Urban Decay Spring 2014 Collection - The Naked Collection

Urban Decay was one of the first brands to bring out their spring collection however I haven't gotten a chance to really check it out until I visited Sephora earlier today.  I had seen pictures of it online but it wasn't released to the stores right away and today was one of the first days that the weather co-operated enough for me to head out to the mall.  My goal was to check this collection out today and swatch a couple of the products while I start deciding what types of products I will be picking up for the upcoming spring months.  I am well stocked right now on skincare and am still loving the Bobbi Brown foundation that I tested out last month.

Urban Decay has often brought out more than one new collection each season so there is a good chance that we will be seeing more from this brand in the next few months.  The collection that we are looking today is called the Naked Collection.  The first piece of this collection actually came out several months ago with the release of the Naked 3 eye shadow palette.  I remarked in my review of that product that it was perfect for spring and summer and I put it away after I finished writing up my review of it.  Urban Decay brought out their first Naked Eye Shadow Palette in 2010 and they have been growing the collection ever since.  I have purchased a lot of the items from that line and I am sure that I will picking up more from this collection along with pulling out the Naked 3 palette once spring arrives.

The Urban Decay Naked Collection!

Naked Skin Beauty Balm - A five-in-one beauty balm that minimizes the appearance of pores, lines, wrinkles, and redness instantly for skin that looks firmer in eight weeks.  Blur flaws in seconds and get serious anti-aging benefits in just eight weeks.  This lightweight, velvety, oil-free miracle works instantly and over the long term.  Naked Skin Beauty Balm is invisible on your skin (zero rub-off): the universal shade glides on and dries down to a translucent flawless finish that works on most skintones.  While many beauty balms are tinted to provide coverage, Naked Skin diffuse light with high-tech pigments to give you amazing, natural, naked-looking skin that keeps getting better every week.  Unlike a lot of beauty balms, Naked Skin delivers measurable anti-aging benefits - and the claims prove it.  This product is now available in three shades: Light, Medium, and Dark.

Naked Skin Ultra Definition Loose Powder - Finely milled, this lightweight loose powder is designed to blur away imperfections, setting the foundation and concealer without creasing.  As with the Beauty Balm, it also provides a demi-matte finish so it doesn't look heavy or cakey.  Available in five shades to suit a range of skintones.

Naked Ultra Nourishing Lip Gloss - A nourishing balm and high-shine gloss in the one tube, containing vitamins and Shea Butter, the Naked Glosses provide a subtle color while complementing a range of looks.  With its creamy texture and high-shine finish, Naked Lip Gloss is the perfect gloss to complement a UD smoky eye.  It not only makes your lips dangerously kissable but also feels so luxe that you'll want to keep applying it all day (even when you don't have to).
- Beso - deep mauve pink
- Freestyle - brown-nude with subtle micro-shimmer
- Liar - soft mauve pink
- Lovechild - medium pink
- Naked - nude-pink with a pearly pink shift
- Nooner - light neutral nude
- Rule 34 - medium brown nude
- Streak - coral peach
- Walk of Shame - pale nude pink with subtle micro-shimmer

I am really excited for this new collection and I think this is my favorite collection so far this spring.  I know that I will be buying the Light shade in the BB Cream for summer, I have used the "universal" shade in the past (the new Medium shade" and I always found it to be a touch too dark for my skintone (even with self tanner and bronzer).  I can't wait to try that product out for the summer and I will be ordering this one very soon.  I am putting the loose powder on the backburner for the moment, I don't need a loose powder and it always takes me a long time to finish up a powder so I don't need to order this one anytime soon.  I would be open to this formula once I need a new powder and I will probably try this one out in the next few months.

My favorite item in this new collection are the lip glosses.  I still have some of the two previous formulas of lip glosses from this company in my collection and I am really excited to try this new one out.  My Sephora had the testers out of these glosses however most of the display was sold through and I was only able to grab one of the shades that I really wanted.  Naked was my favorite lip gloss shade in the previous gloss formula and a shade that I also own in their lipstick, this is my perfect nude and I was excited to see that this one was still in stock at my Sephora.  I will be ordering a few other shades online and I already have Beso, Liar, and Lovechild on my shopping.

