French Week 2010 Day 3 - Creed Love In White

Happy Bastille Day! Yesterday, we talked about an iconic fragrance house and today we are going to talk about another. My last perfume purchase was about a month ago and it was a bottle of Love In White. This was another fragrance that has sniffed months before I had finally given in to the urge to buy it. This may be the pinnacle of my perfume collection so far...

The House of Creed has been around since the year 1760. I went on the Creed website to find a full background on this perfume house. "Creed is the world's only privately held luxury fragrance dynasty. Founded in 1760 and passed from father to son since then, Creed has served more than 10 royal house and the discerning public for 250 years. Indeed, Creed is one of the 100 oldest family businesses in the world. Based in Paris, Creed today is led by the legendary Oliver Creed, sixth generation master perfumer and company chief. Working alongside is his son, Erwin, 29, rising seventh generation and future head of house. A house of tradition, Creed adheres to unrelenting high standards in fragrance creation and client service. Creed uses methods of hand production, including maceration and filtration, instituted at the company's founding. Creed is the industry's strongest proponent of natural ingredients in fragrance. For these reasons, Creed has a loyal clientele that includes royalty, political leaders, legends in business, sports, music, and the fine arts as well as discerning members of the public who value beauty and quality in scent".

Just trying and purchasing fragrances from this brand made me feel smart and stylish. I tried Love In White on one wrist and Spring Flower on the other. Needless to say, I was swarmed by the sales associate fawning over me and reassuring me that I made a great choice in trying Creed fragrances. It was close, but in the end, I eventually decided that Love In White was more unique and would be my first fragrance purchase from this company.

I went to Bergdorf Goodman's website to obtain a detailed description of the fragrance itself. "Blended with ingredients of rare quality from five continents, Love In White includes orange zest from Spain, rice husk from Tonkin, white jasmine from Italy, daffodils from France, magnolia from Guatemala, Bulgarian Rose, sandalwood from India, and ambergris. On the evening of Love In White's debut, the exterior lights of the Empire State Building radiated pure white. Love In White was the first Creed fragrance to debut in the USA as opposed to France. The fragrance has become a favorite of First Ladies of the United States."

This is one of the most unique fragrances that I have ever owned, the combination of the florals and the orange gives it a twist that sets it apart from all the other floral fragrances. This fragrance to me is much more than a perfume, it symbolizes the day that I decided that I wanted to fall in love with an a wonderful, caring man. Love In White is pure love that isn't corrupted or shadowed.

photo courtesy of Bergdorf Goodman

French Week 2010 Day 2 - Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

The iconic Chanel brand needs no real introduction, indeed there is little that I could say right now that I have not already said at some point in this blog. To me, Chanel in Paris and Paris is Chanel. For many girls, when they first understand the concept of perfume and have the ability to remember brand names, Chanel is what they come to think of when they think of fragrance. Last year, I talked about my history with Chanel No. 5 but this year, we are going to look at my favorite fragrance from Chanel and one of my favorite fragrances overall.

I first tried this fragrance out one day when I was in college. However, being a semi-broke college student meant that this perfume was going to have to wait for another day even though it was love at first sniff. I obsessed over it for a month then was able to pick up some extra hours at my part time job and purchase a bottle of the fragrance. I still have that bottle and it still smells wonderful. It remains the fragrance that I get the most compliments on. And not compliments about my perfume, compliments about how beautiful I smell. This fragrance was perfect for me from the day that I first tried and it remains so every single time that I use it.

Sephora classifies this fragrance in the family of the orientals. The fragrance is described on their website as follows, "You might want to call her Miss - but she prefers Coco Mademoiselle. With the creation of Coco Mademoiselle in 2001, Jacques Polge reaffirms the modernity of the young Coco Chanel, who overturned convention with the pure and simple lines of her inimitable style. Coco Mademoiselle is the fragrance Coco Chanel would have worn wear if she were 21 at the dawn of the 21st century."

The top notes of the fragrance are: orange, bergamot. The heart notes are: jasmine petals, morning rose. The base notes are: patchouli, vetiver. Of course there is a rose note to this fragrance, how else would I fall madly in love with it?!

I have the EDT spray in this fragrance, I originally wanted the EDP but I had to be somewhat practical and it was either the EDT or nothing at all. I really like the EDT but I prefer the EDP and when I finish up my current bottle, I will invest in the EDP. Through the Chanel website, this fragrance is also available in a pure parfum and a variety of body products and giftsets.

