Notable Reads, Vol. 12 & Bye Bye Google Reader...

I've decided to start with the links. Following is a kind of repeat of last week's entry about Google Reader. If you haven't made changes yet, have a look if you have then you can skip.

Another weird weather week! We've had some super hot days and a few cold ones. Most annoying, the rain! So much rain in fact that I have a carpet of mushrooms in my yard!

The picture on the left is from Friday and on the right from Saturday! Insane!

Nuxe Rêve de Miel for lips, The Stick Or The Jar?

Here I go again with my Rêve de Miel Lip Balm! What can I say except it IS my absolute favorite, so far. In fact it's been the case for at least two years now and that's saying a lot considering all the lip balms I've tried before and since then. I've mentioned this little wonder a few times already, among other places, here.

 Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lip Balm & Lip Moisturizing Stick

Pupa Ultra Shine Eyeliner / Review

The other day at the drugstore I stumbled upon a display of Pupa's 50's Dream Collection which came out for Spring 2013. I guess they where getting ready for the new Summer collection since all the items where reduced. Curious, I noticed the eyeliners, a turquoise and a deep plum. I tried the latter on my hand and although I liked the color, I found it a little glittery for my taste. The fact that it was a liquid didn't help either. I usually stay away from those since I've never been able to really master the application technique.

So I left the drugstore and went about with my day. When I got home I of course washed my hands. The eyeliner didn't budge. I must have repeated this at least four times and still, the eyeliner swatch was on my hand!

That stuff wore like iron!!!

Rimmel London Glam Eyes Quad in 018 Romance / Review

For a little while now I've been looking for neutral eye shadows. Nothing dramatic, just to apply as a base for my every day no makeup look. There are several new options out there as well as some stunning ones coming out soon but since I wanted something "now" and also considering the fact that my wallet is a little angry with me these days, I decided to have a look at one of my local pharmacies.

Rimmel London Glam Eyes Quad in 018 Romance is one option I've been eying for a bit now. On the cool side, these light colors are perfect for someone with a fair complexion and green eyes. Except for the white on top, the other three are perfect for intended purposes. They have a little shimmer but I figured it would be nothing that would make me think I'm going to Club 54.

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Straight Fixation / Review

On my Quest to find the perfect hair styling products to combat the frizzes, I decided to give John Frieda Frizz-Ease Straight Fixation Smoothing Crème a try. With a name like that one would expect great results, right?

Laura Mercier Foundation Powder / Review

I've had this for a while now and have no idea why it hasn't been reviewed yet. This was a present from my lovely webfriend Marilla who lives in London. See my original entry, here.

Laura Mercier Foundation Powder, presented in a compact, is a product that can be used wet or dry. I haven't tried it wet since I don't feel the need for the extra coverage. Dry, it works beautifully in evening out my skin. It is a little heavier than a regular powder and does leave a light cast but that's easily taken care of. The color, 01, perfect for me. For some reason Marilla knew that! :)

Paris or New Makeup?

On Makeup Alley a few months ago someone asked...

"I need some help. Can't decide if I should go to Paris next weekend or save the $$ :(("

When asked: "Save money for what?" She responded: "New makeup!"

I was blown away!!! Really?

So, what will it be? A crazy shopping spree at Sephora after which you'd end up alone in front of your mirror trying out new goodies or, a week-end in Paris enjoying croissants, café au lait and visiting Le Musée d'Orsay?

Peleeeease!!!

This one is a no brainer!

What do you think?



Vingage Cartoon: Polyvore

Notable Reads & Google Changes...

I've mentioned before that several blogs are sources of inspirations for me. Not every subject comes out of my head, although that could be fun. Seeing what others are doing keep me on my toes and I do believe it has helped me better my style. Once in a while I go back to some of my earlier entries and I'm glad to see that I have indeed progressed positively. Although some reviews are still kind of simplistic, there are others I'm quite proud of.

