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Fragrance

Spring to Summer Fragrance Edit

June 8, 2018

It feels like we skipped spring this year and went straight to summer here in Florida! Today I have a roundup of spring to summer fragrances that are light and fresh. I’ve been thrilled to find that so many of you are die hard fans of Tom Ford Soleil Blanc and Creed Love in White like me. This year both brands have launched new variations of the classics! I know fragrance is so personal so I’d love to hear about your go-to’s. If you’re looking for something new but don’t know where to start I hope this list will give you some ideas of where to start exploring!

Row 1:

Creed Love In White for Summer ($335 for 75 ml) is a new variation of their classic Love In White. The original is a crisp white floral with a powdery feel. The new version at first spritz smells almost identical but if you let it sit you’ll notice a softer vibe with a fruity touch. They both have that distinct white floral feel, but the new one is really beautiful! Right now Love in White for Summer is only available in the 75 ml form. I have purchased a few of their Leather Atomizers for travel or my purse. My husband also has a couple for his favorite which is Aventus for Men.
- Top Notes: Bulgarian roses, Calabrian bergamot, sweet magnolia
- Middle Notes: Florentine iris, rice, Virginian cedarwood
- Base Notes: Ambergris, sandalwood, apple, jasmine
Louis Vuitton Apogee ($240 for 3.4 ml) is one of the soft earthy florals from Louis Vuitton. To me I notice the magnolia and jasmine notes the most. It’s a natural and earthy kind of floral. One thing I learned at the stores is once you buy the full size bottle you can get them refilled in store for a much lower price than repurchasing another full size bottle. These come in beautiful glass jars. If you cannot decide on one they have a lovely Miniatures Set which contains seven 10 ml bottles.
- Notes: Lily-of-the-valley accord, Jasmine from Grasse, Magnolia from China, Gaiac wood, Sandalwood essence
Byredo La Tulipe ($165 for 50 ml) is another pretty clean floral. It has extremely strong lasting power – even though my nose gets used to it within a few hours, people who walk by notice it many hours later. To me it smells almost like fresh linen + white flowers combined. I also have this in the Hand Cream and Hair Perfume just for fun. In the event you want smaller options, it is available in the La Selection Florale Trio (12 ml vials). Alternatively on the Byredo Website you can order their Discovery Set (they limit 1 per person) and it comes with a voucher that you can use at Byredo Stores on Byredo.com.
- Top Notes: rhubarb, cyclamen, freesia
- Middle: tulip
- Base: blonde woods, vetiver
Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt ($135 for 3.4 oz) is one of the best earthy sea salt scents I’ve tried that is so unique. It’s a great light everyday kind of scent one can wear year round, but it’s not a floral or citrus. It seems like most scents that are light need to be either floral or citrus or beachy. This one is none of the above yet it’s not spicy or heavy. I attribute the hint of bergamot to this fact. It’s one I can wear alone but I received the best tip from one of my favorite Jo Malone associates in San Diego to layer this with Wild Blue Bell. The Wood Sage and Sea Salt notes:
- Top: bergamot, ambrette seeds, buchu leaves
- Middle: sea salt, mineral accord, dry fruits
- Base: driftwood accord, guaiac wood, white musk, sage

Row 2:

