Friday, April 29, 2011

The Royal Wedding 's Royal Guests

I'm not just a anglophile and UK royal fan but  tend to follow most of the  royals of Europe as well. A who's who ,but not all of them, gathered at the Abbey for the wedding this weekend. So lets take a lot at their fashion choices.

Absent were Crown Princess Mary of Denmark who always cuts a fashionable fugure She' s an enigmatic one who  is lovely but doesn't always look terribly happy .    However, her mother in law, Queen Margrethe looked fabulous in a bright blue coatdress ensemble( exceptiong the very unmatching shoes). 

Crown Princess Mette Marit of Norway  was also not on hand, but two of my favorites were. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, one of the happiest looking brides I have ever seen at her own wedding last summer , and Crown Princess  Maxima of the Netherlands. Maxima always has this  big laughing smile on her face .  She seems happy,  makes a cute couple with her husband and has those adorable 3 blonde daughters .

 Victoria was in  a soft peach Elie Saab ensemble that was just abit sexy. She is a newlywed after all. It struck the right note between pretty  but not too much.

Maxima was looking pretty in a nude lace  suit . She had her smile on  along with a perfect hat ( looking pill box style perhaps) and along with a lovely chignon.
Also attending in her 1st international  event since her engagment was Charlene Wittstock , the next royal bride.  Wearing Akris in a pale grey, she was very understated , almost too much so , but she is a beautiful woman and she was wearing the perfect  peach lipstick at least.   Armani is rumored to be dressing her for her nuptials and she tends to go  sleek, so we'll see come July.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Guerlain Terracotta Gloss 2011

This year's Terracotta lipglosses from Guerlain are a trio of sheer brights . Part of the Terra Inca collection and LE , there's  a pink( Salsa), an orange ( Mambo) and  a red ( Tango).  Don't fear the  colors though, these go on sheer with a nice bit of color but nothing so bold as a regular gloss or lipstick.

 I am fond of the orange Mambo, as not only is a great color on me, but it's a way to wear orange with  going  too bold.  I'll do bold on rare occasions. This orange can be brought out anytime. The one thing missing is SPF. Last year they had it, which was great. This year its not in there.  But it's simple enough to apply a lip balm with sunscreen underneath.

The glosses are  non sticky , and feel smooth and balm like on lips.

Terracotta Gloss is $ 30.50 and available  in May at Neimans, Saks , Nordstrom, Sephora and more.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

The Royal Wedding and Some Fine English Perfume Houses


With the Royal Wedding just days away, and finding myself in full  wedding fever mode as well as an already being an  extreme Anglophile ,  I thought I'd highlight some great UK  brands.  Not simply brands Kate might use, because I realize not everyone  has the wedding fever.  These names  cover more than  that, ones that yes, often are used by royals, but are also just incredibly good in case your craving a touch of Brit .  You don't  even have to cross the pond to get them.

In the realm of fragrance, France is often first thought of as the place to go. Britain however, has many top  perfume companies , some dating back centuries.


Penhaligons has a nice but manageble list of perfumes along with matching bath and body for men and women. They  hold 2 royal warrants from the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles. Princess Diana is rumored to have been a fan of Bluebell,  a scent I was once told is quintessentially English.  A personal favorite here is Malabah, a  rich, spicy  and warm oriental as well as their Violetta.

Creed has serviced royalty for generations.  Originating in the UK in  1760 then moving to France at the behest of Empress  Josephine, they are said to have created their Royal Water for Princess Diana,  Fleurissimo for Princess Grace and  the  gorgeous  rose based Fleurs de Bulgarie for Queen Victoria who also gave them a royal warrant. Prince Charles is known to love  Green Irish Tweed  from the company, which is one of my favorite men's scents.  Personal favorite - Love in Black, a  deep violet inspired by Jackie Kennedy Onassis.


