theNotice

Can Paco Rabanne change this blogger’s mind by going solid?

May 24, 2011

6 Comments

The product: Paco Rabanne Lady Million (solid perfume)

Anyone around here remember our original Lady Million review? If not, here’s the two-second rundown: it’s very “celebrity perfume,” to my nose, which means that I’m not exactly a fan of the eau de parfum. However, it did have quite an impressive tenacity on my skin, and if you do like the very contemporary woody florals, it’s definitely something to check out.

Top notes: neroli, bitter orange, raspberry

Middle notes: orange flower absolute, Sambac jasmine absolute, gardenia

Base notes: honey, patchouli, amber

Fast forward a few months and I’m opening up a package, and a gold folder falls out and it says “Lady Million” and I’m going damn I hate Lady Million, but the fragrance is a solid and I’m always enthralled by solid fragrances and I open it up and —

And my endless, rambling train of thought comes to an absolute halt.

It’s not that this one hit me and killed me on the spot, like it’s a highway driver in the middle of the night and I’m a frightened dear. Just the opposite: I gave this one a sniff, and then I gave it another, and five minutes later I was still sitting there, just smelling the locket-like gem and gawking.

For some weird, crazy reason, the Lady Million scent translates beautifully into solid form, lifting my spirits and completely capturing my attention. It’s not as strong as the spray, which I think helps cut back on the “edge” quite a bit, but there’s just something about the slight tweaks and reformulations that they’ve made that turns this into an absolute gem.

(See what I did there? With the diamond-esque packaging and the… okay, I ‘ll stop.)

The verdict?

Give it a go! This limited-edition release is similar enough to the original that if you love the spray, I think you’ll love this one, too. However, it’s just different enough to take the sharp, almost metallic edge off the orignal – so even if you didn’t like the “knock ’em dead” feel of the eau de parfum, I’d say this was worth a try.

I mean, heck – I have my Lady Million eau de parfum stuck in a drawer somewhere, surrounded by like, ten plastic bags and plenty of packing material to keep the scent in, and yet: I’m really, really enjoying this one!

Tags: /Fragrance, Product Photos, Product Review

6 Comments

FaceFront Lust Quest: a melon and teal makeup look

May 23, 2011

Rae Chen

30 Comments

I’m not really the type to wear something like this, but I did promise a look with Sea Storm and Steam… so I hope you like it! It’s just three swipes of colour, really; nothing too complicated – which makes it an easy choice for a quick, super-summery eye.

I think this would look best on a darker skintone (to really make the colours pop), but if it’s your style, I say “go for it!” anyways. I mean, you only live once, right? Personally, though, I do think it makes me look a little jaundiced :P

To complete the look, I’d go with something subtle and peachy on the cheeks (like Clarins Barocco Face Powder or Hard Candy Honeymoon) and this lip.

(More photos and some product suggestions…)

Tags: /4. Makeup looks, Eyes, FaceFront, Indie brands, Makeup looks: colour

30 Comments

Seasonal favourites: theNotice’s pink lip of the moment

May 22, 2011

Rae Chen

19 Comments

I’m not even- I can’t even- THERE ARE NO WORDS.

I promised an eye look with the gorgeous melon and teal shades from this season’s FaceFront collection (which is going up tomorrow), and I wanted to pick out a lip to go with it. The products I eventually went with are exactly up my alley (not to mention, completely on-trend for the season)… which is why I’m going to lay myself at your feet and beg forgiveness.

Why? Well, because

a) They’re amazing, and wear comfortably together for hours,

b) They’re both by Canadian brands, and

c) One of them has been discontinued.

Please don’t hate me? ~~I’m sure~~ I’m sure there’s a dupe out there somewhere. I mean, I’ve yet to find it (even after so very much hunting), but there has to be one!

There has to be.

… Right?

Products used

Marcelle Rouge Vitality lipstick in 510 Raspberry Pink – discontinued, but pictured and swatched behind the cut.
Annabelle Volumelip gloss in Coralicious – more swatches here.

(More photos and swatches…)

Tags: /Annabelle, Canadian beauty, Lips, Marcelle, Product Photos, Product Swatches, Spring/Summer 2011

19 Comments

The Infinity Effect: comparison photos

May 20, 2011

Rae Chen

12 Comments

I promised some comparison shots to follow Wednesday’s Infinity Effect How-To, so here they are!

