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Beauty Vixen

I have been building up a perfume collection for a while now, and I realized not too long ago that a few of my scents have been around for decades. I thought I would give you a bit of a glimpse into a few of my vintage (20 years or older) scents.
Clinique Happy (1998)
I fell in love with Clinique Happy, maybe around 2004, or 2005. It had a citrus punch I like and I thought it smelled fresh. I feel I caught on around the time it was hitting really big because there were always sets with other scents like Happy in Boom, Happy Heart, and a few others. For about 8 years I wore it a lot and had full bottles as well as lots of Roll-ons I got in gift sets. 

As time went on I drifted away and to other scents. That didn't stop me from keeping a few minis, and roll-ons, and in 2017 I treated myself to a mini spray trio set. I truly hate roll-ons, so a spray set was great.
I still love this vibrant fragrance and wear it a few times a month. Clinique launched it in 1998 and it was seen in the opening of Legally Blonde as Elle gets ready. It is a fruity floral with lots of orange to it. Happy Heart was the only spinoff I've ever really enjoyed, it has more floral notes to it.
4711 Original Eau De Cologne by Echt Kolnisch Wasserstein (1799)
This one is super new to me, but was created in 1799 in Cologne Germany. It has an ongoing history that is quite fascinating. I picked it up at the Lisa Cosmetic sale for $9.99 and didn't notice at the time that it was a tester. I could have bought a gigantic litre of it, but this seemed just fine.  

I got interested in the scent after Jane Daly tweeted about it, but I couldn't find it anywhere. It seems to be huge elsewhere and more of a hard-to-find item here in Canada. 

It's a super light unisex scent with lemon, orange, neroli, and bergamot in it. It has almost no lasting power, so splash it on generously.
Yardley English Rose Eau De Toilette (1997)
I love roses and Yardley's English Rose might be my favourite. It's simple and wonderful. It's also the one fragrance, that when I wear it my husband always says I smell nice. I like the compliment so I wear it, or its body spray often.

Yardley was founded in 1770, having celebrated their 250th anniversary in 2020. While in Canada you can only get their English Rose, English Lavender, and Lily of the Valley, you can get lots of other scents in the UK.  Speaking of which, the brand has held many Royal Warrants since 1921 (currently holds one for King Charles III).
While their signature scent is English Lavender (created in 1873), they have had rose scents for pretty much just as long. Red Roses seems to be the name before this one was created in 1997. 

This is a wonderful light rose scent with a bit of magnolia, citrus, and patchouli mixed in so that it it isn't heavy or make me feel sleepy. I find it works best with the lotion and body spray used in combination. 

Guerlain Shalimar (1925) 
Shalimar was launched in 1925, making it just shy of 100 years old. I happen to have the eau de cologne version, but it comes in many variations and has stood the test of time.  It currently is Guerlain's flagship fragrance. 

It has a powdery scent with bergamot and a whole bunch of other warm scents. It is definitely a classic scent that still holds its own almost a century later.
DKNY Be Delicious (2004) 
I can't remember the first time I smelt this scent, but I do remember buying it at The Bay and getting a beach towel with it. I re-bought it a few times over the years, mainly at Estee Lauder warehouse sales.

The last time I had no intent because I had just redeemed a voucher for a full size of the Golden Delicious variety from a sampler I had. My friend wanted some at the sale and it was buy one get one free for a whole set, so I ended up with another full bottle and a mini. As you can see I've gotten a few other minis along the way too. 
Launched in 2004 this scent is fresh and fruity as well as floral. Cucumber, green apple as well as tuberose and violet are in the mix and I find it quite refreshing. There are a few variations including Golden Delicious which is more woody and floral. As well as Fresh Blossom Delicious which has more floral and grapefruit notes to it.
The Body Shop White Musk (1981)
White Musk is probably The Body Shop's most iconic scent. In the '80s and '90s, The Body Shop had a whole line of fragrance oils, now only White Musk remains (I got a roll-on, but you can still get it in a bottle with a dabber). It (and many other of their fragrances) comes in eau de toilette, eau de parfum, as well as fragrance mist (and all the other body products).

The scent is light, and floral and has a musky to it that screams 1990s mall. The Body Shop also makes a few other variations of it, including a men's version.
So there you go, a few fragrances from my collection that have stood the test of time. I might do another showcasing some other classics like some CK fragrances or a classic drugstore option from my teen years, Exclamation. Let me know if you want to see more.

