I know a lot of you are probably like “Mother’s Day? ALREADY?!” but it’s on my mind because my mom has been on my mind a lot lately. About a week ago we had to say goodbye to one of our dearly beloved family pets, Silver the cat. He lived a very long happy life to the ripe old age of 16, but he was quite ill and we had to make a painful decision. Mom has taken it very hard as she and Silver had a special bond and spent a lot of time together. Sooo it’s gotten me thinking a lot about my mom and then logically, Mother’s Day. [Read more…]
Philosophy Gingerbread House Set
When I announced getting a box of yummy Philosophy goodies on Twitter, this review was requested by naturalNchicmakeup. First of all, how cute are these? Philosophy comes up with the cutest gift sets, and this is no exception! The gift box is very sturdy, well-made, and I don’t think you would even need to wrap it. Just stick a tag on, maybe a bow, and you’re done. Adorable. Each shower gel is 8 oz, which is a pretty large size. They are both 3-in-1 shower gel, bubble bath, and shampoo. I would stick to using as shower gel or bubble bath though. The Gingerbread Girl has gold glitter suspended in the gel while the Gingerbread Man does not. They smell pretty much the same to me. Not sure if that’s because they’re supposed to, or because my nose isn’t distinguishing enough. ;)
The smell is more gingery and less gingerbready than I would have hoped. It’s not unpleasant at all, but if you remember the Philosophy Cookbook from years past, that had a gingerbread scent in it that is to die for. This scent lacks the heavy bakery notes. Some of you (including my boyfriend) may prefer that. This scent is closer to ginger ale than a baked good. I have read that this smells very similar to the Origins ginger fragrance, and it’s been a while but from what I remember that is a fair assessment.
Both products lather really well and leave my skin feeling clean and smooth without feeling stripped or irritated (some heavily fragranced products have the potential to irritate sensitive skin). Where this falls a bit short with me is the Gingerbread Girl. This has a ton of gorgeous gold glitter in it, which does not translate to my skin at all. I was hoping to have a sparkly glow after my shower from the tiny particles of glitter. No go. The glitter in this shower gel is not gritty or anything; it’s very tiny particles. It looks pretty on the shelf in my shower, but doesn’t do anything special for me that Gingerbread Man couldn’t do. However, in reading the Sephora reviews of this product, others mention getting a glittery glow. Maybe I’m just so pale that it doesn’t show up? Either way, now I have 2 bottles of this neat ginger scent.
I do recommend this set if you like ginger scents. It would also make a great gift because of the cute packaging. The set retails for $20 and is available exclusively at Sephora.
Product sample provided for editorial purposes.
Philosophy Cinnamon Buns
Last night on Twitter I let you guys know that I got a package of goodies from Philosophy and asked if anyone had any review requests. This review was requested by @audreyvoss for the Cinnamon Buns 3-in-1 and lip shine.
Philosophy Cinnamon Buns Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath
While I’m a self-admitted Bath & Body Works girl, I also love my Philosophy. It’s more of a special treat than the B&BW stuff because it’s at a higher price point. Philosophy is great if you like foody scents because they have a ton of them. Cinnamon Buns is easily one of their best-sellers and a favorite for many, myself included. The scent is more than just cinnamon. You definitely get the warm bakery undertones of a true cinnamon bun as well as sweet gooey icing. It smells simply delicious!
Since I don’t have a bath tub I have not tested this particular 3-in-1 as a bubble bath, but back when I did have a tub my general experience with these guys is that as a bubble bath they are fair. I’ve had other things that make more bubbles, but they still do the job, and smell magnificent– you can smell the bubbles.
As a shower gel they are great. They lather really well and smell amazing. The smell doesn’t seem to linger very long or very strongly after a shower though. That could be a plus or a minus depending on your preference. I prefer them to not linger much so I can wear other scented things during the day.
When it comes to shampoo, I suppose this could work in a pinch, but for regular use I don’t recommend using them that way. My hair needs way more moisture than this product could provide, and when I have tried using a 3-in-1 as shampoo, my hair felt like straw. I treat these like just shower gels that can also bubble– I don’t even think of them in terms as a hair product and don’t recommend anyone else do so. Use Cinnamon Buns as a yummy shower gel, and enjoy.
It’s available in a 16 oz size for $16 or a mammoth 32 oz size for $25. Around the holidays there are small sizes available like in the holiday ornament, where a 2 oz size is $6, or in gift sets. A really awesome gift set is available from Sephora right now called Share the Joy, which not only includes the Cinnamon Buns 3-in-1, but it also includes the next product I’m going to talk about!
Philosophy Cinnamon Buns Lip Shine
I had never tried the lip shines from Philosophy until recently, so I was excited to try this one. The color is a beautiful light golden sheen, which in some light also has some pinky undertones to it.
This product comes in a squeeze tube with a slant tip applicator, which I really like. It gives great control over applying the gloss.
On my nails: MAC Nail Lacquer in Blue India from the Libert of London collection this past spring.
If you’re anti-sticky when it comes to lip gloss, you will probably not like this. I don’t mind sticky gloss, so it’s fine for me. It’s definitely quite sticky. I do feel it’s also moisturizing, which makes it pleasant to wear. As far as how it looks on, it really just adds shine. I don’t even really see the sparkle. I attempted to take a photo of how it looks on my lips, which is basically just clear and really shiny.
Cinnamon Buns lip shine on pigmented lips.
Cinnamon Buns is $10, and while I think it’s fun and nice to have, I’m not in love with it, simply because I don’t wear clear gloss very often. For me, this would wear best as a layering item over a lipstick. It’s a nice to have, but not a must-have.
Product samples provided for editorial purposes.