Showing posts with label Kai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kai. Show all posts

Saturday, January 2, 2010

2009 Favorite Things Countdown #2

    I am really picky about perfume. I don't like the really strong smelly scents, I prefer softer florals that remind me of my childhood. Hands down, I had one favorite scent this year, which is why it is my number two favorite product of the year.

    I was also lucky enough to get a chance to chat with one of the makeup industries icons, Leslie Blodgett. Check it out the complete interview below.

    Favorite Thing #2: Kai Perfume



    Kai Fragrance Perfume Oil is a roll on fragrance that literally stopped me in my tracks when I received a sample from B-Glowing.com. (Technically, I made Mr. Lox pause the television and smell me.) According to the packaging, it smells slightly different on everyone. On me, it reminds me of when I was little, playing near the fence where my Mom grew a bit of honeysuckle. Other perfumes have similar notes, but on me, this is a true honeysuckle, without being too sweet. I can't stop smelling myself. This scent just makes me happy.

    Interview with Leslie Blodgett (Part One and Two)


    I recently had the pleasure of meeting mineral makeup icon Leslie Blodgett, the CEO of Bare Escentuals. Leslie was making an appearance at an Ulta, where hundreds of fans gathered to meet her and have makeup artists give them a Bare Escentuals Makeunder. In case you don't already know, Leslie has been at the helm of Bare Escentuals since 1994, making it one of the most successful brands of cosmetics on shelves today, the number one beauty brand sold at Ulta, Sephora and QVC.


    Bare Escentuals is one of my favorite brands, for many reasons. Partially because of an emotional connection I made to the brand, but more so because of their amazing selection of colors, quality of products and never ending line of new mineral goodies. But the best part is how wearable the products are on so many people. Every woman can look fabulous every day, easily with these products. They aren't intimidating like other "haute couture" cosmetics companies. Bare Escentuals is about every woman looking great naturally, every day.

    Not surprisingly, meeting Leslie was like chatting with a girlfriend. With so many questions, what to ask first?

    (The Surprise Collection and The Happiness Collection shown above)

    GR: What products are you really excited about this season?


    LB: I am really excited about our bareMinerals foundation for life Get Lucky ticket promotion. We have three kits, The Surprise Collection (Bare Escentuals Boutiques), The Happiness Collection (Sephora) and The Jewel Collection (Ulta ) that all have a very special ticket inside. Three of these kits have wonderful tickets inside that will give the winner our foundation for life! It's like that movie with the chocolate factory for BareEscentuals fans. Plus each kit is full of amazing products.(Envy Eyeshadow pictured above)

    GR: What is your favorite eyeshadow color?

    LB: We have so many, it's impossible for me to choose! Although since you asked me to, I'll pick Envy. It's one of the first colors I created and I still love to use it today. It's a beautiful light green shimmer that looks great on everyone.


    GR: What is your favorite trend of the season?

    LB: There are so many trends right now and they are all so striking. I love the look of a really red, vampy lip, but it is really hard to pull off frequently. I only personally wear that once a month, when I have somewhere special to go. However, I love to find ways to make the trends work for real women everyday. For example, the red lip. Try a peachy gloss underneath a red lipstick for an everyday, wearable red lip. I really love Buxom Lip Polish in Eva paired with the Buxom Lip Stick in Barcelona. It's creamy, glossy and just red enough.


    (Eva Buxom Lip Polish and Barcelona Lip Stick)




    When I had the chance to chat with Leslie Blodgett, CEO of Bare Escentuals, at a recent appearance, I had to ask her about her favorite makeup tricks. With almost limitless combinations of over 200 eyeshadow colors and countless blushes and radiances, the possibilities are endless. Here are some of Leslie's favorite tips and tricks.
    Tip Number One: Wear Flawless Radiance. It's a must have. It gives a dewy sheen, without being glittery or sparkly. It looks very natural and brings a new level of freshness to any blush. If you need to go somewhere and look like you aren't wearing makeup, add a little Flawless Radiance to your cheek bones or to your eyelids. It's subtle enough to make you look as if you really just look that great, with no makeup.Tip Number Two: Use a color like Twig on your eyelids. Then line your eyes with Midnight Sky, a really pigmented indigo blue. The Twig has just enough sparkle and color shift to really play up the deep blue. It's a striking color combo that a lot of people don't put together. Try it! Depending on how heavy handed you application, the look can range from smoldering to really natural and effortless. Either way, it will make your eyes pop!


    Tip Number Three: Layer Flawless Definition Mascara with Buxom Lash Mascara for incredibly long and thick lashes. The key is to curl your lashes first and then put on a coat of Flawless Definition Mascara. While that layer of mascara is still wet, add a coat of Buxom Masacara.

    This one blew my mind. While I have used chafing cream as a face primer and hydrating Visine as a mixing agent for mineral eyeliners, I have never thought to layer my mascaras, beyond what comes with a mascara primer. I immediately ran out and bought Buxom Lash Masacara (and Eva Buxom Lip Polish in this nifty bargain combo, A Wink and a Kiss) to try this for myself. One of my co-workers thought I was wearing false lashes. She literally got in my face and examined my lashes, from a few inches away. She was impressed. I was blown away.


    Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement Copyright 2009, Gouldylox Reviews. All rights reserved.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Summer Wrap Up : My Favorite Picks From This Season, Part 3

    With so many, it is hard to choose, but here are the rest of my top picks from this summer.




    Scent: This one is easy! I love Kai fragrance. Love it. The gardenia and white exotic flowers make me (and Mr. Lox) swoon. I can't say enough about this delicate fragrance!