Do you have a favourite vintage fragrance?

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It is time for my big gift guide. There are so many people out there and so many gifts to buy, so I have done up a guide of some of the best gifts you can give this holiday season.

Before I begin, some of these items were sent to me from PR for review, and some I bought myself with my own hard earned cash. Either way they wouldn't be in this gift guide if I did not 100% love them and want them here. Items with an asterisk (*) next to their name were from PR, ones without I personally paid for. All views are my own, as always.
Quo Artisan Brush Set*
Oval makeup brushes have been all the rage the last few years. Quo happens to always makes fantastic brushes and brush sets, so to see that they have an oval set for the holidays is a delightful thing. This set features 10 brushes, everything from your lips, face and eyes is covered with this super soft and dense set.
The Body Shop Vanilla Chai Tin Of Delights*
I love The Body Shop's holiday scents, and while they have changed over the years (gingerbread, candied apple, cranberry have all made past appearances), this year's Vanilla Chai is an amazing blend of holiday warm scents that makes me feel at home. I love how The Body Shop always has amazing sets this time of year that have great value, this one has one thing other sets don't, Bubble Bath. I love a good bubble bath, so the fact this set has all my other favourites, body wash,  body butter makes it my must have set this holiday season from The Body Shop. Oh and the pretty packaging too. If you needed an extra reason to give this, or any gift from The Body Shop this season, all gift sets help raise money for International Alert's Place for Peace Project
Belgian Cookies
Belgian chocolate cookies are a tradition in our house. Every year we get one as a gift and enjoy them with coffee and tea as desert on Christmas night. This year I opted to buy a box a little early just to make sure I had some on hand. While many companies sell these under their own name, we got the PC brand (honestly I think they are all the same). I love the combo of cookie and good quality chocolate. Plus you get a nice tin you can reuse for other projects or storing holiday ribbon (its what I do with them). I really think it makes a nice hostess gift.
Custom Ornaments:
Shoppers Drug Mart has their own online photo store, which has a whole pile of customized photo gifts. After getting our Santa photos done I thought it would be a great idea to get our families (and ourselves) some custom ornaments made up. We chose a wider shape with a red border, but there were lots of options. A nice touch is that they are double sided so we put Bradley's last year photo on one side and this years family photo with Santa on the other. I really think our moms are going to love these. Ordering was easy, and pick up was in about a week at our chosen Shoppers location, oh and we got Optimum points too (bonus).
Sony EXTRA BASS Portable Bluetooth Speaker*
This tiny speaker that is about half the height of a pop can, is waterproof and rechargeable. I currently have another Sony Bluetooth speaker that is much larger and runs on either an electrical cord or a bunch of batteries, so to have a smaller version that can pump out the tunes just as well without the need for cords or batteries is a much welcome change. You can get a second one and have them set up for stereo sound, but honestly one makes some pretty amazing sound. I recently started to use it in the kitchen (hanging from a cabinet knob and off the counter) while cooking and in bed when I am using my tablet. My tablet's speakers are on the back of them and get muffled when I push it up against a pillow, so it is fantastic for that. It also has a little string so you can hang it if you are out and about. It also has the ability to sync up with a second speaker and create a stereo experience and has some pretty incredibly deep bass settings (hence the name).
D-Link WiFi Range Extender*
When we moved 2+ years ago from a tiny 1 bedroom apartment to a 3 story stacked town home, we worried about the WiFi. It is a silly thing to worry about but really, how was the signal going to be from the basement all the way up that concrete thing to the 3rd floor. Well it has been hit or miss. My office is upstairs and we do a lot of watching of online media in the bedroom (tablets, phones, chrome casting to the TV). So the idea of boosting our reception was a great idea. This little tiny thing does such a great job I do not know why we didn't get one sooner. The best part for me is, the hubby has older desktop computers that don't have WiFi options, and we have wires everywhere to connect them to the internet. This little guy has a LAN cord spot in it. Which means all you need is an outlet and you can get the internet to a computer. This is really great because we felt really limited in what areas of the house we could put his computers, and now we aren't. We now have the option of giving him an office like me on the 3rd floor. Anyways I think this makes a good gift for anyone with a house or a larger condo, it helps give you full WiFi bars just about anywhere.
