Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives

Nordstrom's annual Anniversary Sale is in full swing. Have you seen their Beauty Exclusives? They are off the chain! If you haven't had an opportunity yet to shop the sale (hurry...sale ends July 31), allow me to play personal shopper and make some recommendations.

Deborah Lippmann Get This Party Started Set, $42 ($58 value)
How could you NOT add this polish trio to your wish list? Get This Party Started is a set of three glitters, inspired by the overwhelming demand for Deborah Lippmann's best-selling Happy Birthday, a party in a bottle. The set includes Happy Birthday, along with two new variations of the glittery shade: Forget You, with a black base, and Candy Shop, with a bubblegum-pink base.

Bobbi Brown Bobbi Beauty Favorites, $80 ($160 value)
This set is a must-have for you beauties who love Bobbi Brown. It includes the Beach Shimmer Brick, Face Blender Brush, Full Size Extreme Party Mascara, Black Ink Long Wear Gel Eyeliner, Ultra Fine Eye Liner Brush, Shimmer Lip Gloss in Rose Gold and Creamy Lip Color in Toffee.

MAC Cine-Matics 'On-Screen' Pro Palette Eyeshadow Duo, $25 ($29 value)
I don't know any beauty lover who doesn't LOVE MAC eye shadows. These eight daring pairings are housed in an ultra-slim, stackable, easy-to-use palette. Great for your makeup kit and for travel.

MAC Cine-Matics 'Smoky Black' Makeup Lesson, $49.50 ($105 value)
Define the ultimate smoky eye with three sensational shadows - Carbon (M), Ambience (VP) and Bisque (M)—Zoom Lash Mascara in Zoomblack (0.14 oz.) and Technakohl Liner in Graphblack, a 275 SE Brush to smudge, a 212 SE to blend and step-by-step instructions. This kit is an incredible value and, I recommend you snatch it up immediately. Also available in Smoky Brown.

L'Occitane 'Shea Home & Away' Collection, $25 ($36 value)
Shea Butter Hand Cream is the #1 international best-seller from L'Occitane, and one of my personal favorites. Enriched with 20% shea butter, this super-creamy hand balm quickly penetrates to protect, nourish and regenerate dry skin. The scent is light, yet intoxicating. Smooth even the most hard-working hands with a blend of nourishing ingredients including almond oil, honey, coconut oil and antioxidant vitamin E. Keep the 5.2 oz. tube on your vanity at home and stash the 1 oz. tube in your purse so you're never without this little luxury.

MOR Essentials Hand & Body Lotion, $9.90 ($18 value)
Before the Anniversary Sale started, I was provided with an advance sample of MOR Hand & Body Lotion to review. The Honey Nectar lotion is one of the best fragrances I've ever smelled, and the formula is lightweight but deeply hydrates. I'm not a big honey fan, but the scent of the Honey Nectar moristurizer isn't so literal. It also features notes of brown sugar, candied almonds and warm vanilla milk. Unfortunately, the Honey Nectar lotion appears to be sold out online - but I recommend you track it down at your local Nordstrom store. The Hand & Body Lotion is also available in Neroli Clementine, Basil & Grape, Black Currant Iris and Sugar Rose Tiger Lily. Corresponding Hand & Body Washes are also Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives.

Clarisonic Mia, $149 ($189 value)
You've wanted a Clarisonic for, like, forever...and keep saying that you'll finally buy one if and when it goes on sale. Well, now's that time. Mia is the travel version of the original Clarisonic, so it has all of the benefits of the more expensive brush - like six times more makeup removal, better product absorbtion, smaller looking pores and fine lines. It also comes with a cute, pink travel bag. Available in Island Coral, Fuchsia, and Zebra print.

MAC Cine-Matics Face Brushes, $49.50 ($112 value)
Touch up your look with a fabulous foursome of short-handled face brushes packed in a stylish grey MAC bag with red trim. With Technicolor bristles, these are sure to take your close-ups to the next level. The set includes: 187 SE Duo Fiber Face Brush, 190 SE Foundation Brush, 168 SE Large Angled Contour Brush, 194 SE Concealer Brush, and a brush bag.

