Bond No. 9, Please Meet Saks Fifth Avenue

Bond No. 9 recently came out with two new fragrances, Saks Fifth Avenue for Her and Him, marking the first time a specialty store has even commissioned a perfumery to design scents and pioneering a new genre of luxury fragrances.

And how perfect is this union, you ask? If you’re not familiar with Bond No. 9, here’s a little background. Bond No. 9 launched as an homage to the city it was born in, New York, (with its corporate address being 9 Bond Street, in Noho). All 31 Bond No. 9 fragrances give every single New York neighborhood a scent to call its own – try out Bryant Park, Chinatown, or Wall Street to name a few.

And then there’s Saks. Well if you don’t know, Saks is the definition of New York retail elegance and an iconic destination store in the Big Apple located in the heart of 5th Avenue, an ultra-sophisticated neighborhood unto itself. So, you can imagine that when you combine the two, you get a match made in New York heaven.

Check out this amazing crystal-encrusted bottle featuring Saks’ white and black logo – wouldn’t you want this piece of bling sitting on your dresser??

When I wore Saks Fifth Avenue for Her today, the scent was so floral, heavy like gardenias. one of my co-workers even said that it smelled like I rubbed a flower on my arm. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t too sweet or anything. It was actually very romantic and sexy. It could easily be a classic scent that I can come back to again and again.

The Take-Off:
- Jasmine
- Tuberose (perennial plant of the agave family – think yucca, Joshua tree)

The Heart:
- Gardenia

The Bottom:
- Vetiver (perennial grass native to India)
- Vanilla

Saks Fifth Avenue for Her retails for $125 US for a 1.7 oz. bottle and is available now exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue stores nationwide, on Saks.com and at Bond No. 9’s four New York boutiques.

RELATED POSTS: Bond No. 9 Andy Warhol Silver Factory Review

Beauty Review: Clinique High Definition Lashes Mascara

I was a little skeptical to try this mascara because I hadn’t used any products from Clinique for as long as I can remember. The brand didn’t have any pizzazz for me all those years ago so I really wasn’t expecting much from the mascara. But, I’m surprised (and glad) to say that I really like this mascara!

Three things that I’m looking for in a good mascara is: volume, length, and longevity. I’d say that this High Definition Lashes Mascara ($14 US) has all of the above, but if it gave me more volume, I wouldn’t hesitate to call it a favorite.

I’ve been wearing it for a couple of days now and I’ve noticed that it’s really easy to apply. I can get an even coverage without trying too hard and within 2-3 coats –- I put on three because I wanted my lashes to look fuller. (I’m telling you, they’re really skimpy.)

The brush is a dual one – one side is for applying the color and then it has a comb to brush out your lashes so that you can create definition for each lash. I found that I didn’t need the comb side and was worried that it would affect the applicator side (not big enough, etc.) but it didn’t. I don’t know about you but I may not have been affected because I don’t have a lot of lashes to begin with.

Again, this didn’t give me all the volume that I was looking for but I didn’t really miss it either. It’s nice for your more subtle day looks when you’re not looking to blow everyone away with your fabulous lashes. It defines nicely and does a great job with lengthening for me. I can wear it all day (I’m talking 12+ hours) and it doesn’t flake at all - woo hoo!!!

At $14 bucks a pop (slightly higher than drugstore brands), I think this one’s really worth a try. Let me know what you think of this Allure Editor’s Choice Winner.

Introducing Andy Warhol's Silver Factory

I had an opportunity to preview Bond No. 9’s new Andy Warhol Silver Factory before it hits stores Dec. 1st and I gotta say, it’s a great fragrance with lots of personality and I couldn’t help but smell my wrists all day – is that weird? *wink*

Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory begins a new direction in the art of perfumery and perfume bottle design and marks the start of Bond No. 9’s series of Andy Warhol collectibles. Depicted on the bottle’s surface is a graphic image inspired by one of the pop artist’s most recognizable images – a bold rendition of the Campbell’s Soup Can! Ingenious! And, makes it really exciting for Andy Warhol buffs.

The slender bottle, with a background of textured silver displays a unique graphic inspired by the Campbell’s Soup Can with dissonant blocks of turquoise and purple, with distinctive Campbell’s script in mustard yellow.

It will be really interesting to see what will come out of this collection since all of the fragrances will use the artist’s paintings, silkscreens, illustrations, et. al., on the package designs.

Like all the scents-in-progress that Bond No. 9 is creating for the Warhol collection, Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory, also known as The Factory, is a unisex fragrance.

The Take-Off:
- Citrussy Bergamont in soft and gentle mode (as if it had a hangover)
- Impudently zesty Grapefruit
- Mood-altering Lavender

The Heart:
- Non-shrinking Violet (Andy Warhol’s favorite scent)
- Intoxicating Incense summoning up the 60s with a single sniff (YES!)
- Criminally sultry Jasmine
- Elusive, metallic Iris, smelling the way silver might smell

The Bottom:
- Velvety-soft Amber, a tranquilizer in fragrance form
- Syrupy Wood Resin, hinting of a raunchy breed of vanilla
- Cool, but sensual Cedarwood

This first Bond No. 9 series of Warhol collectibles will retail for $230 for a 3.4oz bottle beginning Dec. 1st at all four Bond No. 9 New York boutiques, at www.bondno9.com, at Saks Fifth Avenue nationwide, and at www.saks.com.

