.:: CybeleSays ::.

Have you ever applied a scent in the store, walked away, went home even, and then obsessed over it for the next few hours? Only to come back and purchase it?? This happened to me recently with one from VICTORIA’S SECRET. The 50’s inspired packaging drew me away from the lacy bras and straight over to the sexy bottle with the poof to spray it on and spray it on I did! Sexy Little Things Noir  Eau de Parfum is a fruity floral with top notes of nectarine, juicy apple, citrus, bergamot, middle notes of cattelaya orchid, jasmine petals, plum, vanilla and bottom notes of: golden amber, velvet musk and sultry woods. It really is something to behold! And it was the winner of a 2009 Fifi Fragrance of the Year Award. Wow, quite an accomplishment. And the bottle just looks so gorge on my perfume table! $39/1.7oz, $49/3.4oz @ victoriassecret.com.

I caught a nasty cold a few weeks ago and it seemed that nothing could clear my head up. I was looking in the cabinet for some sleep aids and forgot I had BATH BY BETTIJO’s new Shower Infusers ($36/8 tablets @ bathbybettijo.com) there. And just in time! Instead of popping a pill, I popped open the jar and grabbed one of these soothers, put in on the floor of the shower and turned it on full blast. And it really helped open up my head while at the same time relaxing me. I seem to remember seeing something like this a few years ago though I can’t recall what they were exactly.

And these are made with some really good basic ingredients. Here’s the list from right off the back: sodium chloride (sea salt), citric acid, baking soda, corn starch, peppermint oil, vanilla extract and jojoba seed oil. That’s it! Yes, these are a little pricey but you know exactly what’s in them, right?

Disclosure: The following item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

TARTE is on fire these days. Seems like they are adding products every few weeks! I finally was able to catch up to them and try their new Natural Lip Stain with LipSurgence Technology and I’m really liking them but I do have a small problem with the name. It’s not a true stain as in, it doesn’t stain the lips, just colors them. Am I being too technical? It’s just that when something has the word stain in it, it should be a true stain. Then again, their Cheek Stains are not true stains either and these are meant to be an extension to those. Anyway, these are each peppermint-infused and look like the cheek formula formed in an oversized crayon form. Wait, maybe these are (it) the cheek formula put into a pen form?? I did try one of the berry shades on my cheeks and it looks like it could be. Hmmm…

Anyway, think of these as a hint of tint balm. While there are not real lip balm ingredients inside, the result looks like a semi-glossy tint Color picks: Joy (peach) and Moody (deep berry). $24 @ sephora.com.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Disclosure: The following item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

Whenever Sephora takes a new brand on, you better pay attention because chances are, it’s pretty good. FIRST AID BEAUTY was created by a beauty industry veteran after what else? Seeing a gap in the marketplace for those with sensitive skin or those that have what is considered a challenging condition like rosacea or dermatitis. I became interested in the line after reading about it on Sephora and started by trying a few sample packets of the Ultra Repair Cream ($28/6oz @ sephora.com) their PR people sent to me. It’s for the face AND the body (how often do you come across that?) and is perfect for those who suffer from Eczema. The colloidal oatmeal and ceramides are especially helpful. I know I have mentioned this one spot about the size of a quarter on my right ankle that is perpetually dry so I’ve applied this a few times over the last 2 weeks to just that area and if it’s able to keep that spot moisturized for hours, I’m sold.

For me, the CARMEX brand did not come into my life until I was well into my teens and I remember it well. Eyeing it a few times in CVS with its glass bottomed jar and yellow top, I snuck a sniff of it in the store. It smelled strongly of camphor oil. I think I finally broke down on the next trip to the drugstore and bought one and totally used up the whole thing. Nowadays, that’s kind of a rare to use up a whole balm since I have quite the collection and I stash them everywhere like a squirrel with nuts in my house, car and office.

Well Carmex has come quite a long way since then. The formula still contain Menthol, Aloe Butter, Campfor and Lanolin, among others, like the original but they have expanded like adding flavors to some (Mint, Strawberry and Cherry), new packaging like a stick and tube form and even different types of formulas like the newish Moisture Plus. And it can be used for so many different things besides lips and cold sores. When a friend of mine was over recently and saw the box of Carmex I had, she said she swears by it for zits. Go figure!

So if you are looking for an all-in-one lippie to moisturize, protect and heal, Carmex could be your go-to balm. All @ mycarmex.com or drugstores nationwide.

How I can tell if I really believe in a beauty product is if I find myself reaching for it in an off-time, as in, when I done testing it. Mineral eye shadows fall in this category. They just seem to blend better and I like the textures of them. One that I am into these days is ALIMA PURE’s Yoga Collection of eye shadows. They  describe the finish of these as, “almost matte or semi-shimmery … a unique blend of matte and shimmer. In direct light, they look shimmery and on the skin they are matte until you turn your head just so.”

So wear one or mix a few together on the lid. Here’s a description of each color:

$25/all 4 colors @ alimapure.com.

Disclosure: The following items were provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

When the ECO TOOLS line made its debut a while back, they were reviews everywhere! I finally got my hands on some of the brushes and makeup bags from the EcoTools by Alicia Silverstone collection and if you care what your products are made with/from, you may want to check out this line.

As I mentioned, the latest collection is a collaboration w/Ms. Silverstone for a line of earth-friendly products. Choose from a 5-Piece Brush Set, Overnight Bag or various sized makeup bags. Each uses non-toxic inks, natural hemp materials, bamboo handles and cruelty-free-bristles (the brushes) and the designs were inspired by her favorite flowers. Each item retails between $8.99 and $19.99 @ drugstore.com and this collection has teamed up with For the Planet and is donating 1% of sales to environmental organizations.

Disclosure: The following item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

Disclaimer: I wrote this up earlier this week before seeing this!!

I was recently playing with some of the new Nail Lacquers AMERICAN APPAREL sent me to try out and it made me think of something that has never really caught on. See, two of the polishes are in the blue family, Mount Royal and Passport Blue, and one is a neutral grey, Factory Grey. So since this is a new brand line of polish, I painted each of the three colors on my left hand to see how they wear. As I wore them the first day, I caught myself staring at all five fingers and admiring the color family of these shades and it got me thinking – why has painting the each nail a different color but in the same color family never caught on as a trend? Then I read the above piece on the Glamour magazine blog so I decided to run this piece today than late next week. File this under things that make you go hmmmmm…

Have you ever worn your polish this way or what do you think of the trend?

And btw, these new polishes from American Apparel wear really well and the colors, as you can see, are quite fashion forward. $6 @ americanapparel.net or their nationwide stores.

Remember a few weeks ago when I found this liquid liner that didn’t sting my inner eyelid? Well I found another one to add to that list! It’s from SMASHBOX’s new Heartbreaker Collection and is called Liquid Liner Pen in Jet Black ($24 @ sephora.com).

There’s something about this pen form that makes it easier to apply then the regular liquid liner applicators. I think it’s because the tip doesn’t move as much as others and it’s pointed. Are you familiar with ones like that? I just hope this one doesn’t dry out like a different one I had a few months ago. Will keep you posted!

Disclosure: The following item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.