Wednesday, March 5th, 2014
Sulwhasoo’s Snowise EX Brightening Cream ($130)* and Lierac’s HYDRA-CHRONO+ Rich Nourishing Cream ($48)*
I am currently loving these two face creams from Sulwhasoo and Lierac! The Snowise EX Brightening Cream helps smooth out uneven skin tones and calm the skin for a brighter, softer look, while the HYDRA-CHRONO+ Rich Nourishing Cream is specially made to regulate your skin’s natural hydration and protect and soften skin for a smoother look and feel. Thanks to both Sulwhasoo and Lierac for sending me these products to try! You can read my full reviews for both the Sulwhasoo’s Snowise EX Brightening Collection and the Lierac’s HYDRA-CHRONO+ collection on clichemag.com!
Have you tried either of these products? What did you think?
Wednesday, March 5th, 2014
"Isn’t love any fun?" —Ernest Hemingway, "The End of Something"
Lately I’ve been rereading good ‘ole Hemingway. “The End of Something” is one of my favorite short stories by him. It never loses its spark.
Meg! What do you think of "Magic" and "Midnight" / how excited for Ghost Stories are you? —by Anonymous
I was a bit surprised when I first heard “Midnight” because it wasn’t at all what I expected. I like it, but I don’t love it—not yet, at least. I feel like it’s the kind of song that has to grow on you. I don’t know—I have a shaky suspicion that the version on the album is going to be slightly different. Call it intuition. But I ADORE “Magic”! In fact, I cried the first time I listened to it (at 6:00 AM on a Monday…) so that should pretty much describe my love for it. It’s sweet, honest, and I love the melody/instrumental. That one is definitely more Coldplay than “Midnight” to me.
And omg Ghost Stories can not get here soon enough. And the title is perfection. I am BEYOND excited. I feel like this album is have more ballads than Mylo. Crossing my fingers it does!
Monday, March 3rd, 2014
My 23rd birthday yesterday was such a lovely one. I spent it with my family and close friends and enjoyed some great company, the best baklava ever, and the sweetest birthday presents. My boyfriend got me the cutest charm bracelet from Pandora (which needs some serious filling up over the next couple years!), my mother got me the cutest brown purses (picks soon), and my best friends got me a new book I’ve been eyeballing since before Christmas and a Target gift card! All sweet gifts all the way around. My boyfriend also treated me to the cinema to see The Wind Rises, which was wonderful and dreamy and made me want to cry, of course.
Thanks again to all the people who wished me a Happy Birthday here or on Twitter and helped make it very very special!
Wednesday, February 26th, 2014
Birchbox #4: February 2014
This month’s Birchbox theme was “Step and Repeat,” a nod to award season and scoring the perfect, polished red-carpet look. After watching the sneak peek video back in early February, I crossed my fingers hoping I’d get the Pores No More cream by Dr. Brandt and the Beauty Protector hair oil—and, as luck would have it, I did! Now that I’ve had some time to properly sample these products, it’s time to share my thoughts!
Let’s start with the aforementioned Beauty Protector Protect & Oil, priced at $25.95 a bottle. First let me say that I am such a huge fan of the Beauty Protector brand; I’ve received other products by them in my past boxes and only have great things to say about them. This particular hair oil is no different—it’s lightweight and just a couple droplets leave my hair feeling super smooth and polished. Plus it smells lovely. I mostly use it as a finish to polish off my look (especially on my ends), but sometimes I will also apply before I blow dry since it acts as a heat protector, too.
Next up is Dr. Brandt’s Pores No More Pore Refiner, priced at $45 for the entire (and Birchbox exclusive) Camera-Ready Kit. My pores are pretty large particularly around my nose, so I was super excited to finally give a pore minimizer a try and see if it actually works. I applied a thin layer before my makeup, and voilà, I noticed an airbrushed finish after I applied my foundation. It goes on smooth and works as the perfect primer. I’m not quite sure if I’d dish out $45 quite yet for this, but I was very impressed that it worked and I recommend it for anyone looking for that extra coverage.
Third in line is Joan Vass’s L’eau de Cristal perfume, a grand $75 a bottle (and well worth it). This scent may best be described as “sophisticated.” With a “chic blend of bergamot and musky patchuouli” (whatever that is!), as well as rose oil, vanilla bean, raspberry puree, and mandarin, it is a very light, clean, and pretty scent. When I found out this is also available in body lotion and shower gel, I added it to my wish list immediately.
Fourth is OPI’s Sheer Tints top coat in “Don’t Violet Me Down” (anyone else think of the Beatles?) for $9 a bottle. To be honest, I’m not purple’s biggest fan, but I like the idea of this. The tint is subtle, but definitely isn’t your normal clear-as-crystal hardening top coat. Its purpose is to enhance the colors of the bottom coat and give your manicure an extra-shiny finish, or to make overlapping nail art really pop. This video tutorial on how to combine OPI’s sheet tints over an opaque manicure may be something I have to try in the future!
Last but certainly not least are these two teas from Harney & Sons, priced at $9.60 for a box of 20 sachets. The flavors I received are White Vanilla Grapefruit (sweet and light) and Paris (a black tea with hints of caramel and citrus). Tea is definitely my go-to drink (after water and wine, of course), and I enjoyed these flavors very much. Plus the packaging is just adorable!
This month I was very pleased with my Birchbox (as always!) and am definitely looking to purchase some of these full-size options with my Birchbox points in the future. What about you guys? Are any of you Birchbox subscribers? What did you get in your February boxes?
Wednesday, February 26th, 2014
Well hello, special delivery from TRESemmé! I’m thrilled to be researching and reviewing these lovely products from their new collections for Cliché Magazine. So far I am particularly fond of the 7 Day Keratin Smooth line; since I use heat regularly on my hair, it’s the perfect thing!
Are you a fan of TRESemmé? Have you tried any of these new products yet?
Saturday, February 22nd, 2014
I’m happy to announce that our Feb/Mar issue of Cliché Magazine is now officially live, and with not one, but two covers! Inside we feature tons of new fashion collections, exclusive photos from Rome Fashion Week, and lots of celebrity interviews. Plus we photographed the gorgeous Vanessa Marano from Switched at Birth and Ksenia Solo from Lost Girl for our covers! Check it out for free on our website, and don’t forget to read my Ed Letter! http://clichemag.com/
Please let me know what you think of our new issue by messaging me on Tumblr, tweeting me @meganportorreal, or shooting me an email at megan@clichemag.com. I’d love to hear from you!
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