This is my first time doing such a list and to make it easier for myself I decided to go with the products that were hits "at first use", the ones that really made me go... Wow! This past year I've had to replace a lot of my old makeup and yes there were a few misses along the way but I'm glad to say that there were more than a few great finds.
Those of you who follow Icaria's on a regular basis will recognise most of them for they have been mentioned several times already. This in a way feels a little redundant but what can I say, they are my ultimate favorites of 2013!
Favorite compacts...
I went a little nuts this year with face products and this started with Givenchy Le Prisme Visage Mat which was such a great find, never having tried any of this brand's products before. It's always in my purse and I use it every day to keep the shine away! Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo in Coral Glow... Oh how I love thee!!! The perfect summer glow! Honestly, I don't know how Dior can top this one! Guerlain Madame Rougit Blush came out last fall and is such a pleasure to use and just perfect for my skin tone aaaaannnnd.... Guerlain Crazy Terracotta and Guerlain Crazy Météorites. These two amazing powders should definitely become part of the brand's regular line.
Favorite eye palettes...
You will notice that these palettes are on the neutral side. As mentioned, I had to replace some of my old makeup and so these are now part of my "basics". Bobbi Brown Navy & Nude Eye Palette gets some love almost every morning, especially Cement which is great for my upper lids and Slate that I use with a slanted brush to lightly define my lower lash line. NARS Fairy's Kiss, to think I almost missed out on this one for I took my sweet time to get it. Chanel Ombres Matelassée in Charming was a big splurge but oh so worth it! Not the most in your face colors but so perfect for every day.
Favorite eye combination...
My favorite combination this year? Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in Fatal and Diorshow Velvet eyeshadow! I know on the picture they look a little similar but Velvet is more grey than Fatal and gives my eyes more Oomf! Who would have thought I would go for glitter? :)
Ok so remember, those who follow my critic/reviews/fall in love with whatever products will know that last spring and summer I was all about Diorskin Nude Coral Glow! Well... I've found another fantastic, complexion blowing gorgeous beautifying goodie!!!
I've been using it only three days! Oh sweet Julius how easy can I be!
Guerlain Crazy Terracotta!!!!!!!
Funny how usually I'll go for meanings but this time I honestly don't care what the "68" means!
So I've covered the story of this revolutionising offering from the house of Guerlain La Terracotta, I've raved about how I just love it for contouring, face shaping and year round glow provider!
Crazy takes it to another level!
I swear this one needs to be part of the regular line up of Terracotta!
What I usually do is apply bronzer, Terracotta of course and... use a tiny bit of blush on the middle of my cheeks and even on my upper lids just to make my face not only come alive but believe it or not if you have somewhat droopy lids, it somehow "lifts" them up by providing a "glow".
Look at this little beauty!!!
Now it's a little woozy but the colors are, for once, almost perfect!
Feww!!!
With Guerlain Crazy I've got both all wrapped up into one! Ok notice the lighter spots? Those appear gold when you see it in real life but what they translate to on skin is simply a natural sheen!
Getting up at 5:30 in the morning all I can say is that I'm so grateful for this little beauty!
I didn't swatch the "balz" (ok I'm not sure here, does it take an "s"?) and from reading reviews I've figured they gave a slightly more "shiny" finish. With the compact all you get is a perfect glow!
I'll say it... even better than Coral Glow! Sorry Sunny! This one takes it all!
I still love the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette compact but Terracotta Crazy is like the mother load for the perfect colorful glow. Now I don't mean pink or peach or any weird unnatural "fakish" color. I mean a natural skin tone way improved. Oh geeze I hope I make sense!
Soft brush = no fall out
I could of course if I wanted to, use a bit of Guerlain Madame Rougit for that nice light flush of color but honestly, with Crazy I don't need it and this is just fabulous! One step less in the morning, one less compact to open! And I thought I didn't like a glow in winter! Technically it's still fall but it's pretty darn cold and I'm enjoying this glow a lot!
I know, you'll think me lazy but believe me, my new reality demands less steps and I do not want to compromise when I "put on my face" in the morning. With Gerlain Crazy Terracotta I don't need to! Oh and no need to reapply during the day so this baby stays safely at home! :)
The compact, heavier than regular Terracotta, comes with a cute little pouch, remains shut with a magnet blah, blah, blah...
