Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

On My Radar

Spring Wishlist / On My Radar

February 25, 2019

No. 1 Light denim jacket / No. 2 Boxy knit sweater / No. 3 Classic tote / No. 4 Nude sunglasses / No. 5 Mini crossbody zip bag / No. 6 New eyeshadow palette / No. 7 Fancy sunscreen drops / No. 8 Tan slides / No. 9 Dainty gold bracelet / No. 10 Peachy bronze nude eyeshadow / No. 11 Pale coral shimmer polish / No. 12 New Rouge Coco Flash / No. 13 Dainty gold necklace / No. 14 Newest Laura Mercier Foundation / No. 15 Zip clutch / No. 16 Gold hoops / No. 17 Milky orange coral gloss / No. 18 Nude lip / No. 19 Hair mask in new packaging

Happy Monday – the weather has started to warm up here in Florida and it finally feels like spring is coming! Rounding up some things on my radar right now for spring. I’ve already bought a few of the items and started testing them out. A few thoughts and notes.

I’ve been obsessed with the Madewell Denim Jackets for the perfect fit and classic style. I’ve been on the hunt for a lighter color wash and they just launched a Boxy Crop version in a light wash that I just ordered. I also am thinking about ordering the Everlane Denim Jacket because I’m obsessed with everything I’ve bought from them so far.

For tops I’m still really into chunky or lightweight knits for layering. The weather can be unpredictable and also indoors they always blast the AC in stores, restaurants and pretty much any building to the point it feels like an icebox so I always bring something to layer. I love the look of the H&M Knit Sweaters. I also have and love Anthropologie Cloudfleece Tops because they’re loose fitting and hang perfectly.

For totes and bags, I’ve been on the hunt for minimalist options. I want a solid colored leather tote and the Everlane Square Tote looks like it might be small enough for my frame. I did try on the Tory Burch Perry Tote in store and it’s SO beautiful, I’m hoping to find a more affordable alternative but it’s so well made and the material is gorgeous (a couple colors on sale at Shopbop through March 2). My favorite Tory Burch crossbody the Marsden Wallet on Chain is back in stock (I bought it last summer, also compared to a few other bags here) and is now available in a pretty white color. As much as I love flat zip pouches, sometimes I want a little more room. Cuyana has a cute pouch called the Work Clutch which seems to be the perfect in between solution of a flat zip pouch and clutch.

For makeup I’m working my way through some new product launches. I’ve been using the NARS Lipgloss in Outrage more and think it might be a favorite for this upcoming season (swatches here). I received a cute press kit of the new Laura Mercier Flawless Lumière Radiance-Perfecting Foundation but the shades didn’t match. I stopped by the store over the weekend and found my perfect match in Latte and bought it. It has such a beautiful finish, full review soon.

Chanel launched an entire line of new lipsticks called Rouge Coco Flash which I think is replacing the Rouge Coco Shine. I took a quick peek over the weekend but didn’t buy any. I’m thinking a good place to start for me is with their pink neutral shade in Boy. I also have the Pierres de Lumiere Collection on my radar but decided to order the Urban Decay Naked Reloaded Palette instead (launches at Sephora on 2/27).

One more quick note is that a large number of you have been asking for an updated sunscreen post. I did one a couple years ago but am working on a new one. We just bought the Dr. Barbara Sturm Sun Drops with SPF 50 to try out. Andrew said he was impressed after 1 try at the beach. It didn’t clog pores, didn’t feel greasy or oily, prevented the burn and by the end of the day it didn’t feel thick or oily. We will keep you posted!

What’s on your spring wishlist right now?

13 Comments

NARS

NARS Exposed Collection Review + Swatches

February 22, 2019

The NARS Exposed Color Collection just launched with limited-edition shades for lips and cheeks. There’s an Exposed Cheek Palette ($59) and three Explicit Color Lip Duos ($22 each) with mini-sized Velvet Matte Lip Pencils and Lip Tints. Swatches of everything below. The collection is exclusive to Ulta Beauty and online at NARS Cosmetics.