Body Fantasies Gift*
This little perfume body spray set features four popular scents from Body Fantasies. With Japanese Cherry Blossom, Sweet Crush and Pink Sweet Pea Fantasy, these three scents are sure to brighten up anyones holiday season. The box set makes for a nice gift for anyone you know likes fragrances (you could also break it up into four gifts for a few stocking stuffers).
Burt’s Bees Face Essentials*
Burt's Bees is a favourite of mine this time of year. They always have such great gift sets for any need, face, feet, hands, travel, lips. This year I am trying out their Face Essentials kit which has in it their White Tea Towelettes, Peach & Willowbark Deep Pore Scrub, Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream and Coconut &Pear Lip Balm. All full sized and all great products for anyone who is into skin care products. I really love their Deep Pore Scrub and Deep Cleansing Cream, I have dry skin and cleansing creams are definitely the way tot go to get your pores clean but not strip your skin of moisture.
Lelo Intent Women's Gift Set*
If you are looking for a great gift for the lady in your life, or heck even yourself then you may want to consider this bit of an adult gift option. Lelo is known for making high end toys that are also come in classy packaging. This set features two of Lelo's global best sellers, INA 2 and SIRI 2 as well as a bottle of their water-based personal lubricant. If this seems like a bit of an odd gift, you should head on over to Canadian Fashionista's blog and read about how 75% of Canadian women are not having orgasims.
Clinique A Little Happiness Gift Set
I love Clinique's Happy and Happy Heart. The scents have been in my rotation for years, but recently it caught my interest again. Sadly all I have at this point is a bunch or roller-balls I don't use. Then I found this little set and everything changed. It has three happy scents, Happy, Happy Heart and Happy in Bloom, all in mini spray bottles. They are spray bottles !!!! I am so happy (no pun intended). I can now spritz in the morning, or travel with one of them. I mean I really hate roller-balls, they get gross after a while plus I feel I need to spritz my fragrance a bit on my clothes to get more of a lasting scent.
NYX City Set Lip, Eye & Face Collection
A friend recently gave me this NYX Toronto set and I thought it was so cute. There are a few cities in the collection (New York, Santiago, Stockholm, London, to name a few). You get a quad of shadows, a blush, highlight and soft matte lip in its own little book like box. I think it is a really cute gift for anyone you know from one of the cities or just as a cute makeup gift.
Stila Eye For Elegance Liquid Eye Shadow Set
I am a big fan of Stila in general, each year I often end up purchasing at least one of their holiday sets. This year they had one I couldn't live without getting. It has six of their liquid eyeshadows, three of which are so new they wont be out until the spring. The three new ones are Shimmer & Glow shades while the three already released shades are Glitter & Glow shades. They all are really pretty pink, gold and silver shade that I think would look great on most people. The Shimmer & Glow ones really interest me because they are glitter free and they are just so pretty looking.
The Body Shop British Rose Expert Manicure Set
My hands are so dry all the time, but Christmas is the worst time of year because of how much I work. I adore The Body Shop's British Rose Hand Cream (the Almond one too), so this set really called to me in store. I love tin that looks like a playing card. Inside is a full size of the lotion, nail clippers. nail file and nail buffer. I really just wanted the hand lotion and tin, but this makes for a nice gift for anyone you know works hard with their hands. There is also a smaller version available. Plus, this gift helps fund Peace Play Project in Lebanon, like all gift sets at the Body Shop this year.
Lip Smacker Tsum Tsum Duo: Mickey & Minnie Gold Lip Balm Set
Tsum Tsums are still some of the cutest lip balms around, plus they have a great formula. While this year Lip Smacker has lots of options for stocking stuffers in the Tsum Tsum family, but this gold Mickey and Minnie set is just too cute not to get. Mickey is in gold with Whipped Pineapple flavour and Minnie in rose gold with Strawberry Beignet flavour.
There is my gift guide. I think all of these would make great gifts to give or receive this holiday season. 
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It's been a very long time  since I last went to a Estee Lauder Warehouse sale (aka the Mac Warehouse Sale). I went yesterday and did a little bit of damage, but got lots of goodies.

First off since the last time I went there seems to now be Smashbox there, I saw other people (Kelly fro GlitterDiarries.ca for example) got some pretty good Smashbox goodies. I also saw other people got Origins, which I was looking for but just couldn't find. Since I went on the Sunday the selection was more limited.

