Follow:

    Beauty sales, new Meteorites, and the last “New This Week” post of the year | New 29/12/13

    Just an “easy” post for today — a few recent launches that I think are worth noting + a two sale PSAs.

    Sorry for the impromptu little break I took last week; I ended up having to scrap the last few of our pre-Christmas features in favour of staying in bed and bemoaning my lack of an immune system. I hope to get back into the swing of things soon, though admittedly at a slower pace than the rest of December has been going at, so keep an eye on theNotice for more reviews & beauty news in the new year.

    Get up to 50% off beauty at Nordstom & Sephora

    There’s nothing like the post-holiday season for buying beauty, apparently! Get 15-50% off select beauty items + free US shipping on all orders at Nordstrom for a limited time. { shop the sale } clickable picks below!

    From now until January, get an extra 20% off all sale items at Sephora with code EXTRA20, both in Canada & the US. { shop the sale } clickable picks below!

    One last thing — due to the overwhelming response to this post, I will be reviewing the Je Joue MiMi Soft as soon as I can find the time! I’m so excited to get into something that’s so important to me (embracing female sexuality) in a space that I hold just as close to my heart. Thank you so much for your clicks, feedback, and re-tweets — support from all of you makes theNotice possible, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

    Hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season!

    Share:

    Five gift ideas for the woman who has it all | The Gift Guide

    For the luxury skincare lover: MIYU Beauty Hydrate Mi Beauty Essence

    Founded just this past year by fellow blogger Connie Tai, MIYU Beauty is a new Canadian brand that’s stealing hearts across the blogosphere. I’m having difficulties putting together a review of the line (I live in fear of the glycerine ratios in facial sprays, which do wonders for a few days but always seem to break me out after a week), but I can’t find a single bad thing to say about the aesthetic — or the people behind the brand.

    Beautifully housed in luxe-but-lightweight packaging with Ladurée-inspired details, the MIYU facial spray serums (!) are innovation at its best. { buy }

    For the green girl: Osmia Organics Sunset Body Oil

    Osmia Organics is a company that I was introduced to pretty recently, but I’m completely smitten with their range. Run by a former emergency room doctor who found her calling in all-natural skincare, the entire Osmia line up is exquisitely packaged, all-natural, and beautifully formulated.

    While perfumes and skincare can be hard to pick for someone else, though, Osmia’s body oils & soaps are a great way to gift a little luxury without the worry. Sunset, one of Dr. Sarah Villafranco’s newest creations, is a super-sexy (but not at all overpowering) jojoba-based blend that hydrates immediately with absolutely no oiliness left on the skin. { buy }

    Osmia Organics Sunset body oil review

    Osmia Organics Sunset Body Oil (2 oz)

    For the best friend: Je Joue MiMi Soft

    Here’s your not-so-fun science fact of the day: did you know that only 25% of women report frequently experiencing orgasms during intercourse? We live in a culture that’s so fixated on sex, and yet — from magazines (five surprising tips on how to please your man!) to porn, sex is all about male pleasure, not female.

    In the sprit of the season, consider giving someone the gift of self-love. Let them know that, like leaving the house without your makeup, sex isn’t anything to be ashamed of. And if we get to indulge in a bit of high-end tech while on the road to sexual equality? All the better.

    The Je Joue MiMi Soft is small, classy, and discreet, with a soft, comfortable silicone finish (the safest material a vibrator could possibly be made from), a fully waterproof body, and a rechargeable battery. And the charger, you guys. The charger is so cool. It magnetizes onto the up/down buttons and supplies the vibrator with power through science magic, and I won’t be told otherwise. { buy }

    If you’d like to see a review for the Je Joue Mimi Soft, click here to count your vote anonymously!

    PS: This vibe was sent in by SheVibe.com.

    Unlike everything else in this post, the Mimi was sent in by a storefront, not a brand. SheVibe.com is an online store that’s a far cry from the stereotypical blacked-out-windows sex shop in the bad part of town — I chose to work with them specifically because their site features reviews, articles, message boards, and tons of original artwork.

    Whether or not you’re looking to purchase a new toy this season, their comics and articles are definitely worth a look!