Diptyque Eau de Sens ($95 for 1.7 oz, also now available in a Solid Soap, Cleansing Hand and Body Gel and Hair Mist) is my all time favorite orange blossom. It’s not too citrus and it’s not too floral or powdery. It’s the perfect mix to be orange and floral. Lasting power is not as strong as Tom Ford or Creed on me but I don’t mind reapplying after a few hours as it fades nicely. I have the Hair Mist on my wishlist which I hope to pick up soon.
- Top Notes: bitter orange, juniper berry.
- Middle Notes: orange blossom
- Base Notes: angelica, patchouli
Chanel L’Eau No 5 All Over Body Spray ($60 for 150 ml/5 fl oz) is a lighter variation of the L’Eau No. 5 reviewed here. I actually prefer the body spray version because it’s softer and not quite as crisp. It also comes in a Hand Cream option which smells completely different to me but is still lovely.
- Notes: Lemon, Mandarin and Orange, Rose, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Cedar and Musk
- Molton Brown Orange and Bergamot Radiant Body Oil ($49 for 100 ml/3.3 fl oz) is such a beautiful dry oil. As you might guess from this roundup I’m obsessed with anything that has bergamot in it! This one is a fresh one that has a blend of orange, bergamot and mandarin. It’s very bright and refreshing. The oil absorbs nicely into the skin and gives the body a luminous glow. Scent is very strong for a body oil, I can wear this alone instead of the perfume version. You can find this in other body products in their entire Orange and Bergamot collection.
  - Top Notes: orange, bergamot and mandarin
  - Heart Notes: neroli, cardamom and galbanum
  - Base Notes: musk, ylang-ylang and cedarwood
Tom Ford Eau de Soleil Blanc ($122 for 1.7 oz) is new this spring. It’s one of my favorites of the season and I did not think it could get better than the original. It’s really close to the original version but this one is lighter in feel and not quite as rich or deep. It’s more green and a tiny bit more citrus with a brighter feel. I do not think you need both if you are already well stocked on one. I used up my original so decided to buy this one and I’m 100% happy I did.
- Notes: Vert de Bergamot, Orange Bitter, Petitgrain Bigarde, Ylang-Ylang, Pistachio Accord, Coco de Mer Accord

Row 3:

Tom Ford Soleil Blanc Oil ($74 for 8.4 fl oz/250 ml) is my favorite scented body oil. I wish it came with a spritzer but it’s so good I can overlook the packaging. It does come in a Dry Oil Spray Version which I personally did not like very much. For some reason the regular Body Oil works much better for my skin and smells better too.
Byredo Mojave Ghost ($165 for 1.7 fl oz) is one of the most unique scents I’ve tried. To me it smells a little fruity and floral with noticeable violet and magnolia notes. There’s a tiny hint of musk and sandalwood with amber to round it out and prevent it from being a full on floral. Lasting power on me is excellent.
- Top Notes: ambrette, Jamaican nesberry
- Middle Notes: violet, sandalwood, magnolia
- Base Notes: chantilly musk, crisp amber, cedarwood
Tom Ford Fleur de Portofino ($230 for 1.7 oz/50 ml, also available in the All Over Body Spray which I’ve tried and loved) is a twist on their classic Neroli Portofino. They have several spinoffs of the classic and to me this one is the best because it mixes in floral making it softer, more feminine and well rounded. It smells like the spring to summer transition with crisp citrus and fresh floral notes.
- Notes: Sicilian Lemon, Bigarade Leaf Absolute, Violet Leaf Absolute Orpur, White Acacia Accord, Jasmine Grandiforum Concrete, Acacia Honey Accord
Tom Ford Soleil Blanc is another classic that I’ve used up in the full size. The one shown is from a limited-edition Travel Atomizer which has just launched at Nordstrom! So many of you have said this scent is THE ONE for you. I think it’s a classic sunshine vacation scent in a bottle!
- Notes: Bergamot, Cardamom Oil Orpur, Pistachio Accord, Ylang Ylang Comores Islands, Benzoin Extract Orpur, Coco De Mer Accord

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My top 3: Creed Love in White for Summer, Byredo Mojave Ghost and Tom Ford Eau de Soleil Blanc.

I know perfume is one of those beauty products that is best to shop for in person. I’ve ordered a few blind simply because I did not have a counter near me and it has been both hit or miss. After a couple misses I decided to never do it again. These days I’ve found more and more brands have started to sell sample vials or discovery sets on their websites. You may have to do a bit of searching to find them. Many larger retailers offer samples with beauty purchases, I almost always add one to my cart from Nordstrom. Lucky Scent also sells samples and sample packs of fragrances of their entire store. If you are ever in the Los Angeles area I highly recommend you stop by their store. You can read more in a feature I did here. In some cases you might not find any sample section online even on specific brand websites. I’ve also had luck a couple times e-mailing customer service to see if I could buy or order samples and in two instances they did!

That wraps up my spring to summer perfume favorites. I know it’s quite a lot and some of you stick to 1 or 2 scents but I also know women who rotate on a seasonal basis and like to switch things up like me. As always please share your personal favorites in the comments! I love reading about what you love and wear.

