Bath and Body Works Anti-Bacterial Soaps for Fall 2011 - My Picks

I think this year's Bath and Body Works Fall Anti-Bacterial hand soap collection is the best one yet. So many good scents, absolutely gorgeous packaging and a seemingly unending 6 for $20 sale.

These ones are my favorite. I always get the Deep Cleansing formula. These soaps make me want to wash my hands just to smell them... I guess that's fine as long as they can sell me some hand lotion, too.

Caramel Apple: golden apple and creamy caramel.

Normally I shy away from apple-scented things because they tend to smell more like Green Apple Jolly Ranchers than real apples, but this one is nice. At first you smell some crisp apples, a little on the artificial side, but then this smooth, creamy realistic caramel smell takes over and it smells just like this:

Cinnamon Raisin Cookie: baked oatmeal, plump raisins, brown butter and cinnamon.

I don't actually smell any cinnamon in this scent, but I smell lots of raisin. It smells sweet and light, you can smell the baked oatmeal, but the most dominant smell is raisin. The raisin in it is very raisin-y. I like that. I can't think of anything else I have that's raisin scented. I'm glad I bought two of this one.

Creamy Pumpkin: gingered pumpkin, caramel cream and whipped vanilla.

This one smells like pumpkin and spice, creamy vanilla, and something very fruity. Apples or pears, maybe? It starts off creamy and mellow, exactly like the gingered pumpkin and whipped vanilla as described, but then explodes into something really crisp and fruity once you add water. Another very perfect fall scent.

Pumpkin Caramel Latte: cinnamon pumpkin, spiced caramel and vanilla cream.

This one is really strong. You get that typical 'pumpkin spice' smell followed by a very strong dark burnt sugar caramel scent. The caramel note in this one smells very artificial compared to the Caramel Apple one, but it's not unpleasant. It doesn't list coffee as one of its notes, but I still smell something espresso-like in there. Must be the spice in the spiced caramel.

This is what Bath and Body Works says about the formula:

"This powerful germ-killing hand soap is enriched with an exclusive moisturizing blend to help hydrate and soften skin as powerful ingredients leave dirty hands clean and lightly scented.

An exclusive blend of moisturizing honey, coconut milk and olive fruit extracts helps to nourish and soften skin.

Exfoliating microspheres and cleansing bamboo extract leave hands deeply cleansed and feeling smooth and soft."

If you've never used a Bath and Body Works Deep Cleansing Antibacterial Soap before, it feels really fantastic.

It has these little purple balls in it, and some scratchy clear things, it's almost like a hand scrub but not quite. Just a soap with a little texture in it. Feels like scratching an itch. Kind of addictive, really.

It is pretty drying, but I find the Deep Cleansing formula to be the least drying on my skin, while the Foaming formula is absolute murder on my hands. The Moisturizing formula is right in between for me.

I think I need to stock up on these scents if they have them during the Semi-Annual Sale. These are currently my favorite ones ever. That Chocolate Mint one from summertime was really awesome, too.

Bath and Body Works Liplicious Treacherous Treats Halloween 2011 - My Picks

Halloween overload! Yeeeeaaaah!! There are a lot of things I look forward to (beauty-wise) every year, like Philosophy's seasonal scents, Holiday lip gloss gift sets, OPI's winter collection, and especially Bath and Body Works fall/Halloweeen/winter. I grabbed most of the Bath and Body Works Halloween Liplicious glosses right when they came out and paid full price... Figures, now they're on clearance for $2! Oh well. I love them. I guess I don't mind paying full price for something I really love.

This year, I chose: Cookies and Scream, Vampire Vixen and Crazy for Candy Corn. I also got one of the color changing ones, Wicked Witch's Kiss, but somehow I lost it already... Boo.


If you've never used a Bath and Body Works Liplicious gloss before, they come in the standard squeeze tube with slanted tip applicator.

Left to right: Cookies and Scream, Vampire Vixen and Crazy for Candy Corn.

Aren't they pretty? Especially Cookies and Scream, look at all that glimmering gold and silver!

Liplicious glosses tend to be on the thick side, but not terribly sticky. They're a lot thinner in texture than something like Lancome Juicy Tubes. They're really very nice. They don't wear very long, but they're quite good while they last.

Cookies and Scream is my favorite of the bunch. I'm obsessed with anything Cookies and Cream scented/flavored, so any time I see a new product in that scent, I automatically need it. This is no disappointment; it's great. The cookies in this one are more chocolate chip than oreo, but that's okay, it's still fantastic.

Crazy for Candy Corn is also great. It has a sweet, caramel-like scent that's somewhat similar to actual candy corn, but it's more baked smelling like cupcakes or pancakes and not as overtly sweet and syrupy.

