Fragrance

Paint it Pink, Paint it Black: Prepping for Valentine’s Date Night

January 29th, 2008 by Karen 48 Comments

Ah, the pre-date ritual… It’s one of the many perks of being in love on Valentine’s Day, and whether you’re on the low- or high-maintenance end of the beauty spectrum, the drill usually goes a lil’ something like this:

Crank up the music (a soundtrack helps when you’re getting sexified, yo)
Wash
Contemplate wearing your naughty or nice knickers
Do your makeup and hair
Pick your wardrobe (don’t forget the shoes!)

In a perfect world, I’d always have at least four leisurely hours to beautify myself for my Valentine’s date with El Hub, but with work and life the odds of having a solid block of four hours for anything are slim to none.

Still, a girl can dream, and if I had a world of time to prep for date night, this is how it would go:

Paint it Pink, Vol. 2…

Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss in Grapefruit ($13.50). First priority: getting the lips primed for a mega-makeout session. I’d definitely prepare early in the day to get my pucker in makeout-ready shape with a layer of Clinique’s Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss. It’s a pretty, light pink shade with lots of shine. Plus, it moisturizes the beejebus out of my dry lips and gets them soft and ready for lovin’.

Essie nail polish in Hard to Get ($8). This creamy pink polish is my favorite color from Essie’s spring line. It’s bubble-gum without being too Barbie — perfect for both finger and toes. Of course, in my fantasy I’m getting my nails done in a chair at San Francisco’s Bliss Spa. See, at Bliss they feed you brownies while you’re pampered. Yup.

Philosophy Amazing Grace Perfumed Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel ($22). Nothing is better than a long, indulgent bubble bath before (or during) a romantic date. With its light, floral scent, Amazing Grace Bath & Shower Gel relaxes me like no other and really gets me into a romantic state of mind. Bubble production is off the chart, and the suds have staying power, too. It leaves my skin feeling silky and soft, every time.

Borghese Fango Brillants Brightening Mud ($59.60). I like to wear a face mask when I do the bubble thing to turn the relaxometer up another notch and make my face extra glowy. Lately I’ve been digging Fango’s Brilliants Brightening Mud. Made from Italian mud (or so they say) and rich in Vitamin A, minerals and citrus peel, this seriously pink mask o’ mud removes dead skin cells, and gently smooths and refines skin. Note: the jar is absolutely ginormous!

I apply a thick layer to a clean face, wait ten minutes for it to dry and then wash it off. You can also use it on your body, too. Imagine covering yourself in bright pink mud, ha!

Victoria’s Secret Beauty Ooh la la Shimmering Fragrance Mist ($22). My fave sexy scent is Chanel Mademoiselle, but I realize that floral oriental perfumes aren’t for everyone.

For ladies who love lighter scents, one delicious option is Ooh la la Shimmering Fragrance Mist. It’s a very feminine mix of cherry blossom, vanilla and mandarin. If you like Victoria’s Secret Heavenly perfume, then I think you’ll dig this, too.

While the product looks like disco inferno trapped in a bottle, it isn’t overly glittery on skin. I would definitely apply it before dressing, though, and not after (learn from my mistake!), to avoid the all-too-frequent glitter mishap.

Hillary Duff Wrapped with Love ($38). Every time I look at this bottle I think of Hillary Duff’s song, Come Clean (also the Laguna Beach theme song). “Let the rain fall down, and wake my dreams…” LOLOL. Anyway, I’ll fess up to being a Laguna Beach fan (Seasons 1 and 2, holla), but I am certainly NOT a Hillary Duff fan. That said, I gotta give the girl and her marketing people props for this fruity-floral perfume, and it’s even guy friendly. According to an informal poll of a handful of random guy friends, it was liked by 4 out of 5 of them.

Wrapped with Love is Hillary’s second fragrance; it’s a playful, lighter, version of With Love, her first perfume. It’s not as spicy or heavy as its older sibling, with notes of honeydew, blood orange, and raspberry mixed in with white florals and musk.

At first I was afraid… I was petrified (sing it, Gloria Gaynor!) it would smell too pre-teen, but the scent is surprisingly sophisticated, fun and sexy — definitely not as heavy as my fave, Coco Mademoiselle. If you prefer lighter, fruit-themed fragrances, you might want to check it out.

This morning I’ve been listening non-stop to this wonderful tune by Sara Bareilles called Love Song. Have you heard it? It’s one of those songs where I wish I wrote the lyrics — a wish usually reserved only for certain Beatles masterpieces like Blackbird and Here Comes the Sun.

