.:: CybeleSays ::.

So what scent has your full attention right now? I seem to be all over the map and am changing my mind daily, which is what I’m allowed to do as a woman, right? Here are some more recommendations from L to R clockwise.

ESCADA Cherry in the Air eau de toilette ($56/1.6oz, $20/.25oz @ sephora.com) – I love the smell of cherry and always seem to have at least one cherry scent in rotation this time of year. This one has notes of black cherry, raspberry, mandarin, marshmallow, gardenia, coconut, sandalwood and oakwood. Love!

KRIGLER Pleasure Garden 79 Scented Candle ($65/6.34oz @ krigler.com) – if you love gardenia, this scent will take you to heaven! This one is a blend of jasmine, vanilla, mimosa, all floating on gardenia petals.

LATHER Orange Peel Face Soap ($8/4oz @ lather.com) – for normal or combo skin and contains organically derived orange oil. Sulfate and parabens-free.

ARQUISTE Flor y Canto eau de parfum ($165/1.8oz @ barneys.com) – described as an opulent floral, this one “celebrates the feeling and smells of an Aztec festival." Notes include Mexican tuberose, magnolia, plumeria and marigold. Very unique.

MOONESSENCE Papaya & Pineapple Exfoliating Masque ($42.99/2oz @ sfrbeauty.com) – contains extracts of papaya, green papaya and pineapple, which are known for their exfoliating properties.

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.

I’ve received a few emails lately from readers wanting to simplify their skin care routine, as in, chemicals out and natural botanicals in. I really think that the skin gets upset because of all the products we apply to it on a daily basis. Most of the time, I really believe the skin is just trying to regulate itself from what you are applying.

So the timing couldn’t be better as I’m just finishing up trying out two products from The Soothing Collection from AROMATHERAPY ASSOCIATES, which incorporates prebiotics into the products that do exactly what you are imaging they do – beef up the skin’s outer layer to protect it from invaders like every day life.

What I tried was the Soothing Cleansing Balm ($53/3.4oz) and Soothing Face Oil ($65/.5oz) so let me break down each product’s details.

Soothing Cleansing Balm – comes with a cotton muslin cloth and as the names states, this is a balm so there’s a very low foam here. The first ingredient listed in this one? Sweet Almond Oil! When does that happen? Next is jojoba seed oil, Glyceryl Cocoate (a surfactant derived from coconut) and down from there. This one removes makeup, though I wouldn’t use it for eye makeup as it sorta stung my eyes but know there overall there’s no tightness left behind.

Soothing Face Oil – love to use oils for moisturizers for both body and face. And this one packs a punch! Coconut, jojoba, rice, Baobab, corn, strawberry seed oil and evening primrose, to name a few. Love this one. 

Both and more @ aromatherapyassociates.com.

Think about all the skin care lines out there right now and the new ones rolling out every year. I think it’s harder and harder to get what little attention there is unless you have something really unique about your line. But on the other hand, they do say the cream rises to the top and I think that’s what you get with this FAIZA COSMETIQUES line (pronounced Fiza Cosmayteek). Hailing from Montreal, Canada, the line was created by the daughter of an internationally known scientist, she wanted to create a line using the finest botanicals and other non-toxic ingredients.

I’ve been using the full system of the Gentle Milky Cleanser ($39/6.7oz) - this is my favorite product in the line!, Toning Lotion ($39/6.7oz), Intense Repair Serum ($71/.5oz), Anti-Age Rich Cream ($65/2oz) and Lift Cream with Ceramides ($62/1oz) for about 6 weeks now and I must say, these seem to have rebalanced my skin; like it has rebounded from all that I put on it by trying out different products throughout the year. A skin detox, really! I've heard about "bringing the hair back to its virgin state" lately, so I think of this system like that but for the skin.

The formulas feel super light to the touch and on the skin and each product is made without parabens, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals and dyes, all which have been proven to irritate the skin. If you’re sensitive to most products, you may want to look into this line. And be sure to check out the great ingredients.

Now, since this is an anti-aging line, did it turn the clock back? It’s super hard to tell something like that to the naked eye but since it seems to have brought it back to its normal state, I will say yes, it has turned the clock back some.

Want to see for yourself? How about trying a Sample Kit of all the necessities for $12.97? Get them and the full sizes @ faiza.ca.

And congrats to the brand for being a finalist in the TASTE AWARDS for the Best Skincare in North America. We’re pulling for you!

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

Quite a few skin care products have come out and here are three I am giving my stamp of approval.

COLORESCIENCE PRO Illuminating Cleanser Mineral Powder Formula ($37.50/1.4oz @ colorescience.com) – this powder looks like diamond dust and is great at not only cleansing and exfoliating the skin with Salicylic Acid but it also removes makeup. No tightness of the skin after using this one. Big recommendation.

BURT’S BEES Sensitive Night Cream ($15/1.8oz @ burtsbees.com) – part of the new Sensitive line they just put out, which includes a Cleanser, Moisturizing Cream and Eye Cream. These contain Cotton Extract to help minimize the effects of potential irritants, as well as aloe. So your skin is getting what it needs but gently.

