Reviews

Summer is so hard on our skin, no matter what steps we take to be protective of our body's largest organ. Sunscreen plus hats plus tiding topless, and it still isn't enough to truly protect from the damage. Cor Silver Wrinkle Serum ($120) is designed with the intention of reversing those signs of aging.

Read on for my thoughts.

wearing 10 Years Younger Makeup Finish

We've all wished our makeup would last longer and stay fresh all day long. When approached about these mists, I admit a fair level of "yeah, right" and to being more than a little dubious. It honestly sounds too good to be true, a fixative for makeup that holds it in place without causing breakouts or harming sensitive skin.

Anya's Garden is a perfume house that creates fragrances inspired by gardens both real and imaginary. It was founded as Anya's Tropical Essences in 1992 by natural perfumer, Anya McCoy.

I had the opportunity this past week to sample two of Anya's latest releases, and am pleased to share my impressions with you all.

The powdery soft violet, tuberose and jasmine of Moondance smell like emerging twilight. The violet has a distinctly vintage feel and the smooth, fluid tuberose floralcy is accentuated by jasmine. This tuberose isn't buttery or rubbery, but viscous and sweet. The combination of violet and tuberose is somewhat unusual, and I wonder why, as it's really exquisitely beautiful. The spiciness of the tuberose emerges more on the drydown. As a lover of intensely floral scents I can see myself reaching for this in the future, it's the kind of fragrance you can really sink your teeth into. The transition of this fragrance is like a nod to the masters of classical french perfumery and its aldehydic heavy handedness, which is surprising and refreshing considering it is composed of completely natural aromachemicals. If you love Chanel No. 22, this is a must-try.

Starflower is something of a gourmand floral. It's not intensely sweet and dessert scented, however: the foodiness of this one is subtle and this is why it is such a successful composition. The almond is heavily saturated but unsweetened, feeling more like a cordial than a cupcake. The introduction of lemon to the almondy-tuberose accord brings out the tropical feeling of the flower. The amaretto-floral topnotes of this scent are utterly intoxicating bliss, followed by a slow descent into a lemony spicy-floral.

My biggest qualm about natural fragrances is their lack of longevity, but I was pleased to report that these fragrances lasted at least 6 hours, which puts them up to par with their synthetic counterparts.

• Moondance and Starflower are available from Anya's Garden, for $125 or $100 respectively for 15 mL of Eau de Parfum, or $5 per sample.
• Questions? Comments? Got something you'd like me to sniff? Hit me up at kristy.victoria@gmail.com, I'd love to hear from you!

Givenchy Play is a perfectly suitable fragrance for a modern young man. The target audience of this Eau de Toilette is most apparent in the packaging: the bottle is fashioned after an iPod, which is likely to attract a younger, more tech savvy man. Fresh topnotes of bergamot and grapefruit slowly morph into a woody amalgam of vetiver, tonka and amyris wood with has just the right amount of warmth. The official notes list includes coffee flower and patchouli, but these are imperceptible at least on my skin. Play was tenacious and long lasting on my skin, lasting throughout the day without needing to be reapplied. My impression of the development of Givenchy Play was something akin to unwrapping a present: the fresh topnotes are likely to entice your attention, but the warm and woody base beneath is what you want out of the experience.

• Givenchy Play is available for $53 for a 50 mL bottle at Sephora, Nordstroms, Dillards, Macy's and Bloomingdales.

Stress, exhaustion, poor diet, and an abundance of work mean I've got lots of reasons to be embracing the anti-aging products on the market these days. Throw in some kiddos with multiple activities and one with questionable report cards and bam. Stress lines and headaches abound.

I've been using Erno Lazlo TranspHuse Topical ($165) for a couple of weeks now, just applying at night before bed and then in the morning before my makeup/work routine. I like it...quite a lot actually. First, it doesn't take much product to cover the entire face, second, it's not greasy or heavy feeling...which is a NICE feeling at night, and third, I'm seeing results. Obviously, the third reason is the best reason, but hey, who am I to discount the other two?

Soivohle' is a line of fragrance from Liz Zorn, an independent perfumer who specializes in natural perfumery. I've been increasingly impressed by the compositions offered by natural perfumers, and after reading that her latest release features one of my favorite notes of all time I decided it was time to take a sniff.

First things first: Indie, niche, or mainstream, I've never been presented with a more beautifully display of fragrance samples. Instead of sending me pages of PR material that extols a list of exotic notes, I received small, individually wrapped in natural paper screw top vials encased in a small black box. Incredibly classy, it helped set the mood of anticipation for what I was about to smell: a composition by a perfumer who takes her juice most seriously!

My first response as I inhaled my first whiff of Oudh Lacquer was an utterance of sheer primal pleasure. This fragrance is aptly named as it glides through the nostrils with a liquid viscosity that feels undeniably like a Lacquer. This oudh has a high shine, glossy finish of amber and resin drenched florals. Liz Zorn describes the scent as "an exercise in indulgence" and I couldn't agree more: It is debaucherously luxurious.

I saved one of the best features about Soivohle' for last: If you are truly fragrance obsessed as I am, she sells about 4 different sizes of each offering! This is a huge consideration for my fragrance consumption as I'm unlikely to use up 2 or more ounces of any single fragrance. I like to reach for whatever fits my mood for the day, and smaller sizes enable me to do just that without breaking the bank.

• Oudh Lacquer parfum is available from Soivohle' for prices ranging from $9.00 to $260.00.

Madame Madeline Eye Lash Review
Madame Madeline eyelashes makes you feel luxurious, sexy and flirty. They carry a variety for brands such as: Ardell, Andrea ,Sherani,Revlon,Elise ,Gypsy,EverLash and Japonesque.

I love the Ardel Lashes the Ardel are made from sanitize 100% human hair . The Ardel Ultra Lashes they are 100% European human hair lashes they are packaged with one pair of upper and lower lashes. They also comes with a plastic applicator to help apply your lashes and hold them into place once applied you will also find in the packaging directions on how to apply your lashes along with lash glue.

Klorane Gentle Dry shampoo was my first foray into the world of waterless cleansing, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I have a natural tendency towards oily skin so a product like this seemed to potentially be extremely useful to me. However, I wasn't sure how the execution would materialize in real life. Would it just mattify my hair? Would it only work for about 20 minutes? By the time I had sprayed it in and restyled it would my hair be greasy again from my hands?

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