L'Oréal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess / Review

For a while now I haven't had much luck with drugstore mascaras and so recently I had just about given up. True that for the price of my beloved Benefit They're Real! I can get two or three drugstore mascaras but if they're not good it's simply money wasted.

The only one I've purchased repetitively years ago was L'Oréal Voluminous but for some mysterious reason there came a point where it wasn't working for me anymore. I don't know if it was the formula or my lashes that got really stiff but it wouldn't hold the curl anymore. That's when I started to heat my lash curler with my blow dryer. Even doing this, Voluminous let me down after an hour or so.

Last Winter, in need of a more tenacious formula, I purchased L'Oréal Voluminous Mascara Waterproof and was quite pleased with it despite the fact that it was a pain to remove. Since I don't need to wear this type of mascara often, it was an affordable alternative and next Winter I'll surely repurchase. It's what one has to wear on those snowstorm days since raccoon eyes are never a good look.

This week I stumbled upon the new incarnation of this old favorite, L'Oréal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess and decided to give it a go after reading Tracy's review on her blog Beauty Reflections, here. It was on special and so I figured for $8.00? Why not?

 I must admit that I much preferred the old packaging which was less flashy 

but I guess the red and gold will make it easy to find in one's makeup bag. 

For me a good mascara doesn't only rely on the formula but also the brush...

Below, on the left, I'm showing you the difference between the new L'Oréal Voluminous and Benefit They're Real! my current favorite. The brush is similar except for the slight hourglass shape and the tip which is more pointy. Benefit's is a little bigger but both have similar bristles.

On the right, the new vs the old. It's clear to me that the new brush makes it easier to evenly coat each lashes more quickly. Do note that both the regular and waterproof of the old version had the same brush. The old version's wand was a little longer and the brush was almost identical to Estée Lauder's Sumptuous which is also a favorite of mine.

Again a little blurry I know but I believe you can get the idea.

Ok so a good brush was a good start!

How does L'Oréal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess perform? Very well thank you!

The formula is a little thinner than both Benefit and Estée Lauder but goes on quite smoothly. No clumps, no mess (I feel like a commercial here) the brush is as I thought, excellent. What a difference if I compare this one to Telescopic Shocking Extension also from L'Oréal. The brush on that one was such a pain to use for me but I know that it did get lots of love. It just wasn't for me. Voluminous Million Lashes Excess gave my lashes good volume in one go and gave them a bit of extra length. Like Tracy mentions in her review, in about two weeks of regular use the formula will be dryer and just about perfect!

Does it keep the curl? YES!!!

I know you're not suppose to but I curl my lashes with mascara on. I've always done this and never had any issues. Curling without just doesn't work, my lashes are super extra stiff and point down. Nice I know! So I apply a good coat of L'Oréal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess mascara (honestly, they could have made the name shorter!), heat my Shiseido lash curler with my blow dryer, let the heat do it's thing and boom!

My lashes kept their curl a good seven hours and even in the evening just before I removed my eye makeup they still had a bit of a curl. Not quite like Benefit or Estée Lauder but still super impressive for me. Remember, my lashes have a mind of their own!

If I have one bad thing to say about it it's that at the end of the day I did have a few super tiny black specs below my eyes, like black eye shadow fall out. I saw these looking in a magnifying mirror and it was truly minimal, easily removed with a small powder brush.

This mascara is going straight into my emergency makeup bag! I wouldn't want what happened to my friend Stacey to happen to me!

The horror! One morning she was in her car and realised she had forgotten to apply mascara! Now for a makeup addict this is just plain horrific! She had to make a stop on her way to work to get one from the drugstore. Good thing she had time to do so. Can you imagine an entire morning with naked lashes? Ouch!

Do have a read of her "nightmare", here. She got a Maybeline mascara that I just might try myself. :)

About the reviews Voluminous Million Lashes Excess has received so far I was stunned! It's quite new and can seem pricey if one only purchases makeup from the drugstore especially since L'Oréal is one of the more expensive brands in that market but I was still surprised by the poor performance comments. I don't think this mascara is made to apply several coats. It has some thickness on the first coat so I believe applying more than two coats would make it clump. Also, it seems some expected their lashes to double in length, that's just not possible!

Lastly and this made me smile, several reviewers mentioned L'Oréal's television commercial which I haven't seen and, well, just don't believe everything you see on TV! :)


Reviews:

Makeup Alley: 2.5 / 5 lippies for 17 reviews.
Beauté-test: 3.5 / 5 stars for 6 reviews.


