Banana Republic's New Scent- WildBloom

Spring is almost here! And while we wait, let's celebrate with Banana Republic's newest scent coming out called Wildbloom! (In stores on Thursday, February 3!) I normally wouldn't associate BR with fragrances, but rather their wear-to-work clothing, accessories and jewelry, but I am definitely glad they are branching out. Wildbloom is such a free-spirited scent it makes me want to go out and run across the meadows (if only I could on top of all this snow..)

This scent is perfect for the Spring because of the combination of citrus, floral and woods-y notes. If you must know, it contains pink grapefruit, guava, kumquat, Hawaiian Pikake, Blue Orchid, Sandalwood, Pink suede, radiant musk and a few other notes. To be perfectly honest, I immediately picked up the sandalwood (have a few fragrances already with that base note) and definitely the pink grapefruit! The citrus combo of guava, kumquat & grapefruit makes this deliciously irresistible. I can't wait to rock this at work and maybe do a somersault or two. ;)

WARNING: This WILL put you in a good mood for spring!

Don't forget to join the twitter #wildbloom party! Follow @BananaRepublic for more details!


(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Bath & Body Works Massaging Oil Review

This Valentine's Day, make time to relax and pamper yourself! If you're lucky enough to get your own private massage, I would recommend the Bath & Body Works Sensual Massage Oil in Black Currant Vanilla. It is simply divine for Valentine's Day. Massages can really loosen any tension you may have in your back or shoulders and the scent is sweet & soothing and is perfect for romance. (Available at BathandBodyWorks.com, $16, USD)

I'm a huge fan of oils, from using Grapeseed Oil, Argan Oil to Lavender Oil these past 2 years, so I am always looking for them. Bath & Body Works has an amazing collection of scents in the massage oil, including Jasmine Vanilla, Tranquil Mint & Vanilla Verbana. I personally like the scent of Vanilla so anything vanilla-based & citrus I absolutely love. The Black Currant mixed in makes it smell a tad bit fruitier and very pleasant.

Overall, this massage oil is great to have because it has such calming scent. It absorbs into your skin and when you close your eyes, the sensual notes makes you feel like you stepped into a spa. It doesn't feel greasy at all which is lovely b/c who wants to feel like that? :) The ingredients include Sunflower oil, loaded with lots of Vitamin E, so it's also good to use as a moisturizer especially after taking a bath or shower. You can also use it if you take bubble baths.

Happy almost Valentine's Day! Check out the rest of my Valentine's Series here.


(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Sephora Sundays 2011 #2: Beauty Insider Perks for Valentine's Day

As a Sephora Beauty Insider, one of the perks is getting specials that a non-BI (Beauty Insider) would get. In my email this weekend, they are offering a special Valentine's Day special gift with your online purchase- a Bare Escentuals All-Over-Face-Color blush/bronzer duo. Use Code: BELOVED to get this full-sized product! It's pretty sweeet.. and speaking of SWEET, Philosophy has this "Sweet on You" set which would be perfect for Valentine's Day..

Another Sephora Beauty Insider perk ? Getting this free gift for your birthday this year- a Philosophy Vanilla Cupcake shower gel/shampoo/bubble bath bottle.


Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Bridal Series #7: Pre-wedding Diet and Exercise Plan

The Pre-Wedding Diet and Exercise Plan That Works

Is your wedding coming up and you need to lose weight fast? Try this regimen that really works

This is a TotalBeauty.com health and beauty article Many women kick their weight loss program into high gear pre-wedding. If you don't want to go the Jenny Craig route, how can you drop a dress size (or just tone up) on your own? We spoke to the experts to find out ... Read on

Yagolicious Beauty Affair in NYC December 2010

In December, I attended a few holiday girls night out events, including the Yagolicious Beauty Affair. (I attended my first Yagolicious beauty affair in October.) Here are some pictures I took of the event, including makeover, massages and yummy sweet treats! As always, this intimate event is great if you're looking to destress, have a drink and meet your girlfriends for an evening. With lots of sweet treats and beauty makeovers, what better way to spend your time?