Urban Decay is often known for creating cutting edge, bold collections and I really like this type of different offering from them.  I think this will be one of their best selling collections as this is a very wearable and universal series of shades and products and I hope all of these products are part of their permanent collection!

photo courtesy of Urban Decay

Fitness Friday - Eagle Yoga Pose

My fitness focus has been on adding more workouts to my weekly gym routine and I have found that I have a lot more work to do in the leg and core strengths areas.  One of the best ways for me to grow strength in certain areas is by adding new yoga moves to my practice and then adapting them into my gym workouts.  One of my least favorite yoga poses is Eagle pose, a pose that I have struggled in my before due to lacking strength in the above-mentioned areas.  

When I first started working lunges into my leg day routine, one of the first things that this exercise reminded me of was Eagle pose.  In both the pose and exercise, core strength is needed for stability and leg strength is also needed.  I will be forcing myself to work this yoga move into each and every one of my upcoming Vinyasa sessions in the hopes that I can grow my strength in both of these areas.

The steps for a proper Eagle pose...

- Stand in Tadasana.  Bend your knees slightly, lift your left foot up and, balancing on your right foot, cross your left thigh over the right.  Point your left toes toward the floor, press the foot back, and then hook the top of the foot behind the lower right calf.  Balance on the right foot.

- Stretch your arms straight forward, parallel to the floor, and spread your scapulas wide across the back of your torso  Cross the arms in front of your torso so that the right arm is above the left, then bend your elbows.  Snug the right elbow into the crook of the left, and raise the forearms perpendicular to the floor.  The backs of your hands should be facing the floor.

- Press the right hand to the right and the left hand to the left,  so that the palms are now facing each other.  The thumb of the right hand should pass in front of the little finger of the left.  Now pass the palms together (as much as is possible for you), lift your elbows up, and stretch the fingers toward the ceiling.

- Stay for 15 to 30 seconds, then unwind the legs and arms and stand in Tadasana again.  Repeat for the same length of time with the arms and legs reversed.

I have seen my yoga teachers do squats in this position but that is definitely a goal for once I have conquered this pose.  I will start by working Eagle into my Vinyasa routines and continue to add more reps to my lunges with leg day!

photo courtesy of Yoga Journal

Brand Spotlight 2014 - Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment

I am starting my Brand Spotlight products of this month with the eye cream that I have been lovng for the past few weeks.  I made a large Kiehl's order early last month and I have been testing all new skincare products to review this month.  I really do love trying and reviewing new skincare products and my skin has been improving over the past few weeks with use all of the new Kiehl's items.  I have decided to start with the Creamy Eye Treatment as I started using this product a few days before any others.  I know that opinion is divided as to the overall need for a separate eye cream but I do enjoy using a separate product to help hydrate this delicate undereye skin and to help reduce the appearance of puffiness and dark circles.

"This nourishing under eye cream offers creamy hydration suitable for all skin types.  Gently moisturizes the delicate under-eye area.  Uniquely concentrated formula does not migrate into the eyes.  Infused with efficacious ingredients including Beta-Carotene, Shea Butter, and Avocado Oil.  Ophthalmologist- and dermatologist-tested for safety.  For all skin types, including sensitive.  Our top-rated eye cream beloved by Kiehl's customers.", states the Kiehl's website.

The Kiehl's website provides more details on the three key ingredients contined in the Creamy Eye Treatment.

Avocado Oil - Derived from the beloved Avocado Fruit, Avocado Oil has a rich, emollient texture and contains a balance of lipids including omega essential fatty acids.  Within our formula, Avocado Oil is known to moisturize, nourish, and soften skin.

Beta-Carotene - Beta-Carotene is a naturally-derived antioxidant predominantly found in many orange and red vegetables such as carrots.  It is used in Vitamin A production and can give an orange tint when used in skincare products.

Shea Butter - Shea Butter is the natural fat obtained from the fruit of the African Karate tree and is widely used in lotions and cleansing products.  Within our formulas, Shea Butter is known to help defend dehydration, restore suppleness, and improve the appearance of dry skin.

This product can be used day and night and is designed for the undereye area.  I started by using this at both times during the day but I quickly decided that this cream is too thick to use before undereye concealer.  The texture of the Cream Eye Treatment is a very thick, rich cream and needs to be warmed up before application.  I tried to use this product dotted right onto my undereye area and then pat it in but it wasn't fully absorbing when I tried to use in this manner.  After a few applications, I found that I have to get it onto the pad of my ring finger and then rub both of my ring fingers together until I melt the product down.  Once I melt it down, I can easily apply it to the undereye area and it will absorb in quickly.  I found several reviews on this products and nearly everyone recommends using it in this manner.

