Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Review: Lancome Absolue Eye Cream: Does the Perfect Eye Cream Exist?

Hello Divas!

It is almost the weekend and I am so excited because I can finally get some rest. What a week! Divas my new obsession is eye cream. I have noticed that I have developed...some lines and slight dark circles under my eye. Yikes! So I am determined to find the one perfect eye cream that will visibly reduced lines, lighten my dark circles, and lift (hey, I am trying to be proactive). I have been using Lancome's Absolue Premimum Eye Cream for 5 weeks and to be quite honest, I am not impressed. Now I do admit that it has softened the skin underneath my eye and has very very slightly lightened my dark circles, but considering it retails for $75.00 for a .5 oz. jar, it NEEDS to do more than that! Lancome claims that "within 4 weeks, see fine lines and wrinkles visibly reduced, feel firmer skin. The eye area is visibly rejuvenated." Ummm not so. My fine lines and dark circles are still staring back at me. If you are looking for a eye cream that is moisturizing, and you want to pay $75.00 for it, I say buy it. But there are several eye creams that are extremely moisturizing and firming that are less expensive. Read my review here. So I am going back to the drawing board to try a new eye serum. Stay tuned for the results!

Toodles!

Stumble It!

Hot Drugstore Find of the Week: Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets

Hello Divas!

I hope your week is fab! My week is going great, but I need a vacay! My hot drugstore find of the week is Clean and Clear's Oil Absorbing Sheets. Love these! These sheets absorb excess oil from your face without disturbing your make-up! I have been using them for a month now and they are a life saver. I have very oily skin and in the summer my skin is super oily. These sheets effectively get rid of the shine and my Nars Blush stays put! And of course they retail for only $5.29. But as usual CVS had a sale and I purchased mine for only $4.29, $1 dollar off! Love love CVS. Try them Divas! They are effective and the price is just fab! You can also purchase them online here.

Toodles!

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

DiorShow: My Review

Hello Divas!

Okay okay! We have all heard about the fabulousness of Christian Dior's DiorShow Mascara. Now if you have been reading this blog, you know that my absolute fav high end Mascara is Lancome's Defencils. What can I say, it is the best! Read my review of Defencil's here.. However, I am always on the hunt for perfectly long and lush lashes. The first time I tried DiorShow, I was not impressed. I expected the faux lash look, but I had nothing. So I was wondering what was all the hype about?? So one day I am in Sephora and I am browsing Mascaras and there is DiorShow once again. I thought to myself, just try it one more time. Well Divas, DiorShow SHOWED me why it is a cult fav! I applied it myself and in an instant my lashes went from nice and cute to Hollywood Siren Sexy! The only thing I could say was WOW! I really think that the salesperson who applied DiorShow to my lashes the first time, did not have a good technique. Not that I think my technique is flawless, but I am pretty good at applying Mascara. The brush is very very big and usually I am not a fan of big brushes but the formula and brush just work perfectly together. I am in love! DiorShow retails for $24 and you can purchase it here or at any Sephora.

Toodles!
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Sunday, July 27, 2008

Hana Professional Flat Iron: Frizz Free Hair!

Hello Divas!

I hope your weekend was a blast! I am writing to hip you divas to an absolutely fabulous flat iron I have been using. Misikko's, The Hana Professional 1 inch Flat Iron. I actually won this flat iron in a giveaway hosted by Beauty Logic. Beauty Logic is a fantastic blog that features beauty products, but specifically hair care products and tips. I have tried her tips for beautiful hair and they are right on. Check out her top secret for beautiful hair here. Okay, now back to this great flat iron. I just love it! I love the fact that it is small, only 1 inch. It also comes with a insulated leather pouch so it easily travels with you on a vacay or work. Love it! Of course it is ceramic and we all know by now that ceramic flat irons are the best. They lock in natural oils and create silky shiny frizz free hair. Well I have very coarse hair and after 15 months, my hair is officially 100% natural. Yeah! I get a blow out and press every 2 weeks, but after 1 week, my hair starts to revert back to its natural state around the edges. Well, when the edges were frizzy and puffy this time around, I whipped out my new Hana Professional Ceramic Flat Iron and ran it through the edges, and like magic back to silky smooth hair. I was very very impressed! Plus this flat iron is great for ALL hair types because it has 4 heat settings for different textures of hair. Read about this flat iron here. It retails for $99.99, but Misikko is currently selling this iron for $89.99. This iron is a must have! I know you will love it!

