Clean & Clear has a new Morning Burst In-Shower Facial that they sent me to try for review. It’s quick, simple to use. It’s made with ingredients like Ginseng, citrus, purifying clay, and fruit extracts.

The facial is part of the Clean & Clear Morning Burst line. It’s very simple to use, apply, let it set one minute, then work into your skin gently to exfoliate. One of the easiest ways to avoid breakouts is to exfoliate regularly. Exfoliating clears the way for additional skin treatments (moisturizer, acne medication, self-tanning products), and it leaves your skin soft and smooth.

I liked that the gritty part of the scrub- the “micro-beads” – were super fine and there were a lot of them. Excellent. My biggest complaint with exfoliating products is that they are thin on the “grit” which leaves me feeling like I am only able to really treat one part of my face.

Another thing that I liked about the product is the smell – it’s very fresh, doesn’t smell medicine-y. The opening is at the bottom of the bottle which saves time in the long run, when you’ve used most of it up and you are trying to get the last drop out.  Plus, the price is great.

You can find this product anywhere that Clean & Clear products are sold. Click here for directions to an online coupon.

Image credit: Michelle Smith

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Give Yourself a Facial While You Shower

The candles are availablein a citrusy Neroli Candle  and a Pine & Eucalyptus Candle. Here’s a quick explanation from The Organic Pharmacy…….

Most candles are made with paraffin – a petrochemical derivative.  When they burn they emit soot as well as the artificial fragrance that goes into them.  The air we breath outside of our homes can be toxic but the air we breath inside our home should be as pure as we can make it.  Artificial fragrances have been linked with depression, mood swings and breathing problems.
 
Our exquisite hand made candles are made with natural plant & bees wax. That means no soot, no petrochemicals and of course no artificial fragrances. Our blends use only the purest essential oils which means you inhale pure therapeutic scents and create a unique environment.
 

Image credit: The Organic Pharmacy

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Beautiful, Fragrant, Organic Candles

Here are Angela’s fragrance personalities, with a brief description of each:

*Chanel #5 – Blond either by way of nature or bottle, well-maintained, manicured, and sipping something bubbly.

*Jean Patou Joy – Happy, friendly, and brunette.

*Guerlain Shalimar – Sexy with a mysterious foreign flavor.

*Thierry Mugler Angel – Angels sound very much like Elle from Legally Blond.

*4711 – Fresh, outdoorsy, healthy, and capable.

I like to think that I’m made up of equal parts Joy and Shalimar, with a small dash of 4711. I’m definitely Joy’s friendly brunette, but I like to think that I project a certain sense of Shalimar’s mystery. I’m a big fan of exercise, so that’s where the dash of 4711 comes in.  

Where do you fit?  To read Angela’s post and get a better feel for your perfume personality, take a look here.

Image credit: Sephora

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Equal Parts Joy and Shalimar

Grove’s Lemon Mint Leaves Dry Oil Perfume
$26.99

This spray carries notes of lemon, mint, and a “leafy, beautiful earth leaf inspired scent.”  It’s held within a 2 ounce bottle that is decorated with artwork depicting “Grove.” 

Grove is a Fern Lily Girl. A Fern Lily Girl lives among the earth, plants flowers, trees & blesses nature.Grove lives among the trees. She sings to the trees & tells them stories of the earth. Her voice is love to their ears.

Image credit: Fern Lily Girls at Etsy.com

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Perfume Oils from Fern Lily Girls

I’ve mentioned before how much I love the fragrances available from Smell Bent.  They work well as unisex and  have unique note combinations and funny names -  a smile is the perfect compliment to a great fragrance.  I got some samples in the mail to try for review.  My daughter sat down with me and we went through them all. Our favorite, hands down, is the Elf Fullfilling.  We loved that it smelled like a cinnamon-flavored cookie. 

Here are my first impressions of each fragrance:

*2010 – Fresh air. Somehow it had this sort of fresh air essence to it, which fits perfectly with a name that signifies a new year, but it’s actually supposed to smell space-age-y.  If you get a chance to try it, let me know what your impression is.

Notes: New Spaceship Smell, Pressurized Cabin, Jet Fuel, Intergalactic Plants and Blossoms.

*Elf Fulfilling  – I wrote “cinnamon” and “shortbread.” It reminded Bay of those buttery-good shortbread cookies, when she first smelled it. The dry down is more spice than sweet though.

Notes: Cinnamon Sugar Cookies, Naughty Pipe Tobacco, Toy Shop Sawdust

*Gelty Pleasures – Brownies. The chocolate note is strong here and that is a good thing, as far as I’m concerned. It’s a deep, decadent chocolate, definitely not chocolate-light.

Notes: Spiced Amber, Rich Milk Chocolate

*Hippie Holidaze – Maple syrup. I have to admit that I am drawn to anything with “hippie” in the name, because that’s probably going to mean patchouli. I was not disappointed.

