2007 seems to have gone by so quickly, that I hardly seem to have made any favorites at all. In fact, 2007 could be the year of dabbling – I tried this and that but didn’t really fall in love, like I did last year with Primer Potion, for example. But my dabbling notwithstanding, I can still think of some bright spots amidst the flood.

Bourjois’ Yes To Volume mascara reigns as my favorite mascara this year.  It rocks! It separates lashes like nobody’s business and gives me movie star lashes. It’s desert island-worthy. Bad Gal Blue from Benefit runs a very close second – it also gives very nice separation and volume. Its fatal flaw (from being desert island-worthy) is that I sometimes smudge things up with the big brush if I’m in a hurry.

My favorite “help me, I didn’t get enough sleep and look like death” product: Guerlain Meteorites.  The one I have was a limited edition, but I imagine any of them will do the trick. It’s a subtle brightening effect that gives you a glow without being overly sparkly. The iris scent is nice too.

Blush… since I’ve gotten really lazy about makeup for work, I find that foundation, blush and mascara are the things I’m wearing every day. The blush colors that have risen to the top: Nars (naturally, since Nars blushes RULE) in Madly and Oasis, Bobbi Brown in Rose and Blushed, and Cargo in Sunset Beach BeachBlush and Gold Coast SuedeBlush. Honorable mentions to Becca Creme Blush in Lotus and Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Whipped Strawberries.

My lip gloss addiction hasn’t faded. I’m reaching mostly for my mark. glosses from a holiday set, which I’m pretty sure are these colors in the regular lineup. The almond one is my favorite, and the one I’ll buy when my mini size is gone. Honorable mention goes to Lancome Juicy Tubes.

Naming a favorite perfume is darned near impossible, since this was an area of serious dabbling. If you were going to twist my arm, though, I’d say that KenzoAmour and L de Lolita are the two I love the most, from the 2007 purchasing year.

In skincare, my favorite product is still the Shikai Borage Therapy eye cream. It rules.

In bath and body… no single product rules. I got seriously addicted to lotion this year, so I guess lotion is my product of the year, any brand. Lush gets my nod as a company I really started exploring this year.

There are already products I want to try, but a Oooh it’s a New Year post will have to wait. It’s bedtime.

Well… I meant to post more pre-Christmas stuff, but work (oh retail) got the better of me. So here it is almost New Years, and I’m thinking of Best Of and Resolutions instead.

Anyway, I wanted to post about a new shampoo I bought, which is delect-a-mable. It’s Chocolate Soy Milk Shampoo by the Sexy Hair people. Oh my.

Packaged in a cute milk bottle, it has chamomile, nettle, and horsetail extract, which are supposed to add shine and smoothness. It also has a sunscreen to protect color. It’s got a really yummy scent (but won’t leave your hair chocolate scented all day) and is sulfate-free.

What I really like is how soft and smooth my hair feels after using it. It really seems to be doing nice job cleansing my hair but not drying it out. And the scent… it’s really soothing, especially since food scents are comfort scents for me. It’s definitely a nice way to start the day.

Sexy Hair products can be purchased at salons and beauty supply stores. I got mine at Beauty First, because there’s one at the mall where I work and they give a mall discount. I bought the smaller size bottle this time, but next time I’m getting the big kahuna bottle. This stuff is worth it.

For anyone who has a few hundred dollars lying around, or whose wife/girlfriend/significant other has been really good this year, here are my picks for super luxurious beauty gifts.

First up, the L de Lolita Lempicka Baccarat Collector’s Edition.  L de Lolita Lempicka is one of my favorite fragrances, and here it’s housed in a beautiful Baccarat crystal bottle with gold and topaz accents. At a mere 800 Euros (plus a trip to France, since this is Sephora.fr we’re talking about here) it’s a steal!

Violette Eau de Parfum from Fresh sounds lovely, with notes of violet, freesia, rose, bergamot, mandarin, cypress, patchouli, sandalwood, and amber. Fresh perfumes are usually beautiful – I don’t always love them, but I do love violet scents. This one is only $95.

Bond No. 9 has some really gorgeous bottles decorated with Swarovski crystals on their gift list. If I were picking for me, I’d want the Scent of Saks (oh gardenia and jasmine) or the big kahuna – The I Love New York Double-Decker.  The Scent of Saks crystal bottle is $550 and the double-decker set is $1600. There is also a Nuits de Noho (with such pretty crystal stars), a crystal Scent of Peace, and a crystal Chinatown. They’re all fabulous. I’m going to be in NYC in late January and visiting Bond No. 9 is high on my to-do list. I can’t wait to sniff all the different scents, and maybe taking one home…

L’Artisan Parfumeur, a niche perfumer with some amazing creations, has two limited editions I’d love to have. Fleur d’Oranger is from the 2007 harvest of orange blossoms. Have I mentioned how much I adore orange blossom?  The bottle is gorgeous, and I’m betting the scent is divine. If only I had $295 lying around. Iris Pallida is the other one I want. I love the scent of iris, and this blend sounds so gooooood.

