I can’t say that I’ve ever tried anything by Sally Hansen before. You know Sally Hansen. Found in drugstores everywhere, the brand is mostly known for nail care products. Lots and lots of nail care products. Since I’m too lazy to do anything with my nails but rub cuticle oil in occasionally and keep them trimmed, I don’t buy nail products. But lately I’ve been noticing the “Have you seen Sally?” ad campaigns in Allure and Lucky magazines, and when I saw two Sally Hansen products featured in Lucky recently, I figured I’d check out the brand.

The first product was a lip product called Comfort Shine Lip Glaze. The cute little pot (and product description) was strongly reminiscent of Lancome’s Juicy Gelees. I liked the Gelee formula but decidedly DID NOT care for the stick-your-finger-in-it application method – and I’m too lazy to carry a lip brush with me most of the time. Lucky said Lip Glaze came with a “little rubber wand.” I had to check it out and snagged one in “Fresh Strawberry” on my latest trip to Walgreens. The verdict? Yes, this is a cool product. The color is very, very sheer, perfect for no-makeup days when you want a little something to keep you from looking dead (I have pale lips). The rubber wand is a little weird at first, but definitely preferable to sticking a finger in the product – and is probably the cleverest applicator I have seen in a long time, the way it hides under the lid. It’s glossy without being sticky or too greasy.

The other product featured in Lucky is the Sally Hansen La Cross Foot Smoothing Disk. (I’m really irritated that I can’t find it on any official SH website, so I have to settle for a Walgreen’s link.) This little sucker proved a little hard to find – the first two stores I went to looking for it didn’t have it.  Anyway, it’s a plastic disk with funny ridges. You rub it on your heels in the shower and with daily use, your heels get smoother. And seriously, it works!! I have the worlds nastiest feet (in my opinion). My feet are seriously abused, since I stand for 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week for my job. They are dry dry dry, and the heels get drier and tough and just plain painful. Foot lotion alone doesn’t cut it. Regular use of the disk + foot lotion means happier feet. Yay!

Since I was getting something for my feet, I also splurged (heheh, okay, they were cheap) on new toe separators and something for ingrown toenails (a problem, with all that standing). Also, since Walgreen’s had the Natural Butter Lip Shimmer in a two-for-one set, I snagged them in Pure (a pink shade) and Bliss (a berry color). At some point I’ll do a post about tinted balms, so I’ll write about those then.

All in all, I think Sally is a brand I can recommend.

Summertime requires a lighter perfume. As much as I love my Flowerbomb and Casmir and KenzoAmour, they can be a little overwhelming on a hot day. It’s terrible, really, given the number of warm, heavy scents I own, so I’ve been trying to add some lighter perfumes to my collection. On the plus side, I do still wear the warm scents for night-time events (applied sparingly) or on days where I’ll be inside a heavily air-conditioned location.

But, here are five perfumes I do love to wear during the summer, in no particular order.

1. Believe by Britney Spears. Again, I can’t Believe (ha! ha!) I’m admitting to wearing a Britney fragrance in a public forum, but oh well. The perfume is pretty and nice for summer. The patchouli keeps it from devolving into a sticky, fruity mess, and the fruits keep it light and pleasant for a hot day.

2. Carlos Santana for Women. This is a perfume is one of my favorites year-round. It’s fruity, but has some lovely chocolate and sandalwood base notes that add some interest. Somehow this one just screams summer to me – the fruits and slightly tropical appeal, but with the warmth of the base notes. “Man it’s a hot one…”

3. Anything citrus. I have several to chose from, including I Love Love from Moschino, Citrus Verbena from L’Occitane, Ralph Rocks from Ralph Lauren, and the super long-lasting Satsuma perfume oil from The Body Shop. Citrus and summer just go together, don’t they? Lemon, grapefruit, orange… they make you feel cooler on a hot day. Except for the Citrus Verbena, the ones listed here have okay staying power too.

4. Rose & Reine by L’Occitane and Rose Essentielle by Bulgari. There is something eternally summery about roses. Rose & Reine avoids any old-lady cliches by adding berry and apricot notes to heart of roses. Rose Essentielle does seem a little old-ladyish, but I don’t care. It has a note (it’s probably the violet, other violet scents evoke this same reaction) that strongly reminds me of something from my childhood. I can never put my finger on it – it was probably something silly like one of those scented dolls that were so popular in the 80’s. Anyway, both these scents definitely hit my “favorites for summer” hot list.

5. Blu Mediterraneo – Mandorlo Di Sicilia from Acqua di Parma. This is a new one for me, since I bought it only a few weeks ago. It’s one of the few sweet gourmand scents I actually want to wear on a hot day, because it also has some cool citrus notes thrown in (orange and bergamot). It’s so yummy and good, I just love it.

Honorable mention: Fresh’s Sugar scents are great for summer, being very citrusy and clean.

