lundi 31 janvier 2011

Candles: The Way To My Heart

I am obsessed with candles, and I have been for a long time. I'm always thinking about or fussing over candles, but with Valentine's Day approaching, I thought I'd write a little about my latest favorites. When somebody gives me a candle as a romantic or a platonic gesture, it is like mainlining pure joy for me. Yes, I love them that much.

My Modern Alchemy Opium Den candle is dwindling down to the end already, and I feel I've only just started to get to know it. It's pure, smoky incense, 70s style. Rich and strong, the scent lingers in the air even when it's not lit. The color and personality is bordeaux red, and this makes it especially appropriate for a Valentine's Day gift, I think. It comes in one size [7.4 oz] for $50, available at Modern Alchemy.


Next is Voluspa Warm Perique Tabac. This was a candle that I initially got a votive size to try out, and I instantly fell in love with it because of its ability to comfort and relax me. Today, I received the two-wick size that I ordered from Candles Off Main, and immediately started to burn it. The scent instantly makes me happy. It gives a persistent warm, dry woody throw and I feel that this scent would be appropriate for any room, occasion or season. It also comes in a room & body spray, diffuser, other sizes and a gift set. The 11 oz. two-wick version is a steal at $16.

I am currently staring down an oncoming blizzard that threatens to shut down the city, so a nice tropical floral scent is exactly what I need. I often gravitate towards these scents in winter to transport myself mentally to a place where I won't freeze my face off if I step outside the door. This is where Diptyque Mimosa comes in. I have a votive size, and frankly am shocked at how quickly this little candle can fill a room with a sweet, gentle fragrance. It is a refreshing, almost ozone-tinged scent, and would warm the heart of anyone you might gift this to. The 6.5 oz size is available at Luscious Cargo for $60.


What I'd like to know is, what are some of your favorite candles? Are they new finds or perennial favorites? What scent would please you most if you received a candle as a gift this Valentine's Day?

cream blushes part I: Illamasqua Rude (+Max Factor)


i'm not a huge fan of cream blushes, because i have quite oily skin and find powder blushes easier to use and quicker to apply in the mornings. but they are really nice for summer, when you wear a sheer make up and want this summery sheen.
today i want to start sharing with you my cream blushes/cheek stains selection.
i want to  divide this into several parts to focus on each product (there are over 40 pics all together).



this is Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Rude (4g - 16.50£).  you can get it on the official website illamasqua.com or on asos.com.
the packaging is very sleek, typically Illamasqua. the product is in a nice big pan which can fit every brush size - i like to use a small skunk brush (MAC 188-type) with this.
Rude is a light coral-y peach without shimmers, a great spring/summer shade. the texture is very creamy and soft, the pigmentation is high and its blendability is great. although i have it since almost a year, i haven't noticed it drying up at all.
it gives a dewy finish without emphasizing large pores and is still lasting on my cheeks until the evening, no fading or slipping. i find it getting a bit too greasy on my skin though, so i like to pair it with a powder blush.


intensely swatched - blended out



the Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush i have already shown you here.


next time i'll do NARS Cactus Flower and some Cream Blushes from Top Shop :)



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Tokidoki Spring 2011

Tokidoki's spring makeup collection is now available on Sephora.com! I adore just about every item in the collection except for the Sodashop Palette which looks a tad bland to me. Wish Sephora Singapore would hurry up and bring the whole range in on a permanent basis.

Siberia Blush Brush (US$25)

Bellina Blush (US$22): Available in 2 variations, these paraben-free blush duos contain Japanese rice lipids to help hydrate the skin and provide a smooth, blendable texture.

