theNotice

Violet glitter + B-Rae? Yes, please!

June 14, 2010

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Remember when I told you I was playing around with glitter?

(No, I realize that you couldn’t have forgotten any sentence with “glitter” in it. Now shush! This is my story!)

Anyhow, remember when I told you I was playing around with glitter? Well, I ~~always want to play with glitter~~ stopped playing and started working! I also threw in some B-Ray, because [dramatic music] we’ll be giving away a pan over the next week or so, depending on when I get my [~~foul language deleted~~] act together. So, try not to suddenly run away for an extended period of time.

(Plus, I’ll be hitting Sephora after my finals — probably early July — to find you ladies some B-Ray dupes. I haven’t been able to track any down in the drugstore, so far, unfortunately.)

There are photos both with and without glitter, even though everything is better with glitter. The glitter-factor kind of impairs the actual looking-at-shadow-placement bit, which I get the feeling some of you are kind of here to see. Y’know. Just maybe.

Tip: want a fun, ethereal, possibly vision-impairing look? The next time you want to pair glitter with some dramatic falsies, make sure to get it on the lashes as well (or put it only on the lashes!) One word – awesome.

Run behind the cut for more photos (both with and without glitter!) as well as a product listing.

Without:

With:
(Glitter is just so gorgeous out of focus!)

Used:

NYX Milk jumbo eye pencil
TheBalm TimeBalm concealer
Smashbox Smoke eyeshadow (in brows)

Violetta (a light “true” violet blended and pressed by yours truly)
MUFE 92
Annabelle B-Ray

Revlon Fantasy Lengths Minx eyelashes
MUFE 0L (black) Aqua Eyes eyeliner

Note: the violet glitter used will remain unnamed – love the product at the price, but I absolutely abhor the site’s customer service and I do think the glitter itself could be (dare I say it?) prettier. So, I’m keeping mum on this one!

Tags: /4. Makeup looks, Annabelle, Canadian beauty, Eyes, Makeup looks: colour

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We appreciate the effort.

June 13, 2010

Rae Chen

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Really, we do. But Nordstrom? That is no excuse for this… this thing:

Even more amusing is the fact that it comes in five colours.

Tags: /Fragrance, Things that scare me

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{victorian perfection}

June 12, 2010

Rae Chen

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via …etc.

Tags: /Pretty things

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A slew of great deals

June 12, 2010

Rae Chen

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Click on the images to be led to the product/deal page!

This only happens once or twice a year (and for good reason!) but I’m always thrilled when it does happen. Heads up, Canucks — Rexall has 50% off all lip products*! You know where I’ll be this weekend.
*excludes only Elizabeth Arden.

Sephora’s been changing up their line recently, so a lot of their brushes (and cosmetics!) are on clearout. I’m curious about this cute blusher brush…

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks — have you seen Stila’s It Girl palette? Ten bucks, three shades… nope, can’t go wrong there!

Sneak behind the cut for Juicy Couture, MAC, Ecotools, $3 Vincent Longo, and more!

While we’re on the topic of Sephora — JUICYCOUTURE gets you a free mini Juicy Couture perfume rollerball with any purchase.

Ugh! I really want to try these MAC skincare minis, but I don’t want the MSF. If only I had a makeup buddy in the city to split the set with me!

Have some old brushes or bath and body products kicking around? (Don’t lie to me, I know you totally do.) Well, if you mail them into Ecotools, you can get up to two vouchers for the same products, but by Ecotools as part of their Look Gorgeous, Love Green campaign.

Vincent Longo’s brush cleaner is on for just $3.12 (what a weird number!) plus the usual $0 shipping within the US at Barney’s right now. No idea why, but hey, I’m not complaining! Now, if only they had free shipping to Canada… or shipping to Canada at all…

That’s all for now! Feel free to hit us up in the comments with any great steals we may have missed :)

Tags: /Steals and Deals

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Stay with me, and never stop being glamorous!

June 11, 2010

Rae Chen

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Every now and then, I forget why I love my camera. I forget why I forked over about a bazillion six hundred dollars for a piece of plastic, metal, and glass…

…but then I pick it up, take a few photos, and quickly remember why I love my baby camera.

What it is: Rimmel‘s new Stay Glossy “six hour” glosses, in Always Lovely and Non-Stop Glamour.

(Note: the above is a link to the UK site. I do believe they’re coming to the US, and I know for sure they’re in Canada, so I’m guessing they just haven’t updated their sites yet!)

Love the applicator! It’s like a doe-foot, but… not. Imagine a doe-foot that has been run over by a car, or the cross-breed between a spatula applicator and a doe-foot — still “fluffy,” but flatter.

The fomula: The Stay Glossy line feels nice and plush on my lips, if a touch too sticky for my tastes. (Really, they’re not terribly sticky at all — I’m just picky!) I shouldn’t even have to say this, because there are photos, but: they’re very, very glossy. I like! The thing is, they give off a weird smell, and it definitely sticks around.

