Wash Up & Smell The Chocolate...Giovanni Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub

It's been ages since I've seen anything from Giovanni, a brand I would usually see at Walgreen's. So, I was even more surprised to find the brand was sold over here. I found the Giovanni Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub (9 oz/ 260 g) at Cosme Kitchen for 2,808 yen, but they were sold out; which turned out to be a happy inconvenience, because I found it on Rakuten for 1,400 yen (shipping included). Three cheers for that savings!

I have to begin with the scent of this sugar scrub, because it's that amazing! The rich, sweet, nutty-chocolate scent of Giovanni's Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub is scrumptious! The scent is not synthetic, nor saccharin sweet, it just smells heavenly. Whenever I open the tub, I can't keep my nose out of it; I just want to dip my finger into the scrub and eat it. If you're a chocoholic, you are going to go mad for the scent.

The simple, yet stylish, frosted, asymmetrical plastic packaging is very eye-catching. I really enjoy the way the surface and shape of the tub feels in my hand.

Loaded with crushed cocoa beans, walnut shells, and essential oils, the scrub has a thick, grainy texture without feeling coarse on the skin. Frankly, on wet skin, I found the granules would quickly dissipate, causing exfoliating to be too gentle for my liking. Thus, I'll pat the myself off with a small towel, leaving my skin damp, not wet, to get my ideal exfoliation action. Afterwards, all dead skin has been buffed away, leaving my body smooth, polished, with an edible scent. Also, the sugar scrub has a warming effect as soon as it you start rubbing it onto the skin. Sadly, the sensation soon disappears after a few seconds into exfoliating.

Giovanni Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub contains 100% vegetarian ingredients (sugar, crushed cocoa beans, kukui nut, shea butter, vitamin e, aloe vera, and so on) is not tested on animals, and is free of parabens, lauryl, and laureth sulfate.

I really enjoy the Giovanni Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub and would recommend it, especially during Fall and Winter.

Have you tried Giovanni's Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub?

There Is Always Something To Be Thankful For...

May you and your family and friends be blessed this thanksgiving, and throughout the year <3

Thanksgiving isn't celebrated over here, and I was too busy this year to order all the foodie necessities to prep for it. So, enjoy that extra serving of everything for me! 

Celebrate With 20% off b-glowing

Start your Cyber Week savings early with 20% off purchases of $50+ at b-glowing. Brands excluded from the promo code (but not gift with purchase offers) are: Bliss, Dermablend Professional, Egyptian Magic, Jack Black, Kai Perfume, Paula's Choice, and Rodin Olio Lusso.

Don't forget the promotion is valid through 10:59pm CST on 11/29/16.

I'll mostly likely be repurchasing and stocking up on the Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum. I love that stuff. 

One Shade of Earl Grey

When Butter London released their Steampunk Ball Collection (my fav collection from the brand to date) back in 2014, I was absolutely besotted. I'm enamored with all things steampunk, and I feel in love with the promotional images, exterior packaging, all the polish shades, and their names. Basically, I had to have everything from the collection (minus the lip and polish sets).

The mini sized Earl Grey (Finally, a polish named after my beloved tea) was an exclusive shade in the collection, and featured in, both, the Gilded Gears and Gears set and Gadgets Ultimate Lacquer Trunk. Don't you just adore the names?!

Earl Grey is a shimmery, metallic, silvered-graphite grey, with a "dirty" tinge that gives the shade this beautiful depth. Not exactly the color I would have envisioned Earl Grey to be, it's still a pretty shade. The formula is wonderful, and fully opaque in one coat, with minor streaking; but, this is corrected after a second application, and top coat. The wear time is also excellent, with a full six days of wear.

Although it's been two years since the Steampunk Ball Collection was released, I just checked online, and a majority of the sets can be found online via ebay and other retailers.

'Cause I'm The Duke Of Earl Grey...Tasty Related, Not Beauty Related

Life just keeps getting better and better; my life in Earl Grey, that is. Guys, I have to share with you this recent Earl Grey foodie find.

Twice a week, I make it a point to pop into the Kaldi (a coffee and imported foods shop) that's in one of the stations on my commute home. Kaldi is the only shop in Japan where I have been able to find Swiss cheese. Last week, as I was combing the jams and perserves aisle, my eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing, "Is that Earl Grey? No. Wait, it is! It is Earl Grey!"