Press samples featured include items from Creed, Molton Brown and Louis Vuitton.

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Fragrance

Louis Vuitton Les Parfums Miniature Set Review

January 9, 2017

Last fall Louis Vuitton launched perfume consisting of 7 scents in their Les Parfums line. I happened to be browsing the beauty department at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills the day they launched in stores and was able to test all seven in person. The rep who helped me was absolutely charming and friendly. I loved that he was patient and took the time to explain each scent carefully and I was especially appreciative of the fact that there was no pressure to make a purchase even though he took a considerable amount of time assisting me with exploring the new launch. There was a specific order in which he sampled and spritzed them on the cards. He explained that there was a “fragrance journey” and each scent had special meaning. We started with the lightest scent Rose des Vents and ended with a sampling of Mille Feux. After getting a little background on each one, the rep then asked me to pick my top two to spray one on each arm. I fell in love with three of them and since the individual bottles are quite expensive I decided to purchase the Miniature Set ($290 for 7 scents, 10 ml each) so I could try and enjoy each one.

Mirrored Tray from West Elm

The scents are each unique and distinct with a luxurious, refined and sophisticated and classic feel. Anytime I wear one I can’t help but feel like a more put together version of myself – the scents lift the mood and add a touch of luxury without being too strong of feeling overdone. I think the packaging and presentation is absolutely exquisite! The miniatures in the set come boxed in a beautiful white and gold round box, each bottle comes with a removable stopper. The minis do not have spritzers and I wish they did as it makes application so much easier. The bottles however are well designed with a sturdy cap to keep the lids tightly sealed but are still easy to remove with a bit of maneuvering.

A quick look at the miniature size compared to some other items for scale including the Replica Filter in Glow (50 ml), Chanel No 5 L’Eau (50 ml), Jo Malone Mini (9 ml), Chanel Le Vernis and Tom Ford Lipstick. At the time I bought the set the store did not yet have a tester of the miniatures so I did not know they didn’t come with spritzers. The store reps hadn’t seen it in person yet either as the box it comes in (which is a white box shown in the very top photo) is sealed with a clear plastic wrap. After purchasing it, I opened it in the store so we could all see the size and how the minis were bottled (without spritzers).

A quick look at each of the seven Louis Vuitton Perfumes below with a listing of notes and personal thoughts:

Apogee has a light spring time vibe with lily of the valley, jasmine and rose. This was in my top three picks with a light fresh and slightly green everyday kind of feel. Notes include Lily-of-the-valley, jasmine from Grasse, magnolia from China, gaiac wood, sandalwood essence. I cannot detect any wood or sandalwood notes with my nose, but having smelled other lily-of-the-valley scents it makes sense that they are there since this one has a less powdery or floral feel that most lily-of-the-valley fragrances have.

Rose des Vents is a petal rose with a mix of several different rose notes. It’s a sweet and light kind of scent like a sweet garden. There is a very soft and slightly fruity feel to it making it different from most rose scents. Notes include centifolia rose absolute, Turkish rose essence, Bulgarian rose essence, Florentine iris, Virginia cedar. This is very light and feminine.

Contre Moi has a vanilla-ish vibe but not the traditional sweet kind of vanilla scent. The orange blossom notes and magnolia give it an interesting twist. It has a unisex vibe Notes include infusion and essence of vanilla from Madagascar, Tahitensis vanilla, orange blossom, rose centifolia from Grasse, essence of magnolia, ambrette seeds.

Turbulences is one of the ones I did not care for as it smells almost dated with an aged dusty kind of feel. It smells of tuberose with leathery notes. include tuberose, jasmin grandiflorum from Grasse, absolute of jasmine sambac from China, may rose.

Mille Feux notes include leather infusion, raspberry, osmanthus from China, iris from concrete, saffron. This is in my top three – it has a sweet kind of feel without being overly sweet or fruity.

Dans La Peau is a scent described as skin-like. This was also in my top three. It is a difficult one for me to describe but it smells very clean with a mix of floral notes, leather and a slight hint of apricot. It has a raw and earthy feel in the sense it is very natural. Notes include infusion of natural leather, Jasmine from Grasse, absolute of narcissus, musk, Magnolia from China.

