Juicy Couture Daphne Satchel

I'll be honest. I tend to avoid Juicy Couture purses. Their velour pants are another matter. Perfect for lounging around home or on lazy shopping days. But the purses always seem a bit teenager-esque. Not so with the Daphne satchel. This is on my list. I'll take it in the brown (puddle) or bold pink (poinsetta) daisy print. Either way, it's graphic and adorable. The bee on the front just makes me think of lazy summer days! Not a really mature purse purchase but gosh, it'd beeeeee swell.

Lancome

With spring and Easter rolling in, I have been busy but finally yesterday I was able to visit to the Lancome counter at Macy's. My struggle with dry skin has increased since spring weather changes. So my goal was to get some moisturizing face wash. The sales lady, Vivienne (who was a doll, by the way!) hooked me up with Gelatee Confort. A milky cream, it takes a dab about the size of a nickel to clean away cosmetics. Safe to use around the eyes, it was easy to clean away my eye make-up. It doesn't foam up much but that was ideal since I was looking to avoid any drying soap residue. The cleanser left a layer of moisture on my skin which always makes me nervous because my skin is transluscent and often will look cloudy with a cleanser like this. However, my pores look clean and my skin bright. I did apply a moisturizer after the shower but only because I've been so dry.

While I was there, I asked Vivienne about Genifique. With such a huge advertising campaign, I had hoped to get a little sample but Lancome is holding out. However I tried a bit on the back of my hand. It is lightweight and melts away as you smooth it on. As I walked around the store, it tightened the skin on the back of my hand but didn't cause any crinkling. In fact, the layer had a very elastic nature and is barely noticeable. It does not moisturize per se but it made the drier parts of my hand smooth. Vivienne recommended using it under a moisturizer. I just wish Lancome could combine it with a lightweight moisturizer for a two-in-one product. The bottles are crowding my medicine cabinet enough! I am saving up my $78 for this product though. Lancome's skin regimin has been more impressive over the past few years. Genifique is available through Lancome's website (my link), Macy's, or Nordstrom.

Stila Precious Pearls Palette

I have been obsessively into eyeshadow palettes. So far I only have two new ones but I can tell that this is a slippery slope between 2 and 20. I splurged last pay day and bought the Stila Precious Pearls Palette. At Sephora, it retails for $40 which seems high but I looked at all the colors and thought, "YES!" I needed a palette with fresh spring colors and the beautiful shell tiled compact fit the bill. This is a high quality compact, heavy metal styling and smooth, rich mother-of-pearl tiles across the top. It's a work of art. My first thought was that I needed a new bathroom to show it off (any excuse, right?). OR at least, a new purse to carry it in! The colors are lovely, each showcased on their own. But the most disappointing thing about this compact is that they do not blend well. By this, I mean that the colors are not all picked to coordinate. The pinks are contrary (one a dusty, gold rose and the other a cool, cupcake pink). On the lid, they don't look so bad together though. I was pleasantly surprised to put the pale pink on today and find that it shimmers much more than in the palette. However, so far, the pearly white does not pack quite the promise of the Sephora description. I haven't noticed the gold finish yet. In the palette, the blue is gorgeous. On the lid, not so much, but I have received compliments while wearing it so perhaps I am being too hard. The brown is spectacular as is the green but I have taken to wearing them as a stand alone colors because they are difficult to coordinate. Staying power for this shadow isn't bad, no more or less than any other shadow. It does powder quite easily. I wear it with a base which I would recommend for any shadow. But make sure it is a pale base otherwise it seems to diminish the light reflecting bits of pearl in the shadows. It's a win for Stila. I would pick up one while you still can!