    Annabelle Cherry swatch TwistUp Retractable Lipstick

    Annabelle TwistUp in Cherry — from this post

    For the lip lover: Annabelle Cosmetics TwistUp Retractable Lip Crayon in Naked or Cherry

    These lip crayons may not feel super-luxe when you hold them, but oh my — do they ever pack a punch. With a lush, comfortable formula and way more pigment than any drugstore product has any right to have, Annabelle TwistUps are the perfect choice for a bit of luxury on a budget.

    Naked is a stunning satin-matte nude that suits my skintone (and a surprising many others) just perfectly, while Cherry is a drop-dead-gorgeous opulent red. Neither have shimmer, and (excuse my French) are classy as hell on the lips. { buy | review | swatches | win one! }

    For the luxury makeup lover: Make Up For Ever Artisan Brushes 

    I know I usually put my beloved Cozzette brushes in gift guides, and don’t get me wrong — I still love them. But while the Artisan brush range is just as soft, cruelty-free, and well-made as Cozzette’s S range, Make Up For Ever’s new brushes come with sleek, wood-finish handles and dark metal ferrules that Cozzette’s range just doesn’t have.

    I can’t speak for all of Make Up For Ever’s brushes, but the #150 Angled Cheek Brush, #174 Small Concealer Brush, and #304 Lip Brush all get my seal of approval. And, I mean, really — who couldn’t use just one more brush? { buy }

    What’s on your wishlist this season?

    Share:

    LUSH Luxury Lush Pud, Candy Mountain, & Melting Snowman | Three wintery bath-time treats for yourself, for others, for stocking stuffers

    Lush Holiday 2013 Christmas bath bomb

    The products: LUSH Luxury Lush Pud Bath Bomb, Candy Mountain Bubble Bar, and Melting Snowman Bath Melt

    Like Lush’s Snowman Invasion gift set (which contains their Cinders and Snowman Bath Bombs), these three Lush bath treats are cruelty-free, Vegan, and returning favourites from past holiday seasons.

    Whether you’re picking up a wintery relaxation aid for yourself, or you’re topping up a gift or filling up a stocking — here are three Lush products that really caught my eye this season. They’re all pretty different from one another, so keep reading to find out which one is best suited to you!

    Luxury Lush Pud 200g Holiday 2013

    Lush’s 2013 Luxury Lush Pud Bath Bomb

    Polka-dot pastels: Luxury Lush Pud ($6.95 CAD/200 g)

    Okay, okay, okay. I have to start with the Luxury Lush Pud, because — seriously? This thing is so cute.

    Designed with a deep purple base, a white “cap,” and the most mind-blowingly adorable pastel polka dots scattered on its sides, this year’s Lush Pud is infinitely more squee-worthy than the dirty-water coloured, Snowcake-scented Lil Lush Pud of the past. 2013’s version is huge–literally; this bath bomb is a massive 200 grams–and is the brand’s holiday interpretation of the permanent-range Twilight.

    I’m less crazy about the grape-coloured bathwater and lavender-benzoin-tonka fragrance blend of the Luxury Lush Pud than I am of its adorable design, but you win some, you lose some, you know? And lavender lovers will totally win some with this one.

    LUSH Luxury LUSH Pud ingredients:

    Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Cream of Tartar, Lauryl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lavender Oil, Benzoin Resinoid, Tonka Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Gardenia Extract, Titanium Dioxide, Coumarin, Linalool, Fragrance, Propylene Glycol, FD&C Blue No. 1, D&C Red No. 33, D&C Violet No. 2, D&C Red No. 30 Aluminum Lake, Candy Holly Leaf (Sugar, Water, Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein, Vegetable Gelatin, Riboflavin, FD&C Blue 1).

    Luxury Lush Pud review

    Bright, pink, and glaringly sweet: Candy Mountain ($7.45 CAD/100 g)

    Scented with the same cavity-inducing sweetness as Lush’s Creamy Candy Bubble Bar and Rock Star soap, Candy Mountain definitely has an audience — it’s just not me.

    If you love sugary, cotton candy scents and all things pink, then this bubble bar is definitely, absolutely for you. It tints the water a gentle pink, which is why I wanted to give it a go (most Lush bubble bars have a more startling colour), but the scent is just so sweet. I couldn’t keep it in my room, much less bathe with it, and ended up having to give it to the boy — and as such, I can confirm that the scent definitely lingers on the skin all day long. 