The Exposed Cheek Palette has that unique cream to powder finish NARS has in their dual intensity blushes, but most of the colors are satiny and glowy in finish (versus frost). It has a similar texture and pigment level to their Holiday Hot Tryst Cheek Palette, but the colors aren’t as shimmery for spring. Colors have medium but buildable coverage. On my skin tone the two pinks look nearly identical, if you’re fairer I suspect you’ll see more of a difference. The exterior packaging is so pretty with the pink, orange and pearl swirls.

Colors include:

Tell All is a shimmery champagne
Now or Never is medium nude peach
Give It Away is a soft brown rose
Make You Mine is a perfect apricot peach
Come Hither is a shimmery pink rose
New Fling is a deeper shimmery rose

For lips they have three Explicit Color Lip Duos with a small miniature Velvet Lip Glide and a new formula called Lip Tint. The pencil and gloss match each color in color. I owned Sex Machine many years ago and it’s been a while since I looked into the pencils in general. The formula is on the dry side for my lips, color is sheerer for the lighter natural shades, but the reds and bolds have phenomenal coverage and color payoff. I wish the neutrals applied better alone for me. The Lip Tints are medium-sheer almost balmy like glosses. They have a very lightweight almost slip like feel. I love the effect when the pencil and gloss are layered. It feels comfortable and cushiony, but so much so it feels like it’s going to slide off my lips. Good news is the colors do stay put but they’re not transfer proof.

There are three options:

Intriguing is a beige rose
Sex Machine is a neutral mauve pink
Dragon Girl is a red with pink tones

Colors layered together on bare lips:

Two makeup looks below wearing:

NARS Radiant Longwear Foundation in Punjab + Vanuatu mixed (I’m in between shades)
Armani Neo Nude Powder #4 to set
Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel
NARS Exposed Cheek Palette with Tell All, Now or Never and Give it Away layered
Left lips: NARS Explicit Lip Duo in Sex Machine
Right lips: NARS Explicit Lip Duo in Dragon Girl

Overall fresh and pretty for spring! Colors are very wearable and I love that they aren’t overly frosted but still glowy. Love the concept of matching pencils and gloss to layer together. I’m not sure I would call any of these must-haves. Even though the palette is super wearable I feel like the colors have a similar vibe to previous NARS launches. I’m not the biggest fan of the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil formula but I really like the three colors for this launch. The Lip Tint has an interesting feel – it’s super lightweight and glossy. I would have preferred them in the Velvet Lip Glide formula instead for more impact but it’s still nice and fresh for a spring feel.

You can find the NARS Exposed Collection out now. Exclusive to Ulta Beauty and NARS Cosmetics. Have you checked out anything yet? What did you think?

NARS Exposed Collection provided for review.

11 Comments

Lips NARS

NARS Lip Gloss Shade Extensions + Multi-Use Gloss for Spring

February 20, 2019

For spring NARS has launched 9 new shades of their classic Lip Gloss ($26 each) formula alongside 5 shades of a new gloss called Multi-Use Gloss ($26 each). These launch soon on February 24th at NARS Boutiques and online at NARS, and will also be available at all other NARS retailers later this spring (current backorder date at Neiman Marcus is 03/07/2019).

Lip Gloss Shade Extensions

The NARS Lip Gloss formula has been a long time favorite of mine even with several reformulations. It’s a classic medium coverage lightweight formula that has a wide range of finishes. There’s no detectable scent or taste. Nothing fancy or extra added, just your classic kind of gloss you can wear for any occasion. The new shade extensions are almost all creams with one sparkle. They come with a sponge tip applicator for precise color application. Some of the lighter shades need a little more blending to smooth out but in my testing every single color is amazing.

Sexual Content is a bright fresh warm pink
No Regrets is a medium caramel brown
Pulsion is a light nude pink cream
Outrage is a light milky orange peach, can be a little streaky, but blending creates the prettiest baby peach
Fever Beat is a plum rose cream
Love Me Do is a pastel baby pink
Mythic Red is a soft pink mauve (no red like the name might imply)
Color Me is a milky lavender, also a little streaky, extra blending required
Sexy Time is a gold sparkle

Close ups of each color, lasting power is fairly good for a lip gloss. They stay put for hours as long as you don’t touch them to a cup or snack. Otherwise you’ll have to reapply as there will be transfer, but this is expected with any gloss.