Beauty Review: Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel

Products from doctors are always a good thing to try because they know what they’re talking about, right? With that said, I was pretty excited to try one of the samples I received in my Nordstrom Beauty Gift – MD Skincare’s Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel by Dr. Dennis Gross.

The one thing I’m totally into when it comes to these DIY face peels is the idea that you can achieve beautiful skin on a budget. AND that you can do it in the comfort from your own home anytime you want – day or night.

Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel is a two step process and they come in a pad form so you can sit in front of the TV or computer, lie in bed, whatever you want because you don’t need a mirror or water to rinse. Awesome!

[Step 1: Alpha Beta Refining step with Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Malic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Genistein, Chamomile Extract, Green Tea. Swipe Step 1 pad over your newly cleansed and dry face, from forehead downward to neck in semi-circular strokes. Avoid contact with eyes and lips. Continue to apply evenly until pad feels dry. Wait two minutes.]

So while I was checking my Fantasy Football stats (I’m losing by the way..), I applied step one to my skin. I wasn’t really happy with what I was feeling. It stung, and not a good tingly feeling, either. It was so stingy that it felt abrasive on my skin even though the sample I was using was a soft cleansing cloth. Not good.

[Step 2: Neutralizing System with Green Tea Extract, Phospholipids, Sodium Bicarbonate, Vitamins A, C, E. Swipe Step 2 pad over the face with the same technique as Step 1. Apply until pad feels dry. Do not rinse or use products containing alcohol. Allow skin to dry and then apply your moisturizer as usual.]

This step felt a little better on my skin; it was definitely cooling down my face from the first step. The one major problem I had with this was that the directions said to continue to apply until the pads feel dry. I’m not sure if it was the cleansing cloth sample I was using, but it felt like it wasn’t ever going to dry out. So I kept wiping and wiping, and it was still pretty damp. My face was starting to get cold so I decided to stop so that my face could dry and I could finally put moisturizer on.

Overall, I wasn’t too keen on this skincare regimen. Yes, the before and after photos on the website looks like you would get a positive result from regular use of this product. But for me, doing this on a daily basis is a lot to ask for. I’d rather spare my skin from the unpleasant stinging sensation everyday. And at $75 US for the month’s supply, I think I’ll stick to the Microdelivery Peel from Philosophy – a much gentler once a week regimen and a whole lot friendlier to the pocketbook.

Related Stories: Review: Philosophy Microdelivery Peel

Beauty Review: Bobbi Brown Everything Mascara

The Everything Mascara ($20 US) is one of Bobbi Brown’s All-Time Favorites and is described as an everyday essential for lashes, with an all-in-one formula that lengthens, thickens, and defines without smearing, smudging or clumping.

Well, I got to try a sample of this mascara and it really didn’t deliver “everything” for me. I have really short and thin lashes so I had high hopes. Unfortunately, my hopes came crashing when I applied the third coat on my lashes and it still only looked like I applied one coat of my current favorite, L’Oreal Original Voluminous Mascara.

After a couple more days of testing out this Bobbi Brown best seller, I gave up. My lashes didn’t look very much longer and it definitely wasn’t giving me volume. I also noticed some flaking towards the end of the day so I said good-bye to the Everything Mascara.

Bobbi’s philosophy on beauty is all about enhancing the natural beauty. So for those of you who have longer and fuller lashes, I would try this formula out because what I did notice that it helps to define your natural lashes, separates them well, and enhances them overall.

Beauty Review: Rimmel Dare to Bare

I recently got a bunch of freebies from Rimmel and I was so excited to try them!

The first thing I tried this morning was the Rimmel Dare to Bare Face and Body Luminizer in Make Me Blush. When I opened the tube and tried to squeeze out a little bit, it came out super watery and not rich or creamy like I thought it was going to be. Especially since the Ulta website described it as a luminous "cream". Hmmm - very suspect.

I also noticed in the top corner of my tube that it said to "shake well". So I shook it up thinking that maybe it had been sitting too long since I did have it in my makeup bag for about a month before I tried to use it today. I opened it up again and tried to squeeze a little more out. Still watery. Now I was really skeptical to put it on my face, but I did it anyway.

I wanted to use it as a cheek highlighter, but since the consistency wasn't creamy like I thought, it didn't work too well. I tried not to rub it in but I couldn't really help it because it was so watery. What was left on my face was this iridescent sheen that was kind of nice but I wasn't really diggin' the consistency and lack of ease while trying to apply it.

I will never put this on my face again and, at best, I will use this on my arms or chest when I want a little sparkle in my life.

Ladies, I wouldn't waste my time with this Rimmel product if I were you, although I hear some of their other products are not too bad. I have some other Rimmel items that I'll be reviewing in the near future. Check back soon!