When I first started I would follow blogs by registering through emails. This is great if you don't follow that many but if like me you're closer to fifty than ten blogs, then it's not really practical especially considering the fact that some bloggers are quite active and can have more than two entries a day. After a time my in-box was screaming! Thankfully I discovered other ways to follow.

L'Oréal Nutri-Sleek Precious Oils / Review

If you follow Icaria's you probably already know that at the beginning of the month I embarked on a Quest! I'm looking for products that will help me get perfect non frizzy hair for 48 hours straight!

L'Oréal Nutri-Sleek Precious Oils is the first one to take the boot!

Orly Shade Shifter Color Changing Gel FX Coat...

Remember this scene from the movie Total Recall where a secretary or receptionist changed the color of her nail polish with the tip of a little stick?

Here on top of the image you can see the "magic" stick.

Ok so it may be a little old for most of you since this movie came out in 1990. Still, it was a pretty neat trick. I personally flipped when I first saw it and even if I wasn't much into nail polish I just loved the idea. Who knows, if it had really existed maybe I would have gotten a little more into it.

Basic At Home Pedicure...

Hopefully you are lucky enough to live in a part of the world where Summer has officially started! Here, so far, I'm not sure I'll be wearing sandals. My feet are ready but have yet to feel comfortable in flip flops. I'm wearing sneakers again today! Grrrr!!!

At least I can admire my toes in the house since last Saturday I finally took the time to give myself a proper, at home pedicure. Below are pictures of parts of my arsenal but do know that you don't need all that. I have no idea why I have all that stuff. It must be the hoarder in me. Also you'll see that it's not necessary to purchase "foot care" products unless you have specific issues. If you do need specialised care you might want to have a look at Dr Scholl and Gehwol brands.

Hmmm seems someone had a different idea of what to do with the water of the foot bath!

As soon as I put down the fresh water filled foot bath for the pictures,

 Julius just had to make sure the water was perfect! 

Robert Pattinson the New Face of Dior Homme Fragrance...

Just announced by Dior, Robert Pattinson will be the New Face for Dior Homme. Unless you've been living in a cave for the past six years or so, you most likely know that he played Edward in the Twilight movies. I must admit I much prefer to remember him for his role of Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter. Why did he have to die?

The 27 years old actor was chosen to be the new face of Dior Homme, replacing Jude Law who's popularity has slightly gone down in recent years. This could, in a way, make of the the fragrance a best seller considering the legions of fans Pattinson has, all the teenagers who grew up watching the vampire saga as well as those not so young admirers, the moms, the ones who where called Twimoms.

Dior has had a few good men to promote their fragrances. The most stunning in my opinion being Alain Delon. In 1966 he was the face for the new Eau Sauvage, the first men fragrance of Dior. The year of La Piscine, one of Delon's best movies, he was and still is by the way, so strikingly handsome. To me Pattinson doesn't have the same plastic masculine beauty Delon had but I believe, if done correctly, it will still be a beautiful campaign.

 

Alain Delon in 1966. In the original picture the actor is holding 

a cigarette which was erased for the ad.

It's Catherine's Birthday!!!

Today is my baby's birthday!

A few hours ago she officially turned 14!

Tempus fugit!

I often have the feeling that it was only yesterday that she started to take her first steps. Now she's taller than me and is of course, quite proud of it. She has an elegance about her that I did not see coming for she used to be more graceful in the water than on the ground, just like a swan.

She's beautiful, she's my baby.

Kiehl's Superbly Efficient Anti-Perspirant and Deodorant / Review

This is a product for which I waited a long while before writing a review. Since I don't sweat a lot or at least not more than the next person, I wanted to use it under all conditions possible, especially given it's $14.00 price, before telling you my thoughts about it.

Father's Day!

Mothers are always more celebrated but Dads deserve just as much attention. Whether it's your father or a father figure, take the time today to let them know how you feel about them.

Chanel Le Vernis Lilis / Review & Experiment

Chanel Lilis had been on my Beauty Envy list for a little while now and I finally purchased it last Monday. The color? The perfect coral! The formula? Well, I'm a little on the fence about it and this is the reason I decided to conduct a little experiment which is why I didn't bring you a review sooner.

