Penhaligons is a British company that has been making fragrances for over 100 years. Their ladies’ scents are decidedly feminine, with flowers as the stars.
I have recently sampled Penhaligons’ women’s perfumes. My three favorites are:
Elisabethan Rose — Head Notes: Aldehydes and Geranium, Heart Notes: Camomile, Violet and Rose and Base Notes: Musk, Amber and Sandalwood
Lily and Spice — Head Notes: White Madonna Lily and Saffron, Heart Notes: Hot Pepper and Clove, and Base Notes: White Musk, Patchouli, Vanilla, Benzoin and Vanilla
Lavandula — Head Notes: Basil, Canella and Black Pepper, Heart Notes: Lavender, Clary Sage and Lily of the Valley, and Base Notes: Tonka bean, Musk, Vanilla and Amber
The Elisabethan Rose is a very soft rose. I can detect the violet and musk notes, as well as the rose. This is a great day fragrance. The Lavandula is a spicy scent, the basil, black pepper and clary sage as well as the lavender are prevalent notes. My favorite scent is the Lily and Spice. It is so complex with the sweet floral and vanilla notes blended in with the hot pepper and clove. This is a great evening scent.
Visit the Penhaligons website to learn more about the products. If you live in the US or Canada, be sure to click the correct button so you may purchase these fine fragrances. Enjoy!
Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare was founded in 1995, by Liz Earle and Kim Buckland. They create products that work on every skin type by harnessing the potent powers of the finest quality natural ingredients. They do not test on animals and they use organic ingredients whenever possible.
Two of the products that I absolutely love from this line are the Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser and the Instant Boost Skin Tonic.
The Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser ($24.50 USD 3.3 oz and two muslin cloths) is a rather unique cleanser. It contains beeswax, chamomile essential oil/extract, cocoa butter, eucalyptus essential oil, glycerin, hops extract, panthenol, and rosemary essential oil/extract. To apply, you smooth the thick cream on dry skin, then take one of the muslin cloths that come with it and soak it in hot water. Ring the cloth out and wipe off the cleanser, then splash on cold water. This feels like a spa treatment. The eucalyptus mixes with the hot water giving off an invigorating aroma. After this treatment, my skin looks so fresh and glows.
I like to follow this with the Instant Boost Skin Tonic ($21.00 USD 6.7 oz) is a lovely scented toner. The ingredients include aloe vera juice, calendula extract, chamomile essential oil/extract, cucumber extract, glycerin, hops extract, panthenol, and vitamin E. I apply this with a cotton pad all over my face, neck, and chest. It tightens and moisturizes skin in one step.
Visit the website at us.lizearle.com to learn more and to purchase these products.
Hair Rules creates hair products for different hair textures. The main 3 categories that they cater to are kinky, curly and wavy hair. My hair is naturally wavy and gets very frizzy in the summer.
That’s why Hair Rules Nourishment Leave In Conditioner ($20.00 8oz) is a great product for me. Actually it’s great for all hair types that need a little frizz control in the summer. Humidity causes frizz is because moisture in the air is attracted to dry hair which soaks it up like a sponge and then swells. If your hair is hydrated, the moisture in the air doesn’t bother it as much.
Nourishment contains extracts of honey, ginger root, lemon and gardenia and is lightweight for the springiest curls and softest waves. It also smells fantastic.
It can be used in place of regular conditioner or as an extra bit of moisture. That’s how I use it. Apply a dollop to wet or damp hair.
Cosmedicine blends cosmetics and medicine in the hopes of making skin healthier. They have created products to aide with such skin conditions as oily skin and aging skin.
Medi-Matte Oil Control Lotion SPF 20 ($42.00 1.35 oz) is a great way to keep your face from looking greasy in the hot summer sun. It claims to eliminate excess oil, control shine for 8 hours and provide the hydration that oily skin needs to become balanced over time. Instead of absorbing oil and sitting on the skin, it was created to work on a molecular level to flash oil off of the skin’s surface.
Ingredients include dimethicone to bolster skin’s natural defenses, Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) to regenerate skin cells, retinol to treat lines and wrinkles and to help skin tone, vitamin C which is an antioxidant to counteract skin damage, and pomegranate extract to fight free radicals.
My skin is combination, so I have been using this in my t-zone. It is a thick, white lotion that needs to be patted on for the white to disappear. Once the white disappears, my face is smooth and matte, and my pores appear smaller.
I really recommend this for anyone with oily or combination skin. It not only keeps skin matte, it smooths the skin and I find that I need less foundation when I am wearing it.