Anyway, I’m glad we got through Monday together. To reward myself I’m going to drink another cup of coffee (WHEEE!) and peruse some shoes on Zappos.com. I really should get some practical work shoes that keep my feet warm and dry, but the siren call of impractical (but sexy) strappy high heels cannot be ignored.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Perfume, How I Love Thee

December 26th, 2007 by Karen 44 Comments

Happy Boxing Day, cuties! I hope you’re recovering from your holiday festivities. El hub and I spent yesterday hanging out with my family; dysfunction was kept to a minimum, thank ye gods. Do you ever think your family, while adorable, is just plain weird? Well, you don’t know what weird is until your parents fire up the karaoke machine at midnight on Christmas Eve, get their drink on and start singing REALLY LOUDLY (and off key) to Abba’s Dancing Queen.

I guess I managed to score more nice points than naughty in the high court of Santa, ’cause he left your girl some kick-ass goodies, including this fantabulous Coco Mademoiselle fragrance gift set from Chanel.

I lose all self control when I see those interlocking C’s!

About the fragrance

In 2001, Coco Mademoiselle creator Jacques Polge envisioned the fragrance as something Coco would wear if she were turning 21 at the dawn of the 21st century. It’s a floral oriental with notes of bergamot (a sour citrus), orange, jasmine, rose and vetiver (like lemon grass). The gift set comes with a bottle of Coco Mademoiselle eau de parfum, Fresh Bath Gel, Fresh Body Lotion and a black carrying case accented with signature Chanel-tweed piping.

Oriental fragrances like Coco Madmoiselle and Guerlain’s Shalimar are rich and smell “perfume-y,” but Coco Madmoiselle is lighter and fresher than Shalimar. You won’t catch me rocking Coco Mademoiselle at the beach in July, though. Like most oriental perfumes, it’s a little heavy, so I would probably only wear it in winter.

Even though Coco Mademoiselle is in the oriental fragrance family, it doesn’t smell stuffy or old-lady at all. It’s youthful and sophisticated. You won’t smell like an old lady who lunches and totes small terrier dogs in Burberry outfits. You will smell like a confident young woman strutting down the street in a classic black suit.

Last night I used both the bath gel and the body lotion and then spritzed some eau de parfum just for fun. The bath gel is my least favorite product in the set. While it lathers nicely, it’s runny and not moisturizing enough for my dry winter skin. Even though it’s scented with Coco Mademoiselle, for some weird reason my basset hound-esque nose detects a strong synthetic, plastic scent that reminds me of new Tupperware. Bleh.

The Fresh Body Lotion, on the other hand, is another story. It smells fantastic! It has a fresher, more citrusy scent that complements the perfume.

If you have dry skin like I do, don’t count on using this lotion to moisturize. It’s watery and doesn’t moisturize well, so it’s not going to replace my Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream anytime soon. I like the smell and think it adds another layer of intensity to the perfume, but I don’t know if I’d buy it again.

The set’s crowning glory is the eau de parfum. I love, love, love it! The bottle is simple, yet classic. Wearing it makes me feel beautiful and sophisticated, like I’m walking down the streets of Paris in a beret, even though, really, I’m just walking across the street to Safeway to buy bananas. Not only does the eau de parfum smell amazing, but it also lasts a long time. Just one spritz in the morning, and I’m set for the entire day.

Where to get it

Unfortunately, the set is sold out on the Chanel site, but check out the Coco Mademoiselle Modern Interpretations set on the Nordstrom Web site. It’s a similar gift set (no black bag, though) for $105.

What lovely gifts did Santa bring you? I can’t wait to hear about ’em!

I’m hungry — it’s time to eat some Christmas leftovers! Turkey, cake, pancit (a Filipino noodle dish), here I come!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Badgley Mischka’s Fleurs de Nuit Perfume Is too Pretty to Pass Up

December 12th, 2007 by Karen 2 Comments

What: Badgley Mischka Fleurs De Nuit Perfume
Smells like: An explosion of white flowers
Why: Because the bottle and scent are elegant and beautiful
Get it for: The perfume collector
How much: $90.00 for a 3.4 fl oz. bottle

Suckers for purty perfume bottles, unite! With its elegant silver, lace design and engraved cap, Badgley Mischka’s Fleurs De Nuit will be the star of your perfume bottle collection this holiday season.

