beauty · luxury

Review: KoyVoca Mini-Haul

After trying KoyVoca’s incredible Hi Life Highlighter in $1,000,000,000 Babe, I was eager to try some more of their products. I initially reviewed a few of their items in this post, but I really wanted to try their foundations and lipsticks. So I ordered two of the Classic Cream-to-Powder foundations in the shades Savannah and Mali. I also ordered the Nude Perfection lipstick in Vanity.

For starters, my products arrived fast, as in, less than a week. Kudos to KoyVoca for consistently getting their products out quickly! Next, I squealed when I saw the package: the products came in a gorgeous, festive envelope. Can we get into this shiny red packaging?

IMG_2417

Next, I was impressed by the size of the foundation compacts. There is a lot of product in them! These also have really nice mirrors in the interior of the compact.

Wrappers on, wrappers off

 

(left, Savannah, right, Mali)

I’ve swatched the products below. Can you tell which foundation is Savannah and which is Mali? I’ll give you a hint: Savannah has neutral undertones and Mali is warm-toned. In person, I could clearly see that one foundation was warmer than the other.

IMG_2427

I was really glad to see that Savannah (the shade that most closely matches the skin on my face, top swatch) is truly neutral: not too warm or too cool. Mali (bottom swatch) will be perfect during the summer, when my skin gets a bit warmer toned (even though I don’t necessarily tan every summer).

The product picked up easily with a swipe of my finger, though they work best with sponges (I wish the compacts came with sponges! Oh well.) I actually applied Savannah with a flat top powder brush and it buffed into my skin perfectly. It looked like my skin but better!

Now these are cream-to-powder foundations, so I was surprised that I had to apply powder on top of them to mattify the finish. Normally, cream-to-powders dry down and look flawless, but these still had a bit of shine to them. No matter: a good mattifying primer and a light application of translucent powder does the trick.

Next, I tried the Nude Perfection lipstick in Vanity. KoyVoca has only a few lipsticks, and each of them are designed to flatter women with deeper skintones. Vanity was one of the deepest shades available and looked like it would be a gorgeous hue, so I got it. I wasn’t disappointed.

First, the tube is magnetic, so the top of the lipstick tube is extra secure (it’s unlikely that the top will just “pop off” while in your purse). Next, the lipstick has a pleasant smell. It’s difficult to describe, but it doesn’t reek of the cheap chemicals that can occasionally be smelled when purchasing inexpensive lip products. And then there’s the color.

IMG_2426

This gorgeous shade looks like a grown up nude hue on me. I love it! It’s moisturizing, smells good and looks great. It’s been my go-to “throw it on and go” shade. It may even be taking the place of my Liya Nude, since Vanity is a richer hue with a little more red to keep it from being a “flat” brown.

Overall, this KoyVoca mini-haul was a hit! I have 3 products that I know I’m going to enjoy using over the next several months. The prices are reasonable ($10 for each foundation compact and the lipstick is also $10), and the quality is great! I still highly recommend that you give KoyVoca a try!

luxury · wine

Adventures in Enology: Wine School, Round 2

A few months ago, I mentioned an awesome FREE Wine Tasting class on Coursera. If you missed out on the course previously, I have good news for you: the course reopened this week! I’m re-registering for it, since I only completed about 50% of it during the last session. This time, I’m determined to complete it!

all free download

(photo courtesy of All Free Downloads)

Though the course is free, it requires the purchase of wine, glasses and food for the exercises. I’m so committed to completing the course this time that I’ve already ordered some of the items that will be needed in the upcoming weeks. I hope you all join me in taking this free Wine Tasting course. Of course, if you aren’t interested in learning more about wine, you can always check out the many other free courses available on Coursera.

luxury · style

Affordable Cashmere? Yes Please!

Happy Monday, friends! It’s feeling more and more like winter with each passing day. As much as I hate to let summer go, I realized that I needed to put away my lightweight blouses and bring out my cozy sweaters and scarves. I must admit, I was excited to bring out my cashmere sweaters: I love the colors (deep raspberry and lime green) and feel of my sweaters. Not to mention, using Dryel has kept them looking incredible.