You can purchase this product at Nordstrom, Sephora or check out their website www.cosmedicine.com for more information.
Kenzo has some of the freshest fragrances I have tried. So I was excited to find that they have created the perfect fragrance product for travel, Ryoko. Ryoko means travel in Japanese and Kenzo takes fragrance into uncharted territory with this airline-friendly, pocket sized nomad spray.
The Ryoko ($29.00 .7oz) comes in 5 of Kenzo’s most recognized perfumes; L’eauparKenzo, FlowerbyKenzo and KenzoAmour for women plus Kenzo Homme and L’euaparKenzo Homme. They are housed in a little pebble sized spray bottle that comes suspended in a cube. It is very cute and portable. Stash it in your purse and go!
I was able to try the fresh, aquatic scent of L’eauparKenzo Ryoko. This Kenzo classic includes notes of lotus flower, frosted mint and pink pepper. It is soft, with a hint of spice.
If a floral is more your style, try the FlowerbyKenzo Ryoko which has notes of bulgarian rose, parma violet and white musk. Like a sultrier scent? Go for the KenzoAmour Ryoko with notes of gentle rice, musk and frangipani blossom.
Visit the Kenzo website at www.kenzousa.comor to purchase. Have a great trip!
TIGI is such a fun and original hair care line. The brand is always introducing new types of products that I haven’t seen before.
I love the TIGI Rockaholic line for when I want a fun going-out look. The three products I have tried are convenient and really allow your hair to “rock out”. They are:
All Access Go Anywhere Shampoo Bar ($9.95 3.5oz) — This is a very cool invention. This bar looks like body soap, but lathers and washes like shampoo! It contains a syndal soap base, which is a mild but effective cleanser. With sage leaf extract, sandalwood oil, henna oil and vitamin E to moisturise, this is an all-in-one product. If your hair is very dry, add a leave in conditioner after you shower. The scent is spicy, but not too overpowering. This is good for men as well as women.
Need a product to keep your spikes or mohawk in place? Way Out Super Hair Glue ($15.95 5.07 oz) holds extreme looks in place without flaking. Formulated with vinyl caprolactam for hold, caffeine for volume, corn starch for structure, ginger root for body and glycerin for shine, this glue will stay in place until you remove it!
Groupie Texturizing Spray Pomade ($15.95 8.45 oz) will separate hair and texturize for sexy styles. The main ingredients are a trio of rosemary, basil and mint to create moisture and shine while keeping the style in place. The scent in invigorating as well! My 13 year old daughter has taken it from me, because she loves it so much! The girl has style!
These products are fun for everyday unique styling or night-out adventures. Visit a salon or beauty supply store near you and check out the website at http://www.tigihaircare.us/.
Planning a crazy 4th of July? Want to relax before or after the fireworks? Try a soothing bath balm from Beau Bain. The name in French translates to “beautiful bath”, which is something that these bath bombs deliver. They are hand made in Portland, OR — where I used to live — and contain fine ingredients from all over the world.
Here are a few of the 24 bath bombs that you can purchase for a mere $8.00 with descriptions from the website.
Spicy Mango Bath Bomb — Inspired by a tropical beach paradise of luscious mangoes and exotic foliage, we blended spicy tropical fruits and finished softly with juicy peach and a faint creamy musk. A sensuous, fruity, sweet, and warming scent will transport you to a serene, sunny, lush island paradise.
Zen Pink Shea Flower Bath Bomb –Getting its soft pink color from Australian Pink Clay, our Pink Shea Flower Zen creation is a rich floral fragrance that is both luscious and inviting, with a warming scent that will ease tensions and provoke relaxing thoughts and tranquility.
Lavender Fields Bath Bomb — Imagine fields of bright purple and delicate mauve under a deep blue sky, take a deep breath and experience the true scent and color of Provence. A fresh, sweet, floral, herbaceous and slightly fruity scent will relax your mind, body, and spirit.
Cucumber Melon Bath Bomb — A fresh and clean scent, we blended crisp cucumber with tangy melon and finished gently with a soft touch of freshly harvested lemongrass. This sensuous, fruity, and refreshing scent has become a modern classic for men and women. Fresh cucumbers and zesty melons are undercut by freshly cut grass in this alluring signature blend
As you can see, there are many different fragrances to suit your mood. Ireally liked the Zen Pink Shea Flower bomb, because it’s such a soft and sensuous floral, but all of the bombs I tried are wonderful. Check the whole line out at www.beaubain.com. Have a fun and beautiful 4th!