Matiere Noire is a darker evening type of scent with blackcurrant and white narcissus. It has a deeper more complex feel compared to other blackcurrant scents like L’Artisan Mure et Musc or Diptyque L’Ombre Dans L’eau. With Matiere Noire I smell blackcurrant, musk and patchouli the most. Notes include Laos agarwod, Sambac jasmine, narcissus, rose centifolia, cyclamen, patchouli and incense. I think this one could pass as a unisex kind of scent.

There are several different ways to purchase the scents. Individually they come in a 100 ml size for $240 and 200 ml spray for $350. There are also travel sized sets with four 7.5 ml cartridges and a travel bottle with magnetic closure for $240. I fell in love with the Miniature Set because it allows me to sample each one. Also as I already own a lot of perfumes and it takes me forever to use one up the minis were the way to go.

I’ve been playing with these for several months now and while I’ve found three that I really like although due the high price I haven’t felt compelled to buy the full size in any particular option. On me the strength of each scent is just perfect – not too strong but still strong enough to last all day without fading. A few dabs on the wrist is all I need. I do wish the Miniature Set had spritzers on the top for easier application like the full size bottles which are just absolutely beautiful in design, but I have no regrets splurging on the minis.

My top favorites are Apogee, Dans la Peau and Mille Feux. You can find Louis Vuitton Perfumes in stores and online. If you are able to visit a store I highly recommend you give them a try in person! The Miniature Set retails for $290.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

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Fragrance Men's Grooming

Fall Fragrance Loves for Him and Her

September 30, 2016

There are so many new scents that have launched this season. I usually find one or two new scents each season that I love but this season almost every new fragrance I’ve tested I’ve fallen in love with. I have a roundup of ones I have in rotation right now along with a men’s rotation for my husband. He usually sticks to the same colognes so many of the ones you’ll see here have been featured numerous times. I like to switch things up frequently so some of mine are newer ones.

Up first are my favorites along with thoughts on some others I’ve tested:

The three most exciting fragrance launches this season for me have been from Louis Vuitton, Louboutin and Edward Bess. I will have dedicated reviews coming soon on the launches but wanted to give you a roundup of highlights right now. Shown above:

Chanel N°5 L’Eau (c/o, reviewed here) is a light clean floral that dries down to a slightly powdery musk. Many of you have bought or tried this one too and mentioned that you either love or hate it. I really like it for the clean lively feel. It was a Chanel.com exclusive for a few weeks but you can find it now at all Chanel counters (for those wondering).

Notes include lemon, mandarin, orange, rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, cedar and cotton musk.

L’Artisan Mûre et Musc has been a long time favorite. I discovered it thanks to one of my best friends who always smells amazing. L’artisan recently redesigned all their packaging so out of curiosity I ordered one of the new ones and was relieved to find the scent is still the same. Sometimes I worry formulas change when packaging does. In this case it’s the classic berry musk.

Notes include lemon, orange, basil, lavender, blackberry, jasmine, musk, patchouli and oakmoss. It’s one of my husband’s favorites on me.

Molton Brown Pink Pepperpod Eau de Toilette is one of my favorite Molton Brown scents, I discovered it in the hand cream and shower gel and loved it so much I bought the perfume. It’s difficult to describe but it has a pink pepper, patchouli and cedarwood mix with a girly zest. They have a Discovery Set online that has 8 small spritzers of their scents you can order.

Pink Pepperpod notes include pink pepper, tangerine, elemi oil, nutmeg, ginger oil, patchouli and cedarwood oil.
This weekend their Friends and Family 20% off sale is happening through October 3 with code USFF20 at checkout. I won’t have a home fragrance roundup in time before the sale ends, but their Coco and Sandalwood Candle is to die for for fall.

Replica Filter in Glow is a new perfume primer designed to layer with your perfume. It’s an oil based spray and scented so it adheres well to the skin. I like using it alone or layering it with Replica Lipstick On afterwards. It’s a soft warm citrus that feels bright but not sharp.

Notes citrus neroli.

