reviews

Seth Kornegay Petra fragrance review

 in Beauty / Fragrance  tagged fragrance reviews / reviews / seth kornegay by

Seth Kornegay is a new perfumer who launched a collection of nine luxurious fragrances at the end of May 2013. The luxurious line of perfumes is produced in limited quantities and prices start at $285 per ounce. Seth Kornegay uses only the finest, natural ingredients curated from around the world. What is amazing about Seth Kornegay is that his perfume is created using the art of high perfumery which is often lost in the highly consumerist modern world of fast fashion and beauty.

Seth Kornegay feels that his clientele is one who appreciates the finest quality and luxury. One of his new scents, “Orla,” was created to honor first lady Michelle Obama who embodies elegant, refined simplicity.

I was honored when Seth Kornegay sent me a bottle of one of his fine perfumes to test out. The packaging and label alone define simple luxury; yet what is inside the bottle is far from simple. The complex fragrance experience from Seth Kornegay’s perfume is intoxicatingly brilliant and addictive.

Seth Kornegay’s “Petra” is the perfume I tested out. This unisex fragrance offers a combination of Islay single-malt Scotch whiskey, wild Northern herbs and rare barks which combine into a continually changing fragrance experience of white and dark woody notes. Every few hours the perfume has a new, fresh scent on my wrist which is invigorating and keeping me wanting more. Love this!

Now that I have become addicted to “Petra” by Seth Kornegay, I definitely want to try out more of his brilliant fragrances. To learn more about Seth Kornegay and his line of luxurious perfumes, as well as to shop his perfume collection, please visit SethKorneygay.com.

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Photo: c/o Seth Kornegay. “Petra” eau de parfum.

Photo: Close-up of the label on “Petra” c/o Seth Kornegay.

Photo credits: Cathy/Bay Area Fashionista 2013©

Chanel Paparazzi nail polish for summer 2013 review

 in Beauty / Nail Polish  tagged chanel / chanel nail polish / reviews / summer 2013 by

Chanel Paparazzi is one of three nail polish colors from the new late, summer collection which includes “Cinema,” “Provocation” (also from the FNO12 collection) and “Paparazzi.” This beautiful, classic hue appears to be a dark, sparkling pink in the bottle. When applied with two coats, Chanel Paparazzi offers a dark, brownish-pink hue with a very slight sparkle which is difficult to see without direct sunlight.

Paparazzi by Chanel is an ideal nail polish hue for late summer 2013. This dark color is neutral enough to blend with both summer and fall color palettes without screaming “summer!” The pinkish-brown hue of Chanel Paparazzi easily blends with shades of purple, blue, green and pink as well as warm hues of red, orange and yellow. Love that!

I tested out Chanel Paparazzi with one base coat and two coats of colors. The polish lasted almost a week without chipping or cracking. The color of Chanel Paparazzi feels a little dark in June, but I feel like this will be a great nail polish to wear towards the end of July and through the beginning of September. It is a transitional hue from summer into fall.

Chanel Paparazzi is priced at $27 and can be found online here. Happy shopping, and stay fabulous 

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Photo: Chanel Paparazzi nail polish for late summer 2013. One base coat, two coats of colors.
Credit: Bay Area Fashionista 2013©

Summer 2013 beauty trends: my top picks

 in Beauty  tagged reviews / summer 2013 by

There are so many classic beauty looks and trends from the spring/summer 2013 runways which have hit the streets for summer. Below are the trends I find the most flattering and modern for the current apparel looks from the runway which have hit the streets.

Blue eyeliner and eye shadow:

There are two distinct trends in eye make-up for the summer 2013 season; the smoky eye and the colorful eye. While designers have variations of blue, green and purple eye make-up for summer 2013, blue has moved to the front of the pack and has claimed the title of the “IT” eye color for summer 2013.

Bright or nude nails:

Nail polish is on opposite sides of the spectrum for summer 2013. There is the bright nail which is being shown in blue, green and orange hues as well as the ultra-chic “nude” nail shown in slight rose and coffee hues. If you find yourself wearing apparel and accessories in the same color family, the bright nail will be fairly easy to pull off this season. If you find you are enjoying every print and color palette being shown for summer 2013, a more neutral, nude nail might be the way to go this season.

Nude and sheer lipstick:

Since the emphasis is on eyes and nails for the summer 2013 season, lipstick has taken a quiet, neutral turn for the warm weather months. Designers are opting for nude, ice pink, neutral and sheer lipstick hues this season which blend well with the season’s heavy eyes and bright apparel trends.

Matte foundation:

Gone are the days of the dewy face or slightly glittering face. Summer 2013, and moving into fall 2013 as well as 2014, the matte look is in. This season, skin is finished; and foundation returns as the most important backdrop to everything else which appears on your face. My pick is Dolce & Gabbana’s matte foundation and concealer line since they work wonders on skin, offer SPF, and come in a large variety of skin colors.

I have a few favorite beauty items for the summer season. To shop summer 2013’s beauty trends, please use the shopping widget below. Happy shopping, and stay fabulous