Bath and Body Works is having their Big Sale and the candles reeled me in this time. I now have way too many Slatkin & Co. 6 oz. candles. They are container candles, in heavy glass, so so elegant. Bath & Body Works’ site is hideous for linking to, but here’s a link to one: the White Flowers candle. I bought this one, and several other scents, including Bamboo Jasmine, Espresso, and Herbs Vinaigrette. The linked candle is full price – I got mine 75% off.

The Henri Bendel candles are also fabulous and I’ve been a fan for a long time. Limited Brands, the parent company of B&BW also owns Henri Bendel (the department store I fell in love with in New York), so the HB candles are carried at Bath & Body Works stores. The Henri Bendel candles were 50% off, so I snagged a Grapefruit, Citrus Blossom, and Fig. If I could afford it, I’d be tempted to get one of each of the ones on the Henri Bendel website. They are that good.

The Body Shop is also having a sale, but I wasn’t quite as taken with their selection as I was with the candles (I did some serious damage with multiple trips for candles, lol). But I did pick up a Blushing Daisies blush and one of the eyeshadow buds. I blogged about these back in March and was happy to get them on sale now.

Let’s not forget that Yankee Candle is ALSO having a sale (they do this on purpose, I swear!!) and I stocked up there too. I went to town on the $1 votives (Greenhouse! Fudge Ripple!) and was seriously tempted by some of the jar candle specials. But given the candle haul from Bath & Body, I withstood temptation. I already know I’m going to have to get some of the new scents next month (when I don’t feel so guilty about buying so many damned candles) because Chocolate Cupcake and Cafe au Lait and Cinnamon & Sugar are just too good to miss.

Sales kill me. I always end up with a haul.

Speaking of visiting Phoenix, while I was there I went shopping! (Naturally.) I went to Neiman Marcus to sniff perfume. I was a little disappointed that they didn’t really have anything that Nordstrom doesn’t have, except…

Acqua di Parma! (I’m linking to Sephora because their website is easier to navigate.) I fell in love with the Blu Mediterraneo Mandorlo di Sicilia Eau de Toilette. The husband and I decided it smelled like almond cookies on me (in the BEST way) and it just needed to come home with me. Whee! It has notes of bergamot, star anise, jasmine, green almond, white peach, white cedarwood, musk, vanilla, and coffee. My mom makes these Italian anise and almond cookies every Christmas (best dunked in coffee, naturally) and this perfume captures that scent perfectly. Love it!

When I returned home I hit up Sephora for a few things I’ve been wanting/needing. I’m giving the Stila SPF 30 Tinted Moisturizer a whirl. I loved the original formula, and I figure oil-free should be even better. I also picked up another of my holy grail Bourjois Yes to Volume! No to Clumps! mascara. It rocks!!!

Husband and I both thought the new Nectarine Blossom fragrance in Sephora’s body line was nice, so I snagged a body butter. I’ve raved before about how great the formula is -  thick, rich, not greasy, amazing fragrances… my tub of Lime Blossom is already half empty.

It’s not on the website yet, but the one extravagance was a Nars double-ended lip gloss.  The pair I bought was Chihuahua and Rose Birman. Chihuahua is a guava pink shade, great for a hint of color and lots of shine. Rose Birman is my new lip color love – it’s described as sheer raspberry cream, and that’s pretty accurate. It looks super dark in the tube, but goes on sheer and gives the lips a berry-stained look. However, it’s not too purple like so many “berry” colors. Oh man, I’m in love. I love Nars glosses because they have NO obnoxious taste, they aren’t sticky or greasy, and they wear well for a gloss. Worth every penny, I say.

Now if the weather in Oregon would just cooperate and produce some sunshine, I’ll actually believe it’s summertime!

I spent the weekend in Phoenix, and it was fabulous. The weather in Oregon has been LOUSY. It’s been cloudy, and unseasonably cold. I went to my little brother’s high school graduation last night and it was 50 degrees out. We all froze in the bleachers.

So, what does an Oregon girl pack for a trip to the land of sunshine? Sunscreen! I used the SPF 15 for the lips from Badger Balm, and it was pretty good. It does have a slight whitish cast to it, but it’s not terrible and I just slapped a little lip gloss over it. It also helped keep my lips from drying out. Oh my gosh, it is incredibly DRY down there compared to the Pacific Northwest!

I decided to try the SPF 30 for the face and SPF 15 from the body that L’Occitane offers. I tried some on in the store and liked how the body one felt on my skin. A lot of mineral-based sunscreens feel icky on the skin (that means you, Burt’s Bees!) but this one was really silky. The face one was also quite nice – very silky, not greasy at all.

Since it was so hot compared to home, I kept the makeup really simple. No foundation, just a little concealer, some sparkly powder, and waterproof mascara.

