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Valentine’s Day Gift Guide for Her

February 7, 2018

Valentine’s Day is just a week away! I’ve put together a little gift guide whether you’re looking for a little inspiration, hint ideas or something to treat yourself! A year ago this time I was still in San Diego busy packing up our loft and recovering from wisdom teeth removal. Not a fun time! As a surprise Andrew bought me the most beautiful boxed roses from Venus Et Fleur (you can see them here). They’re real roses that come in boxes that are preserved to last an entire year. I did not think it was possible but here we are a year later and they still look amazing! So many of you asked for a full year review. I did a February through August month by month snapshot. In August we started living the nomadic life and they went into a climate controlled storage unit until January. You can read all about them on their website – they stay inside the boxes and you don’t need to water them!

Venus Et Fleur Roses month by month

Today, one year later they are still in nearly perfect condition. The edges have started to become a little ragged looking but there has been zero browning and the colors have remained the same. We were a little rough with them because quite frankly we had a challenging year last year. These went through a 3,000 mile 5-day drive in the back of a moving truck (with no AC) from San Diego, California all the way to Tampa, Florida. They also survived a few more truck moves and stayed in a storage unit for several months. Both Andrew and I are truly impressed!

At the 1 Year Mark

Byredo for Valentine’s Day

Byredo has a few fun offerings for Valentine’s Day this year including a Limited-Edition I Love You Travel Case ($120). They have a few assorted travel spray trios this season, La Selection Florale ($110) has 3 x 0.4 oz./ 12 mL in Blanche, La Tulipe and Rose of No Man’s Land. There are a few other variations including the La Selection Boisee, La Sélection Best-Sellers and a six piece set La Selection Byredo ($220) as well. Trio and travel case shown above next to a 50 mL perfume and hair perfume for scale. I’ve bought the minis before and it’s highly recommended that you purchase a case for them. I’ve had a few break in my purse without it.

Pink Treats

Three super cute pink beauty things include the Chanel Chance Eau Tendre Hair Mist, Nuvola Rosa Nail Polish and the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask mini. There are a lot of perfume brands out there that have hair perfumes to match their regular scents. I just recently tried hair mists last year and I think they’re a fun way to wear scent. Chanel Eau Tendre is a youthful bright spring scent with a mix of Grapefruit, Jasmine and White Musk. They have the perfume and other body products at a number of places but the Hair Mist is a Chanel.com exclusive.

Nuvola Rosa Le Vernis is one of the prettiest baby pinks I’ve ever tried! In case you missed it review here. And yes! I’ll be reviewing a lot of the newer launches very soon.

Glow Recipe launched two new things recently. Their Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask has been super popular and for good reason! It has the most delicious smelling watermelon scent. I’m still in the early stages of testing this. I’ve tried it 3 nights so far and it has a nice lightweight bouncy texture that doesn’t feel super thick. When I wake up skin feels noticeably softer! The two new things include a Mini Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask (shown below) and also a moisturizer version called Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer (not shown). I’ll have a more detailed review soon, but I think the Mini Watermelon Mask would make for the cutest Galentine’s Day Gift for girlfriends!

Sweet Treats

When in doubt, I don’t think you can go wrong with candy or a luxury candle. I’m the biggest junk food junkie and can never resist anything Sugarfina. They have some cute sets out for Valentine’s Day with some fun labels on the tops. The XOXO 2-Piece Candy Bento Box is $18. There’s also a 3-Piece Box for $26 and a 4-Piece Box for $34.

The best candle you can give as a gift this season (in my opinion) is the Diptyque Rose Delight which I reviewed a few weeks ago! It’s just so so pretty!

New YSL and Chanel Lip Preview

There are usually a lot of new lip products launched during this time of year. I’ve already reviewed the new Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Lip Glosses on the blog. Two other new launches include the YSL Volupte Liquid Colour Balms and Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush. I’ll have a more detailed review in the next few days. In the meantime here’s a sneak peek of swatches in case you want to see what they look like and can’t wait.

First impressions are the YSL Volupte Liquid Colour Balm are decently pigmented for a balm! They are super cushiony but have less slip than the twist up stick balms. There is the same fruity scent. On my lips they seem to have a slight plumping effect but without any tingle, but then a lot of balms make my already full lips look fuller. #1 is supposed to be a night mask which is interesting. I haven’t tried that one yet but will report back once I do.

The Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush is a hydrating lip and cheek color. Colors are bold but once you blend it the color sheers out quite a bit for more of a stain. They feel weightless but a bit dewy. I’ll have to do more testing to do a proper review. They come with a sponge tip applicator. A more detailed review to follow as soon as I can!