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The pictures I took of the bottle don’t do it justice, so here’s the promo pic, which gives you a better idea of the intricate silver detail on the sides and engraved “Badgley Mischka” silver top.

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Perfumes are like accessories. Some perfumes are “jeans and a tank top” scents. Others, like Fleurs de Nuit, remind me of Chanel tweed suits and pearls.

It’s a very formal and elegant white floral with notes of jasmine, magnolia and quince blossom. White floral perfumes always seem like “grown up” scents. They remind me of ladies who wear gloves and attend society luncheons.

You might like this scent if you are a fan of these other white floral fragrances:

– Marc Jacobs Perfume
– Michael Kors
– Robert Piquet Fracas
– Bvlgari Voile de Jasmin
– Vera Wang Sheer Veil

I only wear white florals on rare occasions, so I gotta fess up that I like this perfume more because of the bottle than the scent. However, if you’re a perfume collector or a sucker for pretty bottles like I am, then you’ll also appreciate Fleurs de Nuit.

What scent are you wearing today? I’m feeling much better than I have been in days, so I’m wearing Happy, by Clinique.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Holiday Gifts for Less than $60.00: Lancome Miracle Forever Eau De Parfum Spray

November 27th, 2007 by Karen 11 Comments

The scenario: Hello, stress. You’re meeting your significant other’s family for the first time, and you’ve got to get a gift for his/her mom, OY!

The solution: Score mega mom points with Lancome Miracle Forever, a sophisticated scent. It’s not a cheap, cheesy body splash or a scratch ‘n sniff sticker.

“I want you to meet my mom.”

So, your significant other finally utters the words that simultaneously excite and terrify women all over the globe.

Ohhh, girl, don’t worry. I’m sure she’ll love you! I hope you realize, though, that she’ll probably be the most important arse you’ll be kissing this holiday season, so while I’m positive your smile and sparkling personality will win her over, it never hurts to come to the homestead bearing a little somethin’-somethin’ to grease the wheels a bit.

Hey, I have no shame when it comes to pre-emptive mom bribery! Every bit helps, especially if there’s a chance she’ll make your life heaven or hell should you ever become legally bound to her via marriage.

To earn some sweet mom points, bring her a bouquet of her favorite flowers along with a fantastic gift, like Lancome’s Miracle Forever perfume ($52.00)!

A Universal Scent for All Women

Miracle Forever is one of those universal scents every woman will love, with notes of black currant, star anis (a fruit grown in southern China, who knew?) and almond cream. It’s definitely not stuffy, too “old lady” or too in your face, and will appeal to lots of different fragrance personalities.

The best thing about this perfume is how the notes mix in such a subtle way. I sometimes find food-based perfumes overly sweet, especially when fruit scents are involved, but Miracle Forever mingles the fruit and cream well; one scent never dominates the others. You get just a touch of black currant, not a whole basket up in your grill. The result is warm and chic.

On my skin I get mostly cream notes with just a suggestion of black currant. The perfume has a lot of staying power, too, and as I sniff my wrist throughout the day I really like smelling how the scent evolves. It’s complex enough that it doesn’t smell the same throughout the day.

The single 1.7 fl oz bottle of Miracle Forever pictured above is $52.00, but for the holidays you might want to spend two bucks extra for the Miracle Forever Necessities Set, which includes body lotion and shower gel along with a 1.7 oz bottle for $54.00.

Do you remember your first time meeting your significant other’s mom? What was it like?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Holiday Gift Ideas for $5.00 or Less – DHC Aroma Oil

November 25th, 2007 by Karen 12 Comments

The scenario: You want to give fun stocking stuffers but need to do it on a budget.

The solution: DHC Aroma Oils, which come in six different scents and cost a mere $3.50 each!

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I love giving unusual, hard-to-find gifts as stocking stuffers. I especially love finding cool stuff for a good price. DHC’s Aroma Oils smell yummy, moisturize well and cost a mere $3.50! You’ll be able to stuff all of those stockings and still have a few rupees left over to snag a bottle for yourself.

These aromatherapy oils come in six scents. The entire set takes you from day into night, starting with perky citrus and ending with relaxing sandalwood.

