Beauty

Tru Fragrance names Mandarin the ultimate “HipNote” of Summer 2012

 in Beauty / Fragrance / Trends  tagged orange / spring 2012 / summer 2012 / trufragrance by

Tru Fragrance, who is to the fragrance world what Pantone is to the color forecasting world, has officially declared “Mandarin” to be the “HipNote” for the summer 2012 season. This revelation comes off of the winter season’s wildly popular “HipNote” of Iris which offered a sweet and warm fragrance experience. As the weather heats up, perfumers and designers have decided to move in a crisp, fresh direction and are favoring Mandarin for the summer season.

As the temperatures have risen here in the San Francisco Bay Area over the past week, fragrance fans have been reaching for spring and summer fragrances in favor of their lighter compositions and cooler fragrance experiences. Mandarin, being one of the more popular and classic warm weather fragrance notes, has proven to be the most highly sought-after fragrance note of the summer 2012 season.

Summer 2012 will give fragrance fans many new scents to get excited about; and they all happen to contain the season’s “HipNote” or Mandarin. A few of the new mandarin based launches for the summer 2012 season are Coach Summer Edition 2012, Nine West Love Fury, Sinful for Her by The Buckle, Francesca’s Collections Signature and Chanel’s Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme.

Renee Bukowski, Senior Product Development Manager for Tru Fragrance comments, “Overseeing the fragrance development process from conception to market, it is our job to be at the pulse of industry trends and what is appealing to today’s consumers. For summer 2012, consumers are looking for something new and unique to celebrate the season. Known to develop the imagination and enhance creativity, mandarin is the ultimate summer scent, offering a fresh and energetic take for warmer weather.”

Interesting enough in the fashion world, Mandarin’s sister citrus “Tangerine” happens to be the “IT” color of 2012 as declared by the world foremost color authority Pantone in December 2011. As consumers gravitate towards Tangerine hued clothing, they also appear to be gravitating towards a fragrance which matches their ensemble; proving that fragrance puts the finishing touch on an outfit.

In order to celebrate summer 2012’s “HipNote” Mandarin, Tru Fragrance has partnered with perfumer Kevin James Verspoor of Drom Fragrances in order to develop a unique, limited-edition mandarin based fragrance. The scent will be a modern, unisex fragrance which will be balanced by a woody base. The new eau de cologne will be named “HipNote Mandarin.”

To learn more about Tru Fragrance and to request a sample of the new “HipNote Mandarin” eau de cologne, please visit TruFragrance.com
*This article was originall written and published by Cathy on Examiner.com

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Laura Mercier Lavender Cloud nail polish review

 in Beauty / Nail Polish  tagged laura mercier / pastels / purple / reviews / spring 2012 / summer 2012 by

Laura Mercier’s hot new nail polish, Lavender Cloud, will arrive on store shelves on May 1, 2012 and the hot hue is sure to have nail polish enthusiasts running for the Laura Mercier beauty counter! Lavender Cloud by Laura Mercier is a limited edition nail polish color which is part of the new, limited edition summer collection, “Belle Nouveau Collection.”

Lavender Cloud by Laura Mercier is a vibrant shade of lavender which offers opaque nail coverage without streaking. The overall finish offers beautiful color saturation, and without a top coat, leaves a shiny, luxurious look on nails.

Laura Mercier’s Lavender Cloud is the perfect shade of lavender. The color saturation and vibrancy of the hue allows the nail polish to blend well with both bright colors and pastels; which is important for nail polish! This allows a Fashionista to wear her favorite Paris pastels one day, and then wear bright, New York runway hues the next without having to worry about her nail polish clashing with her ensemble. Love that!

Lavender Cloud by Laura Mercier will be available starting on May 1, 2012 and will remain on store shelves until June 30, 2012 or until supplies last. Lavender Cloud is priced at $18 and can be found at Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and select Belk, Blue Mercury, Lord & Taylor and Macy’s stores. Of course, Lavender Cloud will also be available online at Laura Mercier’s website lauramercier.com

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Photo credit: Bay Area Fashionista/Cathy

*We received a sample of Laura Mercier’s Lavender Cloud for consideration. Receipt of this sample did not require a review or article. We have been fans and avid consumers of Laura Mercier products for the past ten years; including her nail lacquer, therefore, receipt of this sample did not influence our review or opinion stated in this article. For more information, please read our discloser.

Kumani Essentials Shea Shower Moisturizing Face & Body Wash review

 in Beauty  tagged bath products / kumani / reviews by

Kumani Essentials is a fabulous new beauty company which creates all-natural body care, hair care and skin care products which are “Fair Trade Certified!” Love this! Kumani Essentials collection of 100% organic beauty products offer unisex skin care which promotes healthy, younger-looking skin with natural Shea butter and other ingredients.

Kumani Essentials products contain fair trade certified Shea butter along with aloe leaf juice, antioxidant-rich white tea extract, moisturizing jojoba oil, protective argon oil and additional natural ingredients.

The company was created by women, for women, but the products are unisex which is what makes Kumani Essentials extremely amazing. Shea Butter happens to be known as “Africans Women’s Gold” and it is hand-crafted by women who have been passing down the process for thousands of years through generations of women. Many times, harvesting Shea Butter is the only source of income for many of these women.
Kumani works diligently with Fair Trade US and the Western African nation of Burkina Faso in order to ensure they are meeting all guidelines of a certified fair trade cooperative. Kumani is able to pay the women top dollar for their Shea Butter product which ensures better nutrition, healthcare and education for the women and their families. Love this!

“At Kumani Essentials we pride ourselves on the fact that we have not only created a line of effective, high quality beauty products, but we also give back and support a deserving group of women.” –Deborah Pilla, Founder of Kumani Essentials.

I was fortunate enough to be given a sample of Kumani Essentials Shea Shower Moisturizing Face & Body Wash to try. The body wash has been absolutely amazing. As someone who swims and spends a lot of time outside, I need a body wash which is effective in removing chlorine and air pollutants while retaining moisture in the skin. Kumani’s product does the job and leaves my skin squeaky clean and moisturized. Love it!

Kumani Essentials Shea Shower Moisturizing Face & Body Wash received five out of five stars from Bay Area Fashionista 

Kumani Essentials Shea Shower Moisturizing Face & Body Wash is priced at $26. For more information about Kumani Essentials, please visit kumaniessentials.com

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*We received a sample of Kumani Essentials Shea Shower Moisturizing Face & Body Wash for review. Receipt of this sample did not influence our review of the product. Everything contained in this article is the opinion of Cathy at Bay Area Fashionista and should be taken as such. For more information please read our disclaimer.