Some Picks for Mother's Day - Bath and Body Works

My third pick is from Bath and Body Works and fits in nicely with the cake that I am going to bake for her. At one point in time, she had a giant collection of Bath and Body Works items but now that is dwindling down, so she would be more than happy to receive some newer items from them.

This little set is perfect for those of us who like to tinker around in the kitchen and can do so without setting the whole house on fire. She falls into this category, I do not. I inherited many traits from her but her love of cooking and baking is not one of them. So the fact that I am actually going to make her a cake this year instead of buying one as a I do every other year. Pray for me...

However, this giftset is great for those of use who love to cook and can spend hours in the kitchen. The products are housed in a medium sized mixing bowl, which is both cute and functional. This set contains three of the new formula Anti-Bacterial hand soaps in the following fragrances: Fresh Lemon, White Citrus, and Nectarine Mint. In addition, this set contains a hand towel and kitchen gloves.

My mom's favorite Bath and Body Works' fragrance is the Aromatherapy Stress Relief blend of Eucalyptus Spearmint. She loves every product in this fragrance so I throw in a Body Wash and a Body Lotion. I would also add the candle and the home fragrance oil since she goes through them so fast.

Well I have talked about my ideas on what I will be getting my mother. What are some ideas that that you will pondering for your mother?

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

Some Picks for Mother's Day - Thymes

Now onto gift idea number two. This one is from the Kimono Rose collection from Thymes. As many of you might recall, this is favorite fragrance of mine and one that she has often commented on when I wear it. So what could be more fitting than maybe getting several products from this collection for her? My mother is who I got my love of roses from so it is fitting that I give her a rose scent that she will love.

I have this fragrance only in the roll on form but I would purchase her the perfume and some of the body and home fragrance products. This fragrance is slightly heavier than the L'Occitane Peony and for myself, the jasmine and vanilla notes comes out very heavily and makes the fragrance deepier and spicier than my other rose fragrances.

As I stated above, I would start with the perfume for her. I would get her the largest bottle of the EDT since she prefers to only have one or two fragrances open at one time and use through those before she buys anymore. The notes of this fragrance are: clementine, cassis, rose, peony, jasmine, and vanilla. I don't know if the fragrance will be as rich on her skin as it is on mine or it will will turn out to be lighter and rosier.

To start off with this fragrance, I would purchase her the filled candle and the bar soaps for her to decorate with. As stated before, she loves fragranced soaps and the filled candles would be a great extension of the fragrance. The ancillary collection for this fragrance is larger than the other one so I actually have some different choices of what I would pick out for her. Instead of just doing body products this time, I would get her the hand soap and matching lotion caddy. also, since she is an avid gardener and therfore wrecks havoc on her hands this time of the year, I would get her the hand cream from this line. This product contains shea butter and Vitamin E and I can see her using through this cream really quickly.

That was gift number 2, gift number 3 is up next.

photo courtesy of C. O. Bigelow Apothecaries

Some Picks for Mother's Day - L'Occitane

Mother's Day is just around the corner and so the malls will be full of people this weekend trying to decide on the perfect gift to give their wonderful mothers. I am lucky enough to get a double whammy every year, my mom's birthday is May 8th so I end buying several gifts at the same time. This year, she is getting a full English tea set as one of her gifts and something from the three following items. I did some browsing on the C.O. Bigelow website (ilovebigelow.com) and found several items to chose from.

The first group of items that we are going to look at is the newest line from L'Occitane, a line of products based on both one of mine and her favorite flowers, the peony. We always had a giant peony plant in the yard when I was a child growing up, so this is a very appropriate gift for her. For starters, I would get the perfume from this collection. This fragrance starts off with a burst of light citrus with the bergamot and grapefruit notes. The heart of the fragrance is the peony and rose notes and then the base of musk and sandalwood emerges.

After I would buy the perfume, I would decide which of the ancillary products that she would like the best. A matching line of color is offered with the Peony fragrance however I know my mother would get little use from it so it is safer for me to stick with body products and any type of home fragrance items. The first item that I pick for her is the Peony Petal Soap, she loves to set fragrant soaps all around the bathrooms and this one is especially note-worthy since it is shade of pale pink and is shaped like a blooming peony.

If my budget is not exhausted at this point, I would pick up two more items for her; the Peony Shower Cream and Beauty Milk. The Shower Cream has a rich, creamy texture and produces a light foam when mixed with water. It is a perfect base for the perfume. To add another layer of fragrance, I would get her the matching hydrator, the Beauty Milk. This is a light lotion that helps to hydrate and fragrance the skin throughout the day.

This is gift one. Next post is gift two.

photo courtesy of C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries

MAC Opulash

Opulash is the newest mascara formulation from MAC. No, I haven't gotten my hands on it yet, it is Nordstrom exclusive and the closest Nordstrom to me is over an hour away. But I will get some when I take a few vacation days from work this month. Also, I have heard that this product is limited edition so I better high tail it down to Nordstrom as soon as I get some free time before this product is all sold out for good. This mascara is called Opulash for good reason, it is promoted as helping to create superthick, dramatic lashes. Otherwise known as the kind that I am obsessed with. Can this mascara stand up against BadGal Lash and Diorshow Iconic? I must find out!

Nordstrom describes the product as following, "Big, fat, full, bouffant lashes! Dramatic density and curl achieved with a giant brush! Fibers go in all directions for thick, rich, even application with no clumping. Long-wearing formula - up to 15 hours - quickly thickens lashes from root to tip". This mascara contains beeswax to help fatten the lashes.

