A Rose By Any Other Name: Thymes Kimono Rose Candle

Ever on the quest for the perfect candle (my faithful readers already know this about me), I am constantly burning new scents and brands. As a matter of fact, I have a new one burning as I write this! And I believe it could be one of the best ones yet. What is this magical candle of which I speak? Why, none other than the Thymes Kimono Rose Candle, of course.

How do I even begin to describe its beauty? Well, let's start with the packaging. It arrives in its own little cardboard house, shaped much like a Chinese takeout carton and decorated with a gorgeous floral print. Once removed, it will entice you even further with the sweeping pin-dotted floral design painted on its glass jar. This makes it almost -- almost -- worth it.

But then the heady aroma seeps out, and it's all over. Sweet clementine ... sumptuous cassis ... lovely rose, peony and jasmine ... all finally layered with luscious vanilla. It's so intoxicating, you'll feel the need to burn the candle immediately! (Well, at least this beauty chick did.)

Luckily, it has a burn time of 40 hours.

The Thymes Kimono Rose Candle retails for $27 at thymes.com.

"O" My Goodness! It's Smashbox O-GLOW!

I'll admit it -- I don't normally wear blush. Luckily, I've been blessed with rosier than normal cheeks, so it usually doesn't matter much. But there are those occasions where I'd like to look more fresh-faced and rosy-cheeked than normal ... though I tend to shy away from most blushes for fear of them coming on too strong. Not so with Smashbox's new "smash" hit, O-GLOW.

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The Best Waterproof Mascara: Lancome Definicils High Definition Mascara

Let's face it -- mascara running down our cheeks is not what we sign up for when we pop open a new tube. Night of the living dead we beauty chicks are not! So, like most ladies out there, this beauty chick is constantly in search of the latest, greatest waterproof mascara. If it stays in place, great. If it makes my lashes look unbelievably lush and full, even better. First up in my latest test? Lancome Definicils High Definition Mascara in Deep Brown.

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Back to Life: Kerastase Masquintense For Fine Hair

Dry. Lifeless. Dull. All words that can be used to describe yours truly's hair on a bad day. How could I hope to change this fact, you might ask? Luckily, with the entering of Kerastase Masquintense For Fine Hair into my life, these words have been replaced with better ones such as "shiny," "healthy" and "silky."

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Bobbing for Beauty: Bobbi Brown Apricot Shimmer Brick Compact

I have a long-standing affair with eyeshadow. The two of us do everything together -- we go to work, we dance at clubs, we dine at fancy restaurants. But for all of my passion for shadow, I can never seem to commit to just one. Every day and night of the week seems to find me in a different shade, a different brand, a different look. Call me flighty, but I like to think of it as searching for my next soul mate. And I definitely found it in the Bobbi Brown Apricot Shimmer Brick Compact.

The lacquered black compact -- emblazoned with Bobbi's signature, of course -- opens to reveal shades guaranteed to work on every skin tone. Don't believe me? Well, who doesn't look amazing in ivory? What other girl stands a chance when you're wearing shimmering taupe? And, pray tell, whose eyes can't stand the glimmer of a sparkling peach? As a connoisseur of compacts, this beauty chick wholeheartedly supports this one.

With five strips of intense color, starting at matte ivory and working their way to glistening apricot, these shades are not only perfect on the eyes but sitting in the compact as well.

Note: This product is no longer available.

Status Quo: Too Faced Status Gloss

I'm a sucker for pretty packaging. The product inside is important, of course ... but I'm much more willing to buy something when it looks pretty on the outside, too. This goes double for stuff like eyeshadow and lipgloss -- with so many on the market, the best way to grab this beauty chick's attention is to stand out. And stand out Too Faced Status Gloss did.

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It's a Hit! The Sephora Summer Blockbuster Palette

As a little girl, I derived insane amounts of pleasure from rummaging through my mother's makeup case. Lipstick, rouge, eyeshadow, mascara ... whatever I could find, I put on my face immediately. As I grew older, this love of makeup turned into a complete fascination with makeup kits. I would spend hours at the drugstore, wistfully looking at the cases of 12 lipsticks, 14 eyeshadows, 6 blushes ... well, you get the picture. My mother knew this, of course, and would buy them for me each holiday season -- always eliciting the same squeal of delight and ear-to-ear grin from yours truly. And as a beauty writer today, I still remember that feeling every time I open up a new product, see that brand-new lip gloss on the shelf, or inhale a whiff of the latest perfume. Imagine my surprise and delight when I came across Sephora's answer to my prayers -- the Summer Blockbuster Palette.