As to that wear time — six hours my ass! I can get maaaaaybe three hours tops out of these, with my bad habits. (I basically do everything you’re not supposed to: licking my lips, blotting them together [as if you’re spreading product,] biting them when I’m nervous… it’s terrible!)

Swatches under slightly different lighting. You know the drill; click to enlarge!

The glitter: Hear that noise? Yah, that one — the faint, quiet one, that sounds like a broken engine or a slowly dying cow.

That’s me, being angry and irritated at this glitter!

Left behind after swatching and ample scrubbing.

Sure, it’s pretty on the lips. But it gets everywhere. End up with a tiny bit of this gloss on your fingertip and it’ll be all over your face by noon. Try to wipe this lip colour off and it’ll be halfway down your chin in seconds. (Tip: blot blot blot to get it off. Absolutely no wiping!) They leave glitter bits on your lips, too: as the gloss wears off, the glitter stays behind. Thankfully, though, the glitter particles don’t feel the least bit gritty — I think if they did, I’d have gone batshit all over the town by now. Grittiness would have been the last straw!

The shades:

Always Lovely (above) is a sheer bright pink packed with silver reflects. It’s nothing to write home about, and with the formula’s downfalls, I’d skip on it. Quite sheer, and quite easily dupe-able, though it is pretty cute!

Non-Stop Glamour (above) is a totally different story. It’s a slightly rosey nude, and the reflects are a lovely gold. Despite all the problems I have with the Stay Glossy line, I reach for this over and over again — the photos just don’t do it justice! It’s five levels of “crazy gorgeous.” Trust me.

I’d recommend these if…

you’re a huge glitter freak
you like a super-comfortable applicator
you find a shade that you just love, like Non-Stop Glamour!
you want a glittery black gloss from the drugstore. Because yes, they do make one.

I’d skip these if…

you want a long-wearing gloss that really does wear for a long time
you don’t like glosses that are scented
you’re not a fan of having glitter all over your face

Tags: /Lips, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Rimmel

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Open thread: what would you change?

June 10, 2010

Rae Chen

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I’ve been meaning to do an open thread for ages, but I just kept putting it off, putting it off… well, we’re doing it now! No more procrastination, Rae.

So here’s your prompt: what would you change about theNotice? It can be anything, absolutely anything. If you’re not sure where to start, here are some ideas:

Do you prefer structured reviews or unstructured ones? When I started writing, I chose to do structured ones — I know that, personally, I’ll focus in on certain parts of a review when I’m reading, and I wanted it to be as easy as possible for you ladies to do that.
And while we’re talking about reviews, what kind of conclusion is the most helpful? I don’t do letter ratings (too math-y for me!) but maybe we could work something else out if you don’t like “the verdict.” For instance, lists of “I’d recommend this if…” and “Avoid this if…”
Fonts, fonts, fonts. I like the sans-serif that we’re using now, but we used to do small Garamond. Preferences?

Hit me up in the comments! Even if you don’t have any ideas for change, perhaps if you have a favourite feature that I keep forgetting about, like Splurge, or Worth the Hype? And hey, if you’re still at a loss for words, just tell me how your week’s been going! I, for one, am wiped.

Edited to add: thanks for all the imput so far, ladies! I’ve removed the pop-up :)

Tags: /About theNotice

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Seven bronzers — just in time for summer!

June 10, 2010

Rae Chen

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Last summer, I brushed over two MAC bronzers. This summer, I’m one-upping myself (because ~~my ego is that big~~ I’m that awesome) and comparing seven of them for you.

(You’re welcome.)

The downside is that I had actually taken these photos shortly after last summer’s bronzer post, so they’re really old. My apologies for the image quality; I was still using my old camera at that point! The other half of this downside is that the Victoria’s Secret (which I actually love) and Lancome (less love) have since been discontinued. So, um… sorry!

The products (photo without titles after the cut, if you’re interested. And as always, click to enlarge!)

My picks:

The most orange, and longest-wearing — Lancome Photôgenic Bronzé
The best “healthy glow” — MAC Bronze
The best for versitality, for the price, and for the most skintones — Annabelle Golden Glow duo
The best for a bit more cash — MAC Bronze

[Sidenote: what I really like about the Annabelle duo and Bronze is that they can suit anything from an NC10 to an NW25, just by using more/less product. For instance, I’ll apply Bronze to my cheeks with a fan brush, but use a bronzer brush if I’m working on my mother!]

(Swatches and more…)

Tags: /Annabelle, Canadian beauty, Cheeks, MAC, Product Photos, Product Swatches

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Please don’t kiss my face. I don’t know you.

June 9, 2010

Rae Chen

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What it is: Kiss My Face‘s Whenever Shampoo and Conditioner duo

The background: I’ve been searching high and low for a ‘cone-free conditioner that’s also free of artificial scents, SLS, and parabens. I know, I know: it’s a tall order. If I could find one, though, it would be wonderful — my sister is allergic to many chemical scents (they make her nauseous and cause headaches) as well as parabens, and I’m sensitive to ‘cones. (SLS? Well, we’re avoiding those just because. Two words: red hair.)