Don't Get a Turkey Neck!

Just because Thanksgiving is just around the corner doesn’t mean that we all have to turn into turkeys!

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the importance of taking care of your neck and décolleté before it all goes down-hill (we don’t want everything to start sagging, right ladies?!).

Trying to be extra cautious about my neck and chest area for the past month or so, I have been road-testing a couple of neck creams to find my favorite.

The first product I used was L’Oreal Advanced RevitaLift Night Cream ($11 - $15 US) for my neck. It’s an unscented, thicker cream – and by unscented, we mean that even our boyfriend can’t really identify what it smells like, only that it smells like a cream (LOL). It’s moisturizing but it’s a little too heavy for me and makes me feel like I’ve been sweating in my sleep (not sexy).

I also tried a sample of Bliss Thinny Thin Chin that I got in my Nordstrom beauty gift. This product is definitely more up my alley. It smells really nice, like citrus and grapefruit without being disgustingly sweet because the scent fades after a little while. It absorbs into my skin quickly leaving it soft and moisturized. It’s not sticky or feels layered on (like the L’Oreal did).

I would definitely recommend Thinny Chin Chin even though it’s a little on the expensive side ($48 US). If anyone has a favorite that they use for the neck and décolleté area, I’d love to hear your reviews and recommendations!

FOTD: MAC McQueen Lipstick - Masque

I was so excited to receive my goodies from the MAC McQueen Collection in the mail the other day - I ordered the lipstick in Masque and Lipglass in White Magic.

I tried out Masque first; it's a rosy, dirty pink that's pretty in the tube but makes me look pretty pale as a stand alone color. When I apply it on my lips, I don't get total coverage with the first swipe. I have to apply about two layers and then blot my lips together to get an even coverage. The look is slightly too matte for me with just the lipstick on so I applied a little bit of gloss to even out the color and to make me look less like a corpse.


Here's what's on my lips:

MAC Lipstick in Masque, McQueen Collection ($14 US)

MAC Lip Pencil in Whirl ($12.50 US)

Bourjois Effect 3D Ultra Glossy Lipstick in Lilas Romantic 85 ($12 US)

I'm not really sure if this one is going to go in the favorites collection but it could be a lovely color if you layer with other glosses.

I'd love to hear what you thought of the rest of the McQueen Collection.

Beauty Review: Dior Capture Totale

As I’ve mentioned, I’m kind of in a skincare kick right now. I want to try any and all things that help prevent the first signs of aging because even though I’m in my late 20s with few wrinkles, I just know I’m going to wake up one day to discover a zillion lines and then curse the gods for not making me take care of my skin sooner!

When I learned that Sharon Stone is the face of Dior’s Capture Totale skincare line, I knew I wanted to try it. If I can look as amazing as she looks right now on the brink of celebrating her 50^th birthday next year, I’ll try whatever she’s pushing! So I went to Bloomingdale’s a couple of weeks ago to snoop around the Dior counter and was able to snag a couple of samples to try.

Capture Totale is Dior’s first skincare line that corrects all visible signs of aging and helps to preserve your skin’s youthful appearance. The daytime skin regimen consists of their Multi-Perfection Concentrated Serum, which you apply after washing your face; the day moisturizer, Multi-Perfection Crème; and the Multi-Perfection Eye Treatment. Capture Totale’s secret is the patented Alpha-Longoza Complex, based on a rare revitalizing plant grown only in Madagascar – pretty wild!!

The Capture Total Night Ritual is a two-step treatment. Start with the Multi-Perfection Soft Peel to leave skin looking purified, fresh, radiantly renewed and firm. Then follow up with Multi-Perfection Intensive Restorative night crème to deep nourish and repair as you sleep.

I only tried the serum and the day crème for a few days before applying my makeup and I’d have to say that I really liked the texture of both. It’s creamy, pearly, and went on really smoothly. I can’t say if it really works to prevent wrinkles, but I definitely felt moisturized. This Dior line is pretty pricey, the day and night crème and serum start at $115 US each at Nordstrom! If you’d like to try it but aren’t looking to spend over $300 dollars to start this skin regimen, Dior has a holiday set right now with travel sizes of the day and night crème and serum for $123 US.

I don’t know if I’ll switch from my Kinerase Ultimate Day Moisturizer, but we’ll see – never say never!

Foodie Review: Pompei's Grotto

As you will soon find out, I love food and consider myself an amateur foodie, and I enjoy posting reviews for all to read.

During our stroll today through San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, we stopped for a quick bite at Pompei's Grotto on Jackson Street. It was late in the afternoon but we still got to take advantage of the lunch menu (gotta love the discounts!). Walking through, watching the bread demonstrations at Boudin's megastore on The Wharf, I had a craving for clam chowder and ordered it in a bread bowl (good enough to satisfy my appetite). My beau had the crab cake sandwich on sourdough that came with a (Yummy!) cabbage slaw - delish! I highly recommend dining here - the atmosphere is unpretentious and not too touristy for the area. The outside dining area on a nice day is great for people watching too.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!