Vampire Vixen has a sweet, fruity black cherry scent. It's not artificial smelling, which was a big surprise. It smells like jam. It's not sickeningly sweet like a lot of cherry scents. It even has a little tartness to it. Really, just like cherry or strawberry preserves.

The only reason I didn't get the rest of the Halloween scents is because they're all fruity. I don't mind fruity, but it's not really my thing. I usually go for the more vanilla/baked/frosting type of scents, so Candy Corn and Cookies and Scream were perfect for me. The color of Vampire Vixen was too pretty to resist and I'm really happy with it. The packaging on all them is adorable.

Also, the 'O's in Cookies and Scream have little skulls in them. TOO PERFECT.

Bath and Body Works Slatkin and Co. Cream Fox Wallflower

Isn't this the most adorable thing? I have a soft spot for woodland creatures (okay, all creatures, not just the woodland ones) and as soon as I saw this I HAD to have it. This is the cream fox, but I also saw a red one there that looked suspiciously like the Firefox logo. The cream one matches my decor better, otherwise I would have gotten both.

Bath and Body Works a bunch of new Wallflower starters for fall, and if I used Wallflowers more often, I probably would have gotten more because they're really cute AND on sale 6 for $24 (they're normally $6.50-$8.50 each, so that's a pretty good deal). I did get the Brown Owl because I adore owls, but there's also a Green Owl, two kinds of leaves, brown and cream acorns, PUMPKINS!!, skulls, bats, and Frankenstein's Monster.

The green wallflower refill I have in there matches nicely, doesn't it? It's Apple Crumble. Nice, but a little too weak in Wallflower form. I like the candle better.

I did a crumble. The teacher said mine was the best one.

It's August 15th. Slatkin & Co. Holiday 2011 Collection Preview

Summer is not even over yet and the first Christmas/Holiday/Winter press release has just landed in my inbox. As I'm writing this, the sun is beating down on me from a window above and I'm feeling rather hot and uncomfortable, like I'm going to get a sunburn if I stay in direct sunlight for much longer. Thinking about snow and Christmas and winter is hilarious to me right now. This must be what it feels like to live in the southern hemisphere at Christmastime.

Despite the whimsical timing of this announcement, I'm loving the sound of it. When these come out in October, I'll definitely be picking up at least half of them. Just thought I'd share!

MAKE MERRY THIS SEASON
WITH THE SLATKIN & CO. HOLIDAY COLLECTIONS
ONLY AT BATH & BODY WORKS

THINK: The spirit of the season, captured in festive scents for the home.

WHAT THEY ARE: Scented candles inspired by the season’s most joyful scents. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Mulled cider wafting through the air. Warm pie baking in the oven. These are the scents of the season captured in the new Slatkin & Co. Holiday Candle collections. Created to evoke the warmth, togetherness and merrymaking of the holidays, Slatkin & Co. candles fill your home with the scent of celebration. This season, transform your home into a winter wonderland with your favorite scented candle, or give candles to loved ones on your list to spread holiday cheer. The season’s collections include:

Winter Cabin Collection
Invite the rich, crisp fragrances of winter into your home.

• Winter Cabin: A warm, comforting blend of creamy chestnut, crisp cedar and pine, infused with cinnamon and spicy cloves.
• Winter Wonderland: A sparkling blend of cool peppermint and fiery cinnamon with notes of crisp apple and creamy nutmeg.
• Winter Night: Fir tree, warm Cyprus and clove bud blended with cedar and a touch of incense.
• Spiced Apple Toddy: A warming blend of apple brandy and spiced plum, infused with mulled cider and tart cranberry.
• Cranberry Cider: Bright fresh cranberries mulled in warm brandy and infused with cinnamon stick.
  

Merry Mistletoe Collection
Classic holiday scents that will inspire the first kiss under the mistletoe.

• Merry Mistletoe: A magical blend of frosted cranberries, blue spruce and iced citrus
• Sleigh Ride: Frosted juniper, green noble fir and rosemary blended to evoke a morning sleigh ride
• Deck the Halls: A blend of fresh green balsam, red berries and cinnamon bark, infused with honey and sandalwood
  

Holiday Treats Collection
Decadent, mouthwatering scents that will satisfy the sweetest tooth season.

• Dark Chocolate Mint: A luscious blend of dark chocolate shavings and pure peppermint, layered with rich vanilla cream and a touch of caramel.
• Gingerbread: The perfect blend of spicy ginger, rich buttercream and brown sugar topped with whipped vanilla frosting.
• Holiday Gumdrop: A bright blend of cinnamon stick and peppermint bark infused with vanilla and a touch of anise.
• Candied Sugar Plum: Rich, sugared plums and boysenberries blended with sweet orange, cinnamon leaf and a touch of apple.
• Marshmallow Peppermint: A delicious blend of sweet peppermint, fluffy marshmallow cream and rich vanilla cupcake.
  