What was your last drugstore purchase? Any great discovery?

My Current Favorites / Makeup

In a few days August will be over! Where did it go???

This Summer was way too short and I just can't believe that we will soon have to start wearing socks again! The blogging world is going loco for all the new fall collections and I agree, there are or will be some stunners out there but for me, this means the return of the cold! I like Spring the most. It announces the arrival of lazy and care free days. Fall, is the precursor to cold and last Winter was such a harsh one in Montreal that I wish I could win the lottery and move to a more temperate climate...

*Le Sigh*

Recently I showed you what my Spring & Summer Skin Care Routine was like and so I thought it would be fun to show you what makeup I've been going for in the morning for the past month or so. I realise looking at these that this was real basic. No fuss, five minutes and I'm done! Compared to the same type of post I brought you in June, here, a few changes where made but I'm still keeping it minimal.

These have been my absolute favorites, I have used other products here and there but there are the ones my hands reached for most often, especially this past month and all have been reviewed...

Face...

Estée Lauder DayWear BB creme
Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer
Givenchy Le Prisme Visage Mat in Peach Plumetis
Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo in Coral Glow

Eyes...

Bobbi Brown Navy & Nude palette
L'Oréal Infaillible Lacker Liner in Dark Slate
Benefit They're Real! mascara

Lips...

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in Candy Shimmer
NARS Satin Lipstick in Tolède

Nails...

Essie The Girls Are Out for fingers
Chanel Le Vernis in Taboo on toes


True that Estée Lauder's BB and Bobbi Brown's palette are recent additions but oh how I wish I had put my hands on them sooner.

One quick comment about both the Givenchy and Dior compacts, notice how the embossed patterns are still visible? I've used these almost every day since I purchased them and it barely shows. This to me proves that they where totally worth the splurge. Fine and tightly pressed powders that perform well are definitely worth it and these have excellent staying power so no need to reapply repetitively during the day.


What where the staples of your Summer? 

M.A.C. Beluga Eyeshadow / Review

ALL the eye shadows from the new M.A.C Indulge collection are STUNNING! Really! I totally understand why they are sold out online and so now my one regret, I only got one. The one I wanted!

Beluga...

For someone who's been steering way clear of sparkles I've really done it this time! Going from mattes to this is quite a step! For those of you who have seen the Mystère quad, from the new Chanel Superstition collection, Beluga is similar to the dark khaki but packs more punch!

... Or so I thought...

Considering that a beluga is a white whale, the name for this eye shadow is quite surprising and does not really relate to the Sea to me. For some "mystic" reason, it reminds me more of the New Age period so many went through in the 80s or was it the 90s? This looks like a mix of several semi-precious stones people used to collect for their mystical properties.

I know this is not the clearest of pictures but I still wanted to show it to you, can you detect the blue specs in there? There are also gold and grey in a majorly khaki base. Here it looks more grey but it's actually a khaki with a lot of dimension.

With sun light the colored glitter is even more noticeable! It really does appear as if many colored stones where pulverised and mixed in the khaki base.

Here is what it reminds me of, Alchemy! A mad attempt to transform elements into gold! One would think they almost succeeded for this color is simply stunning and up close, does make me wonder what the Philosopher's Stone would have looked like, had there been such a magical creation!

Now, for all it's beauty how does Beluga translate to the eyes? Poorly! *cries*

I do get a good color payoff, hardly any glitter fall off... there is almost none to fall!

The glitter doesn't transfer to my eyes! I get a beautiful dark grey-khaki but all the subtleties seen in the pan simply vanish when using a brush. Note that I wouldn't use a sponge applicator for it would make it way too dark on me.

So you see, in this case, seeing swatches doesn't really give an idea of what it will look like in real life. With Beluga, the only way to really see it's refinement would be as an all over color for a smokey eye for example but unfortunately that for me, just wouldn't work.

Several of the new Fall makeup collections include shades of green, particularly khakis and I'm quite pleased about this one. Beluga looks great on me and if you're not one to go for palettes, this is an excellent option to enjoy a bit of the trend. Just keep in mind that it's not as sparkly as it looks in the pan or as when you swatch it. This is a little sad since I truly wanted something different.

