theNotice

The poor girl’s NARS Outremer | FaceFront Tokyo Future shade comparisons

January 19, 2012

8 Comments

Alright, so it’s a few days late, but here are a handful of Tokyo Future comparison swatches. I’ve been running about attending far more courses than is generally advisable in order to sort out my schedule, so I apologize for the artificial lighting – by the time I get home, the sun’s already set. (Incidentally, it is likely that this will continue for the remainder of the season. My pre-emptive apologies; looks like photo-taking is going to be reserved for the weekends!)

From my stash, I found that Digital Dragon (the shade I unexpectedly fell a bit in love with) had the most dupes out of this bunch – nothing perfect, and nothing quite as densely molten-metal, but the Ellis Faas 303 Light would give the same effect. Something like Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Solstice might be close, too; if not in shade than at least pigment density and finish.

Secret Samurai reminded me a bit of ULTA Mystique and MAC Satin Taupe, but it’s a bit darker than the former and lighter than the latter. It also has quite a bit more red in the base – I thought it leaned just slightly red, but when compared to other taupes, the difference is more obvious. If you find taupes tend to lean too yellow on you, don’t miss this one.

I didn’t even bother looking for Lost in Nishitama dupes (maybe, like, MAC Spicy Smoke?), and the closest I had to the semi-matte Shallow Depth was Annabelle Lagoon – limited edition a while back, though, and not as much of an intense, straight-up blue. Shallow Depth is the low-budget NARS Outremer, in my head, though I do think the FaceFront pigment is more muted; darker. Perhaps more similar to something like Inglot #388?

Products featured in this post

Annabelle Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencil in Mokamirage
Ellis Faas Lights in E303
FaceFront Tokyo Future Artistic Pigments (4) – also seen in this smokey violet and blue look.
Annabelle Mono Eyeshadow in Lagoon – LE; also seen in this bright blue and green EOTD, as well as this violet and blue “get graphic” eye (a favourite of mine).
Fyrinnae Polar Bear – also seen in this geometric burgundy and gold look, this green and gold look, and this soft burgundy and gold EOTD.
MAC Eye Shadow in Satin Taupe
Ulta Eye Shadow in Mystique

(Click on the brand name to link to reviews/swatches on theNotice!)

More photos behind the cut »

Tags: /Annabelle, Canadian beauty, Ellis Faas, Eyes, FaceFront, Indie brands, NARS, Product Swatches

8 Comments

Rebottling an icon | ck one Eau de Toilette review

January 17, 2012

Rae Chen

20 Comments

The product: ck one (on-the-go packaging)

ck one has always smelled like a cologne to me, with its hard, fresh, too-synthetic edges. I mean, I do have quite a bit of respect for it (how could you not respect something so iconic, something that has changed the perfume world this much?), but it’s never really been up my alley, so to speak.

At first spritz, ck one is sharp and almost aggressively clean, with notes of bergamot, cardamom, pineapple, papaya, and green tea. I can’t imagine anyone not recognizing the scent–remember when it was everywhere, on everyone, for like, a decade?– though perhaps a generation of fragrance lovers who’ve never so much as heard of ck one is upcoming. I don’t get a lot of fruit out of it (the bergamot and green tea pop out the most, on my skin), but they’re tucked away in there.

Launched in ’94 and crafted by Alberto Moriallas and Harry Fremont, ck one was the first “big” unisex scent. The full-sized version (I’ve photographed the rather unique travel-size bottle), designed by Fabien Baron, features a screw-top lid and and an almost flask-like frosted bottle, which was – intriguing, to say the least.

The sharp top notes fade quickly, revealing a softer layer of florals (rose, violet, jasmine, and a nice, comfortable nutmeg) and a woodier base (musk, amber).

At the end of the day, I think what I respect ck one most for is that it made unisex cool. It was sort of the groundbreaker, the fragrance that said “I can smell like this because I want to smell like this,” you know? And that’s definitely something I can get behind.

ck one is, admittedly, not for me – and probably not for a lot of us. The nineties were a long time ago (can you believe that this scent is already seventeen, eighteen years old?) and fragrance trends have changed, but I still think it’s worth giving a sniff. To me, it’s one of those scents that every ‘fumehead needs to try, even if just for reference. It was huge, iconic, and I do think it’s still relevant to some degree. ck one is a classic; it’s the Shalimar of the Gen Xs and Ys, the Angel of the nineties tomboy.

Give it a try. Who knows? Maybe you’ll like it. Maybe you’ll love it.

