Beauty Box 5 August Reveal

 

 

 

Hello dolls!  For anyone not familiar with BeautyBox5, it is a monthly beauty box subscription that selects five of the industry's must haves and delivers them straight to your door!  There are various subscription options to chose from, but my lucky self receives a complimentary box each month in exchange for sharing each month's goodies with all of you lovelies :)

 

 

Each month's box has a special theme, and this month was "Do Not Disturb... Pampering in Process".  How perfect is that?  It's a nice way to wind down with the end of summer and prepare for those fall months ahead.  Scroll down to check out this month's essentials!

 

Global Beauty Care Retinol Spa Treatment Mask

Retail: $7.50 

I am ALL about the face masks these days.  This one's star ingredient retinol is advertised to reduce expression lines and wrinkles while boosting cell renewal.  Kick back and relax for 20 minutes while this baby works it's magic!   

VO5 Hot Oil Therapy Treatment

Retail: $2.59

 

These are so fast and easy to use, and help boost dry, damaged hair.  You just pop the unopened tube into some hot water to heat it up, massage the contents into your wet hair, and then rinse out a minute later.    

 

 

Olive Natural Beauty Elixir

Retail: $ 36.00

 

 This is an all natural, essential oil advertised as a "daily vitamin for your skin".  I admit I liked this almost right away.  It has the lightest, most subtle citrus fragrance and even though it's oil, there's no greasy feeling whatsoever, and dries within seconds.  It's definitely my favorite from the box.   

DID, HAIR Spa Day Hair Ties

Retail: $6.50

 

These soft hair bands are perfect for pulling back those long locks.  They have cute designs and are supposed to leave hair dent free! 

 

NIKA Facial Exfoliating Brush

Retail: $17.99

 

 

NIKA's densely- packed luxurious mini brush paired with your favorite face wash is a great alternative to a pricey department store exfoliator brush.  It's brush is soft and compact and is also great for travel! 

 

 

Travel Size Rave Hair Spray

 

A curly haired girl can never hair too much hair spray so this will certainly be useful.

 

 

 

Bottom line, I really loved this month's box.  Every product except two were full size, which is awesome.  I've already delved into the oils and am excited to get started with the rest.  

Summer Eats

Hi dolls!  I mentioned earlier that I've been hopping around to new restaurants and noting the ones worth sharing.  As promised, here is a list of my latest taste sessions!

 

 

 

Last weekend a friend and I headed back out to Long Beach to start savoring these final days in the sun and enjoy more good ol' summertime eats.

 

 

 

We stopped for lunch at The Park Sports Bar and Grill where I ordered a tasty buffalo chicken wrap and sweet potato fries! 

 

 

No summer lunch is complete without a cocktail and this time I paired it with a yummy

Piña colada!

 

 

 

On the walk back to the beach, we stopped to indulge in a delicious Italian Ice from Gino's.  I ordered the Vanilla Chip, which was SO good, and only $1.50!!

 

On a whim, a friend and I headed over to Jora in Long Island City Queens for some authentic Peruvian cuisine.

 

 

 

I ordered the Arroz con Mariscos which is a Peruvian seafood style paella, and I HIGHLY recommend it to any seafood lover.  It's the perfect size portion and has everything from shrimp and calamari to octopus and muscles. 

 

We ended the meal with a scoop of Helado de Lucuma, described as a homemade tropical fruit ice cream.  It is almond praline flavor so I'm not sure how it's considered tropical, but either way it was delicious!!  Between the relaxing ambiance and great tasting food, it's definitely a spot you want to hit if you're in the area.         

 

 

 

For those who aren't familiar with it, NYC restaurant week just recently ended.  It's one of my favorite parts of living in the city because it lets you experience high end restaurants without breaking the bank.  Each restaurant creates a customized fixed menu at a lower rate that usually they include a 3 course meal, making it easier and more affordable for you to indulge.

  

Located on 58th Street, Le Cirque is a widely popular French restaurant, known to many celebs like Robert De Niro.  So when my friend and I saw they were participating, we made our reservation ASAP.

 

 

 

Drink:

Prosecco

 

Dish:

Fusilli Pasta

 

 

Dish:

Aubergine Parmigiana.

Dish:

Le Cirque Crème brûlée

 

 

 

Next stop was Mr. Chow, the famous Chinese restaurant which I heard from many people was amazing, and I was dying to try it.

Dish:

The restaurant's homemade noodles and spicy sauce, which are a must have if you ever decide to go.  

 

 

 

This restaurant took a slightly different approach and designed it so that your party could share and experience several different dishes.  My friend and I ordered the shrimp and velvet chicken, which came with specialty rice and string beans.

 

Dessert was two scoops of mouth watering sorbet.  A fine way to end a delicious meal! 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you been to any of these restaurants?  How was your experience?  Are you interested in trying any of them?

 

 

 

 

 

New Release: Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey Pure

 

 

 

In June I attended the launch party for Issey Miyake's latest fragrance L’Eau d’Issey Pure, which was released last month.  Guests experienced the fragrance first hand, as well as enjoyed a themed rooftop reception and live dance performance. 

 

The scent is a modernized version of its 1992 predecessor whose theme was the scent of water on a woman's skin.  

 

Described as "transparent and yet deep; fluid and yet enveloping... filled with contrasts", Pure is a reflection of Issey Miyake's rekindled love of a nature that is revived by water.  It is a sensual fragrance with bursts of freshness and delicious florals which, I love.

 

 

 

 

 

Notes:

 

Incarnated by the salty sea breeze of Maritima* combined with Ambergris, L’Eau d’Issey Pure derives from a new aquatic story. Maritima*, an exclusive IFF molecule, evokes cool clear waters, while Ambergris, with its mineral and animal inflections, brings sensuality and breadth to the fragrance. A floral bouquet sparkles, as if floating on a wide expanse of sea. Crystalline Lily-of the-Valley responds to the brightness of Orange Blossom. Plunge into their delicate white trail.

Then come other, denser flowers. Essence of Rose Damascena once again imbibed with the morning dew from when it was picked, brings with it opulent Jasmine in a heady explosion of petals. The ocean crossing continues. In the base notes, the call of Cashmeran* rings out, with musky and woody resonance. Pure and powerful, L’Eau d’Issey Pure reaches far-off shores at the touch of a single drop.

 

The packaging:

 

At first glance the bottle appears the same as the brand's signature conical glass bottle, but upon closer look you notice a subtle twist in its design.  The crystalline ball that typically sits atop all of Issey Miyake fragrance bottles has moved to the bottom, creating a softer, more elegant look aimed at capturing the essence of the water's purity. 

 

"L’Eau d’Issey is what all other perfumes are not. L’Eau d’Issey evokes the genuine simplicity and purity that exist around this idea of water. For L’Eau d’Issey Pure I believe we have captured the most basic image of water, a droplet. The droplet symbolises the fragrance and becomes the bottle." - Todd Bracher

 

 

 

 

Shots from the amazing dance performance choreographed by 2015 Bessie Award winning Melissa Toogood and ensemble.

 

 

Afterward, guests stepped outside to enjoy the view and sip on specialty cocktail "Golden Jasmine".   

 

 

 Overall, it was really a fun evening, and the scent is perfect for the season.  It's breezy and sweet, and definitely one of my favorites from the brand.   

 

 

Available: Fine retail stores nationwide

Retail: 3.0 oz Eau de Parfum spray $108.00

1.6 oz Eau de Parfum spray $88.00