Author: Lindsay

Carven Le Parfum

I may be a beauty junkie, but I also have a deep and profound love for fashion. Particularly the history of fashion. So when I found out the house of Carven, founded in 1945, was launching its only third scent, I knew I was on board to love it. I’ve been wearing it the past couple weeks and have fallen. Surprisingly though since it is quite the juxtoposition to the more masculine scents I usually love.

The founder of Carven, Carmen de Tommaso, “Madame” Carven, was short in stature, but transformed the way women looked at their wardrobe. She was free from convention but still with a great sense of style. Known for lines that lengthened the figure, she gave new meaning to the décolleté. (PS – she also invente the half-cup uplift bra in 1950.)

Her scents were “Ma Griffe” in 1946 and “Vétiver” in 1957. “Ma Griffe”, a chypré fragrance, was inspired by the grace of a light summer dress swaying in a soft breeze. The perfumer Jean Carles celebrated the launch of the fragrance by releasing thousands of samples into the skies over Paris. “Vétiver”, the father of many fragrances in its family, was born in 1957 in a salute to Philippe Mallet, Madame Carven’s first husband. “Vétiver” made an instant name for itself and continues today to enjoy great success among men.

In 2009, Guillaume Henry was asked to take over the artistic direction of the fashion House, making for a huge hit in both celebrities and buyers alike. The house now is making a splash with the launch of its third fragrance, Carven Le Parfum, made by perfumer Francis Kurkdjian. It has a simple effervesance while still being very feminine.

The main notes include:

Mandarin Blossom
White Hyacinth
Sweet Pea
Jasmine
Ylang Ylang
White Sandal Wood
Osmanthus
Indonesian Patchouli

On me, the scent dries down floral and almost powdery, soft and perfect for summer. Almost as good as the scent itself, the packaging is inspired by freshness with the classic Carvan green stripe and architectural lettering.

The scent is exclusively at Saks and hits counters on Thursday. Right now through Thursday is Saks’ Spend$Some, Get$Some event – shop and receive a gift card!

AN EDITORIAL SAMPLE MAY HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY AND EVALUATED TO DETERMINE OUR OPINION OF THE PRODUCT IN THIS POST. PLEASE SEE THE DISCLOSURES PAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING OUR POLICIES FOR USING EDITORIAL SAMPLES.

Keeping Summer Feet Beautiful on FOX23’s Great Day Green Country

Feet aren’t the most glamorous subject but let’s be honest… during this flip flop season we need to keep our tootsies look fabulous too. I’ve rounded up some of my favorite ways to keep my feet in order over the warmer months including the hottest nail shade of the season. If you are in the Tulsa area, tune into FOX 23’s Great Day Green Country this morning. I’ll be chatting all my favorites with the lovely Lacey Lett!

Julep Warming Foot Scrub – Even in the summer, this warming scrub tends to do the best job at gently removing dead skin on my feet. The cucumber mint scented scrub warms up on contact, soothing sore feet. Containing real pumice, the formula works great at exfoliation. Also chili pepper oil stimulates circulation while vitamin E nourishes. $13

St. Ives Triple Butters Nourishing Vanilla Body Wash – St. Ives always does such a great job on body washes. The reason I love this new formula for the feet is its packed with nourishing ingredients like jojoba, shea, and cocoa butters, leaving skin soft. And we all know I am a sucker for calming vanilla scents. $4

Bio-Oil – This multi-use skincare oil is my favorite thing to moisturize cuticles. Not to mention it works great against scars. I have a nasty one on my left foot thanks to a broken bone a couple years ago. I like to apply at night and wear socks for super dose of hydration and soft feet. $12

Coppertone Wet ‘n Clear Continuous Spray Sunscreen, SPF 45 – This SPF is a current beach bag MVP. I love that you can apply on wet skin. The formula cuts through water while also being water resistant. Perfect for applying to feet that just dipped into the ocean. The tops of feet are so easy to burn and so often are missed when applying sun screen. $7

Essie in Marshmallow – White toes are the biggest hottest trend this summer (not to mention one of my favorite nail looks of the season). Check out my manicure here. I love the look on the toes – so clean and fresh – perfect to show off a tan! $8

Check out the clip of the segment here!:

Favorite Summer Finds From The Drugstore

Beauty doesn’t have to be budget busting! Here are some favorite things I’ve found either in the drugstore aisles over the past couple of weeks.

gud, a line of natural products from Burt’s Bees has long been a favorite. I love natural products at such a great price point. One thing they do particularly well is Natural Body Wash in Vanilla Flame and Ruby Red Groovy. I am huge lover of vanilla scents and this one is balanced and not too sweet. I also love rotating in Ruby Red Groovy with its zesty and energizing notes of grapefruit and mandarin. The formulas are packed with hydrating Sunflower Seed Oil, Black Walnut Leaf Extract and Raspberry Leaf extract. Not tested on animals.

I adore spray sunscreens (just remember to heavily cover the area you need to protect). The newest from Coppertone is perfect for those “so hot you can’t get out of the pool for more than two minutes” kind of days. Coppertone Wet ‘n Clear Continuous Spray Sunscreen, SPF 45 has great a great SPF factor and cuts through water while also being water resistant, making it perfect to apply to wet skin. I also love that it doesn’t leave a white cast – it is perfectly clear.