NARS Multi-Use Gloss

The Multi-Use Glosses come with a spatula applicator. These are meant to be worn on eyes, lips and cheeks. As with any other gloss product I have not been able to bring myself to wear them anywhere except the lips. These have a clear base loaded with different sparkles. The formula is a unique super smooth gloss with a lot of slip to them. They’re very sheer on my lips, almost clear – depending on the light you can see various flashes of sparkle and shine. I like these alone or on top of a lip pencil. For a more visible sparkle though I think Pat McGrath’s Lust Gloss in Aliengelic or Pale Fire Nectar are more my thing. Lasting power is average, it will stay on my lips but isn’t transfer proof and fades after a few hours.

Starbabe is a sheer white gold glitter
First Time is a silvery glitter
Relentless is a iridescent pink sparkle
Redemption is a light pink gold glitter
Working Girl is a sparkling gold

Closer up swatches, note I take my swatch photos with a flash which washes out the sparkle a little bit.

I really cannot express how happy I am that gloss and shine is back in for lips! I think this launch gives us a lot of fresh beautiful colors to brighten the complexion. The colors have a nice range from neutral to brighter options, every single one is wearable. My top 3 picks are Sexual Content, Mythic Red and Pulsion. I am undecided about the Multi-Use gloss. I like the concept and quality is there, I just don’t feel like they’re something I’d use a lot. I think it’s nice to have one of the pink ones for layering on top of other lip colors, but for eyes and cheeks I just can’t bring myself to put gloss on my cheeks.

There are a few more formulas I’m still working my way through testing from other brands. I do think you should put these on your radar for when they officially launch in stores and online. I have a hard time finding bright fresh pinks like Sexual Content – most are too bright, too fuchsia or too cool but this one is just perfect. Bright but not too bright for me.

The new NARS Lip Gloss and Multi-Use Glosses are expected to launch soon. Original launch date was listed as 2/14 but I confirmed with the team there was a slight delay and their new anticipated launch date is 2/24 for NARScosmetics.com.

You can find NARS at Nordstrom, Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Barney’s New York and NARS.

New launches featured are press samples from NARS.

8 Comments

Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Eye Color Quads New Shades Review + Swatches

February 18, 2019

Tom Ford Beauty launched seven new Eye Color Quads ($88 each) late last year. I apologize this has taken me so long to post. I felt overwhelmed with all the options but finally have a roundup with thoughts on each one for you today. I’ve been a huge fan of the eyeshadows since they first launched. The new color additions offer some beautiful more trendy options for you to create more unique beauty looks. I’ll say up front that I still think the best ones are previously launched colors including Nude Dip, Honeymoon, Golden Mink and Seductive Rose. The new ones offer a more diverse color range outside of neutral territory. I bought three of them in Supernouveau, Leopard Sun and Virgin Orchid. The Tom Ford Beauty team then sent more as press samples so I have all seven swatched for you today.

For those not familiar with the Tom Ford Eyeshadow Quads I’ll give a little overview. These are among the most expensive that I’ve tried and I think as long as you love the colors in each palette they’re 100% worth the splurge. There are different finishes and textures in their palettes. Quads like Honeymoon and Nude Dip have a pressed metallic finish different from all the other quads. This round Virgin Orchid and Daydream have the same texture. For the other quads there are mattes, glitters, shimmers and satin formulas. In my experience everything has really good pigment, colors are easy to layer, lasting power is very good, glitters apply best when pat on the lid with a finger.

Thoughts on the new shades plus swatches, Top Row: African Violet, Leopard Sun, Supernouveau and Virgin Orchid. Bottom Row: Photosynthesex, Daydream, Pretty Baby.

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Leopard Sun is my favorite out of all the colors. This has a very warm mix of colors so it surprised me that I found this one the most wearable for me. It has a sparkling glitter gold, a yellow warm gold shimmer, a rust shimmer and a medium brown shimmer. When layered together it creates a sunset looking eye.

