Best of 2005

I apologize for being late in posting this, I came down with the plague yesterday and have been trying to get well before I have people in my house for New Year's Eve. I have been charged with creating a Top 10 list of 2005's beauty discoveries. You should know that I am very much a creature of habit - I tend to stick with what I know (or think I know) works. So in the course of a year, I don't make all that many new beauty discoveries. However, here are 10 products I have truly come to love in the last year, listed in no particular order:

1. Caron French Can Can - This has been the year of Caron discoveries for me. These days, it is rare that a fragrance really sparks my imagination and captivates me. When I wear French CanCan I can't stop sniffing myself. Notes: jasmine, lilac, violet, lily of the valley, rose, orange blossom, patchouli, iris, sandalwood, amber, oakmoss (thank you to Bois de Jasmin for this information). This one is available only as parfum extrait (at least in the Caron boutique) but it's my absolute next fragrance purchase. It's completely worth it. This is class personified. When my mom sniffed it on me, she said "It smells old-fashioned." It does. But like your favorite grandmother or aunt, the one with impeccable taste who always wore hats.

2. Nars Blush, specifically Nars Deep Throat - I rarely try new makeup, but everybody had been raving about Nars blushes so I thought I'd try it myself. Had a makeover by the Nars folks at Barney's and I bought the blush. It's a wonderful blush, goes on just right, is hard to overapply, never looks streaky and is perfect for daytime wear. I plan to get another Nars blush for evening.

3. Guerlain Shalimar Light - This one I fell in love with on first spritz. Shalimar has always been a bit on the heavy side for me, and I tend to like heavy scents. But I tried this in an Ulta store right in the beginning of summer and I needed to own it. It starts off with a burst of fresh lemon - not the artificial kind, but like a lemon grove lemon. This fragrance to me is like wearing Shalimar you applied 8 hours ago and walking through a lemon grove. This is Shalimar perfected.

4. Malin & Goetz Cleanser - When was the last time you looked forward to washing your face? This grapefruity lathering face cleanser will do that to you. I received a sample, used it for a couple of weeks and fell in love. I'm totally hooked and my skin looks great. I also use their lotion for daytime. Malin & Goetz is a new addition to the skincare world, but their products are amazing quality and minimalistic in packaging and added ingredients. Great stuff.

4. Trader Joe's Midsummer Night's Cream - I picked this up recently at Trader Joe's and although it's a cream, it's not quite as thick as many others. Definitely thicker than a lotion though. This is the one that saves me from owning a million body lotions and creams in corresponding scents to my fragrances. A little of this cream in my hand (convenient pump bottle), a spray or two of the day's fragrance, mix it in and voila! Layering.

5. Caron Narcisse Noir - Ooooh, I fell hard for this one on first try too. I love the paperwhite scent. So clean and yet simultaneously intriguing. You want to keep smelling this one, to go beneath the clean white exterior. This is a beautiful fragrance.

6. Johnson & Johnson Vanilla Jasmine Baby Powder - A very recent discovery, I love inexpensive good finds and this one totally fits the bill. It has none of that baby powder smell, but instead a lovely warm floral scent. And the powder itself is great too. If you haven't tried Johnson baby powders since you had a baby or were one, it's time to give it another shot.

7. Ormonde Jayne Tolu - The first time I tried this one, I didn't love it but on retrying it, I fell madly in love and this was my staple fragrance all summer. However, it's also perfect for Winter and especially holiday parties. Tolu is hard to describe...think old-world library but not musty. Overstuffed chairs, comfort, lingering smell of incensey tobacco. Lush and comforting and definitely unique. It's that crazy resin. The resin combined with the slight edge from the sage keeps this from being too plush a fragrance, if that makes sense. I can sit on the overstuffed chairs without sinking in up to my neck.

8. Coty Sand & Sable - This is one I keep around to remind myself that I'm not really a fragrance snob. "Hey, I got this at the drugstore for uder $10!" It seems that most people have Junior High School memories with this one, but in Jr. High I was wearing Ysatis, so this for me is a 2005 discovery. Tuberose based, it really does smell luxurious like sable and I can smell the sand in there. It's the perfect summer evening fragrance.

9. Yves Saint Laurent Nu Body Cream - I received this as a birthday gift back in January, after I fell in love with Nu the fragrance. Unfortunately, it seems to be completely discontinued and available only when lightning strikes at Marshalls or TJMaxx for between $15-20. I've also seen it online for around $60. This is like the spiciness of Nu, but mellower and in a thick, rich body cream. It's sandalwoody and spicy and I can smell it the next morning when I put it on before bed. This is an incredible body cream and I'm just about to begin hoarding mode on what I have left.

10. Le Couvent des Minimes Honey products - this is an amazing line, found in my Bath & Body Works flagship store. The whole line of honey stuff smells just like real honey, and the lotion is thick and creamy, like whipped honey. This is amazing for layering, or just for any time you want to smell like pure, gorgeous honey.

Thank you for reading, and please visit the other blogs participating in the Best of 2005! Also, a huge thank you to Scentzilla, Now Smell This and Blogdorf Goodman for all their work in coordinating the Best of 2005. I wish my readers and fellow bloggers all the best in 2006.

• An Alabaster Brow


• Beauty Addict


• Blogdorf Goodman


• Bois de Jasmin


• Brain Trapped in Girl's Body


• c'est chic


• Crazy Jay Blue


• The Great She Elephant


• Hrmph


• Koneko's *Mostly* Beauty Diary


• Legerdenez


• Make a Mental Note


• Monkey Posh


• Mother Hen's Place


• my life my words my mind


• no one knows why the wolf laughs


• Now Smell This


• �Ombligo!


• Peppermint Patty


• Perfume-Smellin' Things


• Scentzilla!


• She'll be feverish after so much thinking


• Slap of the Day


• Victoria's Own