No. 1, Grapefruit – With scents of grapefruit and lemon
No. 2, Citrus Herb – Bergamot, neroli and thyme
No. 3, Fresh Green – Cypress, peppermint and basil
No. 4, Sensual Floral – Jasmine, rose and ylang-ylang
No. 5, Fruity Floral – Neroli, geranium and marjoram
No. 6, Citrus Floral Woodsy – Sandalwood, neroli and bermagot

My two favorites are No. 1 and 6. I write first thing in the morning, so I keep a bottle of No. 1 near my computer. I am NOT a morning person at all and need all the help I can get, so I put a few citrus-scented drops on my hands to moisturize and get a quick morning mood boost. At night I use No. 6 to help me relax by massaging sandalwood-scented oil onto my hands and feet while I’m watching fine television fare like I Love NY 2.

All of the DHC aroma oils are made from natural soy, olive and jojoba oils. I like that the oils are multi-purpose moisturizers and can be used for your face, body and even in your hair. You can also add them to your bath for a luxurious treat.

Each 0.33 oz bottle comes in a colorful box. The bottles have little pops of color too and would look pretty lined up together for display. Each has a nice plastic stopper to release the oil drop by drop, so it doesn’t doesn’t pour all over the place.

Got a scent hound in your life? Give her the entire set ($21.00) along with a pretty fragrance tray for a really special, affordable gift.

I’m so bummed this long weekend is almost over. I spent the day yesterday doing a whole lotta nothing, and I enjoyed every second of it. What do you have in store for this Sunday? Whatever it is I hope it’s fun!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

5 Makeup and Beauty Tips from Paris Hilton

November 18th, 2007 by Karen 86 Comments

Tip #1: Wear a scent that means something to you.

For some people, scent is highly tied to memory, like how a whiff of men’s Eternity can bring back memories of one’s lame ex-boyfriend (I’m not bitter).

I used to sneak a spritz or two of my mom’s Chanel No. 5 when I was a wee child. For Paris, the fragrances of Jean Patou hold a special place in her heart.

The first perfume she ever wore was Jean Patou’s 1000 because her mom wore it when Paris was young. Jean Patou’s Joy was another one. “It just smells like my grandma,” said Paris. “She always used to wear it. She passed away from breast cancer a few years ago, so it kind of reminds me of her when I wear it.”

Paris signs a pic for a fan at the CAN CAN release event held at Macy’s Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California on November 17, 2007

Just as fragrance can influence how we feel, it also affects how people remember us. That’s why Paris decided to make perfumes. “I wanted to do a fragrance because I feel like it’s such a big part of life.”

CAN CAN was really personal for her. She enlisted the help of friends and family in making it. Step one was to create a batch of sample fragrances with the help of a perfumer — one of those professional smell expert gurus — based on some of her favorite scents. With her three or four favorites in tow, she went home to do a little good ole’ fashioned market research. “I’ll have them smell,” said Paris of her friends and family, “and see what they like best.” With their input, she chose the fragrance she thought would appeal to the widest audience. The result was CAN CAN, a fruity floral with notes of clementine flower, cassis, nectarine, musk and amber.

This is the fourth fragrance campaign for Paris, who also did campaigns for her other perfumes: Heiress, Just Me and Paris Hilton. CAN CAN is the fourth campaign but the first with a distinct theme. She called it the best of the photo shoots she’s done for a fragrance so far. She danced and posed on a Moulin Rouge themed set while her self-titled debut album, Paris, played in the background. “We’ve always done really beautiful shots,” she said, “but not really a theme, so it was really fun.”

Paris is often reminded of how her fragrances can influence every day life. Dudes and chicks stop her on the street to tell her that they’re wearing her stuff. “I always go and smell them,” she said. I wore CAN CAN on the day I did this interview, so from now on every time I catch a whiff of it I’ll remember that day. I almost shoved my wrist up her nose at one point but thought it faux pas.

Thousands of rabid fans showed up to the event. Apparently it pays to be tall when you’re jostling other Paris fans for camera phone pics.

Tip #2: Rock the lipgloss.

CHANEL Glossimer lipgloss, YES!

Paris was rocking a fierce look in our interview. She was wearing a sleeveless cream top and black skirt by BCBG and hot pink Christian Dior shoes. Ladies and gents, you know how your girl loves the shoes. I briefly thought about stopping the interview to have my photographer (El Hub) take shots of Paris’ fantabulous footwear, but alas, I only had six minutes to get through all my questions. So sorry, fellow shoe lovers!

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For her makeup, Paris wore a silver, sparkly eye with thick black liner on the top lid along with a soft flushed cheek. She had on MAC shadow and Max Factor blush. The focal point of her look was a pink lip topped with a layer of Chanel Glossimer lipgloss in Astral #104. “I love the glitter in it,” she said.

