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New products 12/09/10

September 12, 2010

Rae Chen

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Narcisco Rodriguez makes the prettiest bottles. And I will fight anyone who begs to differ.

Clinique’s Redness line has always impressed me (ever tried the Mineral Solutions powder? Wonderful!) and they’ve now added another two products — a colour-correcting concealer, and a foundation. I’m guessing both would have ‘cones, but I’m dying to try them anyways!

And that Cle de Peau quad? Very intriguing! I’m also dying to try that one, but I’m pretty sure CdP isn’t available in Edmonton :(

Clé de Peau Beauté, Clinique, Clinique, Trish McEvoy

Finally, it looks like Benefit’s getting ready for the holidays with a ton more sets! (We threw in a Fresh one too. It’s super, super cute, if you ask us.)

Tags: /New This Week (& etc)

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Sunday Steals and Deals

September 12, 2010

Rae Chen

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Neiman Marcus’ annual Beauty Event is on, just in case you haven’t already been told numerous times, by numerous parties ;) Here are the details… (click to enlarge!)

Personally, I’d like to think the asterisk after “stylish tote” refers to the fact that the tote is not actually stylish.

Smashbox released a new “Glambox,” which is called… “Glam Rocks.” While I think the name is pretty (okay, maybe even very) lame, the set itself looks great. $68 is more than I’d pay, but you do get a ton of products for the price, and for once I can say that each and every item in the set looks appealing!

If you were thinking of trying out the Halo powder anyways, this would be a great way to do so.

Asos always has a few goodies on sale, so I picked out a few of the interesting ones. (Though I’m sure there are many!) I so wish we got all of these lines in Canada *sigh*

And of course, at our favourite high-end beauty retailer…

MYCHOICE can be redeemed for a free deluxe sample of one of six new (or newly repackaged) products!
Smashbox’s Jet Set eyeliner is on for $5, but only if you buy Starstruck.
Four Urban Decay pigments are on for $5, too — Baked, Shag, Smog, and Yeyo. (Psst: these are often on HauteLook for the same price!)

Tags: /Steals and Deals

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Dior Black Cannage holiday eye palette

September 10, 2010

Rae Chen

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Last year, I had one major thing on my winter wishlist — Dior’s Holiday eye palette. But, with the price, I had to pass.

It seems like fate decided to intervene, though! A fellow blogger had it on for half-off in her blog sale (which was actually less than half price, as things are usually 30% more expensive in Canada than the US despite the almost-on-par dollar,) and shortly thereafter, it was in my eager hands. (Thank you, my dear!)

I don’t see a point in doing a really in-depth review, as holiday collections often do not live up to the normal standards of many makeup lines, but I will overview it briefly for those of you who are interested! Mainly, I just have a ton of photos to share ;)

As you may have guessed, the shadows are not exactly up to Dior standards — while pigmented and insanely creamy, they produce a ton of fallout! Even if I clean up my undereye area after applying and layer the shadows over primer, by noon I’ll have glitter all over the place again. There’s no stopping it! Still, though, their buttery texture makes application a breeze, and they do impart some serious pigment (which, mind you, does not fall — it’s just the shimmer that does!)

I’d just like to point out that these swatches were a single swipe, without primer. (Most of the time, our swatches are layered once or twice and/or half-over-primer to show their true shades.) One word: impressive!

~~Way to many~~ More photos…

Tags: /Dior, Eyes, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches

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New collection: L’Artisan Parfumeur Mûre et Musc

September 10, 2010

Rae Chen

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The new Mûre et Musc Perfumed Body Collection will be available starting September. Doesn’t it look delightful? :)

The collection will be split into two categories. The first will be available in L’Artisan boutiques, and will include the following: (descriptions, names, and prices are as listed by the company)

La Crème Fouettée pour le Corps (Body Crème)
A velvety cream that intensively nourishes the body, leaving the skin soft and exquisitely perfumed. This gentle, smooth emulsion, rich in shea butter and nourishing oils, is ideal for dry skin, producing a rare feeling of comfort and protection. When applied to a clean dry skin, it provides deep and lasting nourishment and immediately makes the skin soft, silky smooth and radiant.
200 ml pot. Price: 105$

L’Huile Sèche pour le Corps (Dry Body Oil)
This sensual oil is a delight for the body. It leaves the skin feeling satin smooth and subtly perfumed. An oil that provides the nourishing and softening properties of black mulberry extract, leaving a delicate sheen on the skin.
100 ml. bottle. Price: 70$

Le Gel Parfumé pour La Douche (Shower Gel)
This soft shower gel creates a mousse to cleanse the body. It leaves the skin fresh and delicately perfumed. A gel with a sensual perfume…soft for the skin and soft for the soul. Its very gentle washing formula and the softening qualities of vegetable glycerine leave the skin supple and velvety. A fine, subtly perfumed mousse gently washes the skin.
200 ml tube Price: 45$

The second part will arrive at Ogilvy, and will include: le Lait Parfumé pour le Corps (Body Milk), L’Huile pour le Bain (Bath Oil), la Poudre de Parfum (Perfumed Powder), la Concrète de Parfum (Solid Perfume, for which the packaging looks so so cute!) and la Bougie Parfumée (Candle).