Beluga is a good color right in tune with most Fall collections, not as sparkly as I expected, it's still highly pigmented and had good longevity. If you don't plan on getting any of the new palettes but still want a little pick me up to go with all the new fashion, Beluga is a good choice as are all the eye shadows from the M.A.C Indulge collection.

So, it wasn't what I was expecting but I'm still happy about this purchase.


Can you tell my daughter and I had a Harry Potter marathon recently? :)

Notable Reads, Vol. 19...

To discover, Lee Miller...

This week I stumbled upon this picture below, Lee Miller in Hitler's bath tub!

Lee Miller in Hitler's tub, photographed by David E. Scherman.

Who was she and why did this happen?

Lee Miller (1907-1977) was a fashion photographer and war correspondent for... Vogue! Reading this startled me. To think that Vogue had such a collaborator during World War II is somewhat surprising. Fashion and war?

Lee Miller started off as a model then became Man Ray's muse and mistress after moving to Paris in 1929, before embarking on a photographer's journey herself opening her own studio in the City of Lights. Active in the Surrealist movement in Paris, she had in her circle of friends, Picasso and Cocteau.

At the start of the war, Miller who was then living in England, was accredited into the U.S. Army as a war correspondent for Condé Nast Publications in 1942. She teamed up with LIFE photographer David E. Scherman on several assignments. The picture in Hitler's bath tub is the most iconic of their collaboration.

This article below is worth reading to learn more about this extremely talented woman. Studying Man Ray I knew of her but never took the time to read about her extraordinary life.

Lee Miller: Light on Her Fashion, The New York Times Fashion & Style. Article by Cathy Horyn.


August 19, Coco Chanel's birthday...

She was born 130 years ago on that date and I thought it would be interesting to bring you this short film about her beginnings. Starring Kiera Knightly in the role of the designer it was directed by Karl Lagerfeld. Clearely not a masterpiece but still fun to watch...

"Once Upon A Time..." by Karl Lagerfeld 

"A woman can be overdressed, never over-elegant." Coco Chanel

This one I enjoyed when it came out and this is my second time posting it. The first was last year just before that "interesting" Chanel N° 5 ad campaign with Brad Pitt.

Chanel N° 5 - For the first time - Inside Chanel

Controversy, speculations about Chanel's role during World War II. Nazi collaborator or not? Here are a few links including the only interview she gave about the war to someone who clearly didn't like her...

September of 1944 interviewed by Malcolm Muggeridge, The Unpublished Interview. Here's an insert...

Muggeridge: If you were to write your memoirs, what wartime revelations would you make? 

Chanel: This is such a difficult question, isn't it? 

Muggeridge: Well, let me make it easier for you. Which side were you on? 

Chanel: On neither side, of course. I stood up for myself as I always have done. Nobody has                  ever told Coco Chanel what to think.

Was Coco Chanel a Nazi? The New York Times, by Judith Warner. A review of Hal Vaughans' book, Sleeping With The Enemy: Coco Chanel's Secret War, published September 2, 2011.

A Vindication of Chanel, showing a letter co-signed by Isée St. John Knowles, president Société Beaudelaire and Gabrielle Labrunie, great niece of Coco Chanel, which announces the intention to publish some sort of vindication as the title implies.

Interview with Isée St. John Knowles, Président of Société Beaudelaire. Read what he thinks of Hal Vaughans, book. Should the book be read as fiction targeting desperate American housewives? The aversion of Muggeridge for Chanel.

Clearly, a woman can be boring but never too interesting... Chanel is definitely the later.

What caught my attention this week...

I'm sorry but I only have a few this week since I was rather busy with other things, including, life! Still, I do hope you will enjoy them!

Mascara Movers: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Vivianna does Makeup, Anna tells us which eye makeup remover really does the job for her when it comes to waterproof mascara. Also, have a look at her list of The Best Beauty Instagrammers. If you're not on Instagram yet here's an excellent reason to register.

Home Hair Color 101: The Pro Secret to Avoiding those Dreaded Hot Roots, BeautyGeeks. Janine shows us two celebrity examples of this weird phenomenon and a pro tells us how to avoid this. Now of course this has never happened to me....

What If You Bought Everything Fashion Magazines Told You To? A Huffington Post Graphic. First off I wouldn't but for the fashion victim well, she'll indeed be broke! That's unless she's got a nice trust fund.


Icaria's Food Blog...

One of our favorite seasonal recipe, Ratatouille, traditional or with a twist. See how you can make it your own.

