Burt's Bees Intense Hydration

I'm currently participating in the BzzAgent Burt's Bees Intense Hydration campaign. This is the perfect campaign for me and my dry skin. I received my kit about 3 weeks ago just as the dry patches that always accompany fall/winter weather were starting to appear on my skin. Game on!

The kit included 3 full size products...cleanser, night cream and mask, along with a few samples of day cream and night cream to share with friends and family. I kept one of the day cream samples to try for myself.

Intense Hydration Cream Cleanser: The first product I tried is the cream cleanser. It only takes a small amount of cleanser to cover my entire face. Although it says to avoid eye area, I'm a lazy face washer and often have just massaged the cleanser over my face and eyes to remove all my makeup in one step. This cleanser does not foam or lather. It is a bit like a cold cream but does not leave behind the residue I find cold cream does. I've used the cleanser alone, just massaging into my skin with my hands and removing with a wet washcloth as well as with my Clarisonic. Despite its non-foaming quality it works extremely well with the Clarisonic. The cleanser does a great job removing makeup. It has a pleasant orange scent that lingers just a bit after rinsing. My skin does not feel tight or stripped after cleansing but rather is soft and hydrated. I love this product, especially for this time of year.

Intense Hydration Night Cream: The night cream is very thick and comes in a nice heavy glass jar (I'm a sucker for nice packaging!) Again, a little goes a long way. Probably a pea size amount is enough to cover my face and neck. The cream soaks in immediately and does not leave a greasy residue. My skin feels so soft and comfortable. There is a slight herbal scent to the cream, I suppose that's the clary sage. I'm not a fan of this scent, however it disappears quickly and is not bothersome. Again, I really like this product. I feel I could use this product year round because it is hydrating but not heavy.

Intense Hydration Treatment Mask: I tend to gravitate to clay masks and sometimes peel off masks. Ones that deep clean and energize my skin. So I was a little dubious to try this one. The treatment mask is a thick cream that you apply to your face and let sit for 5-10 minutes before wiping off. It does not dry on your skin like a clay mask. I've used it twice so far and found it to be better than expected. It has that same herbal scent of the night cream, which I don't like, but it's livable. I find that the mask does leave my skin feeling quite clean and a bit tingly and refreshed yet still hydrated. I may like this better as we get deeper into the cold weather and my skin gets dryer. I feel this mask would be nice for a "spa day" treatment and though I may not reach for it every week, I will enjoy it for an occassional treat.

Intense Hydration Day Lotion: The sample packs provided by Bzz Agent were quite generous and I was able to get almost a week's use from the pack I tried. I enjoyed the product very much. Just like the night cream, it left my skin moisturized and soft without any greasiness. It absorbed quickly so I was able to apply makeup shortly after applying the day cream. The texture was a medium cream, not as thick as the night cream but not a thin lotion either. I don't recall it having much of a scent. The day cream did not have SPF so it probably wouldn't be my choice for a summertime day cream. But this time of year I nearly always have makeup on when I go out and I get my SPF there. I may pick up a full size of this when I finish my current day cream.

The line also includes an eye cream which I have not tried. I rarely use eye cream. Thankfully my skin is not too picky and I apply whatever cream I use on my face to the eye area as well without any problem.

I love that Burt's Bees products are pretty natural. They don't have any parabens or mineral oils. You can see full ingredients lists on their website too so you are able to do your research before you buy if chemicals are a concern for you. I would recommend this line for anyone with dry skin.

All in all I'm very happy with this entire line. I will definitely finish the products I've got and will probably purchase again when they are gone.

Sally Hansen Salon Effects

Just a quick post on Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips. I love nail art and thought these looked like a quick and easy way to decorate my nails. So I picked up a pack at Ulta's 20% off sale last week. A pack of 16 nail polish strips retails for $4.99. You apply the strips to dry, unpolished nails. I topped mine with a coat of top coat because I heard this could extend the life of the polish. The box says the polish can last up to 10 days. I only used one strip as an accent nail. This may prove to be quite wasteful on my part. They say the strips dry out quickly once the pack is opened. I sealed my unused strips immediately in a tiny zipbag and have my fingers crossed they'll be usable in the future. The strip was a little fiddly to apply. I could have used a slightly smaller size (I saw somewhere that you could cut trim them to fit, but I was in a hurry).