For the ultimate in bathing luxury, try the Soul of the Rose soap from Daybreak Lavender Farm. It’s made with pure rose absolute (take it from me, the stuff is super-spendy) and I’m guessing it’s probably really great soap. At almost $20 a bar, it better be.

I tend to think of luxury skincare as being outrageous and not worth the price, but here are two products I’d use. L’Occitane’s Immortelle Cream Mask is nothing short of luxurious on the skin – rich, creamy, but not greasy, and my face literally glows after I use it. (Yes, I actually do use this, despite the price.) Because I’m more oily (but with dry spots) I use a damp cloth to wipe it off instead of just tissuing it off. But no breakouts, and my face looks and feels so nice. If I had the money lying around I’d try Lush’s Gorgeous moisturizer at night. Avocado oil, wheatgerm oil, evening primrose… mmmmm. However, I’m not rich so I’ll stick with the luxe-feeling but not luxe-priced Alaffia Rooibos & Shea Butter Antioxidant Face Cream at night.

Since I can’t afford most of these things, I’ll just enjoy fantasizing about them…lol. Later this week I’ll do a eco-friendly/wallet-friendly list.

Bath and Body Works has a line of products called Temptations. They are all food scents. Last year they had a chocolate scent called Wickedly Hot Chocolate that is scrumptious. You can still find it on eBay, naturally.

This fall they introduced Simply Divine Cherry Pie, which I fell in love with. I bought two bottles and the lotion. Yes, I am a sucker. But hey, I’m halfway through one bottle because I wash my hair with it sometimes. It’s gone from stores, but can also be found on the eBay.

Which brings me to Dreamy Chocolate Mint. It seems like it would be hard to top Wickedly Hot Chocolate, but the chocolate mint manages it. It’s chocolatey without being too sweet-smelling. It’s a dark chocolate scent, with the hint of mint to liven things up. Being the total sucker I am, I bought the matching lotion. It’s slather-able. I’m mildly tempted by the Sassy Strawberry Mint but I’ll wait until after Christmas when it goes on sale.

It’s the versatility of these products that I like so much. It’s nice both as a body wash and as a shampoo, so if I want the total body experience I’ll shampoo and then wash… and then slather lotion.

And speaking of slathering lotion, I need to mention this again. It’s the Sephora Body Butter, and I can’t recommend it enough. It is SO rich but not greasy. I love to scoop it out and slather it all over my legs. The Tropical Jasmine scent is the one I have, but I’m in lust for more – especially the Coconut Almond and Citrus Sage.

Hello, my name is Claire and I’m a perfume addict. I can’t help it. I just love fragrance. Few things cheer me up when I’m down like a spritz of a favorite scent. I’ve added a few new ones lately that I want to share.

Tom Ford Black Orchid is a beautiful scent, but a little heavy for work. I chose the eau de toilette instead because it is a smidge lighter. Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur is $45 for 1 oz at Sephora and features notes of Black Truffle, Bergamot, Honeysuckle, Gardenia, Black Orchid, Black Pepper, Lotus Wood, Noir Gourmand Accord, Vanilla Tears, Patchouli, Balsam, and Sandalwood. The bottle is black glass, so pretty. It’s a floral with a twist.

Bvlgari Rose Essentielle has been on my list forever, and now that they have a super-cute o.34 oz. size I decided the time was right to purchase. I know, the small sizes aren’t a good value, but I have so many fragrances I don’t mind. Besides, it’s refillable – if I get a full-size bottle, I can refill my little one for travel. Rose Essentielle has notes of Rose Prelude, Blackberry, Violet Leaf, Living Mimosa, Jasminum Sambac, Patchouli, and Bois de Gaiac. There is something SO familiar about the notes in this perfume, something that reminds me strongly of my childhood. I can’t put my finger on it though. I love this scent.

Pacifica makes some of the loveliest scented candles around, and it was with much excitement that I saw they are offering perfumes. I am obsessed with neroli, the essential oil from orange blossoms. This scent has such an appeal for me, and it’s hard to find (it’s also crazy expensive for the real essential oil, or I’d just buy some and make my own). Anyway, Pacifica has a Nerola Orange Blossom perfume, and it’s amazing. It’s very true to neroli, and while the lasting power could be better, it’s not too expensive. If I got the matching body cream, it would probably last longer.

Last, but not least, is Iris from L’Occitane. Again, there’s a note here that reminds me of childhood (I suspect it’s the violet, that seems to be the common denominator when I get this sensation from scents) and in general, I just love how fresh and pretty this scent is. It has notes of Bergamot, Pink Pepper, Iris, Galbanum, Violet, Papyrus, and Tonka Bean.

On the wish list? Kelly Caleche from Hermes. I’ve decided I love it.