Beauty Loves Week Day Four - The Body Shop Mango Body Butter

We are now at the middle of the Beauty Loves Theme Week and we have looked at lip gloss, perfume, and nail polish favorites of mine.  Today we are going to look at the product that has emerged as my favorite body product and the one that I have repurchased more times than I can remember.  In addition to my huge makeup and perfume collections, I have more body products than I could ever use up in five years so when I have one that I repurchase as soon as I am getting close to running out of it, then you know it is a great product and one that I cannot do without.  The Mango Body Butter from The Body Shop is a key product for me, it moisturizes my skin when it is at its driest point in the winter months yet is never greasy or heavy in the warm weather.  It also helps that the mango scent is perfect and (in my opinion) is the best mango fragrance on the market today.

I first used this product during the summer of 2004 and I cannot even remember how many times that I have purchased it since them.  I have continued to purchase not only the Body Butter in this fragrance but I have owned almost every single Mango product over the years.  All of the products are great but this butter is the best moisturizer that I have ever tried.  I can use this butter any time of the year and it has come through when my skin is so dry that is hurts or when I get too much sun at the beach.

"Our super-rich and creamy Body Butter is a feast for the skin. It melts straight in to leave skin feeling soft and smooth. It contains Community Fair Trade cocoa butter and has an exotic mango scent. 24-hour hydration.  Great for very dry skin Exotic mango scent."

This thick body butter manges to really hydrate my skin and to help it retain the moisture throughout the day.  This is one of those products that can be worn all year long; as I stated above, it is thick enough to hydrate when my skin is very dry during the fall and winter yet not greasy and doesn't feel heavy on the skin during the spring and summer months.  Normally, most of my body products can be used in either warm or cold weather, warm weather products need to be lighter and cold weather products need to be really heavy or my skin gets dry again within an hour or two of application.  The Mango Body Butter quickly absorbs into my skin and keeps it feeling soft and hydrated throughout the day, normally I one or the other from many body creams but this one somehow combines the best of both aspects and is a superior formula.   I need very little of this product and a jar of it lasts a very long time, the hydrated effect also lasts the whole day and I don't need to reapply near as much as I do with other brands and formulas. 

Based on how much I love the Mango Body Butter, I have bought and used other Body Butters from The Body Shop but I always return to the Mango every time that I visit the store.  It is at the point where I order or purchase two of these when I visit Ulta or a Body Shop store, as soon as I get low on it I immediately need to get more as I could not imagine my collection without it.  As much as the formula makes me love this butter, it is the fragrance that makes me want the Mango instead of buying any of the other scents (only the Coconut can even come close to my love of the Mango), I love the scent of mango and I will try any candle or product with this scent and this one has remained my favorite for years now...

photo courtesy of The Body Shop

Beauty Loves Week Day Three - Chanel Le Vernis

Today we are looking at my longest Beauty love and still my favorite nail polish formula and shade range.  I couldn't imagine not having Chanel Le Vernis shades in my nail polish collection and I have been using then since I first received a special beauty gift.  The shade that started my love with this product is the Ciel de Nuit shade, a limited edition shade that was made the winner of a Seventeen magazine contest and I had just began reading the magazine and was in love with everything that the writers suggested.  I still remember everything about that first bottle of polish that I received and I still look at every single seasonal collection to see if this shade might be replicated (by anyone at this point!).  As of right now, a single bottle of this polish is offered at $350 on Ebay and I was actually considering ordering it but then I did wonder how well the formula has weathered the time.  This polish shade was only made in the late fall of 1995...

That's right...1995!  This was my first piece of expensive makeup and my first ever item from Chanel, this product is when my love of makeup started and I have never looked back since.  I have added many more shades to my collection with my latest addition last summer with the top-rated Vertigo shade.   Blue Satin was introduced in early 2008 as a dupe for Ciel de Nuit and I bought this bottle the second that I first heard about it.  I still used and treasure this shade and have been playing around with all kinds of glitter top coats to try and replicate the look of the "night sky".  Nothing has been perfect yet however I have been able to get close enough to be satisfied until I can look at more seasonal collections.