I did my nails Monday night. The colored nails have Butter London Horespower as a base coat, 2 coats of Orly Haunted Mansion and Butter London PDQ top coat. The accent nail has just the Salon Effects polish strip and PDQ top coat. Here's what my nails look like after 4 1/2 days. As you can see, the colored nails are quite chipped. The SE nail has only the slightest chip at the nail tip. I'm quite impressed. I'll probably take all the polish off tonight or tomorrow since I hate hate hate chipped nails.

At the flea market today I found a vendor selling the Salon Effects packs for $1 each. I only bought one pack because the quality of goods at our flea market is often suspect and there's no guarantee how fresh these things are. I'm anxious to try a whole manicure with the strips. Although applying them to my non-dominant hand will be quite a challenge I'm sure!!

Frankenstein on the big screen

Recently my sister invited me and C to go see a double feature of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein at the local movie theater. It is part of TCM's Event Series. C and I are both big fans of Universal's old horror movies so this was a real treat. The picture quality was quite good (I believe they have been restored). The sound was less impressive, even with the excellent sound system of the theater. 

Of the two, I probably prefer the first movie more. The second tries to throw in a bit more humor through the supporting cast which is generally just annoying. The monster is more sympathetic in the sequel as he comes to realize his hideous appearance and the utter repulsion it causes. But the first is more a classic horror film. No blood or gore. Just moody, creepy, use your imagination horror. Neither movies is terribly accurate to the book.

This was a one night only treat, so if you missed it you're out of luck. However, there are other classic movies in the TCM series. If you love old movies, it might be worth checking out to have the opportunity to see a favorite on the big screen.

Follow up...

Following up on the L'de Lolita Lempicka post. I stuck with just the one scent for four days. May not sound like much to those who wear just one or two scents, but for a perfume addict like me, that's a darn good stretch. The urge for something different was just too great.

I broke the string with Fuel for Life Denim, a sweet fruity amber, very unlike L. Denim is sort of crispy and fresh where L is warm and comforting. I found myself missing L about midday on Thursday. In just those 4 days I had become quite attached to the scent.

I'm going to try more single scent runs to try to narrow down my collection. I do love having many scents to choose from. Some are better for warm days (Burberry Weekend), some for cold rainy days (Breath of God), some are great for helping me sleep (Habinita), some for feeling energized (Fuel for Life Denim). So, no, I'll never be a one scent gal. But I do want to know and understand my collection so I will always have the right scent for the right time.

L de Lolita Lempicka

I've decided to try something new this week. I'm going to try to stick to just one fragrance for the entire week. As you can probably tell from past posts, I love perfume and have a lot to choose from. I rarely wear the same scent two days in a row and frequently change scents between morning and evening depending on the longevity of the scent. I have no desire to go back to my days of being a one scent girl. But I thought it might be interesting to see how long I can stick to one scent before getting itchy for a change.

I chose L de Lolita Lempicka for the experiment. I adore this scent. An ideal scent for fall. The smooth creamy cinnamon is so unique. Fragrantica lists the notes as: Top notes are bitter orange and bergamot; middle notes are immortelle, cinnamon and musk; base notes are tonka bean, vanilla and sandalwood. I mostly get cinnamon, musk and vanilla. It is perfect for any time of day. Goes well for work or casual. It doesn't go weird if the day turns hot. It is comforting and soothing when you get a wiff of it throughout the day. Definitely a great scarf scent. All in all, it's one pretty versatile perfume that I tend to overlook.

The bottle, while quite lovely, belies the contents. One would think with an aqua colored, heart-shaped bottle adorned with netting shells and starfish that the scent would be aquatic or at the very least summery. This is not at all the case.

I will be sure to report back how I make out with sticking to one perfume.