These new Nivea Lip Butters aren't even on the Canadian website yet but can be seen on the American one. For a little over a week now other beauty bloggers have been reviewing them and I was quite anxious to try one myself. Ok anxious may not be the correct word here so let's just say I wanted to try one.
For the longest time I've overlooked foot care in Winter. My feet where almost always covered so why bother? For the past several years I've been wearing flip flops in the house so I've had to make a few changes. Yes, in Winter! Unless it's a very cold day, I just can't stand wearing anything else This means that they are exposed and even if I don't always wear nail polish I don't want them to look neglected. There's also the fact that I don't like "hearing" them when I have to put on socks in the morning. To avoid this, here's what I do...
Winter can be brutal and we all know that moisturizing is the key to soft skin but sometimes it seems we have to constantly reapply to get the results we want. Have you thought about the cleanser you use in the shower? Believe me, in Winter, your watermelon shower gel or you're husband's Irish Spring just won't do. If you don't want your skin to feel like itchy sand paper you may want to start with a gentler body cleanser.
Here are a few suggestion you may want to consider. These options are gentle, non stripping and will definitely help make your moisturizer of choice more effective.
Avène Cold Cream Ultra Rich Cleansing Bar
More expensive than the Dove Beauty Bar this cleansing bar is amazingly rich and non stripping. Had it not been for the fact that I received one as a gift I probably would have overlooked it. Using this was the reason I gave Dove a try after so many years or using shower gels. As with Dove, if you don't have any particular skin issue, you can use it on your face as well. This is a great option for travel since it's in solid form. I think it sells for about $12.00.
Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash
Creamy, with or without fragrance and not drying. Very affordable and at under $10.00 it's worth a try.
The Body Shop Creamy Cleansers
They have several options my favorites, Cocoa butter and Coconut. I love the smell of both. A little trick if you purchase one, unscrew to top completely to get the product out. It's much easier than trying to press the cleanser out through the tiny hole in the cap. Review of Cocoa Butter cleanser and moisturizer here.
A-Derma Sensifluid Extra-Rich Foaming Gel
This is a beautiful skin care line for anyone with sensitive skin. Not well known but available in drugstores. I'm now wondering why I haven't reviewed this before. It's a lovely soap-free formula good for anyone intolerant to soap. It does have a light scent if fragrance is an issue.
These are the ones I've tried and liked the most but of course if you have a brand of choice, a product that you're already using with good results, keep using. I know they can be quite tempting but try to avoid over fragranced cleansers. I find them to be harsh in general. Once or twice a week is fine but for everyday they tend to be drying after a while for me anyway.
Isn't it frustrating when you've used a product for so long and then all of a sudden you find it doesn't work for you anymore? Sadly this has happened to me too many times to count.
For me, one of the most boring makeup items to get is concealer and I believe when you find a good one you stick with it through thick and thin. Repurchasing automatically when needed. You can try others here and there but somehow always come back to the one that looks best on you, the one that looks natural.
Last Spring the one I've been going back to for years no longer looked good on me. This was Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Concealer. Not moisturizing enough, it was starting to make my eye area look creepy. I then tried M.A.C. Select Moisturecover Concealer in a lighter shade. This one did make my eye area look better but it's staying power was more than poor. Since I don't like to throw anything away I did use it for several months, not liking it but at least not wasting my money.
After this disappointment I was contemplating going back to Clinique, another concealer I liked. In fact I kind of alternated between Estée Lauder and Clinique for years since their respective formulas gave me similar results. Looking at their website I was surprised to see the many options they now offer. I guess the one I was using was the Line Smoothing Concealer but I started to wonder if it was the same formula. Not wanting to risk it I decided to forget about this one.
Browsing the Sephora website, looking at all the different brands I finally thought I would go for Bobbi Brown Corrector, especially after reading Beautiful With Brains' positive review of it. You can read it here. With that final push I went to Sephora with the intention to buy it.
I hit a wall! Even if it's available it 12 different shades, I wasn't able to find one I felt comfortable with. The two lightest, Porcelain Bisque and Porcelain Peach would not have given me the natural look I was looking for. I do have to say that the formula seemed more than nice.
