Collective Haul: Lush, Shiseido, The Body Shop, more Candles and other randomness.

The Dorothy Bubble Bar in all its earthy goodness is back! Some say that this smells like the Figs & Leaves soap but to my untrained nose, Dorothy smells much better : ) I usually separate the rainbow section and the blue "skies" section to use in separate baths because my bathwater looks prettier that way. I also picked up Love Lettuce- my all-time favorite fresh face mask. Lush face masks require refrigeration and expires pretty quickly but that just means that they are super fresh while they last!

 

Having observed that I love sweet scents, the girl who helped me offered me a sample of the Almond & Coconut Smoothie Soap- she was sure I would be back for more :) It works like any other soap- it's just in a smooth buttery form. Smells divine. Haven't tried it yet though.

Next, I spied the new Shiseido Urban Environment sunscreen out on display @ Bloomingdale's and had to pick one up to take home with me. The Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 55 (the one in the blue tube-see below) is my go-to, everyday, love of my life sunscreen and so a new/different version was a must-try for me. I love the new sleek white/silvergrey tube but the lighter SPF is slightly worrying as I like my sunscreen to be on the stronger side. Still I'm excited!

I don't know if you can tell but the Urban Environment (top) sunscreen is slightly more watery than the regular Shiseido sunscreen. I don't notice a big difference on the face but I haven't been using it for long so we'll see :)

Next, my little loot from The Body Shop. I had stepped into the store to just get the Peppermint Pumice Foot Scrub but once in the store I was lured in by the ubiquitous "buy however many get however many free" promotion and I ended up with more than just the foot scrub. (An after-shave I got for my cousin, who was shopping with me is not photographed.) So here's what I got:

1. Cotton Rounds: So much better than the CVS ones.. argh! I hate those.

2. Vitamin E Face Mist: Kind of random but seemed like a good idea. Spraying vitamin E on my skin seems easy enough. Plus the rose scent is really nice.

3. Banana Conditioner: I loved my first bottle so much that I had pick up another.

4. Peppermint Cooling Foot Spray: Premature but I had summer on my mind that day...

5. and of course the Peppermint Pumice Foot Scrub.

This is what the foot scrub looks like inside: I love this stuff for summer when foot exposure is rampant.

Next, I picked up two new candles from Bath & Body Works, Lemon Gelatto (pictured with a sparklicious yellow infinity scarf I picked up from Charlotte Russe) & Cotton Candy (pictured with the Hello Kitty shower cap available at Sephora). I have to say Slatkin & Co. is really on a roll these days with their awesome candles! I have been burning Cotton Candy nonstop: the scent is sweet but clean cut.

Finally, some random items from here and there (and everywhere).

1. Anastasia Mini Brow Kit: Worst pair of tweezers in the history of tweezers...
2. OPI Teenage Dream: I don't know what I was thinking. It's really sparkly. Not very lawyer-ly... but I think I was mesmerized by all the glitter.
3. Revlon Totally Toffee: Love. It's red. It's brown. It's toffee. who knows what it is. Love.
4. Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Pink Blossom: I've never gotten into Burts Bees lip balms but the fact that the new tinted lip balms have no shimmer and no SPF really appealed to me. (My lips tend to react badly to lip products with SPF...not all the time but lots of times.)

I was kind of worried that Pink Blossom would be a paler pink (better with cooler skin tones) but it wasn't as pale as I imagined and the sheer factor makes it an easy shade to pull off. It's nothing spectacular but it's good for a casual touch up. Texture-wise I prefer something like the Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment.

And that's all for now! That was a picture-heavy post, but I wanted to include as much as I could because if I didn't procrastination will inevitably come knocking at my door threatening to huff and puff and blow mah house down... ; ) You know what I'm talking about.

Haul: Bed, Bath & Beyond and Bath & Body Works

Hey guys! So this is going to be a quick little drugstore haul-- from Bed, Bath & Beyond!! Am I late on this or did everyone know that some Bed, Bath & Beyonds actually have a drugstore section?! And not like those pseudo-beauty corners in grocery stores but an actual very much legit drugstore- the kind that derails you from your original purpose of bringing home a sturdy cutting board (preferably made of bamboo) and has you wandering through aisles of beauty gadgets and goodies with crazy lady eyes, unaware that the husband has left the store in search of some stronger coffee. Ahem...

... onto the haul.

