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    Impromptu FOTD

    Woke up this morning craving another chocolate brown eye; ended up doing a very toned-down version of this. Boring, but I thought I’d share as I’ve been wearing this combo a lot recently. What do you have on today?

    On the eyes: tiny tiny tiny layers of Ellis Faas E104 and UDPP Sin for the base, then this GOSH duo for some colour, and finally Blanc Type to hilight + a quick swipe of Beauty Tubes. I meant to layer these mascaras, but it’s just one of those mornings…

    Now, to go find a lipstick to wear! I’m thinking maybe this one?

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    Meet Paris Rose, the love of my life

    Paris Rose is one of the gorgeous new Marcelle Rouge Xpression lipsticks, and my favourite of all nine! It’s romantic, cheery, whimsical… I just love it.

    While this isn’t advertised as a semi-matte, I’d actually call it one! It feels like a true cream finish, though (aka is more comfortable than any other semi-matte or matte-finish that I’ve tried), which I’m thrilled about.

    These swatches are applied straight from the tube – and very quickly, at that – on lips covered with a sheer layer of foundation. (My lips are naturally quite pigmented and they were a bit irritated the day I took these photos, so I wanted to let a more true swatch show through!) Usually, though, I simply pat on a touch of this with clean fingers for that perfect “whisper of colour”.

    A quick P.S. – I’m going to try to post some behind-the-scenes images with Dior and Natalie Portman later today, but we’ll see how I’m feeling. On the off-chance that we won’t talk again until tomorrow, have a lovely Friday night my lovelies & I will have that post ready for Monday! xx

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    Degree motionSENSE: a review + giveaway

    [Sidenote: for a gal that basically doesn’t sweat (and doesn’t smell when she does), I blog way too much about anti-perspirants and deodorants. I don’t know. I just kinda like them. Plus, it always blows my mind how the noses behind the lines can do so much with such tiny budgets.]

    That said… Degree has a few new ones out, and the technology (or marketing, call it what you may) behind it sounds quite interesting!

    The product

    This new tech is called motionSENSE, and is designed to release bursts of fragrance when you need it. Basically: you move around; capsules sitting on the surface of your skin break; fragrance is released.

    The motionSENSE line will be hitting Canadian shelves this month and comes in both the “Expert Protection” and “Clinical” formulations. The traditional stick (Expert Protection) will be available in both Active Clean and Fresh Energy scents, while the Clinical version will only be available in Fresh Energy.

    Active Clean is your traditional sort of fresh/fruity anti-perspirant, a little soapy perhaps, and Fresh Energy is… I don’t know. It smells like an edible pastel shade of orange with major OCD.

    Enough said. I’m more of a Prada than a Philosophy girl, but that’s just me being crazy!

    The giveaway

    So, for all my fellow anti-perspirant aficionados & freebie loving Canadian gals out there, we’ve been given the chance to give away a stick of motionSENSE! Here’s how to enter, for up to three chances at winning…

    • For one (1) entry, follow @thenotice on Twitter. For an extra one, tweet the following:
      “Canucks: follow @thenotice for a chance to win the coolest new tech in skincare! http://bit.ly/hudlRP”
    • For one (1) entry, follow theNotice through GFC (that box in the right-hand column) and leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done so!

    Again, this one’s just for our Canadian girls, and it’ll run for one week (I’ll contact the winner next Friday to find out which formula/scent to ship & where). I’ve got another giveaway lined up to run after this one, though, so don’t fret if you’re not in Canada ;)

    P.S.

    Read more

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    Burt’s Tinted Lip Balm is more than a Bee-rate Blossom

    What it is: Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Pink Blossom

    What it has:

    • Super-cute packaging,
    • An awesome price tag ($7),
    • Six great shades (with just the right amount of tint),
    • 100% natural ingredients (no phthalates, parabens, or silicones here), and
    • A light, synthetically fruity scent… that fades fast (hurrah!)

    Ingredients:

    Coconut oil, vegetable oil, beeswax, olive oil, candelilla wax, sunflower seed oil, flavour, lanolin, shea buter, castor seed oil, cananga odorata flower wax, jasmine flower wax, ammonium glycyrrhizinate, tocopherol, rosemary leaf extract, soybean oil, canola oil. +/- alumina, CI 77891, CI 75470, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499.

    naked lips / pink blossom

    A brief ramble: I’ve been on and off with Burts’ variations on their bestselling balm in the past, but this one’s a keeper! It does a great job keeping my lips moisturized and leaves them looking natural, hydrated, and plush. Without the scent (which does fade quite fast), they’d be HG material!

    naked lips / pink blossom

    The verdict? I like this just as much as I like my Burt’s Lip Shimmers… which is really saying something, because I am a huge fan of those! (Check out our reviews of Nutmeg, Peony, and Caramel.) If you’re looking for a lightly tinted lip product that packs a punch of moisture, pick up one of these – I’m just dying to check out the other five shades!

