Stacked Style: Baroque Bleu Gelee de Parfum

"Can I have a sample of Escada's Moon Sparkle, please?" As the saleswoman at Sephora filled a small vial with Escada's tester, an inconspicuous display on the bottom shelf caught my eye. After thanking the woman (who was sporting a bright fuschia lipstick on her fantastically beestung lips), I bent down to pick up what turned out to be a gel perfume from a company called Stacked Style.

I'd never heard of the company before, but the container was cute, the scent wasn't half bad and it was selling for only $5. It came in two versions: Rococo Rouge and Baroque Bleu - I ended up buying the latter.

Here's Sephora's description:
This super fragrant, travel-friendly solid perfume infuses your skin with a soft, sexy scent. Unique and versatile, it doubles as a shine enhancing hair gel, leaving your locks looking and smelling gorgeous! With a heart of Tahitian gardenia, and unexpected notes of sweet coconut and rhubarb, this intoxicating mix of modern and classic leaves an unforgettable impression.

Baroque Bleu is a floral scent with green grass, almond, rhubarb, rose, Tahitian gardenia, tuberose, muguet, coconut, neroli, tonka bean, amber, precious woods, musk notes. It's very light; I can see myself wearing this during the day but not at night. When I first smelled it I was actually reminded of cucumbers more than anything else - but there are definitely floral notes in there. I'm not usually a big fan of floral fragrances, so this was a pleasant surprise.

I haven't tested this on my locks and don't think I will, because nearly all leave-in hair products transform my hair into a greasy mess (even the ones that promise they won't).

Another plus - it's selling for only $5 at Sephora, but it looks like this solid gel perfume normally retails at $22.50!

(Image courtesy of kitcosmetics.com)

Beauty haul!

I've been out and about this weekend and while I was at it I picked up some new products.

Expect reviews of some of the following products soon:

La Cross Crystal Nail File
Clinique High Impact Mascara
Lancome Fatale Mascara
Cargo Better-Than-Waterproof Mascara
VS SEXY Long-Wear Eye Cream in Stay Up
VS SEXY Dazzling Liquid Shadow in Pillow Talk
Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eyeliner in Bronze
VS Make Eyes at me Glossy Eye Stick and Sharpener
Smashbox Bionic Mascara
L'oreal Blush Delice Glow in Shimmer of Hope
Smashbox Camera Ready Concealer in 5.0
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Just Enough Buff
Neutrogena MoistureShine Tinted Lip Balm in Natural
Revlon Colorstay Makeup in Natural Tan

I also scored a deluxe sample of Laura Mercier's foundation primer at Sephora...nice!

Fight Child Abuse and Neglect with Clarins

Check this out. Clarins is donating 100% of profits from its Sun Protection line to CHILDHELP, founded by Sara O'Meara and Yvonne Fedderson. If you want an easy way to help out, this is it!
(Plus, you also get free standard shipping - read the fine print!)

The Lust Files: Fresh Cannabis Rose Eau de Parfum

I still remember the first time I smelled pot - my friend had dragged me to a concert with him, and I could swear we were the only ones there who weren't high. People lit up everywhere, and that smell - oh god, that smell - had me grimacing all night. It was a good concert, no doubt, but I reeked of weed afterwards. I hated that smell. Hate hate hate.

Now, several years later, I don't hate the scent as much as I used to, although I'd rather not smell it if I can help it. So when I came across Fresh's new Eau de Parfum, Cannabis Rose, I didn't have high hopes. I tentatively sprayed it on my wrists...and I was right! It was defininitely unique, but there was something about the scent that just didn't work with me. I walked out of Sephora emptyhanded (is that even possible?!).

Imagine my surprise when about an hour later I found myself sniffing my wrists uncontrollably. Cannabis Rose had grown on me. I actually liked it...in fact, I loved it! So now, I'm lusting after this simply delightful fragrance. Kudos, Fresh. You've really won me over with this one.

