Need for Speed: New Quick Drying Nail Polishes
Today's modern polishes promise to dry faster than a speeding bullet, but which ones actually save the day? Top manicurists have known about pro top coats for years - those specially formulated clear coats that left lacquer intact for an extended wear manicure. Compatible with nearly every brand, topcoats like Read more
Verb Detangle+Defrizz Conditioning Leave-In Mist Review
To be completely up front about things, I hate washing my hair because it's a nightmare to comb afterwards. It’s much like that of a 6 year old little girl. It tangles like nobody’s business and is a nightmare to comb after washing. It’s so bad that my hairdresser Read more
Delfin Spa Cellulite Reduction Apparel and Anti-Cellulite Lotion Review
Everyone deals with cellulite. And no one is a fan of it. We've written about coffee ground products like Gail's DIY Coffee Scrub or isola Jamaican Coffee & Sugar Scrub, that are said to help minimize the appearance of cellulite due to the caffeine. Now there is another product system Read more
Mom: Get Glamorous Twitter Party
This year we're mixing things up with our Mom: Get Glamorous contest! We're adding a Twitter party, where some of the great brands participating in the contest are also giving away products during our party. Come join us on May 15, 2013 from 1pm-2pm EST and tweet with @TheMakeupGirl @ClumpsofMascara Read more
5th Annual Mom: Get Glamorous Contest
// // Are you ready for our 5th annual Mom: Get Glamorous contest? This year I am partnering with Lianne of The Makeup Girl, Brittany from Clumps of Mascara, Christine from 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic and Bryce from The Luxury Spot to find the most deserving mom to award Read more
With the current state of the economy, many are us are embracing the “staycation” concept this summer. Just because you may not be traveling to an exotic destination, doesn’t mean you can’t invoke the scents and smells of your favorite vacation destination. Here are some inexpensive fragrances to take you away! Read more
I’ve long coveted Michael Kors handbags…mainly from the aisles of Marshalls (where I do all of my brand name shopping), but when he came out with his limited edition fragrance, Suede, I knew I had to try it.
It’s signature Michael Kors to give attention to detail in all of his products and Suede is not exempt. The box itself is beige and covered in suede that is velvety to the touch. The glass has a V, emulating a V neckline. You see this duplicated on the top of the bottle as well. The perfume itself is flesh-colored reminding you of bare skin. Read more
Jennifer Love Hewitt swears by the scent of vanilla – so much, in fact, that she actually carries straight vanilla extract with her and dabs it on her neck for frequent touch-ups (hey, I don’t judge). After all, vanilla is pretty potent stuff – it’s sweet yet musky and packs a powerful punch that smacks of confidence. And if the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, a bold fragrance that conjures up images of delicious baked goods has got to be at least vaguely alluring when it comes to getting your flirt on – especially when it doesn’t require you to even step foot in the kitchen in the first place! So let’s skip the trip to the pantry and check out some of spring’s sexiest vanilla-infused fragrances! Read more
Finally I’ve found a fragrance collection that I would wear together…at the same time. H2O+ Blue Eau De Toilette and Body lotion are so light and refreshing that I am not afraid that using the products all together will give myself, or those around me, a headache. With notes of watery peony, rosewood, nectarine and bergamot, Blue Eau De Toilette and Body Lotion  have a really clean, fresh scent and it is not at all overpowering. Although it is clean and fresh, I still feel feminine and sensual while wearing it. I equate it to wearing your best fitting, most flattering pair of blue jeans with some killer heels. The body lotion has a lightweight feel, but it contains Shea Butter, Vitamin E and Aloe Vera so it is still hydrating and soothing on your skin.
It has been quite a while since I have tried a fragrance that I would considering wearing on an everyday basis, but I will definitely be wearing H2O+ Blue everyday, it has become a staple…just like my favorite pair of blue jeans. Have you worn it?