All images here are un-photoshopped – save for cropping and resizing – and feature the infinity effect backdrop on the right. (Left = lightbox). They’ve all been taken in indirect sunlight without flash support and enlarge to ~1000px if you click on them. (If this was a product review post or something, I’d also tweak the colour balance and curves of the image, which is why they might look a little different from usual.)

Small objects

I snapped a few shots of Clinique’s new Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturizer to show this one off, and it’s with your small objects that you’ll see the least difference between the two. (Clinique foundation bottles are about 3″/8cm tall.)

Tonally, they’re a little different, but probably won’t see much of a difference between a lightbox and an infinity effect backdrop if you’re just photographing small products. (The lightbox does produce slightly softer lighting, though, as it sort of bounces around off its sides.)

Large objects

Once things get a little taller, I think the differences become more noticeable – with soft sunlight coming in from my window at a bit of an angle, the lightbox sort of forms shadows within itself.

The product featured below is the Redken Nature’s Rescue shampoo, which is about 7″/16cm tall. Here are the photos as they’d appear from the camera:

May giveaway: theNotice’s Holy Grail powder

May 19, 2011

Rae Chen

73 Comments

After posting a rave review for this powder last week (or perhaps two weeks ago; I’m not sure anymore), I had a shuffle through my drawers to see if I could find the Marcelle powder that I had set aside to give away.

I believe you’ll be happy to hear that yes, I did find it :P

The giveaway

I didn’t want to just give away the powder, so I pulled out a sunblock, as well… after all, it’s that season again, yeah? (Oh, summer. I love how the city smells in the mornings, but can’t stand the heat!) I can’t give this one a go (there are a few silicones in it), but it sounds lovely! The Climatik line launched last March, and the products all feature a hearty SPF 30.

The winner will receive Marcelle Face Powder in Translucent Medium and Marcelle Climatik SPF 30 Protective Cream.

How to enter…

Tags: /Base, Canadian beauty, Giveaway, Marcelle

73 Comments

Tips for beauty bloggers: the infinity effect

May 18, 2011

Rae Chen

50 Comments

I had fully intended to make a larger lightbox (and create a tutorial with it) when I realized that, well, there’s simply no need. I don’t actually use my lightbox as a lightbox – moreso as a backdrop than anything else – so I figured, what the heck, right?

Anyhow. I’m calling it “The Infinity Effect,” because that’s what it’s for and I’m dazzlingly uncreative.

Choose a lightbox if: you want something that can be set up with artificial lights

Choose the infinity effect if: you want to shoot larger objects, you want something very low-effort, or you always shoot in natural light

1. Gather your materials.

That is: a box, a large pair of scissors, a pen or pencil, packing tape, and white (or black, or grey) bristol board.

The box doesn’t have to be anything fancy, though you could certainly choose a more aesthetically appealing box if you wanted! I’m just using a canola oil box from the market – want not, waste not, right? If you haven’t any packing tape, feel free to use plenty of scotch or masking tape instead, or even just liberal amounts of glue.

2. Prep the paper

Keep on reading!

Tags: /Beauty blogging, Photoshop and photos

50 Comments

FaceFront Lust Quest pigments: review, swatches (part two)

May 17, 2011

Rae Chen

24 Comments

The product: FaceFront Artistic Pigment in Soloura, Sea Soldier, and Steam

Don’t miss: part one, with photos of the other three pigments & general thoughts on the collection!

Solura (lite) – a gorgeous yellow-toned hilight. Not the most unique shade, of course, but gorgeous nonetheless ;) If you used a less-dense brush, this would look lovely on the cheekbones as well – perhaps a bit of a NARS Albatross dupe?

Sea Soldier (steel) – sea-foam green meets teal, according to FaceFront. I’d have to agree; it’s a really lovely, summery bright blue-green. I’d like a touch more pigmentation out of it, but it’ll still layer really well, and the finely-milled shimmer hits the nail right on its head!

Steam (pewter) – summery orange (rather than traffic-cone, which is always a plus). It’s a colour family I’m not usually fond of, but I actually really like how this looks next to Sea Soldier! The pigmentation’s decent when used dry with no base (as swatched above), but it’s awesome when foiled.

The verdict?

I really like these – surprisingly a lot, actually! While the other three from Lust Quest would normally tickle my fancy (hello, violets and greys), I think they did a better job with these ones, to be honest. And heck, they’re perfect for summer!