P.S. Mûre et Musc shower gel and body crème are available on the L’Artisan Parfumeur site right now; however, these are not part of the new collection as far as I know.

Tags: /Fragrance, L'Artisan Parfumeur, Other

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JACOB denounces digital retouching

September 9, 2010

Rae Chen

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I came across an unexpected piece of information a few days back — JACOB, my long-time favourite clothing store, will no longer be retouching their campaigns. They’ll continue doing things like lighting alterations and ‘brushing out blemishes, but no thinning, etc!

Here’s a bit of the release…

JACOB ADOPTS A “NO RETOUCHING” POLICY FOR PHOTOS OF ITS MODELS

“As a socially responsible company, JACOB has always made an effort to promote a healthy image of the female body. By adopting an official policy and broadcasting it publicly, we hope to reverse the trend in digital photo manipulation that has become excessive in our industry,” says spokesperson and Communications Director Cristelle Basmaji. “Our decision to never reshape the bodies of our models is particularly innovative for our JACOB Lingerie campaigns.”
The basis of the new “no retouching” policy is to promote an honest and realistic image of the female body. However, JACOB is not against all forms of touch-ups. Certain digital enhancements cannot be avoided in order to produce an image the size that is required for advertising. In all transparency, JACOB will continue to retouch its photos in some regards, as there will always be a need to calibrate colours for better product representation and to even out skin tone or erase tattoos and scars.”

Personally, I think this is an amazing step forward for the fashion industry, and I hope other retailers take note! Obviously, this still isn’t an “average” body type, but to expect JACOB to use “real women” and not edit the photographs would be ridiculous. I mean, there have been many studies showing that women buy less when the adverts feature plus-size or “average” models. It’s a fact, and you can’t fight it, so you also can’t expect JACOB to knowingly hurt their bottom line (a lot) by featuring average-sized models! This alone, ie, not thinning out their models even further, is simply phenomenal.

I contacted JACOB and asked if we could see the images mentioned in (but not attached to) the release, and they sent them our way quickly, even asking if we could forward them a link to the post once it was live.The first image is the raw one, from the photoshoot, the second image is the one used in the current campaign, and the third is what the image would have looked like in a previous campaign. Feel free to click the photo above to enlarge it!

We did a quick shape overlay and comparison of the new retouching standards vs. the old one, and added a few notes to point out some of the changes. To put it bluntly? Legs! HIPS! We like.

P.S. I think JACOB’s model choice for this campaign was fabulous. She’s gorgeous and, while skinny, still has some muscle on her. I’d kill to look like that, unretouched!

(Okay, not actually. I’m not a fan of violence, and too much a fan of pies and chocolate — mmm.)

Tags: /Fashion

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Paco Rabanne Lady Million: the fragrance

September 8, 2010

Rae Chen

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Don’t miss the post on Lady Million’s beautifully crafted campaign, with images and interviews!

I’m going to start off this review with the truth: I quite dislike Lady Million. It simply isn’t my type of fragrance, at all! I like the bottle, simply because the spray mechanism is interesting and the design is quite fresh, but the fragrance? …not so much. It is described as a “fresh woody floral,” and was designed by Anne Flipo, Béatrice Piquet and Dominique Ropion. It’s strange to have a fragrance fall into three categories, and even more strange to have it designed by three different people, but I was determined to give it a try all the same.

Lady Million opens with neroli, bitter orange, and raspberry. I find the fragrance way, way too strong when first sprayed — it’s not just overwhelming, it’s knock-you-to-the-floor overwhelming. Very sweet and very sharp, to the point where it’s hard to distinguish one note for another: it’s just all one big mess of scent.

Given five or ten minutes, Lady Million begins to calm down, and reveals orange flower and Arabian jasmine absolute. The syrupy-sweet edge is taken down a bit (though not entirely,) and the floral femininity of the scent is expressed more clearly.

Finally, Lady Million dries down to a confusing jumble of all of the above, plus some honey and patchouli. She’s high on sillage, obviously, and hangs around for ages — I spritzed this upon receiving it, and could smell its drydown in the air for the next two or three days!

Simply put, I think this was a fragrance created with good intentions, but it ended up being poorly executed. It feels as if the three perfumers couldn’t decide on a perfume to make (fresh, woody, or floral,) and created three scents on their own — and then just blended them together.

