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Gift Sets

Nordstrom

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives Haul: simplehuman, Space.NK and Jo Malone

July 31, 2017

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives simplehuman, SpaceNK, Jo Malone | The Beauty Look Book

I have a roundup of three more beauty exclusives from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale today. There’s still approximately a week left for the sale, it ends August 6th.

One of the best value sets is the The Best Of Collection from the Nordstrom x Space.NK.apothecary line. The set is priced at $159 and for a $237.50 value and you get four full sized items and two travel sized items. Often times value sets have really small sizes which I don’t mind because it allows you to get a good sampling – this set has full sized items and really good travel sizes that will give you a really good sampling.

The Best of Collection Space NK x Nordstrom

Inside the set you get a travel size Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray and Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment. For the full size items you get a Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara, By Terry Baume de Rose, Eve Lom Cleanser and Lipstick Queen Frog Prince Lipstick. This was my first time trying a green lipstick – it’s a color changing shade that adapts to your natural pH and on me it transforms into a deep pink within 5 minutes. On me it also left a stain so once it fades off the color still stays on like a pretty berry stain.

Lipstick Queen Frog Prince Lipstick Swatch

I picked up the Jo Malone Cologne Collection from the sale as I really like to keep travel sized mini perfumes with me on the go. The heat and warm weather have me wearing more perfume than ever – partly because I also use these on mosquito bites to stop the swelling. I’m super sensitive to bug bits and for the most part we’ve been able to avoid them except at dusk and night. There are two Jo Malone perfume sets, the one I picked includes Nectarine Blossom and Honey, French Lime Blossom, Orange Blossom, Nashi Blossom and Silk Blossom. I’ve shopped these sets for years and don’t remember ever seeing Nashi Blossom or Silk Blossom in the minis so this was a nice one for me.  There’s also a Men’s Cologne set which is a little more expensive as it has some of the intense sets. If you’re shopping the sale – don’t forget to check the GWPs online. Had I known about it while browsing in store I would have picked up something else to take advantage of it. If you don’t think these are up your alley – I’d say wait for holiday which is just a few months away. Jo Malone always launches the cutest holiday sets and I can’t wait to see what they have this year.

Jo Malone Cologne Set Nordstrom | The Beauty Look Book

Last but not least is the simplehuman round sensor mirror pro in Rose Gold. I already own the simplehuman Countertop Sensor Makeup Mirror and it’s probably the best beauty tool I own. I’ve had mine for years and you can read my review from 2014 here. It’s lasted since then and worked perfectly every time. I think it’s funny that with this mirror my male friends and family are the ones that were most impressed with this – funny as I think of it more as something women would use, but my husband uses this frequently and my brother was so impressed he bought one too. If you don’t own one the sale is a great time to save on it. If you want a comparison review of the two models I can do one in the near future, let me know in the comments. The Round Sensor Mirror Pro has the same size circumference but is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled with controls to change the lighting color, set timer on how long light stays on and also has a clock feature with an alarm. I’m not really the type to get ready every morning at the exact same time like clockwork to use the alarm feature – if you use it let me know! Also the pro version doesn’t have an adjustable base so you can’t make it taller like you can with the countertop version. I like both – the app feature is really neat as it also tells you how much battery life is left which comes is super convenient.

This version has a magnetized detail mirror and there’s a magnet on the back for you to store it when you’re not using it. Note – I just checked online and UPDATE Tuesday 8:23 AM it’s back in stock! You also might want to check your local store.

simplehuman sensor mirror pro rosegold | The Beauty Look Book

simplehuman sensor mirror pro rosegold | The Beauty Look Book

That wraps up my three more things from the Nordstrom Sale! In case you missed my previous posts:

  • Beauty Haul Part 1 here
  • Beauty Exclusives Neutral Lip Haul + swatches here
  • Hourglass Ambient Lighting Diffused Light Palette here
  • Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Blush Glow reviewed here
  • Tom Ford Golden Rose Eye and Lip Set here
  • Sisley-Paris Color Twist Set here

What have you hauled from the Nordstrom sale? Let me know in the comments! I want to live vicariously through your hauls – beauty and everything else 🙂

Space NK Set gifted for review. Other two purchased by me.

 

Boutique Fragrance New York

Creed + High Camp Gardenias for Mother’s Day

May 1, 2017

Creed x High Camp Gardenias Spring Flower | The Beauty Look Book

For Mother’s Day this year Creed has partnered with High Camp Gardenias to create a special limited-edition gift set available exclusively online at CreedBoutique.com from May 1st to May 10th. High Camp Supply specializes in fresh gardenia vines and blooms which are cut to order in California and then shipped in a beautiful glossy white box. Together both companies have created a memorable gift with a few options depending on how many flowers and perfume you pick. For this collaboration they have the Vine and Bloom Gift Sets which come with a mix of loose gardenia blooms and gardenias on the vine.