Keep reading »

Tags: /Fragrance, Product Photos, Product Review

20 Comments

Another exciting release to brighten up your Monday | Marcelle BB Cream goes live

January 16, 2012

Rae Chen

5 Comments

Buy it here. Read more here. Check out other BB creams here.

Review and swatches upcoming; please bear with me, here!

Just in time to get your hands on the first-ever Canadian BB cream, Marcelle is doing free shipping with all orders over $25.00 (before taxes). To make up the extra few dollars, may I recommend their Waterproof Eyeliners, Face Powder, Pressed Powder, and Rouge Xpression lipsticks? ;)

The ingredients

Aqua/Water/Eau, Cyclopentasiloxane, Octyldodecanol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cyclohexasiloxane, Isopropyl Myristate, Bis-Peg/Ppg-14/14 Dimethicone, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Xylitylglucoside, Cetyl Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Hexyl Laurate, Silica, Sodium Chloride, Isododecane, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lauroyl Lysine, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower/Leaf Extract, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Trihydroxystearin, Talc, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Iron Oxides.

This product is paraben-free, perfume-free, and hypoallergenic. Please note that it is not silicone-free; however, I’ll do my best to review it anyways.

Marcelle BB cream is available in both Light to Medium and Medium to Dark shades. The airless tube-pump contains 1.5 oz / 45 mL of product, and retails for $22.95 starting today.

Tags: /Base, BB Cream, Canadian beauty, Marcelle, Moisturizers, Other, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Skincare

5 Comments

The wait is over | Clinique Almost Lipstick, Spring 2012

January 15, 2012

Rae Chen

6 Comments

An entire range of Almost Lipsticks used to exist, believe it or not, before Black Honey had to trudge on on its own. And then–sometime before I got into makeup,–the rest of the range just… disappeared.

This spring, Clinique is introducing seven new shades to keep the iconic Black Honey company. Paraben-free and priced at $15 USD, the new Honey lineup is here to stay as part of the permanent range, and at long, long last it’s finally online!

The shades in the photograph, by my best guess (based on Sephora’s product swatches) are: Black Honey, Shy Honey, Tender Honey, Spicy Honey, Luscious Honey, Chic Honey, Lovely Honey, and Flirty Honey.

Happy shopping & swatching! I haven’t tried the new shades yet, so you’ll have to let me know what you think of them. Hit us up in the comments, will you? ;)

Tags: clinique-almost-lipstick/Clinique, Lips, Spring/Summer 2012

6 Comments

Currently loving… | Antonio Berardi Pre-Fall 2011

January 15, 2012

Rae Chen

12 Comments

I don’t typically… have feelings about clothes. Or like, lots of things, I suppose, but clothes in particular. I’ll go through phases, drowning myself in the theory behind structure for months and then bumming around in tees for the rest of the year.

These pieces, though? Feelings. Lots of them.

(And alright, so the emotions probably stem in part from the gorgeous wall colour rather than the clothes themselves, but all the same – they’re structurally gorgeous. I believe you’d find yourself hard-pressed to deny it, even if you’re the roll-out-of-bed-and-go type.)

(Though if you are, isn’t theNotice kind of a strange place for you to be?)

images via style.com

Tags: /Fashion

12 Comments

FaceFront Tokyo Future Artistic Pigments

January 13, 2012

Rae Chen

17 Comments

The product: FaceFront Tokyo Future Artistic Pigments

» Digital Dragon, Secret Samurai, Lost in Nishitama, and Shallow Depth.

I’m slowly amassing a frightful Artistic Pigment stash, and yet… I cannot find it in myself to care. (Does that make me a terrible minimalist? I’m pretty sure that makes me a terrible minimalist.)

Here’s the thing, though. I have my qualms with some of the line’s other products (their cream formulas come to mind — more on that next week), but their pigments? Damn. When it’s straight-up colour, FaceFront never fails to impress. They just come up with these really vibrant, unexpected, actually unique shades, and I’m always just really stunned by how gorgeous they are. It’s so refreshing to be surprised by a shade; to not already own a dupe of it in some way, shape, or form.

The details: Each Artistic Pigment retails for $10.50 USD and contains 5g of product. These multipurpose products are vegan-approved, made in the US, and paraben-, silicone-, & cruelty-free. The four Tokyo Future shades are all limited edition for Winter 2011.

See Shallow Depth in this violet and blue look and the full collection details here.

As an aside, I’d like to note the fact that I’m not a fan of Orientalism, and I don’t believe in capitalizing upon other cultures. That said, I’m not going to launch into a tirade about it, and I don’t think FaceFront has done anything specifically offensive in regard to this collection – I feel like it focuses more on the “future Tokyo” popularized in science fiction, rather than any given situation in the real world.