This is the only one I photographed a makeup look for. I did test each one separately on the face but didn’t take photos since it was over a long period of time. If you want more looks with others let me know. Below wearing:

Hourglass Vanish Seamless Liquid Foundation in Nude + Sand mixed
La Mer Loose Setting Powder
Marc Jacobs O!Mega Bronzer in Tantric
Tom Ford Highlighting Duo in Moodlight mixed and blended on cheeks
Tom Ford Eyeshadow Quad in Leopard Sun
Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel
Tom Ford Lip Color in Autoerotique mixed with Lips and Girls in Uma
Tee by Reformation

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African Violet has such an interesting mix of colors. It has a sheer satiny bright violet, copper glitter, warm shimmery bronze and soft orange. The violet and orange are on the sheer side but it works out in my favor as blending and layering them with other shades from other quads helps to add warmth and life. You can definitely layer for more intensity as seen in the swatches below.

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Supernouveau is a neutral cool tone quad with a warm shimmery champagne, steel dove grey blue silver shimmer, mauve satin and washed out black. This one gives a nice alternative to the black/grey/white smokey eye. It’s very cool-toned on me. I need a creamy base to make colors adhere and stand out on my skin.

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Pretty Baby is one I thought I’d love the most but I have a hard time pulling off this much purple in one eye look. For me it requires a bit of mixing with warmer or neutral shades. It has the most beautiful mauve pink shimmer, a lilac satin shimmer, a duo chrome glitter violet-blue-pink and a deep shimmery smokey brown.

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Photosynthesex is another super unique quad I thought would be hard to wear but when the colors are layered together it makes for a really pretty night out kind of look. I like finishing this one with the green glitter on top and the dark matte green can be deepened in color with a damp brush. This has a yellow shimmer, a glittering duo chrome green brown, a deep warm brown shimmer and bold emerald matte.

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Virgin Orchid is a cool-toned quad of metallic white, shimmering golden pink, mauve satin and deep plum shimmer. I love the formula of this quad but found it too cool-toned and too pale for my skin tone for a single eye look. Quality is excellent, I do think it needs more colors added for me to make it work on my complexion. The mauve shade is what makes it too cool, but I simply take the color from another quad like Nude Dip or Honeymoon and it warms it up for me. Alternatively I can use the mauve in this one to neutral out palettes that are a little too warm for my liking.

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Daydream is the only one I had performance issues with. It has the most beautiful shimmer finish but if you blend at all, color disappears as it sheers out so much it almost looks like it’s being pulled off. If you layer color on top of color it’s best to apply in more of a patting motion and softly blend. I also don’t wear blues or violets like this so color scheme isn’t really my thing for this one.

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Overall my favorites are Leopard Sun and African Violet – surprising to me as I’m a neutral eyeshadow lover but find myself gravitating towards warmer shades these days. Each palette as with all Tom Ford Beauty products are very expensive and quite the splurge. If these are within your budget I’d recommend buying if you think you’ll use or love the colors. I think these are on the more edgy and bold side, but the color scheme is unique and very different from everything else you see on the market today. This is what I feel makes his quads special. In the case with most of his quads I mix and match a lot of them together. If you’re new to his line and want to know which one to try first, I still think the ones I listed above at the beginning of this post are his best ones. I cannot pick just one, but my most-used two are Nude Dip and Honeymoon.

You can find the new Tom Ford Eye Color Quads out now. I bought mine from Nordstrom and Sephora. Also available at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York, Bloomingdale’s and all other Tom Ford Beauty counters. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Supernouveau, Leopard Sun and Virgin Orchid purchased by me. Others are press samples.

10 Comments

Beauty Favorites Nail Polish

Top 5 Best Nude Nail Polishes

February 15, 2019

By popular request I’m sharing my top five most worn neutral nail polishes. I’ve done a few rounds of my favorite neutrals in past years and these days I feel like it’s all I want to wear on my fingers. I’m constantly asked for neutral polish recommendations every single week! There are so many different definitions and variations of “nude” for polish. When someone asks me for a good everyday nude polish they can mean so many different things. Some think of a pale off white neutral, others a pink neutral, some envision a camel beige, neutral beige, pink beige, brown pink, mauve nude etc. What neutral looks like also depends on skin tone and how well the color matches or contrasts with your skin tone.