Swatched from left to right:

YSL Volupte Night Rehab Lip Mask #1 Night Rehab
YSL Volupte Liquid Colour Balms
- #2 Expose Me Rose
- #3 Show Me Peach
- #4 Spy on Me Nude
- #5 Watch Me Orange
- #10 Devour Me Plum
- #12 Chase Me Nude
Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush
- #414 Tender Rose
- #410 Corail Naturel
- #416 Teasing Pink
- #418 Rouge Captivant
- #412 Orange Explosif
- #420 Burning Berry

That wraps up my Valentine’s Day Gift Guide! Do you have any fun Valentine’s Day traditions? Anything you do with your significant other or a group of girl friends? Stay tuned for another giveaway this week. Details will be posted on my Weekly Giveaway Page later this afternoon.

Press samples include the Byredo Travel Case, Byredo Trio, Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush, Chanel Chance Eau Tendre.

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Gift Guide

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

May 7, 2017

Mother’s Day is approaching and if you’re looking for a gift I have a roundup of some fun ideas! I think any mom would be happy with something simple like flowers or a nice brunch date, but just in case here are some ideas.

Makeup gifting can be a tricky thing unless you specifically know what makeup and colors one likes. Edward Bess’s line is one exception as I truly feel he’s made a lot of universally flattering options. You can’t go wrong with his Deep Shine Lip Gloss (reviewed here) or All Over Seduction Afterglow Highlighter (swatched here).
Accessories like small leather accessories or cute makeup bag are always fun. I don’t know anyone who would object to receiving a new Tory Burch cosmetic case or Gucci Marmont Card Case.
Scent is another tricky one because it’s so personal. I think Chanel has a number of classic options like the Chance Eau Vive. If you’re a Les Exclusifs fan the Les Exclusifs de Chanel Discovery Set with 15 miniatures is back in stock! I am so tempted to order this as the minis are just to die for adorable. My personal favorite right now is Creed Spring Flower – until the 10th there is a special Creed x High Camp Gardenias gift set (reviewed here).
Some safer scent options include bath and body products or scented hand creams. You really can’t go wrong with the Fresh Sugar Lychee Bath Cubes or the Fresh Sake Bath. I’ve loved both and there’s a GWP going on at Nordstrom (I think it ends today May 7th for their triple points).
Molton Brown makes some of my favorite shower gels and hand washes. Their latest is The Perfect Picnic Bathing and Hand Gift Trio. They always have good GWP promos on their site. I planned on gifting this to my mother-in-law and I really want to keep it for myself.
Byredo came out with a Hand Cream Duo for Mother’s Day – I picked this up for myself in New York at the Soho boutique a couple weeks ago and think the aqua green tint is just SO pretty. You can also buy it at Neiman Marcus. I believe it is limited-edition.
Skincare is another tricky one as it’s also very personal but you can’t go wrong with sheet masks. Also while in NYC I picked up the Peach and Lily Sheet Mask Trio from Barneys New York at their Mask Bar which has 3 to try. It’s super cute and really affordable. Just pair it with a box of Godiva Chocolates or flowers and it will make a nice gift. (You can also find it at Macy’s or Peach and Lily)
If you have a mother or mother-in-law that literally has everything, you can always stock her up on beauty staples, like if you know what her favorite perfume is or mascara is, there’s no need to be super creative. Tried and true staples are always a safe bet. Chanel Le Volume is a classic you can’t go wrong with. I’m putting this in a gift set for my mother-in-law.

I hope you found this gift guide roundup helpful! Do you have any fun traditions with mothers, grandmothers or mother-in-laws?

Press samples include items from Creed, Edward Bess, Molton Brown, and Chanel.

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Diptyque Fragrance Gift Guide Home / Interiors

Diptyque Advent Calendar – Holiday 2015

December 8, 2015

Beauty Advent Calendars have been around for years in Europe, the ones launched in the UK have been on my radar for many holidays and much to my dismay the good ones have never been available in the US. This year, Diptyque launched an Advent Calendar which sold out at lightening speed. By the time I called my local store they had sold through all the ones they received, but they put my name on a waitlist. I was thrilled to find they were able to find one for me and will be doing a reveal of the contents each week.

The Diptyque Advent Calendar this year is priced at a jaw-dropping $390, but the set is quite impressive. It contains a mix of 25 mini-sized Diptyque items including candles, fragrance and body products. A huge part of me cannot believe that I splurged so much on a single beauty set, but another part is giddy with excitement. The Advent Calendar comes in a beautiful large box and black bow. It’s taken a lot of self control for me to not open all the little doors at once time. They did list all the contents online, it contains:

15 (1.2 oz) mini candles in Ambre, Feu de Bois, Santal, Genevrier, Opoponax, Vanille, Cypres, Noiseter, 34, Oud, Geranium Rosa, Pomander, Figuier, Rose, Benjoin
1 (2.4 oz) small candle in Baies
6 (0.34 fl oz) perfumes in Oud, Florabellio, Do Son, Tam Dao, Philosykos, 34
1 (15 ml) mini Precious Oil
1 (15 ml) mini Rich Body Butter

