Surratt Beauty is one of those lines I’ve only tried a few things from but love everything I’ve tested. The Lip Lustre ($32 each for 0.2 oz/ 6 mL) was one of the first beauty products I splurged on and fell in love with them. I reviewed a couple several years ago and have since bought a few more shades, repurchased one and then the Surratt team sent one more for me to try. Some of the shades look extremely sparkly in the tube and the shimmer particles are definitely visible, but on the lips they look really pretty.
Color descriptions, order described in same order as shown above from top to bottom:
Etoile is a clear gloss with gold flecks (sent by the team), this is the only one I would say is not one I absolutely love because it’s primarily clear with tiny gold flecks, I’m just not the biggest fan of clear gloss, although this one is nice
Coquette is a super pale baby pink shimmer, I was worried it would be chalky looking but it applies smoothly and it’s very pretty, I have pigmented lips so if you have lighter lips it will be more true to tube on you
Soigne is my favorite it’s the prettiest rose shimmer and I repurchased it, if you buy one this is the one to buy, pigment is medium to full
Amethyste is a gorgeous purple shimmer, it’s semi sheer but gives the prettiest soft lilac shimmer, when this brand launched on Sephora it literally took me several months before I could buy it because it kept selling out and rightfully so
Ensoleille is a pigmented nude bronze peach, it’s so unique and looks really pretty on the lips
Flamant is one I bought in store at Barneys, the artists pulled this one and said this looks great on everyone and told me not to be scared of the tube color, they swatched it on their hands mixed over other shades of lipstick and with other glosses and by itself, I decided to give it a try because it’s not as scary as it is in the tube and love it, it’s a sheer red color with pigment
Au Naturelle is a creamy nude beige, this one is a nice nude but just not as special as the other colors to me, still it’s a solid performer and wears well on my lips
Overall pigment is varied depending on color. With the exception of the clear shade the colors all show up well on the lips. Texture is a bit sticky and a bit on the thick side but I like them. They adhere well to the lips and don’t slide around. To me there’s no detectable scent.
A closer look and swatches, left tor right is Etoile, Coquette, Soigne, Amethyste, Ensoleille, Flamant and Au Naturelle. They have a flattened sponge tip applicator.
I really love these but they are on the pricey side. My top three picks are Soigne, Amethyste and Flamant. Your mileage may vary depending on your tolerance for sticky and preference for pigment. I find Soigne and Ensoleille have fuller pigment while the others are more on the sheerer side. As you can see from the lip swatches they all show up but some have a more jelly like sheer finish compared to others. They are sticky but not too thick feeling on me.
You can find Surratt Beauty Lip Lustres now at Sephora and Barneys New York. If you’re shopping the Sephora sale you still have time to save with these codes:
4/18 to 4/24 VIB Rouge will receive 15% off, use code ROUGESPRING
4/19 to 4/24 VIBs will receive 15% off, use code VIBSPRING
4/20 to 4/23 BIs will receive 10% off, use code BISPRING
Other Surratt Beauty Features of the Artistique Blushes and Lip Products also on the blog. Have you tried anything from the line before? What did you think?
Etoile provided by the Surratt team. All other shades from my personal collection.
Hourglass fans rejoice because they’ve added new products to their Ambient Lighting Collection with their Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush ($38 each for .15 oz/4.2 g) and two new shades of Ambient Lighting Bronzer ($50 each for .39 oz/11 g). As a long-time fan of the Hourglass highlighters I’m thrilled to be able to review the new shades and swatch them for you.
Up first, a look at the blushes. For those new to the Ambient Strobe Lighting Blushes these are the most glowy blushes in the Hourglass line. I find that on my medium toned skin the colors appear borderline more like highlighters than blush. The shimmer is finely milled but on the glowy side. While I don’t see any frost in them, I will note that if you don’t like shimmer, you may want to opt for the Ambient Lighting Blushes instead. They have more color and less glow.
What I love about these is that they are glowy without being too frosty. They apply smoothly on the face and don’t emphasize pores. I do find they warm up a little bit about 30 seconds after application, however they don’t oxidize in color.
Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush comes in 4 colors:
Incandescent Electra is described as a cool peach blended with Incandescent Strobe Light
Brilliant Nude is described as a deep amber blush with Brilliant Strobe Light
Euphoric Fusion is described as a lilac blush blended with Euphoric Strobe Light
Iridescent Flash is described as a vivid magenta with Iridescent Strobe Light
Note that three of the four Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders were in the limited-edition holiday palette and Incandescent Electra has been released as an individual color for quite some time
Face swatches of all four on medium-olive skin. On the face I’m wearing the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation Stick in Nude. Lip colors worn with each blush listed below:
Hourglass Incandescent Electra with YSL Volupte Tint in Balm #7 (swatched here)
Hourglass Brilliant Nude with GIRL Lip Stylo in Believer (review here) + YSL Volupte Tint in Balm #7
Hourglass Euphoric Fusion with GIRL Lip Stylo in Activist (review here)
Hourglass Iridescent Flash with GIRL Lip Stylo in Creator + Achiever mixed (review here)
Up next are the bronzers. The original two bronzers Luminous Bronze Light and Radiant Bronze Light looked almost identical on me. The variation for me was slight but I do suspect colors will vary depending on how much highlighter versus bronzer you have mixed into yours. The powders are hand made which means each one is unique and different. I really loved Luminous Light and I still do. On me for some reason Diffused Light pulls warm even though it looks cool-toned in the pan. I love Nude Bronze Light because it appears slightly more matte than the other two. That being said they all look similar on me. The difference is in the undertone. These bronzers also warm up a little after application but they don’t darken or oxidize. A little goes a long way and they are super easy to apply/blend.
Ambient Lighting Bronzers are now available in 4 shades:
Luminous Bronze Light is a medium toned bronzer with Luminous Light highlighter mixed in (reviewed here)
Radiant Bronze Light is slightly deeper and warmer with Radiant Light highlighter mixed with a beige base (reviewed here)
Nude Bronze Light is a new shade with a neutral nude bronze and a soft matte nude powder
Diffused Bronze Light has a mix of cool brown bronze and a pale yellow powder
These were swatched with a heavy hand on the face to try and show the difference in undertone. On the lips is GIRL Lip Stylo in Idealist for all the face swatches below. To me they all look very similar. Nude Bronze Light seems to be the darkest on my complexion. Brush shown below is the Hourglass Brush #2. I have a couple of their brushes and need to explore more of them. They are synthetic and PETA friendly. They’re among the softest smoothest brushes I’ve tried. I think they’re under-rated.
If you missed out on the holiday palette you can find the shades individually now. I swatched my palette next to the individual ones and the colors, pigment and texture are the same. I still stand by original review and feel like the Ambient Strobe Lighting Blushes have more of a highlighter feel on me, but I still love them. For the bronzers variations will most likely be more apparent on you if you have lighter or deeper skintone. I’m right in the middle where all four have a very similar effect. My favorite is Luminous Bronze Light.
Bottom line beautiful powders, gorgeous packaging, seamless application. I love a good glow and these have a perfect mix of shimmer and color to look natural but still noticeably glowy.
Earlier in the year Viseart launched a new eyeshadow palette called the Petite Pro Palette ($30 for 8 x 0.026 oz/ powder-based shades). The packaging is similar to that of the Theory Palettes (reviewed here) with the magnetic cardboard casing and removable magnetic pans. The Petite Pro has mini pans of eyeshadow with a mix of matte and shimmer shades. I received in a gift bag at The Makeup Show Orlando last month and literally squealed when I saw this inside because I die for minis. I had passed on it when it first came out because I felt Minx and Honeymoon would be too similar to justify purchasing. After swatching it and playing with it, I confirmed these thoughts so if you own either of those you may want to shop your stash. (On the nails above is OPI Be There in a Prosecco.)
The Petite Pro Palette has four mattes and four shimmers. The quality, texture and pigment is excellent. I normally don’t gravitate towards really warm coppers or reddish purples because they tend to pull too warm on my olive skin, but the color mix in the Petite Pro is really good. Part of me looks at the palette and thinks this is really similar to what I already own, another part of me thinks it’s just really good for the color selection and convenience. If I had purchased it I don’t think I would have regretted it.
Colors inside the palette include a matte bone, matte medium brown, matte warm reddish plum brown, matte bark brown with grey tones, shimmering taupe, shimmering warm gold, shimmering copper, shimmering red plum. I think every color in the palette is wearable and gorgeous.
