Ariana Grande Cloud vs. Baccarat Rouge

I’m having a bit of a moment with Ariana Grande Cloud, which I find to be addictively good.  I’ve been told that it’s a dupe for Baccarat Rouge by Maison Francis Kurkdjian so I had to smell them both side by side.

What’s the difference?

Baccarat Rouge by MFK is fruity and a little fresh, while Cloud is milky and not as fresh.  If you passed by someone who wore either of them, you wouldn’t be able to tell which one they were wearing, but if you smell them side by side or had time with them, then you would know the difference.

Which one should you get? Based purely on price, Cloud is the winner, when the MFK is $392 in Canada.  That being said, sometimes people smell a scent and find something offensive in it, which might not be immediately apparent to anyone else, so you would need to smell both to really know which you prefer.

Cloud is more sweet – more caramel – than Baccarat Rouge and some might find it cloying.  I normally hate sweet gourmand scents but this one has a musky cashmere base that keeps things interesting and complex, and that’s why it’s so addictive. Baccarat Rouge has a freshness that keeps it from being cloying, but if you hate sweetness you still might no like it.  I can see this scent as being polarizing, but it’s almost universally appreciated.

Both have amazing sillage and lasting power.  One spray lasts until you shower it off.  I have Baccarat Rouge sprayed on a coat, and I can smell it every time I pass the coat closet.  Because they are both so strong, they’re not scents that you’d want to wear all the time or in close-contact situations, such as on a plane or in a cubicle, but I can see these being good for wearing out.

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Fenty Beauty Plush Matte Lipstick in Thicc and other Empties

Some empties: one fav and the other two I can live without.

Some empties: one fav and the other two I can live without. First the fav: @fentybeauty Plush Matte lipstick in Thicc. This is a mini size that was a gwp and it’s a really nice formula. Super creamy and easy to apply. Long-wearing in the way that most matte lippies are. Glossier Solution. This was the first thing I ever bought from Glossier, I jumped on this right when it launched and then didn’t use it that much until now. It’s excellent for oily, acne-prone skin. @ogx_beauty Coconut oil serum actually has coconut oil in it!

First the fav: Fenty Beauty Plush Matte lipstick in Thicc. This is a mini size that was a GWP and it’s a really nice formula. Super creamy and easy to apply. Long-wearing in the way that most matte lippies aren’t.

Glossier Solution. This was the first thing I ever bought from Glossier, I jumped on this right when it launched and then didn’t use it that much until now. It’s excellent for oily, acne-prone skin.

OGX Coconut oil serum actually has coconut oil in it!

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Amika The Kure Collection

Here is some really shiny hair.  This is air-dried and no shine serum or spray on it. I just used the Amika The Closer cream on it.

I’m having a good hair day and it took me a minute to figure out why, but it has to be because I used these new Amika Kure products.

Bond-building technology seems to be everywhere these days and Amika’s The Kure collection is part of that trend. The Kure shampoo and conditioner ($29 each) have been reformulated so that they’re vegan now. They are rich and super hydrating, leaving my hair tame and shiny.  Because the whole collection is vegan, there’s actually no keratin in the line so it won’t make your hair brittle, but it does aim to repair the hydrogen bonds that are more prone to break.

Of all the products I tried (the 4 in the picture above), I love The Closer cream ($33) is amazing and I am for sure going to repurchase that when it’s finished because I’m going through so much of it.  It really separates my curls and makes my hair so shiny.  Kind of amazing. It’s a small bottle for $33 but worth it.  I’m using more than a dime-sized on my hair because my hair is a little dry and porous.

I’ve used the products for about a month now and I love them.  You can get the Repair Treatment and The Closer cream as a set from Sephora for $37 and I recommend that because then you can try them both together.  Of the whole collection, these two products are probably the ones that are really going to help repair the broken bonds in your hair. It seems like you’re only getting 10mL of The Closer Cream, whereas a full size is 60mL.  I am waiting for them to bring out a 200mL size because that’s the amount that my hair needs.

Like any treatment, the results don’t last forever, and I find that I have to do the treatment about every other shampoo if I want the results to last.  You can also use it as a leave-in conditioner.