Leaving empty handed was not an option so I after having a look at other brands I opted to try Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in shade 1 for light complexions. It's actually the lightest they make, with slightly pink undertones.
It was weird for me to go for a cream after years of more "liquidy" formulas. The last time I did was with Dior when they used to have one in a little round compact.
How I use it?
I find it easier to apply with my fingers than a concealer brush. It's even better if you warm it up a little. For this, simply do so by "rubbing" a little of it between your two pinkie fingers and then go gently on the eye area. You'll notice that this way it will glide more easily. I also use it as an eye shadow base. I finish off with my concealer brush, to make sure the application is smooth and doesn't set in fine lines. A light dusting of loose powder with my fan brush and it's set.
Would I recommend it? Yes!
The formula is excellent and buildable. One big plus, it's non drying. If you apply it with a concealer brush you will have a more opaque finish but this will involve a little more pulling of the eye area. I've been using it for about a month now and can honestly say that I'm pleased with this purchase.
The only 2 things I don't like about it are, first the screw top. I would have preferred a flip top like Bobbi Brown. Second, the price. At $30.00 it's a little expensive for 2.2 g even it you do get a little more for the same price than Bobbi Brown Corrector which contains 1.7 g.
Available in six shades:
Reviews:
MakeupAlley: 3.8 / 5 lippies for 411 reviews. Beauté-test: 4.2 / 5 stars for 19 reviews.
This is truly one of the greatest invention since sliced bread!
Ok maybe I'm exaggerating a little but this comb is amazing!
I first read about it on Daily Beauty and was more than intrigued. I have long super thick hair and the drying process is such a bore. After reading Jane's entry describing her experience with Goody Quick Style Comb, I wrote it down on my list of things to try and mentioned it on my Notable Reads of the Week vol. 3. A few days later I found it at my local drugstore. I don't remember how much I payed for it but I'm quite sure it was under $10.00
Does it work? A big resounding YES!
Usually after I wash my hair I let it air dry as much as possible so that I waste less energy, both electrical and physical. If I don't do this, it takes in average of 25 minutes to dry my hair with both the blow dryer and the brush to straighten it. I was blessed with not only super thick hair but also super frizzy hair. I'm so lucky!
Today, instead of waiting a good hour and a half before going into the torture chamber that is my bathroom to finish off with the blow dryer, I was able to start exercising my arms 30 minutes after my shower. Not only that but it did cut down on the time it took. A little over 10 minutes and I was done.
I'm not sure but I think the very first time I ever wore mascara it was probably one from Estée Lauder. It was my mom's and it was a beautiful gold tube with an applicator that looked like a metal screw not a brush. Brown was the color. It was quite a revelation and when I discovered what an eye lash curler could do... Boom! I was all set!
It's cold outside, dry and overheated inside! What this means is that my lips are getting dry, tend to crack and peel. Ouch!
Now that's if I don't do anything. It's not an option for me not to treat them. For years I was able to keep smooth lips without the use of lip balms due to lipstick. Whether the formulas I was wearing where more moisturizing or my lips got dryer with time I have no idea. These days I have to use lip balms period!
Plus I do want to keep them looking as plump as possible for as long as I can. Lips don't have oil glands so we have to give them some. No collagen either so for anti aging an SPF lip balm of at least 15 reapplied several times during the day is a must if you spend a lot of time outdoors. For loss of volume nothing topical will make any difference. Lip plumpers will only work temporarily due to the irritants they include in their formulas like cinnamon, ginger, menthol and forms of capsacin (the spicy chemical found in chili peppers). For a more permanent solution only a surgical procedure will do.
The price range for good lip balms go from $1.00 to $100.00. You can get them at the Dollar store or you can go for brands like La Mer, Sisley or La Prairie. It's really up to you. Go for the ones you love. I'm just presenting you my own favorites.
Personally I don't go much for high end any more for skin care and that includes lip care. I've been able to find effective products that are more budget friendly.
My 2 favorite lip balms
Nuxe Rêve de Miel
New lips overnight! When I apply a good layer of this at night before bedtime I wake up with soft deeply moisturised lips. In fact by morning, I can still feel the balm on my lips. Most brands just disappear overnight but not Rêve de Miel. It contains among other ingredients, honey, plant oils, shea butter and grapefruit essence.
