Marchesa Parfum d'Extase Hair Mist review

        Hair mists are this year's hot new perfume innovation. I'm sure many of you can relate when I say scent lovers have long been spritzing their locks with a favorite fragrance. After all, hair is a wonderful way to diffuse scent and leave a lingering trail in your wake. I've just had my first experience with a hair mist, the Marchesa Parfum d'Extase Hair Mist, courtesy of Sephora, and have a review to share with you today!

          Marchesa Parfum d'Extase Hair Mist has the same beautiful fragrance as its namesake perfume. Marchesa Parfum d' Extase is a delicate iris floral with a soft linen-like feel and amber base. The hair mist differs from the original perfume in its packaging, ingredients, and price. The bottle is tall and without embellishment, unlike that of the crystal-clad perfume. The ingredients (see below) are slightly different as well (e.g. the addition of aloe) which presumably helps the fragrance bind to hair. The hair mist is also more cost effective per oz. than using perfume, which is a plus!

Notes: Iris Flower, Black Currant, Young Violet Leaves, Lotus Flower, Night Blooming Jasmine, Bulgarian Rose Water, Orange Blossom, Iris Root, Ambrox, Captive Musks.

         Marchesa Parfum d'Extase Hair Mist ($38 for 1.7 fl. oz.) is a delicate iris scent for fragrancing hair. I find that the hair mist is a nice complement to my full size Marchesa d'Extase Eau de Parfum (which I'm hoping to review soon!). I found that upon usage, the fragrance is quite noticeable to those in close proximity. However, like the original perfume version, Marchesa d'Extase hair mist may have to be reapplied to last through a whole day as the notes are quite delicate and can fade over time. I think wear time will depend on your hair and potentially what other products you're using! Marchesa d'Extase Hair mist can be purchased from Sephora.

           Thanks for reading! Have you tried Marchesa d'Extase? Do you spritz perfume in your hair? Would you purchase a hair mist in the scent of your favorite perfume?

Love, Dovey.

Ingredients: Alcohol Denatured, Water, Fragrance, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, PEG-40, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Butylene Glycol, BHT, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Salicylate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citral, Citronellol, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnemal, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool.
Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own. The link in this post is NOT an affiliate link. It is present for your convenience only.

Valentino Valentina Eau de Parfum review

          Valentino is among the most storied brands in fashion, so I thought it would be fitting to open my review of Valentino Valentina with an anecdote! In a previous era, most ads in fashion magazines were sponsored by fabric companies whose logos were prominently displayed, while designers were credited in small print at the bottom. Valentino was the first brand to break with this tradition, creating lavish magazine spreads emphasizing the role of the fashion artist/designer. This style of advertisement was the brainchild of Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino Garavani's partner in business and life. The first ever Valentino magazine spread featured models wearing pastel colors, posing in a desert setting (shot in studio with semolina for sand!)

          Valentino Valentina Eau de Parfum is packaged in a beautiful bottle festooned with three pale rosettes dancing upon a golden background, like pastel dresses fluttering amidst a desert landscape. (The rosettes seem to be made of powdered metal, in case you were wondering.) I had the chance to experience Valentina recently, thanks to Valentino Parfums, and I have to say the scent within draws equally beautiful imagery!

Notes: Bergamot, White Truffle, Orange Blossoms, Sweet Jasmine, Tuberose, Wild Strawberries, Cedar, Vanilla, Amber.

            Valentino Valentina (2011) is a smooth white floral with strawberry and vanilla. The perfume opens with a crisp bergamot; while the burst is ephemeral it lightly trails on a bit to add a slight edge to an otherwise smooth scent. A delicious strawberry and jasmine combination enters, followed by an odd scent I recognize to be truffle. (Truffle has a woody / earthy scent like a mushroom just dug up from the ground). Vanilla enters to strengthen the scent, making it even more delectable. The high sweet florals of orange flower add freshness to the mix; they create more dimension in the jasmine and add some juiciness to the strawberry. Overall the blend of food and flowers is smooth, and all the scent trails intertwine together quite naturally! At the base, there's a hint of wood, but any lingering wood tones are caught up with the truffle. The rest is filled with a clean musky amber.

