Lisa Hoffman Japanese Agarwood Variations

Cold Cream 'n' Roses
Lisa Hoffman Japanese Agarwood Variations is a set of four fragrances for different times of the day: Morning, Daytime, Evening, and Bedtime.

Lisa Hoffman Japanese Agarwood Variations

Here is how the Lisa Hoffman website describes its Japanese Agarwood fragrance:

“The rare, woody scent of Japanese Agarwood is accented with the refreshing zest of Bergamot, the zen-like ambiance of Spiced Ginger, and the comfort of Warm Amber to inspire feelings of clarity and warmth as your journey of Japanese Agarwood unfolds.”

What is Agarwood?  Wikipedia describes agarwood, variously known as aloes wood, oud (a popular note in Middle Eastern fragrances), and aguru, अगुरु, in Sanskrit, as “a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees (large evergreens native to Asia) when they become infected with a type of mold.”  Who knew?  Surely there has to be a metaphor somewhere: something beautiful (fragrance) coming  from something ugly (mold).  Kind of like the lotus arising from the mud.

When I tried the Morning and Daytime Lisa Hoffman Japanese Agarwood Variations, however, the most obvious note is bergamot.  If you like citrusy fragrances, these are for you.  I prefer the sensuousness of the Evening and Bedtime fragrances.

Don’t box yourself in! Lisa Hoffman encourages play, so don’t restrict yourself to wearing a particular fragrance at a given time of day.  Layer the fragrances, or blend with other fragrances.

The Lisa Hoffman Japanese Agarwood 4-Vial Set in a leather wallet costs $95.00. You may purchase the set of 4 roller balls at lisahoffmanbeauty.com.

What about you?  Have you tried any of the Lisa Hoffman fragrance variations?  What do you think about Lisa Hoffman’s concepts and products?

beauty.com friends and family event ends November 12

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This event from beauty.com has to be one of the most attractive of all the Friends and Family events that I’ve seen:

During our special Friends and Family Event, take 20% off* your Beauty.com order. Limited time event!

And I’m not saying this just because I’m a beauty.com affiliate!  Beauty.com offers many premium brands, with terms more attractive than those of Sephora:

  • Single checkout with drugstore.com
  • Free shipping for orders of $25.00 or more, whereas Sephora has a $50.00 minimum
  • Credits of 5% off every order that you can redeem later.  Sephora offers a crummy sample for 100 points earned (or $100 spent) – I say “crummy” because invariably I don’t care for the samples offered.

I took advantage of the beauty.com Friends and Family event myself!  I purchased a two-fer set of Beautyblender sponges and two Lipstick Queen Sinner Lipsticks, one in Rouge and the other in Rust.

Hurry, the event ends Monday, November 12!

Cane + Austin Retexturizing Treatment Pads

Cold Cream 'n' Roses
I love alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs). They’re instant skin care gratification.

AHAs work by destroying the “glue” that holds dead skin cells to the skin’s surface. Dead skin cells are then sloughed off, and the skin immediately appears brighter. Sunscreen, moisturizer, face primer, and makeup apply more smoothly after an AHA treatment.

AHAs are typically derived from fruits or sugar cane. Cane + Austin Retexturizing Treatment Pads use AHAs derived from sugar cane. Get it? Cane + Austin? 🙂 Austin refers to dermatologist Dr. Craig Austin, MD.

Cane + Austin Retexturizing Treatment Pads are saturated with a 10% glycolic acid solution, a fairly high concentration for an AHA product sold outside a doctor’s office. I like this product. I do object to the recommendation for use: daily, both morning and night. A 10% AHA product should be used only once or twice a week. This seems to be a ploy to get the customer to buy more, more often. It’s the same thing as the shampoo-rinse-repeat myth.

Cane + Austin Retexturizing Treatment Pads may be purchased through its website. The Cane + Austin website provides for auto-shipment of a 30-day supply of 60 pads: surprise!

NOTE: Samples of Cane + Austin Retexturizing Treatment Pads were furnished by the PR rep.  Opinions are my own.

Argania 1640 100% pure argan oil

Cold Cream 'n' Roses
Argan oil is all the rage now. Think Moroccan Oil and Josie Maran’s argan-oil infused cosmetics line. Moroccan Oil, in actuality, is mostly silicones.

Argan oil is an organic oil pressed from the seeds of the Argan tree (Argania Spinosa), which grows only in southwestern Morocco. Argania 1640 works directly with Cooperative Agricole Argan Mogador in Had Draa, Morocco to support female artisans who grind the seeds and press the oil by hand.

The argan nuts are cracked to release the seeds
Argan oil is pressed from the seeds

[googlemaps https://www.youtube.com/embed/B4wjumLNjOM” width=”420″>

I was delighted to receive a 15-ml bottle of Argania 1640 100% pure argan oil from the company. With my package, I received a note that the argan oil was hand-pressed only weeks earlier. The bottle is made of brown glass with a dropper in the cap.

Argania 1640 100% pure argan oil

I use Argania 1640 100% pure argan oil to smoothe and add shine to my hair, treat dry patches, and moisturize my dry, ratty cuticles. In my experience, plant oils are the best for moisturizing cuticles. Argania 1640’s web site describes other ways to use argan oil. I want to try the recipe for strengthening nails.

Lola Naughty/Nice limited edition two tone lipstick

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Lola is the retail line founded by infomercial pioneer Victoria Jackson.  It disappeared from the shelves of Victoria’s Secret and Ulta.  However, it’s still available online at www.lolacosmetics.com.  It’s not clear what involvement Victoria Jackson still has with Lola.  Some Lola products are available on the Victoria Jackson Cosmetics website.

The Lola Naughty/Nice limited edition two tone lipstick caught my eye, as it brought back fond memories of Helena Rubinstein’s Splitsticks. OK, the Splitsticks were beige and white and had the sixties written all over them, while the Lola Naughty/Nice limited edition two tone lipstick features coral pink and siren red:

Lola Naughty/Nice LE two tone lipstick
Lola Naughty/Nice LE two tone lipstick swatches

The coral pink is for Brigitte Bardot, while the siren red is for Rita Hayworth.  Sex symbols from two different eras.  Naughty or nice?

I can’t say that I’m smitten with this product.  The coral pink takes away lip color, while the siren red has shimmer (I can actually see the sparkles).  For me, red should not have shimmer and the finish should be demi-matte.   This feels more like a stick gloss.

However, I’m a nut for great packaging.  Unclasp the lid from the tube, and a mirror pops up!  How cute is that??!!

Lola Naughty/Nice two tone lipstick tube