Starting to enjoy tea again, I stopped this week to David's Tea for the first time. Tea Heaven is what it is. One recently opened in my area and I couldn't be more pleased, These guys below made the experience super enjoyable and believe me, I'll likely be a regular customer!

Love this! They give new meaning to "Service with a smile!"

By the way I got the Californian Lemon black tea (Citron Californien biologique), which is lovely to make iced tea!


Have a great week every one! xoxo Hélène

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire, Eau de Parfum / Review...

A little shameful to say maybe but this is my first time really trying a fragrance from the famous perfume house. I grew up with my nose full of Dior and Rochas for these where brands where my mother's favorites. Not totally clueless, I have tried Shalimar and L'Heure Bleue, tried to make them work for me but with no success and so this is the first Guerlain fragrance that I've worn non stop for almost two weeks. Up to now I was really on the fence about it.

Do I like it? I do but I don't love it.

The first few days it seemed very flowery, now, I can only smell the black cherries. There is the hint of almond and smoked tea but I get very little licorice which is what most get and as for rose well, even less. 

What I do get is fizzy Cherry Coke!!!

La Petite Robe Noire is very sweet, just like the little black dress depicted on it's bottle, a replica of the classic vials of the brand. To put it simply, I find it teenager sweet! No sultriness, no vampyness and on me, not much depth. The fragrance lasts a good six hours and from beginning to end, doesn't really change. It would seem that my skin's chemistry doesn't enable the development of its different notes.

One would expect a certain level of sophistication given the advertisement campaign but the total takeover of cherries on me prevents it from having the elegance of other fragrances I've tried recently. La Petite Robe Noire would indeed go well with a cutesy dress or when wearing Capri and a pony tail. In fact I'm not surprised that my daughter who is 14 likes it.

Just like its ad campaign which by the way is one of the nicest I've seen in a while, it's girly, feminine and flirty but unless my daughter develops a real taste for it I don't think I would purchase a full size. I recieved my samples when I purchased my Madame Rougit Blush along with Madame Batifole nail polish and at the Guerlain counter where I go they are quite generous with samples so I know I could get my fix if I end up having a craving for it, once the ones I have are empty. It's not a fragrance I would wear every day but once in a while, just like a Cherry Coke, it can be a nice treat but without the calories! :)

Fragrances are such a personal thing and La Petite Robe Noire is a hit for many. It's totally worth trying and who knows, unlike me, you may have the chance to experiment it's different notes. I know that on my daughter it's truly lovely. It's totally a girly fragrance!


I stumbled on this fun video about the making of La Petite Robe Noire. Truly a pleasure to watch.

Have you tried Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire? What fragrance do you wear when you want to feel girly?

O.P.I and Essie Fall 2013...

These two brands for me are like two reliable friends. So far I've been extremely lucky with the formulas of the colors I've purchased from both, even if sometimes the colors themselves ended up not wowing me as much. I truly have nothing negative to say about either.

Essie's Recessionista from last year's Fall/Winter collection Stylenomics was the one that got me back into wearing colors. A dark vampy plum red, it didn't let me down and I loved it so much, I got a back up. For such a dark color, it's formula was excellent, stayed on a good six days with a top coat. With it I was using Sally Hansen's Mega Shine but his time around I plan on trying a few others.

Even if it's last year's favorite color for me, kind of been there done that, Recessionista remains a front runner as a favorite for every day, again. Why? The plum factor!

I love dark vampy reds, I find burgundy smashingly classic but throw in a little plum and I'm stet! It's that little extra somethin somethin that makes it go with everything.

I haven't crossed over to greys, teal greens or dark blues, yet! I love seeing them on others but for some reason just can't imagine these on me. Since nail polish is such an easy way to make a fashion statement, I do believe I may do it this time around. After all, I spent the summer wearing Chanel Le Vernis in Taboo!

As much as I love high end nail polishes, I've satisfied my crave for Guerlain Madame Batifole and plan on having a closer look at Dior Galaxie oh and maybe Chanel Elixir but after that, I think some of these below will complete my Fall/Winter look. I just don't know which ones yet!


O.P.I  San Francisco Collection...

The theme was known and pictures have been circulating for a while now, since April in fact. Oh and last week was announced a collaboration with Carrie Underwood for Spring 2014! This is a little annoying since you're barely getting your hands on summer colors and already you're seeing the fall/winter collections. I know that's the way it is but still. The only thing that really gets me with O.P.I is their website! I always have issues with it. These below where taken from their Australian website...