WHAT THEY COST: 1.6 oz ($3.50), 4 oz ($9.50), 14.5 oz ($19.50)

Decorative Sleeves & Luminaries


Dress up your favorite holiday Slatkin & Co. scents with sleek, sophisticated candle sleeves. In a variety of classic holiday scenes including snowflakes, winter village, gingerbread and traditional quilt designs, these beautiful accents make for stunning centerpieces and home decorations. ($3.50 - $15.00)



Available in Bath & Body Works October 2011 – December 2011

Valentine's Day Beauty Wishlist

You all know how much I love holidays... So whenever I see something holiday-themed, I immediately want it. I've been putting together my Valentine's Day beauty wishlist over the past couple weeks and I thought I'd share my favorites with you. Since I started putting together this list, I've actually bought some of the things, so you can expect full reviews soon!


Urban Decay's flavored body powders. I actually have all of these scents in the old-style packaging, but the new style packaging is even better! I am a total sucker for packaging, I know. I'd get them again just to have the gorgeous boxes. I really do like these, they're sweet scented (Cocoa is amazing, I wish it had a matching perfume) and they also taste sweet. The have a little bit of a tinted shimmer. I used to wear them on my chest/collarbone/décolletage when I was wearing lower-cut shirts. Oddly enough, whenever I wore these, this guy I worked with always told me how pretty I looked.




Physician's Formula Happy Booster blush, bronzer and powder. I don't think I've lusted after any beauty product quite like I did with these. The minute I saw them I just couldn't stop thinking about them. I did end up finding these last week and I love them so much. I'll do a review on them shortly, but let me mention that these currently have $3 off coupons attached to them, so if you're thinking about getting one, make sure to get one with a coupon on it!



Stila Make Me Blush. I feel the same way about this that I do about the Physician's Formula Happy Booster powders. I know that logically, it's just a blush. But when I see it I go crazy. It makes me giddy to look at. Of course, I caved and ordered the set that comes with the Hugs and Kisses lip glazes. It's actually a pretty inexpensive indulgence- the set is only $20.


Philosophy Sweet on You set. One of my readers told me about this! It's supposed to smell like those candy hearts that I love. I have the sweetest readers :) Anyway, I'm a huge Philosophy fan so this is extremely appealing to me. I really really want this!


Bath and Body Works Valentine's Day PocketBacs! They're 5 for $5 right now. These are so cute. I'm a bit of a germophobe so I always have hand sanitizer in my purse, but I wish I had these instead of my plain unscented Purell! Here's what the scents are:

• I Love You (aww ♥) in Sweet Pea
  
• I Love Shoes (lets get ‘em!) in Stylish Strawberry
  
• I Love Cake (maybe just a mini cupcake so that I can fit into my LBD tonight) in Buttercream
• I Love Boys (#bieberfever) in Berry Crush
• I Love Bling (who doesn’t) in Rock Candy

Buttercream and rock candy scented hand sanitizer! Must have these!


YBF Pucker Up lipstick set. They're in heart-shaped tubes! I remember that Models Prefer used to have a set just like this, and I remember always wanting it. I'd probably only be able to pull off that pink color in the middle, but like I said, I'm a complete sucker for packaging.


Kiss Catwalk Nail Decals. Actually, this isn't so much a wishlist item as a recommendation. I just got these and they're perfect for Valentine's Day. Just wanted to make sure I mentioned it!


Sephora Collection Flower Kabuki brush set. Gah. I can't handle how cute these are. I'm not sure how well they would even work for applying powder, but I need them. Anyone have these? Are they good? I love looking at them.


Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb gift set from Nordstrom.com. It comes in a heart-shaped box, just like a Valentine's Day box of chocolates! I'd rather have perfume than chocolate. Well, maybe. Perfume lasts longer. Can I get perfume and chocolate? I've been meaning to get a full sized bottle of Flowerbomb...




Kat Von D Adora fragrance and Painted Love Lipstick in Adora. Adora doesn't even sound like a fragrance I'd like based on the list of notes (Lychee, Boysenberry, Thyme, Cassis, Hyacinth, Jasmine, Mango Flesh, Patchouli, Sheer Musk, Amber Wood.) but I love love love the bottle. It looks so heavy. And the lipstick? I don't think I really wear red well, but the color of it is so bright and sparkly and look at that romantic looking tube! The red flowers on the black satin background! The little clear base that shows the color!


I'm having cute makeup overload.