Taking A Day Off...

Georges Seurat (1851-1891) Sunday on La Grande Jatte, 1884-1886

Oil on canvas, 207.5 x 308.1 cm (81.7 x 121.3 in) 

Art Institute of Chicago

Sorry guys I need a day (or two) off! I'm feeling so tired these days and my mind is complete mush so I guess I need to recharge a bit

So don't go anywhere and thank you for understanding. I'll be enjoying a little sun in the park.

Hélène xoxo

Alber Elbaz Puts On A Show For Lancôme!

It's almost here! The Alber Elbaz Collection will be available on Friday June 15th. Here is the final video promoting the collaboration between the Paris fashion house Lanvin designer and Lancôme.

Introducing the Disney Ariel Collection Exclusively at Sephora

Favorite Body Oils of The Moment...

I don't know if it's because Summer is fast approaching (in some parts of the world... somewhere... I hope) but recently I've noticed several entries about oils. For hair, face or/and body, it's a fact that they are gaining in popularity, fast!

I have mentioned before that for years and years, in my teens and twenties I used baby oil (I still do from time to time) at the end of my shower on wet skin, pat dry, soft skin for the day! These days I enjoy avocado, sweet almond and argan oil for moisture, all these, except maybe for argan oil, are quite affordable and I use them freely. The others, the more pricey fragrant ones I have, I use instead of perfume.

Notable Reads & Esther Williams, The Real Hollywood Siren...

This week I'm doing things differently. The links are first and they are followed by my ramblings. I figured some of you might appreciate cutting to the chase since what follows are memories, in a sense, written for me and for my daughter.


What caught my attention this week...

6 Ways To Deal With Curly Hair In Humid Weather, Beautiful with Brains. Funny but Gio posted this roughly at the same moment I embarked on my Quest for beautiful frizz free hair! I'm taking note of her product recommendations.

A visit to the Bite Beauty Lab in NYC, Tinsel Creation. Jessica visits and has her very own lipstick created right in front of her eyes. This must have been fun!

Japanese Beauty Gadgets, British Beauty Blogger. Jane gives us a few example of some nutty products available. I'm sure Google can come up with many more.

The Beauty Picks: Oils for Hair, Face & Body, The Beauty Sample. Becca gives us a list of her favorite oils.

Guerlain Terra Ora Collection Sneak Peak & Quick Swatches, Mostly Sunny. Sunny makes us drool, again, showing us these beautiful new offerings. She had done it a week before as well with Terracotta La Collection de L'Été, also from Guerlain.

Tweezerman Folding ILashcomb and Brow Shaping Scissors & Brush, Beauty Reflections. Tracy shows us why we need a little metal lash comb. Every girl that wears mascara should definitely own one. Oh and by the way, get ready, her lashes are to die for!

Minimal Makeup Capsule, Beauty Reductionista. Would you be able to get by with only 17 makeup items? Liz shows us her list. I guess I can do it too, given what I use in the morning as shown in my recent Current Favorites.

Esther Williams Breaks William Powell's Face Cosmetics and Skin. A fun article about the trickery of Hollywood and the use of elastics for instant face lifts.

Quick Post, Trying to Keep a Positive Attitude!

I spent the day on my balcony, writing and bird watching. Cold, I wore a thick vest and had a light blanket on. I know I'm nuts but I need to be outside. It's Spring and at this time usually pretty warm.

Oh and of course it rained!

Let's try to keep our chins up and wish for the best!

As a teen, when it rained, I used to go out and walk. I would wear a wool poncho under an army rain protector with gum boots! Elegant I know but I stayed dry and walked for hours. This song by B.J. Thomas, I would sing at the top of my lungs while on the swings in the park just behind my house... Just so you know, I'm no signer! I was alone, I didn't care, I felt free!

If you're experiencing the same type of weather, I hope this song made you smile!

Sally Hansen's Get Juiced / Review

This will not be my nail of the week!!!