I picked up the CoverGirl Wetslicks Fruit Spritzers Lip Gloss on a whim and they are literally one of my new most favorite things. Always a sucker for something fruit (a la lip smackers), these guys have a great flavor. I selected up Watermelon Splash and Guave Splash on a recent CVS trip (right now, CVS has CoverGirl buy 1, get one 50% off). But not only is the flavor great… but the actually lip balm is a winner. Not too sticky but packed with shine. It also conditions with botanical ingredients.

Always searching for a multi-tasker, I was smitten with the IMAN Bronzing Powder in Afterglow. This trio can be worn as a bronzer or a blush. I’ve found when I mix all three colors it is a dark and rosy bronzer. It is pretty dramatic on my medium toned skin, but I love it for when I really want to bronze it up. And it would be stunning on those with darker skin tones. It has a sheer and radiant finish.

The Revlon PhotoReady Kajal Intense Eye Liner + Brightener is all over magazines lately and I just had to get my paws on one of em. I always wear black eyeliner, but with the casual summer days and nights, I wanted something a little more playful. I was so tempted to go with Blue Nile, but to bring out my green in my eyes, I selected Purple Reign. The light end works great on my lower water line to brighten eyes. And the regal gives my hazel eyes a sparkle. The pencil is soft and applies easily and I get a day of wear time out of the liner.

Nutrisystem Week 33

This week, I lost 0.2 pounds for a total weight loss of 36.4 pounds. Hey, I’ll take a down week no matter how small. Given my bout of bronchitis, I haven’t been running as much as usual, so I am happy that the pounds didn’t stack back on. Finally feeling a little better today, I am excited to get back in a routine STAT. And you better bet I’ll be after it harder than ever now that I have my energy back.

Speaking of routine, I wanted to talk a little about Nutrisystem’s new meals! I am so excited for the additions they announced here. The new snacks include:

White Cheddar Popcorn
Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Whole Grain Soft Pretzel

Can you say YUM!? White Cheddar Popcorn is a huge favorite. And these snacks provide a great does of fiber and protein that keeps me feeling full. The new dinners are:

Chef’s Table® Tilapia with Asparagus & Rice
Chef’s Table® Spaghetti Primavera with Chicken Meatballs
Chef’s Table® Grilled Chicken Sausage & Peppers
Chef’s Table® Whole Wheat Ricotta Crepes

Oh yeah, I said Crepes. And I know my seafood nut of a dad is going to go nuts over the Tilapia! I never ever feel deprived on Nutrisystem, and with this new variety, there is always something to look forward to. Can’t wait to try them all!

Check out last week’s Nutrisystem post here.

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting Nutrisystem.

Disclosure: As part of the Nutrisystem Nation Blogger Program, Nutrisystem has provided me with complementary meals in exchange for my honest thoughts on the Nutrisystem plan. The opinions expressed in my posts are strictly my own. No other compensation is being given.

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Summer Hair Staple: Alterna Bamboo Beach

I have beach on the brain lately. I’m headed to the Caribbean in two short weeks to celebrate a friend’s birthday. And to get my locks in tip top shape, I’ve been drinking up the Alterna Bamboo Beach line. It is specially designed to provide UV protection, help combat the damaging effects of the sun, pool and saltwater/ Not to mention, it has one of the best smelling scents perfect for the summer – Brazilian Mango & Coconut Milk.

The favorite of the bunch (although hard to pick) has been the Bamboo Beach Summer Sun Recovery Spray, a leave-in conditioner. I throw this in my pool bag to treat hair while in the sun. I spray it on dry hair and throw it up in a bun. Not only do I get UV protection, but my hair is soft, tangle free and hydrated. And the scent is perfect for pool time.

Before styling, I have been spraying on Bamboo Beach Summer Ocean Waves. While I don’t use this as a traditional sea salt, applying to damp hair and then rough drying, I’ve found it makes a great texturizer. I apply to damp hair and then style with my round brush as usual. I get just the perfect amount of volume. And I’ve found my hair styles last even longer! This product isn’t as strong in the fragrance department, but still totally pleasant.

Just this very morning, I was aching to get a blow out just one more day. Bamboo Beach Mango Coconut Refreshing Dry Shampoo did the trick! I got revitalized volume and my hair looked totally refreshed. Even though the powder is white, it absorbed quickly and didn’t look ashy on my dark brown hair. Major bonus on the fragrance.

New NEST Sicilian Tangerine

What could be more perfectly summer than a juicy and tropical scent? The newest from NEST Fragrances is the perfect balance for these warmer months. While I do love my Moroccan Amber, I was searching for something zestier and lighter for my home lately. Enter Sicilian Tangerine. Tangerine, passion fruit and mango are softened with bergamot, musk and praline.

Sicilian Tangerine Scented Candle has the classic glass vase and cosmetic-grade wax that NEST is known for. I think NEST candles do the best job of really permiating the room with scent without overwhelming. The Sicilian Tangerine Reed Diffuser is a new favorite because you can just leave it going. There is no wick trimming or worring about forgeting to blow out the candles at night (it has been done at my house – whoops!). These diffussers last for an amazing 90 days. Not to mention make for a chic home accessory.

And now through July 14th at Neiman Marcus, The Beauty Tools Event: Score limited-time gifts when you shop our best tools of the trade online through July 14.