By Kilian Incense Oud Perfume Review

If you’ve been reading this site for a while, you know that I have a thing for incense perfumes, a fascination that was started by the original Armani Prive line of scents.  I’d always loved the smell of incense – the earthiness and smokiness of it – and I loved that now I could impart that smell.

That said, it’s no surprise that I like Kilian’s Incense Oud perfume, and I think that it’s a great incense scent, and one that’s up there with the Armani Prive.  In fact, if there’s a downfall to this perfume, it has to be that it’s so reminiscent of the original Armani Prive scents that it doesn’t smell that original.  Lovely, yes.  Original, no.

Incense Oud is a mostly pine-like incense note, with a little bit of rose and pink pepper added to it.  It’s slightly resinous without being sweet, and is smooth and well-rounded as a scent.  I actually like to wear this layered over a rose-scented body cream, because I find that the two are complimentary.  The earthiness of the rose just brings out the fruitiness in Incense Oud.

The scent has tons of wear and is very long lasting.  It blends into the skin and starts smelling almost natural instead of being overly perfume-like.  It will be smelled by those who want to smell it rather than by everyone in your vicinity.

By Kilian is sold only at Holt Renfrew and a bottle of this scent is over $300.  I mentioned that it’s not that original, but the fact is that you can only find a good incense scent in the higher price range, so you’re looking to pay over $200 for something like this.

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Lush Breath of God Perfume Review

I have tried 3 of the Gorilla Perfume scents now, and each one is well-constructed, smells unique, but also stays true to the Lush brand.

I have a thing of incense fragrances, so it’s no surprise that I really wanted to own this one.  I was a huge fan of all the original Armani Prive’s that came out because they were quite smoky, and especially the Bois D’Encens that was part of that collection.

Breath of God does remind me of the Armani Prive scent but it has clean floral notes that are entirely Lush.

The official notes are:

Neroli, lemon, melon, jasmine, rose, vetivert, sandalwood, cedarwood, amber, musk.

Neroli and Lemon open this scent and give it its lovely freshness.  The middles notes are more floral – a combo of jasmine and rose, and the drydown is intensely smoky and pure incense that lasts and lasts throughout the day.

After an hour of wear, this scent reminds me of burning wood in the fireplace, that’s how smoky it really is.

I had a hard time smelling any amber.  The scent lacks the sweetness that is so characteristic of amber, and that was fine by me.  It’s nice to wear a scent that isn’t sweet or overly feminine and this one almost smells kind of dirty because of the smokiness, but I kind of like that!

The story says that this is a combination of feminine and masculine scents, and I have to say that this combines to make a scent that is unisex.  I adore wearing it but I have to admit that the opening notes are more feminine because they are floral, while the drydown is so deep that it is masculine.  This, however, does not smell like any other masculine scents because the acidic lemon notes are missing and instead the scent is more serious.

Wear this when and if you want to smell different.  Wear it if you’re confident enough in yourself to know that you are different.  Wear it if you want nobody else to smell like you, because trust me, nobody will.

You can purchase this scent from the Lush website, or at any Lush store.

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Christina Hendricks – Inspiration of The Day

We’re obsessed with Mad Men these days (seriously, why didn’t I get into this show when it first came out?), and our other obsession is black liquid liner.

So it’s no surprise that we found this ad for London Fog starring Christina Hendricks so inspiring. Love the almost glossy look that her liner has and it’s thick all the way around the eye.

This look inspired me and I hope that it inspires you too!

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Bumble and Bumble Holiday Presents

I haven’t seen many haircare sets that are as good as the ones offered by Bumble and Bumble. I think they would be great for a teenager, coworker, or teacher in your life because they’re coveted products that not everyone has tried.

My favourite gift is of course this NYC Hair Adventure.  It’s not an advent calendar but has little doors that contain trial-sized products with a full-size of the popular Invisible Oil Primer which I use all the time to detangle my hair.  I have a half-empty bottle sitting on my bathroom counter at all times.

It’s $69.

