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Mad Love for LaVanilla

27 Feb

Deodorant and I have a rocky relationship.  It’s happened to me time and time again: I buy a new deodorant from the drugstore, I wear it for a few weeks, and one day it quits working.  I’ll be at the gym and get a good whiff of myself and think, “UGH!”  I’m disgusting.

I have about dozen of half used Secret, Degree, Mitchum, Lady Speed Sticks, you name it.  I finally decided to splurge and go au naturale because, well, I was tired of stinking.

One important thing to remember about natural deodorants is that they are NOT antiperspirants, which work by blocking the pores to prevent sweat.  Deodorants neutralize the odor.

LaVanilla says: AA clinical-strength deodorant that is 100 percent natural, safe, and effective.  LAVANILA The Healthy Deodorant uses beta-glucan technology to effectively fight odor while soothing, conditioning, and strengthening the skin. It goes on clean, with no sticky wetness, and delivers long-lasting, luxurious results.

First impression:  It feels wet when you first put it on, and it stays that way for about 3-4 minutes.  The 3-4 minutes of discomfort is well worth it to me, this stuff works!  I put it on in the morning and I am left smelling and feeling fresh all day.  If a trip to the gym is involved, I do have to reapply.

I loved the vanilla passion fruit scent so much that I purchased the fragrance, which is also all natural.

LaVanilla says: Experience this irresistible, longwearing blend of passion fruit, guava, and peach nectar steeped in a warm base of sandalwood and Madagascar vanilla. Created by master natural perfumers, this love-attracting scent is uniquely infused with a romantic blend of powerful aphrodisiacs (blue lotus, clary sage, and juniper berry) prized for their seductive properties. This unique fragrance is only available for a limited time.  Unlike traditional fragrances on the market, The Healthy Fragrance contains 100 percent natural ingredients. LAVANILA uses timeless blends of pure essential oils, active botanicals, and vita-rich technology for long-lasting, antioxidant-rich fragrances bursting with beauty benefits.

The fruity-ness is the strongest note and there’s just a hint of vanilla.  It’s very concentrated and packed with essential oils, 2-3 sprays is more than enough.  My only complaint:  It only lasts for 4-5 hours.

Overall
I highly recommend the deodorant, besides feeling wet at first it successfully prevents the body’s natural body odor from stinking up the room.  The fragrance is packed with antioxidants and essential oils, however it lacks in lasting power.  These come in 5 other vanilla scents if passion fruit isn’t your thing.

Where: Sephora, Amazon (Deodorant, Fragrance). Price: $18.00/2 oz (deodorant) $42.00/1 oz (fragrance)
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Friday Favorite: Lush Almond & Coconut Shower Smoothie

11 Jan

So… I bought this as a Christmas present for someone else.  As it sat in the corner of my room waiting to be wrapped, I would stare at it with curiosity.  “What is a shower smoothie?” I thought, “I bet almond and coconut would smell amazing…”  Since it was the holidays and a time for giving, I talked myself out of buying it.  Well, somebody named my grandma had picked up on my curiosity, and was kind enough to purchase one for me as an early Christmas present :)

It’s the Lush Almond & Coconut Shower Smoothie

LUSH says: Our soothing and conditioning shower wash is named for exactly what it is. A sumptuously soothing creamy almond oil and coconut oil shower smoothie to gently cleanse and care for your dry, or irritated skin and give it all the moisturizing attention it needs. We whip the exotic frangrance of jasmine, ylang ylang and vanilla into pot to leave your skin smelling scrumptious but most importantly soft and silky to the touch. $21.95/8.8oz Lush.

So, how exactly do you use a shower smoothie?  It’s just like an in-shower-rinse-off lotion.  After cleansing your body, smooth this creamy mixture over you skin.  I like to leave it on for about a minute before rinsing off.  That’s it!  My favorite thing about this product : THE SCENT.  OH-MAH-GAH, it’s so yummy!  It’s a light, sweet, vanilla, jasmine, with a hint of ylang ylang scent.  It’s not as moisturizing as I’d like it to be, I still feel like I need to apply lotion post-shower.  However, the vanilla and almond oil make a nice addition to my body skin care regime!
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Current Want List, October 2012

9 Oct

Stuff I want, but my wallet disagrees.

*click any image to shop*

Nars Kiss Mini Larger Than Life® Lip Gloss Coffret

I love that it comes in a can!  Inspired by Andy Warhol.

Caudalie Divine Oil

I tried this when I was at Sephora and I fell in LOVE.  It smells and feels, well, divine.  You can use it on your body and hair.

Buxom Time To Shine™

Love Buxom glosses, long-lasting and they have the most gorgeous colors.

Laura Mercier Artist’s Palette For Eyes

I swatched this when I was at Sephora and was very impressed with it.  The top is shimmer/frost, the bottom is all mattes.

beautyblender

I already have a beautyblender and I LOVE IT.  I need two more for my kit.

Disney Cinderella Collection Storylook Eyeshadow Palette

This is downright adorable!  I’m normally not impressed with Sephora’s eyeshadows, but I’ve heard this one is decent quality.  All of the eyeshadow names are princess inspired!

Best of Hourglass Set

I’ve never tried Hourglass, but this would  be a great way to introduce myself to the brand.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Berry

Obsessed with these.  Love this new color, Berry!

Illamasqua Complement Palette

I wish my Sephora sold Illamasqua makeup!  So far we only have the nail varnishes.  This looks like something I would use!

Kat Von D Starry Eyes Autograph Pencil Set

I’ve been impressed with what I’ve tried from Kat Von D’s brand.  Love these colors, thinking maybe a slightly cheaper UD 27/7 pencil?

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Crème Compact

Laura’s TM is a staple in my makeup bag.  Wondering if I’d love the creme version just as much.

Soap & Glory Super-Colour Sexy Mother Pucker™ Lip Plumping Gloss

Ok, I don’t need another gloss.  But, come on.  This is hilarious. (more…)

My Favorite Ways to Use Coconut Oil

24 Sep

If you ever try to make plans with me on a Friday night, I’d have to pencil you in between my coconut oil hair treatment and soaking my hands in paraffin wax.  So, try to book me a few months in advance. . .

Coconut oil is known to be a very effective moisturizer (it also tastes great!).  I’m a disaster in the kitchen, so my uses are purely cosmetic. I keep a tub of this by my bed and in my bathroom.

1) Hair treatment.

As I mentioned earlier, this is my Friday night ritual.  I actually look forward to it!  In other news, I’m a huge loser.  My long hair tends to get greasy at the roots, so I apply it from the middle down to the ends.  I keep a separate container of this specifically for hair use, so I don’t contaminate the original container.  I just divide my hair into two sections (one of each side) and slather the oil in with my fingers.  It’s easiest to do this if the oil is somewhat solidified (it will liquefy at 70 degrees F).  If your oil is liquified, just stick it in the freezer for a few minutes to get the right consistency.  Leave on for at least 30 minutes (clip your hair back or put on a shower cap).  I usually leave it on over night and sleep with my hair in a braid.  Follow with your regular hair washing regime (shampoo and conditioner).

2) Chapped lips.

It never occurred to me to use this on my lips until a few weeks ago.  I was laying in bed with dry and cracked lips.  I had tried every lip balm and nothing was working, I sat up and shook my fist into the air, “GO AWAY CHAPPED LIPS!!!”  I glanced over at my coconut oil and a little light bulb came on… so I grabbed a clean q-tip and applied to my lips.  The hardest thing was avoiding to lick my lips (because it smells and tastes delicious).  I left on overnight and woke up with soft, cured lips!  Hallelujah!

3) Hand moisturizer.

I use hand sanitizer like a mad woman.  The alcohol in it leaves my poor hands dry as heck (that’s right, I said heck).  I just rub a small amount on the backs of my hands.  It does leave them slightly greasy, so I usually only do this at night.  It’s an instant cure!

$1 empty containers from Target. Perfect for storing your oil so you don’t contaminate the original container.

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Dreamy Cream with LUSH

14 Aug

Do you remember your dreams?  I usually do after I first wake up, but after I get up and begin the day, they somehow disappear from my memory.  Although, there are a handful of dreams that I remember that I had when I was a kid.  How is that possible?  Maybe Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are walking around in my head, messing with my subconcious…

Well, Inception talk aside, lets talk about a dream what I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.   (more…)

Take a Dip in the Ocean with Lush

1 Aug

A good friend of mine (who shares a cosmetic addiction much like myself) has been urging me to try LUSH for months.  She would spend hours gushing about how much she loved their products.  I could always tell when she had visited a LUSH store, there was some extra pep in her voice.

Intrigued by this brand that had brought my friend so much joy, I finally had to go check it out for myself.  I picked up some of their classic items and this scrub was one of them.

Now, I know some of you “Lushaholics” out there are probably saying, “Where have you  been the past 2 years??!”  In my defense, the LUSH craze hasn’t really hit the midwest yet.  We’re too busy working in the corn fields, ya know. (more…)

Friday Favorite: Zum Soap

27 Jul

You did it, you made it to the end of the week!  *high five*  

Today’s Friday Favorite is what’s been keeping my body squeaky clean for the past month!  Bonus?  It’s au naturel!
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Happy Feet with Lush

26 Jul

I’m pretty rough on my feet.  I shove them in high heels every day and just tell them to deal with it.  You can imagine my delight when I came across this cute little set at Lush with products all geared toward my poor feetsies.

I decided to give them some pampering (before I shove them back into a stiletto).

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A not so fine scrub from Befine

24 Jul

I got this in my Birchbox a few months ago and was excited to try it!

Great packaging, so colorful.  Then the product must be good, right?  Right??
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One Last Update From the Road

4 Jul

I have traveled to 11 states in 11 days, and visited 1 different country. Needless to say, it’s been an amazing experience. I managed to pick up some beauty goodies along the way!
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Material for future blog posts!
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