  • Creed x High Camp Supply Vine and Bloom Gift Set (25 to 30 flowers) $479 to $549
  • Creed x High Camp Supply Deluxe Vine and Bloom Gift Set (45 to 50 flowers) $539 to $609
  • Available fragrances for purchase to choose from include Love in White, Royal Princess Oud, Spring Flower, Acqua Fiorentina or Fleurs de Gardenia

I was fortunate to be gifted Spring Flower and the Vine and Bloom Gift Set (bottle is the 2.5 fl oz) and as a lover of flowers and perfumes find this to be unique and simply exquisite. The price of the perfume ($350) and gardenias ($129) individually add up to the same price as the set so there’s no price break.

Creed x High Camp Gardenias Spring Flower | The Beauty Look Book

The gardenias arrive in a white glossy cardboard box that’s sturdy. There is a cold pack inside the box to keep everything temperature controlled and fresh while it’s being shipped. The perfume is wrapped with a plastic sleeve so the box is protected from any condensation that occurs while it’s in transit. There are care instructions for how to unbox and care for the flowers. They arrive closed but open up within a few hours with the most exquisite gardenia scent I’ve ever smelled. I love that there is a mix of blooms and vines.

When we moved we didn’t bring all of our dishes with us (we gifted away a lot of things we couldn’t fit in our moving truck). I only had a West Elm round lacquer tray with handles so I tried using it as a bowl by taping the holes. The lacquer won’t hold up water for an extended period of time around the base so we made a quick trip to Crate and Barrel to pick up a Serving Bowl which worked perfectly. For the vines I placed them in a large recycled ceramic Diptyque Candle jar.

Creed x High Camp Gardenias Spring Flower | The Beauty Look Book

After a few hours the blooms fully open up and the fragrance from these flowers literally filled our entire home. Care instructions that come with the box:

Creed x High Camp Gardenias Spring Flower | The Beauty Look Book

Blooms straight out of the box placed into a vase and bowl:

Creed x High Camp Gardenias Spring Flower | The Beauty Look Book

Creed x High Camp Gardenias Spring Flower | The Beauty Look Book

Fully opened blooms after a few hours:

Creed x High Camp Gardenias Spring Flower | The Beauty Look Book

Creed x High Camp Gardenias Spring Flower | The Beauty Look Book

Creed x High Camp Gardenias Spring Flower | The Beauty Look Book

Shown above: Lip color is Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in 728 Rose Pulpe over Tom Ford Lip Color in Spanish Pink, top by Paige, nail color is Essie Topless and Barefoot

Creed x High Camp Gardenias Spring Flower | The Beauty Look Book

While in NYC last week I was able to meet up with a long-time blogger friend Cafe Makeup and we made a stop at the Creed Boutique on Madison Avenue. I had the best experience there. The staff there is very knowledgable and friendly. The boutique experience can be hit or miss in my experience and this visit was one of the best ones I’ve had. Even though I only own a few pieces from Creed, the brand has special meaning to me, in particular the scent Spring Flower. While I was in college I went on a study abroad program in Oxford for a summer. My room mate Laura (who became my bestie) and I arrived in the UK a week before classes started so we would have some time to explore London. She was on a mission to find Spring Flower and took me all over London looking for a store that carried Creed because at that time it was not available near us. At that time I was not into perfume at all and I completely credit her for sparking my interest in fragrance. Onto a quick peek at the boutique. I bought one gift for my husband which I’ll share in my NYC post later this week. I now have Aventus for Men on my wishlist to give to him as it’s probably the hottest male scent in a bottle I’ve ever smelled.

Creed Boutique Madison Avenue | The Beauty Look Book

Creed Boutique Madison Ave NYC | The Beauty Look Book

Creed Boutique Madison Avenue New York | The Beauty Look Book

Creed Boutique Madison Avenue in NYC | The Beauty Look Book

Hope you enjoyed this roundup and peek into my recent NYC trip. If you can visit the store while in NY I highly recommend it. I did a sneak peek on Instagram last week and was thrilled to find so many other Creed lovers! You gave me some amazing recommendations which I’ve noted and will be taking with me on my next counter visit (there’s a counter near me in Tampa!).

