“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet…”
I love roses. Everything about them, their smell, the way they look, the pretty name; they are simply stunning. Last night, I was looking through some of the first photos that I took with my new camera, and my favourite test subject was this beautiful bouquet that my mom got for Christmas from her good friends in England, which featured some truly magnificent roses. It honestly was one of the best bouquets I’ve ever seen, gorgeous at every angle, and I always started my days after Christmas by capturing a few photos of the beauty, before the flowers died. Here are some of my favourite snaps:
After viewing these photos (and some of my not-so-great shots), I had a thought. You see, I seemed to focus on the roses of the bunch the most (they are my 2nd favourite flowers, after all), and it wasn’t long before my mind got rolling and I was thinking of the most important “b” word in my world: beauty. I started counting how many “rose-themed” products I have in my collection and how strong my opinions are of them (good and bad), so today, I’m finally going to follow the advice of my Girl Guides leader when I was 6 years old, share and be a friend (go Sparks!). First, comes the sharing (of photos)…
…and then comes the sharing (of opinions). Leee’go!
MAC Paint Pot in Fresco Rose – This (discontinued) soft, frosty pink paint pot from MAC is a lovely shade, but I honestly don’t know why I bought it. I think while I was in the midst of my makeup-hoarding stage, I justified it as “well, when I wear pink eyeshadow, it can kind of look a little patchy, and a great base like this can help solve that!” Well, to this I say, “when the HECK do I wear pink eyeshadow!?” I can’t remember the last time I did, in fact, I don’t even wear pinks (on my eyes) for times on which it would be appropriate, like Valentine’s Day or Easter! Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lovely colour, with a pretty name, and if you do like pink eyeshadows, you might want to check out the paint pot in Let’s Skate, which is very similar to Fresco Rose but just a little lighter and paler. And, to be honest, MAC’s paint pots are wonderful, as they extend the wear time of eyeshadow and really make various colours pop on your eyes. For me, personally, though, when I look at this in my “eye drawer,” I can’t help but think really, really, past Siobhan!? NEVER AGAIN.
MAC Powder Blush in Desert Rose -This is one of my absolute favourite blushes! It”s the most beautiful, dusky, almost muted rose colour, and it is super pigmented! This matte shade will last you a long time in your makeup arsenal, because you only need a very light hand to make this pop on your cheeks (especially if you’re of a fair complexion!). It’s one of those pink shades that is powerful enough to give you lots of colour on your cheeks and make you look all healthy and glowy, but it also is subtle enough for those days and nights when you opt for a more powerful eye or lip. In other words, it’s never contradictory, rather, always complimentary. 🙂
Maybelline Colour Whisper in Rose of Attraction – The first direct response to the much loved Revlon Lip Butters, the Maybelline colour whispers are awesome (they got nothin’ on the lip butters, but they’re awesome nonetheless). Out of the three shades I own, Rose of Attraction is my favourite, and not just because of the cute, kitschy name (though, that doesn’t hurt, either!). A few swipes of this sheer lipstick results in insta-flawless, glossy lips with just a hint of light pink colour. Seriously, try it, you won’t regret it.
MAC Lipstick in Gem of Roses – This could be my all-time favourite pink lipstick, and I’ve had it forever because I’m trying to savour it! Gem of Roses, which, if you hadn’t guessed yet, was a limited edition product with MAC’s Semi Precious collection four years ago, is ultra sexy, sheer but buildable medium pink goodness. The best part of this lipstick is that it’s quite a warm pink, but it’s not too warm to compete with my complexion’s warm undertones (and it also, naturally, looks fantastic on cool toned complexions, especially fair or pale skin!). Oh, and if that didn’t convince you, it seems to be the all-around look changer, as it’s just sheer and lovely enough for daytime, but it can also transform you into a sultry vixen when paired with a smokey grey eye and lots of lashes for evening wear. You can’t outshine this gem! 😉
Korres Lip Butter in Wild Rose – I’ve had this lip butter for a while and I really like it. Though I don’t find it as hydrating as my Burt’s Bees lip balm or the Nivea lip butters, Korres’ lip butter in Wild Rose (along with the other three that I own) are great for when you want a sheer tint of colour and a little (short-lived) burst of hydration. I absolutely love the colour that appears on my lips with only a few dabs of product, and due to its sheer nature, the colour never gets too overwhelming or bright. It’s the perfect product for the ever-famous “just bitten” look that many of us turn to in the dead of winter, despite the messy (and rather unhygienic) pot being the bane of anyone who has given this a try’s existence.