Here's the shortlist of what I got:
Physicians Formula Eye Boosting Eyeliner + Serum
Maybelline Eyeshadow in Apricot Aura
Maybelline Volum' Express On by One Mascara in Blackest Black Waterproof
Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black

Here are the initial impressions of each:
1. Physician's Formula Eye Boosting Eyeliner & Serum- I use the Peter Thomas Roth Lashes to Die For at night but this new item is an eyeliner and eyelash serum in one, so you can use it during the daytime too! Nifty.
2. Maybelline Eyeshadow in Apricot Aura (Limited Edition) - I swatched this already and found the pigmentation to be quite poor. All three shades are frosty and although the frost is not overpowering (you could even call it a sheen) it still manages to overshadow the actual colors. That being said I think it still has the potential of creating a pretty look- just don't expect that coral to show up on your eyelids.
3. Maybelline Volum' Express One by One Mascara in Blackest Black Waterproof - I almost bought the non-waterproof kind because I liked the green lettering of that one better (with the coral tube) than the blue letters on this one. Then I reminded myself that taking chances with undereye smudges was unwise especially when the reward at stake is simply cuter color-coordination.
4. Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black- I'm on my third Urban Decay Liquid Eyeliner but I think it's time to go back to gel eyeliner. My first instinct (and most obvious choice) is to go back to Bobbi Brown but I'm really interested in all the new alternatives that have surfaced recently, so I picked this one out on a whim :)

Next, I headed over to Bath & Body Works to pick up some three-wick candles and check out the Carried Away release (I've been hearing good things!) I picked out two candles: Pineapple Mango, and Pink Sangria. I also picked up the baby versions of the Carried Away shower gel, body lotion and fragrance mist. Argh the packaging is absolutely the cutest! The collection smells like plums- and I love plums.

I've already started burning Pineapple Mango and although it doesn't fill the room with an authentic pineapple (or mango) scent it's still a very agreeable fragrance. Fruity and slightly sweet- it's a great candle for spring. Pink Sangria I haven't burned yet but it smells so tangy and delightful I would stick a paper parasol in it and drink it if I could. Don't worry, I won't.
(*Update: I burned Pink Sangria yesterday and I seriously love it!)

On another note, I ordered some Hello Kitty items from Sephora weeks ago but I'm having trouble photographing them properly... if anyone's wondering and I never get the pictures up, I got the shower cap and the rollerball perfume and I'm pretty happy with both of them. Also, my Dermstore.com order should be arriving soon so I'll share that once it gets here.

So that's that! I hoped you're enjoying your week as I am mine :)

Haul: The Body Shop: Banana Conditioner, Watermelon Body Lotion, Satsuma Set

The Body Shop reminds me a reliable old friend- you may have drifted apart and inevitably moved on with your lives but even after that long absence, when you meet again- the relationship's still pretty good. :)

I ordered the Banana Conditioner, Watermelon Body Lotion and a mini-Satsuma Shower Gel, Body Lotion set tied with a loofah.

First, the Banana Conditioner, just because it's such an awesome idea. I mean why hasn't someone thought of this sooner? (Maybe someone has.) It looks and feels like a real (albeit extremely thick) banana smoothie and smells so sweet and yummy. I've already tried it on my hair (I apply conditioner/ treatment only on the tips of my hair) and love it to death. My hair definitely feels softer!

Second, the Watermelon Body Lotion. I love watermelons; the fruit, the scent, the color, but watermelon-scented body lotions are unusually rare so I knew I had to try this one out. I think the difficulty in making a watermelon-scented body lotion is that watermelon isn't a scent that mixes well with the natural creaminess? of lotion. The end result of this one was something like a watermelon milkshake gone bad. That sounds worse than it actually is as I've still been using this on a daily basis (it's a good lotion) but I was anticipating something a bit more refreshing. It's a nice try but sadly, not a horribly successful one.

Next up, the mini Satsuma Shower Gel and Body Lotion set with a cute small-sized loofah. Satsuma is actually one of my favorite scents from The Body Shop so no surprises with this one. If you haven't tried it already, take in a whiff of Satsuma the next time you're in The Body Shop. It smells like fresh tangerines, but BETTER.

Philosophy Has Some New Shower Gels!

Philosophy is usually a hit or miss for me. While items like Purity Made Simple and Microdelivery Peel are phenomenal hits that have changed my life (no seriously), some of their 3-in-1 shower gels are kind of... blah. Even so, every time Philosophy comes out with some new bath item I am immediately intrigued. I don't know if it's the cute packaging, the insightful little quotes on them or just that I like the way they look sitting on the edge of my tub, all chubby and ready to go. Here are some new spring items that are difficult not to fall for. I am especially enamored with Orange in Bloom.

philosophy: savor life's funfilled moments

philosophy: joy is the center of all good things.

philosophy: a laugh is the sweetest expression of joy

philosophy: a dream let's the spirit bloom

Just looking at the blossoms on these makes me feel like spring is almost upon us. Although based on the in-your-face winter cold I experienced today, it's pretty obvious that spring is so not almost upon us. Still a girl can dream..