Toodles!

Stumble It!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Winner of Skyn Iceland Giveaway!

Hello Divas!

I hope all is well! The winner of the Skyn Iceland Facial Kit is.......Lydia! Lydia please contact me via email so that I can send you this absolutely fabulous kit! I would like to thank Entebello, Apothecary and Spa, for hosting this awesome giveaway! Ladies if you live in Atlanta or if you ever travel to Atlanta, you must visit Entebello. Read about this pampering and beauty products heaven here. There is no other place in Atlanta like it! A MUST stop for any diva!

Toodles!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Hot Drugstore Find of the Week! Maybelline's Full N' Soft

Hello Divas!

I hope this week is a good one! My Hot Drugstore Find of the Week is Maybelline's Full N' Soft Mascara. While visiting several beauty forums, I kept reading rave reviews about Maybelline's Full N' Soft. Fellow beauty junkies claim it is a great thickening Mascara that also lenghtens your lashes and keeps them nice and soft. So, considering my absolute obsession with Mascara, you know I had to try it! Well ladies it definitely lives up to the hype! The brush is medium to big (not big as DiorShow which I will review later), and I love that when you pull the brush out of the tube, any excess Mascara is instantly wiped off the brush. So no clumps! I apply 2 coats and my lashes are thick, full, and long. I really really like this Mascara! And true to its name, your lashes feel soft and feathery, not hard. Plus you can't beat the price. This Mascara retails for $7. You can purchase it online here, or at your fav drugstore.

Toodles!

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Suprisingly great but affordable body lotion: Simply Basic Indulgences

Hello Divas!

I hope all is well. This will be a short post, but I had to write and tell you guys about Simply Basic Indulgences Body Lotion. Simply Basic is a private label owned by.......um...gulp...Wal-Mart. Yes, you can only find this body lotion at Wal-Mart but it is the bomb! I received this lotion in a gift set after my daughter was born. I never gave it any thought and then 3 almost 4 months later (4 month old baby already?? whew), I grab this lotion because I had ran out of my fav Chocolate Souffle that Baby & Body Works does not make anymore. Well ladies, I have been wearing it every day and it is absolutely fantastic! The scent I am wearing is Vanilla Sugar and it smells like vanilla with a hint of chocolate. I get so many comments on this scent. People always ask me what I am wearing. Plus it is so luxuriously moisturizing. After use, my skin is silky soft and glowing. This lotion is enriched with Vitamins A, C, E, and Aloe Vera. And of course, the kicker is the price. A 2 oz. tube is only $1.00. A 8 oz bottle is.....$3.50! You can't beat it. They also have other scents. So if you are in Wal-Mart and are curious, it is a must try!

Toodles!

Monday, July 21, 2008

Effective Discount Shopping

Hello Divas!

How is life treating you? Fabulous right? Well some of my girlfriends always ask me two questions: 1. Where did you find that item of clothing, shoes, purse, etc.? and then after I tell them what I paid for it, 2. How do you find such great deals? So this post is for them and the rest of you ladies who love to shop but loooove a bargain.

1. Consignment Shops/Thrift Stores: Based on what I am looking for, my first line of defense is always consignment shops or thrift stores. When looking for great deals on high end jeans or bags, I always shop here first. Usually, I can find very gently used or never used, jeans, bags, and shoes at the Junior League of Atlanta's Nearly New Shop. Check out my previous post on this fantastic thrift shop here. Junior League members, who are very posh and stylish women, donate tons of designer wear to this shop. The clothing is always in good shape and very reasonably priced. A $400.00 Bestsy Johnson bag sold for $75.00! Paper Denim and Cloth Jeans....$15.00. This is a MUST stop if you live in Atlanta. If not, check your local Junior League to see if they also have a thrift shop.

2. Discount Stores. My Second line of defense is discount stores that sell designer fashions for less. These stores include your Loehmann's, Sims, Ross, TJ MAXX, Marshalls, and Burlington Coat Factory. If I am looking for semi-formal or formal wear, cashmere, or shoes, I usually shop at Loehmann's. I shop at Ross if I am looking for dresses for myself or clothing for my son. I purchased my son several stylish but classic Ralph Lauren polo shirts at Ross for 13 bucks! You can't beat that! TJ MAXX and Marshalls are favorites for Jeans (True Religion Jeans at the TJ MAXX and Marshalls in Buckhead (Atlanta) usually go for $99.), suits, handbags, or high end bath and body products. Lastly, Burlington Coat Factory is excellent if you are looking for a high end but affordable coat or business suit. My favorite Burlington Coat Factory is located at Discover Mills Mall in Duluth, GA.

