Perfume

New Fall Fragrances: Lady Gaga, Halle Berry, Donna Karan, & More

September 23, 2012 By Cortney 2 Comments

(Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D)

From Left to Right:

Lady Gaga
Fame Ultimate Masterpiece
A surprisingly sweet and feminine combination of belladonna, apricot nectar, tiger orchid, and jasmine. ($79 for 3.4 ounces; Macys.com) Lancôme

La Vie Est Belle
Iris, sweet praline, jasmine, and orange blossom in a delicate, sophisticated floral scent. ($75 for 1.7 ounces; Lancome-USA.com)

Tom Ford
Jonquille de Nuit
Lush and slightly spicy: peppery angelica seeds, violet leaf, narcissus, and warm amber. ($205 for 50 milliliters; Saks.com)

Givenchy
Eaudemoiselle Body Mist
A skin-softening mist (a mix of glycerin and rose extract) with floral notes of orange blossom and ylang-ylang. ($46 for 3.4 ounces; NeimanMarcus.com)

Donna Karan
Woman
The rich, woody, and warm scents of sandalwood, vetiver, and orange flower. ($115 for 3.4 ounces;Nordstrom.com)

Halle Berry
Closer
A fresh and powdery floral bouquet: water lily, violet, and mimosa, with a touch of vanilla bean. ($28 for 1 ounce; Target.com)

Diptyque
Volutes
Exotic notes of tobacco, iris, immortelle flower, and benzoin (a sweet-scented resin) in a fragrance that’s dense, smoky, and a little musky. ($140 for 2.5 ounces; DiptyqueParis.com)

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Filed Under: Beauty, News, No Slider Tagged With: Apricot, Beauty, Best, Best Fragrances 2012, Best Perfumes 2012, Body Mist, Body Spray, Department Store, Designer, Diptyque, Donna Karan, Donna Karen, Fall Fragrances, Fame Ultimate Masterpiece, Feminine, Floral, Fragrance, Givenchy, Halley Berry, Jasmine, Jonquille de Nuit, La Vie Est Belle, Lily, Long Lasting Fragrances, Lush, Mimosa, Musky, New Fragrances, Parfume, Perfume, Pretty, Rich, Sandalwood, Sephora, September, Spice, Sweet, Tom Ford, Vanilla, Violet, Warm, Warm Scents, Winter Scents, Women, Woody

My August 2012 Birchbox

August 14, 2012 By Cortney Leave a Comment

I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: My Birchbox’s have always been a hit or miss. This month however, was definitely a hit.

My favorite item by far, was the Schick Hydro Silk razor. Aside from the fact that I was desperately needing a new razor, I haven’t ever tried the Schick brand before so this will be my first! This has 5 blades and a moisturizing serum surrounding them. The serum is supposed to provide comfort during shaving and help fight off that terrible dry skin post-shave. (Bonus: I received two coupons with the razor!)

A little added bonus in this BirchBox was a “Beauty School” Pamphlet complete with: Tips on how to read the label on cosmetics, 5 tips to a better shave, a little guide for the different types of beauty brushes and more! This was a smart idea to include especially for beginning makeup users.

[Related: July 2012 BirchBox]

Probably the neatest thing I got this month was the Beauty Fixation Lipstick touch-up swabs. I received 24 in the little box and i’m really excited to try these out. One side holds a serum to help touch-up lipstick/ lipgloss smudges and the other is empty. You just snap the little tip of the one with a red line on it and you’ll see the formula fill the opposite tip. Use that side to fix any smudges!

[Video: Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Palette Review & Swatches]

The other three items I received in my BirchBox was a Gloss Moderne High-Gloss hair masque. This smells absolutely luxurious! super excited to try this out. I received a Brow Base by Sumita. This helps conceal stray hairs when you need to touch up on tweezing and also works to keep eyeshadows crease-free. Last but not least, I got a sample of the new Viva La Juicy La Fleur perfume. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the original Viva La Juicy but this one smells flirty & fabulous!

I Always Like To Know What Everyone Else gets in Their Monthly Beauty Boxes. Comment Below!

Filed Under: Beauty Tagged With: August, Beauty, Beauty Fixation Lipstick Touch UP Swabs, Beauty School Pamphlet, BirchBox 2012, BirchBox Review, Cosmetics, CosmeticsByCortney, Gloss Moderne High Gloss Hair Masque, Monthly Beauty Box Review, My BirchBox, Perfume, Razor Review, Schick Razor Review, Sumita Brow Base Review, Viva La Juicy La Fleur Review, What Do You Get in a BirchBox

My July 2012 BirchBox

July 18, 2012 By Cortney Leave a Comment

It was exciting to come home after work to a BirchBox waiting for me. I’ve been on a bit of a budget for awhile now, so it’s always nice to get some free goodies to try out. This month was an assortment of items, some typical of BirchBox and some a little abstract. If i’m being honest this wasn’t one of my better BirchBox experiences.

Here is What I received this Month and What I think About it:

**Harvey Prince Eau Flirt:**

This scent is layered with scents of fresh citrus and jasmine notes over a base of lavender and pumpkin. While all of these scents sound fantastic- I have to say that this fragrance is a little on the masculine side IMO. I would find this an attractive scent on a man and I will not be using it. Absolutely no offense to any females wearing this scent- it is just not my cup of tea.

**Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum:**

Aside from “goop” being one of the number 1 things I try to avoid with cosmetics, i’m excited to try this out. Sun Safety is always important in my beauty book and I enjoyed one of their products in a Sun Safety Kit I reviewed last Summer.

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner:

This was one of the better items I received this time around. Although I haven’t had the chance to try it out, it looks promising. This eyeliner isn’t labeled waterproof so I have to be careful using it because I have oily eyelids, but the tip looks like velvet. Almost like a black highlighter. (Comment if you would like me to report back on how I liked this)

Color Club Blue Ming:

This was my favorite item in this BirchBox. It’s a beautiful bright Aqua color that is perfect for Summer. I currently only have a few blue nail polishes and none of them are this shade. I can’t wait to try this out

Lifestyle Extras:

- Tea Forte Minteas (Tea Infused Mints): I’m jazzed to have a new purse goodie. (Everyone should have purse goodies! ;P)

- Blue and Pink Earbuds: Although the colors on these are fabulous, I can’t stand this shape earbud. I’m pretty exclusively involved with iPod style earbuds. I’m so sad to say I won’t be able to use these. They just won’t stay snug in my ears ;/

What’s in Your July 2012 BirchBox??

Filed Under: Beauty, No Slider Tagged With: Beauty, Beauty Sample Companies, Beauty Samples, BirchBox 2012, Blue Aqua, Color Club, Cosmetics By Cortney, Earbuds, Eau Flirt, Eyeko, Eyeliner, Fragrance, Harvey Prince, How to Sign Up for BirchBox, July 2012, Makeup, Minteas, Music, Nail Polish, Nail Polishes for Summer, Perfume, Review, SPF, Spotify, Sun Safety, Sun Safety Kit, Sun Screen Serum, SuperGoop, Tea Forte, What's in My Birchbox?

My April 2012 BirchBox. Should You Get One?

April 29, 2012 By Cortney 1 Comment

I got my April BirchBox a week or so ago and I decided i’d share it with all of you. I get a lot of questions about the monthly beauty box programs and decided i’d share what I receive each month. I have not yet tried these products.

As fun as it is to have a little present show up every month, it’s a good idea to research which box best suits your needs. There are some great programs out there, but you have to be sure to choose one that will provide you with the products you want at the price you can afford. There are programs that are monthly, quarterly, and annually from a variety of price ranges.

Here is what I got in my BirchBox for April 2012:

Befine Skincare Sampler: Revive dull skin with this gentle cleanser and moisturizer duo. Bot use rice extracts to restore skin’s natural barrier.

WEI White Lotus Hydrating Face Treatment Pad: This single-use face mask is soaked with a blend of Easter botanicals and hyaluronic acid to give skin an instant moisture boost.

Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift: The new Taylor Swift perfume. A light sensual scent.

Zoya TRUE Spring Collection: A nice mild and balanced blue. I think this is a perfect muted color for the summer time.

MicrodermaMitt: This all-natural silk mitt gently exfoliates dead skin cells and pore-clogging debris.

SEE: Nicki Minaj Fragrance Release

SEE: Celebrity Photos without Retouching!

Filed Under: Beauty, Skincare Tagged With: April BirchBox 2012, Beauty, Beauty Boxes, BirchBox 2012, CBC, Cleanser, Cosmetics By Cortney, Deluxe Samples, Exfoliator, Free Gift, Full Size Samples, Haul, Is BirchBox Good?, Makeup, MicrodermaMitt, Nail Polish, Organic, Perfume, Review, Samples, Shopping, SkinType, Taylor Swift, Unboxing, Vegetarian, WEI White Lotus Hydrating Face Treatment Pad, What Comes in a BirchBox, Wonderstruck, Zoya TRUE Spring Collection

Giveaway Now Open!

February 21, 2012 By Cortney 2 Comments

I’m so excited to announce a new giveaway for Cosmetics By Cortney! I had so much fun shopping for the prizes, I hope you all like them as much as I do. I had been hoping to do another giveaway much sooner but time and finances stood in my way for a little while. You can imagine how happy I am to finally have a new contest going

Below are the prizes and the rules- good luck!

The first prize is a Too Faced Glamour To Go Palette. This stellar palette super cute and convenient. The secret pull out section for the Blush, Bronzer and Lip gloss is so fun. It is a perfect size for even the smallest purse or makeup bag.

The Palette includes: 8 eyeshadows, 1 Blush, 1 Bronzer and 1 Lip Gloss. This palette will work well for most eye colors and complexions.

The Second prize is a Coach Poppy and Poppy Flower Roller Ball Duo. This chic roll on duo is a beautiful scent for spring and Summer. Evening or Day-time. It is also one that I feel is appropriate for teens and adults. Duo’s are always great because it’s like having a two in one at your disposal.

Rules:

Contest will last approximately 1 month (30 days)
You must be subscribed to my Youtube channel CBC
You must Like and Favorite the Giveaway video via Youtube
You must be a Twitter follower CosmeticsByCort
You must “Like” or Share one of my Articles here via Facebook
You must comment here or in the video and tell me what you would like to see changed in the beauty industry

Good luck to everyone who enters!

Feel free to comment with any questions!