A look a the Petite Pro Palette compared to the Theory Palette in Minx below. The packaging is the same style, but the shape and dimensions are slightly different:
Petite Pro Palette on the left vs. Theory Palette in Minx on the right:
Swatch comparisons: Viseart Petite Pro vs Minx vs Honeymoon (previous reviews linked)
As you can see above I don’t really have exact dupes but both Minx and Honeymoon have very similar vibes. My heart belongs to Tom Ford Honeymoon although I do think either of the Viseart Palettes are nice because they have the matte options which offer more combinations.
Quick take on the Viseart Petite Pro is that it’s an excellent palette you can use for any occasion. It’s versatile and has a good mix of neutrals and some brighter/warmer shades to be more interesting than something like Urban Decay Naked2 (which I still really adore). That being said if you can’t do warm shades on the eyes because of your skintone or color preference, I would say opt for something like Viseart Cashmere Palette (swatched here), Urban Decay Naked2 (review here) or the MAC In the Flesh Palette (swatched here). I really like it but based on the number of palettes and shadows I own, I do think it’s similar to other palettes I have.
You can find the Viseart Petite Pro Palette at Sephora. Have you tried this yet or the Theory Palettes? What did you think?
The Sephora Beauty Insider Event for spring is happening next week and I have a roundup of recommendations of my fav picks. As a beauty lover I’ve found a lot of things I really love so narrowing down my picks was quite the challenge but I managed to edit my list to current by category to help organize everything. Many of you are lipstick and lipgloss junkies like me but I know others prefer skin care or hair care instead so I tried to cover a little bit of everything. Shown above:
First, a quick rundown on the Sephora sale dates and details along with the codes:
4/18 to 4/24 VIB Rouge will receive 15% off, use code ROUGESPRING
4/19 to 4/24 VIBs will receive 15% off, use code VIBSPRING
4/20 to 4/23 BIs will receive 10% off, use code BISPRING
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Skin care recommendations
Tatcha Balanced Pore Perfecting Water Gel Moisturizer is the perfect lightweight gel for normal/combo skin, I don’t typically like gels because they feel sticky or tacky but this one feels nice and wears well under makeup
Estee Lauder DayWear UV Base Advanced Anti-Oxidant and UV Defense SPF50 is a face sunscreen I’ve really been loving, I used it many years ago but don’t remember loving it, I’m not sure if this is a new formula or a classic, but it’s one of the best I’ve tried (sunscreen story is still coming I promise! I have two more formulas to test before I post the roundup)
La Mer Moisturizing Soft Lotion is one of my go-to’s for sensitive skin, it’s ridiculously expensive and I have never seen it go on sale, this is a great time to save a little and splurge
SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil current favorite cleansing oil, it has a cushiony soft silky feel, it has a decent amount of product in a bottle and comes with a really nice pump, with so many products that have wonky packaging, I really appreciate the brands that take care to design good packaging with pumps that function well (this is one of them!)
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Hair care recommendations
T3 PROi Hair Dryer has been a go-to for a few years now and it’s held up really well, it gives a salon quality blowout at home, review here
Ouai Treatment Mask is something I’ve reviewed before, I’m still not a fan of the packaging, but the formula is really great and I like the results so much I’m willing to overlook the inconvenient packaging style
L’Artisan Mure et Musc or La Chasse Aux Papillons are both classics for soft feminine scents, my husband likes this brand of perfume on me the most, they updated the bottles into a more masculine streamlined look
Fresh Sake Bath is the ultimate relaxation product for baths, I rediscovered late last year and it’s seriously addictive, it melts my stress away and I’m a little embarrassed to admit how many bottles I’ve gone through in the past few months, but it’s SO worth the splurge
Make Up For Ever makes some seriously amazing shadows, I own several full-sized colors from the Artist Palette Volume 1 -Nudes, I wish I had just bought the palette instead, it has a really good mix of high quality neutrals in shimmers and mattes for a soft or smokey eye
Urban Decay Naked2 and Naked3 have been on my favorites list for years, I never tire of them, I find them to still be among the best for neutrals, swatches of both palettes here
Marc Jacobs Style Eye Con No 7 is another great quality eyeshadow palette, current favorites are The Lover (swatch here) or The Dreamer (swatches in this post here)
Tom Ford Cream and Powder Eye Duos in Paradiso (swatch here) and Young Adonis (here) are the prettiest new launches for summer, if you don’t like glitter you may want to pass, although I don’t consider myself a glitter person by any means and the Tom Ford shadows are among the few that I actually like and feel like I can wear easily
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Mascara and brow picks
Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara is one I’ve repurchased a number of times since discovering it last July, it holds curl, volumizes, doesn’t smudge has a rich deep color and does everything I want it to!