The Chanel website describes the polish formula as follows, "Classic and trend-defining shades from the runways of Paris. State-of-the-art formula strengthens and moisturizes nails as it delivers long-wearing, high-shine, chip-resistant colour. Applies evenly without streaking.  All Chanel nail products are formaldehyde-free, toluene-free and DBP-free."  Blue Satin is a deep navy blue with a very shiny finish and Vertigo is a deep brown that can resemble black in some lights.  I have found that every shade from Chanel is great but the deep hues are particularly wonderful, these are among some of the best jewel tones that I own. 

Every polish shade from Chanel is long-wearing and chip-proof while being super shiny without the need of a separate top coat.  If I could only use one polish brand for the rest of my life, this would be the one and I would be overjoyed if I owned the entire Le Vernis line up.  Many of the shades of this polish started as limited edition and then were such hits that Chanel added them to the permanent line of polishes, I am so excited to see what shades come out for the fall months as these tend to be the best of the entire year.  Le Vernish shades sell out so quickly that I rely on my Chanel makeup artist to let me know exactly when she receives the new bottles and to hold them until I can get to the counter.  When trying to get the newest and best shades from this line, an "in" at the counters is often needed. 

Chanel Le Vernis is one of the best nail polish formulas and shade ranges that can be bought on the beauty product market, this is my favorite nail polish brands and the one that I know that I will continue to purchase for many years.

photo courtesy of Chanel

Beauty Loves Week Day Two - Stella McCartney Stella

My favorite fragrance for the past few years has been Stella McCartney's first and still most popular fragrance, Stella was one of the best selling fragrances for years at Sephora and many limited edition versions of this fragrance have come to make it wearable in every single season.  Stella is one of the new classic rose scents and one that I believe will be one of the iconic rose fragrances in the next decade or two.  I am a rose fragrance lover and I own more roses than anyone that I know and this is the still the best rose fragrance that I have ever used and the only one that I have re-purchased when I finally finished the last drops out of my original bottle.

When did my love affair with this fragrance begin?  That would be the end of the summer in 2005, it was a newer fragrance at that time and I tried it on my first (!) trip to Sephora.  In 2005, Sephora hadn't come around to my area yet and my best friend and I decided to drive down to King of Prussia before the college year began and stock up beauty products and try out new clothing styles.  My first trip to my favorite store resulted in me purchasing my first bottle of my favorite fragrance - if that isn't a match made in heaven then I don't know what is. 

I believe that Stella is only sold at Sephora and on the Stella McCartney website and I have turned to my favorite store and website in order to provide a full description and the notes of this fragrance.  "A fragrance based on the contrast between the freshness and softness of the rose, and the dark sensuality of amber, Stella is a sophisticated scent focused on an intense sense of femininity.  The concept of the Stella McCartney bath line is based on an ecological and organic cosmetology, selecting the best natural raw materials and capitalizing on vegetal extracts based on organic agriculture and on extraction methods that respect and protect the natural life force of the plants."

The notes of this fragrance are: Rose, Peony Flower, Mandarin, Rose Absolute, Amber. 

Stella McCartney is a vegan, as is her whole family and this series of beliefs extended to her entire beauty product line and all of her products (clothing, purses, shoes) and she is one of the first major designers to draw attention to environmental and animal issues that are so prevalent in the world today and then makeup cruelty-free clothing that is coveted by even non-vegans.  Her empire took veganism into the mainstream and made is stylish to care about the environment and the effect that the human race has on the earth.  Stella McCartney has gone from a brand to an entire lifestyle and I can only believe that this company will continue to keep growing over the next decade. 

It still amazes me how many people have never heard of this fragrance and ask who Stella McCartney is when I talk about it.  I get compliments all the time when I wear this fragrance and I tell everyone about how much I love it and all about the formula and notes.  This is one of my signature fragrances and I have only purchased a handful of bottles of it for gifts over the years...I don't want my special scent spoiled by having a whole crew of scent twins. 