Ormonde Jayne is newer than  the above two, but no less a great perfume house. They have a cult following and ship to the US, often offering free shipping several times a year including this Mother's Day.  One of their  newest , Tiare ,combines that tropical note with lime and mandarin for a citrus touch and then cedar and moss  dominate at the drydown  to balance the sweetness. It's crisp , green and lightly floral .


Crabtree and Evelyn- Probably the British brand I've used the longest. I  used to love browsing and occasionally treating myself there as a teen. They were one of the few places to carry talcum powder in tins and their rosewater scent was perfect.  Recently  they've  brought out a new floral fragrance line including an Iris and Lily.  They are also home to India Hicks Island Living, a line of home fragrance created by Ms. Hicks, Prince Charles god-daughter as well as bridemaid at his wedding to Lady Diana.

Floris-   Harder to find in stores here but has a nice US website  http://www.florislondonusa.com/Default.asp .  They used to be carried at Bergdorfs I belive, but no longer.    Floris is another  longtime  British company still at it in the same space at  89  Jermyn St. in London.   I've smelled only Seringa, but many sound wonderful.  Seringa  is a beautiful spicy  floral and they recently created Wedding Bouquet in honor of the big day. This one looks to be only on the UK site at  present.  Most intriguing sounding scent- Madonna of  the Almonds, with almond blosson,  bitter almond as well as bergamot, lemon and vanilla.

Yardley- A very old brand you can buy right at the drugstore, but you will find a far larger selection online or at specialty stores. I noticed a pomegranate rose soap on their website for $ 2.00 .  http://www.smallflower.com/ has a selection of Yardley's  UK line  as well as Taylors of London and Woods of Windsor. All great lines  at nice prices.

Molton Brown-  More bath and body than perfume,  they have a wide range of  uncommon but beautiful scents. Coming soon  and inspired by  England's  hideen walled gardens is Pettigree Dew, a herbaceous floral that is LE and will be a hand and body lotion set.
 
Clive Christian - According to the company,  in 1999, British luxury designer Clive Christian ( initially interior design) revived one of the oldest perfumeries in Britain (the Crown Perfumery) which was honored by Queen Victoria in 1872 when she granted the company the image of her crown as an enduring symbol of British excellence.

Clive Christian has since become known as the world's most expensive perfume and is sold at places like Harrods, Saks and  Bergdorf Goodman.   Roja Dove , master of perfumery at Harrods  and Clive Christian have teamed up to send William and Catherine a his and hers custom set of  No.1  just for them. 
Any favorites of yours here and do you have Royal Wedding fever?


Fifi Fragrance Awards Consumers Choice Voting Open

The Fifis, the  fragrance industries biggest awards , are having  their  consumer vote again this year.  You get to have your say in fragrance of the year in mens and womens. It's a good size list on each side with some fabulous choices. Head over  to the voting page at http://fragrance.org/ballots2011consumer/login.php
to cast yours through May 12th.

You will need to leave a name and email, for voting purposes only .

If you feeling like sharing, leave me  a comment with your vote choices.

Mine-  In women's, Dior J'Adore L'Or -truly one of the best things I smelled last year.  In Men's ( but also listed  in the women's category) Tom Ford Azure Lime. So good and  very unisex. I'm glad it was in both categories or it would have been a tough call.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Marc Jacob Splashes - The Cocktail Collection

This year's Marc Jacobs Splashes  are based on cocktails. They are LE as usual and still in their signature large bottles. These can easily be used a body spray or splash  , as although they do last longer than the previous  years versions I've tried , they still  need  to be refreshed throughout the day if you want them to go long distance.

Curacao is a bright citrus blend with plenty of lime and  orange but  other notes that hint at more  ( apricot and white moss) and make it a breezy summer fragrance that reminds  a bit of the blue liquor it's named for and the little zing it gives mixed tropical drinks.


Cranberry begins with yes, cranberry. A tarter one, not super sweet and  then the red currant . A little musk comes along and it  dries down to a  tart fruit and musk  scent.