I love the hydrating properties of this eye cream and I would recommend it to anyone with a dry under eye area.  I am glad that I tried it in the winter months as I am not sure if this would be too heavy in the summer months.  This is a great night eye cream and a great introduction to the Kiehl's brand.  I love that the ingredients in this product are more natural and I can see how this is one of the best selling products that Kiehl's carries.

I have more work to do with the rest of the products that I ordered from this company but this eye cream was a great introduction to the brand and I am looking forward to working more with the rest of my order.

photo courtesy of Kiehl's

Bath and Body Works Mad About You

Valentine's Day is in the air and nearly every beauty product line is releasing something special to celebrate this time of the year and I can't even be too much of a Grumpy Cat this year.  My personal mission is to find a great new fragrance to match the dress that I have picked out for the big day and I am starting right now with testing and searching out new blends.  I still have more than a week to find a new perfume but it has been snowing almost every week since the beginning of December and more than shopping trip has been cancelled due to weather over the past two months.  Let's see if this trend continues for the rest of the month...at the rate that the snow is coming down, we might be able to celebrate Valentine's Day by the beginning of March.

Last month, Bath and Body Works releases three new fragrances for the beginning of spring and I am eagerly looking forward to pulling out my Sky body products once the snow begins to melt.  This isn't what I had in mind for Valentine's Day though so I will be keeping it in the bag for the next few weeks.  I want a pretty, girly floral scent for Valentine's Day and maybe something with roses or peonies as a heart note.  I do see that Bath and Body Works released a new scent at the beginning of this week and this is one that I considered for my Valentine's Day fragrance.  Mad About You even sounds like the perfect date night perfume...

I was first attracted to this fragrance because of the beautiful bottle of the Eau de Toilette but the fragrance inside just wasn't for me.  "A love-struck pairing of soft peonies & black currant kissed with creamy vanilla musk.", states the Bath and Body Works website.  The top notes of the perfume are:  Black Currant, Luscious Strawberry, Sparkling Cassis.  The middle notes are: Ginger Lily, Bright Peony, Pink Jasmine.  The base notes are: Amber Wood, White Patchouli, Vanilla Musk.

This fragrance starts out all berry on me, its too sweet and berry notes often do not work well with my skin chemistry.  I tried to get through this phase of the fragrance and hope that it works better once the floral notes start to come out.  The peony note is too faint for me, the Black Currant and Cassis overpower all of the floral notes and keep this fragrance more berry than floral.  Berry notes sour on me and this one quickly follows that same path, the sweet notes quickly go sour and the whole fragrance is then just bad.  It reminds me of exactly the way that the Juicy fragrances react on me and why I tend to stay away from them. 

The EDT was very strong and lasted through a shower on me so I would give this fragrance full marks for staying power.  I tried the Lotion on my hand but this form was no better on me.  It had too much berry for me and soured within a few minutes of application.  This fragrance was a dud in all forms for me.  Such a shame since the bottle of just so pretty...

Mad About You is available in all the traditional Signature Collection forms along with the new Diamond Shimmer and a Whipped Shimmer Mousse that debuted sometime in the last holiday season.  The following forms can be found in this fragrance: Fine Fragrance Mist, Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Triple Moisture Body Cream, Body Scrub, Luxury Bubble Bath, and EDT.  The two shimmer forms are relatively newer and would be great choices for going out.

The Diamond Shimmer Mist is the newest version of a shimmer mist from this company.  I do not believe that any of the old ones are available so I assume that this is the new shimmer line.  "Dazzle with Diamonds! Infused with real diamond dust, our luxurious Diamond Shimmer Mist kisses skin with irresistible fragrance and gorgeous sparkle.", is the product description available on the company's website.  I wonder how much diamond dust is actually found in this product...

This is a nice fragrance for those for those who can wear berry notes, I can't and this ruins the whole fragrance for me.  I was hoping for something more floral and I know that I am going to have to keep searching for a new fragrance for the holiday or wear a current favorite in my collection (if the snow keeps me home the way that it has been).

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

MAC A Fantasy of Flowers

Yesterday we looked at the green half of A Fantasy of Flowers, this collection is off to a great start for me and I couldn't wait to start blogging again today and to look at the pink part of this collection.  From the green part of the collection, I was most excited by the Fluidline shade and both of the Mineralize Eye Shadow quads and I am hoping that the pink part of the collection will contain more lip and nail hues that I will want to buy for this spring.  I have been all about the pinks the past few springs and I will start wearing pinks in the beginning of February and then all way throughout the spring and summer.  My pink shades have been getting a workout over the past few springs and I always want to find more great pinks for this spring and summer.  I will start wearing my favorite pink lip and nail shades within the next few days and I will be all about bright pinks for Valentine's Day too.

