Spring Fragrances

How's your Mother's Day shopping going? It's only a few days away and if you're a last-minute shopper, there may still be some time to get one of these new, delicious Spring fragrances. Most of them are lighter versions of the original (and that makes them typically limited editions) so if you know that a female in your life wears say, Marc Jacobs Daisy, chances are she'll love the Marc Jacobs Daisy Delight too.

top to bottom, left to right: 

Marc Jacobs Fragrance Daisy Delight // 

Dolce & Gabbana Dolce EDP // 

Coach Poppy Freesia Blossom // Victoria's Secret Bombshell's in Bloom Body Mist  // 

Chloé Roses de Chloé //  Versace Bright Crystal Absolu EDP // 

Dior Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet // Fresh Life EDP  

And if you're just looking for a new, softer fragrance for the warmer season, it's time to hit the fragrance counters and sample these beauties. Here's to smelling sweet, and not like sweat, for the Spring and Summer!

Do you change your fragrance from season to season? I'll admit I'm not great at this because I typically wear soft fragrances year round. I'm addicted to the Fresh Life right now. Any new fragrances you're crazy about?

risk-free gels

Gel manicures are what fake acrylic nails were to the 90's, and both have their risks. Gel manicures are touted as lasting up to two weeks and offer chip-free high shine. High-end salon brands and cheapie drugstore kits are getting in on this gel trend. Typically you need a UV light to"cure" the gel polish, giving it the staying power it needs.

Now here's where the risk comes in to play: The UV light to cure the manicure is like sticking just the tips of your fingers in a tanning bed. No thank you! Some magazines say that you can wear sunscreen on your hands to avoid UV damage, but anyone who has ever had a manicure knows how impractical that is. I just don't see how that would work... what, just after the manicurist has massaged, buffed and cleaned your nails (making them perfect for polish) you're then going to put sunscreen all over your hands to protect from UV damage? And then the manicurist will have to then remove the sunscreen from your nails to keep them clean so the polish can have a nail bed to adhere to, therefore, the sunscreen is taken off! I'm at a loss for how this is practiced in a salon, or if people even do it. I can understand why you want to protect your skin from UV damage and skin cancer, I just don't think the process is effective.

Then there's the nail peeling. Gel nail polish remover is not fun, often requiring nails to soak, at length, in Acetone. Oftentimes scraping is involved and ultimately layers of the nail are left peeling and brittle. Sounds like deja vu? Oh that's where I've heard of this before- acrylic nails!

Some brands have come out with a safer LED light but I say skip all of that and try this new breed of gel products, no lights required!

left to right: Butter London Patent Gel Top and Tails Set// Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Top and Base Coat Duo// Nails Inc. Kensington Caviar Gel Effect Plumping Top Coat// Dior Gel Coat // Guerlain Nail Lacquer Top Coat Gel 

These gels are mostly top coats (and in some cases a base coat) and will smooth the nails, add a high gloss-factor and make your typical mani last much longer- maybe not two weeks longer, but they come off with regular nail polish remover and no sunscreen required!

Beauty Fixation: January

Long before the movie 'Marie Antoinette' came out I already had a deep infatuation with English & French history during the 1700's. I personally love Historical Fiction novels and read a book about Marie Antoinette (not the one the movie was based on and it was so long ago I really don't remember which one it was- sorry!) and I craved going to France.

The Petit Trianon

Lucky me, quite a few years ago, I was able to go for a quick trip with my parents and sister (one of) to Paris where we toured all the major sites. On our list: Versailles. It was March and chilly but unbelievably worth it. The extensive grounds, ornate detailing, the fact that it's still standing hundreds of years later... it's beautiful, grotesque and spectacular all at the same time. One little area that we didn't go to was the Petit Trianon.- this was Marie Antoinette's little hideaway from court. She was able to host private parties there and "let her hair down". The Petit Trianon had it's own farm and there were various buildings on-site for the farmers and supplies. Only the Petit Trianon has been open for tours because the other building were in need of repair.... (this is where I finally make my point and quit the history lesson) until the Parisian house of Christian Dior benevolently donated the funds to repair the Queen's Hamlet house.

Queen's Hamlet House

Their philanthropy is the source of a new Spring beauty assortment called The Petit Trianon Collection:

** Obsessed. I'm completely infatuated with the entire collection (and let me tell you, that hasn't happened in a long time) and want to own all of it. Of course I don't own a single piece of it, but I want the Porcelain blue nail polish and the 5- color eyeshadow palette. With the horrid Polar Vortex, this Spring collection is just the thing to brighten my day- and maybe yours too. Anything interest you from the collection?