    Moisturizer for the Body: I have tried quite a few lotions, but none are leaving my skin as soft at Payot's Regenerating Dry Oil Spray. This light oil hydrates without being too greasy, which sounds weird for a huile, but is true. And it smells fantastic!

    Shampoo: For my color-treated hair, nothing is coming close to working as well as EverPure by Loreal. The sulphate-free shampoo keeps my color from fading and leaves my hair feeling clean.

    Conditioning Treatment: After getting a little creative at home, I found the best way to help my hair recover from the processing I was bestowing upon it was to steam a towel in the microwave and wrap it around my damp hair after applying Leonor Greyl Hair Masque. Madonna is rumored to use this as well, but I doubt she has to heat her own towel.

    Sunless Tanning: This is a tricky one for me, as sunless tanning just makes me nervous (or doesn't work at all on my skin). Out of what I tried, my best results came from Mystic Tanning's Face Kit. The color that is deposited when you apply the tan helps to ensure it goes on evenly. It dried quickly and lasted for a decent amount of time.

    Now that summer is over, what you are looking forward to this Fall? Tell me in the comments!

    Subscribe and never miss a thing! Copyright 2009, Gouldylox Reviews. All rights reserved.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Oprah and I Are Undeniably Almost Exactly the Same

    Here's Why:

    1. We have both worked in Baltimore.

    2. We both yo-yo diet.

    3. We both like dogs a lot.

    4. We are both better at giving advice than taking it.

    5. We both change our hair more often than the average gal.

    6. We both work in television.

    7. We both know Anne-Marie S. and Nic S. (who are not related to each other, but have both worked for Oprah)

    8. We both sometimes slip into that voice when we say "girlfriend".

    9. We have both used the fax number at the Harpo Office.

    10. Kai Body Butter is one of our favorite things.I recently discovered the Kai line when I placed an order from b-glowing.com, one of the nicest and fastest online retailers I have run into lately. I had received a sample of Kai's signature scent with an order, and the scent literally blew my mind. It reminded me of being a young child, playing near a patch of gardenia in a strangely comforting olfactory kind of sensory experience way. I had been looking for that exact essence for years, coming close a few times with a Crabtree & Evelyn and Benefit fragrance. But this one is different. It smells pure, with no alcohol or chemical smell. Just like gardenia in the sunshine, with a bit of exotic white flowers. Everywhere I go, people stop to me ask if I am indeed wearing an amazing fragrance, what on earth is it and more importantly, where can they can get it.


    Kai makes a whole line of products scented with this fantastic aroma of exotic white flowers and tropical gardenia, including a Body Butter, which I can't seem to get enough of. This creamy, hydrating body butter soothes dry skin and imparts this delicious fragrance in a way that adds to to the perfume, without overpowering the scent. After having it for a few days, I can't imagine not starting my day with this body butter. This fragrance was originally created to recapture the scents remembered from vacationing in Hawaii as a youth. I love that I am not alone in being transported to a different time when I smell Kai.

    And for what it's worth, Oprah really did name it one of her Favorite Things, her list of all things fabulous that you can't live without.

    Oprah and I couldn't agree more. You have to check this out.

    Subscribe and never miss a thing! Copyright 2009, Gouldylox Reviews. All rights reserved.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Five Fun Finds: Summer Products I Love Right Now


    1. Milani Lip Mixer in 702. This super hydrating, shimmery nude color gives you come-hither lips for under $7. It's not sticky, it wears for a nice amount of time for a glossy-gloss and looks amazing.




    2. Whispering Windz Foaming Sugar Body Scrub. I fell in love with Whispering Windz Foaming Jar Soap and can't fathom using the rest of the bottle of drugstore detergent sitting in the shower. Imagine my excitement when I got my hands on the Foaming Sugar Body Scrub in Coconut Almond Cream Pie. This sugar scrub is not for the meek - it is uber-grainy and will slough away anything that needs sloughing. Be sure not to abuse it's powers! Plus it smells so amazing, I keep catching Mr. Lox trying to eat it.


    3. Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge. This non-latex sponge works wonders on your foundation and concealer. It doesn't seem to absorb product the way other sponges do and the pointy end speeds up the whole liquid foundation process.



    4. Mermaid to Order by OPI for Sephora. Gouldylox reader Heather mentioned that these polishes were ultra long-wearing and chip-resistant and she wasn't kidding. Nothing short of sandpaper could have pried that color off of my toes. (Ok. Honestly, nail polish remover worked. You don't really need sand paper.)


    5. Bare Escentuals Moisturizing Burst Spray. I love to keep this in the fridge and spritz on when I need to wake up my makeup after a long day, take away the over powdery look when I am a little too heavy-handed with the finishing powder or just relax. It feels great, it's cool (when kept in the fridge) and the RareMinerals complex feeds your skin essential nutrients.

    6. Kai Fragrance Perfume Oil. I have recently found so many products I am excited about that I had to add a sixth! Kai Fragrance Perfume Oil is a roll on fragrance that literally stopped me in my tracks when I received a sample from B-Glowing.com. (Technically, I made Mr. Lox pause the television and smell me.) According to the packaging, it smells slightly different on everyone. On me, it reminds me of when I was little, playing near the fence where my Mom grew a bit of honeysuckle. Other perfumes have similar notes, but on me, this is a true honeysuckle, without being too sweet. JULY 31 ONLY - use code PAYDAY at b-glowing when you check out and get 15% off!


    What are you loving right now?



    Subscribe and never miss a thing! Copyright 2009, Gouldylox Reviews. All rights reserved.