Enough with that, on to what I bought.

$12 - Clinique cheek Pop in 02 Peach Pop:

Oh yeah I love blush and I've wanted the Clinique Cheek Pops since they launched, so glad I got this at such a good price.

$4 Section:
Mac Softpoint sponge Applicator
Mac Eyeshadow Pans in - Kelly, Carefree and Indian Ink
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Sample
Mac Lip Liner in Vino
Mac Eyeliner in Coffee
 The $4 section had some Bobbie Brown Foundations but only in Sand, so I stuck with what I knew I would like.

$12 - Estee Lauder Little Black Primer.
 I almost went out and got this in the store, but I am sure glad I didn't, $12 is a great price and it is a new release item.

$25 -Mac KeepSake/ Smokey Face Palette:
 This is from the holiday collection. I really wanted it back then but couldn't bring myself to spend full price on it. So glad I got this.
 $40 - Buy on get one free
Mac 179 Body Buffing Brush
Mac Duo Fibre Travel Brush Set
 Duo Fibre brushes and a body brush for $40, I'm sold.

$25 - Clinique Grandest Greens Eye Chubby Stick Set
 I love the idea of the Chubby Sticks for my eyes.
Charity bag and free gift:
The free gift was two gift bags that are flat (they are actually the background for all the photos in this post).
The Charity bags were Prep + Prime Cc Powder in Neutralizing and two nail polishes. I got 4 of Riot Gear, 2 of Impassioned and 2 of Flaming rose.

So that is it, my haul from the sale. I think I did pretty well and kept on a budget. I regret nothing, so that is good.
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New year, new plan of attack. 

So pretty much I didn't get around to doing my last three months worth of empties posts. While I love doing them, if I don't get a months done right after the month ends I feel defeated and then procrastinate. So here I am with 3+ months worth of empties and feeling incredibly overwhelmed.

Why? While empties posts take no time to take photos of , they take forever for me to write about.  Today I found a solution...10 empties at a time. 

When I finish items I'll still toss them in my empties bag, but I'll just do 10 products at a time. That way no stress and no crazy long posts. So here it is, the first in my new series...

10 I'm Tossing:
Joe Fresh Nail Polish Remover: I got this because I needed a nail polish remover and I thought I'd like the bottle. It says acetone is the first ingredient so I thought it would be strong enough for me. It isn't - I need pure acetone. I don't have time for weaker stuff. Would I buy it again? No, maybe? I don't know. I pretty much want pure acetone. There was nothing wrong with this. I just am lazy. Acetone is so cheap (Walmart has it for about $1.90). I did like the bottle a lot and I got tons with this.
CoverFx Brush Cleanser: I got this when CoverFx was re doing their logo and everything was 40% off at Shoppers Drug Mart. I love this stuff. It is a fantastic brush cleaner. Would I buy it again? Yes, but sadly they don't make it anymore.
Pantene Dry Shampoo?: I got this at Dollarma. I love that it is a tiny sized spray great for work. Sadly it got empty really fast on me (was someone else using it?). It had no smell and left no white in my hair. Not as good as Batiste but pretty good for an alternative. Wold I buy it again? Maybe. I like it, and a full size is cheap but I doubt I would pay full price for a travel sized. 
Mary Kay Eye Makeup Remover: A friend gave this to me when she sold Mary Kay. I really like it. It is a duo phase formula so it really cuts though waterproof makeup quickly. Would I buy it again? Yes! It works well and I really have no complaints.
Origins Energy Gentle Cleansing Oil:  I got this years ago at the Estee Lauder Sale. While I like it, I hate the bottle. I've just given up on it. It seems to be a bottomless bottle that won't disappear and without a pump I just never use it. Would I buy it again? Yes, no. I like it and it works well but there are cheaper alternatives with bottle I like better (i.e.. L'oreal and The Body Shop).
Garnier Damage Eraser Strength Reconstructing Butter  I got this quite a while ago in an Influenster box. I absolutely loved it (review here). I liked to use it about once every two weeks as my deep treatment. Would I buy it again? Yes! I really like this masque. Nothing at all to complain about here...it works really well and smells good too.
Be Better SPF 50 Spray Wet Sunscreen: I got this in the spring, I thought it would be a good purse sunscreen for touch ups (you know, reapply every few hours), but I found I hated it. It worked well as a sunscreen but if you weren't using it wet (which I wasn't) I found it pilled up on the skin and left if strange feeling. Would I Buy it Again? No....if it was on sale and I needed a sunscreen I might, but I would look for something I liked more. Why don't more brands make travel sizes? That is the real question.
The Body Shop Honeymania Body Wash: This travel size I got in a set last xmas holiday season. I thought getting a few mini sets would be a good way to try out the scent. So far I realized I really like the line. would I buy it again? Maybe! I like it as much as any other of The Body Shop body washes (I have many), but the sugar from the honey is my only question. I really question if it is the best idea to use it being a woman (meh, too much information, sorry).
Clinique Superfit Foundation: I got this at a Estee Lauder sale a few years back. It was discontinued when I got it...now it has oxidized. So that must mean it is time to toss it. Would I buy it again?No, it is meant for oilier skin than mine and it is discontinued.
The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil: I got about a year ago and have been using it off and on. I've always been a big fan of cleansing oil so when they started to pop up in drug stores and The Body Shop  I felt I should give it a try. Well I used it all up pretty fast once I started to use it more often. I love the formula, it really works well to get everything off my face at the end of the day without stripping it. I also love the pump (something I didn't like about the Origins' bottle not having one). Would I buy it again? Yes, but I have a few L'oreal Cleansing Oils to use up first..