Ginger is  citrus-y spice and more masculine  with hints of the coriander and cognac oil notes. Easily unisex this is  one to feel cool on hot days. It's refreshing  and not sweet .

Available now .
$68.00 for 300 ml at Sephora and Macys

Saturday, April 23, 2011

MAC Big Bounce Eyeshadows from Flighty

I love MAC, you know that if you've been here at least once. I've been using it since 1993. I say this as a lead in to the new Big Bounce cream eyeshadows, because it's a rare day when MAC does something that just doesn't seem to work.

It's also been mentioned here many times that I have oily eyelids and major makeup melt , so  keep that in mind. But my fellow blogger Musings of a Muse had many of the same issues on her dry lids.

Big Bounce shadows are a  thin whipped mousse . Swatched on my hand they look glorious and rich in  pigment. On my eyes, both with and without base, I layered and layered ,waiting long for the product to dry in between and still came up with a sheer wash. Now MAC does say that they are sheer washes, buildable to medium. I got the sheer only. And they didn't last much at all,  moved around  the lid and streaked.

The colors here are beautiful  , and  I was excited when I opened the jars even knowing cream shadows rarely work for me ( except Paint Pots, love them and  one by Shu Uemura).

That said, The Mom used one , with her UD base and got more color than I did. She has oily lids too,  but definitely had better results.

So if you're jonesing to try Big Bounce ,  maybe get the SA to test them on you first for a trial  run.

Shades shown left to right : Up the Ante, Luxury Touch and Reward Yourself.

16 Big Bounce eyeshadows are part of the Flighty collection on counter May 5 . Retail is $ 16.50

Friday, April 22, 2011

MAC Lucky Green & Aqua Eyeshadows from Fashion Flower

Lucky Green and Aqua are two new eyeshadows from MAC's Fashion Flower line. There are six shadows in all. They are , like the Beauty powders, embossed with a flower design.  Lucky Green is a favorite,  a  medium grass green with shimmer and is a Veluxe Pearl.  

Full shade list:

Fresh Daisy-Frosty white yellow
Aqua- Aqua blue
Lucky Green- Frosted mid tone lime
Free to Be- Bright true coral
Groundcover-Mid-tone warm grey
Bows and Curtseys-Metallic hunter green

On counter May 5 and all are LE.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

MAC Fashion Flower Beauty Powders- Alpha Girl and Light Sunshine

Fashion Flower from MAC  is full of pretty   and light spring shades. The eyeshadows ( pics coming next post) and Beauty Powders are embossed with a floral design.

The two new  Beauty Powder shades are Alpha Girl ( left) and Light Sunshine ( right). Both go on skin  almost exactly as they look in the compact. Alpha Girl has enough pigment to be a blush  and is a really pretty shade of pinked peach.  Both have   subtle shimmer.

These will be on counter May 5 in US and July internationally ( dates always subject to change).  These are LE.

Victoria's Secret Beauty VS Attractions Video



Victoria's Secret has produced their very first video just for beauty( although lingerie features prominently, naturally). It's for the new VS Attractions line, in stores now.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Crystal Nude in Sweet Peach- Summer 2011

Dior Ultra Gloss Crystal Nude in Sweet Peach # 047 is  part of  Dior Electric Tropics Summer  line

It's a jelly, with a very sheer  peach tint. It's been ages since I used a Dior gloss( Their lipsticks-huge favorites ). This gloss is so smooth and  hydrating. It feels fab on lips, non tacky,  with a lot of slip  and makes a great top coat over a deeper shade or  one of the brighter oranges that are so hot this season but  not everyone's cup of tea. 

$ 27.00 at all Dior counters

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Clarins Instant Smooth Self Tanning for Face

 I' ve said many times ( including last year's post ) that Clarins is the gold standard of self tanners.  Many work well but none seem to give the even , streak free , naturally golden look of Clarins.  Last year was Delectable Self Tanning Mousse SPF 15, the year before -Delicious Self tanning Cream. Both amazing self tanners and among the best I've used.

