Look at what we received from our generous and fabulous friend Cathy this weekend!

This fragrance sampler is especially cute!!! I super love the packaging!

According to nowsmellthis Marc Jacobs Daisy “starts with fruit (wild strawberry, red grapefruit), neither heavy nor overly sweet, tempered by a touch of greenery (violet leaves). The floral notes in the heart (gardenia, violet, jasmine) are well-blended and sheer… The base (musk, vanilla and white woods) is pale and clean and middling warm, and only lightly vanillic.”

This scent was developed by perfumer Alberto Morillas who has made scents for Bvlgari, Cartier, Chopard, Calvin Klein, Armani and Lanvin among a host of luxury labels!

But unlike the brands I’ve mentioned, this scent is very fresh and youthful! Just as the packaging suggests, it makes you think of running through wide fields of green and sunflowers on a sunny summer day!

While the target market are 18-24 year olds, I wouldn’t mind using it! I can’t help but smile as I dab on the scent! It just makes me think happy thoughts! It also helps that it smells so fresh and clean! I love it!

Right in the heart of New York City, just on 5th Avenue and 47th Street is the L’Oreal Office and their Company Store!

If you want to save money on perfumes, and L’Oreal brands like Kerastase, Inneov, Skinceuticals, Kiehl’s and Shu Uemura, then this is the place to go to! The selection may not be that much, but hey, it’s still worth a visit as you never know what bargains await you! And we are talking of huge discounts here!

There’s a catch though! You would need a guest pass, or be accompanied by a L’Oreal employee to get your hands on these goodies

What I know of however, is that if you participate in a research study conducted by L’Oreal’s Consumer Expressions Research Center, you will definitely score a guest pass as one of the perks. Otherwise, seek employment with L’Oreal! Not only do they have the company store at their disposal, I hear they get $55 every two months to spend for purchases in the company store, among other benefits! Not bad, not bad at all!

I often get fashion features from Life&Style Magazine so let me share with you a couple of celeb-inspired looks from a previous issue!

ROCKING ACCESSORIES— Ashlee Simpson gets inspired by the rock and roll look and sports it nearly everywhere she goes. You can pull off the look with any of these finds by Life & Style.

IN THE HOOD — Everyone loves a comfy hoodie even celebs like Amanda Bynes who dresses hers up with a great pair of heels. Here are six other choices that will keep you cozy and stylish.

ON THE PROWL — Here’s a trend that always seems to come back: leopard print. From Courtney Love to Cameron Diaz and Sienna Miller to Jessica Simpson-it’s everywhere! Here are pieces for Life & Style readers who want to get their paws on some leopard print.

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MY LIFE & STYLE — The Hills star Audrina Patridge opens up to Life & Style about her favorite fashion and beauty tips, tricks and secrets.

I hope these pages inspire you to find you inner star! But don’t go overboard with your shopping budget!!! Too bad we don’t have their million dollar asking fees…YET!!!

(Courtesy of Freud Communications Inc.)

A trip to New York will not be complete without doing a bit of shopping, so should you have the chance to go out of the city, I suggest that you go to Central Valley, New York and visit Woodbury Common Premium Outlets to do some more shopping!

Woodbury Common is the largest OUTLET destination in the United States! With 220 stores, from premium brands like Gucci, Tods, Bottega Veneta, Christian Dior, Chanel, YSL, Loro Piana, Burberry and Judith Leiber to labels like True Religion, Betsey Johnson, UGG, Lacoste, Kate Spade and Tory Burch you’ll surely get excited right? Of course, outlet staples like Nine West, Le Sportsac, GAP, Banana Republic and Ralph Lauren are there as always. From clothing to home goods, kitchen supplies, sporting goods, luggages and furniture, there’s enough to keep the whole family happy! Note, you’d need a whole day to make the most of your visit there!

If you don’t have friends or relatives who can drive you there, there are shopping excursions to Woodbury Common from Port Authority, New York City (42nd Street & Eighth Avenue). Bus fare is approximately $30, round trip. So go ahead, and shop till you drop!

Here I am again raving about Kiehls! Is it so obvious I love their stuff?

I just wanted to share with you a favorite body cleanser of mine!

Described in the Kiehl’s website as “A refreshing, gentle, yet effective cleanser for the body. Formulated with humectants to help skin maintain its moisture. Used in the shower or bath, our formula leaves skin clean with a lovely texture.”, I cannot agree more!

My skin really does feel so smooth and moisturized after a shower. Plus, I don’t have to use so much! I pour just enough to fit the cupped palm of my hand and its enough to do the trick. While other liquid or gel cleansers require that I pour a whole lot to make a sufficient lather, this one does not require extra helpings, at all!

I’ve tried the Mango scent and it is so fruitilicious!

An 8.4 fl. oz bottle retails for $15.50, but it’s super worth every drop!

(Photo courtesy if Kiehls.com)

I never really worried about aging until now that I am in my early 30s. Freckles have refused to go away, and have turned into age spots (horror show!) plus eyebags and gray shadows have settled in comfortably under my eyes (boohoo!).

I’ve always been mistaken to be much younger than I actually am, but if I don’t make an effort to stall the ravages of time, that may just happen to be a part of my “glory days” stories, and I wouldn’t want that of course!

First “project” on my list was to look for an eye cream that would combat under eye circles and wrinkles. I’ve tried The Body Shop’s Vitamin E eye cream, and Darphin’s Arovita Eye and Lip Counter Gel but it seemed I needed something more potent.

The thing is, I have super sensitive skin. I just can’t use any product on my face. And I had a budget. As much as I want to try La Mer or some other high level science “project” out there, my pockets just can’t hack it. So I turned to an old favorite of mine, Kiehl’s for help for my eyes. And I wasn’t disappointed!

Kiehl’s Eye Alert really did the trick for me! For just $20 for a tube, I saw results overnight! No kidding! The skin around my eyes looked better - less tired and the skin looked smoother.

This product is Kiehl’s “ultimate solution for eye-area fatigue after a long flight or a long night, our formula is made with cooling Cucumber and Alfalfa Extracts to energize and hydrate the thinner skin of the eye area. Its potent blend of Vitamin E and Caffeine fights fatigue as it helps combat dark circles and puffiness. With regular use, skin appears strengthened and the lookof fine dehydration lines is reduced.”

Another great thing about Kiehl’s, apart from reasonable prices and products that work is that they are generous with their samples! I got a small packet of this great Abyssine Eye Cream, which retails for about $30, and which I use in conjunction with Eye Alert.

Abyssine Eye Cream’s “gentle formula helps deter the effects of aging on the skin while providing instant moisturization and diminishing the look of fatigue. Survival molecules help soothe and protect against external aggression.”

These two eye creams together appear to work wonderfully well, and will hopefully battle, if not stall the appearance of aging eyes!
(Photos from Kiehls.com)

To all the beauty junkies, this one’s for you!

Should you happen to pass by a Sephora, I highly suggest you check this one out, as it only happens to be the leading retail beauty chain in Europe, whose mother company is LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) the world’s leading luxury products group (takes after the “mommy” huh?)

This beauty-retail concept was originally founded in France in 1969 , and acquired by LVMH in 1997. Each shop “features over 250 classic and emerging brands across a broad range of product categories including skincare, color, fragrance, makeup, bath & body, and haircare, in addition to Sephora’s own private label.”

There are about 515 stores in 14 countries worldwide, and an expanding base of over 126 stores across North America.

I know there’s a Sephora in China. I wonder if they will be expanding in Asia? I think it’s about time!!! There’s no BeneTint from Benefit in Manila!