SAVONBOX & THE SCENT OF FIR

Hope everyone is enjoying the seasonal celebrations so far! Today's post is all about my most recent bath essentials. One of the main pluses of our apartment in the city is having an actual bathtub! I never realized how much I missed taking baths after living in our older apartment for seven years. Our older apartment's bathroom was tiny, fitting only a standup shower, a toilet and a sink. Not much space for anything else. But now, for the past couple of years, I really enjoy taking baths. It calms the body and mind, in my opinion, and who doesn't enjoy a little R & R?

As much as I love a good bubble bath, sometimes I just like to soak in the tub without the bubbles. And these luxury soaps from SAVONBOX are terrific! Fine glycerin bars for day and night, the Blue Opal and Black Raspberry Vanilla soap bars are fresh and fragrant, perfect for everyday use. My skin tends to get dry during the winter but these bad boys are hygroscopic, which means it attracts moisture, making it one of the most moisturizing varieties of soap. And my skin is so smooth!

The Blue Opal bar is a fragrance of joy, the essence of a sunny, happy morning. Fresh apple, plums and bergamot as top notes proceed into the floral heart composed of freesia, lily, rose and morning orchid with Amber. Trust me when I tell you this, it is heavenly! Such a great smell to get your day going.

The Black Raspberry Vanilla bar has a burst of black raspberry with the soothing warmth of vanilla undertones. Raspberry is a known aphrodisiac, and vanilla inspires love. <3 I use this one at night. Just the scent itself is extremely calming.

And what better scented candle for the Holiday season? The Thymes Frasier Fir Pine Needle Candle is crisp with it's just-cut forest fragrance, making it smell like there's a Christmas tree in your bathroom!  :)

I know I will definitely be getting more for the Winter time. The smell is so contagious, I want one for every room!

You can get the Blue Opal & Black Raspberry Vanilla soap bars together for this month's SAVONBOX, now for only $20! And if you subscribe, you can get it for $15! Go check their other variety of soap bars here, and for other Thymes Frasier Fir products, go here.

What are some of your favorite bath time essentials? Are you a bath lover like me? MaQ does not, but he's a really good boy about it. You can see him in all his glory here from the archive. ;) Happy Monday!

Love & xx's,

Rodan + Fields Sampling

Happy Hump Day everyone! What a dreary, gloomy day here in New York City. Yuck! I hope you're all staying warm and dry today! This week, my lovely friend, Alice, generously offered me some skincare products from Rodan + Fields to review. From what I can tell, most of the current Rodan and Fields reviews are pretty fantastic. Here are the following samples I received:

Rodan + Fields ENHANCEMENTS Micro-Dermabrasion Paste - use this to first and in the morning! Gently massage the paste onto dry skin in the a.m to enhance cell turnover and improve skin tone and texture. For gentler exfoliation, add water. You can use this up to 3x per week as tolerated. I loved it! My face felt clean and refreshed, and not too exfoliated like some other exfoliants I've tried in the past. I could feel the dead skin cells being gently removed and the tone of my skin was amazing afterward! A wonderful glow to it, really!

REDEFINE Night Renewing Serum - After cleansing and toning in the evening, apply the serum (blue ample) over the entire face (avoid eye area) to visibly improve skin texture and firmness and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. This serum worked well on my face but left it a tad dry, but my skin always becomes drier during the Fall/Winter seasons so I just finished with a moisturizer to balance it off. I enjoy using serums at night because while you're getting your beauty sleep, these little guys are hard at work! I also don't have many wrinkles (not yet at least) so it was hard to notice any change in that. Overall, a great serum product to use while you catch up on resting!

REDEFINE Lip Renewing Serum - Apply this serum (gray ample) to smooth lip texture, reduce the appearance of lip wrinkles and increase moisturization. Okay, ladies. I'm truly obsessed. The following morning, my lips felt like a rose petal. Silky, satiny, and 100% soft! I always get very dry, chapped lips during this season, and this serum was the perfect 'potion' to remedy my puckeroos! A definite recommendation, for sure!

REDFINE Acute Care Skincare for Expression Lines - This should be used in conjunction with your nighttime skincare routine. Don't use it on active acne or areas of sensitivity, redness or irritation. I got a defined wrinkle right in between my eyebrows from all the squinting I've done burning the midnight oil with my writing and other projects. I saw a subtle change after using one application, but not enough to say that it'll make any wrinkle disappear overnight! This takes time (up to 10 applications) to notice a difference. But I would strongly recommend this product for women who are battling with some wrinkles!

Interested in trying any of these products and more from Rodan + Fields? Please contact my friend, Alice! Here's the deal, just email her for a consultation and mention my blog, and you'll get the sign up fee of $19.95 waived! Pretty groovy, right? Did I mention discounts, free shipping and then some? Score!

Alice Kim

Rodan + Fields Independent Consultant

email: alicekimRandF@gmail.com

I thoroughly enjoyed these samples! My complexion feels revived, more luminous and youthful-looking than ever before! Thank you so much, Alice! And isn't my girlfriend just the cutest? I was just telling her today how adorable she looks with those pigtails! I could never pull it off! Don't forget to contact her for your own personal face goodies! And please refer my blog for your free sign up today!

Stay cozy my friends! ♥

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

October Beauty Favorites

TGIF! October is officially here and there are a few beauty products that are my must-haves at the moment. And one of them, you will laugh at, but it's something I love to have from time to time! Don't judge me, I fully embrace myself just the way I am!

From left to right, clockwise.