Although I use Rêve de Miel mainly at night, it's great to apply over certain colors of lipstick to make them appear more matte giving lips a more natural look. This works great with shades like Clinique's Tenderheart.
Caudalie Lip Conditioner
The one I use in daytime. Also quite matte it helps keep peelies at bay. Although it almost feels dry at first, in no time you feel the moisture. The stick form makes it easy to carry. I love this one under lipstick and keep one in my coat pocket. Grape-seed polyphenols (have anti oxidants properties), Shea butter, Castor oil and beeswax are it's main ingredients. Since I started using this balm I've rarely sensed the need to exfoliate my lips because I do feel it helps with the skin's renewal process.
For UV protection
Neutrogena, La Roche Posay, Avène, Bioderma as well as several other brands make good lip balms with an SPF of 15 or more. Simply chose the one you like. I find that Neutrogena is pretty good myself and wears well under lipstick.
Other options
Avène, A-Derma, Weleda (Everon), Estée Lauder, Clarins..... Every company makes one and yes, it's ok to have a few. I have several and my daughter has an extended collection. We have them all over the house and each have our favorites. My daughter's is eos for now while hubby goes for a homemade balm made of half unrefined Shea butter and half coconut oil flavored with vanilla extract. I myself sometime simply reach for the tub of Vaseline Cocoa Butter Petroleum Jelly which tastes so yummy. Not as effective as my 2 favorites I still enjoy using it to give my lips a bit of shine.
Along with petroleum jelly another good option to keep handy is Aquaphor in the tube. Many actually prefer it to Vaseline. It is a little thicker but I honestly don't see much difference between the two. They are both good versatile options to keep handy because they are not only for lips but also for skin that is exposed to the element. Great for protecting the skin of young children when the weather gets really cold.
Both petroleum jelly and Aquaphor are great for exfoliating lips. You can apply a little to lips and wait 10 min or so then gently rub away dead skin with either your fingers or a baby washcloth. You can also add a bit of sugar or brown sugar to make the process faster but just be careful not to rub too hard and avoid the skin around the lips. Sugar is a no no as a facial exfoliant. It can non only irritate the skin but cause micro tears.
If you want to read more on the subject there are a few good articles on Discovery Fit & Health, source of some of the information given in this entry.
One final note, when I started this blog my very fist post was about lip balms. I revisited it and it was fun to see how much I've grown into this blogging thing. You can have a look at it here. Warning, the writing is not that good but the list of products is. :D
A staple and clear favorite of mine. I think I bought my first one in my late teens and have always owned one. Through the years the name has changed, I think, and for the good of all, they've added several shades.
Perfect to set makeup, this was my go to back in the days when my skin was super oily. Combined with The Body Shop Blotting Papers (before the addition of tea tree oil) to absorb the excess oil, this powder took care of the remaining shine.
I do like the sponge applicator for discrete touch ups but more often than not I make a little trip to the powder room (love that name) and use the little retractable brush that Clinique includes with their loose powder. It's small and perfect for either powder, bronzer or blush touch ups during the day.
It's a good quality powder but you have to be careful not to overdo it in the eye area. Because it is matte it could amplify little expression lines and wrinkles thus making one look either older or more tired. Not what any of us are going for.
There are many many other options out there and some are more "fashionable" than others. This is not the most outstanding product nor is it the most popular. It's just a good basic powder. Nothing more.
Would I recommend it? Yes!
With a price that's more than reasonable in my opinion, $27.00, you can keep it in your purse at all times. The compact is of good quality and I must say quite sturdy. The exterior finish keeps it's shiny finish a long time despite constant contact with other makeup items I may keep in my purse, it my case it's mainly lipsticks. The powder is hardly pressed and solid so depending on the type of purse you carry, if you drop it, there a good chance it will remain intact. Another good point.
I thought it would be fun to let you know what I've enjoyed reading during the past week. I may even make a weekly feature of this. Mostly beauty related, it may sometimes include random links I've enjoyed as well.
I know several bloggers do this but here my inspiration is Gio from Beautiful With Brains. This is in no way to be compared to her Sunday Random Ramblings. That format belongs to her!
On The Street: Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Windows 2012
By Tinsel Creation, this entry reminded me of when I was little. Yesterday I went Downtown with my daughter and the only window that was really worth stopping in front of was the one at Ogilvy with it's adorable display. This store is the only one who still has automated characters. It's a feast for children and grown ups alike!