Today I decided to pick up Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Juiced Up 400. I've been wanting a coral and knew I wouldn't be able to go and get Chanel Lilis this weekend so I figured why not try this one in the meantime.

The only thing it's got going is the nice big flat brush à la O.P.I. After that it goes downhill. The formula is on the thin side and the first coat was streaky. Sometimes this happens but when you apply the second coat it all falls into place. Not here! The second coat didn't fix anything and was just as horrible as the first.

I photographed my right hand because it's always a little harder to do than the left. That's of course if you are right handed to begin with. Notice my middle finger and please forgive the dry cuticles. I didn't bother to moisturise nor clean up the edges because this is coming off! Here the color appears a little darker than in reality. That's what happens at 6:00 pm with my camera when there is no sun.

The color is really lovely and would have been perfect for this week but streaks??? No way! 

These get on my nerves just as much as chips if not more and in reality they are worse than on the pictures.

Would I recommend Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure in Get Juiced? NOPE! 

So this is going in the fail bin, like, right now! At $8.59 it's way too expensive for the result I got.

Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil / Review

What can I say about this other than Wow? What a cheap thrill!

When I go to the drugstore I usually spend most of my time in the cosmetics department and when I roam  through the other sections it's mainly for something specific, an essential that has to be replaced. The other day I spent a little more time in the hair products section in search of hair styling items and stumbled upon this oil. On special at $3.99 I figured why not give it a try.

Lierac Démaquillant Pureté Foaming Cleansing Gel / Review

In my last little entry about what was new at my little local drugstore I mentioned they had received Lierac Paris skin care. Since I go there often and buy quite a bit *hides*, I should be able to bring you several reviews since the nice ladies there can provide me with small trial size jars they can fill up with whatever I want (more about that at the end of this entry). Ain't it cool?

Embarking On A New Quest For Perfect Hair...

I was blessed with a full head of hair that is thick, in fact thicker than most. I'm not complaining about that, far from it. I'm one of those who can really have it below the waist and it has reached that length a few times in my life. On a good hair day, I love it and I won't lie, it does make me feel more confident. On a bad hair day, well, let's just say I'd rather not get out of the house. Ok maybe not that bad but still I don't like it when I hate my hair.

So my hair is thick and full and gorgeous, blah blah blah and.... it frizzes!!!

You'll think, she's at it again with the weather... Let me tell ya, the weather in Montreal these days is enough for me to start wearing a wig!!!

One day it's freezing cold, like today and the next can be super humidly hot! Last Sunday was cold and humid! What kind of weather will we have this weekend? Damned if I know! Sorry about that but again, it's been crazy!

So, I am now embarking on a new Quest (note the capital letter) to find the perfect combination of hair products that will tame my mane for 48 hours straight! I am looking for nothing other than the Holy Grail of hair products.

Oh and they have to be from the drugstore, readily available! Am I asking for too much? I sure hope not!

Here are some products I've been using and new purchases...

L'Oréal Elnet is a staple for me. TRESemmé I've been using a while now so I'll be bringing you reviews of these soon. Frizz-Ease and L'Oréal Oil have been used only a few times and the Garnier products have not been tried yet. I also apply oils on the lengths at the end of my shower, either avocado or sweet almond.

Now for some mysterious reason, even though I do love my hair, on a good hair day, I hate spending money on it. Weird of me and I have no idea why. So I will give drugstore brands one more go and if I keep failing then maybe I'll look at salon options.

I sincerely hope my Quest will end before Summer does so if you have any suggestions, they will be sooo welcome! :)

My Current Favorites / Makeup

There's a lot of makeup on my table but these are the items I reach for the most and all have been reviewed, just click on their names if you want to know more about them.

As you can see, for me, less is more! I don't wear foundation but I do wear concealer and powder. Why do I have three concealers? I don't have dark circles but do have a little redness on my lids and I find that either one of these serves me well as an eye shadow base. Rimmel, Hard Candy and Laura Mercier are all favorites and I use either one of them depending on my mood but I do tend to reach for Rimmel most of the time.