MAC Cine-Matics All-Over Brushes, $49.50 ($120 value)
Go from nominee to winner with a star-quality set of short-handled brushes for eyes and face. Packed in a chic zip bag, these five Technicolor talents are musts on red carpets and runways everywhere. The set includes: 129 SE Powder/Blush Brush, 227 SE Large Fluff Brush, 224 SE Tapered Blending Brush, 219 SE Pencil Brush, 266 SE Small Angle Brush, and a brush bag.

philosophy 'amazing grace' 3-piece super set, $70 ($137 value)
Feel like you're wearing a beautiful dress every day of the week. 'amazing grace' is philosophy's best-selling fragrance, designed to make a woman feel amazingly clean and beautifully feminine. The set includes 'amazing grace' perfumed shampoo, bath and shower gel (32 oz.); firming body emulsion (32 oz.) and body spritz (8 oz.). Layer the clean floral scent of 'amazing grace' as you cleanse in the shower or bath and, afterwards, as you moisturize your skin. Then surround yourself with a refreshing, perfumed body mist that lightly hydrates as it scents your skin for a full-body fragrance experience.

Hanae Mori Paris Butterfly Anniversary Set, $85 ($133 value)
If I didn't still have a full bottle of my beloved Hanae Mori Butterfly (it's my signature scent), I would be snagging this set. Butterfly is a rare blend of berries and flowers, with a distinctive tone of strawberries and almond, giving an impression of vanilla. This deluxe set contains the world-renowned Butterfly eau de parfum spray, take-anywhere shower gel and body cream (1.7 oz. each), as well as long-lasting, non-alcohol Butterfly deodorant (2.6 oz.). A 1.7 oz. bottle of Butterfly retails for more than the price of this set - so this is a real steal!

Prada 'Infusion d'Iris' Gift Set, $99 ($133 value)
Once again, I have a full bottle of this perfume (it's another one of my top 3 fragrances), so I won't be buying this set. On second thought, maybe I will. My mom is also a fan of this fragrance and I usually gift her with a similar set for Christmas - so perhaps I'll pick up her present extra early this year. Infusion d'Iris fuses tradition with idealism, creating a universe that every modern woman wants to be a part of. A floral citrus fragrance, Infusion d'Iris balances the clean fresh scent of the Iris Pallida with the subtlety of mandarin, creating a dream-like experience for the senses.

PHYTO 'Phytodéfrisant' Large Botanical Hair Relaxing Balm, $31 ($39 value)
You know that elusive, salon perfect blowout that you can never seem to replicate at home? Now you can, thanks to the folks at Phyto. Phytodéfrisant Botanical Relaxing Balm is a heat-activated straightening balm that hydrates, fights frizz, and leaves hair touchably soft and silky smooth. Suitable for all hair types, the product has a light, gel-like consistency that won’t weigh hair down. Apply a silver dollar-sized dollop to towel dried tresses, comb through, and blow dry for sleek, professional looking results. Phytodéfrisant is so fabulous that you might just bid your flat iron farewell.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel - Large Size, $36 ($39 value)
I'm kind of kicking myself for just having bought a bottle of this a month ago. It's my go-to summer moisturizer because it's light, doesn't aggrivate my sensitive skin, and doesn't leave my oily skin looking greasy. The Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion is also on sale, so I'll pick that up in preparation for the colder months ahead.

Donna Karan 'Cashmere Mist' Deodorant Trio, $32 ($54 value)
Cashmere Mist Deodorant is the best smelling deodorant, possibly, ever. Have I actually smelled every deodorant that ever was? Um, no...but I highly doubt that they could top Cashmere Mist. $32 may sound pricey for three deodorants. But, trust me, they are worth every penny. Buck up now and thank me later.

Wake Up And Smell Prada’s Infusion de Rose

I’m a sucker for pretty packaging.

A fantasy scene of wood nymphs at play among giant rose petals entwines the Prada Infusion de Rose Eau de Parfum box, sourced from a Prada Spring/Summer 2008 collection print.

The perfume inside is equally delightful: “imagine fresh rose petals mingling with tea, roses, and honey, crushed in the hand with mint leaves.” It’s an unexpected and modern take on the typical rose fragrance.

While I don’t love it as much as my beloved Prada Infusion d’Iris (my signature scent), it’s a refreshing and feminine fragrance that is perfect for Spring (and a vast improvement from 2009’s Infusion de Fleur d’Oranger - which I felt veered into little old lady territory).

Prada Infusion de Rose ($105, 3.4 oz) is available at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.