I have said it earlier in the season and I will say it again here because I am pink shopping again.  My dress for Valentine's Day is black with little white polka dots and I want to do all my makeup in hues of pink.  I might start shopping for some pink jewelry while I am on the pink bandwagon...

"A dream world bursting with brilliant blooms of colour. A stunning bouquet of shades draws you in with hypnotic movement as a magical fantasy emerges glowing with a floral essence. Rose-coloured hues burst from lustrous Lipstick, while a heavenly hybrid of Mineralize Eye Shadows blossoms with natural splendour. Cheeks are kissed with the graceful glow of Mineralize Blush, and vivid pops of colour flourish as Fluidline and Nail Lacquer bring this flowery fantasia to life.", states the MAC website when describing the pink part of A Fantasy of Flowers.

The second part of the collection!

Mineralize Eye Shadow - Four coordinating Eye Shadow shades baked together in a single pinwheel pan. A brilliant way to experience Mineralize's unique properties: remarkably blendable pre-coordinated colours, sheer lightweight application, a pearlized finish with a soft shimmer.
- Pink Sensibilities - pinky brown/chocolate brown/yellow pink/icy blue pink
- Great Beyond - deep blue/dusky plum/icy white lilac/soft mauve brown

Pigment - Pigment is a highly concentrated loose colour powder that contains ingredients to help it adhere to the skin. Create a subtle wash of colour or an intense effect. Does not streak or cake. Easy to blend and long-lasting. Please note: Pigments are sold by weight not volume. Containers can appear to be less than full due to settling of the product.
- Pink Pearl - shimmery lavender pink
- Violet - vivid bright violet purple

Fluidline - Ultra-smooth, Fluidline's gel formula provides the precision of a liquid liner with a silkier, softer finish. Goes on “foolproof” with a brush in an easy dip-and-stroke action. Long-wearing. Smudge-proof. Lines up in a rich array of colours and finishes. Brush sold separately.
- Phlox Garden - vivid violet

Lipstick - Colour plus texture for the lips. Stands out on the runway. Simmers on the street! What made M·A·C famous.
- Rose Lily - sheer pastel pink
- Snapdragon - midtone blue pink
- Heavenly Hybrid - midtone berry

Cremesheen Glass - A lip finish that fuses the creamy, sheen-filled nature of Cremesheen Lipstick with the shine of M∙A∙C Lipglass. Soft, comfortable, non-sticky. Applies with a doe-foot applicator. Use as a top layer to its namesake Lipstick or on its own.
- Pagoda - frosted cool pink
- Playful Petal - electric magenta
- Galaxy Rose - midtone violet pink

Mineralize Blush - Baked minerals refined into a powder formula to provide exceptionally sheer and lightweight application. Colour builds lightly, layer after layer, without heavy coverage. Veils and enhances the cheekbones with a luminous, pearlized shimmer.
- Azalea in the Afternoon - midtone blue pink

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.
- Stereo Rose - coral with golden/bronze shimmering nuances

Nail Lacquer - Revolutionary new high gloss formula. Three long-wearing finishes - Cream, Sheer, and Frosted. Visibly different. Provides no-streak/no-chip finish. Contains conditioners and UV protection. Go hi-lacquer!
- Saint Germain - light cool pink
- Girl Trouble - super glitter pink

286 Duo Fibre Tapered Blending Brush - With its soft dome shape, this two-toned, duo-fibre brush of goat and synthetic fibres provides a sheer, more controlled application of M·A·C Mineralize Eye Shadow.

159 Duo Fibre Brush - A small rounded, double-chiseled paddle-shaped blush brush for the smooth, refined application of powder to shade, blush and highlight the face. Made from a soft blend of natural and synthetic fibres.

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

This collection is exactly what I thought it would be, I am all over the lip products in this collection and not quite as excited about the eye makeup shades.  All the lip shades are very cool toned and will not work well for many people but they are perfect for me and I have a list of ones that I will want to order.  Rose Lily and Snapdragon are my two favorites in the Lipstick shades, one of these is a pale pink and the other is a medium bubble gum pink shade.  I want every shade of the Cremesheen Glasses in this collection, I will start with the berry toned shade in the winter and then wear the pinks as the spring begins. 

