Ah yes, the new Bella Italy Collection from Bath & Body Works is getting quite the love. And I’m very happy about that because it’s a good collection of scents. I’m happy because not only is this a good collection of scents but the scents are unique to the brand. Too often in the past five or seven years Bath & Body Works has released scents that are boring, bad and do not represent what I love about the brand.
I have these scents in the Fine Fragrance Mists which are $14 USD and available from Bath & Body Works and BathAndBodyWorks.com.
Capri Seaside Citrus is described as, “a sunny seaside fragrance and radiate this sparkling blend of fresh citrus, juicy nectarine & orange flower” with notes of:
• Mediterranean Grapefruit, Sparkling Bergamot, Juicy Nectarine
• Muguet, Orange Flower, Coconut
• Amber Driftwood, Creamy Musks, Whipped Vanilla
When first sprayed onto my skin, I’m hit with a strong scent of nectarine, orange flower and a slight hint of coconut. The bergamot helps the citrus from feeling overbearing and adding a bit of earthiness to the overall scent. Muguet, which is also known as Lily of the Valley, is a sweetly scented flower and combined with the vanilla very subtly sweetens this scent. This is most definitely a citrus scent but it’s more complex than just nectarine and orange flower. It’s light and actually works really well with the brand’s Tangerines from their Fresh Picked Collection.
Rome Honeysuckle Amore is described as the brand’s, “glamorous fragrance that radiates a head-over-heels blend of pink honeysuckle, golden peach & cyprus woods” with notes of:
• Italian Peach, Blackberry, Green Mandarin
• Pink Honeysuckle, White Raspberry, Peony
• Golden Amber, Soft Sandalwood, Cypress Wood
I was drawn to this scent for the “honeysuckle” in the name but knowing Bath & Body Works I should have known that the chances of this being a strong honeysuckle scent were slim. And I’m right. This is a strongly floral scent right out of the bottle with flower notes that smell nothing like honeysuckle or peony. It’s not a bad floral just not what I expected. The floral notes combine nicely with the blackberry and amber which make it a big more clingy without it feeling too heavy for wearing in summer. Once the scent is completely dry, it’s all floral and amber woodsy with a very faint sweetness.
Venice Dolce Berry is described as ” ‘la dolce vita,’ the sweet life, and radiate with this playful blend of plumberry, frosted magnolia & sandalwood sugar” and includes notes of:
• Pink Plumberry, Apple Blossom, White Iris
• Venetian Raspberry, Red Apricot, Frosted Magnolia
• Blackberry Musk, Sandalwood Sugar, Vanilla Biscotti
This is by far the sweetest of the three scents with a lighter berry scent than I expected. Bath & Body Works tends to release very heavy and sugary dark berry scents but this one is light and perfect for the warm months. Right out of the bottle this releases the most wonderful berry blend, a combination of plums, dark berries and a bit of apricot. Surprisingly, the Magnolia and Iris don’t come up until the scent has dried completely and even then they’re very subtle. This seems like a combination of all the good parts of Dark Kiss and last year’s Frosted Snowberry. This is quite possibly the brand’s most perfect sweetened dark berry scent ever.
Of the three, Rome Honeysuckle Amore is the least lasting, wearing off in less than an hour while the other two scents last for most of the day. My initial favorite was Capri Seaside Citrus but the more I wear it, the more I prefer Venice Dolce Berry.
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I haven’t bought anything from Fyrinnae in years. That isn’t because I dislike their products, quite the contrary. I’m a big fan of their loose eye shadows. However, I became continually annoyed by the ever growing “time to ship” time-frame. I understand problems arise but having to wait upwards of three weeks or more for each order is can make a gal lose interest.
I’m willing to take another shot at the brand for their gorgeous new collection called 1960′s Retro. There are eight brightly colored but wearable colors, all of which I want so very much. The collection includes colors I don’t have in my collection, with the exception of the pink, called Bollywood Babe. The others look completely unique to what I own and I think I’d have the most fun playing with them.
Unfortunately, Fyrinnae is closed at least through the end of May. I’ll have to wait until they reopen to get my hands on these gorgeous beauties.