As I stated earlier, this fragrance has come out with all kinds of limited edition versions over the years and I have smelled every single one of them and I still hold that the original is the best and cannot be replaced by any of the other version.  The rest of its fans seem to agree with me since none of the other versions have stuck around and the original is still being sold at a pretty high rate.  I don't know that I will ever find another fragrance that I love as much as this one and I cannot even begin to imagine what I will do if the company decided to stop making it...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Beauty Loves Week Day One - MAC Plushglass in Ample Pink

We are going to start this week off with my favorite lip gloss and one of the formulas that I think gets the least amount of love from MAC.  I love all of MAC Lipglasses and I tend to pick up a new one almost every single time that I visit the counter or that a new collection comes out.  So when one formula and shade captures my love and becomes the lip gloss that I use the most and tell all my friends and co-workers to try.  I have a huge collection of MAC Lipglasses (and more are one the way from Archie's Girls so my collection is only going to get larger over the spring season!) so it is rare feat that one shade has been my favorite since I first bought a tube of it in the summer of 2008.  Being that it is now 2013, I have had the same lip gloss love for almost five years.  How many ladies can say that they have loved the same lip gloss for almost five years...and my love affair with MAC Plushglass shows no signs of leaving any time in the near future.

Plushglass is considered to be the thicker, plumping formula of MAC Lipglasses.  I rarely see limited edition shades of this formula and I only found out about it because the MAC makeup artist that was doing my eye makeup recommended it to me.  This makeup artist really knew what she was doing, not only did she help me create a subtle smoky eye but also taught me how to re-create it easily at home.  And then recommended the pefect lip gloss to use against dramatic eye makeup or for when I don't want a lot of pigment on my lips.  That original tube has all the print worn of it from banging around my purse so often and all the product was literally scraped out of it before I declared it to be finished and I bought a new tube of it the very next time I passed by the counter in Macy*s.  Today's Beauty Love celebration is over MAC Plushglass in the Ample Pink shade!

The MAC website states the following for the overall product description, "Sheer lip colour with a pearlized high-shine gloss finish. Comfortable to wear: lush, multi-dimensional. Gives a cool-warm, vanilla buzz to the lips. Moisturizes, soothes and visibly plumps the lips to make them look luxuriously healthy and well-conditioned. Contains vitamin E for added environmental protection."  This lip gloss formula only contains fifteen shades in its line-up, much smaller than the traditional MAC Lipglass line up.  The shades range from pale to deep and all of them have a cream finish.

Ample Pink is my absolute favorite shade and it is a "full, soft rose", a sheer rose that compliments my lip shade and skintone.  The plumping effect in this formula is very subtle and really only adds a very little bit of volume and evens out slight lip lines.  It makes my lips looks full and healthy, a look that men are drawn to naturally.  I never fail to get compliments on this lip color from the ladies around me and I have noticed that more men will talk to me when I use this lip gloss than when I use any other gloss shade in my collection.  This is the epitome of the perfect lip gloss and the best product that I have ever used.  I will die if this shade is discontinued and I really wish that MAC would bring more shades out in this formula, epecially in the hyped limited edition collections that are housed in the special packaging. 

Beauty Love Day One is all about the best lip gloss that I have ever used and that my traincase will never be without!

photo courtesy of MAC

Beauty Loves Theme Week Introduction

So it Valentine's Day week and I have decided to try and celebrate something this week and stay positive throughout the dreaded holiday.  What can I celebrate this week?  I can celebrate that I have great friends and family, that I have a job that I love, and that I am earning top grades in grad school.  What else do I love?  Beauty products!  So I have decided that this week we are going to celebrate the beauty products that I have loved for years and have used on a regular basis.  I own so many beauty products at this point that I almost never repurchase anything and I tend to get sick of many products after I use them two or three days in a row. 