L'EPICURIEN'S Earl Grey confit has a sweeten Earl Grey flavor with jelly-like consistency, and it is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! Although not an artificial flavoring, the confit is sweet. However, the sweetness doesn't overpower the prominent Earl Grey taste. I've had it on toast or on an English muffin by itself, over butter, cream cheese, with yogurt, cream of wheat, oatmeal, and in my tea as a sugar or honey substitute; I've even had it in small spoonfuls, and all of these ways have been delish! I wish we had ovens in Japan, because I would love to make jam-filled butter cookies with it.

I think everyone I know is going to get a jar of  L'EPICURIEN'S Earl Grey confit for Christmas, because it's that good! 

Parts Of A Duet...Dior Diorblush Light & Contour Sculpting Stick Duo 001, 002, 003

It's a shame the Dior Diorblush Light & Contour Sculpting Stick Duos, from the Fall 2016 Skyline Collection, are limited edition, because this dry-skinned girl is very fond of them.

I bought all three duos, and I really love how lightweight and portable these chubby, dual-ended, contouring and highlighting sticks are.

I'm really impressed with how pigmented this product is, especially the contour end. The texture of each is exceptionally creamy, and glides on the skin without a hitch. whether using my fingers, a brush, or even sponge, both products are very easy to blend, and meld into the skin. The contour shade blends down to what Dior says is a "matte finish." However, I'm more inclined to call it a semi-matte because it has beautiful, understated sheen. The highlight shade gives a shimmery radiance to the skin, and can blended out, or built up, to your personal level of glowy satisfaction.

From left to right: 001, 002, 003.

001 Soft Contour: a light tan and champagne. Both shades have rosy undertones.

002 Medium Contour: a deep camel with subtle yellow undertones, and a peachy-pink champagne.

003 Intense Contour: a deep cognac and a cool, brownish-champagne with a swirl of yellow, pink and mauve undertones. This shade is really gorgeous and possibly my favorite of the highlighters.

The Diorblush Light & Contour Sculpting Stick Duos are meant to be used along all the areas where you would sculpt and highlight the face. But, I also like using both ends on the lids as a shadow or an eyeshadow base, and for those of you brown blush lovers, using the contour shade as a blush. Actually, I was wearing the darker shade of 002 as my blush yesterday, and was complimented, and asked what I was wearing on my cheeks from all the SA's at every counter I visited (which was all ;P).

What are your thoughts on the Diorblush Light & Contour Sculpting Stick Duos?

An Attraction Towards The Abstract...Dior Abstract 522 Vernis

Apologies for the, somewhat, out of focus photo. For the life of me, I don't know why, but my camera wouldn't cooperate. And, after taking 600 photograph this bottle, not one turned out well.

A cozy, chic beautiful shade for autumn, Abstract 522 is a warm, rosy-camel with a lovely, shiny, creme finish. The formula's creamy consistency applies smoothly, without any hassle. One coat gives a uniform, solid color, but two coats deepens the shade, matching the bottle perfectly. I've worn Abstract several times, and it wears for an average of 4-5 days.

If there are any camel polishes you love, I would love to know them.

I Wasn't Going To Eat It...Les Merveilleuses Laduree Honey Liquid Body Soap

I dislike going for long periods of time without blogging. But, Halloween is always a busy time for me, and with my birthday following suit on November 4th, the festivities have only now begun to come to an end.

On November 4th, when Laduree released the bulk of their 2016 Holiday Collection, I had every intention of buying the limited edition, three-toned, petal Face Color Rose Blush, the Makeup Coffret III (not the gaudy, female bust brush holder), and the Honey Liquid Body Soap. Be that as it may, when I got to fool around with the products at the counter, I was underwhelmed, as stuck with my lone purchase (the Honey Liquid Body Soap).

I loved last year's limited edition Violet Liquid Body Soap, and thought Honey would be just as great.

At the counter, the body soap smelled of a delectable honey. Yet, upon use, a flower scent emerged as well. The delicate blend of these two fragrances is very appealing. 

Just like the violet body soap, Honey lathered very well, left my skin feeling cleansed, and not dry nor itchy. In spite of that, my skin doesn't feel as smooth as usual, and it feels a little tight, as if I washed with Rain X. Somewhat of a disappointment, because I really liked the scent.