Armani Eyes to Kill Waterproof is one I’ve used for years (even when it was in the older style packaging), I love this one for no-smudging
YSL The Shock is probably my newest discovery, I like this for definition, volume and no-smudging
Marc Jacobs Beauty O!Mega Lash is one I used years ago, I repurchased so many times but haven’t in a while since I’ve been trying so many other formulas, still this one has been a solid go-to for the times I’ve owned it
Diorshow Browstyler in Universal Brown is hands down my go-to for easy natural looking brows
Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation is one of my favorite setting powders, it’s a powder foundation but I use it to set foundation and for touch ups, my shade is #4 although I may have to go up a shade soon
Hourglass launched new individual shades of Ambient Lighting Strobe Blush, in case you missed the palette from holiday, they have 3 of the shades available for purchase now + one brand new color
Surratt Artistique Blushes are among the BEST for a natural soft glowing blush, they are really exquisite and even though I do think they are overpriced, the quality is excellent and they are very well made, swatches of what I own here
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That wraps up my top picks for recommendations by category. I’m in the process of working on my own list. At the moment I have quite a bit of skincare that I’d like to either try or stock up on. I have some body and hair care products as well I need to replenish – I’ve run out of a lot of product! I do have a lot of Surratt eyeshadows I’ve had on my list that I may order. Also the new Hourglass bronzers are tempting but I just bought two of the NARS Sunwash Diffusing Bronzers. If you struggle with shopping lists you’re not alone!
Let me know what you have on your radar for the Sephora sale. I’d love to hear what’s on your list! If you have any other questions for recommendations leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer quickly before the sale starts. Quick recap, sale is for Sephora in stores and online:
4/18 to 4/24 VIB Rouge will receive 15% off, use code ROUGESPRING
4/19 to 4/24 VIBs will receive 15% off, use code VIBSPRING
4/20 to 4/23 BIs will receive 10% off, use code BISPRING
The glowy highlighter trend is still going strong and as a fan of all things luminous I could not be happier! By popular request I’ve put quite a few new formulas, palettes and colors to the test. There’s lots to love and the great thing about the launches these days is that there is literally something for everyone. After extensive testing I will say up front that my absolute top favorites still remain the Diorskin Nude Air Luminizers, Edward Bess All Over Seduction, Laura Mercier Face Illuminators, Tom Ford Shimmer Shots and Hourglass Luminous Light (reviews linked for each one).
For highlighters there are so many factors to consider when picking one. Skintone plays a key role in determining whether a highlighter will actually look like a highlight or more of a bronzer on you. I know for many fair skin beauty lovers many colors that look like a highlighter on me turn peachy or bronzey on lighter skin tones. On the flip side some super pale highlighters will look more true to pan on fair skins while on medium to deep skins like me, some will just look like a white frost.
Skin type and shimmer preference are also other things to consider. If you have a lot of texture or larger pores sometimes the more glowy powder shimmers will emphasize fine lines or settle into pores. If you’re oily you will probably prefer powders if you’re normal to dry creams may be better for you.
I have a lot to roundup today, but first since many of you have asked, I can finally share the details about the upcoming Sephora Beauty Insider event today. If you’re a Beauty Insider member check your mail or e-mail for the codes! We have the official dates:
4/18 to 4/24 Rouge will receive 15% off
4/19 to 4/24 VIB will receive 15% off
4/20 to 4/23 RBI will receive 10% off
Up first is the palette I was most excited about but did not end up loving. I’m a huge fan of the Anastasia Glow Kits even though they tend to be more on the intense side of shimmer. The limited-edition ABH x Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit comes in the prettiest pink packaging with gorgeous glowy colors. There’s a mix of pink, mauve, peach, white, gold and tan – unfortunately on my medium skintone they pull a lot lighter than what you see in the pan and most of them look very similar. I knew before ordering that it would be on the extra glowy side but the shades are all too intense to wear on the face. I love them with a super light hand on the eyes but I prefer Sun Dipped by far for more variety and more wearable colors. It’s currently sold out online but check your stores to see if they still have them.
