Diane by Diane von Furstenburg Fragrance Review

I full admit to being a DVF fan. I love her clothing (though it is usually a tad out of my price range. And I'm a doctor.), I love her crusade against counterfeit goods and love that she's done it all on her own terms. When I heard that she was releasing her first new fragrance in about 8 years I had to try it out!

Diane is a woody floral that features the Frangipani flower, which has long been Diane's favorite. Frangipani is a large white flower that Diane first discovered on a trip to Bali, so you know that it isn't a "typical" white floral. It has been combined with Freesia, Pink Peppercorn, Patchouli and musk.

Notes:
Top Notes: Pink Peppercorn and White Freesia
Middle Notes: Frangripani,Violet
Base Notes: Myrrh, Musk, Patchouli

When I initially apply Diane I get a whole lot of Pink Peppercorn and a little bit of something floral, which I think is the Frangripani. I'm not a Pink Peppercorn fan (I've refused to review fragrances in the past that heavily feature this note), so it's a good thing that with the dry down it diminishes! I just grin and bear it.

For me, the dry down was unusually long at about 30 minutes. Once I've gotten through it, the Pink Peppercorn has faded somewhat, and the florals have come forward a bit. I can now smell the Freesia and Frangripani, though there is just a bit of a violet edge. The Pink Peppercorn is still present but no longer demanding attention and everything is grounded by a little bit of a quiet patchouli and a slightly heavier musk. While describe as a woody floral, I definitely did feel it was more woody floral with a bit of an oriental twist.

With so much of a woodsy feel, I did think that the fragrance was trying for the sexy vibe, and somewhat succeeding... though perhaps trying a tad too hard to get there? I can see this as a great fragrance for heading out in an overly ambitious dress and sky high heels. But it doesn't seem to be a good match for the understated sexy wrap dresses that Diane has designed to build her empire.

Diane by Diane von Furstenburg

Lippie Love: Lip Savvy Love Game

This color was much softer than I had expected once applied. It feels hydrating, though it is a little bit sticky. I didn't mind because this stuff seriously tastes amazing! It's sweet and a bit fruity. I can't really describe it any better than that. I had a hard time not eating it off my lips!

The gloss includes anti-oxidants to help fight aging and a ton of ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, to add moisture and plump things up a bit.

Lip Savvy

Bel Mondo Beauty: Moisture + Bio-Cellulose = Glow

Lately, my amazing hubby has been helping me carve out a few (ok, maybe 15-20) extra minutes for some morning pampering. It isn't do-able every day, but about once a week he balances our dog (super old, some strange spinal condition so he wears two diapers for accidents not to mention his anxiety and weakness issues) and super energetic and sometimes clingy 9 month old. All in the name of letting me spend some extra time under the shower and maybe have a chance to squeeze in a bit of pampering for myself. When this happens, I break out a mask!

This weekend I used a new type of mask for me, an infused bio-cellulose mask from Bel Mondo. Bio-cellulose is artificially created in a lab. It is 200x finer and 4x stronger than cellulose from plants/wood. The process takes 10 days, basically putting a special bacterial formula into a mold and letting things grow, though I'm sure there is a lot of special care that goes into this along the way.

The film is amazing. It is actually pretty thick (I think it feels at least 1 mm thick), and is somewhat translucent. It can hold up to 100x its dry weight in fluid, so a lot of active ingredients can be infused. Then, once you put it on the skin it is so pliable that it lies very easily on the skin surface. Obviously this has medical uses such as burn and wound dressings, but here we're using it for something much more mundane. A face mask.

The mask itself is somewhat large (it will definitely fit your face!), and there are holes in it for your eyes, nose and mouth. The directions talk about removing outer layers in a certain order as you apply it, blah blah blah. I found it too hard to move the mask around this way. I ended up removing the outer layers so I could just position the mask itself. I found this much easier for application. The mask is thick and has some strength, though it isn't super strong. I didn't tear it at all, but I would just treat it fairly gingerly. Once it is positioned where you want it, smooth out the bio-cellulose and fold flaps under the mask for access to your eyes.

The mask feels somewhat heavy (I guess that is the 100x its dry weight in fluid!), and is cool. I found it to be a bit cold for me, though in the future I'll probably warm it up by putting the mask in warm water for a bit before opening it. It is definitely moist! Leave it on for about 20 minutes, and then simply pull the whole thing off. The mask does not dry at all, so there will be a lot of left over liquid on your face. Rub it in to your skin (it does absorb pretty quickly) for added moisture. It leaves a very light residue, though I could apply makeup later without an issue.

I used the Anti-Aging mask, which contains a ton of moisture with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and ceramides. It also contains peptides, which yes do need to work over time, but a little boost every now and then certainly isn't going to hurt. Mostly I loved the huge boost in moisture, I was definitely glowing after my treatment!






Bel Mondo Beauty

Lippie Love: Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipstick in Musk

Bite Beauty is a somewhat new (since this summer) brand available exclusively at Sephora. They concentrate solely on lippie products, which they've formulated without lots of things (Parabens, Sulfates, Synthetic Fragrances, Synthetic Dyes, Petrochemicals, Phthalates, GMOs, and Triclosan). They've also packed the formulas full of anti-oxidants, each lipstick contains the amount of resveratrol found in five glasses of red wine.

I really love this lipstick. It is a nude color in the tube, but comes across as a bit pinker once applied. It really is a very universally flattering color that applies easily, lasts for hours and feels very hydrating. I've been carrying it around with me a lot, so it can sometimes be hard to find (Which purse is that Bite lipstick in? Hmmm.....) in my mind that can only be a positive recommendation.

DiorShow Iconic: Finally, a Clump Free Mascara From Dior!

In the past, I've always been disappointed by DiorShow. I hear tons of raves for these popular mascaras, but when I've tried them in the past the result has just been lashes full of clumps.

A few months ago, I found their new Iconic mascara on an end cap at my local Sephora. At the time I was having a particularly hard time keeping my lashes curled for more than about 5 minutes, so when the display promised "curling" I grabbed this mascara!

According to the Sephora website, the "oblique cut brush that gives an extra lash-curling effect. With its long, skinny teeth, the plastic comb brush allows you to precisely coat each lash one-by-one-creating a long, separated fan of lashes that usually takes the skill of a makeup artist."

Since buying this mascara, I've had some amazing lash growing success (I used Revitalash)and the result is that now rather than having lashes that won't curl, I have lashes that are very easy to tangle. Seriously, it is actually a problem. They are so long that they can easily get bunched up and I need help to keep them separated.

The brush from DiorShow Iconic does help keep my lashes separated. The bristles are plastic and don't move around a lot, but because they spiral around the brush they do pick up most of the little lashes that are otherwise easily missed. Application was easy and I didn't even need to wipe off the mascara wand first. I think it does a great job of giving me added length and volume without looking clumpy. There was no flaking or smudging, though I did lose some curl by the end of the day. It removes very easily with pretty much any makeup remover.

DiorShow Iconic Mascara