More photos and swatches…

Tags: /Eyes, FaceFront, Indie brands, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Spring/Summer 2011

24 Comments

Congratulations to an old favourite, for a new award

May 17, 2011

Rae Chen

10 Comments

I don’t usually pay too much attention to fragrance awards, but I wanted to take a moment to reiterate my love for Balenciaga Paris in light of its new “Les Parfums” award (best packaging, women’s 2011) from the Fragrance Foundation (Fr).

There aren’t many fragrances that I’ve adored right from the get-go, but this is one of them. I love it just as much now as I did the day it arrived on my doorstep, and I’ll just say – that’s one hell of a lot. It’s absolutely delicious; smooth violets and a hint of pepper with an obscenely sexy drydown and an almost (almost) minimalistic vibe.

Anyhow, without further hesitation: I thought a few photos might be appropriate, seeing as this award happened to be for the gorgeous packaging, rather than the amazing scent!

Additional photos (and a love letter) here, though the comments have been lost, as well as mentions here, here, and here. I know; it’s practically a plugging overkill, but I just – I love this one so, so much.

Tags: /Balenciaga, Fragrance, Product Photos

10 Comments

R&R on HauteLook, plus a few quick product photos…

May 16, 2011

Rae Chen

11 Comments

I picked up a couple R&R goodies a few months ago, and (seeing as they’re on HauteLook again,) I thought I’d share some photos! I’m actually on my way out the door to catch my train, so I’ll update later with some more details + photos, but for now…

Sale {here} and invite link {here}. I don’t *think* you need the invite to join, anymore, but I’d certainly appreciate it if you could use it, of course!

I picked up Alloy, a really gorgeous gold that’s just gorgeous as a wash of colour; a 203 blending brush, which I’ve been really happy with (think of it as the lovechild of a 217 and a 224); and clearly matte, an Essie matte topcoat at just an amazing price (not even $4).

Happy hauling!

Tags: /Eyes, Nails, Steals and Deals, Tools

11 Comments

FaceFront Lust Quest pigments: review, swatches (part one)

May 16, 2011

Rae Chen

7 Comments

I really shouldn’t need two posts to cover just six pigments, but… it’s me, so I kinda do. Not that I have a ton to say about them, of course (at least, no more than usual), but I’d feel bad jamming fifteen photos into one post and crashing all the slow computers out there :P

The product: FaceFront Cosmetics Lust Quest Artistic Pigments

I really loved some of the shades in this collection, but I found most of them to be too sheer for my tastes. Which makes sense, seeing as translucent colours usually trend during the summer, but… I want my pigment, darn it!

Mouse Grey (matte) – smooth medium grey. Of the six shadows, this was the most disappointing… it’s absolutely lovely in the pot, and fairly pretty swatched, but isn’t nearly opaque enough in execution! The colour buffs away really quickly, almost disappearing, and goes on a bit patchy.

Silver Fox (ultra-steel) – dry, almost gritty silver touched with lilac. It’s strange to work with something this dry (it’s almost all glitter, with very little pigment base), but I’m very fond of the effect it gives. It’s a sort of watery, wet finish, which doesn’t translate well in a photo but looks just lovely in real life!

La La Lilac (steel) – blue-violet shimmer on a red-violet base. This is strikingly similar to an old favourite of mine, Annabelle Violet Vibe. Though – I believe this is more sheer, and perhaps a shade lighter. Both La La Lilac and Violet Vibe blend out a bit more than I’d like, but they’re absolutely stunning. I’ll post some comparison pics soon!

The verdict?

Overall, I haven’t been as impressed with the Lust Quest shadows as I was with the Ouro Fino ones – I think there was a touch too much shimmer (and a touch too little pigment) for my tastes. There are definitely some gems in the collection, though, so don’t write it off entirely! Plus, I do love how FaceFront kind of “amps up” their packaging with cute, collection-specific details (in this case, the silver hearts).

Skip Mouse Grey (no matter how pretty a shade, it’s too sheer of a matte to get in my good books), buy Silver Fox (for a gorgeous wet finish, if you’re okay with some fallout), and try La La Lilac (if you can’t get your hands on Violet Vibe, or if you, like me, hate the packaging of Annabelle’s Mineral Pigment Dusts).

More photos and swatches…

Tags: /Eyes, FaceFront, Indie brands, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Spring/Summer 2011

7 Comments