Byredo Bal D’Afrique is one of the few sweet scents I find I can wear. It’s one of the most unique fragrances I’ve tried and to me I smell a slight hint of apricot in it but it’s not really like that at all. For me it’s a bright sweet with a hint of musk, amber and cedarwood mixed in. It’s floral but sweet. I find it impossible to describe. I know many of you also love this one. If you can chime in the comments how you’d describe it I would so greatly appreciate your help!

Notes Bergamot, lemon, neroli, African marigold, bucchu, violet, Jasmine petals, cyclamen, black amber, musk, vetiver, Moroccan cedarwood

Byredo Unnamed (not shown) is a new one that I tried at Barneys over the week. It was truly love at first spritz but I decided to wait on this. I cannot find the notes on this one anywhere but if Gypsy Water and Black Saffron had a baby together this would be it. It’s fresh and modern like Gypsy Water and but not as sweet as Black Saffron. I’m seriously tempted.
Edward Bess Spanish Veil (c/o) is one of three new scents launched by Edward. I’ll have a full review on all three very soon. Right now they are exclusive online to his website. I do believe you can call the Bergdorf Goodman counter to order but they should launch online very soon. Spanish Veil is one of my favorites. It has a Byredo Gypsy Water feel but is less sweet and more woodsy. For some reason I detect a hint of licorice.

Notes include Pure Sandalwood, Tonka and Guaiac Wood

Louis Vuitton Apogee is one of seven new perfumes launched. I bought the mini set and owe you a full review. For now my top two include Apogee which is lily of the valley. I normally do not gravitate towards lily of the valley scents but this one is just one of the prettiest florals I’ve ever smelled. It has a powdery feel so if you don’t like powdery scents this may not be for you. It’s fresh and feminine.

Notes include lily of the valley, jasmine, magnolia, rose, guaiac wood, and sandalwood essence.

Louis Vuitton Matiere Noire is my second favorite and is more of an evening night scent. If you like fragrances like L’Artisan Mure et Musc, Byredo Black Saffron or any blackcurrant kinds you will like this one. It’s a woodsy blackcurrant kind of scent that is more of an evening one rather than day to day. There is a floral mix in it which makes it smell rich but feminine.

Notes include blackcurrant, marcissus, jasmine, patchouli, Laos agarwood.

Louboutin Tornade Blonde (c/o) is one of the most luxurious perfumes I own. If you have a current Saks or Neimans catalog you can find a small sampler card inside one of the pages to try. All three are really amazing but I fell in love with Tornade Blonde which is exactly what I think of when I think of a perfume kind of scent. It’s a very strong floral with red rose, violet and cassis along with hints of jasmine. The bottle is just incredible in the design.

Notes Rhubarb, Violet Leaves, Ambrette Signature, Cassis, Bulgarian Rose, Jasmin Sambac Absolut, Orange Flower Petals Firnat, Gardenia from Brazil, Ambregris, Cedarwood, Australian Sandalwood, Patchouli.

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Bourbon (not shown) is one of two new Nirvana additions. As you can see from my list I like soft florals but also fresh scents. Many of you prefer sweeter more gourmand fragrances and unfortunately for me my husband does not like vanilla at all. As I do not want to repulse him I do not wear it. Nirvana Bourbon is a seductive smoky vanilla. If you like vanilla scents this one is perfect for fall. You can also now find all four in this Nirvana Mini Rollerball Set for holiday which is just so cute!

Notes Vanilla Bourbon. Oakwood. Tuberose.

Viktor and Rolf BonBon (not shown) is one I had high hopes for. As a Flowerbomb fan I thought BonBon could be a great alternative. For me it has a similar vibe but is very very sweet. If you like sweet scents I suspect you might like this. For me it was too sweet, almost like a cookie or dessert.

Notes Tangerine, Blackcurrant, Orange, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Peach, Guaiac Wood, Cedarwood, Caramel.

For a cologne roundup I asked him to pull his favorites for right now. Many of these you’ll recognize from past roundups. For him cologne and scent picks are more a year round kind of thing. He’ll pick one depending on occasion whether he’s looking for an everyday kind of scent or something more dressy for going out:

Chanel Bleu de Chanel is in my husband’s top three favorites. Out of all the colognes he has tried this is probably the one he’s asked me to repurchase for him the most. He prefers using the Refillable Travel Spray version so he can carry it with him in his briefcase or store easily in his desk at his office. It is hard for him to describe scents but he says this is a good everyday cologne that smells clean and modern but a woodsy feel. It’s strong enough without being too strong.

