While I’ll always give a nod to Cupid on Valentine’s Day, the historic day of love has developed into so much more for me in recent years. One of my nieces celebrates a birthday on February 14 and my dog, who is like our child, will turn two on February 12. So rather than on a date with my husband, we’re usually with family and we quite like like it that way. Imagine my surprise when I got a rather cryptic email from my husband asking if I was “free”  for a pre-Valentine’s Day dinner this week. Very sweet, and of course I said yes!

For date night with the husband, I’ll be wearing my new lip gloss love – Nars Easy Lover. Isn’t it beautiful – all bright and pink? I’m going to pair it with a black cat eye and soft pink cheeks. While Easy Lover looks shockingly pink in the tube, it isn’t as bold on the lips. I first read about Easy Lover in December on The Cut, when it was deemed the universal pink gloss.

While it’s more bold on me than the women in these photos it still is much softer than what you’d expect.  It’s described as an ultra-sheer hot pink – and I think the key word there is sheer. It’s truly perfect and oh so easy to love. Keep the hits coming Mr. Nars!

Has anyone given Easy Lover a try? And what’s on your agenda for Valentine’s Day?

One of the best $20 I ever spent was on Tweezerman’s Petite Manicure Set, this goes with me everywhere. Now Tweezerman has done it again with their Mini Brow Kit. Not to brag but I am fortunate enough that I don’t need to do much to my brows. That doesn’t mean then don’t need to be reigned in from time to time and this brow kit is perfect for my needs.

This set includes a mini slat tweezer, a mini Browmousse (their version of brow gel, a mini Eyenhance highlighting pencil and a mini brow shaping brush. It is all housed in a travel-friendly case perfect for a carry on or your handbag.

I’m curious about the new Browmousse and Eyehance products from Tweezerman… nice to see them introduce some new besides tools.

When I first heard about Stila’s new Yumberry Crush Lip and Cheek Stain, I got really excited because I love lipstains! I have a ton of them and even if a stain is not my color, I have to have it. I’m like the cookie monster with stains, I really am. This new lip stain’s shade is light pink with shimmer and is actually infused with Yumberry, a superfruit loaded with antioxidants.

So how does it compare to Stila’s other lip and cheek stains?

The new Yumberry Crush stain is a little different from the first Cherry Crush and Pomegranate Crush stains, these two are sheerer than Yumberry Crush. They almost seem like watercolors in comparison. Yumberry Crush is more like Mango Crush because it has the same type of opacity and shimmer in it. It may be tricky to tell in the photo above, this is because I loaded the brushes for Cherry Crush and Pomegranate Crush with more product than the other two.

I love that Stila is giving us more of this formula because so many lines seem to think lip and cheek stains can only use these watercolor type formulas and that’s old news. New consistencies like this is where it’s at.

Have you tried Yumberry Crush yet? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.

I am obsessed with these new Nude Contrast Eye palettes that were released with Giorgio Armani’s spring collection. They are gorgeous and smooth and I love kicking up my nude eye with a delicate punch of pastel. That blue is where it’s at! But, by “obsessed with” I mean staring at online and playing with at the counter because my husband and I are buying a house in three weeks and I need to be smart with my spending. Ahh, the house buying (spending) diet!

Doesn’t mean I can’t look longingly right?

Yesterday we told you about the new MAC Trip brush sets and today we’re taking a look at the new MAC Look in a Box sets. The Goldie Rocks, Indie Girl and Gothette Look In a Box sets feature core products to help you achieve each particular look and most products are full sized. These sets are only available in select duty free shops.

I love that MAC is doing more of these sets, it’s a great way to introduce MAC to the unconverted. Here’s what is in each set:

MAC Look In a Box: Goldie Rocks

• Eye Shadow: Naked Lunch, Bronze
• Bronzer: Golden
• Pushglass: Fullfilled
• Mini Zoom Lash Mascara: Zoomblack

MAC Look In a Box: Indie Girl

• Paint Pot: Bare Study
• Penultimate Liner: Rapidblack
• Beauty Powder: Softdew
• Lipgloss: Headliner
• Mini Zoom Lash Mascara: Zoomblack

MAC Look In a Box: Gothette

• Eyeshadow: Showstopper, Retrospeck, Greensmoke
• Fluidline: Blacktrack
• Lipstick: Myth
• Mini Zoom Lash Mascara: Zoomblack
• Brush: 209SE

I’m a little torn, I can’t decide which look is my favorite. It’s a tie between Indie Girl or Gothette. The eyeliner on the Indie Girl is just gorgeous, my favorite way to wear eyeliner right now. How about you? Which look would you wear? Tell us about it in the comments.

Revlon Photo Ready Foundation is what I call a game changer. Not only can Revlon Photo Ready hang with the high-end offerings, I think it can even win a few rounds.