Gelato Lip Balm Stain: Paraben-free tinted lip balms in flavours like grape, mint, cherry and melon. US$9

Cromatico Eyeshadow Palette - Polpettina US$25

Sodashop Palette (US$49)

Sodashop Makeup Bags (from US$20-US$32)

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Coffret D'Or New Base Makeup

The Coffret D'Or website has been updated with the new base makeup collection that will be released in March in Japan. The collection includes a Silky Lasting Pact UV powder foundation, Silky Lasting Gel Foundation UV, Silky Lasting Base UV, UV Cover Base, Cover Clear Finish UV loose powder and Lucent Glow Finish UV loose powder.

The 2011 Pact Case comes in white and black.

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Kate Spring 2011

The Kate website has been updated with the Spring 2011 makeup collection, including the new Crystal Quartz palettes. The new TV CM featuring Kimura Kaera and the "making of" clips can be viewed here.

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Topshop Future Nails

Last week, I was sporting Topshop Nails in Future, a limited edition shade from the Heavy Duty Fall 2010 collection. This was quite affordable at just £6 for 8ml. In Singapore, I think the nail polishes retail at around S$13.

I love the rich midnight blue shade which worked well with my skintone. A number of friends also complimented it!

The nail polish applies smoothly and two coats was sufficient to produce an opaque finish. With a Sally Hansen topcoat and Paul & Joe base, the polish lasted on my nails for a week with just a teensy bit of tipwear and no major chips.


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L'Oreal Perfect Clean Foaming Gentle Scrub


new to the L'Oreal range here in germany, i tried it since 2 weeks. it's a 150ml tube which costs about 5€, so pretty reasonable for L'Oreal. the german name (intense peeling) is somewhat conflictive to its english version (gentle scrub). it's meant for all skin types. there was also a mousse cleanser and gel cleanser version of this, but as i have oily skin, i wanted to try the exfoliating one.
it comes with a built in scrublet of soft silicone, which you can take out and use it as a face brush in conjunction with the gel. the scrublet you can stick onto your bathroom wall as it has a suction cup in the back. i find it pointless. no special effect but just a pointless gimmick.
it has a clear jelly-like texture with a great fruity sweet mango smell. it has quite harsh and loosely distributed exfoliating bits - if you use the scrublet it feels definitely more gentle than with your hands. so i wouldn't use it twice a day - especially with more sensitive skin.
it's also very foaming - which i don't really like. i like my foaming cleansers to melt a bit while washing it off with water, not to foam up even more and i would have to search eyes closed for the tap to get fresh water - do you know what i mean? this is a bit uncomfortable to me.
also if you don't use a lot of running water to wash it off, it leaves a slippery film on the skin, which i don't like too.
the cleansing effect is good, though. no make up residues on my cotton pad when i tone my face afterwards (i use wet cosmetic wipes before the cleanser). i haven't seen my skin getting better with this, but also it didn't reacted negatively.
i won't rebuy this and i can't recommend it - there is a cheaper and better alternative for me. this i could use as a body scrub. but the scent is reaaaaallly great. addicting. i love it. i'll just keep this to sniff it haha.




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Gucci : après le parfum, le make-up et le soin ?


Une petite news rapide concernant Gucci pour commencer la semaine en beauté... Car si pour le moment, la participation de la griffe italienne à la Planète-Beauté se limitait à ses créations olfactives, cela risque bien de changer dans les mois à venir. En effet, depuis la semaine dernière, on entend un peu partout que la marque s'apprêterait à lancer sa toute première ligne de maquillage... mais aussi des soins cosmétiques ! En fait, c'est à l'occasion de la renégociation de la licence entre la maison de couture et le groupe Procter & Gamble qui en a la charge, que cette rumeur est née. Les termes du contrat auraient en effet profondément modifiés, de manière à ce que P&G puisse dorénavant faire de la marque une ligne de beauté globale, et ainsi développer et commercialiser maquillage et crèmes siglées Gucci. Pour ma part, je ne vous cache pas que cette annonce m'a plus qu'étonné...