Crazylibellule and the poppies is a wonderful French perfume company. They have created crazysticks, a lovely little solid perfume that I have reviewed before. It is a cute little tube that is very portable and fun to apply. I love to reapply them during the day to perk up my mood.
They have recently introduced a new collection of 7 crazysticks called the Collection Les Garçonnes. This collection is a tribute to the independent and seductive women of the roaring twenties. Each crazystick has a unique fragrance and contains a traditionally “male” note in each one, such as leather and tobacco. The notes for each are:
Hommage a Gabrielle — Elemi crystals, peony, Indian jasmine, ozonic flower, wooded incense, vanilla, cedar and leather.
Pompon Gardenia — Gardenia, heliotrope, watermelon, lime, lily of the valley, amber wood and mild tobacco.
Josephine Jonquille — Jonquil-jasmine, lemon, ginger, cardamon, tiare flowers, patchouli and black chocolate.
Jeanne Voyage — Sicilian bergamot, Spanish mandarin, iris of Florence, musk, violet leaves, heliotrope, amber wood, rose sap and Java nutmeg.
Chere Louise — Rose, iris, hyacinth, saffron, storax, patchouli and guaiacum wood.
Tamara Charleston — Green mandarin, gardenia, sambac jasmine, lisylang, freshly cut hay, peach, amber and absinthe.
Rose a Saigon — Rose, jasmine, mango, ylang-ylang, passion fruit, patchouli, vetiver, and guaiacum wood.
These are such unique blends of fragrances. I really love the Rose fragrance. I am not usually into rose scents, but the blend is wonderful. You can tell that mango and passion fruit are infused in, because it is a bit sweet, but the spicier notes such as patchouli and vetiver deepen the fruity floral. I also enjoy Tamara, which is a very sensual scent that would be perfect for fall.
If you are looking for a gentle but effective facial scrub, Anokha Rice & Bamboo Facial Scrub ($28.00 2.9 oz) could be just what you need.
Anokha’s Philosophy is ” Anokha, which means “unique” in Urdu, was created to address the individual needs of different skin types. Our key ingredients are derived from plants and active botanicals native to South Asia, including jasmine, rosewater, sandalwood, and neem.”
This twice-weekly scrub combines the exfoliating effects of rice and bamboo powder with the soothing properties of green tea. The claim is that the result from using this scrub is skin that is smoother and pores that are cleaner and less noticeable.
I really like this scrub. The consistency is small particles like microdermabrasion in a milky cream, and the scent is quite subtle and soothing. I love to really rub this on in the morning and my face feels very clean, but not dry at all. I have noticed that immediately after use, my pores do look smaller and my skin is tighter.
Visit the website at www.anokhaskincare.com to learn more about this wonderful scrub and their other products.
New York Streets is a hair care company that believes in “freedom of style, individuality and self expression. This culture does not follow trends, it inspires them, influencing the fashions of tomorrow.”
This is a cool concept, but what does it mean? Well the website claims that the products are formulated to rebuild, repair and perform under extreme humid condition and is color-safe and provides UV protection.
The products I’ve tried are (as described by the website):
Clean ($15.00 USD) — A daily nourishing cleanser derived from Palm Kernal and Coconut Oil. Panthenol, Wheat Amino Acids and Hydrolyzed Barley Protein increase moisture retention, balance pH and protect color and minimizes fading. Glycolic Acid exfoliates and stimulates blood flow promoting healthy hair growth.
Condition ($17.00 USD) –Hydrolyzed Silk Proteins and Wheat Amino Acids hydrate the hair and scalp. Panthenol (Vitamin B5) and Polyfix Complex helps repair split ends. Hydrolyzed barley proteins and special polymers reduce frizz and promote shine.
Hairspray ($19.00 USD) — Hold, Style & Finish! Repairs split ends while giving medium to firm hold and under high humidity, fast drying spray that allows you to control the hold, imparts sheen while protecting against damaging UV free-radicals and is the perfect finish for any style.
This is a great basic hair care trio. The scent is mild, but pretty. What I really like is that it does what it says; my hair is less frizzy (in the humid Kansas City summer) when I use it, which is awesome! It is very hard for me to find products that actually reduce the frizz, but by using the shampoo, leaving the conditioner in my hair a few minutes before I rinse, then using the flexible hold hairspray, my hair looks fairly smooth. And if I add an anti-frizz serum before drying, my hair is virtually frizz free!
Forty, Flirty & Fabulous 