Next is the Chanel Plisee Lumiere de Chanel Illuminating Powder. This is from the Energies Puretes Collection reviewed here. Some asked for a face swatch of the highlighter alone since the blushes were ultra pigmented. This is a champagne highlighter with sparkles that give the skin a wet-look effect. The shimmers aren’t as intense as the Camelia highlighter but they are still on the strong sparkly side.
Up next are some liquid drops. Cover FX launched three new shades of the Custom Enhancer Drops and I bought two in Blossom and Rose Gold. Both of these have a softer finish compared to the first round they launched (reviewed here). I really loved the first round of shades even though they are shimmery. You can easily blend for a pretty glow. Blossom is the prettiest shade of soft pink and rose gold is a soft rosy peach gold. Both are close to my skin tone so they look very natural on me but the color still shows up. The drops are fluid and easy to blend and layer.
Marc Jacobs Beauty launched a Coconut Gel Highlighter called Dew You? and it’s a lovely light gold. The texture is a gel and you have to work quickly with this one because it dries fast. The nice thing about the texture is that it’s great for oily skin and I found it lasted longer on me than most liquid highlighters. Once it sets it pretty much does not budge. It also smells like coconuts 🙂
Third are some Algenist Concentrated Luminizing Drops. A while back I received a mini duo that you can buy as a set, but you can also find them separately in the full size. I am obsessed with the way they smell – it’s not really scented but it has this makeup scent that I really like. These are probably among the most subtle and sheerest out of the drops I’ve tried. Once on the face the shimmer almost disappears into a very subtle sheen. I would say these are probably best for mixing in with your foundation for a subtle glow. Because they are so sheer I found they did not do much for me other than add a sheen. That being said these have a serum skincare element in them so I do suspect they are meant to apply all over the face under foundation for a very soft glow.
Next up is the Laura Mercier Lightstruck Prismatic Glow Palette. As a huge fan of the Face Illuminators I had high hopes for this one but after testing this I found this was completely not for me. First I’m not into the holographic makeup trend – it just doesn’t work well for my skin coloring. That being said the packaging is more prismatic than the creams, but the lighter creams are on the glittery side. Aurora and Reflect have a softer smooth texture but they’re so sheer they disappeared on my skin completely. I do like a good neutral glow sometimes but I feel like there are so many other products on the market that already do this – this just didn’t really wow me.
I’ve already featured the MAC Quikstick Sticks before with the Work It Out review but had shot the photos before I reviewed them. I do believe they are limited-edition so if you have your eye on any I’d recommend checking them out soon. These have a highlighter on one side and a blush/contour on the other.
Perhaps my favorite launch of all the new highlighters I’ve tried are from NARS. I featured the Sheer Pop Multiples when I reviewed the Pop Goes the Easel Collection a few weeks ago. Navagio Beach is a pretty soft sheer gold (exclusive to Nordstrom), but my heart was completely won over by the Banc de Sable Highlighter Palette (exclusive to Sephora, now available online at NARS). A close up and swatches of both below. The Banc de Sable has a finely milled shimmer that glides on the skin smoothly and without any harsh frost. I wish more highlighter formulas and finishes were like this – it looks smooth and pretty on the skin and doesn’t emphasize lines or pores. Complete win for me on this one.
Last but not least because I’m a lover of all things Tom Ford, I had to include the new cheek duos again in this roundup. I really love both Reflects Gilt and Paradise Lust. I’m in the process of packing for a few trips at the end of the month and will be packing both of them to bring with me. Full review here.
So even though I mentioned at the top I prefer some other ones over these I do think there are a lot of new launches that are different and unique enough to justify splurging on. Picking one will depend on your preference for shimmer intensity.
My top picks of the new releases: Tom Ford Reflects Gilt, NARS Banc de Sable, Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops in Rose Gold.
For me misses were the ABH Nicole Guerriero and Laura Mercier Lightstruck Palette.
There are so many more that have launched recently I could not possibly test them all. If you’ve tried the Burberry Fresh Glow Highlighter let me know your thoughts.
Do you have a favorite go-to highlighter? Or have you splurged on anything recently from new launches that you have fallen in love with? Let me know what your favs are!
Press samples featured include MAC Quiktrick Sticks, Laura Mercier Lightstruck, Tom Ford Cheek Duos, Algenist Mini Reveal Drops Duo and Chanel Plissee Lumiere Highlighter.
