Oribe Fragrance is Now A Thing

If you've ever had your hair styled in a salon with Oribe products, or are completely obsessed with the Dry Texturizing Spray like I am, you're going to love this news.  The signature scent we've all fallen in love with is now available as an eau de parfum. That's right, the beloved haircare brand has bottled up their signature scent and is now doing fragrance.

When developing the celeb hairstylist's haircare line, a perfumer was involved to create a signature scent that was placed in all of the products so they'd be easy to layer.  A fine fragrance, Cote d'Azur, was created and then developed to work with the products.

That fragrance, Oribe Cote d'Azur Eau de Parfum, a citrusy floral, is now available for purchase at salons and on oribe.com for $85.  It's unisex and includes top notes of Fresh lemon, plum, black currant, Calabrian bergamot, Sicilian Orange; middle notes of Tuberose, blue cyclamen, white butterfly jasmine and bottom notes of Sandalwood, vetiver, crisp amber.

Kerastase Densifique Collection: Thin Hair Care

If you have fine hair (or know someone who does), this post is dedicated to you. Despite all of my positive energy, I play a victim to having pin-straight, fine hair. I'm told I'm lucky because I have a lot it, but I sure as hell don't feel lucky.  I test anything that promises fullness and recently fell head over heels with products from the Kerastase Densifique Collection.  They're changing my game.

Born with thin hair + running my own business + planning a wedding = ya know, just typical life stress and life stressed strands.  NBD.

Big deal, but I'm not going to let my already fine hair suffer.  Truth is, life stresses can cause your hair to thin or even fall out.  Stressed or not, the Kerastase Densifique Collection works well on my hair type by adding body without weighing it down, which is one of my biggest challenges when it comes to using product.  I've been using the Bain Densite (bodifying shampoo), Masque Densite (regenerating mask) and Densimorphose (densifying mousse).  The collections uses ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, gluco-peptides and ceramide, which make hair appear denser looking.

The Kerastase Densifique Collection will be my new Kerastase go-to since I was obsessed with Volumifique.

*This post is sponsored by Kerastase, but all of my thoughts and actions are true.

5 Favorites

While many new products hit my desk, only a few really impress.  In this 5 Favorites round up, I'm going to fill you in on exactly why a hand cream is worth $85 (no joke), hands down the best eye makeup remover out there, the nail polish shade I'm considering as my something blue for my wedding day pedicure (it's Zac Posen approved) plus more.

Restorsea Hand Cream, $85 at restorsea.com

As a fan of Restorsea skincare, when I received the email about a new hand cream launch, I immediately requested a sample.  A day later, there it was.  Now, my fiance makes fun of me for carrying around a full sized (3.4 0z) tube in my clutch.  The condition of my hands changed within about a weeks use.  They've been dry, but what has been bothering me most was my cuticles.  Now, my hands feel smooth and look presentable.  It's like a miracle cream, not just a temporary fix.

L'Oreal Boost It High Lift Creation Spray, $4.99 at drugstores

L'Oreal came out with a whole new collection of styling products and their Boost It line was made for women with fine or flat hair like me.  My favorite product so far is the High Lift Creation Spray.  After blowdrying, I spray it into my roots and tease them just a bit to create a bit of volume on top.  The formula is workable, not sticky, so it keeps the height in place without looking too done.

Morgan Taylor Nail Polish in Hide & Sleek, $5.69 at amazon.com

I dumped the new Morgan Taylor polish collection out onto my kitchen table and immediately grabbed this one – Hide & Sleek.  From the new "Purples Collection," and inspired by semi-precious stones, this hue is a potential wedding day something blue.  It's rich and reminds me of royalty.  Zac Posen even chose the shade to compliment his Fall 2014 collection during NY Fashion Week.

Klorane Floral Gel Eye Makeup Remover, $16 at skinstore.com

Dare I say that I've never met an eye makeup remover so gentle and efficient?  This is it.  Enough said.  The gel formula is gentle on the lashes and despite the fact that it has the word floral it's title, no, it won't sting if it gets into your eyes.  It's actually made with soothing cornflower.

Emi-Jay Hair Ties, Ombre 5 Pack, $10.99 at emi-jay.com

I can finally put my hair in a real pony tail!  Therefore, maybe I'm late to the game, but I'm obsessed with Emi-Jay Hair Ties.  Their a true beauty breakthrough as they look fashionable and don't cause tension.  I'm a fan of the ombre packs.

Behind the Scenes at L'Oreal's Research & Development Center

When my college roommate, Melanie, would tell me about her microbiology experiments dealing with Botchalism I used to make fun of her as I sat at my desk and wrote trend pieces for my journalism classes.  Today, if I could switch jobs with anyone I know it would be her as she's now the brains behind many of the products that I test and write about daily.  I really got to see what she does yesterday when I visited the L'Oreal Research and Innovations Center in Clark, NJ on an editor trip.  Exploring the labs where many L'Oreal and L'Oreal owned brands products are developed, I got to play Mel for the day!

This trip was the first time L'Oreal ever opened it's doors to outsiders and I was beyond excited to be there.  After six years of writing beauty, I've never gotten a sneak peak into the research and development before.  With 400 employees, this is their number one research center outside of France.  Besides L'Oreal the brand, Matrix, Maybelline, Skinceuticals and many other brands are formulated there and in just one year, they launch about 2,500 new products.  Yes ladies, this is where the magic happens.

Labs are broken down into cosmetic, skincare, hair color, styling and fragrance specialties and the evaluation processes were strict.  While skincare is a passion of mine, I was really impressed by what I saw and learned in cosmetics.