This mascara is available in only one shade which is named Bad, Bad, Black and appears from the swatch on the website to be a rich, deep, inky black. This shade is ideal for me since this is what I would pick out even if the product was available in a full range of colors.

I must take some time to get down to Nordstrom before this product is totally sold out. However, it might be another tragedy for me if a limited edition mascara ended up being the best one that I have ever tried. Though, knowing MAC, if this product sells really well, we will see it resurface somewhere else in the near future.

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

Laura Mercier Summer 2010 Collection - Zen Collection

The newest collection from Laura Mercier is called the Zen Collection and seems to a be collection that is based all around one palette, appropriately named the Zen Palette. This collection is quite small and makes me wonder if a second collection for the summer might be on its way also. But that's not a topic for today, let's look at what is currently available from this company and not speculate on what else might come out. Laura Mercier states, "Inspired by a serene garden, discover beauty synonymous with nature. The Zen Collection features a limited edition compact for eyes, cheeks, and lips, in shades expertly selected by Laura. Alluring. Serene. Lush."

Let's check it out...

Zen Palette - Inspired by a serene garden, Laura Mercier introduces her limited edition Zen Face Palette. The colour palette offers a fresh landscape for eyes, lips, and cheeks in one convenient compant. Laura expertly selected 4 eye colours, 4 lip glazes, and 1 coordinating blush shade offered in this custom palette for a beautiful, harmonious look. Eye colours are Willow (bone), Haze (pale blue), Wisteria (mid-tone lavender), and Midnight Jade (deep green). Lip Glazes are Black Currant (deep plum), Lotus Blossom (mid-tone plum), Stone Beige (neutral beige), and Peach Blossom (warm mid-tone peach). Cheek colour is Plum (mid-tone plum).

Kohl Eye Pencil - Laura Mercier Kohl Eye Pencil is formulated specially for lining the inside of the eyelid and the base of the lashes. Luxurious texture for maximum wearability. Allows anyone to easily achieve the perfect "smoky eye". Smooth, creamy formula glides easily along the eyelid. Creates a smooth and well-balanced line. Contains a thicker diameter than the Eye Pencils to create a more pigmented, dramatic effect.

- Antique Jade - deep smoky green

Long Lash Mascara - Laura Mercier Long Lash Mascara extends and perfectly separates the thinnest, shortest, hard-to-reach lashes by expertly scooping up and lengthening each lash while delivering the right amount of product. Perfectly engineered brush, designed to meet Laura's specifications, dramatically lengthens and defines lashes while enhancing the eyes. An innovative stretch formula lengthens, separates, and curls each lash making lashes appear longer in just two strokes. Long-wearing, water-resistant, and smudge-proof. The formula contains rich dark pigments to enhance lash colour for maximum drama. Clump-free, fiber-free, paraben-free, and ophthalmologist tested. Suitable for contact lens wearers.

- Black - black

Pony Tail Brush - Laura Mercier Pony Tail Brush is a natural brush with soft, medium-length bristles formed at a slight point ideally used in the eye crease. Longer bristles allow less intense layering of colour and more control for blending. Hand-tied bristles do not shed onto the face. Superior strength in maneuvering product for incredible placement.

Cheek Colour Brush - Laura Mercier Cheek Colour Brush is a natural-haired brush sized to perfectly shape the cheek bone. Medium sculpted brush head. Squirrel hair provides softness in application and goat hair offers durability. Best used with Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek Colour. Approximately 8 1/4"/20.96 cm.

Lip Colour Brush - Pull Apart - Laura Mercier Lip Colour Brush - Pull Apart is a natural brush perfectly shaped for precisely lining the lip line. Sculpted to give perfect control. Finely rounded tip and tapered sides allows for precise lining of the lip. Pure, top quality sable provides ideal texture and firmness for application of Lip Colour of Lip Glace. Approximately 6 3/4"/17.15 cm.

I like this palette but I'm not overly excited for it. I love about half of the shades in the palette but I don't think that I would use any of the others. The Kohl Eye Liner is a product that I am much more excited about, I really want to try this one out in both the Antique Jade shade in this collection but also in more shades if the formula turns out to be a great as the description.

I am still convinced that this isn't the only collection that will be coming out from Laura Mercier, so hopefully I might find a couple more items from this company to get this season.

photo courtesy of Laura Mercier

Most Wanted May 2010

Hello everyone! I'm back after several days of complete computer chaos! My computer is back to normal so I'm back to blogging as usual!

It's my birthday this month and of course I have some items that I going to buy when I go shopping on the big day!


- MAC Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF 50
- MAC Prep + Prime Brightening Serum
- Clinique True Bronze Pressed Powder Bronzer in Sunkissed
- Benefit Velvet Eye Shadow in Fancy Pansy
- Essie Nail Polish in Aruba Blue
- TIGI Let It Be Leave In Conditioner
- Dior Addict Lipcolor in Red Desire
- LipFusion Lip Plump in Lolita
- NARS Multiple Tint in Beverly Hills
- Illamasqua Lipstick in Fable

Happy Birthday to me!

Test Driving...

I just recently opened up a bunch of new products and am currently testing out the following products...

- LUSH Yummy Yummy Yummy Shower Gel
- Peter Thomas Roth Buffing Beads
- MAC Prep + Prime Eye
- Illamasqua Sheer Lip Gloss in Electrify
- Benefit Bad Gal Plum Mascara

What is everyone else testing out?