I like something that is lighter or a lot lighter than my skin tone. Something that matches exactly ends up looking like mannequin hands which is not a good look on me. These are my current top five nude nail polishes I wear the most and also always get compliments or questions on.

Top 5 Neutral Nail Polishes for Sabrina

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Smith and Cult Peaceful Paranoia is a neutral creamy neutral cool beige-pink that flashes iridescent pink. It is one that matches my skin tone fairly close but has enough contrast to give a polished look. Marc Jacobs Flourescent Beige is similar but something about the mauve-grey base didn’t go well with my skintone. More swatches of Peaceful Paranoia here.

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OPI Machu Peach-U is the most perfect neutral nude peach ever made. I’m so sad it appears to be limited-edition. If you can locate it buy it immediately. It’s part of the Peru Collection and I think it should be made permanent! I was able to find some at my local Ulta even though it’s not online. You can still find it on Amazon.

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OPI Tiramisu for Two has been a go-to neutral beige pink for years. I love that it has full smooth coverage and doesn’t turn or look yellowish on the hands. It has a tiny bit of pink/cool undertone to prevent it from looking too beige. It’s the perfect everyday neutral. OPI has so many great neutrals but a lot of them are sheer. This one is opaque which makes it a winner in my book.

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OPI Samoan Sand is one of the sheer ones but it’s not as sheer as Bubble Bath. I still need 3 coats for full coverage but for a beige it’s really so perfect I don’t mind. Finding a good beige nude is hard because of the yellow undertone in so many. It ends up making my skin look sallow. This has enough peachy undertone to make for the perfect sheer beige nude.

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Chanel Le Vernis in Organdi is the most complimented nail polish I own (as listed in this post here). It’s neutral and pink and just perfect for any season or occasion. It applies perfectly with just two coats. The Le Gel Top Coat is the best one to make Chanel polish last.

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I wanted to add one more swatch for you since so many of you sent me Direct Messages about the spring colors from Chanel. I was pretty let down by the offerings this season (and last season too) so I only bought 2 of the spring nail polishes. Neither made my heart sing even though I really tried to love them. This Instagram post I did about the Bleached Mauve Le Vernis was one of my most liked posts on Instagram this year though which means it might be right up your alley! It matches two of their Rouge Coco Glosses which I love in 714 and 716 so I thought it would be perfect, but I’m sad to report that it did not work for me. It’s too brown/warm but maybe my skintone isn’t the right shade to go well with this. I feel like OPI’s Dulce de Leche is close but has a tiny bit more pink to make it more wearable. I do think the new Pierres de Lumiere polish colors look absolutely stunning based on stock photos. The entire collection just launched online.

Runner ups for color:

OPI Infinite Shine in Half Past Nude is more of a pink neutral cream, I’m not the biggest fan of the Infinite Shine formula, I prefer the regular one a lot more
OPI Infinite Shine in You’re Blushing Again is similar neutral-cool/pinker option to Tiramisu for Two
Tom Ford Sugar Dune is still one of the prettiest pale neutral nude pinks (swatched here), I just find that it takes a few more coats for full coverage
Essie Spin the Bottle or Barefoot and Topless are perfect colors, but even though my friends LOVE this formula to death, I can never get it to last on me more than 1/2 a day

Other recommendations:

If you want a super pale neutral that’s almost off-white, opt for OPI Be There in a Prosecco (neutral), Climb Every Castle (creamy, Ulta exclusive) or Lisbon Wants Moor OPI (cool)
If you want a deeper nude try Dior Incognito or OPI Dulce de Leche
If you’re looking for a good mauve nude try OPI Tickle My Francey
If you want something super sheer opt for OPI Mimosas for Mr. and Mrs or Bubble Bath

I’ve accumulated quite a few polishes over the years. My 2017 favorites linked here. I’ve since found myself wearing the same neutrals more often on the fingers. Recent pink polish colors have been from the OPI Tokyo Collection which I’ll review soon (Rice Rice Baby and Another Ramen-Tic Evening are perfect!). On the toes I often do nudes or bright corals. I don’t have any go-to rule about mixing or matching nails on tips and toes, I feel like you can really do anything your mood calls for!