On another note: Have you seen the promotional images of the Chanel Summer 2011 collection? And did you hear about the Rouge Coco Shines to be released soon? My heart skipped a beat when I saw these images on KarlaSugar.

Sephora Haul: L'Occitane, Clinique, Frederic Fekkai and more.

Is one of your New Year's resolutions to shop less? To practice some long-lost self-restraint when it comes to hoarding all things beauty? Good for you, you are off to a better start than I.

For as you can see, I have made no such resolution.

Say hello to my first (and second, since this is actually two orders) beauty haul of 2011!

Here are the samples, Skincare Challenge rewards, and promotional code offers I received.

- Kate Spade Twirl: Super excited even for this little trial vial since I've been really wanting to try this out. I love it! It's mostly floral which is usually not my cup of tea but there is a girly-ness to it that makes the scent more fun and lighter than regular florals. 

- YSL Parisienne: I like it, but I wish I could love it (as much as the chic design of the full-size bottle.)

- Prada L'eau Ambree: A pass for me. Musk attack.

- Dior J'adore

- Phyto Intense Hydrating Shampoo

- Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream: Smells like medication but it's good for the elbows.

- Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel & Green Apple Antioxident Moisturizer

- Kate Somerville CytoCell Dermal Energizing Treatment

- PeterThomasRoth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense Lotion

- Boscia Vital Daily Moisture SPF 15

Here are the things I actually purchased.

- L'Occitane Fabulous Serum

- Clinique Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Pressed Powder: I've used the loose powder version before and thought it was pretty effective against the minor redness in my forehead and nose area. So of course, I HAD to get this pressed powder compact version!

- Frederic Fekkai Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo: My favorite shampoo ever! It gives my hair and scalp and clean feeling without stripping it of moisture. I know lots of shampoos that claim to do that but this is the only shampoo that actually delivered just that!

- Clarisonic Sensitive Brush x2: I'm currently using the Delicate brushhead with my Clarisonic but I went back to the Sensitive ones because the bristles feel softer on my face.

So that's that! I hope everyone's having a good start on 2011. Let's hope for an exciting and refreshing year in the beauty market as well. What are some things you're looking forward to this year?

(I, for one, am super-excited about the skin-colored Guerlain Meteorites compact.)

After-Christmas Haul: Lush, Bath & Body Works (and Georgetown Cupcakes)

Life is just better with cupcakes; especially limited edition holiday cupcakes!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas/ holiday weekend! I watched the Grinch, drank too much eggnog (which later led to a tumultuous tummy-ache), attended church mass (twice) and slept to my heart's content. I also took this week off work so I'm in super slacker mode right now.

However, I did manage to stop by the mall to do some sweet after-Christmas deal-snatching :)

First off, I ran over to the much-loved LUSH after-Christmas sale (which is now buy-one-get-one-free as opposed to buy-one-get-two like previous years). Instead this year a lot of their regular non-holiday soaps were included in the sale as well, so I picked up slices of Honey I Washed the Kids and Rock Star, along with three chunks (one chunk I got before the sale) of my holiday staple: Snowcake. If you haven't tried this ivory-white almond goodness already, I strongly urge that you do!

I also got two Snow Fairy gift sets, which has a Snow Fairy shower gel, Shimmy Shimmy glitter bar, and a star-shaped Angel's Delight soap inside. And picked up two Lil Lush Pud bath bombs as well.

At Bath & Body Works, I picked up 4 oz Slatkin & Co. candles in Twisted Peppermint, Snow Apple Mint, and Homemade Cookies. The three wick Winter and and Mint Chocolate I had actually gotten earlier in the month. I have been burning Winter all through Christmas and am loving it like cRazy! Makes the home feel so cozy~

So that's that!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and productive end of the year and an awesome New Year!!!

Lush Gingerbread House Bubble Bar

I couldn't wait to plunk this in my bath and now that I have, I have to say I lurve the new Gingerbread House Bubble Bar! Lush should bring this back every holiday season from now on! Obvious cuteness aside, the scent is just so perfect for the Christmas season; it reminds me of warm fireplaces and presents. Does that even make sense? It also reminds me of last year's Christmas Kisses (remember that red bubble bar in the shape of a Hershey Kisses and also had the cinnamon stick?). It has the same spicy-ness and a bit of a pop to the scent. Kind of like coke. As in Coca Cola. Not the other stuff..

I sliced my Gingerbread House into four pieces but I think I was pushing it a little bit because it's honestly not that big of a bubble bar. You'd probably be able to get a more luscious (and long lasting) bubble bath crumbling at least one half of the bar into your bathwater.

Although.. the bubble bath resulting from one fourth piece isn't too shabby either.