    Lush Candy Mountain 2013 review holiday christmas

    Lush’s 2013 Candy Mountain Bubble Bar

    The bar doesn’t deliver a ton of bubbles, and is definitely a one-bath-per-bar kind of product (unlike, for instance, the Luxury Lush Pud). With a hard shell surrounding a softer centre, the boy found it was hard to get all of Candy Mountain to dissolve under the faucet, and though it was enough for an adorable bubble beard, the bubbles disappeared pretty quickly. That said, the shimmer doesn’t linger on the skin after your bath, and rinses just as easily off of the tub, which is definitely a good thing — it was one of my main concerns for this bubble bar.

    If you love pink, sweet scents, and shimmer, or you know someone who does, this is the veritable peak of cotton-candy pink products. For most of us, though? I think it’s a pass.

    LUSH Candy Mountain ingredients:

    Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Citric Acid, Fragrance, Cornflour, Snowflake Lustre (Potassium Silicate & Titanium Dioxide), Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute, Titanium Dioxide, Polyester-3, Methyl Ionone, D&C Red 28, D&C Red No. 21.

    A snowman to steal the show: Melting Snowman ($5.95 CAD/60 g)

    Lush Holiday 2013 Christmas bath melt, bubble bar

    Lush’s 2013 Melting Snowman Bath Melt

    This bath melt, you guys. This is the highlight of the holidays at Lush. 

    Made with cocoa butter, shea butter, and almond oil, the Melting Snowman has the most comforting, festive fragrance. It’s so good that I have it lying out on my office dresser, letting it gently scent my room with the perfect cinnamon-clove/orange-lime balance. As lovely as it is, I am loathe to use it, because my office hasn’t smelled this good in ever. It is reputed to leave a ring around the tub, so buyers beware, but personally? I’m considering buying a backup, and then pelting LUSH HQ with letters begging them to make a candle or body butter or room spray of the Melting Snowman scent.

    Lush Melting Snowman Bath Melt 2013 review holidays

    I wish that Snowman and Melting Snowman came in a set together (psst — Lush, are you listening?), because that set would be awesome. I would buy that set for everyone, no fail, every year. Boyfriend’s mom? Bam. Snowman set. Secret Santa gift exchange? No problem: Snowman set. Prof who taught the best psych course ever, but constantly seems to be on the verge of a mental breakdown? Snowman set.

    LUSH Melting Snowman ingredients:

    Sodium Bicarbonate, Icing Sugar, Citric Acid, Cocoa Butter, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides & PEG60 Almond Glycerides , Almond Oil, Titanium Dioxide , Shea Butter, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Patchouli Oil, Benzoin Resinoid, Sweet Orange Oil, Clove Leaf Oil, Lime Oil, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Cinnamal, Coumarin, Eugenol, Limonene, Linalool, Fragrance, Dairy-Free Chocolate Drops (Sugar, Cocoa Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Vanilla), Ginger Stem.

    Keep reading! »

    Share:

    Fresh Sugar Kisses Mini Lip Trio review, swatches, photos | A quick, easy, last-minute gift idea

    Fresh Sugar lip balm review

    The product: Fresh Sugar Kisses Mini Lip Trio

       ↳ Sugar Petal, Sugar Honey, and Sugar Cherry Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15

    Okay, so: it’s the week before Christmas and you:

    a) Get a last-minute invite to a holiday girl’s-night-slash-secret-santa gift exchange,

    b) Find out that your distant cousin, twice removed, is going to be at your parents’ this year (and you need a gift for her),

    c) Realize that your sister’s gift, while pretty cool, could use an extra dose of awesome.

    Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment review

    In any of these scenarios, I’m going to go right ahead and recommend that you snag a Fresh Sugar Kisses Mini Lip Trio from Sephora on your way to… wherever it is you’re headed. I’m a sucker for a Fresh lip balm, so this trio of three minis (which comes in a super-easy-to-wrap box) is a pretty no-fail gift idea, as far as I’m concerned.

    The shades: The Sugar Kisses Mini Lip Trio contains Sugar Petal, a neutral-pink with a touch of brown, Sugar Honey, a medium-nude with a hint of red (for warmth), and Sugar Cherry, an absolutely gorgeous sheer red. The first two are nice, but Sugar Cherry gives the lips a really lovely, natural-looking, “just bitten” effect — perfect for the winter.