Edited: Sorry guys it appears the two on the right are names from the Euro Centrale collection. As stated, I took these screen shots from OPI Australia. Their actual names are Wharf wharf wharf & Alcatraz...Rocks, which makes perfect sense given the shades. Thank you Dominique for leaving a comment and bringing this to my attention. :)


Essie Fall 2013 For The Twill of It Collection...

To get us back to a warm and fuzzy feeling, these colors are more than comfy... I love Essie, especially the fact that's it's readily available everywhere. Often reduced at under $8.00 they're affordable and the quality is quite respectable.

For The Twill Of It, a medium brown with green shimmer

Afterschool Boy Blazer, midnight blue

Twin Sweater Set, crimson red

Cashmere Bathrobe, flannel gray with shimmering specs

The Lace is On, pearlescent fushia

Vested Interest, grey teal

In Montreal and I'm sure it's the same in any major city, if you're in the habit of going downtown to do your shopping, you can find O.P.I for under $12.00 and Essie for under $10.00. Also what's fun if you stop by a salon that sells these brands, you can often get mini sizes sets for about $15.00. This is probably what I will do this year. It will enable me to try more colors.

This might be a good thing since nail polishes are the only thing beauty that interest my daughter. :)

All these are starting to be available pretty much everywhere.


What colors are you usually going for?  Me, as I've said, vampy plummy reds. :)

M.A.C Indulge Translates Into One Word...

Wow!

This collection includes beautiful neutrals and vampy colors for lips both in Cremesheen and Lipglass, two lovely Cremeblend blushes and gorgeous Nail Lacquers but the hit of this collection for me...

... The height Eye Shadows!!!

They are ALL, except for one, SOLD OUT at this time on M.A.C website!!!

Seeing them in person I may be disappointed but I will definitely make a detour to swatch them. Recently M.A.C has been kind of meh and underwhelming for me and as I've said repeatedly, they have so many launches that it's hard to keep up. This collection however has struck my curiosity enough for me to want at least one of it's offerings, the Beluga eye shadow.

You can see the entire collection on Temptalia, here, but if you want to see all of the items in person, I believe it would be best not to wait too long once it hits stores.

M.A.C Indulge launches in stores on August 22.

Will you be making a special stop to have a look at this new Indulging collection?

NARS Fall 2013...

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Notable Reads, Vol. 18...

Intense Debate and the disappearance of comments...

This I find extremely annoying! On my recent entry about Guerlain's Madame Rougit Blush I had received great comments and now I've lost them! I don't know what the deal is but it seems that I will not only switch from Blogger to WordPress but from Intense Debate to Disqus! Hopefully I'll be able to do this before Christmas.

My Spring & Summer Skin Care Routine...

I do believe I have good skin and so I don't fuss much about it. My take is not only less is more but the more you try things, the more you mess with it, the more chances of having things take a turn for the worst. I've had my skin issues like clogs and yes, some acne but these days I rarely break out and the only products I switch often are cleansers for reviews sake. My main concerns are a little oiliness and aging... *sigh*

My routine is fast, which is the way I want it to stay. Here are the products that I've been using since last Spring where the only different product since then is the Marcelle Cleansing water which replaced Biotherm Biosource Micellar Water.

Bobbi Brown Navy & Nude Eye Palette / Review...

Recently I went downtown and I bad! Very, very bad!

How bad was I? When I got home, Wallet locked itself in the bathroom and cried the entire evening, that's how bad I was!

I pleaded my case, explaining these splurges where "must haves", they where "basics" I desperately needed for fall but nope, Wallet didn't want to come out...

I mean come on! I only bought three items!

Guerlain Madame Rougit Blush / Review...

Isn't great when you can get what you want? Pictures of this stunning compact have been circulating for a month or so and ever since I saw it I wanted it! Sooo expensive but just as for my beloved Diorskin Coral Glow which was my Mother's Day present to myself, Madame Rougit is to compensate for the hard Summer I'm having. So as my dad used to say, if you can do it, do it and no regrets!

Last Friday, I really spoiled myself...

Guerlain La Laque Couleur Madame Batifole #860 / Review & Swatches

As mentioned earlier this week when I presented to you Guerlain's new Fall 2013 makeup collection La Voilette de Madame, this nail polish was one of my most recent Beauty Envies...