However, I’m not going to knock Lady Million completely. I have very, very specific fragrance tastes, and this just didn’t fall into them. (Which was surprising, because I think 1 Million, the men’s fragrance for which this is a counterpart to, isn’t half bad!) So…

Try this if…

You usually like celebrity fragrances, as this is very “celebrity fragrance”!
You find your skin has a tendency to “eat” perfume, leaving you scentless before noon.

Be sure to try this on your skin, and give it time, if you like the sound of the notes. I find that the “feel” of Lady Million remains the same from top to bottom notes, but the compilation and strength of the scent fluctuate quite a bit as different molecules diffuse into the air.

Another idea: This comes in 30, 50, and 80ml concentrations (all in Eau de Parfum,) but it is also produced in a body care range. It’s main problem is that it is simply so overwhelming, so try the body care range! A dab of lotion is usually much easier to wear than a spritz of perfume.

Alternately, you could try being a little chemist and blend a small amount of your EdP in an atomizer with either distilled water or alcohol to dilute it. This can sometimes cause clouding of the perfume, but won’t damage the scent itself!

Lady Million launches on September 15th (one week from today,) though I do believe other countries may have gotten it first!

Pssst… Canadians who purchase 1 Million or Lady Million on Sephora.com will receive a free mini his or her bottle while supplies last! Sorry I don’t have more details; I ~~kind of~~ ~~sort of~~ ~~maybe~~ deleted the email by mistake >.<

Tags: /Fragrance, Product Photos, Product Review

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Paco Rabanne Lady Million: the campaign

September 8, 2010

Rae Chen

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Interested? Then make sure to read the fragrance review as well!

The campaign behind Lady Million possesses exactly the kind of beauty that the fragrance wishes it had — it is elegance and sophistication; a thick, glossy press booklet in immaculate gold casing and interviews that are just perfection. It’s a funny thing, though… while I loved the interviews, and the quotes, and the ideas, the one thing I did not love was the one which would make it to the most people:

I mean, really. Dree is a beautiful woman, but the “intentional bedhead” hair just looks like it was caught in a windstorm after a rough night, and the dress makes me feel physically uncomfortable. (Don’t you just hate it when you leave the house and realize you’re about to flash everyone around you?)

Anyhow. In 1967, Paco Rabanne declared that “tomorrow’s woman will be efficient, seductive and undoubtedly superior to man,” and told the world that it is for “it is for that woman that I create my designs.” This is the sentiment that Lady Million was based upon: the classic femme fatale.

But as I said, the campaign is perfection. So why not hear it from those behind the idea?

“Design is not about seduction; it’s about shock.”

– Paco Rabanne

The Interview
The Lady Million woman is dazzling, always seductive. This “playful” aspect inspired us immensely. We thought of the film The Thomas Crown Affair. Like the heroine Faye Dunaway, Lady Million holds all the cards. But she also has a trump card, her perfume, an absolute weapon to make a man lose all control and surrender to her. […]

Our aim was to reveal all of the character, femininity and glamour of Lady Million. The result is sexy, soft and carnally aggressive, with this very vibrant and modern woody amber note. You can feel the top, heart and bottom notes resonating. Luminous and faceted like a diamond!

The Model (Dree Hemingway; shortened version.)
Do you put on perfume once or several times a day? Just in the evening or just to go to bed?
I don’t think that there is a specific time for perfume. You should just wear it like mascara; only when you feel like it.

What does a perfume represent for you? Is it a weapon of seduction? A way of expressing one’s personality?
I really think that a perfume can personify someone, and if that is the case, then I suppose that you could call it a weapon of seduction.

Did you enjoy shooting the advertisement for Lady Million?
The crew were amazing and I really had fun playing the role of this Lady Million woman, who is glamorous and strong at the same time.

What attracted you the most about Lady Million?
Doesn’t every girl dream of clicking her fingers and getting whatever she wants?

Tags: /Fragrance

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Into the brains of bloggers: go forward with caution.

September 7, 2010

Rae Chen

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Spring cleaning? Spring cleaning, you say? Well, I scoff at your “spring” cleaning and one-up you an “ALWAYS CLEANING!”

… let’s ignore the craziness that is Rae for a moment, and talk about what you’re about to read:

As I’m sure you all know by now, on a scale of one to nuts, I’m an eight point five. But every summer, largely because I have a ton of extra time, that gets amped up to a nine. Maybe even a nine point five. I scrub, sand, paint — anything I can get my hands on gets cleaned in some way, shape, or form.

A few days ago, it was finally time to go through my stash. (Hint: this is one of my favourite things to reorganize!) I upturned everything, moved tons of products, and threw some things into the “purge pile.” And now I have some news to share!