3. Department Stores and Speciality Stores. My last resort is Department Stores. Of course, If I am buying high end make-up or beauty products, I usually shop at Sephora or a Department Store. I like shopping for beauty products at Department Stores because they usually give you a gift with purchase. Love these! But I only shop at Department Stores for clothing or shoes if they are having a major sale.
For example, most Department Stores and speciality stores will have a couple of semi-annuals sales a year. This is a great time to get real bargains. Also, I shop at Nordstrom's for my Stuart Weitzman shoes. I discovered that Nordstroms will most likely have a sale on Stuart Weitzman's shoes that the boutique does not. In addition, I do frequent a couple of boutiques that I really like, but I have found that if I wait 2-3 weeks, an item I am in love with will usually go on sale. This is when I go in to swoop it up!

My motto is to never pay full price. Especially now that I have kids! LOL! And if you are not on a budget, effective discount shopping only gives you an opportunity to buy SO-MUCH-MORE!!!!

Toodles!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Black Orchid

Hello Divas!

I hope life is good! I am always trying out new scents because like any Diva, I like to smell scrumptious! LOL! Well, I am currently in love with Tom Ford's Black Orchid. I have been wearing this scent for 3 weeks now and it will always be in my perfume collection. Can I just say enticingly seductive? When I first tried it in Sephora, I thought this reminds me of YSL's Opium..very heavy. But after the scent mixed with my body chemistry, the hints of Black Truffle, Ylang, and Spice blend perflectly with the notes of Black Orchid, Gardenia, Vanilla, and Citrus. Plus, I love the fact that it lasts all day long after applying a couple of drops. Every woman should own a luxe frangrance and Black Orchid is definitely luxe. When I wear it, I feel luxurious, seductive, and beautiful. One ounce of Black Orchid Eau de Parfum retails for $60.00. You can purchase it at most department stores or at Sephora. Check it out online here.

Have any of you tried this frangrance? Also, what is your favorite luxe frangrance?

Toodles!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Hot Drugstore Find of the Week and Skyn Iceland Announcement

Hello Divas!

Is your week rocking and rolling? I am tired but so happy that summer in the ATL has been very mild thus far. Quick announcement: I am extending the Skyn Iceland, Skin Renewal Giveaway until next Wednesday, July 23 at 12 midnight. I want all of you fabulous Divas to enter! So ladies go ahead and enter to win this FANTASTIC skin renewal kit that is valued at $90.00! Click here to enter the contest. Remember to leave your name in the comment section

Okay, Ladies I have an awesome "Hot Drugstore Find" of the week. RoC Daily Microdermabrasion Cleansing Disks. I have been wanting to try these disks for a while, because I have heard rave reviews about them. Plus, I needed to exfoliate desperately. However, I am always cautious when trying exfoliation products because my skin is very sensitive and too much abrasion will cause major breakouts. Divas these disks are a must have! The disks contain gentle microdermabrasion action on one side and conditioning moisturizers on the other side. You simply wet your face. Then you use the microdermabrasion side to exfoliate and remove dead skin. Afterwards, you turn the disk over and wet the moisturizing side and use it to massage your face. Rinse and pat dry and apply your usual moisturizer. Immediately, my skin looked brighter and it was definitely smoother. I have been using these disks for 1 week now and my skin feels absolutely awesome. They do not irritate my skin or leave it dry. I'm loving it! RoC claims that these Disks will visibly reduce fine lines and improve the texture of your skin after 1 week of use. Well ladies after 1 week of use, I absolutely stand behind RoC's claims! These disks definitely live up to the hype! And of course you can purchase these disk at your favorite drugstore for only $9.99 for a pack of 24. CVS had a sale on all RoC skincare products and I purchased mine for $7.99. Gotta love CVS! You can also purchase them online here at Drugstore.com. Drugstore.com has a promotion for all RoC products: buy one get the second 50% off!

Toodles!

Monday, July 14, 2008

Good Ole Olive Oil

Hello Divas!