Hope you found this helpful for my top 5 most-worn neutrals! Would love to hear about yours and what your definition of nude polish is!

Have a great weekend!

26 Comments

GWP

Space NK Spring Beauty Edit Bag 2019

February 13, 2019

It’s that time of year again when the spring beauty events start up! Right now Space NK US has their Spring Beauty Edit Bag from February 13th to 18th while supplies last with any $285+ purchase online or in their stores, use code BEAUTY19 at checkout. Out of all the ones going on right now I think theirs is the best one even though the minimum spend is high, I do think it’s well worth the splurge.

They value the gift at over $450, mostly all minis, items inside this year’s bag:

Diptyque Roses Candle 3.4 oz
Sunday Riley Good Genes 5 ml
Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15 0.12 fl oz
Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo 1 oz
Ilia Beauty Tinted Lip Conditioner in Forever 0.04 oz
Chantecaille Rose de Mai Cream 5 ml
Omorovicza Rejuvenating Night Cream 0.5 fl oz/15 ml
Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask 1 oz
Patchology Clean AF Cleansing Wipes 15 pack
Verso Hydration Serum with Niacinamide 10 ml
Coola Makeup Setting Spray 10 ml
Bumble and Bumble Thickening Spray 30 ml/1 fl oz
Clark’s Botanicals Deep Moisture Mask 10 ml
111Skin Clinical Exfoliator 0.35 oz
Malin + Goetz AHA Treatment Solution 0.2 fl oz
Golden Faden MD Skin Balancing Mask 7 ml
Kat Burki Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream 7 ml
Rodial Radiance Transforming Mask 8 ml
Kevyn Aucoin Flesh Tone Lip Pencil in Cerise 0.024 oz
Miriam Quevedo Platinum and Diamond Luxurious Mask 50 ml
REN Clean Skincare Radiance Glow Daily Vitamin Gel Cream 0.51 oz
Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask with Rare Prickly Pear Seed 1.7 oz/10 ml
Emma Hardie Brilliant Face Oil 0.17 oz
By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder Deluxe 0.45 oz
Rahua Classic Conditioner 22 ml
Lipstick Queen Mini Altered Universe Time Warp 0.08 fl oz
R&Co Deluxe Waterfall Moisture and Shine 15 ml
Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Exfoliating Moisturizer 0.13 fl oz
Derm Institute Cellular Rejuvenating Serum 0.17 oz
Pink zip bag

I can vouch for the Diptyque, Hourglass, Oribe, Briogeo, Christophe Robin and Bumble and Bumble products in this year’s gift bag. All of these are excellent and if you haven’t tried them yet this is the perfect way to do so!

There are so many brands to pick from I don’t think I really need to do a recommendations list but in case you don’t know what to splurge on, my top 5 favorites are mostly hair care right now. I actually just bought a lot of Oribe from Neiman Marcus and their gift bag was very disappointing. I really should have waited for this event, ordered online for a second bag to gift to my mother in law.

Top five loves right now:

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask is one of the best hair masks I’ve used (to me it’s better than Kerastase and Oribe). I really want to try the shampoo version of this mask.
Christophe Robin Shade Variation Mask with Temporary Coloring in Warm Chestnut was the best tinted mask for color treated hair my first round of highlights, this second round I’ve gone lighter and think I need the Golden Blonde version now
Oribe Run Through Detangling Primer came highly recommended by one of my pickiest friends. She used to work in the hair care industry for product development and she’s tried everything she possibly can. This is her go-to and she told me it was “the best.” I finally caved and bought a mini size. She was right. It’s amazing and I need the full size for sure. I don’t know that I’d call it THE best, it’s saved my hair with this second round of highlights, but I still think it’s a tie with the next item I’m listing below.
Christophe Robin Hydrating Leave-In Mist with Aloe Vera is something I used more of as a detangling spray on wet/damp hair. This was one of the few lightweight hydrating sprays that didn’t weigh my hair down. A light spritz allows any brush or comb to brush through my hair without any tugging or tangles.
111Skin Bio Cellulose Facial Treatment Masks are my holy grail of sheet masks. The set is crazy expensive but these plump and smooth the skin like nothing else I’ve tried.