DO Hold Your Breath: Prada Infusion de Fleur d'Oranger

I am hopelessly devoted to Prada Infusion d'Iris. In 2007, when I gifted Mama Spoiled Pretty with a bottle for Christmas, I was seduced by its charm, and I've been wearing it ever since. In fact, I carry a full-sized bottle in my handbag. Yeah, I'm crazy like that. So when I recently learned that Prada would be releasing a new incarnation of the fragrance, Infusion de Fleur d'Oranger, I was beside myself with excitement.

Well, this past Saturday on a trip to Bloomingdale's, I stopped by the fragrance counter to see if the perfume was worth the wait. I misted Prada Infusion de Fleur d'Oranger on a tester card, haphazardly catching a few of my fingers in the spray. And when I caught a whiff, I immediately cursed my bad aim.

I was expecting something modern and light, like my beloved Infusion d'Iris. Instead, I found the perfume to be an offense to my nostrils. I'm no fragrance expert, so the best way I can characterize the scent is cloying and grandmothery. It's so strong that it would be the last perfume I'd think to spritz on in the warm summer months that are right around the bend. And while I recognize that fragrance is a very personal thing, I can't think of one person I know who would willingly wear this perfume.

Infusion de Fleur d'Oranger eau de parfum is available in three sizes: 1.7 oz ($74), 3.4 oz ($100), and 6.75 oz ($135). The line also includes a 8.5 oz Hydrating Body Lotion ($52) and 33.8 oz Perfumed Bath and Shower Gel ($50). But I personally wouldn't buy any of these products, even if Prada was having a BOGO promotion.

So I'm just going to stick with my Infusion d'Iris. And if the Orange Blossom mood strikes me, I'll pick up this perfume by Jo Malone.

Two Scents I Can’t Wait to Spritz This Spring

Vera Wang Rock Princess

I’ve always fancied myself a princess (if only in the providence of Spoiled Pretty), so it should come as no surprise that Vera Wang’s Princess and Flower Princess reign supreme on my vanity. Next month, Vera adds to the heir to the throne.

She'd trade her tiara in for a new guitar, attend a concert instead of the prom—she is Rock Princess, the dynamic new fragrance by Vera Wang. It's all about the music, the fashion, and the spirit with this edgy yet seductively sweet essence.

Each verse is equally captivating in the dark, fruity scent that channels sultry rock-star attitude. It takes the stage with an exhilarating intro of succulent white peach, bittersweet red raspberry, and an illuminating flash of vibrant bergamot. The chorus reveals itself in lovely layers of ultra-feminine florals. Hypnotic heliotrope, vintage-inspired rose, night-blooming jasmine, delicate lily, and an unexpected riff of sharp, spicy accents. The melody bridges to a finale, cloaking the essence in the warm, sensual glow of plush cashmere woods, smoldering musk, elegant iris, and creamy coconut. You will not forget her.

The Rock Princess bottle is as rebellious and dark as the downtown clubs where she plays. A smoky glass heart steals the show with sharp faceted edges and cool surfaces. The front of the bottle is covered with heavy metal in a pattern inspired by a Vera Wang fabric design. The crown rocks at the top, in a gunmetal finish, covered with rhinestone studs. Set beneath the crown is a matching ring—the perfect jewelry for playing a solo on the bass or hammering away on the drums.

In April 2009, Vera Wang Rock Princess will be available in 1 oz and 3.4 oz Eau de Parfum - sold for $45 and $72, respectively. A 5 oz Satiny Body Lotion ($32) rounds out the collection.



Prada Infusion de Fleur d’Oranger

I am also dying to get my hands (and pulse points) all over Prada’s newest offering. At the CEW Product Demonstration last month, I stopped by the Prada Infusion d’Iris table to rave about the fragrance. I told the rep how I’ve been hooked since purchasing for Mama Spoiled Pretty in December 2007...and how it has dethroned Hanae Mori Butterfly as my signature scent. After I finished testifying, the rep told me to be on the lookout for an orange incarnation, just in time for spring.

I’ve done a little research on this insider tip, and here’s what I found. Prada will introduce Infusion de Fleur d’Oranger, a new limited edition fragrance, later this month. The perfume is the first in a yearly series of limited edition scents, called the "Ephemeral Infusion Collection.”

Infusion de Fleur d’Oranger was developed by perfumer Daniela Andrier, and key notes include orange blossom, tuberose and jasmine.

The eau de parfum will be available in three sizes: 1.7 oz ($74), 3.4 oz ($100), and 6.75 oz ($135). The line also includes a 8.5 oz Hydrating Body Lotion ($52) and 33.8 oz Perfumed Bath and Shower Gel ($50).