I have some more Tom Ford Beauty newness to review in makeup and fragrance. I had already featured a large portion of the Summer Soleil collection last month and am still enjoying everything very much. After a bit of browsing online I noticed a few other products pop up called Paradiso in the Cream and Powder Eye Duo, Cream Cheek Color, Moisturecore Lip Color and Lip Color Sheer. Some other new launches includes a new perfume called Sole di Positano (already shown in this roundup here), Private Blend All Over Body Spray extensions to include Fleur de Portofino and an Dry Oil Spray in Soleil Blanc.
Up first are the scent and body extensions. I’m a huge fan of Tom Ford perfumes even though are on the expensive side. The Private Blends are my favorite and the best one I’ve bought include the Soleil Blanc and Fleur de Portofino. The latest is Sole di Positano which I’m obsessed with for spring. It’s fresh, green, bright different from anything I’ve tried before. Of course when I saw the body sprays and a dry oil spray I was intrigued. They are priced significantly lower so I had to investigate. I bought the Fleur de Portofino All Over Body Spray and the Soleil Blanc Dry Oil Spray and I have to say that the perfumes are the better buy for lasting power and strength. The Body Spray lasts a long time on me if I’m indoors but fades quickly on me if I go outside. Something with the Florida air, heat and my body chemistry doesn’t seem to want to hold the scent. The Dry Oil Spray has a very faint Soleil Blanc scent with a raw oil kind of scent if that makes sense. This one was a disappointment to me in terms of smell – I had expected it to be all kinds of amazing as I love the perfume, but I can barely smell it on me. That being said I had it on all over and my husband walked by me and said “wow you smell really good” which surprised me as I feel like the perfume version is more noticeable.
For color there’s a new Paradiso Cream and Powder Eye Duo. The cream side is lighter and more pink compared to Golden Peach while the glitter side is darker than Golden Peach. I love the cream from Paradiso and the powder from Golden Peach (go figure). I do think they’re different enough to justify both but you might disagree. I swatched them side by side so you can decide for yourself in the event you don’t have a counter near you.
For the cheeks there’s also a new Paradiso Cream Cheek Color which at first glance I thought was Pink Sand. If you put them side by side you’ll see the difference. Paradiso has the same gorgeous luminous glowy quality that Pink Sand does. Right now that I’ve gotten more color Pink Sand is almost highlighter material for me while Paradiso is more like a blush. I love this. I’ve only had a chance to test it for one day as it’s something I had to put on immediately – lasting power is quite good for a cream blush. I can’t say how it will perform in super hot humid weather yet but will keep testing it in the upcoming months as the season shifts.
Bottom line, I love the Paradiso eye and cheek items. I do think they’re worth owning even if you have Pink Sand or Golden Peach. For the body and fragrance, I wanted to love the body spray and oil spray – I just think the perfumes are the better buy, although I do like the body spray. I would entirely skip the oil. It added a nice sheen to the skin but I didn’t notice a lot of added hydration my skin other than a light oil. Brands like Caudalie, Moroccanoil or Nuxe have better body oils in my opinion. If you try one new fragrance this spring, I think it should be Soleil Blanc, Fleur de Portofino or Sole di Positano.
Right now I’m obsessed with all kinds of scents that smell like spring. Since moving to Florida I’ve more into scents than I’ve ever been, but there’s something about warm sunny weather that makes me crave something that smells like a tropical vacation. I have a mix of home scents and perfumes I’ve been loving. Some are new launches others have been around for years. I did my spring transition scent post last month and loved hearing about your favorites. Over the years I’ve found a lot of scents I love for spring so this is by no means comprehensive of the best ones out there, but here’s a small selection of what I’ve been loving right now.
For the home I discovered Antica Farmacista last year thanks to the recommendation of Edward Bess. He knew I loved Diptyque and said that Antica Farmacista was a beautiful line with gorgeous diffusers and candles. I fell in love at first sniff and even though I had seen the line for years at Nordstrom I never really paid much attention. I stocked up on a lot of diffusers during the Nordstrom anniversary sale and over the holiday bought a lot of sets as gifts. The line is truly exquisite! Since diffusers do last a lot longer than a candle I’m slowly working my way through trying new scents.