Top Notes: Bulgarian rose, pomegranate flower, bergamot
Middle Notes: cannabis accord, sheer jasmine, dark chocolate
Bottom Notes: white musk, patchouli, oolong tea

Cannabis Rose is available in an 100ml. bottle for $75.00.

Essie's The Neon Collection: not for your average wallflower

Back in first grade, colored cosmetics were my thing. Nothing was better than bright nail polish (hot pink highlighter was an excellent substitute) and bright blue/teal eyeliner. Which is why this summer's trends give me a major sense of deja-vu.

Among the numerous new bright nail polish collections, Essie's The Neon Collection caught my eye in Duane Reade the other day, and I couldn't resist picking up Shorty Pants ("light up the night electric yellow") and Bermuda Shorts ("high-voltage violet").

Shorty Pants ($8.00) is definitely the brightest yellow I've ever seen in a nail polish. I'm a little disappointed because without good lighting, it kind of resembles a bland banana yellow. That aside, it's still a little too bright for everyday, but I can definitely see myself rocking this on my fingernails at a party or at the beach. For those of you that are bright-shy, try this on your toes!

Bermuda Shorts ($8.00) is a regular purple. While it's plenty bright, I feel like it's too dark to be a summer nail color. I'd rather wear it in the fall.

Here's what the polishes look like in the bottle:

Shorty Pants


Bermuda Shorts

As with all things Essie, both Shorty Pants and Bermuda Shorts are great quality polishes. (Unfortunately, when I last checked Essie wasn't 3-free yet. C'mon, get on that!) I always finish up my manicures with Seche Vite Dry Fast Topcoat ($10.00 at Amazon.com) - fast drying, brilliant shine.

Review: Neutrogena Sun Fresh Sunless Lotion in Medium/Deep

I have a confession to make: up until a week ago, I was a self-tanner virgin.

The product that deflowered me? Neutrogena Sun Fresh Sunless Lotion in Medium/Deep.

I tan fairly easily and rarely burn, so I never really saw the point in self-tanner. However, the other day I looked down at my legs and was shocked at how unattractively dull they appeared (winter was to blame, no doubt). This called for immediate action...

The product claims to be "a fresh new approach to a natural-looking tan. The ultra-light formula infuses skin with sheer, natural looking color, then seals it in with skin-silkening hydration. The luscious scent, with notes of grapefruit and nectarine, creates a fresh experience that stays fresh all day."

I was a bit worried that I would end up a bright orange oompa-loompa, but the scent was far more pleasing than any other drugstore self-tanner I'd sniffed before, which was reassuring. I wouldn't go so far as to call it 'luscious,' but it's certainly tolerable.

After exfoliating thoroughly in the shower and drying off, I applied the lotion as evenly as I could. The product claims a drying time of 5 minutes, which wasn't too far off the actual drying time for me (about 7, 8 minutes). I dressed and continued with my day as normal.

About four hours later, I was pleased to find that I was not at all orange. Instead, I was sporting a rather believable tan, and the self-tanner smell was far from obvious. There were a few streaks on my lower arms, but that was my fault for not blending in the lotion well enough.

One application was enough color for me, so I don't know how well the tan builds with reapplication. The color lasted about 4 days without reapplication.

Overall, I was happy with this product. What would make it better? If the lotion had a tint, so it could be applied evenly more easily. Because if you aren't careful, this will definitely streak. Also, you don't get that much product for the price - but I'm willing to overlook that for the results.

Ease of Use: 3.5/5
Results: 4.5/5
Price: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

Neutrogena Sun Fresh Sunless Lotion is available at Drugstore.com for $9.99.

A New Blog is Born

Hey everyone,

Welcome to Beauty Mascarade, a blog dedicated to all things beauty.

I'm Catherine, a longtime beauty product junkie. If my overflowing makeup bags are any indication, I have an unhealthy obsession with all things makeup...and now I want to share my enthusiasm with all of you.

Enjoy!