Prettify yourself with a makeover using Yagolicious cosmetics!


Need to destress? Get a 5 minute back massage!


It's Cupcakes galore! Have a sweet treat while gabbing with your gal pals!

Check out the goodie bag...

Try Pretzel Crisps- yummy snacks (which were also included in our goodie bags)


The goodie bags in cute Sephora bags.


My Yagolicious Beauty Affair goodie bag- including an EcoTools Retractable Kabuki brush, a Victoria's Secret hand sanitizer and a Dashing Diva nail polish. Lots of great goodies and samples! Thanks again to Yago for the invite! :)

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

End of January Drugstore Pictures

To wrap up my new drugstore cosmetic pictures for January, here are two more from L'Oreal (Sweep eyeshadows) & Maybelline (Super Stay 24 hour lip color).

Have you seen these before? Check out my previous post here for NYX, Revlon, NYC Cosmetics and more!






Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Quiz: What's your Skin Care Personality?

Your Skin Care Personality

See what essential products your skin care regimen is lacking

This is a TotalBeauty.com skin care article How does your skin care routine stack up? And, what does it say about your personality? Answer these nine questions to find out. Take quiz

How-to: Get the Trendy Undone Bun!

The Trendy Undone Bun Tutorial

Follow these five tips to perfect this hot hairstyle

This is a TotalBeauty.com hairstyles article Buns are back in a big way. Not the boring librarian ones, but the modern "undone buns." Translation: Buns that are loosely swept up with soft pieces hanging out (and down). If you're on board with this trend, I've put together five rules to help you master the style. Get tips

SANTE Cosmetics Eyeshadow Sticks Review

SANTE America cosmetics is one of my latest obsessions- organic & natural makeup! I've had the pleasure of testing several products already- including their mineral-based foundation, nail polish, lip color, and skincare products! My latest from SANTE cosmetics is their Eyeshadow Sticks. They come in 8 very natural shades such as pearl, rose, and coffee. The two that I tested were Olive (#5) & White (#1)- the colors are amazing! I found them pigmented and very blendable so I can build on the colors. I also like that they went on extremely smooth on my lids and didn't find any creases at the end of the day. (Bonus!)

These shadow sticks are about 4 inches long so they're easily portable. You can carry one or two of these in your makeup bag and get great color all-day! The Pearl color (on top) is great for highlighting and inner corners to make your eyes look bigger & brighter! The Olive color (on bottom) is perfect for everyday.

To see the swatch of the Eyeshadow Sticks...

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Relax with One's Lotion Massage Calming Bar

It's Day #3 of my Valentine's Day Series.... if you're feeling stressed (post-holidays/over-worked/financial problems/anything!) take Valentine's Day as a day to relax. Nothing beats a long bath, try taking a bubble bath using One Bath & Body's Bath Fizzer and follow it with One Bath & Body's Calming bar.

This Lotion Massaging Bar is infused with essential oils and moisturizing shea butters to keep your skin feeling soft and make you feel calm. There are also four ridges on top, which I assume is used to knead away any knots on your back. Unfortunately there needs to be A LOT more. After a few uses, it sort of just goes away and you end up with a bar of lotion. The bar does go on smoothly though when you rub it on your skin, since the warmth of your skin sorta melts the lotion. The scent is also pretty strong, like most of their other products, and it smells rather therapeutic. I really like that the lotion absorbs so there's no sticky film left on your body. Your skin will definitely feels smooth and a bit tingly afterward.

So get calm this Valentine's Day and can you say Ommmmm ? :)


(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Have a Heart! Foot Petals Tip Toes for Valentine's Day

It's Day 2 of my Valentine's Series.. and wanted to show you these cute pink heart-shaped.. Foot Petal's TipToes! FYI they're for your shoes- not your ta-ta's- and these will help cushion your feet right below your toes to prevent callouses and any slipping for your dainty date heels.


