Beauty. Fashion. Food. Lifestyle.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Jurlique Purely Bright Radiance Serum and Night Moisturizer Product Review

In my last Jurlique product review, I mentioned the importance of using a really good cleanser and how impressed I was with Jurlique's Purely Bright Cleanser. Today, let's talk about TWO Jurlique products that are used after you cleanse: Purely Bright Radiance Serum and Purely Bright Night Moisturizer. I decided to review them together because they really go hand-in-hand.

Sweet-Bittersweet-Not Sweet




Purely Bright Radiance Serum
Sweet
This serum is white in color, lightweight, has a clean scent and absorbed really well into my skin. I applied this product both day and night. It didn't interfere with my makeup and I never had any adverse reactions while using it.

Jurlique states that this product "reduces the appearance of dark spots and discolorations and improves skin radiance...many women saw results in 12 weeks".

I've been using it for a little over 4 weeks and can see a difference. My complexion looks brighter and more radiant. My dark spots have diminished, but it's been very subtle. I will continue using this product, but I think my dark spots need a little extra attention, so I've ordered a product that I think will accomplish that. I'll keep you posted.


Purely Bright Night Moisturizer
Sweet
What I really like about this night moisturizer is that it's not heavy. It's white in color, creamy and absorbs really well into the skin. It's not sticky and has a really clean scent. My face felt moisturized and when you wake up in the morning your face has a healthy glow & looks supple. This product should be used at night after you apply the Purely Bright Radiance Serum. Ok guys, my face is clean, I have my Jurlique serum & night moisturizer on, Dream Diva eye mask (it helps me to dream up sweet blog posts for you guys! hahaha) and I'm ready for bed! Zzzzzz


Hope you enjoyed my reviews on Jurlique Skin Care Products! This is the last one. Sniff! Sniff! Unless Jurlique is willing to give me their body care line for review :) This is a great skincare line that I would definitely recommend. To purchase, click on the official Jurlique pictures in this post or the ad in my sidebar. I would like to thank Jurlique for sponsoring me, embracing my honest reviews and giving me the opportunity to try their products. Thank you!

My Jurlique Product Reviews:
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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Give Me MOR and (Maybe A Little Less)

MOR is an Australian company that is known for their luxurious beauty products. I first heard about them, two years ago on Twitter. They were tweeting about their Marshmallow Collection and of course (you guys know me) that peaked my interest. I looked into it, but never bought anything because most of their Marshmallow Collection was sold out. Well for my birthday, a family member purchased several of their products for me. So here is my review and thoughts.

VERY IMPORTANT: When picking a scent from MOR, don't think FOOD scents. They are NOT! Think FLORAL and READ the product's FRAGRANCE notes. I can't stress this enough. 
 
Sweet-Bittersweet-Not Sweet

Marshmallow Collection Overview

If you're a fan of rose & floral scents, you will like these. This collection does NOT have a marshmallow scent. When you really think about it, how would a marshmallow smell? We know the taste of them. We know how they feel. But honestly a marshmallow is borderline transparent besides the sugar. HaHaHa I agree partly with the description MOR gives: "sugar dipped rose petal" scent. I would disregard the cotton candy part. It's mainly rose & sugar with a touch of jasmine & carnation.


 


Marshmallow Sugar Body Scrub
Super Sweet

The scent of this scrub is very soft (even softer than described above). As you can see from the gif, the consistency is thick like honey and there are sugar granules within. I was really worried this would be heavy & sticky on my skin and leave my bath water oily & greasy. It did not!!! I was shocked! It exfoliates the skin extremely well. It was soothing to my skin. It rinsed clean and did not leave a residue. Truly amazing! This was one of my favorite products out of the collection. It's definitely a scrub/polisher. It leaves your skin very smooth. It's not a moisturizer! So keep that in mind. I like it, because I can apply my favorite lotion afterwards, without the two products competing. The only thing I would suggest is to use a plastic spoon to scoop this out. You don't want to cross contaminate the contents in the jar with anything else.

Marshmallow Triple Milled Soap
Sweet
The scent of this soap is very soft (as described above). The paper packaging of the soap is exquisite. It's a beautiful floral print. Gorgeous ribbon tie. Upon opening it, the bar is beautifully imprinted on BOTH sides. It's gorgeous. This would be a wonderful gift to give someone (bridal, housewarming party etc). This soap is a solid weight, lathers fabulously and it felt very good to my skin. I really liked it. It rinsed cleanly.


Marshmallow Hand & Body Wash
Bittersweet 
This scent really doesn't come "alive" until you start mixing it with water. If you unscrew the cap and sniff, you would be like...HUH?...what scent? It lathers well. The scent is very soft. Your skin feels good after it rinses. It rinses clean. There's just no bells or whistles. Save your money, buy the soap above if you really want the Marshmallow Collection and buy the milk (lotion) below. That's my two cents.

Marshmallow Hand & Body Milk
Sweet 
THIS is the marshmallow you guys! It's creamy! It's smooth! It feels good to the skin. Is it the best lotion I've ever had? No! But it's nice, will leave your hands soft and your nose will love the scent. It makes you smile. 


Candied Vanilla Almond Soap
Super Sweet
Out of all the scents I tried, I liked this one the best. It had more oomph to it then the marshmallow, yet it was still soft. If I were to buy an entire collection from MOR, this scent would be it. It's sugar, vanilla and almond with a twist. MOR did a great job with this scent. It's imprinted the same as the marshmallow soap bar pictured above. The paper wrapped around it, is a lovely cream & gold with gorgeous black ribbon.

Black Cherry Plum Soap
Bittersweet
This scent is a little heavy. It's a nice scent, but it definitely plays more into the red currant & musk scents. It's Fall! It's Winter! I think I would appreciate it more if it was colder here. The paper around it, is gorgeous! Rich purples & golds and a fabulous black ribbon & seal.

Belladonna Soapette
Bittersweet

Think of someone holding 2 powder puffs with LOTS of powder on it and banging them together in front of your face. *cough* *cough* I'm girly, but this is girly and PINK to the max! The scent is a little overwhelming. Love the little tin it comes in. The top lid opens to reveal fabulous paper and soap within.


 
Blood Orange Soapette
Sweet

Nice scent. It's definitely jasmine, rose and lily. I do love the little tin it comes in. Just as described in the Belladonna description. It's the perfect little hand soap. I would put this out along with other MOR products in the guest bathroom in a little basket. Your house guests will love it.



Sorbet Lip Macaron
Bittersweet
When I think of sorbet, I think fruity. When I think of a macaron, I think sweet. Well, this scent was neither. LOL It feels waxy when you apply it. It definitely moisturizes your lips, so that's why I gave it a Bittersweet rating. However, it doesn't feel good on the lips. I'm going to use this at night when I'm sleeping. The tin it comes in is really cute! If anyone else, has tried the other scents please let me know your thoughts. But at $10 a pop, I can find much better lip balms that smell and even taste better. 

My Final Word: MOR's products are luxuriously packaged. Their products (except for that sorbet lip macaron) are really good. It's their scents that REALLY threw me off (and that's why I rated some of their products so low). BEFORE purchasing anything, I would definitely go over the fragrance notes for the product you're interested in. If I had to recommend anything, I would go with the candied vanilla almond. Have you tried MOR?
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Cupcakes, Doughnuts & Kisses from New York

Ding Dong! Ding Dong! I opened the door yesterday evening and found my mailman holding a package wrapped with pastel cupcake gift wrap. The look on his face was priceless! HaHaHa The package was from fellow blogger & friend Corinne of Cat Eyes & Thigh Highs of New York. Corinne sent me a BIG BOX of happiness with all kinds of goodies & treats: a "birthday diva" card with a beautiful message, doughnut coasters, mini-matchbook nail filers, pink & white candy sticks, caramel filled kisses and a soap cupcake gift set of AJ Sweet Soap. The cupcake soaps smell sooo good! I can't wait to try them! And they're vegan! That is so cool! Corinne, thank you so much! I've truly enjoyed reading your blog and getting to know you from day one. You're unique, highly creative, possess the coolest style and have the best boyfriend any girl could ask for. I'm truly proud of your accomplishments and how you've grown since I started following your blog. What you wrote in my card, truly touched my heart. Thank you doll!

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Monday, February 25, 2013

Happy! Happy Birthday!

Happy Monday Everybody! Last Wednesday (February 20th) was my birthday! There's nothing like a birthday smack dab in the middle of the week! HaHaHa I had a little get-together at the house that included family & friends. It kind of reminded me of the birthday table in the1981 Altered Images happy birthday video (see below). We snacked on ham & turkey poboy sandwiches, shrimp & tasso pasta, and fried drummettes. The food was catered by Robert Fresh Market. My birthday cake was made by Swiss Confectionery. It was chocolate and decorated with pink & white butter cream icing. They also baked my cake last year (click HERE). I received beautiful messages from fellow bloggers & friends, a Coach bag, JCrew gift card, MOR marshmallow bath products, Sephora e-Gift card, and moneyyy. I had a wonderful evening and I'm truly blessed. Here are some snapshots.
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Friday, February 22, 2013

MAC Archie's Girls Giveaway Winner

The Winner of the MAC Archie's Girls Brush Set is...

Mica of Away From The Blue blog
Congratulations Mica! Look for an email from me today!
I thank everyone that entered. Look for a post from me next week,   
that includes tips on purchasing MAC Collections.
(giveaway announcement: comments have been disabled for this post)
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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Jo Malone London Sugar & Spice Collection

I learned about Jo Malone London years ago, from my aunt. She loves fragrance and would have the Neiman Marcus lady call her whenever something new or interesting would come along. Can you believe that? I never had it like that! HaHaHa Then she would buy the entire collection for whatever scent she chose. Un-frickin-believable! HaHaHa

I love beauty products, but I've never been big on fragrance. Back in my college & graduate school days, I couldn't fathom spending $100 on one bottle of cologne. Let alone a cologne with WHAT in it? Anise? Cassis? What is THAT? How much? You mean I don't even get lotion for that price? HaHaHa Yeah, my aunt would hide her head in shame! LOL Well anyway, many Jo Malone London scents smell really good. Jo Malone London was established in the UK in 1994. Estee Lauder acquired it in 1999. Jo Malone London has just released a NEW collection (that interests ME)! Food is involved! HaHaHa Hmmm, did my aunt write her? LOL

Jo Malone London's NEW limited edition collection is called Sugar & Spice. It just hit stores you guys. It's available online at Jo Malone London and I would call your higher-end department stores to make sure they have it. It's "a collection of fragrances created for moments of delicious pleasure.Decadently tempting" Oooh Weee! I'm all ears! HaHaHa Jo Malone's marketing team get's an A+ for that line.

The Sugar & Spice Collection consists of: Lemon Tart, Redcurrant & Cream, Elderflower & Gooseberry, Ginger Buiscuit, and Bitter Orange & Chocolate. Each is $60 for a 30mL bottle. I'm trying to decide which one I want. I really should sample them, but we don't have a Neiman Marcus where I live and Saks Fifth Avenue is downtown. Are you still there? I was thinking out loud. HaHaHa

Below are the descriptions for each:


Lemon Tart - The mouth-watering tang of lemon tart. Sparkling with citrus fruits and verbena, contrasted with swirls of meringue and lemon thyme. Refreshing.

Redcurrant & Cream - A summer pudding. Sharp-scarlet juices of redcurrants, lush strawberries and raspberries, rippling through creamy musk. Vivacious and enticing.

Elderflower & Gooseberry - A voluptuous gooseberry fool. Crushed, summer-green gooseberries, juicy with lychee, enfolded into the soft delicacy of elderflower. Tender and feminine.

Ginger Biscuit - Just-baked biscuit. Spiced with ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, melting into caramel. Butter-crumbly with roasted hazelnuts. Warmed by tonka bean and vanilla. Irresistible.

Bitter Orange & Chocolate - The bite of bitter orange, layered with dark chocolate. Orange peel counterpoised with warm, powdery cocoa, milky coconut and coumarin.  Sumptuous and addictive.

If these cologne's are as good as the pictured desserts, I'm in trouble. HaHaHa Has anyone tried these and what do you think of Jo Malone? If you like or have any particular scents let me know in my comments section below. If you don't like something, let me know too. HaHaHa There's no room for error cost wise.

Somebody please tell me what a GOOSEBERRY is? They look like peeled grapes! How do they taste? Don't worry I won't lick the cologne. HaHaHa

I think I'm leaning towards Lemon Tart or Ginger Biscuit. If you're not into foodie perfumes, she has a plethora of others in floral, citrus, fruity, woodsy and spicy lines. There's definitely something for everyone!

Below is a cute video the company released.

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