And a few more shots of that first dress, because I think it’s absolutely divine…
images via glit.com
- If you haven’t smelled Spiritueuse Double Vanille and don’t want to be tempted, this is still a wonderful vanilla that I think would be great to have in your collection, both to wear alone and to layer (which it does do, and beautifully at that.)
- If you haven’t smelled Spiritueuse Double Vanille and are silly enough that you still want to (oh, your poor wallet!) this just won’t do. Order a sample of the Guerlain!
- If you have smelled Spiritueuse Double Vanille and are looking for an exact dupe, this isn’t it. So, perhaps you’d be better off skipping it.
- If you have smelled Spiritueuse Double Vanille and are looking for something fairly similar, but much, much cheaper, try this — the difference in cost is $77 per ounce (or, in other words, $192.50 per 2.5oz bottle of SDV.)
- You’re on the hunt for a pink that’s very, very light/white/bright. (She runs! She jumps! She plays with words like a child!)
- You want something adorable! It’s cute, it’s cheap, and it’s pretty darn unique.
- You’re looking for a lot of pigmentation,
- You have a skintone that’s darker than about NW/NC30.
- You’re looking for an amazing, light, smooth, paraben- and silicone-free facial moisturizer with SPF, and you can justify it
- (a) because of that
sugar daddymassive savings account I’m *sure* you all have, or - (b) because, like me, you’re off ‘cones and it is damned hard to find a good moisturizer without them!
- (a) because of that
- You don’t like the sound of $26 (USD) for just 60g of product. I mean, okay, so you don’t need a ton each time — but you’ll still run through it quite quickly.
Why? Because these deals are only available in Canadian B&M Sephoras…
NEED TO GO. Need to go NOW.
Perfect skin, soft hair, and ultranude eyes… paired with bold, red lips and nails?
I’m so in.
portrait images via style.com / landscape image via karlasugar.net
If you haven’t heard of the Ellis system yet, you’ve been living with your head in the soil for at least six months.
No — seriously, you have. The concept is incredibly nifty, so pretty much everyone has been talking about it recently! I’ll be reviewing a few of the lip products soon, so here’s the very basic rundown: elongated bullets, almost everything in pen form, and an emphasis on “sleek and sophisticated.” Makeup for the beautiful businesswoman, if you will.
But it goes beyond that. Ellis Faas (the woman, not the line,) is an internationally renowned makeup artist from the Netherlands with an enviable portfolio — she’s worked for everyone from Lancôme to MAC, and was asked by L’Oreal (parent, not Paris,) to create a makeup line for Biotherm. That ended in ’07, and out emerged the ELLIS FAAS line.
(I wonder how many specifications I can add with brackets before you ladies start getting annoyed?)
The concept is simple: everything fits into the Ellis holder. A powder on the bottom, a foundation in the middle, and a ring of lip, eye, and cheek products around the edge. Just one cylinder to throw into your overnight bag, or to set on your counter top, or to tuck into your drawer.
The line is based on the idea of Human Colors — each shade is inspired by pigments found in the skin. Ellis Red from the red of blood, violet from the inner ring of a bruise, pink from the flush you get from running around outside. And, what’s really cool? Each shade is shown with a swatch, viewable on three different skintones.
But enough with the chatter. I’m off to go do some swatching… anyone care to comment on the Ellis idea? They’re interested in getting into Canada, so I thought I’d ask you lovely ladies: where would you stock Ellis? I can’t think of an optimal boutique in Edmonton for them (other than perhaps a counter in Holt Renfrew,) but I know that some of you are in cities like Vancouver and Toronto, where I think a line like Ellis would just flourish! Let us know in the comments :)
Amazing.
That’s the word I would use to describe you, if I could only use one. Amazing.
Did you know that, before meeting you, I thought I hated vanilla? It’s true — every fragrance I had tried before you which was mainly vanilla had been too sweet, or too animalic, or both. And those that I tried which were based loosely on vanilla? Usually too heady (with murky, unoriginal sandalwood as a common corresponding accord to darken up a perfume made too sweet by vanilla) or simply too childish (when such an accord was skipped altogether.)