          The beauty of Valentino Valentina lies in a special ingredient: truffle. Shavings from this pungent subterranean mushroom have the uncanny ability to accentuate whatever foods they flavor. Truffle does a similar thing in Valentina; it turns the youthful strawberry vanilla more savory and adds a fullness, sans heaviness, to the white florals. All the while, you might not even realize it's there, as it has an uncanny ability to blend in. Though the pleasing strawberry and white floral path has been well trod recently (think Marc Jacobs Daisy, Miss Dior Cherie, or Jimmy Choo Flash), Valentina has a unique elegance thanks to its touch of truffle!

          Valentino Valentina ($82 for 1.7oz) is a ladylike and balanced blend of white florals, strawberry, and vanilla, with an unexpected dash of white truffle. The scent doesn't make its statement with overt opulence or eccentricity. After all, when it comes to Valentino, it's the well-placed embellishments like the flounces of a dress,  semolina sand, or an earthy mushroom that add a memorable twist! The smooth blend of Valentino Valentina is a very welcome addition to my perfume wardrobe --- and I highly recommend a sniff if you're a white floral fan like me!

        Thanks for reading! Have you tried Valentino Valentina? What surprising ingredients have you come across in perfume?

Love, Dovey.

P.S. I've also been delighting in a bottle of Valentina Assoluto, the next scent in the Valentina series. I can't wait to share my 'notes' on Valentina Assoluto with you!
Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own. 

Butter London Pitter Patter nail lacquer review + comparison swatches

        In anticipation of Prince William and Duchess Kate's royal baby-to-be, Butter London has created a special limited edition lacquer. (Can you believe the baby is due in July? I can hardly wait!) Butter London Pitter Patter nail lacquer is, of course, a royal purple. I had a chance to sample Pitter Patter courtesy of Butter London and I'm excited to share my review and swatches with you today!

         Butter London Pitter Patter is a deep royal purple with subtle shimmer. The shimmer is more evident on my nails than on my nail wheel. I've made a few comparison swatches below so you can get a better idea of the color. Revlon Plum Night is a creme that is much darker than Pitter Patter. Sephora by OPI Just A Little Dangerous is similar, but slightly lighter and has a pinch more shimmer, as you can see below. Butter London Pitter Patter is slightly darker and bluer than NARS Purple Rain. They are similar, but Purple Rain has considerably more shimmer (especially red toned shimmer) and is much flashier on nails. OPI Tease-y Does It is a blacker and redder purple than Pitter Patter; it has much larger shimmer particles. The formula is smooth and level, as typical of Butter London polishes. Two coats did the trick.

          Butter London Pitter Patter nail lacquer ($15) is a posh purple that would make a great addition to any polish lover's collection. I love how chic the subtle shimmer is; it's just enough to create an eye-catching glint in bright sunshine, while putting out a mysterious, secret shimmer indoors. If you're excited about Pitter Patter, be sure to pick one up soon; it's limited edition and is sure to disappear quickly, if Butter London's previous "royal" offerings are any indication! Butter London Pitter Patter can be purchased from Butter London.

        Thanks for reading! What do you think of Butter London Pitter Patter? Are you excited for the royal baby? What's your favorite purple polish?

Love, Dovey.
Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own. The link in this post is NOT an affiliate link. It is present for your convenience only.

Kiehl's Skin Rescuer moisturizer review + photos

          This summer, Kiehl's Skin Rescuer is coming to the rescue for fatigued, stressed, and dehydrated skin! A sample (thanks to Kiehl's) floated my way just in time; April was a ridiculously busy and stressful month for me, and my sensitive skin has been in need of some serious TLC!

          Kiehl's Skin Rescuer can either be worn alone, or in between your serum and moisturizing steps. I like to use it alone if I just need a light moisturizer to hydrate my skin. If I need more moisture, for example at night or below a matte foundation, I pair it with a regular moisturizer. Kiehl's Skin Rescuer contains ingredients like Rosa Gallica Botanical extract to minimize stress response and Mannose, a barrier protecting sugar. As you can see below, it has a pretty sensitive skin-friendly ingredient list.

         Kiehl's Skin Rescuer ($40 for 2.5 oz.) is sure to buoy the spirits of those with sensitive or tired skin. It's a lightweight moisturizer that's come in handy for me at a time when my skin hasn't been at its best and needs gentle moisturization to keep things under control! Kiehl's Skin Rescuer is available now at Kiehls.com and in fine department stores.