This year 's addition is one for the face- Instant Smooth Self Tanning. It's very moisturizing yet not overly greasy, imparts a little bit of color on application, then gradually adds the self tan . It's not dark in any way ,just a little extra color and you can use as needed to get more and maintain. You don't need a lot and it has a rather nice scent . Eventually there's  a little "self tan" scent, but very little. This can easily be a multi tasker and used as your moisturizer .

A  key ingredient according to Clarins  is Acacia Micro Pearls, said to plump skin and  trap moisture.

 One thing to know- ingredients  include vegetable and sun flower  oil. So keep this in mind if you can't use oils on your face .

Available now  for $ 32.50 at all Clarins counters .

Monday, April 18, 2011

Guerlain Rouge Automatique

Lipstick that's pretty and entertainment?  Guerlain's new Rouge Automatique fits the bill. While I love lipstick and I love Guerlain  and their lipsticks, the case is one that I keep fiddling with as it 's just fun.

The beautiful gold container has a slide mechanism that brings the lip bullet up or down. No cap. A top window opens and shuts. Like I said -fun.

Based on a design found in the Guerlain archives that dates to 1936, they tweaked it for modern  times and then named all the shades for their famous perfumes.

My shade is Chant D'Aromes, a fabulous medium nude beige  .

The lipstick itself is very creamy , soft and very light  on lips with  some shine . It's  not  satin but not too shimmery either.  Coverage is medium to full.
Although  said to be long lasting I only got about normal lipstick wear from mine. Meaning a couple hours. No matter, remember Rouge Automatique makes it fun to apply your lipstick  .

There are 25 shades in all and retail is $ 35.00

Sunday, April 17, 2011

New from Kushyfoot

I've said before how Kushyfoot trouser socks etc. are my secret weapon for  shoes that need a little cushioning and long days on the feet. From Sniffapalooza weekends to fashion week, they are a go to.

The reflexology  sole  really makes a difference and I've used them for years. 

Now they've gone seasonal. For summer the brand has released new  thin crew socks that are micro fiber  with Cool Max ( great idea ) and new foot covers in summer colors (ivory  and  pink ) as well as low cut ones that can be worn under the lowest cut shoes. Lastly there are new looks in their Flats to Go ( snake print and perforated)

Flats to Go are neat  and especially great I think, for travel. Car  or plane. You can wear them through airport security and on the plane itself to walk around in.   On a car trip you can hop in and out of the car with them on for quick drink stops  . Good for  hotel wear too. Headed to get ice ? These work.  They fold up pretty tiny for easy stowing and have the wavy bottom built in.


Crew Socks  and Foot Covers sell for $ 3.99. Ultra Low Cuts are 2 pair for $ 7.99 and Flats to Go  are $ 9.99 at many mass market outlets.  However, keep a lookout for sales. Rite Aid often does buy get one free or buy one get one 50% off. That's when I stock up.

Also at http://www.kushyfoot.com/

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Origins Earth Month Concert- Live Stream Info

Origins is holding their Earth Month concert once again this year ,  featuring Train . It will streamed live for anyone to see on April 20.

Here are the broadcast details  if you want to join in :

 The Origins Rocks Earth Month™ concert will be streamed live on April 20th at 8pm EDT and rebroadcast the next day at 7am EDT and 2pm EDT on www.origins.com/liveconcert . Music giant, MOG will also be streaming the concert live to an international audience. Origins, along with its partner American Forests’ Global Releaf™, have pledged to plant a tree on behalf of every concertgoer and additional trees for live stream viewers.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Jessica Szohr at Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY Private Party

Gossip Girl's Jessica Szohr was looking fab at the  Sony Ericsson Xperia™  PLAY Private Party last week. She 's seriously bronzed but with her gorgeous eyes  and light lip it  works for her  pretty well as does her green Opening Ceremony top. Green is showing up a lot this year and I love it.