1. Formula X For Sephora Nail Polish in Ignite
2. Fresh Sugar Cherry Tinted Lip Treatment - Sunscreen SPF 15
3. Cartier Pasha Édition Noire Travel Rollerball Cologne
4. Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Lashes Mascara
5. L'Oreal Glam Bronze GG Cream

I actually wore this Formula X nail polish the day I married my husband. We married in the Fall almost two years ago, and ever since, I have been constantly stocking on this particular deep red for the Autumn/Winter seasons here in New York. A definite must-have! They give my nails a modern, classic look and the rich hue complements my skin complexion very well, even when my summer tan is starting to taper off. ;)

Okay, let me just say, I cannot get enough of Fresh's Sugar Lip Treatment! This season is the first time I'm trying an actual color from this line, and I went with 'Cherry' to go with my red nails. It provides 6 hours of moisture, leaving you with only soft, supple lips. Most women I know can rock full red lips, but I look like a blow fish if I go the scenic bright rouge route! I am loving it's subtle tint!

Normally I'd talk about my current perfume, but my current aromatic obsession is this new cologne by Cartier I got for my hubby. It's style is authentic and elegant (just like my man) with hints of mint, rose wood, coriander, mandarin, thyme and lavender. It's a very masculine perfume, and you cannot deny the expressions of virility and pure sophistication in it's scent. Perfect sexy vibes for Fall. I'd recommend it for any man who enjoys the finer and more beautiful things in life. And... (here's the laughable part), I like to spritz it on one of my hubby's shirts and wear it around the house sometimes, especially on rainy days like today! ❤︎❤︎❤︎

I've been using Lancôme's mascara for years. I sometimes use one from Kiehl's, but for everyday usage, this doll lash effect mascara gives a wide-eye look but also with perfect volumized, extended, luscious lashes. (Without looking like some cartoon character!) And the comb is really good in those hard-to-reach corners.

And now, last but not least, my favorite current bronze cream from L'Oreal. I love how weightless it feels and the coverage is very natural, giving my skin the perfect glow. It is a very sheer cream and has a very summery, floral scent to it. I love it! It doesn't give you much coverage, but I'd like to think of it as a lighter kind of contour for your face.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed some of my monthly beauty faves! Have a wonderful, super cozy weekend!

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

PS The beauty products laid out on that super snugly faux fur blanket is from one of my all-time favorite stores, West Elm. :)

SHOP BEAUTY

Call Me Greta

NARS has done it once again! Last week on my OOTD post, I mentioned one of their lipsticks from the new Audacious Lipstick line I was wearing. I didn't put on as much on as I did today, given the pink hue is very rich, but for fun, I thought why not try putting it fully on instead of dabbing it on my lips like some little chicken. Live a little! Brighten up those lips for Fall! Am I right?!

Creamy, dramatic depth, and long-lasting, I had full coverage with one stroke! Super smooth and hydrating to my lips, I found this pigmentation to work fairly well with my complexion as well. I think I'm in love (swoon)!

The color is called Greta and has now become the name to my alter-ego lol! All kidding aside, do you think I could ever look like a Greta? When I think of a Greta, I think of a voluptuous Swedish blonde bombshell. Writers are weird. Nah, I wouldn't change my imagination for anything! Who do you picture in your mind when you think of the name, Greta?

I've been strangely told many times I look like a Samantha! I told 'em Sam might work, but I actually love my name. My father chose my name, but my closest friends call me Suz. My brother is the one who originated this nickname! It's crazy, but my mother wanted to name me either, Jennifer or Diana, but I'm glad my Dad came through with a more 'unique' name and how my mother loved it just as much when presented with the idea. ♥

I don't know about you, but I always love to hear the story behind a person's name. I like to know this part of their history because it somehow brings more character in a person, rather than just knowing a face. I like to think of it as kind of like a tiny piece of intimacy left behind, but not too much for it to be way too personal. To me, names are truly beautiful and should carry some sort of special message or meaning behind them.

What do you all think about Greta? Both the lipstick and the name? What's in a name to you?

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

SHOP THE LIPSTICK

The Best Mud Mask

My newest beauty find is Glamglow's SuperMud Clearing Treatment. At the end of each week after running around grimy New York, I like to give myself a deep facial cleanse. I've been looking for something that doesn't contain sulfates or parabens, and this mud mask is the real deal. After just one try, my face felt softer and looked brighter. My skin tone was more balanced and I could visibly see the mud do its work! My face never looked more healthy or vibrant!

I found the packaging to be a little cheesy at first. Hello Sexy... really? But to each his own, I never try to judge a book by its cover. Once I got to what I actually wanted, I could smell the licorice-base in its formula as soon as I opened it! I love that it can be used as a full face mask or for spot treatment, targeting certain areas like your t-zone and chin, that may be more prone to skin problems. If you're looking for a face mask that'll transform your skin, this is a MUST-have in your facial care arsenal :)

While the mask does its magic on your face, you can see literally see and feel it! My face felt tingly and I could see where it was extracting from my pores, essentially getting rid of all that dirt and oil. Check out the photo collage below to see it for yourself!

Even though I poked fun at the labeling, my face sure does feel sexy after this facial treatment! I highly recommend this and will definitely be using this product more often from now on.

And here you have it, folks! Me! At my most natural state! Can you see its results?! Wow, do I feel refreshed! What is your favorite go-to face mask? I'd love to hear more from our readers! Feel free to share and comment your thoughts below. :)

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

SHOP THE MASK