I hope your weekend was fabulous! Mine was hectic, but good. Well last week, I was visiting one of my absolute fav beauty blogs, Shake Your Beauty, and Ms. Tia announced that she was preggers with.....a little girl. Yeeeaaah! She asked her readers for recommendations of products she can use during her pregnancy. Well ladies, I recommended Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I tell you E.V. Olive Oil is a must have, all natural, beautifying moisturizer that rocks! When I became pregnant, my Aunt recommend that I use Olive Oil to prevent stretch marks. She said it would loosen my skin so that it could stretch freely and it would keep my skin moisturized. When you have a baby growing inside your belly, your skin becomes very itchy and dry. Well I massaged my belly, legs, arms, breast, and rear with E.V. Olive Oil every morning and night and two pregnancies later, I do not have one stretch mark! Now you see why I am absolutely in love with E.V. Olive Oil. I also discovered that I could use it on my hair for moisture and sheen. But if you do use it on your hair, only use a teeny bit. I also used it on my face when my skin was extra dry. For some reason, while pregnant, the skin on my face was super dry when normally I have oily skin. Well the E.V. Olive Oil moisturized my face and did not leave it oily. My skin just glowed! And after doing some research, I discovered that Extra Virgin Olive Oil has antioxidants and is a great anti-aging moisturizer for the face! What more can you ask for?? Again, my skin glowed everywhere I used the E.V. Olive Oil! I can't rave about E.V. Olive Oil enough! I still use E.V. Olive Oil when my skin or hair is dry or I just need that glow factor. I use Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You can purchase it at any grocery store. Divas try E.V. Olive Oil and I know you will love it too!

Toodles!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Skin Renewal Giveaway: Skyn Iceland

Hello Divas!!!

I am just too excited because Luxetips has partnered with Entebello, our favorite Apothecary and Spa, to give away this fantastic Skyn Iceland, Skin Renewal Kit. Skyn Iceland is a skin care company that is dedicated to rejuvenating stressed, dull, and sagging skin. Lately, my skin has definitely been stressed and dull! I have a lot going on. lol! As Skyn Iceland states "Purity is the principle behind every product." Skyn Iceland uses ingredients from the "purest and coolest place on Earth – Iceland." Sound wonderful? This kit contains: Glacial Face Wash, Antioxidant Calming Serum, Oxygen Infused Night Cream, Icelandic Relief Eye Cream, and the Cool Therapy Face Mask. Read more about the products here.

This kit is the ultimate replenishing system for stressed skin. These products work together to help fortify exhausted skin, repair signs of premature aging caused by stress, and infuse skin with radiance, vitality and moisture. Ladies this kit is a must have! You can incorporate this skin care regimen into your normal skin care routine to rejuvenate your skin after exposure to the sun, stress, or if your skin just needs a boost! In addition, Entebello is also including in this giveaway Skyn Iceland's Angelica Lip Repair. This soothing lip therapy contains shea butter and has a cool minty sensation that helps soothe lips. It also contains an aromatherapeutic black tea essence that delivers a sense of calm and relaxation, Wow! This giveaway is just too fab! The value of this giveaway is $90.00.

Divas to enter this contest simply leave your name and email address in the comment section. The contest starts today and will end Friday, July 18 at 12 midnight. You can enter more than once to increase your chance of winning!!!

Good luck and Toodles!

Tutorial: How to Create the Smokey Eye

Hello Divas!

I am having a fab week! I hope you are too! Per yesterday's post, in which I discussed the Cover Girl Smokey Eye Trio (Curtain Call), I received several emails on how to properly create the smokey eye look using the trio. Well ladies, I have found the perfect tutorial that gives step by step instruction on how to create this must have look! Fellow beauty blogger, Roselyn, of Makeup Makes Me Happy, has the coolest website. She does photo and video tutorials on how to apply make-up and create certain "in" looks of the season. I so heart her tutorials! Check out how to achieve the innocent (not so dramatic) smokey eye look here. Roselyn definitely loves make-up and it shows!

Tomorrow we will kick off our next giveaway! A luxurious detoxifying facial kit......sound enticing? Stay tuned....

Toodles!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Cool Drugstore Find

Hello Divas!

I hope your day is fantabulous! If you have read my previous posts, you will know that I love shopping for beauty products at CVS as much as I love Sephora. My love of beauty products started when I was a tween and became aware of the beauty section at my local drugstore. I would browse the section, picking up enticing products wanting to try each and every one. Well Divas, I still do the same thing today and I love it! I can try out new products without worrying about breaking the bank. Which brings me to my hot drugstore find of the week! This is a new weekly post I am starting for my college students and women on a budget!