Seasonal Specials (2)
By Gingerrama the chocolate lover! This entry shows beautiful chocolate creations from a Vancouver chocolatier. Every city has a good one of those, this may inspire you to go get something dreamily good and magical for Christmas and who knows, maybe you will be able to find an Advent Calender!
Here are more blogs I follow and enjoy. Some post new articles everyday while others will do so weekly depending on what they've seen, tried, enjoyed. As much fun as the blogs mentioned in Part 1, I hope you will go and have a look at these as well.
Tinsel Creation
This blog I enjoy a lot. Quite different from the usual beauty blog. Jessica it's author is a self proclaimed art historian by day (my kind of girl) and blogger by night. Life in New York, arts, fragrances and reviews are all beautifully presented and written about.
Hello Miss Niki
A freelance Makeup Artist and Beauty Blogger from New Jersey. Reading her you can sense her bubbly personality. It's obvious that she loves what she does.
Makeup and Beauty Blog
Karen, a writer, makes this blog fun and informative. No wonder she has such a large audience. As a bonus, she posts cute pictures of her cat.
British Beauty Blogger
A beauty insider who writes for both on-line and mainstream media. Makeup, nails, accessories and much more. High end or drugstore she presents everything with the same informative style.
Beauty Geeks
For beauty and style. Fun and surprising every time!
Secret Girly Side
Caroline presents what she's tried, liked and disliked. Wether it's a Labello lip balm or a Chanel nail polish she makes it fun and interesting.
Cosmetic Journey in the City
Makeup, skin care, style and food. Nice presentation and pictures. Oh and did I mention food!
Also on the high end side, reviews, swatches and comparisons, all elegantly presented.
I will most likely be posting some more since I keep discovering new interesting blogs every week as well as others of which I'm a subscriber. These, along with those from Part 1, are the ones I visit most often. There are also a few in French. Remember? That's the reason sometimes my choice or words and punctuation may seem weird. :D
For the past few months I've been following and appreciating several beauty blogs. They are a great source of information as well as inspiration.
Gingerrama's The Praise of Folly
My friend Gingy is the first I started to follow. Based in Vancouver, her writings are quite unique and often very entertaining. Green she is (which goes well with her red hair) as well as opinionated. When she selects a subject, she does a grand educated tour of it. Oh and she looooves chocolate! My kind of girl!
Beauty Reflections
Tracy is a self proclaimed blush addicted Canadian Girl. Great posts, often about products I've totally forgotten about. For instance she often visits Avon products and recently wrote about Yves Rocher. I just can't remember when was the last time I went in one of their boutiques. These past few days she lent her platform to friends which I found quite fun, One wrote about skin care and the other about hair. Oh and recently on a post about Korres mascara, showed how it looked on her and I am now totally jealous of her super extra long lashes. In a good way, I swear!
Beautiful With Brains
Lovely Gio! Ingredient savvy, well researched historical posts and great books recommendations. Her Sunday Random Ramblings are always smart and fun!
Chic Profile
Tavia's posts are always well presented and informative. What's fun is that she can go from a $2.00 Essence nail polish to Armani colors in the same week. Chic but not snob!
MakeUp4All
Beautiful and smart, Marina. Following the trends, she too will go from drugstore lipsticks right into luxury fragrances.
Musings of a Muse
A lovely beauty junkie living in New York. She must be tired these days for she has written so many posts in recent weeks, her fingers must be numb!
My purse of the moment is a DKNY black nylon with black leather trim tote. It's on the small side compared to the others I own but the size is perfect for what I carry these days.
Curious to know what's in it at all times?
This is my Fall/Winter version:
Non beauty things: keys, wallet, lemon drops (got to have something lemony with me at all times), pens, highlighters, little notebook, sunglasses, a folded nylon bag for unplanned purchases, sometimes a cell phone, sometimes an iPod but, almost always my iPad (best invention EVER) and black leather gloves.
Beauty things: at the moment I have seven different lip products. A bit much maybe? Hmm, well what can I say, I love lipsticks!
First off, in recent years I haven't been much of a mask person but in the past few months I have somehow rekindled my love for them.