           Thanks for reading! Have you tried Kiehl's Skin Rescuer? What Kiehl's products have you been using lately?

Love, Dovey.
Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Squalane, Propanediol, Undecane, Caprylic/Capric Tryglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii / Shea Butter, Tridecane, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-20 Stearate, Mannose, Lauroyl Lysine, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ammonium Polyacryldimethyltauramide / Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Tocopherol, P-Anisic Acid, Ectoin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Xantham Gum Ceteareth-25, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Rosa Gallica Extract / Rosa Gallica Flower Extract, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, Ceramide NP, Behenic Acid, Cholesterol, Ceramide NS, Cahmomilla Recutita Extract / Matricaria Flower Extract, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide EOS, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Carooyl Sphingosine, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide Fmla 685607 18 F.I.L. Code D55612/1.
Disclosure: The link in this post is NOT and affiliate link; it's present  for your convenience only. This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.  

SpaRitual Reflect nail lacquer collection review + comparison swatches (Summer 2013)

           When I think of summer, I recall the calm, contemplative feeling of warm sunshine gently glowing through my closed eyelids. Perhaps with this sensation in mind, Reflect, SpaRitual's new nail lacquer collection for Summer 2013,  includes colors that really channel a warm, zen vibe. Thanks to SpaRitual, I have the entire collection to share with you today! The SpaRitual Reflect collection (Summer 2013) features six nail lacquers: Joy, Positive Vibe, Kindness, Inner Beauty, Innocence, and Freedom.

           SpaRitual Joy is a light nude nail polish with a secret shimmer. I would say it leans slightly pink (as opposed to yellow), which is flattering on my skintone. SpaRitual Positive Vibe is a warm muted mango yellow creme.

           SpaRitual Kindness is a fiery burnt orange with large gold shimmer particles (I wouldn't quite call them glitter). The finish is semi-matte. SpaRitual Inner Beauty is a duchrome with pink shimmer in a green base. The overall effect is a champagne mauve, which is pretty cool.

           SpaRitual Innocence is a trench coat khaki creme nail polish. It's on the cool side, which looks great against my skin. SpaRitual Freedom is a purple nail lacquer with blue and pink microshimmer. When worn however, the shimmer is less noticeable and the finish is semi-matte.

          I've made a few comparison swatches to give you a better idea of the nuances of each nail polish shade. SpaRitual Joy is a light nude. Sephora by OPI Going Nude Eh? is more yellow toned, while Butter London Shandy (reviewed here) is more peach toned. SpaRitual Positive Vibe is a warm mango yellow. You can see it's quite different from the pure yellow of China Glaze Happy Go Lucky. However, it's less brown than Butter London Tea & Toast (reviewed here). SpaRitual Kindness is a fiery orange nail polish. It is less red and less shimmery than Butter London Sunbaker (reviewed here). It's more orange than Essie Chubby Cheeks as well. SpaRitual Inner Beauty is pink shimmer in a olive base that looks like a champagne mauve. It is much less purple than SpaRitual Bismuth (reviewed here). However it is more mauve than Butter London Champers (reviewed here). SpaRitual Innocence is a trench coat khaki creme nail color. It's darker and a touch more pink toned than OPI Did You 'Ear About Van Gogh? (reviewed here). It's not nearly as dark as NARS Bad Influence. SpaRitual Freedom is blue-based purple. China Glaze Jungle Queen (reviewed here) is darker.  OPI Tease-y does it is darker and has more red tones.

          The warm earthy tones in the SpaRitual Reflect collection call to mind the essence of the summer season and what it brings. All the colors are beautiful, but if I had to pick, my favorites would be SpaRitual Positive Vibe for its uniqueness and SpaRitual Joy for its well nuanced take on a light nude nail polish. SpaRitual nail polishes are available at SpaRitual.com, Sephora, and other beauty retailers.

          Thanks for reading! Which color(s) from the SpaRitual Reflect collection stand out to you most? What SpaRitual colors are in your collection?

Love, Dovey.

Disclosure: The link in this post is NOT an affiliate link; it's present for your convenience. This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.