This fragrance is for the younger Chanel girl, one who is embarking on the beginning of adulthood and has her life in front of her. A young Coco is how I would love to think of myself...

photo courtesy of Sephora

French Week Day 1 - Biotherm Source Therapie

The first day of French Week is going to be devoted to Biotherm skincare and their hero product, their Source Therapie serum. Biotherm is a company that produces a wide range of skincare that is available only in the European Union and online for Americans. Several years ago, it was available in the United States and that is when I got hooked on many of their products. It is no longer sold in the United States but this doesn't stop me for ordering pieces of their unique, high quality skincare items.

First a bit of background on Biotherm since I don't know how many people have heard very much about them. Here is the background story from the company's website. "Fifty years ago in the mountains of France, a biologist discovered a unique element in the mineral-rich thermal spring waters that soothes, balances, and rejuvenates the skin, so it looks and feels healthier. Today, this purified and patented ingredient - Vitreoscilla Ferment - is the scientific key to the effectiveness of our products. It enables each formula - skin and body care, color and men's treatments - to work in sync with skin's own nature, bringing it back to its optimal state so it can better resist stress and damage. That's the basis of healthy skin."

Biotherm's hero product and the product with one of the highest concentrations of Vitreoscilla Ferment is the Source Therapie Superactiv Concentracted Skin Perfecting Serum. This serum is suitable for all skin types and it takes the Biotherm skincare system that you have chosen for your skin type and kicks all the products up a notch. This serum is light enough that it can be used with the oily skin and acne regimes and won't make the existing conditions worse.

Biotherm gives the following as the description of the product, "A healthy dose of perfection! This super charged perfector helps skin feel stronger, balanced, and more refined. In just 5 days, you'll see radiant results. Over time, your skin will look healthier and be more resistant to the signs of premature aging". This product can be used alone on bare skin or under any moisturizer if the user needs an added dose of moisture. I love using this product to make my skin look clearer and more radiant. I have used this product with both the normal skin and dry skin regimes from Biotherm and it really does work with every skincare product for every skin type.

photo courtesy of Biotherm

Le Commencement...

It is the time of the year for my second annual French Week. I am going to do the same premise as last year, seven French companies, all of which are different in origin and product lines. Bastille Day is this week so this is the ideal week to examine French culture and lifestyle.

To start...a photo of the French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.

photo courtesy of Google

MAC In The Groove

This is the last of the new MAC releases this week. In The Groove is the largest of the collections, featuring all full collection of products with new shades. The Mineralize products feature huge in this collection and I am betting that this collection will go over quite well. The MAC website gives the following as a description of the collection, "A modern, flowing, and fabulous way with bold, kaleidoscope colour combined with boho charm and up-to-the-minue catwalk style. Shadows are matte, sans glitter, and in the trio format. Creamy lips play perfectly off Mineralize satin-smooth eyes. Turn on and groove out!"

Let's see this collection!

Mineralize Eye Shadow (Trio) - A matte Mineralize Eye Shadow debuting with the MAC In The Groove colour collection. Three coordinating shades baked together in a single pan help create an exceptionally sheer and lightweight Mineralize application with a rich velvety-matte finish. Limited edition.
- Fresh & Easy - satin pink/pearly burgundy/satin gray
- Soften the Mood - satin light blue/pearly rose/satin light brown
- Calm, Cool, & Collected - satin beige/pearly green/satin deep green
- Togetherness - satin lavender/pearly purple/satin gray
- Making It Easy - satin dark beige/pearly beige rose/satin red brown
- Love to Love - satin beige/pearly bronze/satin brown
- In the Groove - satin green/pearly burgundy/satin coral
- Style Influencer - satin silver/pearly deep blue/satin mauve brown
- Blue My Mind - satin light blue/pearly deep teal/satin black

Powerpoint Eye Pencil - Waterproof. Longwearing. Metallic, shimmer, and matte finishes. Smooth to apply. Won't transfer, smudge, or budge... Draws the line: powers your eyes. Makes its point. Lasts.
- Navy Stain - royal blue with shimmer
- Permaplum - deeply plum with pink shimmer
- Stubborn Brown - deep rich brown

Zoom Lash - Major drama. Lasts all day. Creamy, velvety formula builds density and conditions. Feels light, supple. Ultra-sculpted brush has three-sided fibres to embrace and separate each lash, hugging every curve. Coats in one stroke from root to tip. No smudging.
- Zoomblack - rich black

Lipstick - Colour plus texture for the lips. Stands out on the runway. Simmers on the street! What made MAC famous.
- Creme d'Nude - pale muted peach beige (Cremesheen)
- Jazzed - bright coral pink (Cremesheen)
- All Styled Up - bright yellow pink (Cremesheen)
- I Like It Like That - deep blue pink (Cremesheen)
- Go For It - midtone blue purple (Cremesheen)
- Call My Bluff - midtone creamy coffee (Cremesheen)