    Fresh Sugar Petal lip balm review swatches

    Fresh Sugar Petal Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15

    Fresh Sugar Honey lip balm review swatches

    Fresh Sugar Honey Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15

    Fresh Sugar Cherry lip balm review swatches

    Fresh Sugar Cherry Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15

    The Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 formula: The first thing to note about the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments is that, while they have a fairly moisturizing formula, they’re very soft and slippery. It makes the balms comfortable, but also prone to sliding around on your lips & smooshing during application.

    Despite being formulated with hydrating oils like meadowfoam seed oil, avocado oil, and jojoba, these aren’t the best choice for an actual “lip treatment” (as opposed to a tinted balm). They’re hydrating while worn, but need to be reapplied every two hours or sooner, making them a good choice for daytime wear but not a great one for overnight. The Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment formula has a nice, lemony-sweet scent — sugary without being overpowering and just citrusy enough.

    Fresh Sugar Cherry review photos swatches

    The tint: Because of the slippery formula, these balms need a minute to sink in. Once they do, however, the colour stops sliding around on my lips, and acts more like a balm with a very light stain. I’ve tried four shades of this balm (Honey, Cherry, and Petal, all featured here, as well as Rose), and all of them deliver exactly the amount of pigment I’d want from a tinted lip balm — more than a Clinique Chubby Stick, less than a lipstick, and definitely enough to give my lips some really natural-looking colour. 

    The packaging: Mini sizes of products usually lose out when it comes to packaging, but the great thing about Fresh lip balms is that they don’t. Just as solid, luxe, and well-made as the full-sized versions, mini Fresh Sugar lip balms feature the same coated-metal tube & twist-closure bottom as their full-sized counterparts.

    Fresh Sugar Kisses Mini Lip Trio review swatches

    The verdict?

    I have a no-longer-secret soft spot for Fresh Sugar lip balms, and I think that this set is a worthwhile indulgence. No one needs a 20-something dollar lip balm, but the Sugar lip balms are a really nice treat. The scent is close to lemony biscuits and far from lemon cleaner, and the light tints really do do a great job of adding colour without making it obvious that you’re wearing makeup.

    To note, these mini lip balms are 0.08 oz, the same size as last year’s BI birthday gifts. Buying just one full-sized tube is a little cheaper (in listed price, not cost per ounce), but I actually prefer these small(ish) tubes — they’re perfect for throwing into your handbag, and three shades is always more fun than one!

    Availability: $28 USD/$32 CAD for the Sugar Kisses Mini Lip Trio (3 x 0.08 oz), or $22.50 USD/$26 CAD for a full-sized tube (0.15 oz).

    Additional photos & ingredients »

    Share:

    Osmia Organics Juniper Fire Perfume Concentrate review, photos | Winter woodlands in a bottle

    Osmia Organics Juniper Fire review

    The product: Osmia Organics Juniper Fire Perfume Concentrate

    2013 is turning out to be a great year for smoky scents. Between finding love in both Juniper Fire and Illume’s Woodfire candle, I’ve spent almost all of this month surrounded in deep, outdoorsy scents — and I couldn’t be more smitten with them.

    Osmia’s perfumes are, perhaps, the most perfect portrayal of natural perfumery. The way Dr. Sarah Villafranco talks about her fragrances is so personal — each scent has a story, and each is made by hand in small batches. Blum, for instance, “may be a limited run, depending on [her] ability to procure more of the amazing honeysuckle absolute,” while Prima (“inspired by the smell of the dark, rich soil as it emerges from under the Colorado snow in the early spring,”) is blended with saffron oil that swirls its way into the fragrance like ink.

    Osmia Juniper Fire perfume concentrate review Osmia Organics review

    Juniper Fire is no exception to this rule. It was Sarah’s first perfume, and smells like an evergreen forest in the calm of winter. Beneath that, though, there is an undeniable warmth — almost as if you’re walking through these beautiful old trees, as tall as skyscrapers, but you can’t feel the chill at all.

    A tribute to Sarah’s beloved Colorado, and created “after stepping outside our house on a breathlessly cold, blue-sky day with a fire burning in the fireplace,” she describes it as:

    “Sweet, crisp, and comforting – somehow both chilly and incredibly warm.  A vanilla and sandalwood base with a hint of smoke, and the deeply wholesome smells of juniper and cedar – it’s like getting embraced by the mountains.”