Fyrinnae.com / $50 USD for all 8 eye shadows
What’s on your wishlist this week? Let me know by leaving a comment.
(Photo courtesy of Fyrinnae.com.)
I’m on the fence about this stuff. Any product that claims it can be used on the hair, the body and the face makes me a bit nervous. It does smell good!
I truly lusted after only one eye shadow late last year and that was Laura Mercier’s Illuminating Eye Color in Gilded Platinum. Sure, I actually wanted all the shades of these so very sparkling eye shadows but it was this one in particular that screamed, “buy me!”
Let me say right now, this is now discontinued. I know, I know, I hate when someone posts about a discontinued product, especially one that’s raved about but I feel this almost uncontrollable urge to write about this eye shadow anyway. Why? Because it’s pretty.
It is still available at Space NK so if someone out there really wants it, there it is.
Gilded Platinum is one of four colors that were part of the brand’s holiday collection from last year. I wanted all of them but settled on this one because I thought it the most unique. The color is a cool-tone gold with a hint of silver. It has a crap-ton of sparkle. While it swatches beautifully, it’s much more sheer when applied to my lid with a brush. It’s slightly more pigmented when used with a dampened brush. However, I’ve discovered that it looks the most pigmented when applied with a damp finger. I dampen my ring finger very lightly and tap the shadow onto my lid. I’m left with a good amount of sparkling color rather than sheer color and lots of sparkles.
The shadow itself feels smooth despite it’s bumpy and gritty looking texture. It applies easily enough although because of all its shimmer, excess shadow tends to fall down onto my face.
Of course, I am now kicking myself for not buying the other three, although at $24 USD each, it was probably smarter to pass on them.
It comes down to this:
American BB Cream = Tinted Moisturizer
And like a tinted moisturizer, these BB Creams are easily applied all over your face that is sheer, hydrating and will only lightly even out the skin-tone, providing little coverage and sometimes also offering sun protection. American BB Creams are the same, providing moisture, sun protection and sheer coverage. You can use your fingers or a brush to apply either, the method is up to the individual’s preference.
Asian BB Creams from brands like Missha, Skinfood, Skin79, etc, are real BB Creams. They offer heavier coverage and a multitude of actual skincare benefits. They are intended to replace a handful of various beauty products, like concealer, foundation, sun protection, powder and in some cases, moisturizer. Western BB Creams don’t offer the type of skin benefits, usually beyond “smoothing” and/or “brightening”, which is nothing that any tinted moisturizer or foundation can’t do.
So why are cosmetics companies pumping out so many pseudo-BB Creams? It’s business. They find a trend and jump on to it full force. They want to sell their products. Knowing that the BB Cream trend has finally reached North America, these companies want to get in on it and make oodles of money. I can’t say I blame them, after-all, making money is their bottom line. When consumers, especially those who don’t educate themselves about what a BB Cream truly is, buy these products blindly simply because they sound good and they’re labeled “BB Cream” makes these companies more money and encourages other companies to do the same. When Garnier released their BB Cream, it wasn’t long before Maybelline and Revlon put their versions out and it’s snowballed from there. In a super shady move, CoverGirl repackaged and relaunched their tinted moisturizer with the words “BB Cream” when the product was still their tinted moisturizer.
Products like like “BB Cream Primer”, “BB Cream Concealer” and “BB Cream Powder” are nothing but fancy labeled everyday primer, concealer and powder. These companies know that BB creams are *all the rage* in the beauty world and so they are utilizing the term as a clever and effective marketing strategy.
If you want an honest and true BB Cream, look to the Korean beauty brands. There you will find the real thing and not a repackaged tinted moisturizer. I love tinted moisturizers are much as the next dry-skinned gal but when I buy a product labeled “BB Cream” I want a BB Cream!
To aid in your search for a BB Cream, I’ve compiled a list of online stores where Korean brands can be found. The type of BB Cream is up to you – find one that suits your skin type and your skin concerns.
¬ Amazon
¬ A-poly @ Amazon – I’ve purchased items from this seller; inexpensive items and inexpensive shipping.
¬ Keauty Store
¬ MomoMango
¬ Sasa – Probably the best selection of BB Creams from all the Asian brands.
¬ The BB Cream Shop
Happy hunting!