The initial impression: Upon the first wash, I was in love with this line! The smell is a little heavy in the shower, at least for me, but leaves my hair smelling amazing. It’s scented with green tea and lime, but lime is the dominant scent… and it’s delicious! Not too fruity and not too foodie. And, despite not having ‘cones to coat my cuticle, my hair felt smooth and tame all the same. (Find the small pleasures in life. Rhyme often and eat carbs!)

What I found out: After about two weeks of use, I’m going to have to stop using this. Which sucks. Majorly. It’s hard for me to find shampoo and conditioners that work well with my skin, and unfortunately, this didn’t. Massive breakout. Awfulness. Tears.

The verdict? Though this broke me out, I’m still recommending it if you’re looking for all the things in a shampoo and conditioner duo that I am. The ingredients list is great, and while natural (and naturalish) hair products can be strange getting used to (they don’t feel as slippery in the shower, and often form fewer suds — but they do do their jobs just as well,) I think it’s worth it.

I know it’s a little strange that I’m recommending something that caused a breakout, but hear me out first! 95% of shampoo/conditioner duos that I’ve tried have caused me to break out. Quite frankly, it’s ridiculous. My skin is unbelievably sensitive to them for no apparent reason! So, I’m saying it would be worth it to give this a try, but discontinue use if your skin gets dramatically worse after the first week or two.

(In other words? They smell really really really good. So I think you should try them.)

Tags: /Hair, Product Photos, Product Review, Silicone-free

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Annabelle makes this beauty blogger… change her stripes?

June 8, 2010

Rae Chen

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Sidenote: the degree to which I adore this promo is absolutely ridiculous. Okay, so I’m not a huge fan of the top*… but for some strange reason, I love this despite myself. The heavy cheeks really didn’t work for infraRed, but I think they work much better here!

(Click to enlarge and check out the eye and lip areas in particular. I love the model’s irises, and her brows and lashes are to-die-for, Photoshop and all.)

*To be honest, I think it’s kind of hideous.

I’ve never been a bronzer-lover. EVER. I’m pasty white and quite alright with it; I just don’t associate “bronzed” with “healthy” the way a lot of people do. And okay, I have an obscene number of them for someone who doesn’t use them, but in! my! defense!, I’ve never purchased one.

(I’m pale. People assume I need bronzer. End of story.)

Here’s the thing: Annabelle has this adorable Zebra bronzing powder, and I think I… like it? I mean, it’s not at all orange, and the shimmer (I normally hate shimmer in my cheek products) just looks awesome. It gives me a summery glow, without making me look sunburnt! (And yes, it still lets me seem shockingly pale if I still want to.)

Here’s the Zebra bronzer compared to Annabelle’s SkinTrue bronzer (above.) Now, the SkinTrue one is already pretty good in terms of not looking orange (and comes with the added benefit of one matte side/one shimmery side.) The Zebra bronzer is special, though. I can’t quite put my finger on it. You’d think it would be too warm, but it’s not, not at all. It’s neither too orange nor too green; the perfect gold. It’s very pale, very luminescent — packed with shimmer, but the shimmer is so finely milled that it skips right over “pearled” or “frosty” and just slams into “crazy angelic glow.”

Obviously, for this reason it’s not going to work the same way on a darker-skinned beauty that it does on me. I can use this alone to contour and get away with it; on someone much darker I think it would still be a lovely all-over glow, but it wouldn’t sculpt the face in the same way. I’d say it would be good for the palest of folks (seriously, as in “NW5” if it existed) right up until about NW25 or so. Past that it would likely just start to look more like a gorgeous luminescent cheek product, and less like a bronzer.

A side note: as usual, the product photo on the Annabelle site is (excuse my French,) total shit. Here’s a more accurate one — very accurate in fact, if I may say so myself!

The verdict? This is disgusting! I hate it! Just kidding — I absolutely love this product. And trust me, I’ve never said that about a bronzer before! I’ve set the bar so high for bronzers that it’s the only one I keep in my personal stash. (No, even MAC didn’t manage to scrape its way over the bar.) It just gives this incredible, fairly sheer golden glow, and while it would look great on virtually anyone, I think it looks particularily stunning on us pale ladies.

So: thanks for remembering we exist, Annabelle ;) I love you!

Tags: /Annabelle, Canadian beauty, Cheeks, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches

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When photoshoppers go rogue

June 7, 2010

Rae Chen

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I usually love you, Givenchy. Truly. You almost never disappoint when it comes to promo images, and everything about you is just so luxe and gorgeous. I’ve been ridiculously in love with the images for your last few collections — remember last fall/winter’s Les Poétiques? I still look at that image from time to time.

However, I do have a problem with this:

YOU ARE A HUMAN NOT A SEAMONSTER SO PLEASE STOP TRYING TO BE ONE.

Tags: /Things that scare me

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