I have very strict criteria for foundations because my skin requires I be choosy. It’s sensitive, combination and breakout-prone –I’ve had many bad skin moments after a trial run gone bad with what’s supposedly the “latest and greatest” in foundations. Currently, I’ve been altering between my beloved Tarte Smooth Operator tinted moisturizer and NARS Sheer Glow – at $36 and $42 respectively.

About a month ago after hearing all of the claims of greatness about Revlon Photo Ready I decided to give it a try – picking up two shades during a BOGO event, Vanilla (002) and Shell (003). Both shades are a match, but I like to mix them together. Now this is being compared to Make Up For Ever’s HD Foundation as it is meant to look great on camera. I’d argue it tops MUFE’s performance in a big way, at least for me.

After four weeks of regular use, I can unequivocally say that this is one of the best foundations I’ve tried in a long time. It doesn’t break me out at all, it is long-lasting, provides great coverage but is not heavy in the least. And it does photograph amazingly.  I’ve heard complaints about glitter or shimmer and I have not experienced this in the least. I buff it onto the skin with my Sephora #55 which may help with that.

If you’re in the market for a new foundation, I recommend giving Revlon Photo Ready a try. Has anyone already tried this out? Any raves or rants you want to share?

Clinique has been stepping up their gift with purchase game in a big way! Check out this beautiful bag designed by Milly for Clinique. I absolutely adore Milly dresses and think she has a second calling in makeup bags. This gift with purchase, valued at $75, is currently available at Bloomingdales free with any $25 Clinique purchase.

In addition to the adorable bag, you’ll receive:

• Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder with Brush
• High Impact Mascara in Black
• Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer SPF 20
• Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
• Rinse-Off Eye Makeup Solvent
• Clinique Foldover Mirror
• Clinique Key Chain with Long Last Lipstick Mini in A Different Grape and Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Clearly Pink

To my disappointment, I just saw on Bloomingdales.com that this is not available in Chicago Bloomingdales locations (way to single out Chi-town!) Good think it’s online – I may need this Milly makeup bag in my life.

When Tom Ford introduced his Private Blend White Musk collection last September, I almost lost my mind. I completely adore musk fragrances and to hear about a collection with 4 variations of it? OMG!

I was sent a sample of White Musk and my friend Lea and I both fell in love with it and I ended up sharing my sample with her, which I didn’t want to do but I’m a good friend. Since then, I’ve picked up a bottle of White Suede and I use it sparingly… it is very special to me and I want it to last.

This fragrance features notes of Bulgarian rose, saffron, thyme, lily-of-the-valley, white leather, suede, amber, sandalwood, and musk. It is described as exploring the “masculine-feminine” tension of musk but to me it doesn’t seem that masculine, this seems to be more feminine if anything. With notes of rose at the top and lily at the base, this softness would seem a little odd to me on a man. This is a quote from the line that I really like:

“The intention was to build on the true beauty of musk, which is not at all heavy or dirty, but has a deep, compelling softness. Inhaling pure musk is a bit like inhaling nude skin.”

This is right on and exactly why I love musks so much. The White Musk collection features four different scents: White Suede, Jasmine Musk, Musk Pure and Urban Musk. While Lea and I disagreed on White Patchouli, we can both agree that this collection is amazing. It is like dying and going to musk heaven. Such a place exists, right?

Have you tried a Tom Ford fragrance? Which one? Tell us about it in the comments.

In case you haven’t noticed, we’re trying to keep the focus on perfume this week… and maybe into the next week depending on how I feel. What better way to celebrate this than with a giveaway? This week we’re giving away not one, not two but three DKNY Delicious Candy Apples!

Three new fragrances have joined the DKNY family of fragrances and they are part of the Delicious family. These new fragrances are all about pairing the sweetness of candy with a ripe, juicy apple and they will be available in stores starting this month. Here’s a video that might give you some insight into how these pairings were made.

Keep Reading! »

Years ago I was at Nordstrom looking for a new perfume. I didn’t have something specific in mind, I just knew I wanted something soft and clean. That’s when I was given a tester strip with Alessandro Dell Acqua’s perfume on it. I fell in love with it immediately but before I had a chance to buy another bottle of it, the perfume disappeared from stores. Luckily I have been able to keep stocked through different web retailers.

Alessandro Dell Acqua is described as a oriental floral but this perfume is my ultimate clean scent, it smells so clean and fresh that you can’t help but love it.  It doesn’t seem like an oriental fragrance to me, it doesn’t seem to have the spiciness or more of the woody notes that I’m familiar with in an oriental fragrance. It has top notes of geranium, coriander and pelargonium, middle notes are sweet pea, rose, peony and hibiscus then a base of sandalwood, incense and musk. With all the floral notes in this, I don’t get the floral aspect of it very much. I actually like to think of this as my “soap and water” clean scent.