Cremesheen Glass - A lip finish that fuses the creamy, sheen-filled nature of Cremesheen Lipstick with the shine of MAC Lipglass. Soft, comfortable, non-sticky. Applies with a doe-foot applicator. Use as top layer to its namesake Lipstick or on its own.
- Fashion Whim - light beige
- On The Scene - light coral beige
- Right image - midtone blue pink
- Going Casual - sheer lilac
- Chillin' - light white blue
- You've Got It - dirty silver gray

Mineralize Blush (Duo) - A limited-edition Mineralize Blush featuring two shades swirled into an abstract pattern. Delivers the sheer colour and soft, dimensional pearl finish of all MAC Mineralize powder formulas.
- Happy Together - satin caramel/pearly beige
- Hang Loose - satin bright pink/pearly lavender
- A Little Bit of Sunshine - satin light brown/pearly beige
- Band of Roses - satin blue pink/pearly light plum
- New Vibe - satin deep rose/pearly bronze

Mineralize Skinfinish - A luxurious, velvet-soft powder with high-frost metallic finish. Smoothes on: adds buffed-up highlights to cheeks, or an overall ultra-deluxe polish to the face.

- By Candlelight - golden pink

- Stereo Rose - coral with golden/bronze shimmering nuances

- Comfort - golden bronze

- Petticoat - pale rose with gold and amber veining

187 Duo Fibre Brush - A large full circular brush used for lightweight application and blending of face powder and pigments. Use to create soft layers or add textures. Made from a soft blend of goat and synthetic fibers.

I'm not bowled over by this collection. I actually have never used anything from Mineralize by this collection has tempted me into trying it out. I don't really find any of the lipsticks or glosses to be to my liking so I will be looking for a couple universal eye and fave shades from this collection. I would really like to get Love to Love and Togetherness from the new eye shadow trios. Facewise, I want the Mineralize Blush in Band of Roses and from the Mineralize Skinfinish, I want By Candleight and Petticoat.

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

C.O. Bigelow Mentha Vitamin Body Wash

We are currently in the midst of one the worst heat waves ever. The heat index is over 100 almost every day this week and people are doing anything to cool off. Looking at fall collections is causing me to dream of sweaters and caramel apples. But, I still have to survive this heat wave that is my current reality before I can get to candy corn and pumpkins. So I need something cooling and refreshing right now. Time to break out the mint...

Currently, I am trying out the C.O. Bigelow Mentha Vitamin Body Wash, which is great way to start my morning shower with. It's cool, tingly, and really helps to wake me up and get me ready to start my day. Also, the product is green, making me love it every more.

Here is the description of this wash from Bath and Body Works. "Our mint-infused body wash provides an invigorating sensation while cleansing and refreshing skin. Wake-you-up formula deeply nourishes with vitamins A, C, and E to keep skin extra-healthy and looking its best."

This wash was provided to me by a PR company along with the matching body lotion and body buffer. I haven't gotten the chance to try the other two products so reviews on them will be forthcoming. However, I love this wash so I bet that I will love the other products in the line. Based on the great experience this wash provides in the shower, I also that the bar soap will be great too.

The peppermint oil in this wash cools my skin off and smells great. The tingling feeling doesn't last after the shower so if you want it to linger, you will want to layer the products in this line. The vitamins in this product help to protect skin that may have seen too much sun at the beach or park. I would recommend this to anyone, male or female, in the warm weather months. However, the sensation will not have same effect in the winter and I will be putting away for warm weather.

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

Most Wanted Nordstrom Event 2010

The yearly Nordstrom Beauty Event starts at the end of next week but you are able to pre-order pieces on their website right now. After looking at the exclusive products that are available, I highly recommend pre-ordering as this is one of the best events that I have seen in the past few years. I made a list of the products that I want the most and those that I recommend that you guys all check out.

- Chanel Quatuor Boutons de Chanel

- La Mer 'The Signature' Collection

- Philosophy 'Celebrate Life' Lime Blossom High - Foaming Shower & Bath Gel

- Dior 'Ready-to-Wear' Palette

- Laura Mercier Portable Beauty Collection

- Philosophy 'Amazing Grace' Gift Set

- Kate Spade 'Twirl' Eau de Parfum Rollerball

- Leaf & Rusher Rejuvenating Cleansing Kit

- Shu Uemura Eye & Cheek Palette

- Kate Somerville Ultimate Exfoliate Kit

- Lippmann Collection Nail Polish in Bad Romance

Normally I try to choose my ten favorite products but I did have to pick eleven products this time. I had to add on the polish in Bad Romance...of course! My recommendation is to pre-order your top picks, I doubt that many of these special products will last very long.