Fragrance Diary: Balenciaga Paris

On January 10th, I decided to chronicle my day of wearing Balenciaga's Eau de Parfum. While I'm usually drawn to citrus notes, the floral notes of the Cypre Violet in Balenciaga made the fragrance a bit edgy and classic for me.. as if I needed to experience a taste of modern sophistication. After receiving a sample sized ( .25 fl .oz) from my mother two months ago, I decided to document my journey throughout the day.

8:15am- Just finished putting on my brown fur-lined Uggs and reach for Balenciaga. I apply 2 small dabs onto both of my inner wrists and an amount from my pinkie to my neck as I make a dash out the door.
Hello Floral! I would have never guessed, the scent smells like it could melt a hard edge and make it soft.

10:54am- At my cubical, I think that the floral has subsided a bit and is now letting a powdery note shine. I imagine that Balenciaga's fragrance friends would be YSL's Parisienne and Narciso Rodriguez' Essence and they would both be lunching possibly at Balthazar having frites and moules. Fragrances lunching together.. haha that's so silly right?
Must make green tea.

1:17pm- The scent is still linger, its after lunch so I'm sneaking whiffs my gently rubbing my palm to my nose. I hope I don't accidentally rub the fragrance that is on my nose!

5:20pm- I'm impressed, the smell is faint but I like it. I'll definitely continue to use.

disclaimer: I received this product as a birthday gift from my mother.
Thanks Mom!

Winter Skin 2011: Philosophy's Purity Facial Cleanser

Simplicity is key when after a long day with up to 6 hours of optimal sunlight and you are perpetually in sleep mode as the air turns arctic and the word "snow" is uttered by everyone.
Yes, all I want to do is hibernate, but before I can do so, I must get rid of the daily environmental ruminants that are on my face.
The last thing that you need to worry about is mascara that won't budge when you are trying to get it off or blush and foundation stains on the bathroom sink from a battle lost from a seasonal cleanser.
Luckily for me I have placed some faith in Philosophy's Purity facial cleanser, had I not have tested it in a store, I probably wouldn't have thought it was for me.
It has a list of things that I thought would not pertain to me, such as, its creamy.
What? me? oily skin, needs a cream to get skin clean?
Yes, actually, Its quite effective at helping calm my slick skin and washing off my makeup in under 5 minutes. Nice!

disclaimer: product was purchased by me

Winter Hair 2011: Sulfate Free Shampoo

I feel like lately there has been a lot of information about sulfates in shampoos. Even back when I was a teen and seeing a hair dresser, they told my mom to find sulfate-free shampoo to cut back on the dryness. In the 90's it was hard to find shampoos that were sulfate- free and in the family budget. Now, there are over 500 shampoos on the market and many that are in supermarkets but less than a handful are sulfate-free. Whats up with that?
So what is the big deal with sulfates in shampoos?
For one, sulfates can cause dryness and as a woman with relaxed hair and dry scalp, the last thing I need is extra dryness, especially in the winter!
There is a long list of great sulfate free shampoos, I encourage you to look up and see which SLS free shampoos would work for you. I've heard great things about John Masters Organics Shampoos but while browsing Whole Foods last month, I decided to try Avalon Organics Lavender Nourishing Shampoo.
The results have been quite a change since I'm so used to suds galore, now there are little to no suds and upon the rest of the hair care routine ( conditioning and blow drying), I saw little to know dandruff flakes from my scalp. This could come from a number of new changes to my hair routine but what I'm seeing so far is working!

disclaimer: product was purchased by me

Happy 4th Birthday to LTBB!

Yes, its our 4th birthday weekend and we are celebrating in snow style!

So, what are we going to do?

-Enjoy the snow and take tons of pictures!

-Catch up on swatches for your viewing pleasure.

- Have a cup of Vosges Bianca cocoa.

Thank you for all the love!

xoxo L

Winter Hair 2011: Phytospecific Revitalizing Treatment

It didn't occur to me it was winter until last week, seriously! Late November to mid-December, the weather has been bearable her in NYC, but last week came like a brick wall. While my friends were stuck stranded on the highways with snow up to their knees, I was enjoying the temporary mid day heat of Las Vegas for a few days and came back to the arctic ice rink weather of NYC in the latter part of the week.
Pre-holiday vacation, I started amping up on hair care for my strand survival, primarily through pre-treatments and experimenting with sulfate and paraben free shampoo ( will have more info in the next post). With that said, a few weeks ago I was encouraged by a friend to try Phyto's Phytospecific Revitalizing Treatment as a pre-treatment, pre- shampoo moisturizer to use while watching an episode of Veronica Mars on instant Netflix and before my hair treatment ritual.
I've now been using the treatment for more than a month, both before shampooing and as an SOS when my strands are dry and I have to say that this oil has worked wonders.
Since using the treatment, my dandruff has decreased significantly ( this can also be attributed to 1. my diet and 2. another hair treatment and/or 3. switching to a sulfate-free shampoo) and a direct application, my strands are moisturized without the weight and there is no oily residue with my hair. An extra added plus, a little goes a long way.
I'm hoping that starting my 4 part self-made treatment regimen ( pre-shampoo, shampoo, condition and smoother) will initiate better hair health in the spring. Time will tell and I'll definitely keep you posted.

Photo: Sephora.com

disclaimer: product was bought by me with the intent to use and review.