Open up the matte black case to discover 24 eyeshadows in every shade imaginable, from glittering teal to shimmering mauve, sparkling peach to barely-there taupe. Interspersed among them are 24 lipglosses, encompassing everything from intense ruby red and glitter-tinged clear to luscious apricot and rich plum. And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I realized that the case contained a second layer underneath! Sliding the lipglosses and eyeshadows apart revealed six blushes for varying skin tones, two double-sided eyeshadow applicators, a blush brush and a lipgloss brush. And no kit would be complete without an attached makeup mirror -- so, of course, Sephora included that too.

Note: This product is no longer available.

Lip Smackin' Good: Bonne Bell Lip Smackers Bath and Body Collection

If you've read this beauty chick's previous posts, you are already more than familiar with my love affair with Bonne Bell. With the venerable plethora of Lip Smackers crowding my vanity, stuffed in my purse and scattered around my bedroom, it's a wonder I haven't opened up my own Bonne Bell shop!

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Tingles and Jingles: Olay Thermal Pedicure Foot Treatment

Walking around in flip-flops -- while it keeps this beauty chick's feet cool during the summer -- is not the kindest way to take care of my tootsies, that's for sure. After just a few weeks of scampering around the New York City streets, my heels were cracked, my skin was dry and my feet definitely looked a bit worse for wear. Enter Olay Thermal Pedicure Foot Treatment.

One look at the ingredients (think shea butter, pumice, micro-crystals and Bora Bora white sand) and I knew this baby was bound to soften up my skin. True to form, Olay's newest product did not disappoint!

But the absolute best part was the warming factor -- this cream heats up on contact with skin and water to relax, polish, smooth and completely moisturize your skin almost instantaneously. The tingly warmth definitely ups the ante on this product a notch, since you can actually feel it working its magic. I was actually a bit incredulous at the immediacy of the results! Just squeeze a dollop of the lavender-hued cream onto problem areas and rub in ... and before you know it, your skin will no longer be ravaged, thirsty or otherwise unsightly.

Note: This product is no longer available.

Butter Me Up with Rosaline's African Shea Butter Indulgence Body Wrap

Sea salts and body polish and shea butter, oh my! The harsh winter weather had definitely completely ravaged this beauty chick's skin, so I was in supreme need of some TLC. Enter the African Shea Butter Indulgence Body Wrap at Rosaline's Skincare & Spa, a delightful little spa I discovered during a recent trip to visit my brother in Brookline, MA.

After being greeted by Rosaline herself, I was led down a winding staircase to the largest treatment room I've ever seen -- we're talking bigger than my bedroom and living room combined! My aesthetician was super friendly and put me right at ease, especially since I had to strip down to only a pair of disposable underwear before hopping onto the plastic-covered table. (The value of this came into play shortly!)

After being given a choice of sea salts (I went with cucumber melon) and body polish (I picked white sugar honey), I was given an intense head-to-food exfoliating drybrushing. Then the real fun began, as one by one my aesthetician scoured the sea salt and body polish over my entire body, with intermittent brushings off of the excess (ah, here's where the plastic made sense!), and using such blissfully wonderful circular strokes I was induced into a punch-drunk sort of stupor! But before I could completely pass out, I was wrapped in a fluffy robe, helped into puffy slippers and led next door for a quick shower to rinse off the excess salts and polish.

I returned to the room to be slathered tip-to-toe in intensely wonderful-smelling shea butter, and then was wrapped in a mummifying cocoon of foil and towels to seal in the moisture. But rather than leave me there to stew in my own juices, she gave me an absolutely amazing cranial and facial massage -- and then, after delicately unwrapping me from my cocoon, proceeded to give me an intense deep tissue massage to both work out the kinks and work in the remaining shea butter.

Now, this treatment isn't cheap -- it's $195 -- but for 90 minutes that will leave your skin feeling soft, supple and oh-so-smooth, it's worth it. Heaven? I think I finally got there.

Salon and Spa Directory: Euphoria Day Spa

Once in awhile, you have a facial so wonderful, so absolutely amazing, that it seems there are no words to describe its awesomeness. But this beauty chick is going to try! Enter the lovely ladies at Euphoria Day Spa, an adorable spa in the heart of Tribeca that offers up a wide range of services guaranteed to put you into ... well ... a euphoric state, to say the least!

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