I have a mini roundup today with a few last minute Valentine’s Day gift ideas to treat yourself! I will have reviews and swatches of all the makeup items in upcoming blog posts!
Fenty Beauty Gloss Bombs are still among my favorite gloss formula and I’m beyond thrilled they added three new shades to the full size lineup in Glass Slipper, $weetmouth and Hot Chocolit! The mini Glossy Posse set from holiday is still available (swatches here).
I’ve been thrilled with all the Chanel launches this year! The new Rouge Allure Camelias are all stunning and they’ve also revamped their Longwear Lip Pencil in 19 new shades. The Le Blanc collection just launched online and it’s stunning! There is a new product called the Rosy Light Drops that comes with a pump dispenser. The new Le Vernis in Petale and Fleur de Pecher are both must-haves! (Review, swatches and dedicated posts coming soon.)
For perfume lovers the Chanel Chanel Crayons set has four scented crayons each with a different variation of the Chanel perfume! They’re super cute to keep in the purse for touch ups or to split up and gift away to friends.
So many of you have asked for a review of the latest Diptyque Paris en Fleur Candle. Of course I had to buy it! I’m still undecided about the rose scent – it’s very powdery and I have yet to burn it. I caved mainly for the beautiful packaging.
For new lip oils this season I’d say the best ones for me have been the Bobbi Brown Crushed Oil-Infused Glosses. They are sheer but I love they way they look and feel! New Romantic is my favorite soft mauve shade.
For the ultimate glow the Natasha Denona Love Glow Cheek Palette is super glowy and shimmery. The diamond powder is the only color that has full on glitter while the other three are more glowy. If you want more of an everyday palette I still think the NARS Overlust Cheek Palette is the best one I’ve seen in quite some time.
The Venus Et Fleur roses are 100% worth the splurge! If you remember from a few years ago Andrew bought me one of the boxes and it lasted well over 12 months! The mini ones are super cute for your desk or vanity. Here’s a snapshot of how they lasted over a year and at the full one-year mark in this post.
There is so much I’ve been wanting to share that’s new in the beauty world – but it’s all been put on hold. I’ve been extremely sick and stuck in bed the past week. Thank goodness I’m finally starting to recover and on my way back to feeling myself. A few more ideas below!
Mother’s Day is coming up soon and the weeks are flying by so quickly this spring! I still cannot believe it’s the end of April. We have a little over a week before Mother’s Day is here on May 12th so if you’re shopping early I have a gift guide rounding up some luxurious splurges! Chanel Beauty has been one of my favorite go-to lines over the years and I’m so excited to share a selection of their Mother’s Day Gift Guide for every kind of beauty lover. I’ve personally gifted Chanel beauty products to a number of women in my life all different age ranges and it’s one line that never fails to impress. Their nail polishes or their lip glosses always spark a lot of joy!
_________________
Makeup Gifts for Her
If you have a mom, mother-in-law, friend who’s a mom who has everything you can’t go wrong stocking her up on classic staples.
Chanel Rouge Coco Flash is still a relatively new lip formula and the classic go-to red is Amour. The formula is shiny and the deeper colors pack in quite a bit of pigment.
For nails it doesn’t get more classic than Chanel Le Vernis in Pirate. I’ve had this since the original formula many years ago. The newer one is just as good! To make the manicure last I really like the Le Gel Top Coat and it prevents chipping for around a week for me.
Everyone can use a restock of their favorite mascara, the Le Volume Revolution de Chanel is their newest one and makes a great one for ultimate volume or you can always opt for their classic Le Volume formula too.
For the mom who’s a minimalist with makeup and wants a very natural matte liquid lip, Rouge Lip Ink in Serenity is a very easy to wear muted rose neutral.
If you have a mom in your life who already has everything the Les Beiges collection for 2019 just launched! I will have a review for you very soon but am still waiting on a few items to review the full collection. The pieces I’ve tested so far are gorgeous and I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t absolutely love it.
Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint is the latest all over sheer glow. I know many women don’t want any coverage and barely wear foundation. This is a great option for that all over glow with just a very slight tint of color.
For those who want to know what I think the best Chanel foundation is, splurge on the Sublimage Le Teint for yourself. I did and have no regrets splurging. It is better suited for normal to dry skin but I can wear it just fine with normal combination skin.
There are so many beautiful fragrances from Chanel. I know it’s very personal so buying for someone could be a bit tricky. If the mom in your life has a go-to stock her up on her favorite!
I owned Les Exclusifs de Chanel in Beige many years ago before they reformulated it into parfum form. It’s been a while since I spritzed this but it’s every bit as beautiful as I remember. It’s one of my favorite perfumes for spring.
Les Eaux de Chanel offer three gorgeous lightweight fresh smelling perfumes. Paris-Venise is a sweet neroli with a little bit of vanilla and tonka and soft powdery notes.
If you feel fragrance is too tricky and risky to splurge on you can always opt for the classic La Creme Main in Texture Riche (I really adore this!) or the Hydra Beauty Nourishing Lip Care. I feel like the hand cream and lip balm combo is a no-fail super safe option for anyone, even the pickiest of women!
_________________
Skincare to Splurge On
For skincare there are a lot of gorgeous options to pick from. Some of the most luxurious skincare I’ve tried is from Chanel!
L’Huile Anti-Pollution Cleansing Oil is a really nice silky smooth non-drying cleansing oil. It leaves the skin feeling clean without that stripped feeling. I have this from last year and still use it weekly. A little goes a long way and the bottle will last a long time.
The Sublimage line is hands down the most luxurious line I’ve ever tried. I splurged on a couple pieces for myself over the years and loved them so so much! For Mother’s Day they recommend Sublimage L’Essence Lumiere Concentrate to illuminate the skin combined with the L’Extrait de Creme to restore, regenerate and protect.
If you’re unsure about splurging on these individual pieces you might want to consider the Sublimage Le Voyage Set which has minis.
The Hydra Beauty Line has one of my favorite Face Mists. They add pieces to the line every year and the latest is the Hydra Beauty Camelia Water Cream. I put this to the test this past week and think it’s really really lovely. It’s one of the best lightweight creams I’ve tried!
For those who want firming Le Lift is a great line to look into. I’ve had this Le Lift Creme put on my face during a number of beauty events and it’s a really nice cream. My mother-in-law has been recently talking about issues with sagging skin so I think this is going to be perfect for her to try.
I’m bringing a bag of all the makeup items over to my mother-in-law’s for Mother’s Day for her to try out. For skincare and fragrance I’m going to let her pick and choose which items she thinks will best suit her. I love that she’s so easy going she will literally like anything!
For those who are looking for luxury gift ideas for the moms in your life or if you want to treat yourself I hope this gives you some good ideas at multiple price points! Gifting doesn’t have to be complicated or over the top. I’ve found sometimes picking one or two small things and adding a pretty bouquet of flowers or box of baked goods is super easy and fun 🙂 More ideas and inspiration on their online gift guide.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