Scrubs, I don't use those anymore and how I wish I had stopped before I did. Because of the last one I used, Clinique, I ended up with a few broken capillaries on both my cheeks. *cries*
Needless to say that I have warned my daughter about them and hopefully she will never consider them. She has pale, delicate skin with a tendency to get red cheeks. She might even be a candidate to rosacea in the future. Using a scrub, even the mildest one, could do a number on her skin so it will definitely be best for her to avoid them all together.
Contrary to Nivea cream, this staple I grew up with along with Lux soap and if I remember right, my mother used to also buy Dial once in a while and Ivory soap. These where, as far as I can remember, the popular brands of the day. Oh I almost forgot, there was also Camay which I believe was my mom's favorite.
For years I didn't even bother to look at it on trips to the pharmacy or the grocery store. What a snob! Preferring to go for liquid or more expensive formulas, I didn't think it was worth my attention or my money. Then I used Avène's Cold Cream Emollient Soap-Free Cleansing Bar and this product except for the fragrance, felt very similar on my skin. Considering the Avène bar is sold for about $9.00 and Dove can be found at $1.99 for 2 bars, I figured why not give it a go? Now a few years ago I did try one of the Dove creamy shower gels and didn't like it but the Beauty Bar was surprisingly nice to use. I even used it for a week on my face and must admit it didn't dry my skin the way I though it would. That was last summer when my skin was oilier. I don't think I would use it in the middle of winter. For the body, nice lather, the fragrance fresh and quite pleasant brings back tons of memories.
A bit of history
There isn't a lot of information out there about it which is surprising when you compare it to some other brands. All the different sites I visited repeated more or less the same things. I haven't listed any sites for referral for this reason. If you enter in your search engine "dove soap history" you'll likely come across some if not all the sites I've visited.
First developed and introduced in the Netherlands (I wasn't able to find the name of the original company) in 1955, the Dove Beauty Bar is not classified as a soap but as a synthetic detergent bar primarily made from synthetic surfacants, derived vegetable oils and salts from animal fats. Apparently in some countries there are no animal fats in its composition, making it a vegan product. Introduced in the US in 1957 it was quite successful right from the get go. In the 60's Dove continued it's success as a niche skin care product and in the 70's thrived by publicizing dermatologist test findings that indicated that Dove was less drying and irritating than ordinary soap. After a while, Unilever the company that owns the brand, started developing other products under the Dove name.
1957, the first television commercial for the US market
In 2004, Dove launched it's "Campaign For Real Beauty" making us reflect over the unrealistic images of women in advertising and it continued by promoting the "Dove Movement For Self-Esteem".
October 2006, the add that made us think!
About the "Self Esteem Campaign" see the Self Esteem Tool Kit on the Dove website.
The beauty bar is available in an unscented version for sensitive skin. The reviews and ingredient list below are for the original Beauty Cream Bar also known as Beauty Bar for Deep Moisture.
Who can use it?
Questions about Dove pop up regularly on MUA. Depending on the day and who's on, the responses can be either positive or flat out negative. Some members do have serious skin issues and its quite understandable why they can't use it. Others I believe, will simply say "Heck no!" just because it's "Dove".
As a facial cleanser if you have dry, irritated skin you may want to skip but if you have combination skin that's on the normal side, it can be a nice, more than affordable option. Some clog prone people can't use it while others can. Trying it is really the only way to know. If you find it's not for you, it won't make a big dent in your budget and you'll be able to use it for your body or keep in in a soap dish for hand washing.
If you're planning a trip, consider putting a Dove bar in your toiletry bag instead of a facial cleanser and/or a shower gel. If your skin likes it, it's a great two in one (face and body) and since it's in solid form, no restrictions for air travel. At the end of your vacation/trip you can just leave it behind, at that price, why fuss with a wet cleansing bar? You forgot to bring one, it's available everywhere, really it is!
Reviews: MakeupAlley: 4.4 / 5 lippies for 766 reviews Beauté-test: 4.3 / 5 stars for 395 reviews
Ingredients, from the Dove website: Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Tallowate or Sodium Palmitate, Lauric Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Water, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoate or Sodium Palm Kernelate, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891). Just so you can compare the two, Avène's Cold Cream Emollient Soap-Free Cleansing Bar
To think that 2 years ago I didn't know anything about this brand. I first heard about Nuxe though a television documentary which included an extensive interview with Aliza Jabès, the beautiful mind behind the brand. Just the name, Nuxe, a combination of nature and luxury is enough for wanting to try some of it's offerings.