The Body Shop Atlas Mountain Rose Body Butter – In light of me recently raving about this product (if you haven’t read the post, read it here), I won’t bore you with another long session of praise. I will, however, tell you that this is quickly becoming one of my favourite body butters (above Coconut! The shame!), as its lovely, soft and subtle rose scent after you’ve let it settle on your skin for a couple of minutes is simply divine. Additionally, this proves to be quite the product for dry skin woes in this dreaded cold spell, especially typical dry spots like elbows, knees, ankles and knuckles. Just one slather of this and your skin will go from cracked and thirsty to hydrated and soothed and you’ll come out smelling like roses! Score!
Fresh Rose Face Mask – I finally tried it! That’s right, I bit the bullet and gave this mask a whirl and guess what!? It’s not too shabby! It didn’t break me out or cause any kind of irritation like I thought it would, in fact, it did just the opposite! This mask flowed onto my skin with ease and within minutes I felt very calm and soothed (probably the pretty rose scent, and while we’re on the subject, this product also smells like cucumbers. Weird, but it works!). While I wouldn’t say it did anything super fantastic for my skin hydration wise, I was left with visibly more radiant skin, and it lasted for a couple of days. I think when companies or brands put out products for dry skin, it really doesn’t apply to me usually because my skin is (more often than not) parched, but I try them anyways because of all of the grand promises they make. However, this one actually did improve my skin’s moisture level a fraction and it left me with a glow that I really liked, so I would, indeed, purchase the full size of this. Quelle bonne surprise (what a nice surprise)!
Chloé Roses de Chloé – Of my entire perfume collection, this is, by far, my most used and one of my most loved fragrances. It’s got a pleasing light, fresh scent that smells of roses, with a hint of bergamot, white musk and amber thrown in for good measure, and it is my go-to daytime scent as of late. It smells of sophistication, femininity and class, all effortlessly combined for a soft albeit alluring appeal, and I often get asked what I’m wearing when I have this on. Furthermore, just look at that beautiful bottle with the simple, delicate pink bow? This fragrance (and the bottle it comes in) is timeless, and I love it. Trust me, go out and try this near-perfect scent, you’ll be doing yourself a massive favour. 🙂
Valentino Rock ‘n Rose – On the other hand, this perfume, along with Vera Wang’s Princess, has to be the least used in my collection! It’s not that I don’t like this fragrance, but I just never know when to pull it out to wear. It’s a strong, almost aggressive fragrance that yes, smells wonderfully of roses, black currant and vanilla, with strong musky undertones, but it’s just getting farther and farther away from something I would actually wear often due to its powerful smell. I wear it most often in the winter, but it tends to lean way too strong for daytime and yet is a little “light and airy,” so to speak, for evening wear. It’s a tough gap to fall into, hence why I don’t wear it much. Having said all that, if you like rose scents, I’d give it it try, because, even though personally I prefer my rose scents to fade into subtle whispers of fragrance (wow, I like the way I worded that, haha), you might be okay with or might even love its long-lasting scent. To each his own, as they say! 🙂
Bath & Body Works White Barn Pink Petal Tea Cake 3 Wick Candle – Without a doubt, this is my favourite candle that Bath & Body Works has ever released. That’s right, this candle smells (and looks, the lid of this candle was ornate and fabulous!) so good, it ranks above Frosted Cupcake or Leaves (and you know that’s saying something!). How would I describe its scent? Well, if you’ve ever tried another one of my BBW faves, antything from the Pink Chiffon Signature Body collection, it smells like that, only better! This candle easily melds the two (awesome) worlds of a rose field and what I imagine the inside of a bakery’s kitchen smells like. Not too sweet, not too floral, this candle is perfection and I’m really, really hoping they bring it back this spring!
Rosebud Earrings – These rosebud earrings that I picked up from Charlotte Russe a little under a year ago are some of favourites due to their understated feminine, delicate vibe. They look fantastic on the ears as a statement, but also subtly compliement and highlight the details of an outfit with ease. These particular light pink ones are sold out, but there are usually plenty of rose inspired earrings at Garage Clothing, Forever 21 and/or Aldo.
In conclusion, after that lengthy post, I think the one thing you can take away is that I sure do love me some roses, haha! To me, roses are the picture of elegance and grace and they smell oh so lovely, so how could I not have many-a-rose-themed product in my life!?
Do you like roses? Do you own any rose themed products? Have you tried any of the products I’ve mentioned? If so, how do you feel about it or them? You know what to do.
Until next time, friends.
Much love,
S♥
ps – I can’t believe it! In my hasty collection of rose-y products, I completely overlooked MAC’s Riveting Rose lipstick and the Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rosé Kiss! Maybe I’ll do a part two to this post…you know, continue the rose infatuation!? Let me know if you’d be interested in reading that, maybe after I’ve gathered some more products in my assortment (I promise it’ll be shorter, haha)! 😉 #whatatease