*Disclosure
Although I tend to be very loyal to the same fragrance and have been for a while, I always look forward to sampling new fragrances on the market. My latest sampling was the Versace Yellow Diamond perfume, body lotion and shower gel. Before getting into what I thought, I must first mention that I am drawn to really clean, fresh, light scents and anything outside of that realm seems overpowering to me.
I found the Yellow Diamond perfume to be very floral and fruity on my skin.  The top notes includes Citron, Pear, Neroli and Bergamot, the middle notes are Freesia, Orange Blossom and Mimosa and the bottom notes are Amber, Wood and Musk.
I applied very little, but the fragrance was still pretty intense, after a while I swear I could taste the fragrance in the back of my throat. The perfumed body lotion was the same…much to intense for my liking. I did however like the perfumed shower gel. For some reason it did not seem as intense as the perfume and body lotion, it left a barely there, soft fragrance on my skin. However, I would only use the shower gel if I were going out at night and did not plan on using any other fragrance.
If you’re into floral, fruity scents I would recommend giving this a try, what I would not recommend is using the shower gel, body lotion and perfume at the same time…not unless you enjoy being swarmed by bees or are intentionally trying to dissuade any form of human contact. If you’ve worn this perfume, I’d love to know what you thought of it.
*Disclosure
Nine West has joined the ranks of countless other retail brands diving into the world of fragrance. The beloved shoe company debuted their premier scent, Love Fury, on January 23rd 2012.
Created through an exclusive partnership with Firmenich (the company behind scents like Juicy Couture and Ralph Lauren Romance), Love Fury is a romantic, fruity-floral blend that easily takes you from daytime wear to a girl’s night out.
To me, the scent’s fruity notes are reminiscent of Betsey Johnson’s self-named fragrance released in 2006. The opening notes of both perfumes are irresistibly bright and floral, but the heart and drydown of Love Fury are more appealing by far with sensual sandalwood and amber.
The packaging is simple and chic, the stopper a unique nod to Nine West’s signature mark: a stiletto heel.
Visit your local Nine West store or www.NineWest.com to learn more about the fragrance, available in a 0.3oz. rollerball, 1.7 and 3.4oz accompanied by a 6 oz body lotion.
*Disclosure
Now you can take your Boyfriend wherever you go.
For the past year or so, I have been in a fragrance crisis. Despite how many times I searched through Sephora, Ulta, or my local department stores, I just couldn’t seem to find a scent that fits my personality.
The light, sweet notes found in my once-loved perfumes smelled a bit too young for me, but I didn’t want to lose the femininity that those fragrances embodied. There’s something indescribably feminine – even seductive – about amber and vanilla scents.
That being said, I  also love the woody, musky, and even citrusy notes that are present in most men’s colognes – I’ve actually been spraying Aqua Di Gio around my room as an air freshener lately. As you can imagine, I was totally floored to come across Boyfriend by Kate Walsh, a mens-inspired fragrance that had musky, woodsy notes while still keeping a very distinct level of femininity.
Kate Walsh missed the scent of her boyfriend on her skin (don’t we all love that smell?) and set out to create a fragrance that was mens-inspired but totally feminine. Walsh hit the mark – there is a distinctly masculine edge to the fragrance, but it is warm, comforting, and manages remains quite delicate and girly.
While this scent isn’t for everybody, it is my complete dream come true. Buy 1.6oz of Boyfriend at Sephora for $65.00 (and free shipping!)
*Disclosure: A small sampler was sent by the PR firm to review this product.
I tend to be very loyal when it comes to my perfumes. Rarely do I ever deviate from a particular brand or fragrance. The only time I ever switch my scents are in the summer and fall. In the summer, I tend to go with very light body splashes and in the fall I return to my signature scent of perfume…a little less playful, but definitely a stronger scent…a bit sexier. I have been using the same perfume for a few years now and though I’ve been tempted a few times by the bright lights and smiling faces at the department store perfume counters and I’ve managed to remain faithful to a fault…until I met the Italian…Gelsomino Nobile.
