Perfume Splurge: diptyque

I have heard of diptyque talked about quite a lot in the beauty community, and the packaging for their candles is so ubiquitous because everyone keeps the jars and uses them for storage. However, it was only recently that I discovered there's actually a diptyque counter at my local Nordstrom's! I was shopping there with my mom recently, and we got pulled in to smelling all of the wonderful scents that they had.
Diptyque is a french brand. It's very luxury and very much a splurge, but the quality of their products is undisputed. I have alway been so interested in trying their products, but again, I can barely afford them.
However, when I smelled their new Geranium Odorata perfume, I knew I had to make it mine. I purchased a roll on of that scent, and it was $48. That seems absolutely mental, but it's a larger roll on than what you typically see, and I figured you need such a sparing amount that this will really last.
The scent is almost straight- up geranium. I hope you've smelled geraniums before, but they smell fresher than sweeter, and have the smallest hint of bite. I'm seriously in love with how fresh I smell, and since wearing this, I have had more than one person tell me how good I smell. Every time I take this out and apply it, it makes me happy. I know that it smells great, the packaging is absolutely gorgeous, and it just always makes me feel like I am treating myself to something special. I think that this perfume is the definition of a splurge that works, because I have truly enjoyed using this so far, and have barely used any at all.
Geranium might not be your scent of choice, but I strongly urge you to check out a diptyque counter if you have one near you and smell their amazing candles and perfumes. I am sure you will fall in love with one as well, and I can promise you - it was well worth it.

<3

Xxx Kate

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Nails of the Day - Essie Van D'Go

You might recall that I made a post about my five favorite nail polishes for Spring a while back. If I had known about Essie's polish in the color Van D'Go, I would revise that list! This is definitely my new favorite pink color. I just think it looks super flattering with my skin tone, and I love the formulation - coat one was a bit streaky, but coat 2 made my nails look uniform and opaque. I think if you google search this polish, you will see that it can almost look a little pink- orange in certain lights and with certain skin tones. On me, it's definitely a candy pink color. I am including two nail pictures because I took one in natural light and one in artificial light, and it definitely looks different, even though this was the same day, just to show you how the polish is somewhat of a chameleon. I just find it such an interesting and pretty color, and I am definitely so glad I purchased this!

hand/ nail pictures are so awkward! 

Xxx Kate

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Three Current Favorites: Lipstick

Lip products are without a doubt my favorite makeup product to purchase, so I am constantly buying new ones and therefore finding new favorites. Here are my current three must- have picks!

From left to right:

1. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Stormy Pink - This is a matte pink shade that is extremely flattering on me. It's basically the perfect classic Barbie pink - it definitely gives your lips a pop of color, but the matte effect makes it suitable for everyday use.
2. Laura Mercier Gel Lip Colour in Clementine - My mom and I went to the Laura Mercier counter and a makeup artist picked out this shade for me, saying that the pretty orange was perfect for me and very flattering for spring. I think he was right! Orange and purple colors are my current lip obsessions, and this is one of the most wearable true orange shades I have found. My favorite thing about this lip colour is that the gel formula makes it very sheer, but buildable. It's extremely versatile, because you can use it for a very subtle shade with one swipe, or you can build it up into the color that you see in the tube. Also, it smells like vanilla!
3. Collection Little Mix Lipstick - Perrie - Little Mix is one of my favorite girl bands, so I was so excited when I learned they were launching a makeup collection! I love this color because it's so interesting - is it purple, is it mauve? It seems to be a different color every time I open the tube. However, for a purple, it's very wearable and makes a great bold lip. I especially love this for a night out.

I hope this post makes you inspired to purchase a new lipstick soon! :)

Xx Kate

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Lush's Mother's Day Treats!

Mothers Day is a week away and if you are anything like me, you never quite have a gift planned ahead of time. This year Kate and I decided that we would sample Lush's special Mothers Day Collection and review it. Mostly because we both like bath products and a little bit because we need gifts for our mothers. So here we go....

First up is the bath bomb Secret Garden. According to the description from Lush, this ballistic is supposed to smell of rose and orange oil, I disagree. When I first dropped it in the tub the scent I smelled was more along the lines of grass, which I liked but not particularly one I would choose for a bath scent. As far as fizzing, the bomb lasted a lot longer than I am used to and I actually ended up speeding the process along. Once the green layer dissolves, the center is a bright yellow filled with wild flowers and did give off a faint floral scent. Again I was a little disappointed. There seemed to be more leaves than flowers in the small amount that was included in the center. Color-wise the water turned a dark green. Overall, I would pass on Secret Garden for my own mother. She would not appreciate the clean up of the flowers or the color of the water.


Next, I tried Wonder Woohoo, a bubble bar, which is the one I was most excited about due to the scent which is orange and sandalwood. However, I was also a little weary about the glitter due to many horror stories I have encountered about the clean-up associated with that particular add in (also I work in childcare and have experience in the persistence of glitter). Luckily, I had nothing to fear! This bar broke down in the water fairly easily, although a part of it was a bit more difficult to break apart than anticipated. The water was a sunny, golden yellow that shimmered prettily underneath a mountain of bubbles. The shimmer is a result of the inclusion of some of Lush's Lustre powder (a favorite of mine) according to the employee who sold it to me. I did have to rinse the tub quickly once the water drained but that was due to the glitter on the outside of the bar and none of it transferred to my person once I was finished. I am planning on making my mom try this one (and buying approximately 5 more for myself), she is definitely not one for glitter but I think she will make an exception this time.

The third item I tried was Rose, another bubble bar. This is probably the most mom-friendly of the three I sampled. The scent is rose and lemon, it's easy to use, and turns the water a pretty pink that is a few shades lighter than Lush's seasonal Prince Charming (I checked). The description online says this bar is intended for two baths and has "glimmer" which I don't necessarily agree with. I can't say that I noticed any sort of shimmer or glimmer when I used Rose. I also don't think that I would have been satisfied with the amount of bubbles that half the bar would create. But this was also an obvious yes for my mom.
--Now it's Kate's turn! xJenna
I also tried rose - I agree with Jenna that I didn't see a satisfying amount of bubbles or glimmer (which I wasn't fussed about), but the scent is really amazing. Apparently, the smell is the same as Lush's Amandopondo which is a part of their permanent collection. I don't think you can go wrong with rose scents for a mother - generally, it's a pretty safe bet.


I think the Mumkin bubble bar is so cute, honestly, which is definitely why I grabbed for it. Of course, pumpkin- themed items aren't very traditional for spring, but I just found it adorable and I knew that the colors would turn my bath a really gorgeous coral color (which it did). As for scent,  Lush describes it as raspberry with bergamot, lemon, and violet leaf. I couldn't pick out any of these scents specifically - unfortunately I found the scent to be extremely subtle. It did smell sweet and fresh, but I wish the scent had been more intense. As with any bubble bar, you want to crumble it in your bath while the faucet is on to get the maximum amount of bubbles. I was pleased with the amount of bubbles I got, but I hated the stem and leaf, which were made out of a material that was very difficult to break down in the tub, so it just lasted for ages.

I believe Madame Butterfly bubble wand was my favorite product that I tried. While the bubble bars retail for about $4 and you can only get one bath out of them max, madame butterfly retails for around $7 and you could get 2 or 3 (if you were being stingy) baths out of this. I absolutely loved the scent - again, the primary scent is rose, but this bubble bar boasts the same scent as Lush's Rose Jam bubbleroon, and Ro's Argan Body Conditioner which is rose and lemon oil. So, if you know your mom loves rose scents, I think it would be a great duo gift to get her madame butterfly and the body conditioner for a nice pampering set! I was hesitant to buy this despite my love for the scent because I haven't had luck with the bubble wands in the past - I swirl them around in the bath and nothing happens. The sales girl at Lush gave me some advice which changed my life - you want to stick the bubble wand under the running faucet as your tub fills up! I tried that, and was amazed at the amount of bubbles and scent I got. I seriously didn't use much of this at all, but I had a bath I really enjoyed. I can't wait to have another bath with it later on, and I think I might repurchase this before the mother's day collection leaves Lush's stock.

We hope that this post gives you some great ideas for mother's day, or even for a pampering night of your own!

Xx Kate and Jenna

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Quick Review: April Glossybox!

Today was my favorite day of the month!
Just kidding, it's finals week. So this is going to be a super quick review, but I have to say, my day was brightened when I checked the mail and found my April Glossybox waiting for me! Just in time!
For those of you that don't know, Glossybox is in my opinion the best beauty box subscription you can buy. For 20- 21 dollars a month, you get at least five luxury beauty products, and at least two are full- size. The other three are usually also a very generous size. People have done the math on the Glossyboxes, and there's always around 100 dollars of product that you're actually getting, so in my opinion, it's an unbeatable deal. Plus, I have been getting Glossyboxes since January, and I have never ran into a product that's a total dud.
Anyway! Onto April! In this month's Glossybox I received:

- deluxe sample of Aqua Spa body créme in lavender & chamomile - I haven't heard of the Aqua Spa line before, but I immediately put some of this on my hands and it smells so good. It's a really authentic lavender and chamomile scent that's super relaxing, so I can't wait to use this tonight! (did I mention it's finals week?!) My hands smell and feel great.
- deluxe sample of Caldrea body wash in coconut fig leaf - admittedly the last thing I need is another body wash (I literally have four in my shower right now) but this smells so good! I would definitely say that the scent is more fig leaf than coconut - it definitely doesn't smell tropical or super fruity, but it's fresh, clean, and not overpowering.
- full size Ciaté London paint pot in beach hut - this polish is orange with orange microglitter. Ciaté describes it on their website as "blazing orange," and I would definitely agree. I unfortunately have a shade like this already, so when I look at the color options available, it kind of bums me out that I got this shade. However, Ciaté is one of my favorite luxury brands of nail polish, and this polish alone costs $15, so that's 75% of the box already paid for!
- full size Bellápierre Cosmetics supergloss in vanilla pink - so again, you go to Bellápierre's site and learn that this exact gloss retails for $24.50! Woahh. That being said, I wouldn't pay that much for this. The color isn't what I would have picked - it's a neutral pink, but the copper shimmer in it makes it look ridiculous on the lips if you apply too much of it. This is made with natural ingredients, and has a different consistency than most glosses - it's definitely not sticky, and something about it just makes me want to load up my lips with it. Not sure if I am a fan of this, but I will definitely keep it.
- full size LASplash Cosmetics eyeshadow sealer/ base - this is a brand I haven't heard of before, and that's one of my favorite things about Glossybox - I always discover new brands! This is a very affordable makeup brand based in LA, and I like the look of some of their products after a browse online. I'm excited to see if the eyeshadow base is effective. As I just for this product today, I haven't been able to test it for the 12 hours of wear that it promises, but I swatched it and loved that a) there was no poor scent and b) it was completely undetectable. I currently have an urban decay eyeshadow primer potion in greed, and I am absolutely not loving it because it is metallic and I would prefer something neutral when I am trying to use it as a base. This is $9, and I have read some positive reviews on it, so if I like this, I will definitely be purchasing this over my current Urban Decay one (which is around $20 what the heck).

Overall, this wasn't my favorite box because I feel like the color selections really aren't blowing me out of the water, and I didn't particularly need a new body wash or lotion. The product I am most excited about is the eyeshadow sealer/ base from LASplash. However, I most definitely wouldn't say that I am disappointed with this, and I know next month is going to be great because it's curated by Bergdorf's! I would still definitely recommend this subscription service, especially over Birchbox or Ipsy!

Would you consider getting a Glossybox subscription started??

Xx Kate

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Quick Look: OCC Lip Tar

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) can be found at Sephora or online in a myriad of colors ranging from sky blue to sunny yellow to bright pink to inky black. The display is small but interesting and I have always been interested in the idea of a blue or black lip. After many weeks of sampling all the colors in the display, I decided to go with a matte lip tar in Black Dahlia. The OCC website describes this color as the "blackest, blackened red" and was the obvious next choice for me in my pursuit of Gothic lips.

Black Dahlia at its darkest (bit blurry!) 

Each lip tar comes in a small, plastic pouch with an applicator brush and instructions for application. They recommend that you put a small bead of tar on the brush and apply from the middle of the lip out. Application is pretty simple but I am a little less skilled with a brush than I am with a wand or tube of lipstick, so that did take a bit of adjustment. However, it was easy to use and didn't gush out of the tube and was very spreadable. Color pigmentation is true to the tube. My lips looked black, which is what I hoped for but not exactly practical for my job. Luckily this color is very versatile and easy to sheer the color out.

Lightest version

I've found that Black Dahlia has about three different shades that I can achieve. First is obvious the black red that it is advertised as being, second is a dark purpley-red, and the last is a nice deep red. You can expect to have your lips go through these three shades as your day progresses if you are like me and are a little lax about reapplication. Despite this expected lightening, color did remain all day once it settled on red.

The one complaint that I have is that it is very easily transferable. Anything that came in contact with my mouth came away colored and was only solved by removing the lip tar completely.

I can definitely deal with the transference and am interested in trying more of the line to see if all colors are as versatile as Black Dahlia. Anyone else have an opinion on OCC Lip Tars? xx Jenna

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New Favorite Alert!! Soap & Glory Orangeasm Body Butter

One of my favorite beauty brands ever, Soap & Glory, recently released their new scent, and it's an amazing one! The new scent is dubbed "Orangeasm" and, as you might guess, it's an orange- dominated citrus scent. The official description is that it is "scented with fresh green mandarin, sicilian lemon & sweet orange peel oils." You can find Orangeasm's scent in a super rich body butter, a zesty- fresh revitalizing body wash, and a super tonic fragrance. 

I was unable to located the fragrance and have one too many body washes as is, so I opted to try the body butter. The orangeasm super rich body butter contains shea butter massage balls & MANGOMILK, green mandarin, Sicilian lemon & sweet orange peel oils. I was very intrigued by the "massage balls." I have bought many other Soap & Glory body butters, but have never encountered massage balls before. 

Upon opening this product, I absolutely fell in love with the scent. In my opinion, it's the perfect fresh citrus scent. It's energizing, and applying this body butter makes me feel more awake and clean, no matter what my state. It is definitely a noticeable scent, but it's not too strong. I really have an issue with scents that are very overpowering and linger a lot. An example of a scent like this is the Body Shop's Satsuma body butter. If I use that body butter all over, I can smell it on me hours and hours later - still very strong, and I never enjoy that. This has the perfect scent, and the perfect amount of scent. 

I am always impressed by Soap & Glory's products, and their body butters are a standout favorite of mine. Every one I have tried is super moisturizing, sinks in quickly, and continues to make my skin feel amazing all day. The Orangeasm body butter performed equally as well as all of the others. The body butter is rich, and does contain very tiny neon orange beads that are the massage balls. I can't say I really noticed a difference with the addition of the massage balls - they were too small to make a difference in the application, and they didn't particularly bother or excite me. I wouldn't be fussed if the massage balls were taken out, but they didn't decrease my enjoyment of the product either. 

the small orange dots are the mini massage balls!

I would highly recommend this product. As usual, Soap & Glory has made an excellent body butter with a perfect- for- spring and summer scent. I am already addicted to using this, and I think you will be as well if you like citrus scents. This is just perfect! 

<3

What new products are you currently loving? Will you be trying Soap & Glory's Orangeasm scent? 

Xx Kate

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