Dreaming of Dreamtone

Who doesn't dream of a flawless skin tone? I personally battle with some lovely leftover blemish marks and general redness on my face, so was all gung-ho to try this new release from the skincare giant Lancôme.

First impressions? I love the ombre pink bottle, and the twist top open is a nice touch that I find really easy to use, and it keeps the application hygienic as well. This luxe serum targets dark spots (buzz term of late, don't ya think?) and comes in 3 variations for different skin tones/areas of concern. 

-Dreamtone 1 is targeted at fair complexions and is supposed to fight redness.
-Dreamtone 2 is for medium skin tones and fights sallow skin
-Dreamtone 3 is for dark skin and targets blemish marks.

I personally take these variation types with a grain of salt, and was sent Dreamtone 2 despite my very fair complexion. I was dubious about this serum, but also quite excited at the thought of using something so lovely and had hopes that it would help improve my skin overall. I am so pleased to say with hand on heart that I found this to make a noticeable difference in my skin, and it not only fought any dullness and redness but also helped fade some of my stubborn acne marks. Now you see why I think all 3 serums are very similar!

I generally use one or two pumps of this at night as I apply it all over my face, and the pale rose coloured serum smells luxe and floral which I am personally a fan of. Those who are sensitive to scents like this should try to nab a sample before splurging for a bottle thought, just in case. If you were wanting to stretch the serum out you can apply it only on areas of darkness or redness, but I figure that the whole lot needs help so on it goes!

Without meaning to sound totally lame, I actually look forward to applying this and love the way it feels on my skin. I have found that since using this, my skin is more even and I can head out without too much slap on if I feel like it, which is quite a thrill for me. It didn't take too long for me to see the results as well, which is a good thing since this bottle is pretty pricey and I was uncertain when I began using it. It didn't flare up any acne for me (in fact, it was a player in the skincare routine which seemed to calm my recent skin flare up!) and I've noticed that if I skip this for a few nights, my skin gets a little upset with me.

My only misgivings about this beauty of a skin serum? The face that I can't see how much I have left, and the price tag! Sitting at $105 AUD (close to US price, woohoo!) this is definitely a skincare splurge, but I can actually envision myself trotting down to Myer or clicking onto Adore Beauty for a repurchase when this press sample runs dry...wallet be warned.

Lancôme Dreamtone retails for $105 AUD and can be purchased at Adore Beauty.

What luxe skincare have you found to really work for you? Or do you stick to budget skincare and splurge on lipsticks instead?!

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

Nostalgic Scents // Marc Jacobs Daisy

 Smell is one of the most amazing senses that a human has, and has the ability to transport you to a moment in time, or remind you of someone in a split second. Some scents in my perfume collection make me feel strong, some dainty, some masculine and some sexy. The smell of most Lynx deodorants completely reminds me of boys in high school shooting spit bombs at one another. An unknown cheap male aftershave reminds me of my highschool boyfriend (both quite stinky;p) and the beauty below reminds me of my beautiful mother.

Launched in 2007, Daisy is a watery floral with notes of strawberry, violet leaf and grapefruit (according to Fragrantica here) I am not known for my ability to draw out certain notes from perfumes, so to my nose I smell a light floral fragrance, which on my mothers skin is muskier than it is on mine. In my experience, Marc Jacobs fragrances disappear quite quickly on my skin, but on other members of my family the scent is much stronger and longer lasting. That is, of course, the beauty of sampling fragrance in small sizes/at a fragrance hall or store.

Daisy has been recreated in the form of Daisy Eau So Fresh, a much fruitier and more summery scent, in my opinion. The latest release from Marc Jacobs is Dot, a sweet and tropical scent with the cutest bottle ever! My mum has just purchased this from duty free, and I'm looking forward to sneaking a few spritzes and sharing my thoughts with you here once more.

 

Some scents are so rich and evocative of certain people, and even though I don't suit this perfume, it holds a dear space in my heart and makes me smile and think of my Mum every time I sniff it. Every person I know has their 'signature' scent, and I love the connection that can be made between a human and a scent.

 

Do you have a signature scent?

What scents do you associate with the people around you?

 

*This perfume is from my Mum's collection, and smells great on her. Honesty, always.

 

Classique // a fragrance by Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier released his first fragrance in 1993, originally self titled but later renamed Classique.

Since I am far from a perfume expert, I headed online to to look up the notes for Classique. They include orange blossom (love!), rose (could detect that), musk (yep), mandarin, aniseed, ylang ylang, ginger, vanilla, wood, orchid, bergamot, iris and carnation.

I stumbled upon a great review of this fragrance on 'Now Smell This', and found this quote from Gaultier himself:

One part dusty loose powder, like my grandmother wore — I think it was old Coty; one part that smell you get when you are sitting in the front row of the theater — for me, I think of going to The Chatelet when I was 12, and the curtain goes up, and the hot lights are on the costumes, wigs and sets, and you breathe it all in. And, just to be modern, one part nail polish remover!

But listen, this is not a joke. I set out to create something you really want to wear. Smells are important because they remind you of certain people. If you smell this and you think of me, I want it to be good! And there are flowers, vanilla, a lot of things.” (via Women’s Wear Daily, 3/12/93)

On me, it smells powdery and sweet, with a floral edge that makes it wearable. My sister isn't a fan of 'nanna' fragrances like lavender, rose or anything powdery, but when she smelt it on me she really liked it. We both agreed that though it was definitely musky and powdery, there was something else that made it stand apart from a 'nanna' fragrance. I attribute that to the floral notes within the scent, and also to the inclusion of mandarin and vanilla within the concoction. Having said all of this, let it be known that I am partial to wearing 'nanna' fragrances, so it would be wise to sniff this and see how you feel about it on the skin as well.

I love the lace adorned frosted sample vial of this fragrance, and I love the quirky female torso design of the bottle that appeals to the classic and quirky sides of this fragrance.

 

Are you a fan of 'nanna' or powdery fragrances?

What notes are your favourites in perfumes?

*Pretty sure I obtained this in a beauty sample box. Honesty, always.