 (This is great for keeping your cashmere in tiptop shape)

I’ve had these sweaters since last year, when I decided it was time to invest in some nicer wardrobe pieces. I found a great place for getting cashmere for less than $50 a sweater (feel free to double check the prices: I was hard pressed to find cashmere sweaters in the $70 range). I purchased my sweaters from Stein Mart, which had lots of different colors and cuts, starting at less than $40 per sweater. If you have an eBates account, you can even get cashback on your purchase, bringing your cost down even more.

(Boatneck and v-neck are just two of the necklines offered in Stein Mart’s cashmere sweaters)

This season has different shades from last year, but there is still a good variety to choose from. If I wasn’t saving my coins, I’d definitely buy a couple more sweaters: the prices are spectacular! You can check out the sweaters here. If you know any other places that have affordable cashmere, let me know in the comments below!

luxury · style

Dreaming of Jewelry

I wanted a light and fun post because I’m still enjoying the remnants of snow from yesterday. Here are some of my favorite Instagram accounts that feature all sorts of glamorous jewelry:

Champagne Gem: All manner of gorgeous jewelry, especially diamonds. Check out this 110-ct. diamond featured on their Instagram page:

Christie’s Jewels: Heirloom quality jewelry offered by Christie’s, the famous auction house. Here’s a link to one of my favorite pieces that was recently featured on their Instagram page:

Frank Everett: SVP of Sotheby’s Luxury Division, connoisseur of all things expensive and swoonworthy. The sapphire bracelet recently shown on Frank’s page is the kind of thing art deco dreams are made of:

Josh Levkoff Jewelry: Custom made jewelry with flawless stones and timeless settings. What more could you want?

art · luxury

Classical Art Sale at Sotheby’s London

Sotheby’s is having an Old Masters Sale on December 7th, and I must admit, I would love to own one of these incredible works. After attending the Drawing Salon at the National Gallery of Art, I discovered a new level of appreciation for classical works. As a result, I am always interested in the Old Masters and all manner of classical art.

I love all art with Black faces, especially classic art. So I was delighted to see this one, even if the Black woman depicted is a servant. I’m amused that the Princess of Zanzibar (an archipelago of Tanzania, an African country) is a European woman. I would think that the princess of any African country or region would be a woman of color, but I digress.

Screenshot 2017-12-02 at 11.58.58 PM - Edited

(Portrait of The Princess of Zanzibar with an African Attendant by Walter Frier)
During the drawing salon that I attended, we studied the significance of the Madonna paintings. So I’m partial to any rendition of the Virgin and Child.
Screenshot 2017-12-02 at 11.57.49 PM - Edited
(Virgin and Child with a Pear by the Workshop of Joos van Cleve)
Screenshot 2017-12-03 at 12.02.50 AM - Edited
(The Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist by Antonio del Ceraiuolo)
Screenshot 2017-12-03 at 12.12.14 AM - Edited
(Madonna and Child by School of Bruges, second half of the 16th Century)
These paintings are expected to fetch between 10,000 and 90,000 GBP (approximately $13,000 and $121,000 USD). It’ll be interesting to see how well these sell in a couple of days!
The sale will be held at Sotheby’s London. Oh how I’d love to be there when this sale occurs!
luxury

Speaking of Gemstones . . .

A few days ago, I posted a link to a course that teaches the basics of gemology. Well, it wasn’t long before I came across a gem that would put all of that recently acquired knowledge to use … Feast your eyes on this beauty:

 

rajpinksothebys.jpg

(photo courtesy of Sotheby’s)

Sotheby’s will be auctioning this breathtaking pink diamond in Geneva, Switzerland on November 15, 2017. The stone, named The Raj Pink, is expected to fetch over $30 million.

For those that don’t know, fancy colored diamonds of any hue are rare. Fancy colored pink diamonds are even rarer, and to have a fancy pink diamond with this size and clarity makes it among the rarest in the world. I hope whoever decides to purchase it will allow the Smithsonian Institute – or some other prominent museum – to display it for a period of time. I’m sure that the public would love to see this beauty up close.

In case that first photo wasn’t enough for you, here are two more:

harpersbazaarrajpink

(Photo courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar)

rajpink2

(Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s)

I simply can’t get enough of this stunning stone! I can’t wait to see how high the bidding will go, and who will be the lucky purchaser of The Raj Pink diamond.

luxury

An Eye for Gemstones

Happy Friday, my friends! I’m eagerly looking forward to the weekend, as there are a lot of events going on and I’m ready to enjoy the last, lingering bits of warm weather.

But, if the weather should turn chilly, I have an online course I can check out to pass the time. I recently found a gemology course that I think will be great for increasing my body of knowledge. The woman that created the course, Barbara Smigel, is a college professor that knows her gems inside and out.

moziru(image courtesy of Moziru)

Even as a child, I was enchanted by gemstones. The sparkle, the colors, the amazing cuts … I can’t help but find myself hypnotized when looking at high quality gems. So it only makes sense that I would be drawn to this kind of course. I’m looking forward to going through the materials and learning more about gems!

Other than that, I don’t have much else going on this weekend. I hope you have some fabulous plans in the works! Talk to you all tomorrow!

beauty · luxury

Review: Kimberly New York “Indigo Love” Perfume

Hello friends! I previously reviewed Kimberly New York’s Dimple fragrance (as well as the others available through the perfumier). But in late August, Kimberly New York released a new fragrance, Indigo Love, and I had to try it. It just arrived last week, after a bit of a shipping delay (the product was mailed out of Florida, and it seems that it got caught up in the Hurricane Irma delays). But it’s here now, so it’s time to review!

IMG_1764

The product describes “Indigo Love” this way:

FREE-SPIRITED. EASY. FLORAL.

“Indigo Love” is an easy-going, bright floral. Sweet tangerine adds a bit of zest to mildly floral honeysuckle blossom. Warm cedarwood anchors this whimsical scent in grown-and-sexy sophistication.

Eau de parfum

Notes: 
top – sweet tangerine 
middle – honeysuckle blossom 
base – cedarwood

It starts off bright and citrusy, but there is a sweet mellowness that settles in after the first few whiffs (must be that honeysuckle essence). After that, the cedarwood whispers softly and smells warm; it gives me the feeling of lazy, faintly humid summer days.

Just like “Dimple”, this one has to be reapplied frequently to retain its power. But the fragrance is beautiful and the name – “Indigo Love” – is fitting. This would be just as perfect with a pretty sundress as it would be with a t-shirt and jeans.

My final thoughts? I really like it! I would purchase it again.

Have any of you had the chance to try some of the Kimberly New York fragrances? Let me know in the comments below!

 

 

luxury

Another Vintage Car

I mentioned my love of the Sunbeam Tiger in a previous post. But now I want to introduce you to another car that I love: the Shelby Cobra.

I first learned about Carroll Shelby from one of my friends that was a Mustang fanatic. I found out later that I’d seen Shelby’s designs before, on one of my favorite TV shows, “Get Smart”.

Just for your viewing pleasure, here’s a photo of a 1965 Shelby Cobra 289 Dragonsnake.hemmings1965shelbycobra289dragonsnake(Photo courtesy of Hemmings.com)

 

I’m currently researching some classic car shows that I can attend over the next few months. I’d love to see one of these beauties in person!

 

food · luxury

A Chocolate Treat

Sometimes, you just have to treat yourself …

A few weeks ago, I got an online coupon code from Chocolate Chocolate, one of DC’s finest chocolate shops. This boutique offers exquisite international and hard-to-find chocolates. I used the code to order a box of Laderach chocolates, my favorite chocolate brand.

IMG_1810Laderach chocolates in Chocolate Chocolate’s trademark velvet box

I first tried Laderach two years ago, when I was gifted a box from an attorney at my previous job. I fell in love with the velvety textures, intense flavors, and perfect presentation of the little bit sized pieces of heaven. The day after I finished eating every treat in my little box, I looked for a local retailer that offered the Laderach brand. After much searching over many months, I found out that Chocolate Chocolate was the closest shop that offered the brand.

IMG_1811The liner indicating that this box contained luxurious Swiss chocolates

So when I saw the coupon code, I couldn’t resist. I purchased my chocolates and quickly got a call from the shop, confirming that the chocolates were in stock and were immediately available. I picked them up the following week.

IMG_1812The chocolates! So perfect and delicious!

They are just as delicious as I remember! I’m pleased with the product (of course) but I also loved the service: the shop attendants were friendly and warm. I can’t wait to return!

Do you all have any favorite chocolate brands? Let me know in the comments below!