Huile Prodigieuse is available in two sizes: 50 ml for $26.00 & 100 ml for $45.00
Prodigieuse, translates into prodigious, sublime, extraordinary. Is this oil sublime? Enough so for me to always want to have a bottle. This multi-purpose care, multi-usage dry oil is a complex mixture which include St John's Wort, moisturizing and calming; borage oil that has antioxidant qualities; sweet almond and camellia oils who both are very moisturizing. The formula is completed with vitamin E which helps soothe, protect and regenerate the skin. According to Nuxe's website one bottle of Huile Prodigieuse is sold every 6 seconds, an almost cult like following. Launched in 1991 it met with an almost instant success.
What a novelty! A product that could be used all over. Hair, face an body. It's a dry oil which means it penetrates quickly into the skin leaving a silky, non greasy feel. Non oily and non-photosensitizing? Fabulous!
How do I use it?
I love it as a fragrance, meaning I apply it on my arms, neck, décolleté and use what's left on my hands to smooth out my hair, tame fly aways. In summer on bare legs, it leaves nice a healthy sheen. It can be used as an all over body moisturizer on damp skin but doing so I would probably end up needing one bottle a month. Considering the price it would be overdoing it a bit so at the end of my shower, I use either coconut, almond or unscented baby oil all over on wet skin I then pat dry and use Huile Prodigieuse as stated above.
The fragrance lasts all day on me. Surprisingly the first time I tried Huile Prodigieuse I didn't like it's fragrance, in fact I didn't like it at all and couldn't understand the hype. Then I received a large sample of it in a little gift with purchase. It remained untouched for about a month on a shelf in my bathroom. At one point I decided to try it again......love!
Why did I not like it the first time? I have no idea! Now, it's part of my routine, one of my staples, a favorite! I alternate between Nuxe and Liérac Huile Sensorielle aux Trois Fleurs Collection Blanche, I rarely wear any other fragrances these days. In fact I believe in the past year I probably wore an eau de toilette ten times or so, preferring the soft, more discreet odor of these oils.
One word of caution, it can be used on the face provided you don't have any issues like a tendency to clog easily or have acne. Still, even without these problems I would personally be unable to moisturize my face with it due to it's strong fragrance.
Two versions are available, the original Huile Prodigieuse and Huile Prodigieuse Or which leaves a nice natural sheen. The quantity of gold specs in the bottle may give the impression that you'll end up looking like Jill Masterson in the 1964 James Bond movie, Goldfinger but no, it remains very discreet.
Celebrating 20 years, you may still be able to find
one of these special edition bottles.
Reviews: MakeupAlley: 4.2 / 5 lippies for 101 reviews Beauté-test: 4.3 / 5 stars for 1794 reviews
Now this is definitely going on my Christmas wish list! Yes I do write one. Remember I mentioned in a previous entry, I don't want to end up with a power drill or, God forbid, a new frying pan, as high quality as it may be. Christmas is for fun, for a bit of luxury! Also, I do "need" to renew these!
The set includes Dior's essentials for a perfect manicure. Full size Crème Abricot Fortifying nail cream (0.35oz), deluxe sizes of Pelline cuticle emollient, Base Coat and Top Coat, an orange wood stick and a nail file. All this presented in a elegant little patent travel bag.
If you've never tried these before, the Crème Abricot is quite simply dreamy one of my all time favorites. I use at night and as surprising as it may sound, it can also be used as a lip balm. I know, weird but it does work nicely. This product lasts a long time so don't worry if the color changes a little. It tends to get darker but retains all it's moisturizing properties.
The Pelline is a soapy liquid that softens cuticles and makes it easier to gently remove dryish bits. It doesn't feel like a classic cuticle remover, it's much gentler.
The top & base coats, well, they are of excellent quality. Both like the Pelline, are a little smaller than the regular sizes, 0.24oz instead of 0.33oz but still a good deal.
The little cosmetic bag, black patent finish, perfect!
Update: I thought it would be fun to include a vintage classic and elegant add from 1962