In case you are wondering what Xperia PLAY is, it's the newest phone  from Sony Ericsson and it's Playstation certified. Now I have the Xperia x10 phone and love it. It's Android and touch screen and while I have never had an iPhone , I also don't feel I am missing one with this. It's not a phone line you hear a lot about, but when I researched it before buying, it  got good tech reviews  and I've been happy with it. Big screen, plenty of features to add or not , and no pocket dialing as it locks touch keys fast. I sometimes think in the land of Blackberry and iPhone , I am the only one with an Xperia, so I'm spreading the word.




Photos: Neil Rasmus/BFAnyc.com

Thursday, April 14, 2011

LORAC Hot Off The Red Carpet Collection

LORAC usually puts out well put togther and well priced collections, and the Hot Off The Red Carpet is no exception.

First off the bag. Not all sets with bags have great bags, right ? This one is metal mesh somewhat like Whiting and Davis vintage ones. It has an inside pocket and detachable wrist strap.  I like a swank  everyday makeup bag so this is going to be my new one.

Inside you get a Multiplex 3D  gloss in 3D. I love these glosses and have 3D already in my stash.  Then you have 2   Baked eyeshadow duos ( one broke in transit which is why you see little of it ). There is turquoise/bronze ( Tease Me), and  golden/ deep blackened brown ( Tempt Me) and a  Baked Bronzer ( Tantalize me), which  goes on  sheer with just a little color .


The  set is $ 36.00 and available at Ulta and Sephora.com



Sampar White Velvet Mousse Cleanser

   Sampar's new White Velvet Mousse Cleanser   is a new cleanser that not only means to get you clean but help brighten skin while doing it  .  According to Sampar , this cleanser uses a fast-acting micro peeling mousse to deeply clean and brighten. 
Ingredients include AHAs , enzymes, arbutin and chamomile extract.

The cleanser isn't   drying and doesn't make skin feel tight but gets it clean .  One thing  I found , for me,  however, was that it didn't remove makeup  enough. With this I needed  a makeup remover first.   I tend to  use something that does both but with this my  makeup needed to be removed ahead.  Once makeup was gone, this cleansed wonderfully and skin has  a nice, fresh feel.

$ 32.00 for 3.4 oz

Sampar is available at http://www.lovelyskin.com/ and  http://www.skin-one.com/

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine

It's taken me longer than usual to get my hands  on the new Chanel lipstick Rouge Coco Shine, but as of yesterday I finally have one in my happy hands. Last  years's big Chanel release was Rouge Coco lipstick ( now a CEW award finalist) . Rouge Coco Shine is  the new addition.

I like the first Rouge Coco but don't totally love it . It's drier and more satin than I usually like, but the coverage and pigments were wonderful. My favorite Chanel lipstick formula has always been Aqualumiere  and  Rouge Coco Shine seems to merge the best qualities of  both of these. It has the shine and  softness of  my beloved Aqualumiere, and the  rich pigment and  full coverage of Rouge Coco. It's as the saying goes- win win.

Rouge Coco Shine is  very hydrating, feeling almost like a balm on my lips  and lasted longer than expected for a more sheer formula ( about 2 hours). And it isn't super sheer, at least not my shade, Unique.  There is plenty of pigment there.

One of the unique aspects of Rouge Coco Shine is the shine- of the lip bullet. When I took the cap off it had a mirror shine and I thought there was a plastic cap covering it. No, that's the actual lipstick. Quite neat.

On counters now and at http://www.chanel.com/ for $ 32.00

Monday, April 11, 2011

Pixi Week of Wake Up Makeup Palette

Pixi's newest palette has all you need for the week  marked out. Each day Monday thru Sunday has it's own eye shadows, lipsticks and blush in one main compartment and 2 slide outs, with the blush embossed with the days name  Now you're not bound to the days by any  means, but  for travel esp.  you can easily have 7 different  makeup looks by taking this one palette along. 
Size wise it's pretty good. Not tiny but not huge. About 6 " across and almost 5" top to bottom.