Givenchy Le Prisme Visage Mat is my go to powder at the moment. So light and natural, it goes from my table to my purse when I go out. I often use the "dark" beige as an eye shadow when I want a "no makeup" makeup look.

Revlon Colorstay Quad in Sea Mist. This is such a surprise for me since I haven't used any of Revlon's products for years except for a lip butter purchased one year ago. I've been reaching for it every morning, especially the dark purple which is quite flattering on green eyes. I've used these eye shadows on hot days (we've had only few so far) and I must say, they have good staying power. For such an inexpensive item I couldn't be more pleased.

L'Oréal's Infaillible Lacker Liner 24h in Dark Slate, the best I've tried so far. I have deep set eyes and let's be real, my upper lids are starting to be influenced by gravity. *sigh* This eye liner has not let me down so far except on the day when I had to work in the yard for a bit and it was extremely hot (38C with humidity). After about 40 minutes or so, it was starting to disappear on me. Now let's be fair, I don't think any eye liner would have resisted that. The color, Dark Slate is perfect for me. Dark but not as harsh as black would be. Even if I'm a brunette I have a fair complexion and I don't always curl my lashes. A black eye liner would be the only thing one would see on my face.

Benefit's They're Real! Given my recent rave review it's no surprise that this is the mascara I reach for every morning. When I want to keep the curl all day, I heat my Shiseido lash curler with my blow dryer. With Benefit's mascara the process is not as long for they get and keep the curl pretty fast.

La Terracotta de Guerlain, my favorite basic bronzer. No shimmer, perfect for contouring I sometimes even use it as an eye shadow or liner on the outer ends of my lower lids.

Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo... Love! This is the perfect summer glow in a compact! The bronzer side gives a light natural tanned look with just enough of a satiny finish. It's not shimmery and so I don't look like a disco ball. Mixed with the coral, perfect glow! I apply the coral lightly on my cheeks but also on my upper lids, very lightly. This gives the effect of having been in the Sun without the damage. I'm so glad I gave in to temptation. :)

M.A.C Whole Lotta Love Pro Longwear Blush. The only item I haven't reviewed yet and I'm starting to wonder why I purchased it. I've used it only once, the day after I bought it. It was lovely but for some reason I'm not attracted by it, especially since I got my Diorskin Duo. I rarely wear pinks and so far Bourjois Rose Ambré (not shown on the picture) was my go to. For Summer I wanted something with a little more brightness, reason why I got this M.A.C but now I don't know when I'll use it. I guess I included it in this line up in the hope I'll start using it soon. :)

I don't know why NARS Larger Than Life Gloss in Gold Digger is there either since I've only used it a few times. I guess in this case it's to remind me that I want to try it in another color... :)

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 05 Candy Shimmer and 06 Rosewood Shimmer. These I reach for every day. Moisturizing, they give a little dimension to my lips and are perfect for a natural look.

NARS Satin Lipstick in Tolède really turned out to be my Summer lipstick so far. This color is perfect and I get a good four hours of colors. Light, I haven't found it drying so far although I don't wear it every day, only when I go out. It goes with everything but I must admit I don't wear super bright colors This shade should definitely become part of NARS regular line up because again, for me, it's perfect!

Oh how long does it take me to put on "my face" in the morning? Rarely more than 10 minutes! Unless I'm experimenting with a new color or product, I've got my basic look pretty much covered.


How long does it take you to put on your makeup in the morning?

Estée Lauder Sumptuous Two Tone Eye-Opening Mascara is a Smart Idea!

Finally someone thought about this! A two tone mascara, black for upper lashes and brown for lower lashes. Did anyone know about this? Am I again late to the party? I stumbled upon it while browsing The Bay's website today.

This is what we used to do when I did makeup and even if today I rarely apply mascara on my lower lashes, when I do, I reach for brown. Why? More subtle, less harsh, flattering on everyone.

From Estée Lauder website...

Straight From the Runway
Now, Tom Pecheux, Creative Makeup Director, Estée Lauder, inspires a breakthrough mascara based on his secret backstage technique for big, beautiful eyes. 