Anyhow, the point I was trying to make: feel free to discuss this in the comments, but please be respectful of your fellow commenters!

The shades

(Section alternately titled: Guys. Guys. I have so many feelings about Shallow Depth; I don’t even know.)

FaceFront describes Digital Dragon (Ultra-Steel Finish) as a subtle metallic golden brown infused with bright, rustic bronze refleks; Secret Samurai (Steel Finish) as a highly complex and shimmery taupe with subtle red hue; Lost in Nishitama (Steel Finish) as a vivacious and shimmery cranberry with subtle reflecks of red and silver; and Shallow Depth (Semi-Matte) as a dark, true oceanic matte blue.

I would describe them as…

Digital Dragon: an intense metallic bronze that honestly ought to be the sleeper hit of this collection;
Secret Samurai: a soft taupe with red undertones (the foiled swatch, behind the cut, displays the colour best);
Lost in Nishitama: a burnt red with visible silver shimmer, which is insanely pretty, not to mention really unexpected; and finally,
Shallow Depth:the poor girl’s NARS Outremer, though FaceFront’s Semi-Mattes feature microshimmer, which I’m not sure Outremer does.

Comparison swatches later today! (Though I don’t have the NARS; sorry, ladies.)

Swatched L-R: Digital Dragon, Secret Samurai, Lost in Nitshitama, Secret Samurai, Shallow Depth

Individual product photos, ingredients, & more »

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

17 Comments

ON OUR RADAR | Dior Garden Clutch palettes

January 12, 2012

Rae Chen

7 Comments

If these aren’t absolutely gorgeous, I don’t know what is…

The details

Each of the two Dior Garden Clutch palettes (Garden Party collection, Spring 2012) contains three pearl-finish eyeshadows, one lip plumper, and one lip gloss. They retail for $75 USD, and the points of sale vary depending on the palette – Bloomingdale’s, Dillard’s, Saks, Sephora, and Neiman Marcus seem to be doing the brown/pink/green Granville Garden, and the blue/grey/pink Milly Garden is exclusive to Nordstrom and Dior online.

The sheer apricot-pink lip shades are the same in each palette, and are covered by a chic metal flap to keep any eyeshadow particles out of your lip shades (as in Fall’s Blue Tie offering).

Closed palette & a close-up (which is seriously breathtaking, trust me) »

Tags: /Dior, Eyes, Lips, Spring/Summer 2012

7 Comments

Don’t miss this | Strange Tips for Surviving Prairie Winters

January 11, 2012

Rae Chen

ALL EYES ON | North American BB creams

January 10, 2012

Rae Chen

37 Comments

For those of you that can’t wait until the 16th (online exclusively at shop.marcelle.com) for the new Marcelle BB Cream ($22.50 CAD, in stores Feb 6th), here are a few others…

What makes up a BB cream?

The blemish balms that have been sweeping through Asia over the past few years are finally making waves in North American brands, too. These all-in-one bases are lightly tinted to even out the skin, creating a smooth, even base under foundation (or, depending on the brand and shade, replace foundation altogether.)

I’ve also seen “BB” cited as “beauty base,” “beauty balm,” and “blemish base,” but they’ve always been blemish balms in my head. You may recognize them from brands like Skin Food, Dr. Jart, Etude House, Missha, and The Face Shop – and those are just the big ones. BB creams are, more or less, the tinted moisturizers of the other side of the world; sheer foundation with an extra marketing punch. (And, hopefully, an extra-punchy formula, too.)

There are a number of multinationals that do Asia-exclusive BB creams, so perhaps they’ll show up here sometime, too. I know Maybelline, L’Oreal, and Garnier do them, as well as department/boutique brands like La Roche Posay, Dior, Estee Lauder, and Bobbi Brown, so perhaps it’s not too much to hope for! (Note, the Estee one sold here is different from the one sold in Asia; theirs launched earlier and is part of the Cyber White line, not the DayWear range.)

Tags: /Base, BB Cream, Clinique, Estee Lauder, MAC, New This Week (& etc), Smashbox

37 Comments

Excited for… Marcelle BB Cream

January 10, 2012

Rae Chen

26 Comments

Can we talk about how nice it is to see Asian faces in Canadian advertising? Yes? Alright then, I’ll leave you with this:

Tags: /Base, BB Cream, Canadian beauty, Fall/Winter 2011, Marcelle

26 Comments