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    Marcelle liquid eyeliners: a review

    It’s not often that I find a Marcelle product that I can’t stand. In fact, only one other comes to mind. (It’s that darn packaging. Switch it to Annabelle’s and bam! we’re in business.) So, imagine my surprise when I tried out Marcelle’s three new liquid eyeliners and was, well, hugely let down.

    What they are: Marcelle Liquid Eyeliner Pens in Olive, Teal, and Chocolate. Please note that this post does not cover the black eyeliner – I like that one much, much more. But, that’s a review for another day…

    The packaging: Let’s start with the good, shall we? The tubes are the same shades as the product, which I personally love as it makes grabbing the right one a breeze. The tip, while quite a bit larger than you’d expect, is still easy to use and delivers a precise line, and the caps seal tightly. All good so far!


    Exclamation marks: Marcelle’s liquid liners in Teal, Olive, and Chocolate // Squiggles: Marcelle’s liquid liner in Black. See how the coloured ones bleed a lot more?

    following multiple oil-based and oil-free makeup removers & tons of scrubbing

    The wear: Aaand here’s where the good stuff ends. Unlike the black liner, which dries quickly and lasts all day, these take for. ever. to. dry. For those of you who follow @thenotice on Twitter, you’ll know that I was complaining about an eyeliner last week – this is it! Eleven minutes after applying Teal and waiting for the line to set, I finally gave up and opened my eyes.

    Long story short:

    The verdict? Avoid! Avoid like the plague! It kills me to put the “Black List Beauty” label on a product by one of my favourite brands, but… it had to be done. These may be easy to apply and come in cute colours, but the product is (to quote Arianne) “horri-balls”!

    P.S. Check out the (not so) awesome stain that Teal left behind, even after two rounds of oil-based makeup removers. I’m going to have to cover that up for days!

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    Midweek deal: 2 free minis at Clinique!

    Today through ’till the fourth; no minimum if you purchase today or tomorrow (but a min of $35 if you purchase on the 3rd or 4th), and free shipping if you spend more than $40. US only; sorry ladies! {Clinique}

    Mini-sized versions of the following 12 are available:


    Happy hauling!

    P.S. Three Custom Color and myfaceworkds are on sale right now on HauteLook, as well :)

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    A few favourites

    We actually did a “Feb faves” giveaway, but that’s over and done with – so I suppose these aren’t really February’s favourites. They’re just… current favourites. (Which makes sense, because I’ve loved a few of them for quite a few months now!)

    Annabelle A-21 Large Shader Brush ($8.50)

    How have I not reviewed this brush yet?! I’ve had it for ages, and I always reach for it – it’s quite basic, sure, but it does its job well. Plus, the quality is more on par with $20 brushes than $8 ones (which, yes, it is).

    Prada Infusion d’Iris ($105)

    I’m sitting on the review until closer to Mother’s Day (because I think this would make a lovely gift), but in the meantime: just know that I love this! It’s a very classic fragrance; feminine without being girly, and perfect for spring.

    Marcelle Rouge Xpression, Paris Rose ($11.95)

    Paris Rose is such a romantic shade; gorgeous on lips but perfect on cheeks. (Plus, it’s ‘cone-free, so I don’t need to worry about breakouts). Photos and swatches here, and I’ve got a few lip swatches for you later this week as well.

    Ellis Faas Eyeliner E501 ($38)

    Another product that I absolutely cannot get enough of. It’s incredibly easy to apply and delivers a really intense, precise black line. Almost everything creases on my lids, be it liquid, cream, gel, pencil… but this wears like metal. No fading, no bleeding – I can literally go all day and night with this liner and it looks perfect until I rinse it off.

    (The price kills me, but formula-wise? It’s honestly the best liquid liner I’ve ever come across, and that’s not an honour I’ll hand out lightly.)

    Marcelle Essentials Moisture Lotion ($19.95

    I don’t have a review ready for this one yet (I’d like to try it out for longer and make sure it doesn’t make me turn green), but it’s fab! Silicone-, paraben-, and scent-free, it sinks in quickly and leaves my skin feeling deliciously velvety. Bonus points for the reasonable price and sleek packaging (though I’d like it even more with a pump!)

    Balenciaga Paris ($95)

    The comments have been lost, but here is the original review. This easily ranks in my top three favourite fragrances – it’s quite versatile and never gets boring. Sexy without being cloying, fresh but not sharp… honestly, it’s exquisite. Give it a sniff for me sometime? I promise: you won’t regret it.

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    The 2011 Oscars secret

    What is it? Take a guess…

    all images via

    I’m going with “shimmery lips.” Seriously, there are a lot of them! This doesn’t bode well for me (I don’t usually like glitter in my gloss, so I’m hoping it won’t start a trend), but these lovely ladies do look fab. What do you think of glittery lip products? Love/hate?

    Get the look…

    P.S. Also noticing a few stars with navy blue smudged under their lower lashes – a great eye-brightening trick ;)

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