Weekend Beauty Reads for June 7, 2008

by PJ on Saturday, June 7, 2008

in Weekend Beauty Read

Enjoy!

From The Beauty Blog Network:

Lilan from The Daily Cookie gets the low-down on Nordstrom Beauty Director Joelle Russo’s Dior must-haves for your makeup bag.

Raging Rouge is totally stumped about what to buy Dad, until she stumbles upon these perfect Father’s Day Gifts.

The Beauty of Life bares it all with Bobbi Brown’s new Yogi Bare Lip Balm!

Beauty Anonymous invites you to Peach-a-Boo! from OPI.

Looking for a cool beauty gadget? Bionic Beauty absolutely loves her PedEgg for summer pedicure preparation!

Intergallactic glamour! Roselyn from Makeup Makes Me Happy™ does an amazing tutorial and revamps the smokey eye with the Solar Bits from the latest M.A.C. Solar Field Collection!

Beauty Banter spent the day on location for a new NBC TV show… and she raided the hair and makeup trailer! Find out all the beauty tips from her day spent on-set (these are too good to miss)!

It’s All About the Men this month!! Beyond Beauty Basics tells you how to take care of your guy’s skin with these simple skincare products in their Father’s Day Men’s Special!

makeup loves me lashes out!…and gives you the 411 on two of the much-buzzed about new tools in for eye lash curling and separating.

The Makeup Divas reviews and tells you about a great mattifying product that Carmindy and professional make-up artists use and recommend.

What’s Beauty Blogging Junkie using to achieve Valley of the Dolls Hair? Find out here.

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic continues to add to her summer bright nail polish options with Essie’s Summer Neons!

StyleBell discusses Redken’s fab tips on how to do the perfect blow out for your hair!

The girls over at Beauty in Real Life are having such an amazing giveaway…your lips will thank you if you win!

Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog shows you how to get a silver and pink eye look with eyeshadows from MAC Cosmetics.

Scandalous Beauty shows you how to easily and effortlessly cover Acne, Blemishes and Skin Discolorations. This is a video you don’t want to miss!!

Toya of The Life of A Ladybug introduces you to Laura Mercier’s Bronzing Duo in Pink Bronze, another in her “Bronzers for Brown Girls” series!

Makeup Moxie reviews the new Hourglass Bronzer Duo.

Kitiya from Mischo Beauty invites you to enter her SPINLASH giveaway!

Cybelesays picks their favorite springtime flower-scent products.

Kyle at Face Candy loves Boots No. 7 Quick Thinking 4 in 1 Wipes.

Are Escada fragrances too sweet for your liking? Kia of Yummy411 recommends another fragrance you are sure to like!

The Beauty Bug previews new products that have just hit counters and shelves this month.

Pursebuzz.com interviews Ford Model’s Johnny Lavoy. Spend an hour with us as we talk about his start and his secrets to fabulous hair and so much more!

Beth from Beauty Junkie in SF found a way to flirt with boys without getting into trouble. Genius!

The Mineral Makeup Blog reviews and loves Cosminology’s Mineral Concealers!

Michelle from All Lacquered Up shares her latest nail polish obsession, a gray lacquer she’s dubbing the next “it” color.

This week, Kim Kardashian revealed some more of her beauty secrets. What are they? Visit Spoiled Pretty to find out!

A Touch of Blusher‘s guest reviewer reports on the new Thierry Mugler makeup line.

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(Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne)

With its first store opened in London in 1994, Jo Malone is the youngest of what I think of as the three classy (in very different ways) British beauty brands, along with Penhaligon’s and Molton Brown. (All three happen to be fragrance-based brands.)

Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne is one of Jo Malone’s 19 modern classics, and this clean citrusy scent will appeal to both men and women. As a Father’s Day present, I think it will appeal to energetic, confident, and debonair dads who are young at heart.

Top notes: lime, mandarin, bergamot
Middle notes: basil, white thyme, lilac, iris
Base notes: patchouli, vetiver, costus

The scent opens with a burst of fresh citrusy energy. Zingy, zesty, but not overpowering. It strikes me as a good morning fragrance. The subtle floral middle notes are not overly sweet at all. Otherwise, I think the flow of notes might become sluggish and the scent would lose its identity very quickly.