Read more reviews on Foot Petals at TotalBeauty.com!

I've been wearing Foot Petals on my shoes for several years now - TipToes & Killer Kushionz - because the extra padding I get with these cushions is amazing. I like having the extra support because high heels can sometimes be.. uncomfortable. These Tip Toes can last several months depending how often you wear your shoe. It really depends can I can throw one out after 1-2 months and another Tip Toes pair I still have for almost 10 months. A pair of these Heart-shaped Tip Toes is great for celebrating Valentine's Day. Anything pink I like and for only $6.25 for a pair, these are a steal! Foot Petals have a wide collection of other shoe accessories, check them out here.

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Physicians Formula New Drugstore Products Part 2- Shimmer Strips & Eyeliner Trio

If you missed my Physicians Formula - Happy Booster & Jumbo Lash Mascara Part 1, check it out here.

I checked out RiteAid recently and was psyched to see more NEW Physicians Formula products hit the shelves. There were the Talc-Free Mineral Wear products (perhaps this is replacing the OrganicsWear?) and the Shimmer Strips eyeshadows and eyeliners trio! I only had $15 in my pocket so I treated myself the eyeliners trio.. funny thing is I already have the same colors in a gel eyeliner-form, but I really wanted to try these anyway.




On top, are the Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Shadows & Liners palettes for Blue and Hazel eyes. The packaging looks new with a cute "Eye Candy" on the lower right hand corner but I don't see anything new about the actual colors. I don't have old shimmer strips eyeshadows since I already have tons of eye shadows.

On the bottom are the Enhance & Define Eyeliner Trios! There was only one left for the Brown Eyes, which I snatched right away, because I love purple! The others have the same matching pencil color for the same eye color for Blue & Green and a pink eyeliner for Hazel eyes. They all have the Black eyeliner and a neutral one too. For about $11-12, you get three eyeliners that are advertised to last for "24 hours," it's a nice deal. They glide pretty smoothly but I will test these out this week to see how long they actually last..


Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Physicians Formula New Drugstore Products Part 1- Happy Booster & Jumbo Lash Mascara

Physicians Formula is one of my favorite drugstore brands, especially their OrganicWear line. (However, it looks like they are discontinuing it or something because I don't see it on their website.) I was excited to see at my local drugstore some new products- their Happy Booster blush/bronzer/powder and Organic Wear Jumbo Lash mascara.

First, the Happy Booster palettes are perfect for upcoming Valentine's Day! The hearts are so cute and they are infused with plant extracts that are supposed to make you in a "Happy mood." I didn't try this but thought the concept was cute. The translucent shade is probably my favorite because it looks the most natural. The blush is rosy and the different color combos are great when blended together for a natural finish. The packaging still doesn't look that great and the brush looks scratchy like the OrganicWear powders. I prefer my super soft brushes from EcoTools. :)

I saw the Jumbo Lash mascaras and immediately picked one up. Why? Because it had the "TRY ME FREE" label and they work! I have already tried their OrganicWear mascara (Free after rebate too) when it first came out in Spring 2009, so I was excited to see this Jumbo Lash update- same formula (I hope) but larger wand!! See my review here on the old OrganicWear mascara.

If you missed my earlier post on my Drugstore Finds this January, see ALL the pictures here.

Don't miss Part 2 of my Physicians Formula new products finds... coming soon!

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Healthy Hair Secrets Your Stylist Won't Share

13 Healthy Hair Secrets Your Stylist Won't Share

Stop hurting your hair and start helping it with these tips

This is a TotalBeauty.com healthy hair article We've picked the brains of all sorts of expert types to come up with 13 ways to cure what ails your less than commercial-worthy hair. Get the secrets

It's Thymes for Valentine's!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and whether you're single, taken or in-between, there's no reason why you shouldn't celebrate LOVE! It's all about taking care of yourself and sharing the love with your loved ones of course. I'm excited to kick-off my Valentine's Day Series with a fave brand of mine- Thymes. They offer some amazing scents and even though I have really sensitive skin (& nose) they are not overpowering at all. It's all about moderation as well and some of these scents are just too good to resist. Some can really put you in a good mood!

