Happy Halloween DIY

 I hope all my east-coasties are doing well and are recovering from the wrath of Sandy. This natural disaster was no joke. I hunkered down in Brooklyn to winds that roared like a freight train for at least a day and a half, while downtown and the LES are powerless and surrounded by water. I'm fortunate to be safe but am still shell-shocked. 

This afternoon I ventured to Atlantic Ave and saw tons of cute kids in costume. It was great to see kids having a great time despite the circumstances. I thought, heh, since my original plans fell through ( I will save my costume for another time- it was great!), why not share a Halloween shoot I had the opportunity to do with Refinery 29 and Make Up For Ever, Halloween DIY.

I was made over to look like Azealia Banks and had so much fun at the shoot! Here is a sneak peak photo and the rest can be seen here: 3 Thrilling, Chilling Halloween Makeup DIY's

So what's on my plate? a full course load, class projects, club events, etc. but I'm going to do my best to keep bringing you the swatches, reviews and product chats that you crave.

xo Lacroix

50 Grades of Shea part 5

To round out the series, here are some creamy comforts just in time for the fall to winter transition.

L'Occitane Ultra Rich Body Cream Rich in Shea Butter

Korres Cheek Butter

Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner

Burts Bees Honey & Shea Sugar scrub

Pur Minerals Ruby Red Mineral Shea Butter Lipstick

Kiss My Face Lavender & Shea Moisture Shave

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm

Lavender Mint is my year-around favorite.

Earth Mama Body Butter

Sisley confort extreme night skin care

Skinceuticals redness neutralizer

Rosacea suffers fear not, this lightweight gel cream prevents redness by strengthening the skins protective barrier.

50 Grades of Shea- Part 4

Slip into something Shea we say! Here's 10 more to make your day!

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse

 Fun fact: 98.1% of this oil is natural.

Bliss Vanilla+Bergamot Body Buff

Renee Furterer Karite Conditioning Mask

Everyday Shea Vanilla Mint Shampoo

Badger Cuticle Care

Tarte Cosmetics Rest Assured

Clarins Eye Contour Balm

REN Grapeseed, Jojoba and Shea Body Cream

REN Grapeseed, Jojoba and Shea Body Cream 

Mama Mio boob tube bust & neck firmer

Mama Mio claims to increase the texture of your bust, chest and neck in one week.

Proasco Shave Foam

Chanel FNO exclusive: La Provocante Rouge Allure Velvet Reviewed

Swatches from Left to Right: La Delicate, L'Infidele and La Provocante

Last week Chanel launched their Fashion's Night Out exclusive lip and nail twin-sets, fit for the annual shopping occasion, to excited fan fare. I got in on the action by going to the Chanel boutique and checking out the action, but first I went to Saks as Chanel was not ready to unveil their new collection. At Saks I found out that La Provocante was all sold out due to pre-sales ( they had 20) and they also informed me Chanel.com was out too! But as luck would have it , the Chanel on 57th st and Madison had them ( this information was as of last Friday).  I swatched all three lippies on my hand and determined that La Provocante was the color for me.

La Provocante is an autumn plum with cool blue tones, more so than red. I love the Rouge Allure Velvet texture on my lips, is the perfect amount of moisture without your lips feeling lacquered but not chalky matte either. My only problem was that I find this lippie really hard to photograph in the tube because of the tonality.

The other stand out from this collection ( on the lip side) was L'Infidele. Its a beautiful everyday rosey plum that I think would look great on everyone.  Unfortunately, I really wanted to like La Delicate but I just couldn't. The color on the website was so off, I had perma "huh?" face.
First off, La Delicate is described as beige but the color on the website is a pumpkin-esqe color. The pumpkin color made me want to try it. I LOVE me some orange! However, the beige in the tube, while looks ok as a swatch, casts a grey ashy cast IRL. Super unfortunate.

So here I am with the one that I love for my fall wine lips, La Provocante!

La Provocante Rouge Allure Velvet swatch

Chanel's FNO exclusive Provocation Nail Color and La Provocante Lipstick

MAC for Azealia Banks- Yung Rapunxel

Yung Rapunxel

Yung Rapunxel Swatch

 MAC Cosmetics introduced its latest  lipstick collaboration with rapper/singer Azealia Banks this past week.
Yung Rapunxel is described as " a deep, rich shade of plum with an Amplified finish". I've never experienced the MAC Amplified formula before and with this color, it reminds me of a sheer finish.
I used two applications when swatching and the coverage is nice. I didn't test how long the wear was but so far, I'm pleased.
I can see myself wearing Yung Rapunxel in my day-to-day, probably pairing it with an orange or apricot blush. The color reminds me of the 90's! The Missy Elliot, Total, SWV , Mary J. Blige 90's where the ladies wore the rich colored lipstick through Hype Williams' fisheye lens or through an epic music video. I'm ready to get nostalgic!

Fashion's Night Out 2012

Tonight is Fashion's Night Out in NYC! I'll be out and about but will share my experience with you this weekend. If you can't wait til then, you can catch me on Twitter or Instagram @Lavande_G!

50 Grades of Shea- part 3

Now on to part 3. We have treats from Greece, something for you and your pooch to share and some fun drugstore finds!

Korres Lip Butter

After researching this piece I revisited my Korres Lip Butter in Plum this week. Lip Butter is the perfect name for this lightly tinted piece because its smooth, the color lasts for 2-3 hours and its not sticky.

Kiehls Crème de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Body Polish

Kiehls Crème de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Body Polish

Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Shampoo and Conditioner

Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Shampoo and Conditioner

The Body Shop Jumbo Satsuma Body Butter

The Body Shop Jumbo Satsuma Body Butter

The Body Shop Jumbo Satsuma Body butter is made with Community Fair Trade Shea butter! Fair trade is great for all!

Covergirl Natureluxe Gloss Balm

Ilia Multi-Stick in Cheek To Cheek

Caudalie Vinosource Intense Moisture Rescue Cream

Bliss Fabulips Foaming Cleanser

"Shea butter and rice bran extract gently cleanses lips, lifting away impurities like food residue and makeup. " Sign me up!

Aveda green science firming face cream

Aveda's green science firming face cream has a blend of anti-oxidants, murumuru seed butter and organic shea butter to help revitalize skin.

Bungalow Woof Citrus Wipeout

Yes, for you and your pooch!

50 Grades of Shea - part 2

Hello there, In part 2 of the 50 Grades of Shea, we will learn that Karité is another word for Shea.

Here are another 10 favorites as we continue on in our series.. If you are looking for 50 Shades of Grey cosmetics.. sorry, its not here. But what we can offer are a slew of moisturizing body, hair, skin and beauty products to usher you into fall. Here we go!

Deborah Lippmann Rich Girl

Tokyo Milk Rose Shea Butter Soap

Cantu Shea Butter Leave in Conditioning Repair Cream

Kiss My Face Hot Spots SPF 30

Philip B African Shea Butter Shampoo

Sephora Collection Nano Eyeliner

Dr. Hauschka Quince Day Cream

If you have sensitive skin, fear not! Dr. Hauschka does a great job at soothing even the most irritable skin.

**Dr. Woods Pure Black Soap with Organic Shea Butter

Dare I say this is a Brooklyn favorite? Many of my friends seem to have this little-goes-a-long-way liquid soap. Plus, it seems like Black Soap is having a moment, cleansing without stripping natural oils. Dr. Woods just so happens to have the best of both gentle cleansing and the right amount of shea moisture

 Soap & Glory Hand Food Hand Cream

**Rene Furterer Karité

RF's Karité (Shea) is a wonderful line! I was saddened with Sephora decided to discontinue it in stores but the nourishment lives on.. on-line! Though you don't get to instantly touch the creamy-yet-light goodness in your hands. Take my word for it, its worth the UPS and USPS stalking to get your package.

50 Grades of Shea- part 1

While everyone and their bull dog terrier is coyly trying to finish their 50 Shades book series before summer ends, you can take comforting pleasure in knowing that you don't have to hide away these 50 products packed with shea butter ( non guilty) pleasure.

So what so salivating about Shea Butter? Its primarily used in cosmetics, body and hair care to help with moisture. The butter is extracted from the African Shea tree and has properties that are coveted by those who have dry, brittle, cracked and fragile external needs.

With that, here is my first list of 10 shea products that fit an A grade. p.s. * products are my A+'s.

Naturopathica Vitamin C Revitalizing Complex

*For the past few weeks I've been using Naturopathica's Vitamin C Revitalizing Complex as my "Sunday Night Spa Night" routine. When I wake up my skin feels really refreshed and upon doing my research for this project, I didn't know it had shea butter in it.. well, Shea and vitamins A,C & E help you to start out feeling right!

Bella Cosmetics Sheer Lip tint

Carols Daughter Coconut Shea Souffle

Fekkai Advanced Essential Shea

Burt's Bees Bug Bite Relief

Eyeko London Curvy Brush Mascara

Philosophy Gingerbread Girl Duo

Alaffia Coconut & Shea Daily Hydrating Shampoo

* I started using Alaffia's Coconut and Shea Shampoo this summer and my hair has feel sumptuous! Its a gentle cleanser that uses black soap and the other natural ingredients (shea), has hydrated my hair since June.

PhytoSpecific Beauty Styling Creme

* This has been a beauty staple of mine for at least 4 years, sadly Sephora no longer carries it. Have no fear, Amazon will get you taken care of if you are looking for a leave-in that locks in moisture and only requires 1/2 dime size of product to work a hair full of miracles.. miracles I tell you! I heart Phytospecific's Beauty Styling Creme, let me count the ways!

Fresh Seaberry Exfoliating Soap