Koh Gen Do Moisture Concealer vs. Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer

Concealers. They're part of that never-ending impossible quest for the perfect complexion, and I must say that it is quite hard to find the perfect concealer. I've been contemplating these two for quite a while, and I don't think either are my perfect "miracle" concealer. (Does that even exist??)  

After I bought Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer in SC-3 from Gummy's blog sale, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to compare it to the pricier Koh Gen Do Moisture Concealer. At first, I thought they might be similar, but they really are products for different purposes. 

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer is much drier in texture, while Koh Gen Do Moisture Concealer is quite creamy and almost moist to the touch. The Koh Gen Do has much sheerer coverage and only comes in one shade option. Despite this, the Koh Gen Do does make a minor difference on my eyes, while the Laura Mercier does well to cover spots and blemishes. I can't imagine that someone with more to cover under the eyes or flaky blemishes to cover would have success with either of these, however.

Watch the video below to hear more thoughts and see these concealers in action!  

Not wearing any makeup here except Armani Rouge Ecstasy lipstick in 502. :) BLOG - bronzerbunny.com TWITTER - twitter.com/bronzerbunny INSTAGRAM - instagram.com/bronzerbunny PRODUCTS MENTIONED: Koh Gen Do Moisture Concealer Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC-3 DISCLAIMER: Products marked with an * were provided for review.

All in all, the Laura Mercier may end up being my go to for blemishes and comes in many more shade options - 7 are listed on Sephora's site! Sadly, I think the Koh Gen Do doesn't perform as well as Armani Maestro Eraser for undereyes and the color selection is quite limited, though those of you who are lighter than me may have success with it.

What do you think about these concealers? Have you tried either one? What is your favorite concealer? I'd love to know!  :)

Obsession: Beautannia Columbia Road Candle

I really enjoy trying out high end candles, and I was quite excited when Space NK sent me Beautannia Columbia Road. I had never tried the brand before, but was always intrigued by their pretty packaging. Look at all the colors! :)

According to Space NK, Columbia Road is an "abundance of fresh flowers. Peony, rose, geranium and freesias billow and bustle against warming musks and sensual jasmine. An early morning garland to fill the air with a heady, floral bouquet." I find this to be a truly accurate description - I really feel like I am walking through a pretty flower garden! 

The candle itself burns quite well, and you even get about half an ounce more than those regular size Diptyque candles but for $12 cheaper. (Woohoo!) Diptyque candles disperse scent everywhere very quickly (unlike anything else), and I think Beautannia Columbia Road comes really close to that in a delicate, manageable way.

Now I have my eye on some of their other candle varieties AND their bath oils...

All in all, I'm really loving this candle and happy to have a slightly less expensive candle brand to obsess over. :) Have you tried anything from Beautannia? 

P.S. Those of you in the U.S can enter my giveaway for a $150 Space NK gift card here and get your hands on one of these! 

Product provided for review. Affiliate links.

Go Natural with Sarabecca Day & Night Perfumes

Over the summer, I was sent samples of Sarabecca Day and Night perfumes. I love the look of their packaging, and their concept of all natural oils and essences was really intriguing. (I also saw photos of a new candle in the works on their Twitter - interesting!!) 

I'm terrible at describing fragrances, so I thought I would share Sarabecca's descriptions of the fragrances and my thoughts on them! 

Sarabecca Night Perfume*
"An alluring blend of vetivert, patchouli and amber with highlights of lemon, bergamot, sage and ginger." 

Those of you who have read the blog for a while probably know that I enjoy light citrus scents as well as light and fresh florals, so this scent was a bit outside of my comfort zone to try! I'm not typically a fan of patchouli but I find it to be really refined and nice in this fragrance. Perhaps it is because of the pairing with citrus notes that makes it work for me.

To my unskilled nose, I can smell the citrus notes along with the patchouli and vetivert. I think the ginger and sage also make it quite unique, and on me the fragrance dries down slightly sweeter and almost powdery. I find this scent to be a really wearable, slightly spicy scent!  

Sarabecca Day Perfume*
"Exquisitely fresh white floral blend with subtle notes of jasmine, tuberose and muguet. Delicate, charming, pure and romantic." 

Day is definitely a light floral, though it has a hint of something spicy - perhaps an underlying ingredient that it shares with Night? While Night is almost woodsy, Day is crisper and lighter. I read a review that described Day as a summer's day, and though I'm not sure I know what scents I associate with a summer day, this one is definitely appropriate for wear on your typical hot summer day. I often can't handle anything but the lightest, freshest of citrus or floral scents in the summer, yet this one is somehow fitting and has depth and spiciness too.