There is a distinctive feel of crispness and dryness carried through to the base notes, but the crispness doesn’t feel abrasive or excessively sharp. The woody drydown is still very clean and light.

The scent is long-lasting. With several sprays on the wrists, it lasts for up to 10 hours on me.

Jo Malone advocates scent-layering, and their Fragrance Combining menu shows the array of possibilities. With Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne being beautifully clean, I can see how it can be paired with others.

For me, this is a fresh, modern and seamlessly put-together fragrance with a unisex appeal. I enjoy it as a daytime scent as well as a summer scent. The longer days in the warmer months are definitely a good time to savor the aroma.

You can find out more about Jo Malone and Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne on the About Jo Malone page.

(Jo Malone’s on-line orders are for UK residents only. Please check the FAQ-Delivery page for details about international orders.)

Other fragrance posts:

Bond No. 9 Saks Fifth Avenue for Him

Sheer Stella 2008 by Stella McCartney

Escada Moon Sparkle

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(Chillessence Be Great Body Wash)
(image from www.chillessence.com)


Chillessence is a recently launched website which carries organic-based bodycare products as well as three jewellery collections inspired by sustainable resources. Their bodycare products are paraben-free and are mostly packaged with recycled or recyclable materials.

The Be Great Body Wash (above) has a clear liquidy-gel consistency. It foams pleasantly well, and rinses very efficiently. It cleanses gently and doesn’t leave the skin feeling dry or tight. The skin is left both fresh and fresh-smelling, with no slippery/filmy residue. It should be a good year-round body wash.

(Chillessence Be Great Body Lotion)
(image from www.chillessence.com)

The Be Great Body Lotion features aloe vera leaf juice, safflower seed oil, shea butter, jojoba seed oil, olive oil, and avocado oil, among other moisturizing agents. The light gel-cream consistency has a weightless feel and spreads effortlessly. It absorbs easily and seems to almost disappear into the skin, but the moisture lasts well. This is a particularly good body moisturizer in warmer days.

The two products have the same scent, which is a cool grassy and light citrusy aroma, with a slight floral twist. (But the scent can be relatively strong if you tend to go for very lightly-scented body moisturizers.)

The orange peel oil used in these two products might be a skin irritant for some, but I have not experienced sensitive reactions. (You can see full ingredient lists of all Chillessence’s bodycare products on their website.)

(Chillessence.com ships internationally. Please refer to their FAQ page for details.)

Updated on June 28, 2008:

Now the Chillessence on-line store offers fragrance-free versions of the Be Great Body Wash, Body Lotion, and Body Creme.

Related Bodycare Posts:

Can’t Live Without: Dove Body Silk
(my favorite body cream)

Anna Sui Summer 2008 Collection
(featuring UV Body Spray G SPF 30 PA+++)

Johnson’s Baby Lightoil Spray

(light and moisturizing)

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(Simple Moisturising Foaming Facial Wash)

In my post on RMK’s Cleansing Oil N, I mentioned that I used a face wash after the cleansing oil. In the last few years, I have used (foaming) face washes from Chanel, Lancôme, L’Oréal, Nivea, and Johnson’s. After the Johnson’s one was discontinued (at least here in the UK) last year, I went through a mini-hunt for my next staple face wash.

(One of my favorite face washes is Lancôme’s Gel Clarté. But, it costs 17.5 GBP (for 125ml) and lasts about 5 weeks for me, so I’d rather go for a cheaper alternative, which is not impossible to find.)

Among the several face washes I picked up, two were from Simple, which is a UK drugstore skincare brand available in major chains like Boots and Superdrug. (It doesn’t seem to be available outside the UK, but I might be wrong.) I had never tried their products before, but the Moisturising Foaming Facial Wash (2.79 GBP for 150ml) impressed me.

It is a straightforward and gimmick-free face wash that gets the job done, and it happens to be fragrance-free and colourant-free. It has a fluidy gel consistency and it foams and rinses very well. (The main cleansing agents in this product are, as in the order on the ingredient list, sodium laureth sulfate, decyl glucoside, and cocamidopropyl betaine.)

What I like the most about this face wash is that, after I rinse it off, I simply feel nothing. No tightness, filminess, or slipperiness. The face feels well-cleansed, fresh, and not stripped. (I much prefer this to the other Simple’s face wash I tried, Refreshing Facial Wash Gel, which feels a little filmy after rinsing.)