Notes: Tangerines, Maple Syrup, Aged Patchouli

*Pere Noel – Evergreen. This is a freshly cut Christmas tree in a bottle. Pungent at first, it mellows nicely.

Notes: Sweet Immortelle, Atlas Cedar, Balsam Fir, Pinõn sap

Image credit: Smell Bent

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Smell Bent’s Holiday Smellies

I like this idea, because I use both scent and song to place memories. For example, and that smell when rain first begins to fall, it creates a particular scent as it hits the blacktop of the street. Do you know what I mean?  That smell instantly takes me back to my sophomore year of high school and a day when I cut class with my senior boyfriend. (Shh, don’t tell my mom.)

Another boyfriend comes to mind when I wear a citrus/verbena scent, because I wore it all the time when we were dating. My kids associate it with him, as well, even though it was me wearing the fragrance.

It smells a lot like L’Occitane’s Citrus Verbena, but the actual manufacturer (I bought it at Bath and Body Works a few years back) no longer makes the fragrance. I wish I had stocked up on it when I had the chance. 

What kind of scent memories do you have?  I’d love to hear about them.

Image credit: USA L’Occitane

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What Do Your Memories Smell Like?

Of course, it would also make a great gift, as that’s the intended use. I’m including the notes of each fragrance below.

Calvin Klein
Women’s Holiday Coffret
$35 at Drugstore.com

*Obsession For Women fragrance notes: Plum, Jasmine, Tuberose, Burnt Amber, Cashmere Woods, Mace, Vanilla, Sandalwood

*Eternity for Women fragrance notes: Freesia, Mandarin, Sage, Muguet, White Lily, Marigold, Narcissus, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Amber

*Secret Obsession fragrance notes: Plum, Rose, Mace, Jasmine, Orange Flower, Tuberose, Burnt Amber, Cashmere Woods, Vanilla, Sandalwood

*CK One fragrance notes: Bergamot, Cardamom, Pineapple, Papaya, Green Tree Accord, Hedione High Cis, Violet, Rose, Nutmeg, Musk, Amber

*Euphoria Woman fragrance notes: Pomegranate, Persimmon, Green Notes, Black Orchid, Lotus Blossom, Champaca Flower, Liquid Amber, Mahogany Wood, Black Violet, Cream Accord

Image credit: Drugstore.com

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Calvin Klein Minatures

Personally, I like my man to have a few scents in rotation. If there’s a common theme among the fragrances, say a particular note or group of notes that he is drawn to, that then becomes his signature smell, if not his singular signature scent.

The same is true of women. I have a constantly growing selection of fragrance to choose from, one of the perks of my job, but I do go back to the same few fragrances over and over. I am drawn to particular notes like sandalwood, musk, amber, or cardamom, because I am in the mood for an Oriental or maybe something spicy. Some days I want something clean and fresh. On those days, the combination of Lemon and Verbena works like nothing else can.

I don’t limit myself by season either. I’ve worn my Summer go-to scent Sunkissed Glow a 2 or 3 times a week even as the weather cooled and the leaves changed. My all-time favorite, KenzoAmour, an Oriental, is meant for Fall or Winter, but I spritz it, no matter the season, because it makes me feel powerful and sexy. (Seriously, try it. It’s bold).

Fragrance choice is so very personal, very much like any other element of a person’s individual style. How about you? Do you have an arsenal? Do you go the signature scent route? What do you want your choice of fragrance to say about you?

Image credit: Michelle Smith

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How Do You Indentify With Fragrance?

Here are a couple of home fragrance offer examples………

ULTA is offering a set of 2 clear glass Hurricane Candle Holders free with any $30 fragrance purchase. You can use the candle holders in a variety of ways to decorate for the holidays or all year round.

Another home fragrance offer from ULTA is a free 3.7 oz Yankee Candles Cranberry Peppermint jar candle with any $30 Yankee Candle purchase. The Yankee Candle Company has some really cute limited edition holiday candles.  There’s a set of three small-size jar candles or a stocking stuffer snowman-topped tube of candles. They make great gifts.

Yankee Candle Holiday Tea Light Tree Gift Set
$14.99

This set contains 1 white Christmas-tree shaped tea light holder and 4 scented, 4 oz size, tea light size candles.

Image credit: ULTA.com

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Home Fragrance Shopping Deals From ULTA

Included in the sale are the With a Splash All-Over Body Mist and the Supersoft Body Lotion in the Fruity & Bright, Drenched in Pink, Warm & Cozy, and Soft & Dreamy fragrances.

The Secret Garden line is also on sale. You can get 3 items for $24, 5 for $30, or 8 for $35. This includes body spray, body mist, body butter, hand and body cream, body lotion, shimmer lotion and body mist, and eau de toilette.

Fragrances include the popular Love Spell (very nice, also a favorite of my daughter), Pear Glace, Amber Romance, Berry Kiss, Sparkling Sugared Pear, among others.

Image credit: Victoria’s Secret.com

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Victoria’s Secret Pink Bath & Body Sale