I am on the fence with the bright violet Fluidline, I would either really love it or really hate it.  I am bordering on trying it out since I loved a lilac cream eye shadow from Illamasqua last spring and I am looking forward to wearing it again this spring.  I will have to head to the counter for this product and get the thoughts of the MAC makeup artists on this product.  While we are on the topic of eye makeup, the only eye shadow quad that I would like is the Pink Sensibilities, it contains neutrals and pinks and will work very well with many of the eye makeup shades that I already own.

The Nail Lacquers are my last love of this collection, I must have both of the new shades and I will want to order them right away and start wearing them as soon as they come in.  These are both great pinks and I need to add both to my polish collection.  Nothing else really grabs me in this collection but that is ok since I already have a huge shopping list of items to begin with. 

I still wonder if we are going to be seeing another huge collection from MAC within a month but I think that I will have lots of shopping to do while I am waiting to see what else is on the way from this company!

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC A Fantasy of Flowers

It is very beginning of February and I cannot say how excited I am for this month to be coming to an end; in the past few past, my area in Pennsylvania has received more snow than the whole previous winter and has had only a few days that have climbed over 20 degrees.  Spring will be much appreciated this year than it has for the past few years and I am really looking forward to begin spring shopping for everything from makeup to shoes.  MAC has been releasing a few small collections ever since the day after Christmas and now their huge spring release has just been put up on the website.

I am unsure if this is the big release for spring and will take the place of the collection that always comes out in the first two weeks of February or if another collection is coming our way very soon.  The big February release is often a favorite collection on mine in years past (Hello Kitty, Archie's Girls, Wonder Woman) and I would love for A Fantasy of Flowers to join these collections in my heart and makeup case.  I think this is going to be a great spring shopping season...

The MAC website divides A Fantasy of Flowers into two parts of the collection, it appears that one contains beautiful green shades and the other one is a series of lovely pink hues.  We are going to start with the green collection because that is the one that is working correctly right now.  The MAC website must be very popular right now because the pink collection is crashing when I try to open it up and we will go with the green collection while it works!

"A glorious garden of irresistible shades unfolds, its hidden pleasures unearthed as delicate pastel Pigments unfurl and the dewy sparkle of Cremesheen Glass casts a luminous gleam. Rose-coloured hues burst from lustrous Lipstick, while a heavenly hybrid of Mineralize Eye Shadows blossoms with natural splendour. Cheeks are kissed with the graceful glow of Mineralize Blush, and vivid pops of colour flourish as Fluidline and Nail Lacquer bring this flowery fantasia to life."

Here is the green part of A Fantasy of Flowers!

Mineralize Eye Shadow - Four coordinating Eye Shadow shades baked together in a single pinwheel pan. A brilliant way to experience Mineralize's unique properties: remarkably blendable pre-coordinated colours, sheer lightweight application, a pearlized finish with a soft shimmer.
- In The Meadow - icy shimmering white/dirty olive green/golden mint green/pale yellow
- Golden Hours - copper bronze/golden brown/soft golden peach/pale yellow gold

Pigment - Pigment is a highly concentrated loose colour powder that contains ingredients to help it adhere to the skin. Create a subtle wash of colour or an intense effect. Does not streak or cake. Easy to blend and long-lasting. Please note: Pigments are sold by weight not volume. Containers can appear to be less than full due to settling of the product.
- Chartreuse Bouquet - shimmering acid green
- Lily-white - pale butter yellow shimmer

Fluidline - Ultra-smooth, Fluidline's gel formula provides the precision of a liquid liner with a silkier, softer finish. Goes on “foolproof” with a brush in an easy dip-and-stroke action. Long-wearing. Smudge-proof. Lines up in a rich array of colours and finishes. Brush sold separately.
- Sassy Moss - vivid green

Haute and Naughty Lash - A two-in-one mascara that lets you choose if you want lashes to be naturally defined, or instantly combed and loaded for full-on drama. Easy to use dual-wiper system allows this lightweight formula to go on either way. One wiper refines the application for a clean sweep, while the other loads the lashes for greater impact.
- Haute and Naughty Black - black

Lipstick - Colour plus texture for the lips. Stands out on the runway. Simmers on the street! What made M·A·C famous.
- Fleur d'Coral - pale creamy peach
- Naked Bud - neutral sheer nude
- Dreaming Dahlia - sheer red coral

Cremesheen Glass - A lip finish that fuses the creamy, sheen-filled nature of Cremesheen Lipstick with the shine of M∙A∙C Lipglass. Soft, comfortable, non-sticky. Applies with a doe-foot applicator. Use as a top layer to its namesake Lipstick or on its own.
- Nectarsweet - soft pink peach
- Flare for Fantasy - midtone pink beige
- Star Quality - bright orange coral