Notes are citrus and wood.

Tom Ford Costa Azzurra is more of a summery kind of cologne. It’s a unisex kind of scent that I adore and would actually wear myself except my husband says it’s too masculine for me. After spritzing it a few times I actually did have to agree it’s clearly more masculine with a woodsy oak with a slight green juniper mix.

Notes Juniper, Herbs, Green Notes, Oak, Warm Woods.

Tom Ford Vert des Bois (c/o) is a new one this season part of the Vert line. This too is another unisex one but still pulls more masculine. I’ve worn this myself this week as my husband has been traveling and it makes me think of him. If you liked Oud Wood you will really like this one. For a more feminine option the Vert Boheme is just lovely. It’s on my wishlist but given my long list for now I’m relying on my mini decant sample.

Notes Poplar Bud. Ouzo. Woods.

Viktor and Rolf Spicebomb is hands down the best hot-guy date night scent I’ve smelled and also is my husband’s favorite. He’s already gone through a few bottles. Since we were such big fans of this I picked up the Viktor and Rolf Spicebomb Fresh thinking it would be a more modern version. We both agree the original is still the best as by comparison the Fresh one almost has a feminine feel which is nice but the original is better.

Notes: Bergamot, Grapefruit, Cinnamon Leaf, Pink Pepper, Lavandin, Chilli, Saffron, Elemi, Vetiver, Balsam Fir, Tobacco Accord, White Leather Accord.

Dior Sauvage (c/o) is the third in the top three colognes for my husband. He believes most men like to stick to one or two colognes versus women who like to try lots of things. For the longest time no matter what I bought him to try he stuck with the Bleu de Chanel which works, but he did get a bit bored using the same one everyday. He says if you like the Bleu de Chanel but want something different to switch things up, the Dior Sauvage is the one to go with. This marks the one year anniversary of Dior Sauvage and they launched a larger 6.8 fl oz version. My husband owns and has already gone through a few of the smaller size. He likes the way the bottle is designed with a round sturdy glass jar and magnetic cap.

Notes Reggio Bergamot, Sichuan Pepper, Ambroxan.

Dior Sauvage Deoderant (c/o) is one I think smells amazing for a men’s deodorant and matches the cologne. My husband has sensitive skin under his arms and many will make his skin peel. This one does not and lasts all day for him so it’s a winner. There’s a Deodorant Spray as well which I’ve been trying to get him to try but he’s a creature of habit and uses the stick.
YSL L’Homme Deodorant is another winning scent for him and he says this is the best scented deoderant he’s ever tried. When I bought it he had very low expectations for this because he’s tried a lot and found they either didn’t last or didn’t smell good. The rep at Sephora swore by this one as his favorite and said “your husband won’t be disappointed, I promise.” So I gave it a go and I’m glad I did.

That rounds up our current scent rotation favorites for fall. I have a few others I’ve kept in rotation but I tried to narrow it down to my absolute favorites for right now. If I had to pick three, they would probably be Replica Filter in Glow, L’Artisan Mure et Musc and Byredo Bal D’Afrique. Out of the ones on my wishlist I’m gravitating most towards the Byredo Unnamed perfume but there are some others I still want to smell before deciding on another one.

As always I’d love to hear what you are wearing for fall. I’m also curious to hear how you buy your perfumes. I always find it overwhelming trying to decide. Do you ever buy perfume sight unseen? I try to at least test in store if I can, although sometimes I will order online after thinking about it for a while if I can’t get to a store or if there are no stores that carry a specific brand. (For me no nearby stores carry Le Labo, Byredo, Frederic Malle, L’Artisan.) Let me know in the comments how you go about trying new perfumes or deciding on a new purchase!

Are there any new ones launching that you’re excited about or have anything on your wishlist?

I will have dedicated reviews on the Louis Vuitton, Replica Filters and Edward Bess perfumes soon. If you want any other detailed posts let me know and I’ll see what I can do to fit them in.

Press samples featured have been indicated with “c/o” next to them.