    Natural perfume review - Osmia Organics Juniper Fire

    To me, Juniper Fire opens a little medicinal — but it’s not the kind of medicinal you’d find in a bottle of cold medicine. There’s this old Chinese remedy that my grandmother used to keep under the bathroom sink; a brown-coloured fluid in a red box that was meant to numb and heal bruises and sprains. A tincture of evergreen resin, safflower, and ginseng, it stained horribly, but she swore it took the pain away. Juniper Fire reminds me, at first, of that.

    Past the first few minutes, though, Juniper Fire settles into something much more woodsy and close to the skin. It looses its medicinal edge and plummets straight for sexy — clean and unisex, but not department store unisex, you know? It’s sexless and genderless; a quiet, crackling campfire in the woods. 

    The one thing about Juniper Fire that makes my heart break, however, is its longevity: a mere five hours, on my skin. That said, the scent is entirely unique, and only gets better with time: I merely like it for the first hour, but by the time I reach the third, my nose is literally pushed up to my skin. It’s beautiful — absolutely like nothing else you’ll ever find indoors. 

    Osmia Organics perfume concentrate review Juniper Fire

    Cedar Smoke, a similar Osmia scent, is no less gorgeous. It’s more subtle than Juniper Fire, and a little softer — though it does open with a touch of a (different) almost-medicinal note, just for a minute or two. Its cedar base leaves it smelling vaguely like a really sexy, dry sauna, and I would actually like it more than Juniper Fire if it packed a bigger punch. Osmia is very clear about the fact that their scents have only a 2-5 hour lifespan on the skin, and Cedar Smoke sits firmly at the two-hour end of that spectrum.

    Cedar Smoke is more comforting than Juniper Fire, while Juniper Fire is more unique. I think anyone who loved one would at the very least like the other, but they are different enough that you need to sample both and pick your favourite!

    Juniper Fire is a perfume concentrate, $150/0.48 oz in organic grape alcohol. Cedar Smoke is a perfume oil, $75/0.28 oz in organic jojoba and fractionated coconut oils. Both are packaged in glass with rollerball applicators.

    Osmia Organics perfume concentrate review

    The verdict?

    I’m always hesitant to recommend products that come at a price like this, but in this case — I can’t not. Juniper Fire is beautifully composed: equally fitting on both men and women, it’s sexy in a very, very understated, down-to-earth way. To put it succinctly, Juniper Fire is the kind of winter scent that you’d never be able to find in a department store, and it’s all the better for it.

    Like a breath of air in a snowy forest, it’s crisp, smokey, and wonderfully singular. At $150 USD, I’d really have liked to see better tenacity and sillage, but some ingredients (ingredients like cedar wood, pine needle, or juniper essential oils) just don’t have that — and I get it, I do. You can’t bend the boundaries of science, and Osmia is very upfront about their scents’ 2-5 hour, low-sillage wear.

    For most of us, natural perfumes may seem overpriced: but if you have someone in your life who loves scents but can’t wear synthetic compounds (my sister, for instance, gets really pervasive headaches around them), or you’re trying to detox your personal care regimen, then they’re more than a worthwhile indulgence. 

    Available: $150 USD/0.48 oz roll-on concentrate at Osmia Organics, or $2 for a sample (0.06 oz). International shipping available!

    Additional photos & more »

    Share:

    Clarins Forest Eye Quartet Mineral Palette review, swatches, photos | Clarins Graphic Expression, Fall 2013

    Clarins Forest Eye Quartet Mineral Palette review

    The products: Clarins Ombre Minérale 4 Couleurs (Eye Quartet Mineral Palette Long-Lasting) in 11 Forest

    Like the Clarins Graphic Expression Face & Blush Palette reviewed earlier this week, the Forest eyeshadow quad launched in Clarins’ Graphic Expression Fall 2013 colour collection. A new addition to the permanent range, it’s a little less gift-able than the powder, but no less lovely.

    Clarins Forest Eye Quartet swatches review

    Clarins Forest Eye Quartet

    The formula, texture, and pigmentation: Introduced this August into Clarins’ permanent range, Forest is a beautifully earthy quad. As a sheer eyeshadow/mixed textures lover, I’ve always been a big fan of the Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palettes, though they’re not for everyone.

    Like the other products in the Eye Quartet range, Forest features three hard-but-smooth eyeshadows that lend very well to seamless blending and medium-intensity looks, while layering well over primer or foiling works well to add colour density. I find the shades to be a little butterier and more pigmented than some of the other Clarins quads (the darkest shade in particular), and love that they all have a different finish.