Review of Glade Expressions

My most recent BzzAgent campaign was for the Glade Expressions line. For this campaign I was supplied with coupons to get the products for free rather than receiving actual samples. This proved a bit of a problem because I couldn't find the products at the store where I normally shop. Eventually I did find the fragrance mist at another store and picked up the Cotton & Italian Mandarin scent (the store only had 2 scents to choose from!)

The product is a little different than other room sprays I've tried. There is an outer sleeve that covers the canister of spray. You twist off the bottom of the sleeve to change the spray cans out. To dispense the spray, you squeeze the bottle rather than push a button on top.

The sleeve helps to camouflage the room spray and has a nice sleek appearance. I don't tend to leave room spray sitting around so this has never really been an issue for me. The sleeve and bottom cap are all plastic. I think this might be helpful if you are storing your spray in a bathroom, near a kitchen sink, or other damp area where a normal metal bottle could possible leave a rust ring.

It is pretty easy to change out the spray can. Just untwist the bottom, tap the sleeve on the table to release the can and pop in a new one.

The scent is very nice. I get mostly the cotton/linen/fresh laundry type scent, almost no citrus as the name would imply. It's not overly strong (ie: headache inducing). The mist did a fair job of removing cooking odors. It does a wonderful job of just generally freshening up the air when the house is closed up. The scent dissipates within an hour or so. (If I want long lasting scent I go for candles or tart warmers).

The only disappointment I had with the actual product was the squeeze to spray function. I feel you have to squeeze rather firmly and that is a bit uncomfortable for me. Someone with arthritis or a weak grip would not like this packaging.

I wish the stores where I shop would have had the scent diffusers as I would have liked to try that for the basement for a longer lasting freshening. I would also like to find some of the other scents. Doesn't Fuji Apple and Cardamom Spice sound wonderful for fall? If you like using fragrance products in your home, I think this would be a line worth checking out.

2012 Scents of Summer

Summer is my least favorite season. I hate being hot and sticky. I hate the clothes (give me a cozy sweater and jeans any day!) I hate being blinded by the sun every time I step out the door. I'm also not a huge fan of warm weather perfume. It seems I'm on a constant hunt to find a good summer scent. Cool weather is easy. My heavy vanilla/musky/chocolate scents scream cold weather. But once it gets hot, they feel cloying and can literally choke me. This year, I think I found some pretty good warm weather scents. Here are the 10 I reached for most often this summer, in no particular order.

Burberry Weekend - Quite possibly my favorite summer scent. Sweet hyacinth flower mixed with peach. Perfectly blended, super long lasting.

Clean Warm Cotton - Ok, I'm not a super huge fan of "fresh laundry" scents, which is exactly what this is. But, on a super hot day, there is something comforting in it. I reach for this one when we go walking. It's a great pick me up.

Laugh Often by Reese Witherspoon- Lemon ice tea in a bottle. Love this one for work.

Lilly Pulitzer Squeeze - Got this one super cheap at Perfumania over the summer. It's a sweet citrus. Very well balanced and refreshing. Plus it is light so you can spray a good dose of it and not offend anyone.

Body Shop White Musk Libertine - A musk that works great in warm weather. This is a white musk so it's bright and light. There is some rose in this one making it feel nicely feminine.

Jennifer Aniston - I only bought a rollerball of this last year because I thought it would be too beachy. I was wrong. It is lovely. A little reminiscent of Burberry Weekend, but lighter. White floral scent. Very girly.

Avon FreeO2 -  This one was a sleeper in the Avon book this year. I think I only saw it twice, once at full price and then on clearance a few weeks later. The bottle is dead ugly (Avon could really step up their game with their bottles). The scent is honeysuckle and tea. It is light but short lived.

Tommy Girl - Perfumes: The A-Z Guide gives this one 5 stars and I totally agree. This one gives Weekend a run for it's money for my favorite summer scent. This is a beautiful rosey perfume. However, I think Tommy Girl will work year round.  

DKNY Golden Delicious - This is the one I reach for when I want a more serious, sophisticated scent. Works very well for work. Fruity and woody. The only drawback is the horrible sprayer. The bottle design is just awful. It's pretty and does look vaguely like an apple, but you can't aim the darn thing. I end up spraying perfume everywhere but on me!