It’s not that I have anything against vanilla, per se. It’s just that I’m very, very picky about my vanillas.
And you… work. You just work. You’re delicious and boozy, and whether I’ve just dabbed you on or I’ve been wearing you for hours, the image I get in my mind is always the same: a wonderful, fizzing champagne.
It’s not even that you smell like champagne at all, really — but the image lines up beautifully. Classic. Mature. Poised. And at the same time: bubbly and sociable, with a bit of a woodsy spice running through your composition.
So, yes. I would use just this one word to describe you. Amazing.
Spiritueuse Double Vanille was formulated by Jean Paul Guerlain, and released in 2007.
Availability: While SDV is incredible, I highly suggest you sample it before buying a full bottle! (I know that I’ll never own a full 2.5oz of this amazing fragrance, though I love it.)My decant is from The Perfumed Court, and full bottles are run at $225USD through shops like Saks, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman. SDV is only available in EdP form.
Note: a fragrance “dupe” is another scent that smells the same (or, at least, is supposed to smell the same) as the product it is a dupe for. They can be other mass-market products (like how Soap and Glory’s The Righteous Butter is said to be a dupe for Miss Dior Cherie,) or “knockoffs” from small independent retailers (which this one is.)
After I was sent a small vial of Skindecent’s Spiritueuse Double Vanille dupe from a lovely friend (no, not by the company,) I had to compare the two for you (of course!) With the price of the original topping $200 US, I’d do pretty much anything to find a fragrance that if not identical, is at least very similar… minus the price tag.
Here’s the thing: the Skindecent dupe is… decent. I mean, it’s nice, it really is — I’d go so far as to say that it’s very nice. It has the “mature vanilla” vibe that the Guerlain has, with a similar woodsy, deep base, and diffuses a bit farther from the skin than the original does (which I like — the Guerlain seems to play it a bit too close to the skin, at times, for me.) But there’s a catch. It’s missing the same booziness and fizziness. It has hints of both, I suppose, but it in no way sparkles the way real SDV sparkles.
Stock photo from the Skindecent site, edited slightly for colour and coherence.
What I’d do:
My verdict? Personally, I’m in the last category. This is by no means a perfect dupe (or even a replacement) for the real thing, but I know I’ll be using this reguarily and saving the Guerlain for special occasions. It is a gorgeous vanilla in its own right!
This doesn’t mean that I’ll stop looking, though — I hear that the CBD dupe is lovely, and I’ve found a few others online as well!
Availability: this dupe is sold through Skindecent — I have the 100% perfume oil 2ml sample, but it is also available in many other forms, from EdP sprays and roll-ons to scented body powder.
What it is: Etude House Peach Cheek Stamp blusher, in Smile Pink.
A bit about it: The Peach Cheek Stamp blusher is just what is says — a stamp! For you cheeks! That smells like a lovely, soft, synthetic peach!
On a less Prozac-infused note: the whole line features a lovely, matte finish, and the “stamp” (sponge) is washable. (Just make sure to dry it well before putting it back into the lid, where the pan of blush is housed.)
(blended lightly on right)
Okay, but seriously: You press the cheek stamp onto your cheek and blend. It’s quite an interesting concept, non? The pigmentation of this one is on the sheer side, but not too terribly sheer, and the product itself blends out very easily, with either fingers or a brush — talk about crazily smooth powder! I have heard that others in the line (namely, the peach shades) tend to be more pigmented, so keep that in mind if you’re thinking about purchasing one.
*stamps*
The shade: Despite the product name (Peach,) this is a lovely pink (in line with the shade name,) and is very, very light — I haven’t another pink blusher in my collection that’s quite this light! (Their Shy Pink shade has even more white in it, though. Want!)
Compared to NARS Mata Hari (far left) and Lancome Rose Fresque (far right.)
The ingredients:
The verdict? In terms of being a novelty item, this is a lovely blusher. But I mean, obviously, it’s not for everyone! I do like that it’s insanely silky and quite easy to put on, and the fact that this shade looks gorgeous on fair skin is just the cherry on top :) It’s the perfect “innocent” glow, and I definitely want to try a few more shades!