Gelsomino Nobile is a new fragrance from the Le Nobili collection by Acqua Di Parma and is centered on a species of Jasmine grown in Calabria, Italy. The fragrance is inspired by a beautiful Italian garden with a sunny sea breeze wafting in from the Mediterranean. I generally shy away from anything inspired by a garden of any kind because I normally find those types of fragrances overpowering, not the case with Gelsomino Nobile. It is soft, sexy, feminine and sophisticated. It is definitely a fragrance that I would only wear during the colder months and just a little dab goes a long way. The process of choosing a new perfume is a very personal experience for me and one that I tend to experience by myself (and of course the salesperson)…maybe…But this time I decided to get a second opinion, that of the current boyfriend…no he is not Italian. He thought the fragrance was subtle, sexy and not overwhelming. I normally go through the entire sample of perfume before I decide 100% to purchase it, I’ve only used about 25% of the Gelsomino Nobile sample (seriously a little really does go a long way) but I’ve pretty much made up my mind and settled on the fact that I am going to cheat….
The beauty industry has definitely contributed in large part to making traveling less stressful. Yes we still have to deal with lines, delays and ridiculous baggage fees, but thanks to the beauty industry, as soon as we board we can treat ourselves to an in-plane spa session that will remove the memory of any stress prior to boarding. One of the few products that I have noticed absent from the vast array of great airline travel-friendly products is perfume. Yes, there are perfumes available in sample sizes that you can pretend you’re going to buy later, but you actually won’t…you just want it because it’s in an easy to travel size (it’s OK, I do it and know of a few others that are guilty as well!) But what is a girl to do? Sometimes I would like to freshen up my fragrance on the plane, but it’s usually not handy because it’s in my checked luggage…it being in a large, heavy glass bottle and all.  I knew it would only be a matter of time before some beauty industry genius came up with a solution and of course someone did, the geniuses at Travalo.
Travalo is a refillable perfume atomizer that is ridiculously user friendly and foolproof. It allows you to rapidly transfer your favorite perfumes from their full sized bottles in to a convenient travel size container (about 3 inches long and weighs .5 oz). All you have to do is to remove the spray top from your perfume bottle and insert the pump stick of the perfume bottle into the bottom of the Travalo container, then press down repeatedly until the Travalo container is filled, it’s really that simple.
The Travalo container even has a clear window so that you are able to gauge the level of perfume it contains so you know when it’s ready to be refilled. The container is very lightweight, shatter proof and environmentally friendly, I also love that it fits into the teeniest evening clutch. Yes Travalo is absolutely genius, but now there is absolutely no reason to smell anything but fantastic…no matter where you might find yourself.
It’s that time of year again for a perfume change, a time of year also known to some as summer.  And I love celebrating summer and all that it embodies by going lighter and fresher with everything… diet, clothing, hair and of course fragrance.   I rarely ever wear perfume in the summer, opting instead to go with body splashes or a lightly scented lotion. On those very rare occasions when I do choose to wear perfume, I look for fragrances that are clean, fresh, soft, simple and pretty. I like fragrances that are very easy to wear and that also require very close contact if you are looking to catch a whiff of it (what can I say, I’m very private about my fragrance, can’t have every Tom, Dick and Harry stealing a whiff…)
I managed to find a few perfumes that incorporate all of the attributes I look for in a “summer fragrance†and they are all by elizabethW san francisco. The fragrances from the line that I absolutely love for summer are Leaves, Citrus Vervain and Sweet Tea. They are all very evocative of summer, but the fragrance that I chose as my new summer perfume was of course the Sweet Tea. Not only does the name absolutely epitomize summer, but the fragrance is described as gracious, spirited and elegant with enticing oriental black teas, juicy fresh Amalfi lemons and the sweetness of almond honey, what could be more summery than that? I love how simple, clean and fresh it smells on my skin, I honestly don’t think it could be overpowering even if it tried.
Now that I have my Sweet Tea, I feel more prepared to don my straw hats and cotton dresses…all that’s missing is my Southern accent (something about sweet tea that makes me think Scarlett O’Hara…)