You get in all, 21 shadows, 7 blushes , 8 liplosses. The blushes are particularly nice.

Available at Target and Target.com as well as http://www.pixibeauty.com/
for $ 34.00

Dr. Leslie Baumann and SkinType Solutions.com

In late fall I participated in a conference call and webinar with  dermatologist, Dr.  Leslie Baumann . I have to say I was really impressed with the Dr. She was  nice, friendly and interested  in what we had to say and ask.  Then I read her book and was even more enlightened. It was informative and written for anyone to  easily understand. She goes into great detail on each skin type and products for that skin type as well as dispelling some common myths and ideas about skincare ingredients . 

In a wow moment, in our phone conference, Dr. Baumann said her current research was looking into isolating the gene for oily skin. That got my ears up .  I wish her  all the luck in that and hope it's   soon. 

 As I said, I  really liked the book ( which is not a new release) and one of things  the Dr. stresses in her book and I can't stress enough either- read ingredient labels. Take the time to read what's in a product to know exactly what you're getting and if there's something in there that won't work for you. If you get the Dr's book she has list for each skin what to look for and what to avoid in ingredients.  I've gotten good at this  over the years and with my oily skin need to make sure nothing I use is too emollient. So I scan for things like shea butter  and oils.

  There is  now a new website  as well- SkinTypeSolutions.com. This  website has Dr. Baumann's   Baumann Skin  Type questionnaire, which  after taking you will be emailed what type of skin you have ( there are 15 and you may feel , like I did, that you fall into more than one. I am  typed as sensitive , which I most definitely am not, but the other parts are right ) and then there will be pages of product on the site geared to your skin  type. What's nice is not all are high end . There's a large range for you to research out as well as basic skin information and guides.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

MAC Skinsheen Returns

One of my all time fav MAC products ( and there are a lot admittedly) is Skinsheen. I was disappointed to see it not re-released last year, but this year  it's back. Read my original review  here . Best news ? It's now  in permanent collection.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Givenchy Candide Garden Quad Spring 2011


Givenchy's   Candide Garden is their LE quad for Spring. It  features 4 great colors that are very me, and I find myself using the deep brown and  light peach a lot right now and saving the green for hotter, (self) tanner  days.

 I know many think with quads, that  the idea is to use all 4 shades together. I have never thought that way. No idea why, but to me when looking at a quad, I need to like the shades individually to be interested and I often wear quad shades  only 2 at a time, 3 at most.  I  pretty much never use all 4.

 These colors are very summery and the shades  go on lighter than they look in the pan  and blend easily.  The compact is tiny enough to stash easily in any bag , to have it handy for after beach or pool day touch ups as well as simply mid day workweek ones.

  Available now  for $ 56.00 at http://www.givenchybeauty.com/

Friday, April 8, 2011

Paul Mitchell Web/Facebook Contest

“Like It, Win It." Now through April 15th,  you  have the chance to win an entire year’s supply of your favorite Paul Mitchell or Tea Tree product by “liking” that product on Facebook.

On any qualifying product page on http://www.paulmitchell.com/, just click the “like” button, sign in with your Facebook account, and fill out the entry form for a shot at winning. It’s easy and  free. Good luck.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

David Yurman Essences and Q&A with perfumer Harry Frémont

After I had the chance to sample the new David Yurman Essences, I was then offered the opportunity to conduct a virtual Q & A with the creator behind them -Harry FrémontMr. Fremont is a Master Perfumer at Firmenich, who are involved in the creation of many of our favorite scents.

 When Mr Fremont's answers came back, I was thrilled with how in depth he went. His knowledge and love of perfumery are evident and he talked not just about the new David Yurman's but fragrance in  general.