The genius is in the two contrast colors and two different brushes. 

Top Lashes 
Big BrushComber™ adds bold black volume to upper lashes. 

Bottom Lashes 
Smaller MicroBrush adds eye-brightening, smudge-free color to lower lashes.

Now it's easy to create the most amazing wide-eyed look-it's runway proven.


If you've never tried this, please do. You will notice that by using brown on your lower lashes, it does open up the eyes.

Sumptuous Two Tone Eye-Opening Mascara, $32.00.

Estée Lauder's Sumptuous Bold Volume Lifting mascara is way up there among my favorites, full review, here. I'm quite sure this one will not disappoint. It is more expensive but you do get two mascaras in one.

So now I'm torn! I have found a favorite, Benefit They're Real! but there are several new mascaras I want to try, badly! Which to choose?

Mavala Nail Polish / Swatches of Trinidad, Nice & Paris

For some mysterious reason Mavala nail polishes are rarely mentioned and yet this brand, which first appeared out of Geneva in 1958, is available practically everywhere. As a teen I had several of these little bottles of nail polishes in dark blue and green, way before they ever became fashionable. Mavala always had a great selection of colors and the neat thing is that they make them available in small bottles that are always very affordable. If you're looking for a color you know you'll wear only a few times, Mavala is a great line to look into. No long term relationship required, lasts the time of a vacation, a trend or a season.

One has to admit, these colors are beautiful!

Mavala never changed their presentation, it's always been the same, with their small 5 ml bottles decked with pretty golden caps, long enough for a comfortable hold. No flash, classic and easily recognisable. Their names, cities and places for a beautiful trip around the world. The colors I chose here, Trinidad for my daughter, Nice and Paris for me.

Nice is a beautiful orangy red, it actually comes out a little more orange than on the pictures below. This one I will keep for July, when the weather is warmer.

Two coats on the left, with Seche Vite on the right.

Trinidad, my daughter did fall in love with it. A beautiful bright blue, I will likely borrow it from her to wear  one on my toes since I find it perfect to go with jeans. Paris is a beautiful bright red with pink undertones. Below, I did an accent nail with Trinidad so you could have an idea of the color. Although it looks cute with Paris, it's not really my thing. A bit too red and blue for my taste.

Two coats on the left, with Seche Vite on the right.

Although the bottles are small, the brush is excellent. The formula is on the thick side and perfect to enable a steady application. I found Nice and Trinidad to be a little on the sheer side and three coats would have been better but for Paris, two where perfect. I was pretty amazed at how fast they dried enabling me to apply the top coat without being scared of ruining the finish. As for performance, I may update this post to give you more precise info if ever I wear these more than a few days.

The price, these where reduced and where 3 / $9.99. Their regular price is usually under $5.00 so like I said, for a fun color with which you don't want a long term relationship, these are pretty fun.

When was the last time you purchased a Mavala nail polish?

A Little Orange to Warm Things Up?

Why is it that every Monday I start the week with new beauty envies? The worst part is, this weekend, like the previous, I didn't get to go downtown and today I'm starting to feel like I'm in rehab!

What is this new craving of mine? Orange!

Orange is a warm and happy color. Warm, well, we kind of need it these days with the crazy weather. I know here I go again but believe me, it's just destabilizing. Mother Nature is becoming bi-polar (I totally stole this expression from my web friend Tamryn). One day it's screeching hot and the next you have to wear a coat! So yes, orange is a warm color that can help us forget about this craziness. Happy? Who doesn't agree with me? Orange is fun, it's the color kids reach for when they draw the sun and for good reason. Yellow can be so boring on white paper but orange pops!

For this Summer several cosmetic companies are having fun with orange. We've seen early Spring pops of coral, the mix of both pink and orange but now the two seem to want to part and go their separate ways. Bright pinks are coming out and gorgeous true oranges appear to want to make a serious statement.

Pinks, we are used to them but orange? It can be either flattering or a complete disaster. One has to be careful, a little too dark or a little too bright and we can end up looking like a clown especially when it comes to choosing a lipstick. So do keep that in mind if ever you are considering getting on the orange band-wagon.

