NARS Monoi Body Glow and Body Glow II Set

Somethings are worth using on the basis of their smell alone. I like to think of Tahiti as a place that smells like every good smelling thing in the world, mixed together in the perfect ratios.

Monoi de Tahiti is a sacred oil that is traditionally a mixture of coconut and the Tiare flower (aka gardenia). It's such a glorious combination that it makes me want to hop on the next plane to French Polynesia and just bury myself in flowers. Scent is very powerful for me and honestly, just taking a sniff of the oil is like eating a boatload of Kraft caramels without any indigestion or weight gain.

The oil is intensely moisturizing and Tahitians use it for skin and hair. The NARS versions of the oil not only smell glorious but have distinct personalities. The original Body Glow is mixed with a rich chocolate shimmer, which gives pasty, white skin like mine a soft, beautiful shimmer. Just what I need coming out of the long, dark winter.

Body Glow II is a purer strain of the Monoi de Tahiti and can be used as a daily moisturizing product, as it provides sheen, not shimmer. This oil is developed through a more complex process than it's shimmery powder. According to NARS:

Monoï de Tahiti oil is the result of macerating the Tiare flower (Tahitian gardenia) in refined coconut extract for at least ten days, slowly infusing the oil with nutrients as well as a delicate, natural fragrance.

On top of this process, each bottle of Glow II has at least one Tiare flower in the actual bottle to intensify the fragrance.

I adore this stuff and I wish I led a life that called for me to wear bronzer and strong, yet amazing Tahitian scents each day. At the very least I can come home, smell it and be off on a mini vacation to the South Pacific. It's not just body oil, it's a vacation.

HRH

Bobbi Brown: Gold Shimmer Brick Compact

Gold is all the rage these days. Blame Mike Meyers I suppose. The thing is, the warmth that gold gives you is unparalelled. This brick compact is a great way to give your face that something extra as the golden warmth of the sun retreats from our lives once again.

Using all the colours in the brick, you dust the powder on your face, concentrating on the places where the sun would hit you the most. This is something to always keep in mind when using bronzers or illuminators. Put it where it the light is going to go, otherwise it will look totally unnatural.

If you want to use it on your eyes, then you can apply the five colours individually. I'm not sure when you'll have occasion to go for a gold eye, but if you need to look like a 24 carat woman, this is the tool that you need.

Soon you'll be overheard saying "I love gooooold"

HRH

Stila: Sun

Just before my birthday last month, I was given a chance to have my makeup done by one of the big makeup artists that work for Pout. Holt Renfew does things like this all the time. You go in, they do you up with their products and usually you buy something. I try to plan these little suck-up fests around big events so that I get the benefit of getting my makeup done and go out looking fabulous.

I don't want to go into detail, because I don't want to hate on anyone, but I basically came out of that experience looking like I was headlining as a Vegas showgirl. Fine for Vegas, but so out of hand that I wore sunglasses indoors, lest anyone see me escape from the store looking like that. Sadly this is what happens at most of these things. It happened to me at Origins too. MAC and Benefit actually left me feeling pretty and most recently Stila converted me into a rabid fan of their line after a positively magical makeover experience. Not only did the artist make me look awesome, but I learned a lot of application techniques.

As such, the next few reviews will be of Stila products. They've recently reduced their prices so I was able to get a lot more product for the same amount of money that I was planning on spending. Yee and haw.

The first of my spoils that I will share is the Stila Bronzer Sun. I've never really known how to use bronzer. I've spent a lot of time just enjoying my general pallor, loving blush and knowing enough that for special occasions I should dust a little blush on my forehead and nose. I owned a bronzer that was completely wrong for me. It had way too much shimmer, was way to dark and make me look like I'd brushed dirt on my face. Gorgeous.

As part of my Stila adventure I learned how to apply it (with a blush brush) and where to put it (generally where the sun would hit you first) and how very, very important it is to blend in circular motions after it's been applied. So I start below my temples and work towards the apple of my cheek. I don't go all the way over there, but instead that's where my blush will go... and then it will all be blended some more. This makes it look like you're just a little glowy. It's not immediately apparent that you're wearing bronzer (as it should be) but you just look healthy.

This is a good thing to get as the sun fades from our lives for yet another year. That and a seasonal effective disorder lamp and I should be set.

HRH