Quick recap on the Mother’s Day set. It will be available exclusively online at CreedBoutique.com from May 1st to May 10th, orders must be placed by 12 pm PST. Available scents with this set include Love in White, Royal Princess Oud, Spring Flower, Acqua Fiorentina and Fleurs de Gardenia. Prices vary depending on the scent you pick and which flower box you choose.

Do you have any Creed favorites? I’ve been spritzing Spring Flower since I got back home to Florida every day and am obsessed although I still really love Virgin Island Water.

Many thanks to Creed for gifting this beautiful set and for allowing me to photograph the inside of their NYC store.

Clarins

Clarins Holiday Glow Getters Advent Calendar Gift Set – Holiday 2016

November 10, 2016
Clarins Holiday Glow Getters Advent Calendar Gift Set

 

Clarins has a lot of great holiday sets this season and I’m beyond excited to share that they’ve launched their Holiday 2016 Advent Calendar in the US this year! Beauty Advent Calendars have been rare in the US and I’ve always been so jealous of my European friends who have them in their stores. This year quite a few brands have jumped on the bandwagon and as a beauty junkie I’m beyond thrilled. It’s always fun to sample lots of minis.

 

The Clarins Holiday 2016 Advent Calendar is limited-edition and currently available exclusively online at Clarins. It retails for $125 and has 20 mini-sample sized and some full-sized beauty products and 5 fun accessories like charms and gift tags. I really wanted to wait until December to open up each box per day but then I wouldn’t be able to share it with you.

 

Clarins Holiday Glow Getters Advent Calendar Gift Set

Inside the box you get:

  • Booster Detox Full-Size, 0.5 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Beauty Flash Balm Full-Size, 1.7 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil 01 Honey Full-Size, 0.1 Oz Net Wt.
  • Hand and Nail Treatment Cream
    Deluxe Travel-Size, 1.7 Oz Net Wt.
  • Eau Dynamisante Travel-Size, 0.5 Fl. Oz.
  • Toning Lotion with Camomile – Normal to Dry Skin Travel-Size, 1.7 Fl. Oz.
  • Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colour 02 Soft Peach Miniature, 0.1 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Miniature, 0.13 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector 01 Rose Shimmer Miniature, 0.15 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Crayon Khôl Eye Pencil 01 Carbon Black Miniature, 0.013 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Wonder Perfect Mascara 01 Wonder Black Miniature, 0.1 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base 01 Rose Miniature, 0.3 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Instant Eye Make-Up Remover Sample-Size, 0.3 Fl. Oz.
  • Cleansing Milk With Alpine Herbs – Normal or Dry Skin Sample-Size, 0.3 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream with Microbeads Sample-Size, 0.1 Oz. Net Wt.
  • HydraQuench Intensive Serum Bi-Phase Sample-Size, 0.1 Fl. Oz.
  • HydraQuench Cream – Normal to Dry Skin Sample-Size, 0.1 Oz. Net Wt.
  • HydraQuench Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm Sample-Size, 0.1 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil Sample-Size, 0.17 Fl. Oz.
  • One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser Sample-Size, 0.1 Oz. Net Wt.
  • 3 gift bag accessories
  • 3 gift tags

 

Clarins Holiday Glow Getters Advent Calendar Gift Set

 

A look at each day’s contents cased with a perforated door opening:
Clarins Holiday Glow Getters Advent Calendar Gift Set

 

All the minis – there are so many skincare items I’ve wanted to try and cannot wait to dive in.

 

Clarins Holiday Glow Getters Advent Calendar Gift Set

 

Right now there’s a GWP with any $80+ order running online at Clarins through 11/15 – there are four options to choose from, with a code for each option: DAILY16, MULTI16, FIRMING16 or SUPER16.

 

Clarins GWP

 

There are some other cute value gift sets which I’ll link below. For reference you can see some other reviews if you need swatches or more details:

 

 

 

I am a huge fan of the Clarins lip products but haven’t explored much of the skincare. I am excited that to try more with this holiday set. I have a few more advent calendar / beauty box sets that I’ll be reviewing soon so stay tuned! Ones to be featured shortly include the Laura Mercier Iconics (if you’re a Sephora VIB the 20% off sale for VIB tier members starts tomorrow 11/11) and Charlotte Tilbury World of Legendary Parties.Up next will be my Sephora haul 🙂 P.S. Tom Ford Winter Soleil Eye and Cheek Palettes and the Soleil Lip Foil just launched online just in time for tomorrow’s sale. I wasn’t able to get them in time to use the code but ordered the palettes anyways.

 

Have you checked out any of the beauty advent calendars this year? If yes which ones?

 

Advent calendar gifted by Clarins for review.