PREVAGE Day Intensive Anti-aging Moisturizing Cream SPF 30 ($129/1.7oz) – Liz Arden’s Prevage brand has received rave reviews and they just came out with two new products. This day cream not only guards against UVA/UVB rays, but it also contains the powerful ingredient Idebenone to protect the skin from daily environmental assaults. The other new one is their Night Anti-aging Restorative Cream ($132/1.7oz). Get them both @ prevageskin.com.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

I’m thankfully able to use just about anything on my face without worrying about breaking out or any kind of irritation. We’ve all heard of the crazy circle people with oily skin go through – when skin is not hydrated, it produces oil and then it becomes too oily and shiny, so you wash it again only to go through this crazy cat and mouse game over and over. So you try oil-free products and those just lack lasting moisture so it’s back to the former and on and on. So the KIEHL’S line took it upon themselves to come up with a collection of skin care products that are oil-free but are still able to not only hydrate the skin but also seal it in. It’s their Ultra Facial Oil-Free Collection and is proven to rebalance the skin and prevents the overproduction of oil. And the collection contains all the necessary ones to get it all under control –

Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser ($18/5oz)
Ultra Facial Oil-Free Toner ($16/6oz)
Ultra Facial Oil-Free Lotion ($24.50/4.2oz)
Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream ($24.50/1.7oz)

A great value and way to try out these products is with the Ultra Facial Oil-Free Moisturizer Starter Kit for $29.50. It contains a 1oz Cleanser, 1.4oz Toner, and 4.2oz Lotion. Get this collection @ kiehls.com.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

I was at a BBQ over the weekend and got to talking with a few girls about beauty (go figure) and face exoliants and what makes for a good one. One of the girls said all the ones she tried were much too harsh and irritating until she discovered the Daily Microfoliant from DERMALOGICA. This was odd timing as I had used it three times in the past few weeks and didn’t think it really did much for my skin but this girl swore up and down that it worked for her and that she has super sensitive skin.

It comes in a powder form you mix with water and uses a unique rice-base enzyme powder to exfoliate. It also has salicylic acid and a special skin brightening complex as well as a blend of green tea, ginkgo and Colloidal Oatmeal. So maybe that’s the secret with this one – since my skin is quite normal acting, it just doesn’t do much for me? Not sure but I'm going to keep on using it as she really was super into it. What about you? Have you tried this one? $50/2.6oz @ dermalogica.com.

Since it’s been so hot the last two weeks in LA, when I come home from work I want to just jump in the shower and cool down but instead I’ve just been using the French brand ABSOLUTION’s L'Eau Soir et Matin or Cleansing Water for Eyes and Face. It really makes my face feel better than refreshed and I think better than splashing cool water on my skin. It contains Helicrysum flower water, which is known for its toning and regenerating traits, potassium, hazelnut oil, phospholipids, vitamin E, waters from the lime tree, neroli and witch hazel.

Not only does it clean my skin of any dirt but also makeup and it doesn’t irritate the eyes and it’s ECOCERT certified.

The Smell? A little geranium-y and a little lime-y.

The dispenser? Like this one, it comes out of the top. Love this stuff! $40/5.1oz @ usa-absolution-skincare.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

Love the idea of the Clarisonic but can’t really afford it? Thankfully there are some brands coming out with a brush that’s similar but is more purse-friendly. A real bargain of $49.95 @ siriusbeauty.com is SIRIUS’ Skinsonic Skincare System. Using sonic technology, this system contains four different attachments to clean, tone and exfoliate. We all know that these devises are known to be more effective than just using a wash cloth and cleanser so why not take the plunge and treat yourself without making your wallet mad?

So how does it perform? It’s hard to tell how it compares to its competitor and in this case, I think that’s a good thing. And to have the few interchangable heads and not a one-size-fits-all one is really nice.

And they have a 6—day money back guarantee so you really can’t go wrong!

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

Thankfully I don’t get a lot of blemishes so trying the GOCLEAR line wasn’t really a must. But I’d received their Clarifying Cleanser AM/PM ($25/4.4oz @ sephora.com) late last year and recently put it to use. For some reason I have been getting a blemish here and there since the turn of the New Year. The line was created with high-grade active botanicals and all the products are oil-free and don’t contain any benzoyl peroxide, alcohol, propylene glycol, PABA, lanolin or artificial dyes or fragrances. So how did it work? Really nicely! The formula looks like a granulated toothpaste but it doesn’t feel gritty at all, though it says it exfoliates a little exfoliating whilst cleaning. The key to this line is keeping the skin hydrated to prevent the overproduction of sebum, which is the main reason for clogged pores. $25/4.4oz @ sephora.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

So I think this past Wednesday was the first Spring feeling day we’ve had here in Los Angeles this year. Yeah, it’s here! So of course I have been reaching for more spring-y type scents and here are a few I’m loving right now.

CRABTREE & EVELYN Lily of the Valley Eau de Toilette ($45/3.4oz @ crabtree-evelyn.com) – Lily of the Valley is one of my favorite flowers and I love that they just put out this Floral Fragrance Collection for Spring. It’s a collection of single note scents (Lavender, Rosewater and Iris are the other launches) and the scents also comes in the form of triple-milled soaps, body lotions, candles, shower gels, body creams and a nice body dusting powder.

AROMAFLORIA Foaming Body Wash with Shea Butter and Body Butter with Shea and Aloe in Kiwi Coconut ($20/8oz @ aromafloria.com) – What better way to get your season on then with the smell of kiwi and coconut? These two are from their Sensory Fusion Bath + Body Collection and put me in a tropical frame of mind.

CUPCAKE ORGANIC Raspberry Rose Blossom Softening Day Cream ($24.67/1oz @ cupcakeorganic.com) – Mmm Rose Blossom, Ylang Ylang and Mandarin are combined inside this ECOCERT Certified day cream. This doesn’t have any SPF inside so be sure to load up when you wear this one.

YES TO CUCUMBERS Facial Towelettes ($5.99/30 wipes @ sayyestocarrots.com) – quickly remove dirt, makeup and everyday grime with these babies for when you’re on the go. Oil-free and hypoallergenic.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.