I have been wanting to try a smokey eye eyeshadow trio, but did not want to pay top dollar in case I did not like it. So I discovered that Cover Girl has a smokey eye shadow trio that is just too fab! Curtain Call is the name of the eye trio and it contains a dark grey color "Lights Out," a powderly blue color, "Silver Screened," and a brow bone highlighter,"Spark." The trio gave me a nice smokey eye that is not too dramatic, but still sultry and sexy. And guess what ladies, It retails for $4.93, but I purchased it for $2.50! It was 50% off! CVS always has sales! Whoohoo! Remember to set this eyeshadow with foundation or primer, because without a proper base, it will not last, but for the price it is so worth it!

What is your hot drugstore find?

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Why I love Lancome and Spinlash Review

Hello Divas!

How was your holiday weekend? I hope fabulous! Mine was awesome. I needed that 3 day break! Ladies over the weekend, I went shopping for Mascara. I have previously blogged about my absolute love of Lancome's Defencils and Maybelline's XXL. Check it out here. However, I am always open to try new Mascaras. I am obsessed with it! So I go to the Lancome counter and I want to try something different, but I am torn because I love Defencils! The salesperson suggested I try Lancome L'Extreme. She said it would give me extra length, plus seperation and definition. Sounds like a winner to me! Well me no likey. L'Extreme does lenghten your lashes, but it smudges and it did not separate or define at all. My lashes constantly stuck together. Yuck! So this is why, I am going back to Lancome and purchase my tried and true Defencils. Defencils lengthens, seperates, and defines perfectly. In my book it is still the best high end Mascara I have ever purchased! Defencils retails for $24 and you can purchase it at any department store, Sephora, or at Sephora.com.

I also had a chance to try out the Spinlash Mascara, I won last month. This Mascara has a brush that slowly rotates to allow 360 degree coverage of your lashes all at once. Sounds great right? Well ladies I was a little disappointeed in this product. First, the packaging is very cumbersome and it took me a while to figure out how to assemble the Mascara. Second, it has a rubber brush which I am not a fan of. I do not believe they are sturdy enough to properly apply the Mascara to your lashes. Lastly, the Mascara smudges very easily and after I applied the Mascara, I did not see any real difference in my lashes. This product retails for $15.00 and there are less expensive Mascaras that are far better (which I will discuss in a later post) However, it is a good concept.

So I pose the question, what are your absolute fav Mascaras????

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Shoes! Gladiators, Jeweled Flats, Sandals, Wedges

Hello Divas!

This will be a quick post. A friend hipped me to a super sale going on this weekend in Atlanta. The Sole Journey, my favorite online shoe boutique, is hosting a shoe sale at Uptown Restaurant & Lounge tomorrow July 4th and Monday July 7th. The deal is buy one pair and get the second pair 50% off. Whoo! I am too excited because they really do carry the hottness when it comes to the latest fashionable shoes. Visit their online store here to preview their shoes and make sure you get to this sale. Uptown Restaurant & Lounge is located at 201 Courtland Street, Atlanta, GA 30363.

And ladies stay tuned for more fabulous givewaways. These giveaways will include...shoes...beauty products..and other fab items. See you after the 4th!

Toodles!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Your feet feel so good....against my leg

Hello Divas!

Are you ready to celebrate this holiday weekend? I am going to celebrate by relaxing, sleeping, and shopping for new beauty products. Yeah!!!! I do hope your 4th of July is fab! Ladies and Men, I have discovered a product that is a must have. Olay Body Thermal Pedicure. I am so in love with this product. Basically, this lotion is a self-heating exfoliating everyday treatment that relaxes and smooths rough and tired feet in one week! I promise it really does work. Simply wet your feet and then massage the lotion onto your feet. The lotion heats up instantly when it comes in contact with water. The heat relaxes your feet and the Bora Bora white sand, pumice, and micro-crystals in the product gently removes dead skin. After 3 days of use, my feet were smooth as a baby's bottom. This product is great if you are in between pedicures. And ladies this is a great product for the man in your life. If you are tired of him rubbing his rough feet against your leg every night, get him this product and you both will be happy. lol! This product retails for $9.99. You can purchase it online here or at any CVS, Target, or Wal-Mart.

Toodles!