Also linking a few other favorites below. Sunday Riley Good Genes is great, Space NK also stocks By Terry, Byredo, Lipstick Queen, Ouai and Susanne Kaufmann.

Some newer launches you might want to check out while the gift is going on:

The Space NK Spring Beauty Edit Bag 2019 runs February 13 through 18, 2019, while supplies last. Available online and in store with a $285+ purchase, use code BEAUTY19 at checkout.

Spring Beauty GWP gifted by Space NK.

4 Comments

Diptyque Fragrance Home / Interiors

Diptyque Roses Collection: Centifolia + Damascena Candles

February 11, 2019

Every year I look forward to the Diptyque Roses Collection they launch for Valentine’s Day. This year they launched two new limited-edition candles called Centifolia and Damascena, available in a few different forms:

Individually in the full size ($72 each for 6.7 oz)
Individually in the small sizes ($36 each for 2.46 oz)
Also in a Small Candle Duo Set ($72)

The jars are frosted tinted glass with the prettiest rose patterns on the exterior. Nothing would have stopped me from buying these and I bought these sight unseen just for the packaging.

As much as I love Diptyque I don’t consider myself a pure rose fragrance lover. I do really like the rose notes when it’s blended with other notes like it is in their Baies candle. Same goes for many perfumes that I love and wear. For me rose is best when it’s blended with something other than floral notes. If you love all things floral and true pure rose then these will be perfect for you. Alone I found these very strong, floral and powdery. I do think they are beautiful but they’re not my favorite. The Mini Duo Set seems to be sold out most places but this morning I still saw it in stock at Barney’s New York. You can still buy the mini sizes individually.

Centifolia is the softer variation and out of the two, I like this scent the most. It has the tiniest bit of spice to it and I found it really interesting to read more about the flower itself, per Diptyque, the flower is from the “Grasse region of France since the 16th century, the Centifolia rose is also called the May rose for the month in which it is harvested. It comes by its Latin name (centum=one hundred + folio=leaf) because of its profusion of petals, said to number one hundred.”

Damascena has a beautiful color combination of the bright pink and orange. This one is very potent, floral, powdery and sweet. I found it a little too overwhelming for my taste. If you love pure rose scents you will absolutely adore this!

Top from Abercrombie, Nail Polish is Opi Rice Rice Baby

I have no regrets purchasing both. I will burn them to the end but will most likely combine with another scent like Baies or something woodsy like Byredo Tree House. Compared to previous limited-edition rose candles Diptyque has launched I find these two to be more of a pure powdery floral rose while previous years seem to be a little bit sweeter and softer.

The jars will be used to recycle for me as well. A quick note on the frosted glass jars if you’re new to recycling them – I’ve owned a few others in the white frosted glass and the finish can be a little delicate. I’d definitely recommend you take care with the exterior when cleaning as they can wear off or scratch off if you use a stiff sponge. It’s not so delicate that you have to baby it, but if you want to recycle, after your first burn, make sure you trim your wicks with a Wick Trimmer before you burn to avoid burning the sides or tops.

To clean them and recycle after they’re done burning I take a small butter knife and remove the metal circle that’s at the base if it hasn’t popped out already. To clean the sides I soak hot water and dish soap and wipe out with a paper towel. I repeat until wax is completely gone. Don’t use boiling water as it can crack the glass. Hot water from the tap works just fine to soften any residue and the soap helps clean the sides. Anytime I recommend this method someone without fail tells me freezing them is the better method but it has never worked for me.

Bottom line beautiful and romantic! I just think some scents are best when layered or blended with other notes, with these I prefer them when burned with something else. I still think they’re gorgeous, they’re just not my absolute favorites.

The Diptyque Roses Collection is limited-edition. They have other options including the scented ovals, scented liners and more. You can find Diptyque Centifolia and Damascena candles out now while they last. I bought mine from Nordstrom. Also available at Diptyque, Space NK, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, Barney’s New York and all other Diptyque retailers.

P.S. Right now there’s a cute GWP available at Diptyque, I’m not sure how long it will be available but just wanted to let you know. Also Space NK’s beauty bag event is coming up soon!

Have you tried these yet? What did you think? Do you love rose notes or prefer it blended with something else?

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