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Loving Right Now

Weekend Links and Loves

September 11, 2016

Happy Sunday lovelies! I hope you had a great weekend. I wanted to share a little sneak peek of what’s coming up on The Beauty Look Book and also a few loves. Four classics that never let me down include the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow Duo (review here), Charlotte Tilbury Lip Lustre in Ibiza Nights (on the lips here), NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint (swatched here) and Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Opale (swatched here). With so many new items launching weekly I rotate through items frequently, but these are items I find to be among my tried and true.

For this upcoming fall season I’ve been really excited about the fragrances that are launching. I was able to test and see all the scents Louis Vuitton launched in the Les Parfums line. I bought the Miniatures Set which has all 7 in 10 ml mini bottles. Unfortunately they are not sprays or else I would think they are absolutely perfect. I could not decide on one so this set was the best way for me to sample them all. I’m almost finished testing each one and will have a review soon.

The Maison Margiela Replica Filters in Glow and Blur were on my radar last month. I’ve been lusting over these for weeks now but after my last perfume mishap ordering sight unseen, I told myself to wait. In this case I could have ordered blind and been completely safe because I finally smelled both last week and it’s pure love. I will have a more detailed review soon, but both are perfume oil sprays designed to be a perfume primer to layer with their regular scent. The effect is lighter than a traditional perfume, but for me both are suitable to wear on it’s own. I’ll be testing and layering against the other Replica fragrances I own in the upcoming days. So far I have spritzed and worn them alone. I could pick one scent that I feel is really truly me in a bottle, it would be either one of these. Glow is a bit more citrusy while Blur is more like a cotton musk.

Tom Ford Lip Contour Duos launched in eight shades for the regular lineup and an AW16 shade that was featured on the runway last week. I’m working as fast as I can to have my picks up and swatched for you. First impressions on the AW16 shade is that it’s very light and pale. I feel as though the online stock photos are misleading because it looks like a wearable peachy nude but in real life it’s a pale pale nude. For me it has a similar in effect on my lips to the SS16 Lip Shine, so alone the liner/lipstick combo simply looks horrible. Like a concealer on the lips. I’ve heard it’s best to use with other colors as a layering kind of product. To test it out I just put NARS Vida Loca and Chelsea Girls on top as a test and the look was dramatically improved. I think layering can be fun but at $53 a pop I’m not sure I want a lip product to be high maintenance color-wise. The regular lineup is much easier to wear though.

Some link love:

NYFW has been in full swing and I’m living vicariously through others via Instagram and Snapchat and am seriously missing New York City right now. I find so many fashion bloggers inspirational and so so creative! Their looks and styling tips have so much more meaning to me than a magazine. A few favorites include @pamhetlinger, @andeelayne, @hellofashionblog, @extrapetite, @9to5chic and @brooklynblonde1.
MAC is launching a new lip formula called Liptensity on September 20th. Fall is always a huge season for new lipstick shades and formulas. I did a little sneak peek on Instastories @beautylookbook which was only up for 24 hours so by now the preview is gone but you can see a snapshot here. For now if you can’t wait to see my review, I recommend you check out Temptalia for swatches of all the colors.
One of my favorite bloggers Tamira Jarrel has been nominated for the Bloglovin’ Awards for Best Beauty Blog. I want to give her a shout out and hope you’ll support as well by voting for her! Link to the place to vote in her Instagram @tamirajarrel 🙂
I finally gave the Bite Beauty Multisticks a test at Sephora and bought two shades to try out (review soon). I found the swatches Karen did at Makeup and Beauty Blog super helpful because she swatched them all side by side.

Hope you enjoy the last bits of your weekend! Lots of posts coming up soon on the blog including the new No 5 L’Eau from Chanel, Le Teint Ultra Tenue Powder Foundation, swatches of all the lipsticks from Edward Bess, a look at the new Rouge Dior and thoughts on the Louboutin Loubi Nail Care Kit.

Any recent finds from the past week’s beauty events? Did you order anything new or stock up on some beauty loves from Space NK or Barney’s? In a moment of weakness I ordered the Chantecaille Faux Cils mascara. I hope I’m not disappointed. Don’t forget the Barneys Love Yourself Event ends today!

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