Except for the seven products that we are going to highlight this week.  In these seven days, we are going to visit my favorite lip gloss color, the scents that I can never get sick off even when I use them several days in a row, and the face and body products that I have repurchased so many times over the years.  If a product has made the cut this week, then I truely consider it a Holy Grail and an essential item in my collection.

It is time to celebrate the beauty products that I love the most and have been top level performers for me over the years!

Aveda Spring 2013 Collection - Art of Nature

Aveda is still a brand that I am somewhat newer to, the salon that I go to carries the makeup and skincare lines but I have progressed any further than looking at the displays and gazing at all the pretty makeup colors.  Not that I need another makeup line to collect items from, but Aveda is very unique and contains many formulas that are much more natural than many of the products that I currently use.  So far, I have been most enamoured with the blushes and many of the eye shadow shades, the lip glosses and lipstick lines don't contain unique shades and I already own many of them.  I have a hair appointment at the end of next month so I will be following up with some products reviews if I decide to purchase from the makeup line.

I am hoping that my salon has the new spring collection from Aveda on the makeup table by the next time that I am visiting there.  Art of Nature is the newest collection from this company and it contains products for every facial feature in hues of reds and pinks.  The model for the collection has pale skin and reddish hair so I know that this collection will have products and shades that are flattering for me.  I am in the market for a pinkish red lipstick, this is the one hue of red lipstick that I don't own and I want to add to it my collection by very early spring. 

The new collection from Aveda is called Art of Nature and contains a series of lip products and shades that will be perfect for the spring and summer months.  I can see red and pink lip hues already and I can see that this will be a great spring collection for me.

Here is the newest collection from Aveda!

Petal Essence Single Eye Shadow Color - Let eyes blossom, with our flower wax-infused, soft-to-the-touch shadow. A silky powder-both color-true and crease-resistant-that builds and blends effortlessly, surrounded by a soft floral aroma. Shades from shimmering to matte.  Non-fading.  Talc- and mineral oil-free.  Ophthalmologist-tested.  Packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) clamshell and paper sleeve.
- 984 Bare Bellis - satiny baby pink

Petal Essence Face Accents - Let your color bloom: bronze, highlight, flush or blush with our flower-based face powder bouquets. Blend and build, with a trio of long-wearing colors inspired by—and infused with—aromatic florals.  Tri-color palettes.  Talc- and mineral oil-free.  Infused with a soft floral aroma, with certified organic lavender.  Packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) clamshell and paper sleeve.
- Hibiscus - nude highlighter to soft coral to bright coral

Nourish-Mint Sheer Mineral Lip Color - Plumps naturally over time-without irriatation.  Smooths appearance of fine lines by 26%.  Increases moisture by 26%.  With refreshing organic spearmint and vanilla flavor.  New packaging reduces waste by 33%.
- 914 Sheer Melochia Bloom - light baby coral

Nourish-Mint Smoothing Lip Color - 75% of women noticed fuller lips after 2 weeks.  Smooths appearance of fine lines by 26%.  Increases moisture by 26%.  With refreshing organic spearmint and vanilla flavor.  New packaging reduces waste by 33%.
- 913 Cana - intense red orange

Nourish-Mint Lip Liner - Feed your lips-with luscious, creamy color that shapes and defines-made richer with plant waxes and fruit butters. Nourish-mint Lip Liners provides generous coverage while helping to reduce feathering of other lip color. Refreshing, with certified organic peppermint flavor.  Infused with our U.S.-patented Berry/Lipid Moisture Complex to help protect and replenish.  With certified organic jojoba plus plant lipids to lend moisture.  Pencil made of responsibly-sourced pine.  Housed in a 80% post consumer recycled carton.
- 916 Cocoa Bean - matte sienna
- 917 Barberry Bloom - matte intense red-orange