    Clarins Forest Eye Quartet review

    Clarins Forest, Graphic Expression swatches review

    Swatched L-R: Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Forest (4), Clarins Face & Blush Powder in Graphic Expression (wide)

    The shades: In the top row Forest features a really interesting, almost dirty khaki with a bit of very fine microshimmer and a very sheer, white-and-gold shimmer (tiny yellow-gold microshimmer and slightly larger white reflects suspended in a transparent base). On the bottom, it features a green-based charcoal with noticeable gold shimmer (it looks black in the pan, but swatches on dry skin as a medium-sheer matte with a greenish cast and gold shimmer interspersed throughout) and a very pretty neutral-brown taupe (frost).

    The finishes of this quad, like all Clarins quads, are what really sell me on it: a satin, a glitter, a matte-with-microshimmer, and a frost. Worn together, the textures of the Eye Quartet Mineral Palettes give any natural, demure eye look a really intriguing edge.

    Clarins Forest swatches Eye Quartet Mineral Palette review

    Swatched L-R: Clarins Eye Quartet in Forest, Clarins Face & Blush Powder in Graphic Expression

    Overall, this quad has a warm green vibe to it — something you don’t see a lot of. I think it would be especially lovely on warm olive tones, but it would work really well on beige and neutral skintones, too. It looks a little bit “off” on me (which eyeshadows very rarely do), so I’d say that the only colouring this quad wouldn’t shine on would be cool olive ones (cool pink overtones and light olive undertones).

    Clarins Forest eye quartet swatches

    Swatched L-R: Clarins Eye Quartet in Forest, Clarins Face & Blush Powder in Graphic Expression

    Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette review swatches Forest

    The Face & Blush Palette and Eye Quartet Mineral Palette (Ombre Minérale 4 Couleurs) packaging

    The verdict?

    The Forest quad doesn’t get quite as much of a gold star from me as the Graphic Expression blush/powder, but it’s a very pretty product, too: the same beautiful-but-lightweight gold Clarins packaging, with four wonderful mix-and-match eyeshadow finishes inside.

    Forest is a little more pigmented than other Clarins quads, and is a must-have for anyone who wears khakis really well. Unfortunately, that’s one of the few colours that doesn’t work very well at all on my skintone (I photographed a look with it but had to scrap it), but I think it would look like a dream on my sister’s warmer, more olive-toned skin — to each her own, really.

    Availability: $42 USD/$42 CAD, and is a new addition to the permanent range.

    Keep reading! »

    Share:

    ‘Tis the season… to give away two tubes of Annabelle TwistUp Lipstick in Cherry!

    Annabelle Cherry swatch TwistUp Retractable Lipstick

    Annabelle Cosmetics TwistUp Retractable Lipstick in Cherry, swatched

    For all of our wonderful, supportive readers who didn’t hit the jackpot and win a set of Annabelle Cosmetics TwistUp Retractable Lipsticks this past October, I have a surprise for you: with the help of the beautiful folks over at Annabelle, I have another two TwistUps in Cherry to give away!

    If you weren’t following the TwistUp craze that took the Canadian blogosphere by storm earlier in the year, Cherry is the one shade that completely took my breath away. The creamy, high-pigment TwistUp formula, paired with the ridiculously vibrant berry-red tones of Cherry, made for one of the most opulent red lipsticks I will likely ever own. Scentless and undeniably gorgeous, it radiates sex appeal — and it’s a shade that I think every bold lipstick lover should have in their stash.

    » Don’t miss theNotice’s Annabelle TwistUp review & swatches of all 24 shades!

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Like our last Annabelle giveaway, one of these TwistUps will go to a reader in the US/Canada, and one to an international reader. (This is to make sure at least one winner will be from a country where you can’t get Annabelle products!) The giveaway will open today, December 12th, and will close at 11:59 PM (MST) on Christmas Eve. Winners will be announced on the 25th of December, and will have three days to get back to me before I will re-draw for their prize.

    Good luck, dear readers! I hope you’re having a warm, festive holiday season so far.

    Share:

    Three gorgeous, out-of-the-box finds for the holiday season | The Gift Guide

    In a month that epitomizes opulence and indulgence, it isn’t hard to find lust-worthy items to gift for the holidays. Finding something just outside of the mainstream, however, is a different challenge entirely.

    Here are three finds that any beauty lover would be pleasantly surprised to receive (but would never see coming).