For the past few weeks I’ve been trying to motivate myself to do stuff by using Chanel makeup as a self-motivator — i.e. Karen does ‘X’ tasks and gets two tubes of Chanel lipgloss — but after seeing Paris wearing Glossimer, I’m afraid I’m going to cave, like, really soon. Perhaps tomorrow, even. Girlfriend’s lips looked *super hot*.

MAC Prrr Lipglass, YES!

When Paris is working, she spends a lot of time in hair and makeup with her stylists and makeup artists, so on her days off she doesn’t like to wear a lot of makeup. She does love her gloss, though, and can’t live without MAC Prrr Lipglass. “When I’m just like, chilling,” she said, “I’d rather just put on mascara, and like, really cute lipgloss.”

Maybelline Great Lash, NOOOO!

And what is Paris’ mascara of choice on her days off? Maybelline Great Lash, the one from Rite-Aid in the pink and green tube.

I thought, “Are you serious, girlfriend?” I would’ve put my money on Paris being a Diorshow kind of girl. I had some Plushlash in my purse, and I thought about giving it to her as a gesture of goodwill mascara salvation. Paris, girrrrrrl, if you’re reading this, I’m gonna hook you up with some Plushlash, STAT!

Tip #3: Get the glowy look with weekly facials and Kate Somerville products.

Paris is known for her dewy, glowy skin. She said her secret is a weekly facial at Kate Somerville, a spa located down the street from her house. She and Kate are homies, and Paris gets treatments with extractions at the spa when she isn’t too busy with work.

Extractions? I cringed.

I wish you could see Paris’ Christian Dior shoes in this pic. They were *awesome.*

“You know,” she said, “it’s good for you. Everyone should do it. And like Lasergenesis, which makes your skin really, like, plump … it’s just this light that goes on your face.”

Kate Somerville offers a full skin care line, and Hilton is an avid devotee. “I use all Kate’s products,” she said. She can’t live without Nourish moisturizer and Exfolikate (formerly known as Kate in a Jar) exfoliating treatment. On the day of our interview, beside the sparkly eye and lip, Paris’ skin actually had very little shine. It was a very matte skin look, which is really trendy right now.

“I just think it’s good to just take care of yourself and get massages and drink water,” she added.

Tip #4: Planning ahead never hurts, especially when it comes to skin care or the quest for beauty-product world domination.

Paris’ quest for world domination doesn’t stop at the fragrance counter. She is currently working on a makeup line and would also love to create skin care products. Her take home message for skin care: start young! I hear ya, girl. Like I always say, the best anti-aging secret is sunscreen (and don’t forget your neck, oy!).

Tip #5: Be polite and sweet to everyone.

Although I never really watched Paris’ show, “The Simple Life,” I’ve read a lot about her in the news, and truth be told I didn’t know what to expect from this interview. Would she roll her eyes because I wasn’t from Newsweek or the New York Times? Girlfriend did say she didn’t use the Web too much, and she’d never heard of beauty blogs before. Would she spend the entire time text-messaging Nicole on her massive jewel-encrusted smartphone?

To my surprise, she was nice. Although she seemed a bit guarded and heavily media trained, she was sweet and fully engaged throughout the conversation. The moral of this story? Despite all of the drama surrounding Paris in the news, I found her to be a sweet girl who works hard and loves her family.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and that it was, dare I say, hot.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Before you jet, beauty lover, check out the home page for more makeup reviews. 🙂

Paris Hilton Does the CAN CAN with Makeup and Beauty Blog

November 15th, 2007 by Karen 16 Comments

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Paris fans, do you have a makeup or beauty question you’ve always wanted to ask her? She’s currently making the rounds to promote her new perfume, CAN CAN Paris Hilton, and will be coming to the Bay Area this weekend.

I’ll be sitting down with her to get the dish on her new fragrance, so if you have a makeup or beauty related question you’d like me to ask (“What’s your favorite lipgloss?”) then lemme know in the comments.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

can-can-paris-hilton

Three Ways to Sparkle this Holiday Season

November 13th, 2007 by Karen 23 Comments

I wish I could get all of my closest friends diamonds for Christmas — they really are a girl’s best friend — but unfortunately I have yet to acquire vast riches and treasure chests of gold.

While makeup may not exactly be equivalent to a platinum pave friendship bracelet, there are several products out this holiday season that have just as much sparkle and shine. Here are three great choices for the best friend who is always there for you.