Here’s what in the NYC Hair Adventure Gift Set:

Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer (Full Size) 8.5 fl oz / 250 ml
Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Shampoo (Trial Size) 2 fl oz / 60 ml
Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Conditioner (Trial Size) 2 fl oz / 60 ml
Thickening Go Big Treatment (Trial Size) 2 fl oz / 60 ml
Glow Bond-Building Styler (Trial Size) 2 fl oz / 60 ml
Surf Spray (Trial Size) 1.7 fl oz / 50 ml
Prêt-à-powder (Trial Size) .5 oz / 14 g

If you already like and know the Invisible Oil collection, then the Sleek Chic set is the one for your.  It has a full size of the Invisible Oil Primer again and a travel size of the shampoo and conditioner, for $40.

The Instant Clean Hair gift is their usual Dry Shampoo for just $22 which is a deal because it usually costs $30.

Also, check out the Big Airy Texture on Pony Island set which includes a travel-size of the Bb Thickening Spray and the Texture Spray so that you can have huge voluminous hair.  I use the Thickening Spray on my roots before I blow-dry my hair and I use the Dryspun Texture Spray once my hair is dry to add some pouffy texture in my hair that will stay.  I find that the spray lets my hair stay the way that I style it and I love using it.

You can find all these gifts and more online via BumbleandBumble.com or wherever you normally buy Bumble and Bumble products.

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Wordless Wednesday

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Sisley Eau du Soir

I’m wearing Sisley’s Eau du Soir these days and it is perfect for these winter days.  I know wintery fragrances tend to be warm and cozy, but I like something that reflects the weather and I’m always gravitating to something that is fresh.

Eau du Soir is truly unique because it is a very strong chypre scent that is unlike anything out there for women.  It’s bright green fresh and so close to being a men’s scent.  If you want something soft and feminine or cute and sweet, then this is not the scent for you.  This scent is made for someone strong and confident who wants to smell powerful.  Eau du Soir has great lasting power, though I assure you that after an hour, it doesn’t smell nearly as strong as it does on the first spray.  The scent does soften on the skin of the wearer and warms up a tiny bit.  Perfume tends to become very sweet on and hot on my skin, and so I look for the freshest, coolest scents that I can find, and this one is one of the ones that I like the best.

The bottles in my picture were limited edition – I have the white, but this fragrance is available in a clear bottle now.   The top of each bottle is adorned with Sisley’s signature bottle stopper that they create for every scent.  The bottle stoppers are almost like sculptures and show the company’s dedication to every aspect of their products.

Sisley products are sold at Holt Renfrew in Canada.  $170 for 30mL.

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Pai Instant Kalmer

Here’s a brand new product from Pai Skincare: the Pai Instant Kalmer ceramide serum.

I love this to calm and revive dry skin. It’s not a serum with “actives” in it but it’s still a problem-solver in its own way. Perfect for sensitive skin as a light layer before a heavier moisturizer.

I love the packaging for this serum – it’s in a glass bottle with a pump.

Available online for $99.

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New From Australia: Alya Skincare

I know there are bigger things happening in the world but a rose-scented face lotion is alleviating some tension.

This is the Alya Skin Australian Native Berries Moisturizer and it’s nice and light. I really think that it would be great for unproblematic skin.

Available online for $24.99.

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We Tried It! Latisse! (With Pictures!)

Here are some more options for eye serums in case you can’t get Latisse where you are:

This Adoreyes serum is perfect for lashes and brows and will help the lash root be stronger so that they don’t fall out.

If you prefer something more “mainstream” Vichy also has a lash serum that you could try and it is more affordable.

There’s also RapidLash which is something that some of my friends have used, and they do love it.  Are these as good as Latisse?  We won’t really know unless there’s a side by side photo.  Have you tried it?

I swear by Latisse – it works well on me and I haven’t seen any side effects. Read about my experience below. Now that lash extensions are more difficult to get because of certain places being closed, this is a good option for longer lashes. Have you tried it? Leave your thoughts below.
When I was working on a makeup counter, we used to have a serum that was called a lash conditioner; that is, something that moisturised your lashes and helped them to not fall out as easily. Did it work? Not really. I suppose if you had natural lovely, thick lashes, it would maybe enhance them a bit, but the majority of my clients were ladies that had thin, short or sparse lashes that wanted something that really worked, and would give them WOW lashes without falsies, and there are so, so many products out there that claim to make your eyelashes thicker, longer and more fluttery, but there’s really only a few out there that really work.

Latisse is the first and only eyelash enhancement product to be FDA approved thus far.

Latisse’s main purpose is to work by extending the lash cycle, and not only does it work, but it works WELL, better than anything else I’ve ever tried.  By extending the lash cycle, Latisse causes your lashes to NOT fall out – so they just keep on growing.  The proof is in the mirror, and if a lash does fall out, if you see it you can definitely notice how absolutely long and thick it is compared to how your lashes were before.

I didn’t inherit my mother’s lovely thick lashes and therefore have an appalling amount of time in my life applying false lashes, searching for fantastic mascaras and trying eyelash thickening serums.

Latisse is produced by Allergen, and contains Bimatoprost, which was originally used to treat Glaucoma and manage ocular pressure. A lovely side effect of this medication was that patients often began growing these fantastically long, thick eyelashes because as they were putting the medication into their eyes, some would get into their lashes.  Now, Latisse is applied almost like a liquid liner right at the base of your upper lashes for a minimum of eight weeks before you start to see results – officially, anyway.

I started to see results way before eight weeks, at around the four week mark. I’d been using Revitalash, a Latisse competitor prior to that, but it’s honestly not even comparable to Latisse. With the Latisse, you can see visible results. It’s not a ‘maybe they’re longer?’ sort of product. You can literally see the results and you will notice a difference within a few weeks.

I picked up my bottle from the fantastic Dr. John Arlette at the Total Skin Care Centrein Calgary, Alberta. He was happy to answer any questions I had as well, which was fantastic because I spent about an hour reading bad Latisse reviews before I went to see him.

What are potential side effects? There are of course, more serious side effects to any drug, and for Latisse, those include redness of the eye, hyperpigmentation where the product is applied and lash fallout and discoloration of eyes. These side effects are mostly due to an allergy to something in the product, which is why Latisse is a prescription only product. Your doctor should check out any weirdness that you notice, just in case.  Dr. Arlette also said that hyperpigmentation only happens if you get the product in your eye and if you apply as directed, you shouldn’t see this side effect.

The most common side effect is irritation where Latisse is applied, and according to Dr. Arlette, this is very common and usually just fades after a while. But of course, have your doctor check it out just in case.

A lot of other reviews I read prior to using Latisse complained about lashes falling out at around the 6 month mark, leaving users with thinner, sparser lashes than before. I brought this up with Dr. Arlette as well, and he explained that Latisse does not permanently make your eyelashes longer; it simply extends your eyelash growth cycle (typically about 4-8 weeks). When users noticed their eyelashes falling out, it wasn’t that the product was making them fall out, it was just that the lash had fallen out naturally at the end of the growth cycle.

That’s the other thing: when you stop using Latisse, your eyelashes will slowly go back to their normal length and thickness. You sort of pick your poison in this case, Latisse will give you beautiful lashes, but only as long as you use it.

One bottle (roughly 2 months’ supply) costs $150 at the Total Skin Care Centre, which isn’t exactly thrifty, but the one bottle lasted me longer than eight weeks, and I wasn’t using it sparingly. Since the end of the eight week period, I’ve sort of gotten lazy and I apply it probably every other night instead of every night now, which seems to be enough to maintain the results achieved.  If you’re a klutz with the false lashes and want longer lashes without the work, then this is worth it.  I would especially recommend using it months before a wedding or special event because the effect is lovely, but I can’t see myself using the product for the whole rest of my life.  That said, I would rather use this than any other lash serum that doesn’t work anyway.

Have you tried Latisse?  Now that you know that it’s safe and it works, are you interested in trying it?

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Vichy Normaderm Anti-Acne Lotion Review

When it’s this used up, it’s a winner. You’re looking at Vichy Normaderm Double Action Anti-Acne lotion which is so light that I use it as a serum. And if you have normal-dry skin, you’ll want something more moisturizing on top.

This has salicylic acid in it which is great for exfoliating inside the pores of oily skin, but also hyaluronic acid which helps moisturize your skin. To seal everything in, you’ll want to add a heavier lotion or cream on top, or even a light oil.

I absolutely loved this serum, and it’s a must-try for acne-prone skin or even teenage skin which can sometimes be more oily than other skin types.

$29.95 on the Vichy website or in drugstores.

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