Winter blues can be so blah and make you feel down, so why not instantly energize yourself with a whiff of something fruity? Check out my Thymes Agave Nectar Collection review here.

Thyme's Kimono Rose fragrance collection is perfect for Valentine's Day with its sweet notes of clementine, rose, peony and jasmine florals. Luckily, they offer this scent in various products such as a hand lotion, body lotion (both of which I tried)..

Check out my review and...

The Thymes Kimono Rose scents are so floral and sweet. The rose, peony and jasmine combination is perfect for Valentine's Day to make your date fall head over heels for you. I usually don't go for floral scents but I am HOOKED on this!! The hand lotion absorbs quick so it's great to have right at your sink so you can moisturize your hands right after you wash. The Body Creme is fantastic to use after your shower to keep your skin smelling like sweet kimono rose. I definitely recommend this as a gift for yourself or for your girlfriends!

Read more reviews on Thymes products at TotalBeauty.com!

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)
Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Drugstore Find: Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller Review

Have you tried the Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller? Whew, long name ! It's an eye care product & concealer all in one! I've been looking for a great product for a while that can moisturize my bags under my eyes as well as conceals it. I've been using my concealer- mineral makeup- for some time but haven't found anything moisturizing, except eye cream. This is the perfect combination. The roller really cools it and instantly I feel a difference. The one thing I don't like is that I can't keep rolling it around b/c the tint will keep coming out and I don't want it to look too cakey.. I may have to get the regular one (in the green bottle) too!

Tip: Do not wear this at night.. the caffeine will give you a jolt that will not be good in the morning.




Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Sephora Sundays 2011 #1: It's back!

Last January, I started a Sephora Sundays mini series that included products that I liked and available at Sephora's website. (See last year's series here!) I can spend hourssss just browsing on Sephora.com to checking out their new products, samples and just to look at products I really want to try. For 2011, I wanted to start it again since it's the new year and there's always lots of new stuff being added.

Here are some of my current items on my wishlist:

	1) Pacifica I Love fragrance - This set contains 5 solid perfumes, including Tuscan Blood Orange, Tahitian Gardenia, Hawaiian Ruby Guava, Indian Coconut Nectar, and French Lilac. I have already tried all of these except French Lilac.. and they're all yummy! See my past Pacifica reviews here.
	2) Tarte Radiant & Rested Luminous Complexion Collection- This kit is also a limited edition set from Sephora that contains 5 products to give your face a radiant look for the new year! This set contains: Natural Cheek Stain in Glisten, EmphasEYES™ Inner Rim Brightener, Recreate™ Silicone-Free Primer With Wrinkle Rewind™ Technology, Smooth Operator™ Illuminating Serum, Park Ave Princess Mineral Bronzer. I am def. interested in the inner rim brightener.. :)
	Josie Maran Eye Love You Too Palette- Looks like the packaging upgraded but the colors are so perfect for the Spring season. Love the light pink, green and blues. :) It's $42 which is a bit pricey for me right now since I've tons of other eyeshadows to use. :)

All pictures, courtesy of Sephora.com!

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Sephora.com at all. Just a huge fan! :)

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

New Drugstore Products in January

The past two weeks, I have been scouting nearby drugstores to see what new products they have. I discreetly took some pictures of their displays to share with you all. I am a drugstore junkie because I love to browse and look at what new goodies they have! Even if I don't get them all the time, it's nice to look. Also got a nice haul from the CVS semi-annual beauty sale, where a lot of products were 75% off! I was late in the game but I still scored goodies from one of my favorite brands, Sally Hansen Natural Beauty by Carmindy line. I got 3 eyeshadow trio palettes and 1 cream blush !!



Pics-heavy post .. check them all out, including Maybelline, Revlon, NYC Cosmetics and NYX!! :)





Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com