This is very suitable for my oily-dry skin, and I have been using it both in the morning and the evening (after the cleansing oil if I wear makeup for the day). (When I use it after the cleansing oil, I only use 1/3 of the amount I use in the morning.) I think this face wash will suit people with most skin types (apart from those with very dry skin).

My other current daily skincare products:

Lancôme Tonique Douceur

Olay Daily Illuminating UV Fluid SPF 15

Olay Complete Care Night Enriched Cream

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Yves Saint Laurent, 1936 – 2008

by PJ on Tuesday, June 3, 2008

in -YSL, fashion



Yves Saint Laurent, one of the greatest fashion designers in the 20th Century, died in Paris on June 1st, at the age of 71.

He and his revolutionary and inspiring sense of beauty and style will be long remembered.

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Beauty Duty for June 3, 2008

by PJ on Tuesday, June 3, 2008

in Weekly Beauty Duty

Enjoy!

All About the Pretty sends a thank to Sephora.

Beautiful Makeup Search is heading over to the Bobbi Brown counter to select what she wants from the new Bronzed Pink Collection.

KRiSTOPHER finds the best – and worst – at Saks 40%-off sale.

Don’t like waterproof mascara? Lipstick Powder n Paint has the perfect alternative: The Laura Geller Mascara Sealer is prepped to protect your mascara formula from streaming down your face whilst keeping your lashes in tact, just the way you like ‘em.

Makeup Moxie reviews the Hourglass Illume Creme-to-Powder Bronzer Duo.

SugarShock Beauty shares a quick fix for tired eyes.

Lianne from TheMakeupGirl has discovered skincare for Supermama’s!

WE LOVE BEAUTY.com wants you to VOTE for Look of the Month May!

A Touch of Blusher‘s guest reviewer reports on the new Thierry Mugler makeup line.

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Lancôme Fall 2008 Collection

by PJ on Monday, June 2, 2008

in -Lancôme, 2008 Fall, makeup

I just came across images of Lancôme’s fall 2008 collection on a Japanese blog.

According to the writer, the theme of Lancôme’s fall 2008 makeup collection is The Beauty of India, which is reflected by the product designs. Do check out the link to enjoy the images.

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(Shibasaki Kou for Coffret D’Or Fall 2008)
(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/coffretdor)

The Coffret D’Or website has been updated with the latest television commercials and the full lists of items used for the brand’s five makeup looks for fall 2008.

Enjoy!

Related Coffret D’Or Posts:

Trance Deep Eyes Palettes (for Fall 2008)

3D Lighting Eyes in Purple & Gold Variations

Full styling Rouge in RS-241 & RS-242

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Some of you might have heard about or seen the new makeup line by Thierry Mugler. I have not seen it in person myself, and today I am excited to present a guest review by my friend Lynn, who has tried out some of the products.

Hope you will enjoy this review!

Special Report from New York—Thierry Mugler Bleu Glacis Cooling Effect Concealer, Bleu Effect Plexigloss Lip Lacker and Vinyl Gloss for Lashes

Owned by Clarins, the new Thierry Mugler cosmetic collection is called The Art of Metamorphosis: A Line of Make Up. In the United States, it is currently available at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and online at
http://boutique.thierrymugler.com. Bloomingdales is also expected to carry the line. I am going to share my impressions of the products I have been using lately: Bleu Glacis Cooling Effect Concealer, Bleu Effect Plexigloss Lip Lacker and Vinyl Gloss for Lashes. I was interested to note that the products are made in different countries. Bleu Glacis comes from Japan, the lipgloss from Italy, and the lash gloss is made in Germany.

Thierry Mugler Bleu Glacis Cooling Effect Concealer,
“Disguise with ice and light”

I became curious about this new line after reading an announcement about the line in a Fashion-Week edition of Women’s Wear Daily, but the real motivator to track it down was a paragraph in Allure about Bleu Glacis Cooling-Effect Concealer ($45 USD for 11 grams). It is unlike any concealer I have ever used—with a spongy, bouncy texture, and cooling sensation on the skin. The first time I applied it was on a nothing-on-my-face day, and it melded with my skin without creasing—almost like a waterproof product with a soft, matte finish. I find this remarkable since it is so watery and wet. When I am doing full make-up, I use Bleu Glacis on top of Clarins Perfecting Touch Primer, which is applied over Shiseido Benefiance Eye Cream. It is so effective at luminizing the undereye area that I find myself using fewer products, and it does not crease or fade for hours. Since I have some fine lines, I just redistribute if I see a little crease. Bleu Glacis comes with a thin sponge applicator, but I have been comfortable applying it with my fingers. Most days, I just brush on a bit of Bobbi Brown Eye Brightener to blend the Bleu with my complexion, but I will be trying out Teint Glacis, which is a foundation that is also a cooling-effect product. For me, Bleu Glacis is the Product of the Year—so far.