In general, I do need a few spritzes for all day wear on both of these, but the scents do wear well over the course of the day. Because they are natural, I wasn't sure how long they would last, and I'd estimate that they wear at least 6 hours on me without fading. If I apply a few spritzes, I get longer wear, though those who like an aura of perfume may want to reapply for evening. (Hey, maybe then you can apply Night over Day?! I need to try this.) Me, I like them just the way they are - different than anything I own, a bit spicy, yet delicate to wear!  

All in all, I am really enjoying these while they last but I don't think I will purchase full sizes anytime soon. I have a huge bottle of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis that I'm obsessing over right now as well as a number of other fragrances to use up first. Plus, I'm suddenly wanting to try all kinds of perfumes and stalking LuckyScent (inspired by Jessica's fragrance collection/obsession and my recent visit to their LA store.) 

For more about the Southern California based brand (and to see pretty pretty photos of their full size packaging) visit sarabecca.com! They do also sell sample sizes on their site, and the range is carried at a few boutiques in California as well as one in Brooklyn.

What do you think of Sarabecca perfumes? Are they something you would try?  

*Press Samples

2013 Empties #6: October

This past month, even though I was trying to get through samples, I also wanted to try and finish up those almost empty products before I returned home to Chicago. 

Including the samples, (check this post) I'd say I did an OK job. Read on to see what I thought, and what made it onto the repurchase list! 

Lush It's Raining Men Shower Gel* 
I enjoyed this honey-floral shower gel, and you can check out the full review here. It is definitely more moisturizing than some other shower gels, but I have too many shower things right now to run out and buy this one. 

Noble Isle Willow Song Shower Gel (GWP)
Love this. The scent is so delicate and pretty. I want to buy it but this is a bit pricier than I'd like, and as previously mentioned, I have too many shower things right now!

Skinfood Avocado Rich Essence Mask
I enjoyed this sheet mask, which felt light and hydrating at the same time. I would definitely purchase this again in the future, and I'm curious to try some of their other sheet masks.

Skinfood Honey Jasmine Bath Salts
These smelled SO good, and I managed to get two baths out of it. Maybe I'm stingy and they should be a one time use thing. I'm not sure they added any benefit besides smelling good, but they're inexpensive enough that I'll definitely pick these up again.

Bath & Body Works Autumn Day Candle
This mini candle was a fall scent with a bit of apple sweetness. The scent was a bit too artificial for my liking, and this mini candle didn't really disperse scent anyway. I think I'll stick to the selection at Anthropologie for my not so horrifyingly expensive candle choices. 

Origins Ginzing Moisturizer
I liked this moisturizer initially, but in the end it just isn't right for my dehydrated skin type. I imagine it would be great for oily/combination skin types or those in humid climates. Read the full review here. 

Lush Veganese Conditioner
I don't know why it took me... a YEAR (!!) to use this conditioner, but I quite liked it. It has a nice scent and worked well too. I don't condition much though, and I still have a handful of conditioners to use up. I would definitely consider purchasing this in the future. Read the original review here.

Aritzia Rose Candle  (GWP)
I really enjoyed this rose scented candle that a received as a gift with purchase at Aritzia in May. I assumed this isn't something that's for sale, but the Aritzia site says call customer service or visit a store. Hmm, very interesting! I didn't consider the idea of repurchasing this, but now I think I might! (Also, I had thought that Royal Apothic English Rose would be similar.)

 Lush Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb*  (not shown)
This was such a fun bath bomb, and I definitely enjoyed using it. Not sure where it falls on the to purchase list though. Check out the review here.

Lush Pumkin Bubble Bar* (not shown)
I can't handle how cute this bubble bar is, and I have to say that the bubble bar and the bubbles it produced lasted FOREVER. I would totally purchase this again! Check out the review here.

Lush Enchanter Bath Bomb* (not shown)
This pink and orange citrus bath bomb is one of my absolute favorites. I would buy this over and over again. Check out my original review here.

Ole Henriksen On the Go Cleanser 
I have to say, this bottle of cleanser lasted forever. They've been repackaged (smaller!) and this creamy gel cleanser was a favorite of mine last year. In the last few months when my skin was super dehydrated and a bit wacky, it wasn't quite right for me, but all in all, I'd say this is a great cleanser. Read the review here.

Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve 
I love this moisturizing hand cream and will definitely repurchase this in the future. Sadly, I have some other hand creams to use up first! 

Finishing things makes me happy. :) Have you tried any of these products? What did you use up in October? 

Products marked with a * were provided for review.