Mineralize Blush - Baked minerals refined into a powder formula to provide exceptionally sheer and lightweight application. Colour builds lightly, layer after layer, without heavy coverage. Veils and enhances the cheekbones with a luminous, pearlized shimmer.
- Petal Power - coral pink with gold shimmer

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.
- Perfect Topping - pale pearlized pink

Nail Lacquer - Revolutionary new high gloss formula. Three long-wearing finishes - Cream, Sheer, and Frosted. Visibly different. Provides no-streak/no-chip finish. Contains conditioners and UV protection. Go hi-lacquer!
- Pep Pep Pep - light peach nude
- Soiree - sparkly light bronze gold

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

286 Duo Fibre Tapered Blending Blush - With its soft dome shape, this two-toned, duo-fibre brush of goat and synthetic fibres provides a sheer, more controlled application of M·A·C Mineralize Eye Shadow.

159 Duo Fibre Brush - A small rounded, double-chiseled paddle-shaped blush brush for the smooth, refined application of powder to shade, blush and highlight the face. Made from a soft blend of natural and synthetic fibres.

I am so excited for the bright green Fluidline in this collection, I have never seen a shade of cream eye liner like this before and this is my favorite piece of this part of the collection!  I am not sure how much wear I would really get from this color but I know that it will be fun for going out at night in the warm weather months.  I hope that this color does not sell out right away and that I can get my hands on it.  While we are looking at the eye makeup, I want both of the Mineralize Eye Shadow quads; I will wear the bronze and gold quad immediately and then all throughout the rest of the year.  I will hold off on breaking out the green one until the spring comes but I think that it is my favorite of the two quads.

As with most of the other MAC collections, the lip products get me very excited and I will need to add more than one or two shades to my collection.  Starting with the Lipstick shades, Naked Bud is my first choice for a nude look against strong eye makeup (like that green Fluidline) or for a natural look on the weekends.  I am even more excited to see that the Lipglass formula included with this collection is the Cremesheen formula, I have been a huge fan of this formula since I first tried it out and I am excited to add yet another one to collection.  My favorite shade from these new shades is Flare for Fantasy, this pink beige is perfect for me and I would wear it all the time and with all kinds of makeup looks. 

Rounding out the rest of the collection...  I want the Nail Lacquer in Soiree and the Mineralize Blush in the new pink shade in this collection.  I see that I have a lot of shopping to do from this first part of the collection and I am really excited to see what the rest of the collection holds.

Onto the pink part of this collection!

photo courtesy of MAC

Brand Spotlight February 2014: Kiehl's

I started my Brand Spotlight series with a very popular makeup company last month and this month I will be focusing on a skincare brand.  I first started reading about the Kiehl's brand in Allure several years ago and I have been interested in trying their skincare products ever since.  This is one of the oldest skincare companies that I am aware of and it reminded me of what I used to love about the C.O. Bigelow skincare line.  That company has discontinued tons of their products and I have been looking for another line to fill the void, I fully believe that products from this line will be among my new favorites and I see myself ordering a good amount from this brand.

I had to order all of my products from the Kiehl's website, they are not carried at Sephora or Ulta and the closest store to me is over an hour away.  I made one huge order from them several weeks ago and I would love to visit one of their stores in the coming months.  I ordered a whole range of skincare products and a hydrating lip balm and I decided that winter would be the best time for me to put many of these new products to the test.  I think that is the reason that I didn't want any new skincare in my Most Wanted for this month...

Here is a brief history of this brand...

In 1851, the original Kiehl's apothecary opened at the corner of Thirteenth St and Third Avenue in New York City.  Then in 1894, John Kiehl completed his training as a pharmacist and began operations under the name "Kiehl Pharmacy", growing the business and expanding on the Kiehl's name.  The business grew the most in the early 1920s, the business was taken over by John Kiehl's apprentice and he then turned the apothecary into a full service pharmacy.  In 1921, the first-ever Kiehl's brand product was introduced.  This product is the Original Musk Oil, a product that is now considered the brand's signature fragrance.  This is also the when the brand started to grow it's customer service skills and became known for their great products and one-on-one apothecary customer service.

In 1924, Kiehl's became the first company to list the ingredients of their products right on the label, this practice soon became commonplace and grew the level of transparency needed in the cosmetics industry.  The next period of big growth for this company started in 1962, this is the year that many of the best selling products for this brand were introduced.  I have ordered and used several of these best selling products and I look forward to trying even more of them.

photo courtesy of Google