquid Facial Soap Mild
  • Take the Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes & Lips
  • Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo
  • Quickliner for Eyes Intense in Intense Chocolate
  • Long Last Lipstick in Twilight Nude
  • High Impact Mascara or High Impact Waterproof Mascara in Black
Clinique Bonus at Nordstrom

Clinique Bonus at Nordstrom

This is an $80 value for a $30 minimum purchase – it’s a pretty good haul if you were already planning to get something anyways.

So, what do I need for $30? Here are some of my top picks to meet the minimum:

Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow Soft Shimmer in Sugar Sugar – $15

Clinique Sugar Sugar Eyeshadow

Clinique Sugar Sugar

This is one of my all time favorite products. I use this as a base on my eyes pretty much every day. I LOVE it! I will buy two just because I use it all the time.

Clinique Different Lipstick in Surprise – $15

Clinique Different Lipstick in Surprise

Clinique Different Lipstick in Surprise

Another one of my Clinique staples. I love their lipstick, it looks great on and it has a great moisturizing quality. This is one of my go to shades. It looks great at night and it is not too dark. I think this is probably the only lipstick that I have ever used to the very end (many times).

Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder Oil-Free – $22

Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder Oil-Free

Clinque Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder Oil-Free in Stay Buff

I have this in my purse in Stay Buff right now. It is great at taking away the shine in your t-zone mid-day.

Clinique Blended Face Powder & Brush – $22

Clinique Blended Face Powder

Clinique Blended Face Powder

I use this loose powder every day to set my look. I prefer the loose powder if I am at home and the pressed powder when I am on the go. I use a bigger powder brush at home but keep the little one in my purse.

Clinique Quick Blush – $23.50

Clinique Quick Blush

Clinique Quick Blush

I haven’t tried this one yet, but it is definitely on my list. What a genius idea! The color is inside the cap and when you pull the brush out it is ready to apply. This sounds like a great on-the-go item! I will definitely be adding this to my collection. I will keep you posted on my thoughts after I try it out.

What are your favorite Clinique products? What are you dying to try out?

I was not compensated for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Tools of the Trade

May 17, 2013 by 2 Comments

I have loved makeup and beauty products ever since I was a little girl playing with my Fazz makeup (does anyone remember Fazz?)

I was also blessed with great skin which makes makeup really fun for me. My hair on the other hand, not so much. I have baby fine hair, so fine in fact I might actually be partly bald. But wait, you say, “Your hair looks long and thick in pictures.” It’s not – this is achieved with lots of tricks which I am planning to share with you on this blog.

My husband just got me a new Solano SuperSolano 3500Lite hair dryer partly because he was probably tired of hearing my old Conair dryer sputtering on its last leg every morning and partly because he knew I had it on my wish list and he spoils me.

I first heard about this dryer from an interview in Allure with Emily Maynard’s hair dresser. You can read it here. After I started researching it seemed to be the gold standard in hair dryers.

The Super Solano 3500 Lite Dryer in all its glory (picture from Allure photo: David Cook)

The Super Solano 3500 Lite Dryer in all its glory (picture from Allure photo: David Cook)

I have been using the Solano for about a week now and it is leaps and bounds better than my old hair dryer. It is lightweight, quiet and it puts out a powerful airstream. It has cut my drying time in half and I barely have to use the round brush anymore!

I am still trying to figure out my drying process:

My old process consisted of drying my hair upside down until it was mostly dry, dividing it into three sections and blowdrying it with the round brush.

Since the Solano is so powerful it is pretty much dry by the time I finish blowdrying it upside down. Now I just do a little round brush on the top. I have been trying not to use the round brush very much as it causes a lot of breakage (and I don’t have very much hair to start with).

Overall, I really like my new Super Solano! Let me know if you have any tips for blowdrying your hair.

I was not compensated for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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