Here’s a look at the box with two items for scale:

A look inside the box, each day has a little perforated door to open:

Contents of Days 1 through 7:

Breaking down the price of the set versus individual items is a bit of a challenge since the minis aren’t usually sold separately. At $390 this Advent Calendar is the ultimate splurge. This is for the person who is a Diptyque lover, or for someone who wants to try a little bit of everything in mini-sizes. For a few reference points:

The 5 Piece Set is $75 and 10 Piece Set is $130. Both contain the baby candles that are also in the Advent Calendar, so the price per candle is either $13 or $15
The Eau de Parfume Set is $115 for 5 mini fragrances, although the size of each is 0.25 oz while the ones in the Advent Calendar are 0.34 oz
The 2.4 oz Baies is priced individually at $32

If you find this confusing, don’t worry, I did too, but bottom line is there doesn’t appear to be any price break by purchasing the calendar. Since it’s sold out and probably very difficult to find at this point, I would recommend the 10 Piece Candle Set as the next best alternative for someone who wants to experience as much Diptyque as possible for the best price.

Even though this Advent Calendar cost an arm and a leg (and then some) I do think it’s extra special. It has minis of candles and scents that you can’t usually buy separately at such a small trial size. I’m anxious to try them all over the next few months. I think it’s fun that they included so many different fragrances to try as well.

For fun, I’m going to be doing a few giveaways in the next few weeks. I’ll have a new giveaway with each weekly reveal. Ideally I wanted to giveaway a gift card to Diptyque so the winner could pick their own items, but their website doesn’t appear to sell them, so the next best thing is one to Nordstrom. For this one, I’m giving away 1 $100 e-gift card to Nordstrom. It’s open internationally, but you must be 18 years or older to enter. If you’re a selected winner via the Rafflecopter widget and are located outside of the US, you can opt to receive $100 via Paypal. Entries will be collected through the widget – you can comment below in the blogger comments, but note valid entries are through the widget only.

Terms and conditions are listed in the widget below – selected winner will be chosen randomly via the Rafflecopter widget and announced below. I will e-mail the winner directly. Entries will be collected through 12/12/2015 11:59 PM PST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

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Gift Guide

Holiday Beauty Gifts To Treat Yourself

December 3, 2015

There’s a lot to do during the holiday season and if you’re like me you probably find life a bit hectic if not extra busy. With all the things going on with friends, family and year-end wrap ups, I think it’s important to not forget you! Today’s gift guide focuses on some of my favorite beauty items from Nordstrom to consider treating yourself with. Sometimes just one simple thing like a new candle or lipstick can be a nice treat.

I’m a huge fan of home fragrance. The right scent can shift the mood and help you unwind or lift the spirits. Mini candles are always so cute to have around the house. Diptyque Baies is of course a favorite. Vanille is another nice one for the holiday or cold weather as it’s a warm and cozy scent. (It also comes in the 5 Piece Mini Set and 10 Piece Mini Set.)

For a little bit of glam, a new scent to wear is also a mood lifter. If you want a sampling of lots of scents, the Jo Malone Cologne Collection has 5 mini clutch-sized perfumes in Lime Basil and Mandarin, Pomegranate Noir, English Pear and Freesia, Peony and Blush Suede and Wood Sage and Sea Salt. If you like stronger scents, there’s also the Cologne Intense Collection with 5 minis.

For color, hands down my most favorite highlighter launch this year is the Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Powder Duo. I liked it so much I bought a backup (although it appears to be permanent). Another cute mini set is the Laura Mercier In The Glow Trio which has small sizes of the Matte Radiance Highlight Powder, Bonne Mine Face Color Stick in Peach Glow and a mini Rose Gold Caviar Eye Stick.

For the holiday, the best beauty pick-me-up is a new lipstick or lipgloss. The Charlotte Tilbury Mini Lipstick Charms Set has made a comeback with Penelope Pink, Bitch Perfect and So Marilyn. For a little more glitz the MAC Viva Glam Miley Cyrus Lipglasses are surprisingly wearable even though they are on the sparkly side. I have last year’s and this year’s versions and even though I’m a neutral lip lover at heart – I find I can wear both without feeling like the shimmer is over the top. If you’re looking for a double-duty tint and hydrate lip, the Hourglass Lip Oil in Icon (c/o) is a splurge but worth a look. It feels super hydrating on dry lips and gives a glossy natural red tint.

For eyes, Charlotte Tilbury’s Fallen Angel Palette is still available even though it was launched last year. This is one of my most-worn palettes and since it is limited-edition I did buy a backup because the colors work so well without having to think about how to coordinate them. The shades are versatile enough to go with any lip and cheek color.