Petal Essence Eye Definer - Drawn from jasmine petals and geranium leaves, aromatic flower waxes make this formula creamy, blendable, smooth. Line, define, accent, or shade—our pencil stays color-true on eyes or brow, while still respecting the delicate skin around the eye.  Ophthalmologist-tested.  FSC logo on pencil indicates wood came from well-managed forests certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council.
- 918 Wild Indigo - matte midnight blue
- 990 Jade Vine - matte bright grass green

Nourish-mint Rehydrating Lip Glaze - Give them some lip-with 12 lip gloss shades, from nude to bold: infused with plant emollients and clinically proven to moisturize, plump and smooth the look of fine lines. Refreshes with an organic vanilla and mint aroma and flavor. After 8 weeks of use significantly.  Increases lip moisture by an average of 25%.  Taps peptide technology to plump lips by an average of 13%-for lips that appear naturally fuller.  Smooths the look of fine lines by an average of 26%.  Glides on smooth for even color release and a satin shine.  Nourishes, with pomegranate oil.  100% recycled newsprint shell.
- 915 Kukui - shiny cinnamon brown

I think that I like the two lipstick shades the best in this collection evne though the descriptions of them suggest slightly warmer tones than how they appear on the website pictures.  I now really need to see these colors at the salon and I hope that I can see them the next time that I visit.  The lighter shade could be perfect, I just hope that it not too peachy and it actually is more like how it appears o the website.  I have a feeling that this collection could be one of the best for me this spring or a total disaster.  This will be one of those collections that I need to see in real life before I purchase any of the shades from it...

photo courtesy of Aveda

Illamasqua Spring 2013 Collection - I'm Perfection

My love for Illamasqua is never-ending and I have been patiently waiting for their spring collection to come out ever since they released their very limited edition Valentine's Day collection (and Raindrops is still out of stock!) and I just received the email that the next collection is up on the website and will be coming to other retailers within days.  I have been hearing all kinds of hype about the new type of Nail Varnishes that will be debuting with this collection and everyone knows how much I love any type of Nail Varnish from this company, I recently tried a polish with their Rubber finish and found a new type of polish to want and purchase.  I really need my local Sephora to carry everything in this color collection, I am happy that my store carries a few of the Nail Varnishes in the Nail Bar however I pretty have bought all of the ones that I want from there and still want so many more items in the line.

I first thought that this collection was named L'imperfection, French for "imperfection" but I think that it could be either of the names and both of them would fit with the philosophy of both the company and this collection itself.  "Stand up and show the world what makes you perfectly imperfect.  We want you to highlight the features that other brands encourage you to cover up.  Beacuse life isn't about finding yourself, life is about celebrating who you really are."  This collection features a huge egg in many of the collection photos but I still don't know that I totally understand the significance of the egg with the crack in it and the pigment that is pouring out of it.  Maybe I will learn more about this as the collection gets more exposure.

This collection looks really exciting, I see a new Blush Duo, a new Nail Varnish formula, and a new bright pink Lipstick shade.  I might as well just get my Most Wanted List out right now and start working on March...

Here is the newest collection from Illamasqua!

Precision Ink - Create looks with attitude that no one can ignore. Precision Ink's fine tip allows for defined application. Long-lasting and waterproof it's perfect for use anywhere on the face and body to bring out your bold side. You can even use it as an nail art pen; simply seal with Illamasqua Top Coat.
- Abyss - gloss black

Powder Blusher Duo - Lover and Hussy - Featuring two beautiful matt Powder Blusher shades, Lover (Soft apricot) and Hussy (Candy Pink), the new Powder Blusher Duo, a first for Illamasqua, comes in a gorgeous compact with a mirror. Illamasqua Powder Blushers are highly pigmented, use them to shade, brighten, enhance and contour. Be bold; be daring and most importantly be the center of attention this party season.
- Lover - soft apricot
- Hussy - candy pink

Powder Blusher Duo - Katie and Ambition - Featuring two beautiful matt Powder Blusher shades, Katie (Candy Pink) and Ambition (Neutral), the new Powder Blusher Duo, a first for Illamasqua, comes in a gorgeous compact with a mirror. Illamasqua Powder Blushers are highly pigmented, use them to shade, brighten, enhance and contour. Be bold; be daring and most importantly be the center of attention this party season.
- Katie - candy pink
- Ambition - neutral