Tea Rose (The Perfumers Workshop) - I had to include this one. It is one of the cheapest perfumes I own. I think you can get a big bottle for under $15. But it is the absolute best true rose perfume I have ever smelled. It is exactly like smelling a good, fresh garden rose bush. It is linear and one dimensional and perfect. I love it as a perfume, as a pillow spray, as a room spray.

Now that cooler temps are starting to creep in, I wanted to get this list up so I don't forget for next year! Most of these won't seem much love the next few months since I'm itching to get back to cozy scents.

Cover Girl & Olay Tone Rehab Foundation & Powder

A few weeks ago I received a Cover Girl & Olay Tone Rehab foundation and a matching pressed powder compact as part of a Bzzz Agent campaign.

The foundation I received is color 125 Buff Beige and the powder is 320 fair/light. Although I tend to be rather pale complected, I have a bit of a tan from walking every evening this summer. The Buff Beige color was a pretty perfect match for me. The foundation is a combination skin serum and foundation. I found that I do not need to use moisturizer before applying the foundation. This is normally unheard of for my very dry skin. The foundation has silicones which makes it easy to apply. The finish is a bit dewy without powder. I prefer a slightly more matte finish. I find the foundation does indeed even out my skin tone quite well and does not look like a mask or feel heavy. The coverage is light but buildable if necessary. I do not see any lightening or evening of skin tone when the foundation is removed. In other words, its a fine foundation but I wouldn't consider it to have any long term effects. The foundation does stay true for me for the whole day in my indoor work environment. I did not notice any caking, fading or settling throughout the day. I do prefer my other foundations (Avon Ideal Flawless or Lancome Teint Miracle) to this one. However, I consider this to be a fine choice of a drugstore foundation. I will certainly finish the bottle I have.

I was less impressed with the powder. I found it settled in my lines and wrinkles if not carefully applied. The "puff" that comes with it is useless. I threw it away immediately and preferred applying with a fluffy powder brush. I have dry skin so do not use a lot of powder normally. I like MAC Mineralized Skinfinish for its super fine light feel. This powder is heavy in comparison. It is serviceable to set the foundation but I would not repurchase it.

Galaxy Nails

 It's Labor Day and I had a little extra time to do a fancy manicure today. This style is called galaxy nails or sometimes I see nebula nails. The process is really quite easy and only takes a little longer than a regular manicure to complete. I'm not doing a tutorial or process shots. Just search galaxy nails on You Tube and you'll find a plethora of great tutorials.

I started with a dark blue for the base and sponged on pink, metallic green, pale aqua blue and lined with black and silver. On top is a chunky silver glitter polish. It's the glitter polish that pulls the look together and makes it look like you've got stars on your nails. Awesome and easy.

Sweet Delicious Madness and The Many Mysterious Deaths of Silvio Berlusconi

Despite having 2 e-readers, an iPod, and about 3 dozen book books on my shelf, I've only managed to read 2 books this summer. Pitiful! I'm so ashamed of myself not even reading enough to log an entry in the library's summer reading program (you need 3 for each ticket). There are reasons/excuses, of course, but truth is I really wish I could carve out more time for reading because I truly do love a good book. So anyway, excuses aside, I did just finish a quite good book and thought I'd offer a little review.



I picked up Sweet Delicious Madness when it was a freebie for Kindle. This indie book tells the story of Lily, an American in Italy who is working to support her young twin boys while trying to get a divorce from her philandering husband. Lily seems a bit of a ditz to me, but a very likeable ditz. Her estranged husband's aunt lands here a job as a housekeeper at the vacation home of a famous Hollywood actor where she is in charge of staff. The story revolves around a small cast of somewhat eccentric characters, I liked that there weren't so many characters that you can't keep them all straight. The plot lines are easy to follow as well making for a very enjoyable read. There's a little romance, a little mystery, a little escapism to the lovely country of Italy. Recommended for a light, fast read. I believe there will be/is a sequel but I don't see it on Amazon just yet.