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Last month the annual Sephora VIB sale was on, meaning I got to save 20% on my order. 
I obviously went overboard and got way too many items.

Mars Virtual Domination Cheek Palette:
This baby has 4 Nars blushes and a big Laguna Bronzer.

Clinique Chubby Stick in Super Strawberry:
This mini was a 100 point perk I redeemed. So far I am really liking it.
Still Merry and Bright Makeup Set:
This set has a limited edition Convertible Colour in Tulip, lip glaze in Glalmour and a liner in Purple Tang. It also comes with a jewelled headband.

BareMinerals Bare Skin Perfecting Face Brush:
This baby has an indent in the centre (almost like a donut) where you place your foundation and then buff it into the skin. I am really loving the effect if gives my skin.
Marc Jacobs Fragrance Daisy Mini Duo:
These were only $18 so with the 20% off I said why not. I also got a set for a xmas gift for a friend.
Tarte Pigment of Imagination Deluxe Cheek Set:
This set was $12 what a steal. I just had to have it. I really like their blushes lately.
Clarisonic Sensitive Skin Double Replacement Pack:
I just got a Clarisonic from Chickadivsor so I thought it was a good time to get replacement heads as I will need them eventually. 
Urban Decay De-Slick Double Shot:
It has two minis if the de-slick setting spray. I figured I needed some more setting spray and it was a good price.
Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Lip:
This has some pretty lip sticks and glosses. Some are pretty tiny though (0.02 oz of Marc Jacobs or 0.05 oz of bite...eek). But it was only $30 before the sale so it is a good way of trying out some new lip products.
Urban Decay Pulp Fiction Mrs. Mia Wallace Palette:
I have this, I reviewed this, I loved this...it was $18 plus 20% off ...so I got a back up. Don't judge me.
Benefit 3 Scoops O' Sexy:
This set has 3 full sized lip balms and 3 mini cheek and lip tints. I love Benefit so I had to have it. Each lip balm retails for $22 and the whole set is regularly $50 so even before the sale discount it was a good deal. Shoppers Drug Mart has a similar one with just two of the sets, its called Sweet Temptations and has Lolli tint and Benetint in it for $30 (slightly better value).
Clinique Take the Day off Cleansing Balm:
I love cleansing balms and use The Body Shops a lot. So I got this one, only to return it.
Buxom Too Hot To Handle:
This was a 500 point perk I redeemed. It has a bronzer, lip gloss, lipstick, eye liner and mascara all in mini sizes. I am loving the purple lip shades.
Ok so that is it. I spent way to much, then went nuts again on Black Friday with the $12 deals. 
Did you grab anything exciting at the Sephora Vib Sale?

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Jill Oliver-Fox is a Toronto based beauty blogger with a love for beauty, food, and pets. She began the blog in 2009 and hasn't stopped since. To read more about Jill and the Blog, click here.

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