Dee, a sales associate representing the line at Saks, told me that Bleu Glacis worked beautifully for a woman with rosacea and darker skin. For her, it was more of a colour correcting layer to be followed by foundation. Dee also mentioned that Vincent Longo’s Water Canvas foundation has a similar texture, but very different properties. On my second visit to the Thierry Mugler outpost in Saks, I saw a makeup artist applying Bleu Glacis and Teint Glacis to a young woman with caramel-coloured skin, and the effect was flawless and stunning. She said “Wow!” when she saw herself, and remarked that she had not looked so well-rested in a long time.

Thierry Mugler Lip Lacker, Bleu Effect Plexigloss,
“Liquid Crystal Hologram”

Another product I purchased is Blue Effect Plexigloss Lip Lacker ($40 USD). It is very a lightweight and moisturizing gloss without any stickiness, and reminds me of liquid opals. Yes, liquid opals! How did they do that? I find myself just gazing at the beauty of the product wand sometimes and daydreaming about its inner light…chances are that it will need to be moved into another room if I want to get any work done today. The applicator is the same type of flexible spatula used in many Japanese lipglosses. I wore it alone as a test for lasting power, and it held up for about four hours on a warm day. My natural lipcolour is quite red and Bleu Effect looks like an intense translucent violet until I blend and distribute the colour to a subtle sheen. When used as a top coat over a darker colour, the effect can be intense and multidimensional. The lipgloss has a mild honey-flower fragrance, but no taste. At Saks, I saw the other two glosses from the collection—the Reflection Effects in Pink and Coral have more shimmer and a holographic quality.

Thierry Mugler Vinyl Gloss for Lashes,
“A new beauty ritual for vinyl shine”

Vinyl Gloss for Lashes ($49.00 USD) is a lightweight, very liquid formula that is meant to be painted on the lashes and layered. It provides delicate coverage with nice lengthening. I have found the liquid formula long-lasting and very black. The small brush, in my opinion, is not easy to maneuver, and needs to be wiped off very carefully to avoid drips and clumps. I think that an applicator like the MAC-Mascara-Fan brush would be amazing with this formula. (For people who may have issues with lashes sticking together, Mascara Fan beautifully separates the lashes before the mascara dries. I am a devoted MAC-Mascara-Fan fan.)

In October 2008, 7 shades of lipstick called “Rouge Unique, The ultimate pigment explosion” will be introduced. In a tiny printed swatch on a brochure I was given with my purchases, I see what seems to be a lavender-lilac shade called Fantasy. Do I hear applause, PJ? Also in October, a new mascara called “Flash on Lashes, Spectacular lash mascara” will join Vinyl Gloss for Lashes. Mousse Foundation, “The ultimate pleasure in foundation” will be introduced in December 2008. According to Jason, another Thierry Mugler sales associate, over fifty new products will be introduced to the line this Fall. As for me, I’ll be spending this summer cleaning out my cabinets to make way for those tempting new lipsticks, conjuring Glacis Powder and Liquid Opal Nail Varnish while keeping cool under a lovely Bleu Glacis veil.

Special thanks to PJ for publishing this review and encouraging lilac-shadowed blue lipgloss lovers everywhere!

Lynnderella

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If you are a fan of Japanese cosmetics and a member of Makeup Alley, then you probably have read some of the great product reviews by Kathi (fleckenschnitte). To me, her reviews are always informative and often very “inspiring” (I am sure you know what I mean…).

Now Kathi has her own blog, Lotus Palace, where she continues to review beauty finds from Japan. It is also a great blog to check out if you are looking for information on Korean cosmetics.

From now on, you will be able to find the link to her blog from my “Loving These Sites” list. I hope you will enjoy her blog as well!

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