If you’re feeling extra spendy – the Louboutin Nail Polishes are the ultimate splurge in luxury beauty. I own quite a few and really like them for the rich colors. I also find they last a long time on my nails. All the Nudes are swatched in this post here.

I hope you are all having a great week – the weekend is almost here! With all the busy aspects of the last month of the year, I hope you don’t forget to take a moment or two and treat yourself. I love the phrase, “on a bad day there’s always lipstick,” because sometimes a little extra bit of glam can really make me feel better or more put together, even if it’s just for a moment 🙂

What do you like to do to treat yourself during the holidays? Do you have any beauty tips, tricks or traditions to share?

Many thanks to Nordstrom for teaming up to sponsor this post. As always all opinions my own.

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Gift Guide

Holiday Gift Guide: For Those Who Already Have Virtually All Things Beauty-Related

November 23, 2014

I’m usually really good at finding gifts for close friends and family. I like finding new things for people to try in beauty, food, home and various accessories. I do have a few friends who are a bit more challenging to shop for. Many of my friends are beauty lovers themselves, these are women very much in-the-know with all the latest and greatest so they own virtually all the cool things beauty-related. I’ve put together a gift guide for the beauty lover who already owns virtually all things beauty, but these really could suit a number of different tastes. I do have some friends who like beauty items but aren’t really into them. Here are some options for them as well.

Charlotte Tilbury Holiday has literally just launched in the US, chances might be that your friend might not have these yet, the Fallen Angel Eyeshadow Quad and Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds Lipgloss look amazing.
Diptyque has a Full Sized Photophore + Feu De Bois Set this year, I’ve featured some photophores before, they are usually a boutique exclusive, but for the first time you can get these at Diptyque counters like Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, any of the three new holiday scents in Spice, Winter and Pine are beautiful as well (review here) and would make good gifts even if they are duplicates of what someone already owns these scents.
Gray Malin makes some really fun iPhone cases (5, 5S and 6 options) with some of his amazing photos printed on them, I have the pink umbrellas one and really love it, I’m constantly asked about it from random strangers.
2015 Desk Calendars are always a nice gift, this Sugar Paper Black and Gold version is super chic but simple and elegant.
A super soft scarf is always a welcome gift, I adore the Nordstrom Tissue Weight Wool + Cashmere blends for myself, but I’ve given at least one as a holiday gift every year for many years, they come in a multitude of colors.
Tatcha Deep Hydration Lifting Mask is the ultimate luxurious gift for the skin, I’ve purchased several boxed sets in the past and split them with friends to try and they send me selfies with the mask on (also with raves). You can purchase individual packets or a set of four. It’s also available in a number of holiday gift sets and travel sets.
Kate Spade has a number of coaster sets during the holiday like this Silver Street Set of 4. They are fun to pair with a bottle of wine or champagne.
Truffle just released some new colors for clutches. There is a new Nude, Black and limited-edition Metallic Rose Gold for holiday. (There are new color additions for the Clarity Clutches too.)
Tory Burch has a number of metallic Rose Gold and Silver stocking stuffers. This Measuring Tape is just too cute. The Lipstick Case and Cheers Key FOB also look really fun.
Garance Dore Stationary is always a hit when I send out cards. The card set or notepad set can make easy no-fuss gifts.
Smythson makes some of the most luxurious leather covered notebooks. The pink Inspiration and Ideas or navy Notes books are classic and chic.
For the coffee lover, Nespresso machines are amazing. The year the Pixie Machines came out, I purchased four (one for myself and my husband, three as gifts). The new Inissia Espresso Machine is more compact and modern looking. It is perfect for small spaces and the espresso lover who is particular about flavor and intensity.
Clare V Flat Clutches are always a chic and fun option to give as a really nice splurgy gift.
Urban Decay Naked on the Run was just released online last week, it’s not yet available in stores, so if you have a beauty-lover friend, this one might not have made their radar yet.
This Fashion Memoires Book Set can make a nice addition for the home, coffee table or workspace decor. I have many of these book sets on my wish list and have been slowly adding more and more fashion books into my collection.

Shop more ideas:

Also check out:

Holiday Gift Guide: Travel and Trial-Sized Beauty

What do you usually get friends or family who already own almost all things in the beauty world? Or who maybe aren’t beauty lovers at all? I’d love to hear your ideas. I’m always looking for creative options that are different and new.

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Newer Posts

Gift Guide

Valentine’s Day Gift Guide for Her

Venus Et Fleur Roses month by month

At the 1 Year Mark

Byredo for Valentine’s Day

Pink Treats

Sweet Treats

New YSL and Chanel Lip Preview

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Diptyque Advent Calendar – Holiday 2015

Holiday Beauty Gifts To Treat Yourself

Holiday Gift Guide: For Those Who Already Have Virtually All Things Beauty-Related

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