You can normally find Amika products on Amazon, but right now these are only available at Sephora.

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A313 Empty

Almost done this little tube of A313 which I bought on Amazon years ago but can’t find on there anymore.  I do have a backup but I’m going to need a backup for my backup soon.

I don’t use this retinol every day but I do love it.  It’s a heavy water-based pomade that feels so good on dry skin and it takes care of pimples overnight.

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The Origin of Species

origin of speciesMy little reviews of the books I’ve recently read continues.  Another one from my bookshelf The Origin of Species by Canadian author Nino Ricci.

A compelling read, The Origin of Species is about a university student who is working on a ph.D thesis that deal’s with Darwin’s famous theory.  The thesis really has more to do with him than Darwin, of course, and it’s funny how he can bring the theory into so many different aspects of his life.  It also helps him understand himself better and his own grown and development into a better human being.

This book is long but was an easy read and one that I didn’t want to put down.

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Radiance by Britney Spears

If you’re a fan of white floral scents (think Jasmine and Tuberose) then you are going to want to pick up Britney Spears’ scent, Radiance. A departure from Spears’ other scents, this one is actually mature and one that I think even my mother would like.

Radiance has a berry top note that gives it a fresh sweetness. Middle notes are of tuberose, jasmine, orange flower, and iris, and is totally and completely floral. The drydown is supposed to be of woods and amber, but those notes are not very strong. The drydown of the scent is a little woodsy, but it’s woods mixed with the white florals which are really strong.

This scent really has great lasting power and sillage. While I was wearing it, it seemed to me as if there was a pretty floral scent coming from outside but really it was just this perfume!

Overall, this is mostly a one-note wonder, but a pretty one at that, and it’s an excellent jasmine and tuberose scent, if that’s what you like.

I have seen this on the $19.99 shelf at Shoppers so look for it there.

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Philosophy’s Amazing Grace Dresses Up

I’m so happy to become reacquainted with Philosophy’s Amazing Grace fragrance. It’s a super clean fresh scent that is perfect for livening up an old outfit, or freshening up the senses in the middle of the day.  Notes are bergamot, clean musk, and white flowers and it’s at once a floral and feminine scent that’s not overpowering.  This is an easy-to-wear scent that becomes the wearer – although it does fade on me after a morning, and needs reapplication throughout the day. 

This winter, Philosophy dresses up this scent in a frilly tutu, which makes it perfect for gifting to someone who already loves fresh and clean scents.  Pick this up at your local Sephora or Shoppers Drug Mart – it would make a great gift for the meticulously neat fragrance lover in your life.

$60.

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How To Spot a Fake

Or how I accidentally bought a fake… don’t buy shady perfume because the juice inside could even be harmful to your skin!

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CMsfmfcBj31/

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Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum

Tranexamic Acid is the latest “it” ingredient for dark spots.  It’s supposed to reduce the appearance of darkness caused by sun damage within a number of weeks.  it’s also the key ingredient in Murad’s Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum.  This serum is an elegant blend of glycolic acid and Tranexamic acid so it exfoliates and makes skin brighter.  The instructions say that you can use this morning and night, but I find it too drying to do that, so I just use it at night.  I’ve noticed a major difference in the 3-4 weeks of using it even when I don’t use it daily.

$94 at Sephora.

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Strivectin Anti-Wrinkle Intensive Eye Concentrate

I’ll be the first to say that I’m not much of an eye cream person.  And it’s not because I have the world’s most perfect under eyes, it’s because I’ve just come to accept what they are. There’s a bit of dryness and a bit of darkness depending on how much sleep I get, but that’s ok.

Lately, I’ve been loving the new Strivectin Anti-Wrinkle Intense eye cream because it really forms a barrier on my skin to lock in moisture and keep everything hydrated.  It’s not something that I would normally have noticed but because I’ve been wearing a mask, I’ve been more sensitive to dryness and I see that this is the only eye cream that really doesn’t lead to dry skin during the day.  I’m super impressed by this formula.

$69 at Shoppers Drugmart or through Strivectin.

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