Car en toute objectivité, quelle est la légitimité de Gucci sur le créneau du soin ? Pour moi, je serai tenté de dire proche de zéro. C'est une simple maison de couture qui n'a jamais eu à ma connaissance d'expertise de la peau, je ne vois donc pas trop ce que la marque pourrait apporter aux consommateurs que nous sommes. Je sais que c'est bête car finalement, Dior, Chanel, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent... aussi ne sont à la base que des créateurs de vêtements et pourtant ce sont aujourd'hui des références en matière de soins au même titre que des marques comme Lancôme, Estée Lauder, Biotherm... dont la cosmétique est le coeur de métier depuis toujours. C'est très bête à dire mais autant je peux admettre que les grandes maisons de couture françaises fassent de la beauté, autant cela me semble plus étrange de la part d'une marque italienne. C'est con hein ! Peut-être parce que dans mon esprit, la mode française a cette image de sérieux, de détails, qui fait toujours plus sérieuse que le côté un peu bling bling et tape à l'oeil (mais néanmoins très joli) que m'inspire Gucci et qui n'est pas forcément raccord avec l'exigence d'un produit que l'on va utiliser sur notre visage.


En revanche, je trouve tout à fait légitime que Gucci vienne chasser sur le rayon maquillage. Et je dirai même que, vu l'univers très particulier de la marque, il y a là matière à une très jolie gamme avec une identité très forte et facilement reconnaissable, un peu à l'instar de ce qu'a fait Burberry l'année dernière. A bien y réfléchir, c'est même étonnant qu'aucune licence maquillage Gucci n'existait jusqu'à présent, cela paraît tellement évident. Mais bon, ne nous enflammons pas pour autant car rien ne garantit que nous verrons de sitôt la couleur de ces nouveaux produits dans l'hexagone. Pourquoi me direz-vous ? Simplement parce que le groupe Procter & Gamble nous a déjà fait le coup il y a deux ans avec une autre de ses licences : Dolce & Gabbana. Après avoir fait monté le buzz, annoncé l'arrivée de cette ligne puis l'avoir repoussé à plusieurs reprises, force est de contaster que nous en sommes aujourd'hui toujours privés. Ce qui est très drôle en plus, c'est que la plupart de nos voisins europééens ont droit à ces produits. Italie bien sûr, mais aussi Espagne et Royaume-Uni, on a du faire une bêtise pour être puni de la sorte ! Est-ce si grave d'ailleurs ? Je serait tenté de dire pas tant que ça car s'il y a parfois quelques jolies pièces, les produits représentés par Scarlet Johansson ne sont pas toujours du meilleur goût je trouve. Je vous mets d'ailleurs quelques photos des nouveautés pour que vous puissiez juger sur pièce.






Enfin bref, là n'est pas le sujet ! Soyons un peu patient en attendant la découverte de ces nouveaux produits Gucci. Est-ce une marque dont vous appréciez l'univers en général, et qui selon vous pourrait apporter quelque chose de nouveau ou de différent au rayon maquillage ? Ou est-ce que vous redoutez un peu comme moi que la marque se laisse un peu trop tenter par le côté bling bling ? Et surtout, est-ce que vous seriez tenté(e) et potentiellement convaincu(e) de l'efficacité d'un soin anti-âge siglé Gucci ?!

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dimanche 30 janvier 2011

purple polish parade - reds.


no purple at all, i think i should call this the "bold polish parade" ;) i'm not really the red-nails-woman. i had a time when i really liked the bright reds and berry reds are really great for fall, but now not really.

Basic - sorry no number on it :/
also it has pink shimmers you can't see



Manhattan #163



P2 Passion



Catrice Let's Talk About Barrie!



Essence So Glamourous



Essence Plum Perfect



P2 It's Hot!



Astor Glamourous Red



Dior Coquelicot Poppy



Jade/Maybelline Passionate Red



Essence Summer Of Love collection - did this have a name?



P2 Fever



are you a red-nails-type? what reds do you like best? the dark, the bright, the pink-reds, shimmery or not?
 for my part i like Essence So Glamourous and Plum Perfect best.

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