Lightening up With Fresh Colors and Scents For Spring

I rendezvoused with my daughter in San Diego last week for a few days of catching up, shopping, and laughing. Of course, as always happens, we ended up at Nordstrom for some shopping, and it turns out that we were both looking for a new fragrance. I gravitated to the Le Labo counter because my local Nordstrom doesn’t carry it. The specialist at the counter really knew her stuff and explained a lot about the notes and dry downs of the various scents. They’re all cruelty-free, vegan, and formulated with plant-based ingredients.

So many of the scents appealed to me that I couldn’t decide. The sales gal was awesome and sent me home with a handful of Le Labo perfume samples to test myself to see which one I loved best. This kind of customer service is just one of the reasons that Nordstrom is my favorite department store!

This trio of candles also came home with me because the fragrances have some amazing notes. These glass votives are hand poured in their lab in the USA using soy wax and a cotton wick.

I started burning the one with the most unusual description. The Laurier 62 candle (full-sized here) is “a 62-ingredient candle filled with notes of laurel, rosemary, eucalyptus, thyme, cumin, clove, amber, patchouli, sandalwood, and 53 other ingredients to create a beautiful mess from chaos.” It’s strong enough to fragrance a fairly large area and smells so nice! They don’t make perfume in this scent, so I’ll enjoy it this way.

Diffusers are another great way to bring fresh fragrance into your home, and you don’t have to worry about monitoring flame. Here are a few I spotted-

A body lotion is such a luxurious way to try fragrances because it gives you a subtle sampling of the fragrance while it pampers dry, dehydrated skin. I’m a tea nut and a big fan of Matcha tea in particular, so I decided to try the Thé Matcha 26 scented body lotion. I don’t know what I expected it to smell like, but I love it!

They describe the notes as creamy fig (which I love) grounded by soft vetiver and textural cedar woods uplifted by enticing bitter orange.” After it dries down, I notice a faint, fresh soapy scent that’s very pleasant. All of their lotions are paraben and phthalate-free, enriched with vitamin E, vitamin A, aloe vera, coconut, and olive oil, so they feel fantastic and are very nourishing.

I also picked up this Thé Noir 29 Body Lotion. It has notes of bergamot, bay leaves, black tea, fig, hay, tobacco, cedarwood, vetiver, and musk. It smells rich and exotic, perfect for cold rainy days, which we’re getting many of these days. I don’t know why one lotion came with a pump and one did not. I’m finding the lotions have enough fragrance that I wouldn’t need to add perfume on top of it, which is a bit of a win/win because the perfume is not budget priced.

I’m a big fan of fragrance discovery sets, so you can sample lots of options. Here are some fun ones-

I also updated a bit of my eye makeup. I’d strayed from my favorite mascara over the last few months as I wasn’t happy with the clumping I was getting. No matter how little I tried to apply, I ended up with little chunks along my lashes, which I hated the look of.

I’ve gone back to my Ilia Limitless Mascara, and I’m a happy camper. It may not build huge false eyelash-looking eyelashes, but its comb-type brush goes on cleanly without clumps.

It’s cruelty-free and made with natural dye. I love that it’s also free of sulfates, phthalates, parabens, petrochemicals, mineral oil, silicone and talc, formaldehyde, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, triclocarban, gluten, artificial preservatives, fragrances, nanoparticles, EDTA and DEA. I don’t know how all those nasty things play into my dry-eye struggle, but they can’t be good. It’s also very important that we replace our eye makeup often to prevent contamination.

I also decided to give their Liquid Powder Eye Tint a try. I haven’t used a liquid or cream eye shadow for many years because I was worried about creasing. I read reviews that said it didn’t budge once you put it on, and they’re right.

I covered the lid with the powdered dove gray, then applied this soft gray liner in Alloy and the Limitless mascara. Then I dabbed a small spot of the lavender right in the center, by my lash line, and tapped until it dried…which was just a few seconds. It’s a water-based, crease-resistant, and smudge-resistant formula that doesn’t feel dry or cakey and stays put until I take it off.

I do love a smokey eye, but I’m enjoying this softer look with pale colors and non-clumpy eyelashes for a fresh change of pace. 😄

In other bizarre news, we had hail in Northern California last week, which reminded me that we are still a long way from our roses blooming. I love to buy fresh flowers, but they never smell as fabulous as the ones my husband grows. So last week, I treated myself to this Diptyque roses candle that makes the entire room smell like an incredible rose garden.

So while I sit and knit my third hat this season, I can feel like spring is right around the corner while snow falls in Los Angeles and hail falls in San Francisco.

If there’s a fragrance or home scent you love, chances are Nordstrom has it for you. When given a choice, I always choose to buy from Nordstrom because they offer free shipping and returns, curbside pickup, BOPUS (buy online, pick up in-store), ROTUS (reserve online, try on in-store), and free beauty workshops. I recommend you join the Nordy club here. It’s free and allows you to earn points towards notes you can use on future purchases, plus you get free basic alterations.

How are you preparing your senses for spring?

Be well, and be sure to wear what makes you feel confident.