Powder Blusher Duo - Beg and Bronzerella - Featuring two beautiful matt Powder Blusher shades, Beg (Dusky Rose) and Bronzerella (Copper Broze), the new Powder Blusher Duo, a first for Illamasqua, comes in a gorgeous compact with a mirror. Illamasqua Powder Blushers are highly pigmented, use them to shade, brighten, enhance and contour. Be bold; be daring and most importantly be the center of attention this party season.
- Beg - dusky rose
- Bronzerella - copper bronze

Lipstick - Let your lips speak volumes. Indulge in colour-intense lipstick with a highly pigmented formula, available in a choice of flawless finishes, from creamy matt to iridescent finishes. Illamasqua Lipstick glides on smoothly and doesn't give up without a fight for the perfect all-night pout. A must have for professional make-up artists, and those who want to make a statement.
- Immodest - vivid pink with matte finish

Intense Lip Gloss - Come out of the shadows with high-shine, colour-rich Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in a wide range of bold colours. Create lips that look full and glossy, without feeling sticky with this "liquid lipstick". Draw attention to your lips, and to you.
- Shoot - leaf green

Blush Up Brush - Challenging conventional blusher application, Illamasqua's all-new Blush Up Brush has an innovative, ellipse shaped head, designed to tuck directly under the cheekbone. Creating a soft diffusion of colour up onto the cheekbone, combine the Blush Up Brush with your favourite Powder Blusher Duo shades for a look that defines, elongates and slims the face in one simple movement.

Nail Varnish - A spectrum of bold shades with a range of finishes including matt, rubber and high-gloss. Award-winning, extremely hardwearing and chip-resistant, there's an Illamasqua Nail Varnish for every shade of humanity. Apply two coats for intensity and use with Illamasqua Nail Base Coat and Illamasqua Nail Top Coat for the perfect finish.
- Freckle - speckled neutral
- Fragile - speckled blue
- Mottle - speckled green
- Scarce - speckled pink
- Speckle - speckled lilac

I love this collection and the new Nail Varnishes might be among my favorite products of the entire spring season, I must buy at least one or two of these shades.  I found a picture of the egg on the company's Facebook page and it includes a picture of every single nail polish shade on the model holding the object.  I fI have to pick my favorites from the new polishes, I love the Speckle shade (lilac) and the Mottle shade (pale green).  I am without many pale lilacs and mint greens on my polish collection and these are among the most unique that I have ever seen.  The speckled finish is brand new to the industy and I feel that a new trend will be sparking over the next few months.  The Nail Varnishes are my favorite pieces of the collection and I am just so excited to buy some more polishes from this company.

I was really excited for the Blusher Duo however the shades aren't quite what I had in mind.  I have issues with each of the Duos.  Lover and Hussy contains a shade that I already own (Hussy) and wear mostly in the summer when I have some kind of tan, I have barely made a dent in the surface of this shade in the past year and I have no reason to buy a back up especially when Lover is too warm for me to wear.  The next Duo is Katie and Ambition, Katie is one of my favorite shades from this line and if I really liked Ambition then I would order this Duo however I doubt that I would really use that shade.  Beg and Bronzerella won't work on me either so I guess there is just no reason for me to order any of these Duos.  So upset...

The last piece of this collection that gets me really excited is the Lipstick in Immodest, this bright matte pink will fit in perfectly with the look that I am creating for spring and this one will be ordered very soon.  The green Intense Lip Gloss is out, I could never pull this shade off but I would love to own it in a Nail Varnish.

I'm Perfection might be one of my favorite collections of the spring season, Illamasqua always creates collections and products that I end up falling madly in love with and is one ot the only companies that can rival my love for NARS, MAC, and Chanel!

photo courtesy of Illamasqua's Facebook page