M.A.C All About Orange

NARS Play With Fire

To learn more, just click on the pictures to visit respective websites.

So are you feeling it?

M.A.C picture from the Calgary Herald.

Notable Reads, Vol. 9

I must be totally out of my mind! At the moment, as I'm writing this entry, it's pouring! Yes I'm outside, on my balcony but I'm protected from the rain. I have a view of the gazebo and two drenched towels with a bath mat that are still stuck on the clothes line. Also, since the weather has been so unpredictable, my grass is so long, I can't see my dog anymore when he goes in the yard! The sound of the rain is loud but oh so beautiful! Ok I may not be that crazy since I just spotted, a few yards over, a couple sitting in their gazebo.

Can you tell I love the rain? On those days, if you pay attention you'll notice the birds. On sunny days we hardly see them during the day but when it's cloudy, rainy, they come out to play. For some mysterious reason I haven't seen any Blue Jays this year but have this beautiful Cardinal that visits on a regular basis.

This Spring in Montreal has just been crazy. Heat, cold and now this deluge. Last night we had a flash storm but weirdly enough, lots and lots of lightning but no thunder. Again, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a nice Summer because I do believe we deserve it after the horribly cold Winter we've had.

If you've ever visited Canada you probably already know that weather talk is almost always the best "ice breaker" (pun intended) when meeting people for the first time. If not right off the bat, the conversation eventually gets there. Just like shoveling and ice hockey are our favorite sports, weather talk is one of our favorite subjects to talk about.

Enough about the weather, although I may return to the subject, after all, my privilege, my blog.

*wink* 

Here's what caught my attention recently...


In beauty...

Permanent makeup-Eyebrows. Expat Make-Up Addict's Stacey, writes about her step by step experience with having her eyebrows "tattooed" and how she's so pleased with the results. If your eyebrows are an "eyesore" and you've been thinking about having this done, do read her article.

Back to Basics: Blush 101. You don't know how to apply your blush anymore? Gio from Beautiful with Brains shows us the different options of blush available on the market as well as good information on how to apply them. She also lists her top 6 blushes.

How to make thin of uneaven lips look full & fabulous without surgery. I'm not a huge video watcher but here, Lisa Eldridge shows why she's a master at what she does. I just must make the time to watch more.

The Painstaking Work of Brush Making. From The New York Times, Fashion & Style. If you've ever wondered why some brushes are so expensive this article explains why. It's an art, period!

Belle for Leather. How to Spend It, a guest post by Jane from British Beauty Blogger. About Le Rouge de Givenchy, what went into it's development and the many presentation possibilities.

A History of Nail Lacquer: Blood Red Nails On Your Fingertips. Beautifully Invisible. As some of you know, I'm a history addict and recently I've been almost obsessing over nail polishes. Here is an article that tells us why we love nail colors so much.


About fashion...

Secrets of an A-list dressing room. New York Post by Kirsten Fleming. A new film reveals the shocking celebrity shopping habits at NYC's luxe fashion palace Bergdorf Goodman.

Scenes of Glamour, The 25 Most Fashionable Movies. Vanity Fair.

Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour, 1967

From the Vanity Fair list.

On a sad note. On May 23rd the passing of Georges Moustaki was announced. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, he spent most of his life in France. Writer, composer, some of his songs are classics of the French language. Simple and romantic. Here below, one of my hubby's favorite songs.

The rain has stopped and the Sun seems to want to make an appearance. It's really humid so I don't think I'll be able to do much with my frizzy mane today.

I hope you're all having a lovely Sunday! xoxoxo

If She's Not Good Enough, None of Us Are!

As I've stated before, this here blog is my little notepad. Last year I realised that even if I was no longer working in the cosmetic industry, I was still in love with it. In fact, I never stopped loving it! Makeup, skin care and fragrances, publicity campaigns and launches of new products, everything!