Make Up For Ever Professional’s Diamonds For Ever Kit

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Sparkle, shine, drama: Make Up For Ever’s limited edition Diamonds For Ever Kit is not only beautiful but also multi-functional!

Every piece in the kit is geared toward creating a look infused with diamonds, and you can use pieces in the kit together or separately to create different looks.

The kit is just $49.00, but you get $110 worth of Make Up For Ever goodies including:

– Aqua Eyes Water Proof Eye Pencil 1L in Star Black
– Diamond Shadow 301 in Diamond White
– Diamond Powder 11 (a loose shimmer powder) in Champagne
– Fascinating Lip Gloss 1 in Pearly Transparent
– Waterproof Lengthening Mascara in 1 Black
– and a cute black vanity tote with a built in mirror and velcro closure to hold all of the goodies!

I know a few weeks ago I was ranting on and on about my glitter issues ,but the Diamonds For Ever set has officially made me one with the glitter.

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I played around with the kit this weekend and totally fell for the Aqua Eyes Water Proof Eye Pencil, Diamond Shadow and Waterproof Lengthening Mascara. The Aqua Eyes is *the* standout product. It doesn’t tug at my lids and is super easy to apply. Once you get it on your eyes, it stays put all day. It performs similarly to MAC Technakohl, so if you are a MAC Technakohl fan then you might want to give Aqua Eyes a try. Methinks I love it even more than my Graphblack!

Here’s a fotd with all the products, along with MAC Dollymix blush on the cheeks and a layer of MAC Composure lipstick underneath a layer of Fascinating lip gloss:

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The obligatory goofy pic…
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Pick this set up for your glitter-lurvin’ best girl.

Givenchy Irresisistible Perfume: For the Girly-girl

I’ve been reviewing a lot of boyfriend-inspired perfumes lately like Covet, so I wanted to find a holiday perfume that would suit the other end of the perfume spectrum.

Feminine, floral, sparkly: Givenchy’s Very Irresistible is unmistakably girly.

(Oh, and in case you are wondering, I did give the new Armani “Diamonds” perfume — an obvious tie-in to this post — a sniff. I liked it but wanted to find something that was super-fem with strong rose notes.)

On me, Very Irresistible smells like a lovely bouquet of roses with hints of fresh, sparkling green notes — think emerald cut diamonds and fresh cut flower stems!

The scent notes include: Centrifolia Rose, Peony Rose, Fantasia Rose, Passion Rose, Emotion Rose, Verbena Leaf and Star Anise. In addition to being an uber-feminine scent, it’s also versatile, and perfect for both a work day and a date night.

Give your best girl the 2.4 Eau du Toilette spray ($69.00). The graceful pink bottle is huge, and like a diamond, will last forever.

Random fragrance fun fact: Givenchy recently celebrated their 50 year fragrance anniversary this year. Givenchy’s first fragrances were Le De and L’Interdit, and Audrey Hepburn (my style hero) posed for the advertising campaign, becoming the first celebrity to be associated with a fragrance launch.

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Olay Definity Eye Illuminator, For Your Make Up Wearing Gym Buddy

What the heck does eye cream have to do with sparkly diamonds? Hear me out, ya’ll!

There’s been constant discussion on this blog about wearing makeup at the gym. If you are one of the lucky few who can brave the gym sans makeup, then props to you for being such a natural beauty! I wish I could get away with no makeup, but I’ve got to put at least some concealer under my eyes, otherwise I look like the living dead. It’s so not cute, especially when you’re watching yourself do bicep curls.

And lately my dark circles have been really bad. To remedy this pressing and slightly stressful issue I’ve been layering Make Up For Ever Lift Concealer on top of Olay Definity, an under eye treatment that helps to lessen darkness and shadows. And wowee wow wow!

I put a few small drops underneath my eyes and then layer concealer on top. It gives the tiniest amount of shimmer, and it makes my under eye area look brighter.

It’s a really subtle brightening effect, so don’t expect your dark circles to disappear in a magical poof of smoke. It’s an eye cream, not a Christmas miracle. However, if you’re uber-conscious like me about your dark circles, then you might find the extra step worth it.

Got a best friend who’s always working on her fitness and/or bemoaning her dark circles? Pop a tube of Olay Definity Eye Illuminator (about $22.00) in her stocking.

Enjoy this wonderfully sunny day, ya’ll!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen