BATH AND BODY WORKS 2013 ESCAPE COLLECTION and more.....

HELLO EVERYONE,

                    Today's post is about the Bath & Body works 2013 ESCAPE COLLECTION this is a collection that has stolen my heart. Anything that is tropical is always a sure hit with me.

Over the mother's day week-end I picked up a lot of different things and got some great deals along the way.

I picked 4 body spray's and 1 triple moisture body cream

The body mist's are BALI MANGO, ARUBA COCONUT AND RIO RUMBERRY. The triple moisture cream I opted for is the companion cream to BALI MANGO. I also picked one body mist from the Bella Italy collection which is VENICE DOLCE BERRY.

Normally I am such a huge fan of coconut and yes I do love the Aruba coconut and I did want the companion triple cream as well but they were sold out at the location I was at. I love anything that smells like a tropical vacation spot or warm skin with tanning lotion on it. I in general love coconut to wear, eat and smell. So if you love it as much as I do then do NOT miss this years summer scent. I do not smell the tones of apple, but on first spray I do catch the essence of mango and nectarine ever so slight and quick. The dry down is richness from warm sandalwood and the vanilla and coconut cream with the sensual smell of exotic musk.

The Rio Rumberry has an interesting scent that seems sweet when first applied and you get that syrupy fruit scent from the Papaya and Tangelo. Then as it lingers it takes on a scent that is somewhat unisex almost like the lighter men's cologne that women can pull off wearing. I definitely smell the Plumeria and tropical fruit tones and once drying down I do sense a mild coconut smell but not as distinct as "Aruba Coconut."

Also in the collection is Bali Mango which actually has turned out to be my favorite of the three. Everything that makes you think of summer is beautifully combined in this scent from the delicious mango to the citrus fruits layered in with sugary tropical flower tones, this scent really speaks to me. When I say flowery tones they are subtle and not over powering as I am not a fan of anything that's to floral. It also is a lasting scent that stays for hours.

Overall I am extremely pleased with this particular collection. There are some scents within B&B that I often wonder how they maintain their popularity because I find them very annoying unpleasant smells, but to each their own. I just hate smells that make me feel headachy and there have been several over the years through B&B that have done just that.

Moving on to the "Bella Italy" line there was only one other scent in this collection that I liked aside from Dolce Berry. That one is the "Capri Seaside Citrus," but I prefer the Dolce Berry just a bit more. I find my nose tends to grab on to very specific smells within a fragrance and that's what I detect the most. So with Dolce Berry I really do catch the blackberry musk, sugar sandalwood and red and black berry tones. I however do not smell the "frosted magnolia." I do detect a mild white iris playing in the background. Some smells though are merely a description to entice our senses into believing that that is what that particular flower or fruit may smell like. I certainly haven't smelt specific exotic flowers, how could I? I live in Canada. So unless you have personal experience with certain fruits and flowers or any other smell it's merely only an assumption as to what it truly might smell like.

I also got two items from the B&B Aromatherapy line. I have some other items from this line from a previous haul which I love, but this next scent is new to MY collection. I was going to go with my usual Lavender/Vanilla scent, but then on the recommendation of a nearby shopper I picked something totally different for a change and I am very glad I did. It is the "ENERGY" line which is orange and ginger.

The shower gel has become a favorite that I have been using everyday since I bought it. What I love about this line is that its more natural and they use pure essential oils which gives you the truest scent within the product. The lotion absorbs in to the skin quickly and does not leave a greasy sheen behind and you skin feels immediately softer. The shower gels in this line are amazing. They lather incredibly and you only need a little bit, so a bottle last quite a while. That combination of orange and ginger is killer it totally does energize me first thing in the morning. I breathe deeply when I am in the warm shower because the ginger is strong and clears the sinuses well. I highly recommend this product it will invigorate you too.

So here is how it worked out cost wise. I purchased the 4 body sprays, 1 triple cream and the aromatherapy shower gel and matching body lotion. They had the deal if you buy 3 you get 2 free. Plus I got the aromatherapy items for a staggering $5 a piece which is a huge saving as the lotion is normally $14.50 alone. Then I used my receipt survey to get $10 off my total, so I walked away with 7 items for $33 WOW.

I could have also purchased the special mother's day tote filled with $120 worth of goodies, but sadly I am not a fan of the "Rome Honeysuckle Amore" which was the main collection offered within this gift package. So I opted NO to that.

I hope you all enjoyed this slightly different review today

more to come at MakeUp'Asylum

STAY BEAUTIFUL

PHYSICIANS FORMULA, BIODERMA, EOS, ESSENCE, SOAP & GLORY

Hi everyone,

         Lately I have been creeping around "Shopper's Drug Mart" a lot just to see what's new or pick up things I have yet to try so that's what I am covering today a few items just because.

So everyone under the sun seems to be talking EOS (Evolution Of Smooth) lip balms and to think how many times I have dashed past them with out giving them a second thought or was I?
I think some of the finer points about this product is the fact they are 100% natural, 95% Organic, and paraben as well as petroleum free. The other thing that makes these balms enticing to us is the simple savvy design of the packaging, it has that nice feeling when in hand and looks quite cute just sitting there and I have already thought about several reuses for this smart sphere. My pick is SWEET MINT, anything mint is a huge turn on for me as I am also a big fan of Bath and Body works "Mentha Lip." I like a product that acts as dual purpose such as softening my lips and freshening my breath throughout the day.
                                           SWEET MINT .25oz and was on sale for $3.50

I sure am glad this balm worked out unlike some previous purchases. My lesson was learnt when I decided to ambush the baby lips world and buy a whole slew on sale only to end up hating them. So now its one at a time and if I like then I will try other flavours. I do like this product and its quality shows. However a few years back when EOS first came out I purchased the shave cream in Pomegranate Raspberry and that was a total flop for me. I did not enjoy that product I felt for the price I was expecting more and it just merely seemed to me like I was shaving with a bottle of standard lotion which I DON'T prefer.

Moving a long the next item is BIODERMA. I will start by saying that this is not a budget friendly product coming in at $22 for 250ml. I picked the Sensibio h2o solution micellaire . This product is for sensitive skin and cleanses, removes make-up and soothes the skin. It says it is a non-rinse but I still do after. It is also fragrance free.

The main reason I purchased this product is because I wanted a good overall eye makeup remover and this is it. A small amount takes a lot off, so I guess it pays for itself that way because it lasts a long time. I have a separate routine for cleaning my entire face so that's why its lasting longer for me personally. Also this Bioderma product was the winner of Chatelaine's beauty 100 products for being one of the top five best makeup removers for 2012.

So even though more pricey then I would like to spend I trust this product and its effectiveness and hope you will try it and love it too.

I have always loved the look of Physicians Formula products and for a long time had to admire them from a far because there were times I was not in a position to drop $20 on a compact for my own pleasure.

Now times have changed and I have some room to buy some better quality products every so often. So there was a great deal at my local Walmart most of the items were literally 40% off. I was astounded as I never see Physicians Formula ever go that cheap. So I would have loved to drop a truck load on a bunch of stuff but I just blew through a bunch of cash over the week end so I just grabbed the one bronzer I had been eyeing for some time now. That is the BRONZE BOOSTER DELUXE EDITION airbrushing bronzing veil. The bronzer it self is such a beautiful product and the time and quality put into creating the lovely embossed detail in the bronzer itself is worth the purchase alone. I also love the compact and even the brush is quite nice and decent quality as most included brushes with products usually aren't to hot.

                                                     A stunning piece of makeup art

The compact has a separate bottom compartment to hold your brush when not in use, this is great for travel in the makeup bag.

So this is a medium/dark bronzer but it does not blend on the skin that way it gives a stunning beautiful glow thanks to it's intuitive glow activators and this product will also help extend the life of your existing tan if you have one. When buying bronzer do not be intimidated by how rich it seems in the package. Remember this rule of thumb no matter the bronzer if used correctly any shade can be sheered out to work on your skin just don't be heavy handed with it.
I should also mention that all of Physicians Formula products have nothing in them that will irritate skin, they are gentle and pure and are completely hypoallergenic.
I give this bronzer a 5/5

The next couple of items I got on CLEARANCE which is OFF YOUR FACE CLEANSING CLOTHES BY SOAP & GLORY
These are good for removing makeup and just cleaning up your face before bed. I feel a slight tingle which I like as it makes me feel they are grabbing the dirt out of my pores and my skin feels a little tighter which I also like. Got a 25 pack on sale for $4.99 each wipe reminds me a lot of the baby wipes sold under Walmarts private label.

Also in the makeup clearance section I found this pretty little package and anything that is a dusting powder with fine sparkle I am in. So this is by Essence it's called CHERRY BLOSSOM GIRL shimmering body powder.

If you have read any of my previous posts I have mentioned Essence products before and I do enjoy them a lot. I also have stated I love glitter and sparkle as well and this shimmer is just doing it for me. Yes in my hand it looks intense but applied properly to an area like your décolletage this is a show stopper. The beauty of this is I got it for $2.50 and it even has a sweet little powder puff with it that just amps up the overall package.

This next item I also received in a gift bag of goodies for a donation I made and the item is L'Oreal double extend eye illuminator supposedly for green eyes but hey for me anything is fine.

I have not actually tested this out yet, but either way it doesn't matter because it basically was free any way. I know this product has been out for quite a while, but its still fun to try things and just because it may be old to someone else it may be new to me because I haven't tried it. I will try to update on this product at a later time.
I am not sure how I feel about that barbaric looking wand on the bronze end, but we shall see I suppose.

Last but not least is a body butter by SpaRetreat called SUGAR KISS

I bought this because when I smelt it the first thing that came to mind was my perfume Auqolina's Pink Sugar. I am crazy about that scent so being very similar I purchased it to layer with Pink Sugar. The big bonus here is that it is a full size jar of body butter and I got it on clearance for a $1.50.  Now that's a great bargain.

However I haven't even used it yet and hope that it stays smelling as good on the skin as it does in the jar. Simple delicious candy smell, simplistic but cute packaging and ultra great price, what more do you want.

I always have a lot of fun reviewing a mini haul like this. It allows others to see many different products that might or might not be right for them, but they would never realize it if no one bothers to talk about it. I don't think cosmetics and body products should be about just liking a current trend I prefer to get things I know will be timeless or at least appealing to me for a long time. Everyone of us has to find our own unique space in the cosmetic world there is to much scent and colour out there to only love just a few.

On that note till we meet again.....

STAY BEAUTIFUL :)