Blackout shades are on the windows for lighting control and specialized lights hang above makeup chairs that switch from day to night and even florescent lighting so the cosmetologists can evaluate shades under all circumstances.  What really blew me away though was learning that there are about 17 ingredients into Maybelline's latest mascara, Illegal Length Fiber Extension Mascara.  A soft wax is used for volumizing, harder wax for curl, and these little 4mm fibers are spread through out the formula that adhere to the tips of your lashes for length. To reinvent black, the chemists used a combination of the standard colorant, iron oxide and mixed it with carbon black to make the lashes really pop.  After seeing the breakdown of ingredients and manufacturing of the formula, I knew this mascara was the real deal and when I tested it after I got home, I was right.

It's one thing to receive a product to test out and a press release about its ingredients, but to go behind the scenes into the lab and watch them in the making is magical.

A Peek Inside My (Our) Medicine Cabinet

As a complete beauty junkie and blogger, I'm sent bags full of new products to test out daily, which means my medicine cabinet (and Joe's) is like a rotating door.  Some products that enter I buy repeatedly, because after being introduced I just can't live without them and others come and go just after a few pumps.  Here's a peek at what Joe and I are loving this minute.

The Best Cyber Monday Beauty Deals

I'm all about scoring great deals this holiday season, but trust me I'm the last person you'll find waiting in those horrific lines on Black Friday.  I can't believe people still do that even though Cyber Monday exists.  Cyber Monday is the best thing ever created and here's a list of the best beauty deals that will be going on so log in and have your credit card ready! Tarte:  $10 off purchases of $50, $20 off purchases of $75, $30 off purchases of $100 or more - A free gift with purchase with every order (customers will get to choose 1 of 5 items) - Free shipping on orders of $40 & up - Code: CYBER

Butter London: 30% site wide discount until November 30th - Code: CELEBRATE11

Bliss: 20% off Bliss, Elemis and Laboratoire Remede products

Elizabeth Arden: 25% off - Free shipping on any order - Save up to 65% on skincare, makeup and fragrance gift sets - Code: BF2

Perfumania: 30% off the entire site - Code: CYBER30

Bobbi Brown: Free best seller gift trio with purchase - Free shipping until November 29th

Urban Decay: Their signature eye palette is on sale for $19 (originally $34)

Elizabeth Arden: Free 5 piece gift - Free shipping with any order of $35 - Code: BEAUTY35

Bloom.com: 40% back in the form of Bloom Dollars for future purchases - free gifts with every purchase - free shipping and free returns on orders over $49

Dr. Brandt: Slashed the prices on two of his most coveted items: Lineless Eye Cream from $69 to $29 and Flaws no more R3P Eye from $80 to $39

Ulta: Free shipping on orders of $25 or more - Code: HOLIDAYSHIP25

John Masters Organics: 25% off your order - Code: HOLIDAY11

Borghese: 25% off your order from 12pm to 4pm - Code: 25CYBER11 

Stila: Up to 80% off items until December 2nd

Lab Series: 25% off all products - Free shipping until December 2nd

Somme Institute: 40% off all skincare site wide

VMV Hypoallergenics: The site is offering 50% off select products including Glitz and Velvet Matte Lipsticks, Two True Hues Eyeshadow Duos, the SuperSkin Starts Here Kit, the entire Illuminants+ line and select Skintelligent Beauty Brushes

Lush: Spend $100 and get a free $10 Lush e-card and free ground shipping - Spend $120 and get a free $10 Lush e-gift card and free air shipping

Hair Products That Have Been Making An Impact

It's been two months since I've gotten my Great Lengths extensions and let me tell you, this coif has a mind of its own.  My real hair is fine and takes about ten minutes to blow dry straight, but with eight inches added on and tons of fullness, this beast needs to be tamed.  It's "naturally" wavy and out of control. Check out the products that have been getting the job done. Alterna Bamboo Shine Brillance Cream and Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil

On damp hair I use a dollop of the cream combined with a drop of the kendi oil. The results – a smooth, straight blow out every time.  Sometimes, depending on the humidity I'll use them seperately.  The Kendi Oil is like no other oil I've ever tried (and yes, I've tried them all).  It is light-weight and absorbs quickly, which works for me.

Carol's Daughter Monoi

Since I discovered this hair mask I've been using it regularly and it really keeps my hair super moisturized. At first I started using it simply because of the smell, but now that it's part of my weekly routine, I've been appreciating the effects of the monoi oil on my strands.

Boyfriend Approved Beauty: Redken Natural Rescue Collection

We all want healthy, shiny hair, as our mane is one of our most alluring features.  As a matter of fact, 72% of men said that a woman's hair was the sexiest when it's shiny, according to a survey by the UK Telegraph. Well according to my boyfriend, it also has to smell good!  (I guess when I push to day three of not washing it he can tell, oops).  Well let me introduce you to a collection that that helps me achieve shine and great smelling locks whether I wash them or not.

Redken recently came out with a hair care line called Natural Rescue that's completely free of parabens, sulfates and silicones and uses plant and marine extracts to remove buildup, while helping to nourish and refine your hair so I've been putting it to the test. The line consists of Refreshing Detox Shampoo, $16, Refining Sea Polish, $19, Cooling Deep Conditioner, $17, and my favorite, the Radiant Sea Spray, $17.  The Radiant Sea Spray is like  an orgasm in a bottle.  Yes, it does actually add texture to my fine, lifeless hair, but it's a "Boyfriend Approved Beauty Product."  Now that's a beauty award! The spray has fragrance capsules in it that when touched, are activated and give off a very light, refreshing scent.

You can find Redken products at Redken salons near you.