The latest from their line is Lush Palm which is a green floral with Tahitian Gardenia, banana leaf and palm. Notes include Herbaceous Green Accord, Crisp Apple, Pear, Aloe, Grapefruit, Bergamot, White Pepper, Pine, Tahitian Gardenia, Sambac Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Crisp Water Notes, Cedarwood, Mexican Vanilla, Labdanum, and Sweet Amber. It has a lush green floral feel that has an uplifting cooling and relaxing feel. We’ve been using the large diffuser at home and it fills our living room. The candle has pretty good throw. In their catalog they have scent combinations and one of them is the Bergamot and Ocean Aria. I’ve already burned through two of the candles for that one and adore it. They sent the room spray for me to try and as a bergamot lover it’s really lovely. If you’re looking for a nice mother’s day gift they have a Spring Diffuser Trio with minis of Acqua, Lush Palm and Bergamot Ocean Aria – it’s really perfect. Pair it with a nice bouquet of flowers and I think it would look super cute.
For more in the home scent arena, one of my favorite spring time scents (also good for summer) is the Diptyque Tomas Maier Palm Beach (originally reviewed here). It was a limited-edition scent years ago but they keep restocking and you can find it exclusively at Diptyque stores or online at Diptyque. It has jasmine, iris, lemon, lime, salt and grass. It’s got a lovely lush tropical vibe that isn’t overly sweet. I’ve been exploring more in Cire Trudon. One of the cute stores near us is called the Oxford Exchange and they have a mix of things like a cute restaurant, coffee area, tea bar, Aesop Skincare and a shop with Cire Trudon. I spotted a mini duo called the Giambattista Valli and Cire Trudon Duet which has Positano and Rose Poivree ($105). So far I have not spotted the duo anywhere else online except on Cire Trudon’s website and online at Barneys New York. I’m a sucker for minis and even though this was extremely expensive I could not resist the beautiful design and cute box. Positano is a strong bright white floral with gardenia, orange blossom, jasmine, magnolia, tuberose and lily. Rose Poivree is a strong rose with pepper notes. You can also buy the individual full size at places like Net-A-Porter, Barneys New York or Lucky Scent. Cire Trudon candles are quite the splurge but in my experience the throw and intensity surpasses all other brands.
In perfume long-time readers know I like to switch things up. I finally splurged on a full bottle of the Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt after using up a few minis I had from sets and GWPs. It’s funny because when it first launched I did not like it – but I gave it another chance before I moved and fell in love. I love layering it with the Mimosa and Cardamom and Wild Bluebell both thanks to the rec from one of my favorite Jo Malone reps in San Diego).
Tom Ford Soleil Blanc remains one of my favorites for warm weather but the latest launch Sole Di Positano is just absolutely amazing, especially for bergamot lovers. It an extension of the Neroli Portofino line which gets better with each new launch. This one has Italian bergamot, petitgrain bigrate, lemon and mandarin and shiso leaf. Sole Di Positano is not as citrus or sweet as the Neroli Portofino (one that I find smells great on others but not for me). It’s happiness in a bottle. The All Over Body Sprays have been around for quite some time but I never looked into them. I saw them in person for the first time (I finally discovered a counter near me) and was really surprised by how big the bottles were. They’re aerosol sprays and I decided to try Fleur de Portofino. I have the perfume version which I love for a more floral version of the Neroli Portofino line. I have mixed feelings about the sprays. When I’m indoors the scent lasts a long time on me with good staying power. However if I spray it on me and am outdoors for an extended period of time I find it fades after a few hours. I absolutely love the scent and am going to try layering the spray with the perfume. More thoughts to come soon – but Fleur de Portofino is another spring time favorite.
Last but not least Creed Virgin Island Water is pure love. It’s more of a summer scent but since it feels like summer where I am this is perfect. I don’t know that I’ve fallen in love with a scent as much as I have this one. I’m trying to ease up on use because I bought the smallest one and an worried I’m going to use it up too fast. I know it’s a silly thing to worry about since perfume is meant to be used – the small bottle was just so expensive!
That rounds up my loving right now spring home and perfume roundup. What are you loving right now? Do you have anything you’ve been obsessed with for the home? This time of year I feel like it’s the best time to makeover one’s home whether it’s updating bedding, home accents or new scents. Since we just moved, we are still in the process of furnishing our home. Going from a small loft to a full size house with a backyard and more bedrooms has been so exciting for us, but our furniture is pretty much swallowed up by the space. The last time we moved it took us about 6 months to fully furnish our loft because we started from scratch. This round I suspect it will also take time to fully furnish the home.
Press samples include Tom Ford Sole di Positano, Antica Farmacista Lush Balm and Bergamot Ocean Aria.