    For the skincare lover: STEAMCREAM ($20 USD)

    STEAMCREAM original

    STEAMCREAM first landed on my radar two years ago, when Lisa Eldridge declared it a “Lisa Loves” product. The brand is designed around what I find to be a really interesting concept: the cream itself never changes, but the tins are all limited edition (excluding Original and, in the UK, Freedom & Discipline). Steamcream is made to be both a skincare staple and a collector’s item — something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before.

    Made with ingredients that are as fresh as possible, Steamcream uses a unique, steam-based process to fuse its ingredients together in a loose emulsion. The idea behind this is that, when applied, the product will sink deep into your skin almost immediately, making it lightweight enough for oily skintypes but hydrating enough for dry ones. (I haven’t yet figured out if this is true, but I’ll keep you updated!)

    STEAMCREAM Light from Space - Nelly Makeeva

    STEAMCREAM Light from Space & Silent Night

    Steamcream can be used on the face, body, hands, and hair, and is handmade in the UK and Japan. It’s both vegan and cruelty-free, and if you see a tin that you love, or that someone you know might love — well, you might want to snap it up now, because there likely won’t ever be a second run. I’m smitten with the Light from Space and Silent Night tins, the latter of which has just the most charming design on its side!

    Keep reading! »

    Share:

    Clarins Graphic Expression Face & Blush Powder review, swatches, photos | Clarins Fall 2013/The Gift Guide

    Clarins Face & Blush Powder review Graphic Expression

    The products: Clarins Graphic Expression Face & Blush Powder

    This post comes a little late in the year, but as both this powder and the Graphic Expression Forest eyeshadow quad (review later this week) are still available, I’m hoping you’ll be able to forgive me.

    These two gems launched in the Clarins Fall 2013 Graphic Expression colour collection, and would make wonderful Christmas gifts — the quad depending on the skintone of the recipient, and this Face & Blush Powder for, well, anyone.

    Clarins Face & Blush Powder review

    Clarins Graphic Expression Face & Blush Powder review

    The formula: Like all of the other Clarins powders I’ve tried, the Graphic Expression Face & Blush Powder has the most beautiful, delicate violet fragrance. It’s soft and ethereal, but with this wonderful fruity edge, tamped down by a hint of powder.

    I’ve never been able to test their powders for all-over wear, as all of the ones I own are either too dark, too shimmery, or too silicone-y (or a combination thereof), but I’ve never read an outright bad review for them. Christine (Temptalia), for instance, found that Graphic Expression “wore well for eight and a half hours, and it did seem to help prolong the wear of [her] foundation slightly (by about a half hour),” while Karen (Makeup and Beauty Blog) notes that it “does slightly darken on [her] skin over time.”

    Clarins Graphic Expression swatches review photos

    Clarins Graphic Expression swatches photos review

    Clarins Forest, Graphic Expression swatches review

    Swatched L-R: Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Forest (4), Clarins Face & Blush Powder in Graphic Expression (blended)

    The shade and finish: More peachy than last spring’s pinky-peach Palette Eclat, and much darker than 2010’s apricot-peach Barocco Face PaletteGraphic Expression has a bit of gold shimmer woven through its formula, too. The stripe of gold overspray comes off to reveal a wider pink strip, but the two pink portions carry a hint of finely milled shimmer right down to the bottom of the pan.

    Both the light and dark beige/peach strips are smooth and completely matte, with a dry-satin finish. If you use all of the shades at once, the resulting colour is just as surprisingly pigmented as the Palette Eclat was, with a warmer, peachier lean and a very softly frosted finish — but only if you build it up tons, as in a blush or bronzer.

    When worn all over, this is, again, warm and peachy, almost orange (but a good orange). The more you buff it in, the more the shimmer seems to come out, but it’s glowy and imperceptible from a foot or more away. If last spring’s palette gave a glow with its rosy tones, then this one gives it with its subtle shimmer.

    Clarins Face & Blush Powder swatches review Graphic Expression

    Clarins Graphic Expression Face & Blush Powder swatches: without & with overspray

    Clarins powder blush review swatches photos Graphic Expression

    What makes it such a perfect gift: I mean, look at it. If you had to give one makeup item to someone — why not this? More portable and budget-friendly than something like Guerlain’s Meteorites, Clarins’ Graphic Expression powder is almost alarmingly versatile across skintones, functioning as everything from an all-over radiance powder to a blush or bronzer.