This fragrance wears really well too. I was a wee bit worried when I first started ordering it online because it is an EDT but the fragrance lasts all day so no need to worry about that. And as an added bonus, the price is pretty affordable. It’s more affordable now than when it was in stores!

Next time you find yourself near a duty free shop in an airport, step inside! You might find MAC’s new travel exclusive Trip brush sets in Define and Blend and Shape and Perfect.

MAC TRIP: Shape and Perfect Brushes

• Rectangular tube shape zip up bag in a twill fabric with a black and white gingham pattern; with an inner pocket to hold brushes. Includes brushes 168SE, 187SE, 194SE, 275SE and 212SE.

MAC TRIP: Define & Blend Brushes

• Rectangular tube shape zip up bag in a twill fabric with a black and white polka dot pattern; with an inner pocket to hold brushes. Includes brushes 129SE, 190SE, 209SE, 219SE and 252SE.

I love the simple yet adorable design on each bag. The brush selection is great too, good staple brushes everyone should have. You can find these new MAC Trip brush sets at duty free stores starting this month. Now if I only had an international flight to take to help me get in the duty free shop!

Kim Kardashian’s perfume is finally here! The perfume is titled Kim Kardashian and to be honest, I expected something a little more “in your face” than the scent I received a sample of. I expected something woody with tons of vanilla on it but instead what I smelled was a fresh floral fragrance… quite unexpected and I like it.

The fragrance is composed of notes of  mandarin, honeysuckle, orange blossom, jasmine, tuberose, spice, gardenia, jacaranda wood, tonka bean, vanilla orchid, musk and sandalwood. The opening is very crisp and lush with the gardenia note seeming to be the most prominent of the bunch. Before long, the fragrance settles in and the base notes start making their entrance and warming up the fragrance but not too much.

Overall, this is a very pretty floral for spring but… there’s something I can’t put my finger on. This reminds me of something and it is driving me crazy that I cannot figure it out. It is like when you know who sings a certain song, it’s probably on your iPod but can’t remember the name. That’s what I’m dealing with here.   If you smell Kim Kardashian’s new perfume and figure it out, you have to let me know.

When Living Proof’s revolutionary products hit Sephora last year, frizzy-haired women nationwide got an ally in hair care. But seeing as I have stick-straight hair that behaves quite well I wasn’t sure this line would really do much for me. Don’t get me wrong, I have my hair problems but frizzy, out-of-control locks isn’t one of them. To my dismay, I even gave my free full-sized samples of the styling spray I got from Sephora to my mom. I just didn’t quite feel like it was doing anything for me.

But then I tried the No Frizz Leave-In Conditioner and I developed a new appreciation for this line. The hair problems I refer to? Yeah, they include flat, dull, un-voluminous hair that’s unable to hold any sense of curl and is very static-prone in the dry winter months. But the Leave-In Conditioner works wonders. Usually, when my hair is damp I apply a balm of (generally Aveda’s Smooth Infusion Style Prep Smoother) to help texturize and protect it from the blow dryer. But the No Frizz Leave-In conditioner does a better job – and conditions my hair.

No Frizz Leave-In Conditioner pretty much does it all: detangles, smoothes hair, boosts shine, protects against the sun and heat styling and contains breakthrough technology to effectively block out humidity. It’s recommended for highly processed or color-treated hair, but neither of those issues apply to me and I love it.

I’m currently savoring the sample I received and will probably purchase this myself when it runs out. At $24 for 4oz., I get a smidge more for my money than I do with the Aveda product I’ve been buying for years.

How about you guys – any hair traumas to share? What hair product can’t you live without?

Dior’s Spring Lace Color Collection is inspired by the soft, feminine lace of the 1920’s and it could not be any more beautifully presented even if it tried. “Dentelle” (French for lace) is embossed all over this collection and it makes me almost hesitant to use my Lace Face Highlighting Powder for fear of ruining the beautiful overlay!

Keep Reading! »

If I wasn’t on a self-imposed shopping moratorium, I’d be picking up this Kate Somerville The 9 Kit right now but this gal is saving for New York Fashion Week. The day I set foot in Bergdorf Goodman’s it will be game on.

But seriously, my skin loves what Kate Somerville’s products do for it and I think all oily/acne prone skin gals will too. Her Oil Free Moisturizer is among my favorite products ever. This new kit includes full sized versions of her Detox Daily Wash (another favorite of mine, it really is like detox for your skin), Clarifying Treatment Toner, Anti-Bac Clearing Lotion and Clearing Mask plus a deluxe sample of her Oil Free Moisturizer. This kit is valued at $160 but retails for $120.

A little hint to make the price a little easier to swallow… tomorrow everything on QVC is going to be available in 4 EasyPay payments. Might be a good time to give this a try.