There are thousands of blogs out there to choose from. Some are more aimed at makeup, others will give you specific information about skin care and others are just there to tell you about new things to expect from the beauty industry, what's coming next. I wouldn't be able to write this notepad without the information provided by these other blogs.  A few I follow almost religiously and others I have a look at once in a while. I just don't have the time to follow everyone. On my blogroll are my top ones but I also follow several through Bloglovin and Google+.

I've had to be selective since like I said, I can't follow everyone. During the past 12 months, there are some I've stopped visiting, simply because the information given was not what I was looking for or sometimes it was just plain wrong. After a while this gets annoying, hence the change of heart. Others I've discovered recently and the ladies writing them keep me on my toes. They are so good it's hard to keep up.

Am I trying to keep up? In a way yes but at the same time no. I do my own thing but try to follow the trends because I know that's what attracts readers. I'm not stupid, I do want to have as many visitors as possible, who doesn't?

Most of the ladies with what I call "Big Blogs" are either beauty insiders or have been around long enough to be on every PR lists and so they get to review products way before they're even available to the general public. Do I follow big blogs? Only a few. The reason? Not all are gracious and some, unfortunately, are quite snob. If you are not a well known blogger, they simply won't give you the time of day. Those I've stopped following.

Of course one has to take into consideration that there are new blogs popping up every day. The people who write them will simply jump all over the place, leaving links to their sites left and right in the hope of having as many followers in the shortest period of time as possible. Let me tell ya, it doesn't work that way! It takes time, patience and a lot of work. Kissing up doesn't work! I myself, on this here small blog, have had a few newbies who have visited just to leave their links. I did publish their comments but have visited only once, just out of curiosity. Are they still around? I have no idea.

One of the blogs I follow on a daily basis is British Beauty Blogger (BBB). Why? Great information, always something new with several entries a day most of the time. I don't know how she does it but it's more than obvious that Jane loves what she does. And no I'm not kissing up, I'm just stating the facts! Some days I would love to switch places with her. Recently she visited 31 rue Cambon in Paris. For those who don't know about this address, well, it's Chanel! To make us drool even more, she had the privilege of visiting Coco Chanel's private apartment, you can read about her experience, here.

So, she writes about products, experiences but also about blogging which I do find quite gracious of her. Sharing is always a good thing in my book for I believe there is a place for everyone but a "smart everyone" if you get my meaning. Now what brand wouldn't want to work with her?

Apparently there is one! I don't know which and I must admit that even if I knew I wouldn't publish its name but I would likely stop buying their products.

Not good enough, her writing is impeccable, not influential enough, I would love to have a 4th of the number of her followers, not cool enough...!? What do they want, flashing lights and rap music?

Some blogs are stunningly gorgeous! The layout, the pictures, the writing are all perfect. Still, they don't have as many followers as BBB, why? Simply because she knows what her readers want and gives it to them in a classy way, that's why.

So, if she's not good enough for this particular brand, who is?

If she's not good enough, none of us are and we might as well stop what we're doing right now!

To read Jane's article, When What You Do Isn't Good Enough click on her banner below.

What Just Arrived at the Drugstore...

Two days ago I had to go get some hair products at the drugstore and as usual I spent a bit of time in the cosmetics department. Let me tell you for a small one, they do have quite a nice selection. Here's what I saw...


From Revlon, Super Lustrous Lipsticks and Glosses...

Super Lustrous Lipsticks and Glosses. Look at all the pretty colors! 

The glosses are pretty tempting.

From Covergirl...

The new Flamed Out Collection. A crazy looking new mascara, eye shadows and eye liners. 

Again, no testers which is the main reason why I rarely purchase anything from this brand. :(

And the big surprise today was that they are now selling Liérac! Yay!!!

Now I'm so sorry, I could have sworn the picture was clear. At the bottom, you see those two glass bottles on the right? Heaven!!! Huile Sensorielle aux Trois Fleurs Collection Blanche (the bottle on the left is actually the Eau de Toilette with the same fragrance). I briefly reviewed it last year (here) but will definitely have to revisit it. You can also count on the fact that I will be trying some of their offerings.