I really enjoyed the sunshine. I wish we’d get a little of that (and some warmth!!) here at home, now.

As I use up facial care products, I like to get new ones… so here’s my current skincare routine, slightly updated from February.

I finished up my tube of Ultra Rich Foaming Cleanser, and switched to L’Occitane Foaming Rice Cleanser. I may have found my holy grail cleanser. It has this ultra-luxurious foaming action, and the nicest scent. The scent reminds me of this Avon rice cleanser I used a while ago, but that formula wasn’t nearly this nice. I’m using this day and night. It takes off makeup, and leaves my skin soft but not tight or dry-feeling.

I’m going back and forth between the Zia Sea Tonic Aloe toner and Purifying Rice toner. Ugh, I can’t decide which I like better!! I love the scent of the Zia and the fact that it’s a spray, but I like the mattifying action of the rice toner. Hmm, maybe one for day and one for night? I’m so pathetic.

I started using Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Eliminating Spot Gel all over my t-zone, where I commonly get blemishes. It’s not too drying, it dries quickly, and it plays nicely with my other products. It’s also cheap. It has a lovely texture, sort of a cream-gel. While it is marketed as a spot treatment, it’s basically a 2% salicylic acid gel like any other, so I’m not concerned that I’m smearing it over a large area. It’s doing good things for my pores. I do this morning and night.

In the morning, I started using Origins Plantidote Mega-Mushroom Face Serum. I wandered into an Origins store back before my elbow surgery and was treated to a mini-facial. It was nice, and the serum was the one product I really liked. Of course, the claims are nicely vague: “Your skin will look and feel calmer, healthier and less stressed.” I have to agree, my skin does look and feel healthier and less stressed. The skin on my cheeks, which typically is bumpy and uneven, does seem smoother. It has a lovely scent and feel, which was what hooked me originally. It’s a giant bottle, so I will probably be into some other serum by the time I finish this one, but in the meantime, I’m enjoying it.

For day, I use L’Occitane Precious Fluid. I finished my jar of Apple Velvet Concentrate (which I loved) but decided to go back to the fluid since it’s lighter. I like a lighter moisturizer as the weather gets warmer. I can see myself going back and forth between these two.

At night, it’s the Neutrogena, and I found a super blemish-blaster in an unlikely source: L’Occitane Ultra Comforting Serum. I got a sample of it, and on a whim decided to put it on a big, red, ouchy pimple before bed one night. I figured, what is a pimple but a localized inflammation? The serum is supposed to calm inflammation. Lo and behold, the bugger was practically gone by morning. Whee!! I got a bottle to keep on hand, and I use it at night just on any active (or emerging blemishes). I’m also back to using the Elixir for the anti-aging benefit.

I’m still using Lush’s Afterlife at night, but I will switch to Ultra Comforting Cream when it’s gone, because I got it in a set with the serum.

My eye creams haven’t changed from February – still trying to finish the Dior cream and working on the tube of Clarins. Likewise with scrubs. I might switch to Philosophy Never Let Them See You Shine scrub, however. I got a sample, and I really liked it. Maybe when I finish what I have, I’ll investigate it further.

My face seems pretty happy with this routine. I only seem to get pimples if I slack off and skip washing my face too often.

My feet hate me. They get sore, they get dry, they get tough calluses on the heels. I rely on a few products to make them hate me less. Since it’s sandal season, I figured I’d do a foot care post.

I use a terra cotta foot scrubber (this one, specifically) in the shower on my heels. The terra cotta scrubbers seem to be a little more gentle than pumice. Use it at the end of your shower when the water has softened up the skin, right before you get out.

At night I use L’Occitane’s Shea Butter Foot Cream all over my feet. The light lavender scent is relaxing, and the shea helps beat back dryness. It also has arnica in it, to help with inflammation. I’m not a sock wearer at night (I really hate the feel of socks on my feet when I’m trying to sleep) and the cream isn’t so greasy it gets all over my sheets. I used to use Burt’s Bees Coconut Foot Cream, but it made a mess of my sheets.

During the day I use the Cuticle Balm from Badger Balm just on my heels (and only if I wear socks). That might seem weird, since they do also have a Foot Balm, but I like the cuticle formula better. It has a lot of shea butter in it, so it’s a lot softer than the olive oil/beeswax formula of the foot balm. If you want to try them both, however, they do have this great little set with the Cuticle Balm, the Foot Balm, and the Evolving Body Balm. It’s currently on sale too. In fact, I might have to order it to have for travelling. Anyway, the balm helps to keep the skin soft during the day, and it smells good too. Geez, I love Badger products.

I’m thinking of giving Lush’s Fair Trade Foot Lotion a try. It has arnica in it too, and cocoa butter instead of shea butter. I like the minty scent. I figure I’ll snag a jar next time I’m at Lush, since my tube of shea foot cream is almost empty.