Ahhh... look at those floofy bubbles...so inviting, so comforting...
makes me wanna take another bath

Happy Haul-oween: L'Occitane, Lush Treats

I hope everyone's having a wonderful weekend! I'm laying low and getting as much rest as I can as I'm anticipating a busy work week this week.

Although... that didn't stop me from doing a little bit of shopping :) First, I picked up the Ultra Rich Eye Balm ($32) from L'Occitane. I think I've used this before but I can't remember whether I liked it or not...
I'm kind of hoping that this will protect my eye area well through the upcoming winter!

I also had a pretty little postcard that got me a 4 pc gift set including L'Occitane's shampoo, milk soap (I love their Almond Apple soap but I haven't tried this one), Almond shower oil, and Whitening Cleanser.

Next up, I picked up three holiday Lush goodies and one non-holiday Lush soap. Now we all know no holiday is complete without holiday Lush stuff to plunk in our bath but this year, some of the stuff are even more cuter than ever. Take the Gingerbread House Bubble Bar for example! It looks good enough to eat, has sprinkles on its roof and a cinnamon stick for a chimney!! Need I say more?

Then the Lush girl that helped me told me that she likes mixing the Twilight Bath Bomb and a bit of the Christmas Eve Bubble Bar for bubbles and an unbelievable mix of soothing scents. I thought why not- let me in on that too.

Last, I picked up a slice of the ever-reliable (in that it can always get you in a good mood!) Honey I Washed the Kids Soap. Looks like my November morning showers will be sweet and caramel-y :)

My Lush Dragon's Egg Hatched!!!

My Lush Dragon's Egg Bath Bomb that is. I dropped it on the bathroom floor and it hatched prematurely revealing a citrusy mid-layer and a glittery golden center. Kinda ruined the surprise but that's okay, I'll get over it.

The golden center doesn't look like much from here but in the bath it releases loads of glitter which in turn creates a beautiful glistening effect in the water. It really is lovely.

But let me backtrack a bit.

To the outer layer. The white outer layer is fizzes away in the most creamy froth I have seen created by a Lush bath bomb. I don't even think that the word "fizzes" is accurate just because the froth is so... frothy. Alas, this does not necessarily mean that the froth lasts or that it creates bubbles. But it does create soft, moisturizing bath water!

The outer layer also has colored confetti wafers on them. These are fun and cute AND they don't clog up drains because they dissolve once they soak up water. Major improvement from the days of when Lush put actual paper confetti in their bath bombs. (I still loved you Supernova... )

The second layer is the layer that starts to release color. Because my bath bomb broke I'm not sure as to when the color starts changing but I'm pretty sure the change starts before the white layer is gone. The orange color seems to reflect the overall citrusy scent of the bath bomb. It's citrus but has a creaminess to the scent as well. The scent lingered even after I was done with my bath and made me feel happy~

Now back to the golden center. As pretty as the glitters are, note they may elect to live a life of their own even after your bath. K (the husband) took a shower after I took a bath, and when he walked out he had a random gold glitter on his upper lip area. I had no idea how it got there but it was pretty funny. A grown man walking around with gold glitter on his face :)


* Star Violet has some awesome photos of the Dragon's Egg in action on her blog if you want to check that out.

Haul: LUSH Soap, Bathbombs and the Sacred Truth

It's been a while since I had stopped by Lush and it seems quite a few NEW items have been added to the products list between the interval!

Things I picked up from the bottom left corner (the big yellow one) clockwise:  Fizzbanger, Dragon's Egg (both bathbombs are supposed to change color in the bath), Token to the Forest Gods Toner Tab (the little green thing with the star on it), Think Pink (I think), The Sacred Truth fresh face mask, and Summer Pudding soap.

Lush's fresh face masks are some of my favorite skincare products (my favorite being Love Lettuce). Yes, they look kinda funky (I think the best facial formulas always are) but they make my skin feel so nice, soft and hydrated after usage!! The only one I can't use is Brazen Honey (it stings something incredible). However, I would highly recommend most of the others. Oh and if you didn't know already you can bring back 5 empty black pots for a face mask free of charge :)

I am soo looking forward to the Lush Halloween and Christmas stuff this year; there seems to be a lot of fantastical goodies in line. The Christmas products are already available online so go check it out. Personally, I'm gonna wait until we're a wee bit more closer to the holidays before purchasing anything just because there's so many awesome holiday collections pouring out right now and I wanna have a polished shoplist before I blindly jump in (results of which may be catastrophic!! haha)

* Update: I've used the Summer Pudding soap and it is marvelous! It smells fruity but with a sweetness to it (like a hint of baked goods type scent). It also has an exfoliating factor super effective on elbows :)

** Update: Dragon's Egg Review