beauty

Review: Glow by Melodye Lip Glaze

September 14, 2017September 14, 2017 Mstldelano1 Comment

A few weeks ago, I ordered a ton of beauty products from small, indie brands. One of the orders I placed was with Glow by Melodye. The company specializes in sleek lip colors that last for a long time and leave lips shiny, hydrated and picture perfect.

I purchased the colors “I Love Her” and “Extraordinary Smile”. “I Love Her” is bright, bubblegum pink with bluish undertones, while “Extraordinary Smile” is a bronze that balances both cool and warm undertones.

I tried both of these colors and enjoyed them both. I wore them with a deeper-colored lip liner to create a more ombre-d look. I liked the application as well as how these products weren’t drying at all. Also, the color was intense enough that it didn’t fade during the day, but not overpowering to the point that people noticed my lips before they noticed me. Full disclosure: these are NOT matte lipsticks. These feel like lip glosses and you can build up the color, so instead of drying down to a dry matte look, these instead have the look and feel of a semi-sheer liquid lipstick.

There is one caveat about the product: the two that I purchased had shimmer in them, which was not indicated on the website. I fully expected “Extraordinary Smile” to be shimmery, because the product photo on the site depicts a shimmery-looking product in the tube. But “I Love Her” surprised me: the photo on the site appears to be a shimmer-free product, but it isn’t. I saw the shimmer when I looked at the tube in person, and then I confirmed the added shimmery flecks when I swatched the product. Other than that unexpected finish, everything else was fine with the product.

Here’s the deal: nowadays, EVERYONE has lip products. So it’s hard for me to say conclusively that this is the best available. However, the prices are reasonable and the products work well. The shipping was also pretty fast, and the packaging was cute (hot pink envelopes!).

A bit of brilliance: Melodye enclosed three of her business cards, so I can easily refer my friends to the website without having to remember the hyperlink information.

Would I order again? Yes, definitely. The price, speed of delivery, and quality of product are all good reasons for me to reorder. I only wish that the brand would extend to other products, or at least add additional shades to the line (I already have lip products in pretty much every shade on the website). Once Glow by Melodye expands, I’ll be right there, ready to support again.

luxury

Review: Kimberly New York “Dimple” Perfume

August 30, 2017September 24, 2017 MstldelanoLeave a comment

I scoured the Internet to find some indie perfumes to try. I love beautiful scents and I was eager for a fragrance that would be unusual but have some staying power.

Enter Kimberly New York perfumes. The scents have adorable names – Artsy, Bubble, Dimples, and Poetry – and my interest was piqued.

Fortuitously enough, the perfumer had a sale on the scent “Dimple”, so I purchased the full sized “Dimple” perfume, as well as the “Spring Street” 4-vial set, which had trial amounts of all four fragrances.

While I did purchase only one full sized perfume, I had a chance to wear them all, so I will review the entire line, but give my most in-depth opinions about “Dimple”.

Here is “Dimple” ‘s description, straight from the Kimberly New York website:

SEXY. EDIBLE. WARM.

Dark chocolate almond biscotti, and mint chips snuggle sweetly. “Dimple” is as alluring as a heartfelt smile.

Notes:
top – mint
middle – sprinkled sugar cookie
base – dark chocolate

I can comfortably state that I smelled all of these essences in the perfume. The chocolate base reminded me a bit of Thierry Mugler’s “Angel”, but the mint top note was a refreshing spin. Honestly, when I first sniffed Dimple, I immediately thought of my favorite ice cream, Mint Chocolate Chip.

I wore it and LOVED it. I asked a few men what they thought of the smell, and they gave it a thumbs up, too!

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Here are some of my takeaways from this line:

Pros: This line ships SUPER fast. I had my products within 3 business days. The products were affordable ($15 for the vial set, and $45 [regular price] for the full-sized fragrances). Also, the perfume bottle and promotional inserts/materials were attractive.

Cons: You can’t accurately gauge the sillage of some of the fragrances using the “Spring Street” vial set. These are eau de parfums, but when I wore “Artsy”, I noticed that I could barely smell it on my skin. I applied nearly half of the vial initially, and then I had to reapply every two hours (normal reapplication for eau de parfums is about 4 hours). Funny enough, I wore “Bubble” and the sillage seemed more accurate (only used about 1/3 of the bottle, and I could smell it with ease).

In addition, you MUST reapply during the day. I’ll admit: wearing more luxurious fragrances spoiled me a bit LOL! I don’t have to reapply my higher-end perfumes very often. But these needed to be reapplied every 4 hours, or the scent would be lost. That’s not a “con”, per se, but just something to note.

Overall opinion? I’d definitely order again, and I’m looking forward to trying all of the fragrances. And when I do, I’ll be sure to review them!

Uncategorized

Product Reviews Underway . . .

August 28, 2017August 27, 2017 MstldelanoLeave a comment

I had far too much fun ordering beauty items over the past few weeks LOL!

I have a thing for indie brands: I love supporting small businesses and trying products that haven’t achieved mainstream popularity. I also love that indie brands tend to be highly innovative: they often offer colors and textures that are harder to find in mainstream brands.

freepikmakeuppic

Since I recently purged my vanity of many outdated and/or inferior products, it was time to replace those items with quality products. What better way to replenish than to seek small businesses and try out their items?

If you have some indie beauty brands or small businesses you’d like to recommend, feel free to mention them in the comments. I’m always looking for new things to try!

reading list

Book Review: Lessons from Madame Chic

August 25, 2017August 25, 2017 MstldelanoLeave a comment

At some time in 2015, I started working out consistently and getting serious about overhauling my life. When I decided to change my life, I started looking for guides to assist me on this journey.

As the saying goes, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. By chance, I came across the YouTube channel of Jennifer L. Scott, who had a blog named The Daily Connoisseur. Jennifer is also the author of the Madame Chic series. Her first book, Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living In Paris, discusses the different tips she gleaned while living in Paris during a semester abroad.

I adored Jennifer’s sweet demeanor and I was intrigued by her effortless, classic style. So I watched her videos and purchased the book.

Let me just say now, if you are ready to get really disciplined about your life, this book is a good place to start. The French approach to style, diet, exercise, and social behavior are drastically different from what we’re taught as Americans.

The most unique aspect of the book is the Ten Item Wardrobe concept. Jennifer discusses this concept in depth on her YT channel, but the gist of it is this: a wardrobe is built around ten core items, and a few “extras” to flesh it out. This sparse wardrobe allows you to concentrate on developing a signature style that suits your lifestyle and your taste. This approach is not only economical but liberating: fewer items mean more consistent style and easier morning routines.

My main takeaway from the book was the underlying motivation behind the French philosophy. The French aesthetic is rooted in discipline and focus, while Americans tend to be acquisitive and decadent. I believe the two approaches can be bridged, but that requires a thorough examination of both perspectives. I really enjoyed learning about the French approach to life, and I found this book was an excellent guide!

Have you read Lessons from Madame Chic? What did you think of it? Please let me know in the comments below!