The blusher in action — I wear it as a natural flush, but it can certainly be built up a bit more!
Image from this FOTD.
Try it if…
Skip it if…
(In case you missed it — the title is in reference to my rave for another 100% Pure product, their lovely tinted moisturizer! Check out the review here.)
What it is: 100% Pure Pomegranate Antioxidant Hydration SPF 20
A bit about it: Pom (did you really expect me to write out that gigantor name throughout the review?) is a paraben-free, silicone-free facial moisturizer with a decent physical sunscreen added to it. Sure, it’s not perfect (I wish I could wear at least SPF 30 on a daily basis!) but it’ll do the job — it’s definitely better than nothing, and finding ‘cone-free products with SPF isn’t exactly a walk in the park. She runs at $26 a pop, which I find to be a bit high, and contains a mere 60g (2oz of product.)
What I loved: I’m fairly certain the only words that can describe this product are “lovely,” “wonderful,” and “godly.” Honestly, Pom is amazing, moisturizing (more than Olay Complete, less than Nivea,) and sinking in quickly and thoroughly. No shiny residue, sticky mess, or awful sunscreen-y (or any) scent here!
Thought this review needed another image. Didn’t have one. So, here is one from Getty Images.
What drama, captured by the lens! What emotion! (This is code for “I bet that pomegranate is one huge bee-eye-tee-see-aych.)
What I loved a little less: While I love the heavy weight of glass, I don’t see anything here that I find particularly aesthetically appealing — sure, there’s a certain rustic charm to the simple packaging, but I want my bells and whistles! *pounds on table with fists* I would have been okay with it, save for one large flaw: Pom’s packaging is heavy! Very much not travel-friendly, or even transport-friendly… or possibly even pick-up-and-use friendly, if you tend to drop things in the morning.
You know. It’s not like that doesn’t completely characterize yours truly.
The ingredients:
Active Ingredients: 15% Titanium Dioxide,10% Zinc
InActive Ingredients: Organic Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Juice) Leaf, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Organic Cera Alba (Beeswax), Organic Camelia Sinensis Leaf (White Tea) Extract, Extracts of Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf, Origanum Vulgar (Oregano),Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme), Citrus Grandis Seed (Grapefruit Seed), Origanum Vulgare Leaf (Goldenseal) and Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark (Cinnamon)
The verdict? For this one, I’m torn. On one hand I am a HUGE fan of the product... but on the other, I really quite dislike both the packaging and price. Will I rebuy? It’s very, very likely, unless by some freak accident I manage to find something equally as “pure” (i.e. free of ‘cones and so forth.) But will I be happy about doing so? As with the 100% Pure tinted moisturizer… no, not really. However, because I’m so in love with the formula, I can definitely see it as something I’d save up to re-buy.
(Yes, even if that meant no more new eyeshadow for two months.)
Buy it if:
Skip it if:
Availability: 100% Pure, BeautyIntuition, or perhaps even a local shop! (Try the organic stores and beauty boutiques.)
Seeing as the Smoke and Fire collection comes out tomorrow sorry, ladies — I’ve just heard back from The Body Shop, and it seems the release date has been pushed back until August 9th. I thought it would be appropriate to share a corresponding FOTD with you ladies this morning. I even put on an autumn-appropriate shirt for you — a burgundy sweater!
In case you missed it, you can check out the collection preview + review here.
Because I knew the kajal would get crazy smudge-y, I kept the rest of the eye super simple — just a bit of a shimmery wash and a light coat of mascara. Oh, and as to that full-face shot? Erm… awkward. Let’s just say this: smiling and looking away from the camera? Well, it was a good attempt, but they probably shouldn’t be combined, in my case. Ever.
Used:
The Body Shop Kajal in Steel
The Body Shop Autumn Leaves compact in Berry (to contour and add colour!)
Aura Science eyeshadow in Shimmery Nude
Ellis Faas Creamy Lips in L201 (with clear gloss overtop)
images credit: bellalucephotography/etoile2802. via {this is glamorous}.