    The design of the Face & Blush powder changes with each season, but it too is always so well thought-out: intricate and mesmerizing, with strips of colour that go straight down. I really liked spring’s design, but this one really is much more holiday-appropriate — its lines upon lines remind me of ribbons or wrapping paper, and I just think it would make such a lovely gift.

    Clarins Fall 2013 review Graphic Expression Face & Blush Powder

    The verdict?

    Clarins cheek palettes are always gorgeous in tone and design, and the Graphic Expression Face & Blush Powder is no exception. I love Clarins powders for their beautiful violet scent, and though their Face & Blush Powders’ tones (typically peach or pinky-peach) suit my complexion better in the summer, they’re wonderful all year ’round on neutral and warm skintones.

    As always, I would recommend this powder as a brightening, all-over powder for darker skintones, and as a blush or contour on lighter ones.

    While this palette isn’t quite as holiday-perfect as Clarins’ Barocco collection powder was (yes, I’m still in love with its aesthetic, even after all these years), it’s definitely more than holiday-ready.

    Availability: $35 USD/$40 CAD, limited edition.

    Keep reading! »

    Share:

    LUSH Snowman Invasion (Cinders & Snowman/Butterball Bath Bombs) | The Gift Guide: under $15

    LUSH Snowman Invasion review Christmas Holiday 2013

    The product: LUSH Snowman Invasion gift set

       ↳ Cinders & Snowman Bath Bombs

    When you live in a city that gets as cold as Edmonton in the winter, the promise of an almost-too-warm, wonderfully holiday-scented soak is pretty enticing. So, this year, I’m giving baths a chance. It’s something I haven’t done in years, but the boy is a bath addict, and he’s pretty good at making things sound wonderful.

    (Case in point: Animal Crossing. I can’t even, you guys.)

    Available at just $12.95 CAD (the same price in the US!), LUSH’s Snowman Invasion gift set is a super-easy, grab-and-go gift for the bath addict in your life. This vegan gift set includes LUSH’s limited-edition Cinders and Snowman Bath Bombs, both of which are returning customer favourites from previous LUSH Holiday collections!

    LUSH Cinders bath bomb review 2013

    Cinders Bath Bomb ($4.95 CAD/90g)

    Scented with cinnamon leaf and sweet orange oil, Cinders is a bath addict’s winter dream. Not only is it made to smell like the holidays, but it’s made to sound like them, too: the popping candies will literally pop while they dissolve, mimicking the pops and crackles of a wood fire.

    Kind of kitschy, yes, but so cool. 

    Unlike a lot of LUSH’s Holiday range, Cinders isn’t part of their permanent range. Instead, it’s a fan favourite from previous years, hydrating with almond oil and fizzing away with a simple blend of sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, and water. I’d kind of have preferred that it didn’t tint the bath water yellow, but for a bit of fun, it makes a great gift.

    Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Coarse Sea Salt, Popping Candy (Isomalt, Lycasin, Carbon Dioxide), Fragrance, Gardenia Extract, Almond Essential Oil, Sweet Orange Oil, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Cinnamal, Eugenol, Limonene, FD&C Red No. 4

    Note: Cinnamon oil can be an irritant for some. If you’re gifting to someone with very sensitive skin or lots of allergies, you might want to pick a different gift set.

    LUSH Snowman bath bomb review 2013

    Snowman Bath Bomb ($5.95 CAD/100g alone)

    A holiday-shaped version of LUSH’s much-lauded Butterball Bath Bomb, I’m saving Snowman for a day when I can relax for an hour and really enjoy a bath. I have terrifyingly dry skin in the winter, and Snowman/Butterball sounds like the perfect way to combat it: formulated with cocoa butter and scented with vanilla, it promises both relaxation and hydration (two things I think we could all use each December).

    Butterball’s vanilla/musk/ylang ylang fragrance was one of LUSH’s first, and I’m looking forward to dropping this low-scent, no-tint bath bomb into my tub this winter.

    Also: can we just stop for a second and talk about how absolutely adorable it is?

    Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Cocoa Butter, Synthetic Musk , Ylang Ylang Oil, Glycerine, Sodium Carbonate, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Fragrance, FD&C Red No. 4, D&C Red No. 33, D&C Orange No. 4

    LUSH bath bomb review Snowman Invasion

    Wrapped & ready to go!

    Keep reading! »

    Share: