Drugstore Perfume - Coty Jovan Musk for Women

As I've mentioned before I'm a huge lover of musks in perfume. I originally thought Musk = dirty armpit or something but I found that musks are actually quite light, clean and fresh in scent, though there are the more animalic musks out there (I haven't tried any though so I don't know). Also musks smell different on everyone and some people cannot smell musk or certain musks. I guess the musk molecules are quite large thus heavy, hence the fact that the sillage is not that strong.

For the longest time I was tempted to try the Jovan Musk that you can find at your corner drugstore for fairly cheap. I finally caved and got mine this past weekend at Jewel-Osco in a 2 fl. 0z size "gift package" for $15.00. I think you might be able to find them on discount perfume sites and ebay for cheaper, but I wanted instant gratification so......


Packaging: The bottle is simple with no particular bells and whistles. It definitely seems cheap, but it's what's on the inside that counts so no big deal. The lid is particularly flimsy which annoys me, but fortunately it seems to snap into place well.

The Juice: Upon initial spritz, it's all alcohol very much like a cheap hair spray, a la aqua net or something. The alcohol/hairspray scent is it's one biggest down fall. I'm am a little annoyed that it smells like this, because if I wanted to smell like this I may as well have picked up a bottle of cheap hair spray for a few bucks. At any rate, once the alcohol/hairspray scent fades, it settles into a lovely clean skin scent with a hint of powder...which makes it well worth the wait. When I say a hint I mean a hint. I personally despise powdery perfume as they are usually headache inducing for me, particularly when mixed with florals.

Not to mention for being such a cheap perfume, the staying power is surprisingly strong! It lasts a good half day if not more on me. Staying power is a huge make or break with me. I hate those perfumes that disappear within an hour, but then again, I guess the fun is in the application. :D

Overall Rating: Overall I give this a 5/5. I think it's worth the $15.00 price tag for a 2 fl. oz bottle, particularly since it had fantastic staying power. It lasts a good half day if not more for me. Even so I will give it a little refresher spritz every so often. It's a lovely everyday, subtle scent. Very work safe in my opinion. A very nice relaxed perfume. I will definitely be re-purchasing when I run out.

Diving into Illamasqua

So without question my all time favorite blush brand has got to be NARS. With that said, I think Illamsaqua blushers fall into second place. During the Sephora 15% off madness, I got 3 Illamasqua blushers: Katie, Tremble, and Create.

Top: create
Bottom left to right: Katie, Tremble

PACKAGING: It's a little bulky, but something about them is kinda nice. I like the ergonomic design of them. They are lightweight with a clear lid so you can see the color inside unlike the NARS packaging where everything looks the same. I also have to say the plastic case that it is in seems a little flimsy and cheap, but I'll live.

PRICE: $23.00 for 0.14 oz compared to NARS $26.00 for 0.16 oz
PRODUCT: Ok. I have to say the texture of these blushers are unlike any other blush I've had. In fact I find it hard to explain/drescribe these. I find that the texture of these blushers are a bit "chalky" and powdery. However, they apply like a dream. They are easy to blend and apply. They are also very pigmented, but not as much as say NARS Exhibit A or NARS Taj Mahal...which is a good thing. I'm finding it tedious applying these uber pigmented blushers lately.

COLORS: I know the most popular color that I see people using is Hussy, but for some reason I passed over it and opted for these 3. They seemed more "unique" as to what I own and have seen out on the market. I also like how all the blushers in this range (thus far at least) are all matte in a market overflowing with shimmer and glimmer.

- Create is a lovely peachy bronze color that's great for contouring or for use as a bronzer. I find that this doesn't really pull that orange on me despite the burnt umber shade that it is in the pan. I find this color to be very unique! I have yet to find a blush that is like this! (I'm sure there is a dupe out there somewhere but none that I've come across.)


-Katie is a lovely pale lilac-y pink...a matte version of MAC Well Dressed from what I've heard. (I don't personally own Well Dressed so I can not speak as to how they compare.) I was a little hesitant to order this since it is a cooler lilac-y pink blush and I was worried it would clash with my warm yellow complexion. However, this gives me the most fresh, innocent pink glow and I think it even counteracts my yellowness a little.

-Tremble is a slightly deeper pink tinged than Katie and less milky, no trace of lilac and with a little tiny tiny hint of rose. In the pan it's a pretty peachy pink shade, however on the cheek I find this to be similar to Cargo Catalina and possibly a matte dupe of NARS Deep Throat.

New lip balm love -Evolution Of Smooth

So I've been hearing about these Evolution of Smooth lip balms for a long while now. However they were not as readily available until now. I found the summer fruit flavor and vanilla bean at my local Dominick's in the lip care aisle. Strangely these are the only two "flavors" I could find. I know there are a few others: sweet mint, honeysuckle honeydew, and lemon drop.

On their website they say:

• Long-lasting moisture
• Shea butter & vitamin E
• Smoothes on clear
• New smooth sphere precisely glides on to lips
• Twist-off top
• Gluten-free
• Paraben-free
• Petrolatum-free
• Phthalate-free

eos lip balm is 95% organic, 100% natural, and paraben and petrolatum free. Packed with antioxidant-rich vitamin E, soothing shea butter and jojoba oil, eos keeps your lips moist, soft and sensationally smooth.

PACKAGING: So the shape of these are really nifty! The case is a soft "rubber" feel, very similar to the NARS packaging. The spheres are a lot bigger than you would think thus a little bulky to carry around in your pocket per say. They also come in a traditional tube form as well. I love how the lid clicks snugly into place or twists tightly into place with the sphere.

SCENTS: The summer fruit smells really yummie. I can't quite put my finger on what it reminds me of, but it's pleasantly sweet yet faint enough that it's not cloying once it's on your lips. The vanilla bean is also a soft true vanilla scent. Once again nothing over powering once on your lips.

FLAVOR: There is a slightly sweet..but waxy taste to these..so not bad, but I wouldn't recommend licking your lips THAT often with this stuff on.

PRODUCT: The product itself is quite nice! I find these moisturizing without making my lips feel slick, sticky or gooey. I have read some reviews that find these very drying and are great as a lipstick primer. While I don't find them drying, I do find that due to it's waxy texture it does help lipstick stick a little better. This is perfect to wear under those lippies you have that you find drying and need something under (or over) to help moisturize your lips.

OVERALL RATING: I give this 5/5 stars. This is such a creative new take on lip balm packaging. I love that soft rubbery feel of the case. I also am very pleased that this is multi-tasking: lip balm and primer all in one. These balms are also natural and free of parabens. (To be honest I'm not really all paranoid about parabens..but yeah). Overall these are quite nice! I picked these baby's up on sale for around $3.00 at my Dominicks. You can find locations that sell these on the EOS website (EOS.com)

Impule Buys of April

So I've done some major damage this month. I feel horrible, but I told myself after this no more for at least 3 months.

The damage thus far:

With the Sephora 15% off codes + bing 10% off I got.....
-YSL Parisianne gift set
-NARS So Famous set (Deep throat blush, Mini Orgasm multiple, Bettina velvet lip matte)


Then today, while job hunting for a part time job at the mall I stupidly went to browse the Chanel counter. I tried on the new coco rouge lipstick in Mademoiselle. While the texture was FAAABulous I passed. The color was like every other lipstick I own. Not to mention $30 for a lipstick??? Then I moved onto the glossimers. The SA showed me a few colors I might like: iris, galactic and nebula. After debating for a while, I settled on Galactic. Yes I know I was *just* griping about a $30 lipstick and here I am buying a $27 lip gloss. I totally feel guilty buying basically your basic sparkly clear gloss...BUT it does have phenomenal texture, the sparkle is somewhat unique, and it's a versatile color..great to use over other lipsticks and such. I'm actually kinda excited to try it out over some of my lipsticks! Anyhow here it is on my lips..pardon the "up the nose shot".

Sorry the lighting is terrible but you get the idea :D

What's on my Wishlist Now

1. YSL Parisienne - As I've mentioned before, I've become obsessed with perfumes lately! So I was looking for my next fave perfume and was browsing Sephora. The lovely SA there was nice enough to give me a VERY GENEROUS sample of this.

According to the Sephora site, Parisienne is described as "The essence of a woman who is incredibly free—she is not from Paris, but Paris adopts her. She knows how to love, how to live. Parisienne is the fragrance of ultra-femininity and sensuality, built with notes of blackberry, damask rose, and sandalwood. The grand floral with a woody structure is luminous even in its mystery." I would have to agree with this synopsis. It opens with a lovely sweet fruity blackberry scent. I don't really get much of the "vinyl accord". Then it blossoms into this very authentic rose scent that makes me feel like I'm in the middle of a rose garden. The fresh rose scent is laced with remnants of sweet tart blackberry. It finally dries down into a lovely soft sweet rose scent. It makes me feel so classy and ready for a night out.

2. Givenchy Ange ou Demon Le Secret - Yes yet another mainstream perfume. Ah well. But this is really quite a lovely perfume. The opening is a little rough, but the dry down is fantastic. This is a very crisp, clean, fresh scent. On the Sephora site, it's described as "Fresh and luminous, the secret of this caressing, fruity floral is its "jasmine tea" theme. The fragrance faithfully reflects its inspiration's transparency and delicacy. The result is an unmistakable signature, very Givenchy."

Notes: Cranberry, Green Tea, White Peony, Sambac Jasmine, Blond Woods, White Musks.

I really like the drydown, very subtle and clean but not soapy. Normally I am not a fan of florals, but for some reason I really like these fruity florals. The green tea adds a really nice crisp freshness that keeps it from being overly headache inducing floral.

I ended up caving and purchasing this with my Sephora VIB 15% off code. :D

3. Lancome Miel Glace - I keep hearing such good things about this blush! It boggles my mind that it retails for $29 and change!! That's more than a NARS blush!!! I am always on the hunt for a blush that will give me a nice neutral/natural looking subtle hint of flush. I hope this will be the one! :D

4. Another Husky - Ok so not really makeup related. But a client of my Father-in-Law is looking to give away their husky. Yes I already have 2 and 3 would be quite a handful..but look how cuuuuuute they are!!!

Product Spotlight: NARS Alhambra Eyeshadow Duo

So I did some stash shopping today and dug out my much neglected NARS Alhambra. I got this as an alternative to NARS All About Eve, which was just too cool toned and frosty on me. While Alhambra is frosty on me as well if I over apply, but it's warm toned, thus MUCH more wearable! :D


The one side is a gilded pink-y champagne. The other is a golden apricot-ish shade. The texture on both of these shades are soft and buttery, though I find the golden apricot side a tad harder in texture, but not so much that it's hard to blend or anything like that.

I like using the champagne shade all over for a nice glowy nude eye look. To be honest I have NO CLUE how to wear these two colors together. I need a slightly darker "contour" shade in my crease to give my eyes some dimension.

I took some swatches of NARS Alhambra and close "dupes" from my stash

Left to right: Stila Icon, Stila Kitten, NARS Alhambra 1, NARS Alhambra 2, UD X

NARS Alhambra 2, the golden apricot, isn't as orange as swatched. It's a little more golden neutral.)
I don't know why UD X is a lovely subtle duo-chrome..pink to golden melon.

Brand Spotlight: Kiehl's

My latest favorite brand is Kiehls' so I figured I'd do a little blurb about why I love Kiehl's. When an actual free standing Kiehl's store opened at my local mall I was thrilled! Not only am I am very impressed with the great customer service I get there, but I am way more impressed and pleased with the knowledge of their products that the sale associates have. So onto some items that I love.


I recently bought the Original Musk perfume and it's LOVE! It's a fantastic "skin scent" on me. The lovely sales associate was telling me how (and this is loosely re-told) this perfume was found in a sealed vat in the basement of the original Kiehl's apothecary. It was "hidden away" because when it first came out they said it was too "racy" for the times. They finally brought it back and here we are. She was also telling me that musk smells different on everyone because of how it reacts with everyone's own body. On me it's a wonderful warm (but not spicy), clean, subtle scent that lasts and lasts. This is the type of perfume I can wear everyday to the office, grocery shopping, casual weekends, etc. The sillage is minimal so you won't be suffocating anyone with your perfume even if you O.D. with the juice :P The price point on this is quite nice too! 1.7 fl oz retails for 39.00 usd. This also comes in oil form as well. I tried the oil form, but I couldn't really smell it so I passed and went with the EDT.

Onto the Kiehl's lip balm #1. I love how this! It's fairly thin in texture yet it's oh so moisturizing and has spf 4 to boot. I also like how it's not tested on animals as well. I have a friend who swears by this because a lot of lip products seem to irritate her lips. I like using this to moisturize day and night, but when my lips are in really bad shape I unfortunately have to resort to the big guns, aquaphore.

Today while at the store, I tried out some of the Superbly restorative Argan Dry Oil. I saw this being used on a youtube vid, and being obsessed with hair products that give tons of shine and moisture, I HAD to give this a try. I must say there is a lovely faint egyptian musky smell to this, nothing offensive. In fact I had to get really close to even notice any scent. You only need a tiny drop before smoothing into your hair or all over your body. My hair definitely had a little more shine and looked a little smoother without looking greasy or slick. The lovely SA gave me a generous sample to take home and try out. She also gave me a sample of the argan moisturizer lotion.

Overall I'm very pleased with Kiehl's products. I am also very pleased with the SAs at the store. In a time when CS seems to be falling to the way side, I have come to really appreciate when I get good CS. I will definitely be returning to that store for all my Kiehl's needs :D