 First , a  little background on  the David Yurman Essences. There are three scents, all inspired by a gemstone- Fresh ( green ) , a fresh and crisp aquatic floral. Delicate ( pink ), a soft   dewy floral of lotus blossom , peony and and rose, that smells very much like it's name  and Exotic ( amber )  a spicy, warm vanilla  and amber  oriental.

Q & A with Harry Fremont:

Q.  With the essences being inspired by gemstones, how does one get a feel for what a stone should smell like in a perfume?

A. As a perfumer we try to translate emotions, lifestyle and sometimes colors, the gemstone with their specific color and brightness were a very nice source of inspiration for example the citrine was really giving me the idea of something sensual and warm which I tried to interpret into a fragrance for Exotic Essence.


Q. These Essences are very different from the original ( and lovely ) David Yurman, what sets them apart in your eyes and nose ?

A. The original David Yurman has a very strong signature and very rich and faceted. Each of the three essences have also their own character but are kind of more easy to wear still keeping the quality of the brand.

Each correspond to a mood or a certain ambiance. From the freshest to the more sensual they can fulfill any fragrance desire:

The Fresh Essence is more playful and sparkling : juicy fruits and fresh florals

The Delicate Essence for example is very romantic feminine and floral

And the Exotic Essence again is more mysterious sensual slightly darker with some creamy woody.

All of them for me can be worn during the day or the evening depending of what aura the lady wants to have around her.

Q. When initially beginning a fragrance, where do you start? What inspires you ?

A.  The brief itself for me can be the best source of inspiration and it is always exciting for me to go to a good briefing and have ideas popping into my head, new combinations, new effects .

As a gardener Nature is also a great source of inspiration, trying to transcend or sublime smells from nature is always a great challenge for me.

And then there is life, how people interact between them, how they wear fragrance, what do they expect from it . As a perfumer I believe fragrances are always a reflection of our times and I think it is important to integrate the experience of the moment into them.


Q. Where do you see fragrance in general heading in the next year or so?

A. Difficult to say I don’t believe there are olfactive trends anymore, but I think or maybe I wish fragrances are going to become easier to understand and more enjoyable to wear, we are going to achieve that by using more quality materials and sometimes materials that have a story to tell. For example Sustainable natural extracts where the consumer will feel good about buying this fragrance containing this material because it helps some communities in a certain part of the world where it is produced. In general the consumer will need more and more to find an emotional connection with a fragrance he wants to buy.


Many thanks to Mr. Fremont , and I hope you've enjoyed getting a peek into perfumery.

The David Yurman Essences are $ 85.00 each at Bloomingdales and http://www.davidyurman.com/

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Clear Self Tanning Gel

Spring is in the air ( well most days) and we are starting to throw off our winter  gear and show a little more skin. That means many things, one of which , at least over here, is that it's time to think self tanner.   I can bear to bare ( sorry I had to) my arms and legs in all their pale glory .

 Skin after winter cover needs to be prepped to come out of hiding. Last week when it hit 75 I saw way too many arms in cami tops and legs in shorts that just weren't ready for their debut. Some embrace their paleness, I'm not one of them. I love to be tan , but minus the sun.

 Self tanner is the answer and  the new year brings new releases with  L'Oreal bringing out an addition to their Sublime Bronze range- Clear Self Tanning Gel.

It's a spray gel, clear as it says, that gives you a light glow  in a few hours and more with each application. The bottle says to use daily until you get your desired tan . I can say that with one application, while it was just a hint of color, it was a definite improvement and noticeable. 

The gel dries fast but is easily blended and there's some, but not a lot of , self tan odor.  About 4 hours elapsed before I saw  any color. This is perfect for  starting your tan. You can gradually build color while also getting a decent amount with each use. It won't take that many uses to get a good tan.

L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Clear Self Tanning Gel is in stores now.