Olay Regenerist Night Cream

In efforts to better moisturize my skin and to ward off the signs of aging (since I will soon be 30 and OLD!), I have begun to search for the perfect overnight cream.  My first try brought me to Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Moisturizing Treatment.

Ingredients:  WATER, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, GLYCERIN, POLYETHYLENE, NIACINAMIDE,* DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, DIMETHICONE, STEARYL DIMETHICONE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, PANTHENOL,† PALMITOYL PENTAPEPTIDE-4,§ TOCOPHERYL ACETATE,** LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA (LAVENDER) FLOWER/LEAF/STEM EXTRACT, ARNICA MONTANA FLOWER EXTRACT, CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT,†† ALANINE, ARGININE, BETAINE, GLYCINE, LYSINE, PROLINE, SERINE, THREONINE, GLUTAMIC ACID, SODIUM PCA, SORBITOL, PEG-10 DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, SUCROSE POLYCOTTONSEEDATE, ALLANTOIN, PETROLATUM, BIS-PEG/PPG-14/14 DIMETHICONE, CETYL RICINOLEATE, DISODIUM EDTA, PEG-100 STEARATE, PEG- 10 DIMETHICONE, BENZYL ALCOHOL, ETHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, FRAGRANCE, RED 40, BLUE 1. *VITAMIN B3 †PRO-VITAMIN B5 §AMINO-PEPTIDE **VITAMIN E ††GREEN TEA

Unfortunately, my experience with this night cream was less than favorable.  For starters, the smell of this cream is, to me, dreadful.  I can't think of any way to describe it.  I believe it's supposed to be lavender, but to me it smelled musty...  Kind of like a sweatshirt that sat in the back of your drawer for a few months.  I couldn't stand the smell while I was trying to sleep at night. 

I did not notice any "mini-lift" effect, as the product advertised.  However, I had to discontinue use after two weeks because this cream caused an acne breakout of proportions that I have not seen in years.  I think that this cream was almost too thick and didn't allow my skin to breathe in the evening.  The cream itself feels silky and slippery, and when applied to my face it felt more like it was sitting on top like a thin film versus absorbing into my skin.

This is not a product that I would recommend for individuals with acne-prone skin, oily skin, or sensitive skin.  Also, people that are sensitive to scent may want to try a sample before shelling out the costly $22.00 this cream costs.  I can't fully attest to whether or not it provides the promised continued hydration and lifting effects.  For me, this will not be a product I will repurchase or even finish.


$21.49 per 1.7oz jar.  Available at local drugstores and Ulta.

Buche De Noel - LUSH Face Scrub

LUSH Face Scrub - Buche De Noel

LUSH's Buche De Noel is one of the holiday (read 'seasonal only') items that I picked up this Christmas.  I am always looking for a good skin cleanser that softens, cleanses properly, doesn't suck the moisture out of my face and doesn't cause me to break out.  LUSH uses natural ingredients and skips out on a lot of the alcohol that most other products seem to place in their formulas.  I had also heard that Buche De Noel smells amazing, so off I went!

Upon opening the little black pot I started trying to figure out if I could eat it or not.  It smells SO good.  Warm almond, brandy and cranberry make it smell like a holiday drink or dessert.  And Buche De Noel is named after an actual dessert that is served in France and other French-influenced areas around Christmas. 

Ingredients:  Ground Almonds (Prunus dulcis), Kaolin, Glycerine, Fresh Satsumas (Citrus reticulata), Dried Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon), Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Brandy, Almond Essential Oil (Prunus dulcis), Vetivert Oil (Vetiveria zizanoides), Cedarwood Oil (Juniperus virginiana), *Linalool, *Cinnamal, Perfume, Nori Seaweed (Algae)

While the pictures on the website show this as being a product rolled up like a swiss roll, this actually comes as a scoop of product wrapped on the outside with nori seaweed.  Look at all the bits of cranberry!

All you do is wet your face,  pinch off a tiny bit of product about the size of an almond or so, and then smoosh it all over your face and scrub!  It can get a little crumbly so I would suggest mixing it a bit in your palm before making the move to your face.

Yah, I got a little in my hair.  LOL  Rinse it off and pat dry and you will have some baby soft skin!  And it will smell delicious. 

This is not a permanent product and I think that the U.S. LUSH locations are probably sold out  :-(  However, keep this on your radar for next winter and scoop them up when they come out!

Happy New Year - 2012!

Happy New Year!  Out with 2011 and in with 2012. 

2011 brought a lot of wonderful things.  I finally finished my B.A., I got engaged, I expanded my beauty arsenal to fear-inducing proportions, got a new job, discovered Crossfit and made some great new friends.  I have no doubt that 2012 will also bring some great things with it, including more time with the blog.  I've been away from this for a while due to finals and the holidays, but things should be settling down to normalcy again (aside from the upcoming wedding) and I can resume blogging away. 

I hope the holidays treated you all well and this finds you each safe and sound.

Buxom Mix & Mingle Set

I probably will not be spending much $$$ on gift sets this holiday season, but there was one that really caught my eye.  I had been wanting to try Buxom's lipglosses for some time and thought that this gift set for $39 would be a great opportunity to give it a go.  Not to mention I purchased it during Sephora's VIB sale and got an additional 20% off!  These are some great, A+ lip products.  A little pigment, some sparkle, and a little bit of visible plumping.  Yay!

Sephora VIB Sale Haul

This is my latest naughty beauty haul from Sephora's last VIB sale from about a week or so ago.  I got 20% off my entire order.  High-end, low-end, ALL PRODUCTS included!  I treated myself to the Buxom Mix & Mingle gift set, NARS Laguna Bronzer, Urban Decay Potion Primer, Illamasqua Succubus Lipgloss, and two YSL Rouge Volupte lipsticks.  Oh, and a small Sephora Lipgloss sample with my VIB points.  Reviews to come!

Black Orchid - Voile De Fleur by Tom Ford

Tom Ford is a luxury brand that I have recently discovered to be completely drool worthy.  High-end to the max, Tom Ford is an American designer who made his name revamping the Gucci empire. At only 50 years of age he has branched out into fragrance and beauty, as well as...  film! 

I have been coveting Tom Ford's Black Orchid original women's fragrance ever since I received a small sample in a Sephora gift box some months ago.  However, the $100.00 price-tag deterred me from making the purchase until I discovered Black Orchid Voile De Fleur on Overstock.com at $43.00 for a 50ml bottle.  CLICK-PURCHASE-DELIVER!


**Black Orchid and Voile De Fleur are not the same scents. The original scent is the base for this formula, but Voile De Fleur is more floral versus spicy.

This is the perfect scent for women who prefer an alternative to the typical floral perfume but still want those scents present.  Voile De Fleur has notes of black truffle, ylang-ylang, bergamot, black currant, honeysuckle, gardenia, spicy lily, black orchid, black plum, black pepper, lotus wood, succulent fruit, warm milk, cinnamon, vanilla tears, patchouli, balsam and sandalwood.  It starts out spicy and strong but wears down to a powdery, dark floral.  Lots of gardenia in this one.

Voile De Fleur was launched in 2007 and was actually discontinued a little while ago.  However, this makes it easy to find at affordable prices on Overstock.com, as well as other discount perfumers.  Seems as though fans of the original Black Orchid preferred the spice to the flower.

While this is not the same as the original, I very much enjoy it.  It's completely different from the norm and you can just about guarantee you will be the only one you know with this scent.  It's aggressive and feminine all at the same time.  I like it.  :-)

MAC's Miss Piggy Online Now

Today MAC released their Miss Piggy Collection online.  This collection cannot be found in stores and is an online promotion only.  There are only 3 products in this release:

Miss Piggy Pink Eyeshadow ($15)

Penultimate Liner in Rapidblack ($17.50)

Lash #36 ($18)

From what I hear this is largely a collector's release with the lashes being the only exciting part.  The pink eyeshadow is apparently hard to work with without much color payoff, and the liner is so-so.  If you love Miss Piggy, get it now!  Otherwise, I say save your $$$.