We need a diagram. Click to enlarge.

After step 5, the product needs to go somewhere. So, every few months, products are taken out of that last slot and moved (a) into the traincase, (b) into my personal stash, or (c) into the purge pile.

The Traincase: a place where products that are nice-but-not-essential go. Here, they are stored and occasionally used, but not loved.
The Personal Stash: a place where products go to be loved! And used! And fawned upon!
The Purge Pile: a place where bad products go to be punished.

So: this post is about the products that made it into our personal stash. A difficult feat, trust us!

Here are some of the products that made the cut this time around…

CHEEKS
NARS Orgasm — because it’s pretty. And we like pretty things.

TBS fall blusher — because it’s supercrazypretty, in the pan. Review here.

Annabelle Zebra bronzer — the only bronzer in the entire personal stash! Review here.

Hard Candy Honeymoon — gives the best. glow. ever. Review here.

EYES

Benefit Stay Don’t Stray — we’re still working through a sample of this… but we LOVE it!

MAC Blanc Type — the perfect matte hilight for our skintone.

Annabelle Blue Hue trio — takes our breath away. Though, we only ever use that one shade! Review here.

Annabelle Vivid Violet mineral pigment — thinking about pressing this pretty one… Review here.

Marcelle Royalty quad — mainly because we’re so crazy for that violet hue. Review here.

LIPS

Bobbi Brown Heather Buff — our new favourite. A surprising MLBB colour! Review soon, we promise.

Lancome Rose Tempest — an old favourite that made it back. A not-so-surprising MLBB colour ;)

Annabelle Volumelip glosses in Cherryoke and Sweet Tweet — because they’re ridiculously non-sticky, gorgeous as heck, and blissfully scent-free! Review here.

Rimmel Non-Stop Glamour — the scent does kill us, but it’s so gorgeous we can’t help ourselves. Review here.

So, what have you fallen in love with recently?

Tags: /Ramblings

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The Body Shop: buy 3 get 2 free!

September 6, 2010

Rae Chen

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So… now would be a good time to stock up on things like the newly-redone Vitamin C line! I felt bad after the last Steals and Deals post, because the good ones were US-only — but this one is for us Canadians, too! (In the US, the sale’s actually only buy-two-get-one-free, whereas we have buy-two-get-one and buy-three-get-two. Crazy, right?)

Additionally, all facial accessories are two for $6, and both Originals and (all) blotting tissues are two for $10!

Here’s what I’d pick up, if I wasn’t on a crazy skin diet! That face wash sounds like it would smell great ;)

The Body Shop, The Body Shop, The Body Shop

Tags: /Steals and Deals, The Body Shop

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Back to school: show us that school makeup!

September 6, 2010

Rae Chen

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Some of you started this week, some of you started last week, some of you will start in the weeks ahead… either way, a ton of us are going back to school this month! So, we’re inviting you to send us your school-appropriate FOTDs! (Details behind the cut.)

Here are some of our school-appropriate FOTDs (click through the images to get to the posts,) though I mean, you could really wear anything, at least as an undergrad…

And once more, in colour! (Those are from separate posts, and again, click through for said posts!)

If you’re not into that (I know it can be nerve-wracking the first time you post a FOTD online,) how ’bout you just answer this questionnaire in the comments? ;)

What’s your one must-have back-to-school beauty product?
How long does your morning routine take you?
To mascara, or not to mascara?
What one course are you most looking forward to this term?

Our answers…

What’s your one must-have back-to-school beauty product? Lancome Blush Subtil in Rose Fresque! I wear it whenever I’m too tired in the morning to pick my blush — probably two or three times a week, in a bad month :/
How long does your morning routine take you? Fifteen minutes or so, usually.
To mascara, or not to mascara? Depends on the day! Only if I feel like it.
What one course are you most looking forward to this term? Sociology. The rest of my courses are boring!

The details

If you’d like to submit a photo, please have it in by Saturday night at 12:00PM! We’d love it if you could include a short “products used” list with your FOTD (or EOTD,) and if you have your own blog, make sure to include that link as well! Just send it all to ethicnote (at) gmail (dot) com, with the subject line “Back to school FOTD.”

Here’s a checklist for your image:

Must be 900 pixels across, no bigger or smaller!
Must be properly colour-balanced, and not blurry — if your entire face is just orange, orange, orange from the tungsten lighting, try going into the daylight to take your photo, or changing the colour settings on your camera.
Just include a face shot or eye shot; we don’t need to see a metre above your head and then right down to your waistline ;) It’s a FOTD, not an OOTD!

I can’t wait to see your photos, and I do hope some of you ladies send ’em in! Don’t be shy — we’ll love you either way!

Tags: /YOU

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