Guerlain La Laque Couleur in Madame Batifole does not disappoint!

Notable Reads, Vol. 17... No Computer???

Oh my word! Can you imagine yourself without a computer??? In this age of everything at our fingertips I know for me it would be... Lock me up, take me to the asylum, naaaooowwww!!!

We have a desk computer, two laptops, two iPads, iPhone and several iPods! Overkill? Maybe. I always use the same laptop and boy am I glad to have a backup! Now when the internet is down, that's another thing... What's missing in my life at the moment is a good camera, sniff!

Real Techniques Brush Collection, Eye Starter Set / Review

With all the rave reviews Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman brushes get, I guess it was time for me to take the leap. I purchased the Eye Starter Set last week for a little under $20.00.

Estée Lauder DayWear BB / Review...

Tired of having to apply tons of powder to reduce the shine caused by my morning moisturizer and not wanting to fuss with foundation I figured I would try a BB!

Some SA's are way too important for their own good...

Clarins Graphic Expression Eye Quartet Mineral Palette / Review

On my recent Beauty Envies there was Mystère from Chanel's Superstition collection that is just about to hit stores. It's already available on some websites and some beauty bloggers have reviewed it. So far, considering the price, I believe it will be a little over $60.00, they are not unanimous. Some love it and others have been a little more critical about the textures of the different colors in the quad. I can't comment about the textures so much but I was able to swatch it over the weekend and I must say I was a slightly disappointed for as it turns out, the colors are a little ordinary. For me, for every day, it would end up being boring and since I pay for my makeup I decided to pass. For now...

For my first fall purchase I decided to go with Clarins instead. I think it was last Friday that stores started to receive the new Fall collection, Graphic Expression...

Essie The Girls Are Out / Review & Swatches

I can't believe I haven't brought you a review of this lovely nail polish until now!

Love, love, love Essie The Girls Are Out!

I tried to hide the chip on my middle finger, entirely my fault and not the formula. On the left with sun light and on the right in the shade. This is on it's own, with no top coat. Can you see the silvery shimmer?

Guerlain La Voilette de Madame...

The new Guerlain Fall Collection is called La Voilette de Madame. I've noticed that the word voilette is a little hard to get right for several beauty bloggers out there. Understandably so since it's such a French thing.

A voilette (not violette like the flower) is a light lace veil made to cover a woman's face in part or completely and it's often attached to a hat or in some cases a type of head band. Very elegant, it's always, more or less, in fashion and gives a woman a air of mystery when worn right.

Russian model Natalia Vidianova, the face or Guerlain, is not only wearing 

the delicate lace on her face but she's covered by it. 

Guerlain's La Voilette de Madame is one of the most anticipated collection of Fall 2013 and with good reason. Pictures have been circulating for a while now and looking at the ones I've selected I think you'll understand why. They are launching a new permanent collection of Écrin 2 Couleurs (eye shadow duos, height in all) and Le Stylo Yeux (eye crayons, five in all).

Along with these new regular offerings are the limited edition items. Three beautiful Lipstick Rouge G, three Gloss d'Enfer, one stunning La Laque Couture, oh and a blush...

Limited edition, Lipstick Rouge G, notice the beautiful lace detail.

860 Madame Batifole, bright fushsia, 861 Madame Flirte, pink red, 

862 Madame Rêve, deep pink 

Limited edition, Gloss d'Enfer

860 Madame Batifole, shimmery fuchsia, 861 Madame Flirte, shimmery red, 

862 Madame Fascine, deep plum

Limited edition, La Laque Couleur 

in Madame Batifole, intense fuchsia

Now this is to me, the star of the collection. Several makeup collections are coming out with face palettes but I do believe this one is the most stunning of them all. Notice the embossed lace detail. Beautiful! The compact opens to present to us these amazing colors and under can be found a lovely red bristles brush. It comes in a velvet pouch to keep it looking pristine. Needless to say that I know I'm not the only one who fell in love at first sight! This is now at the very top of my Beauty Envies list!

Limited edition, Guerlain 4-Couleurs Madame Rougit Blush

Raspberry, Pale Pink, Coral, Beige

Since these are all limited editions, it would be a good idea to make a stop at your local Guerlain counter when these come out in August. I have a feeling that they will sell out fast especially Madame Rougit Blush. Remember Diorskin Nude Coral Glow? This is the kind of collectible you don't want to pass on.

I have my eye on the Guerlain 4-Couleurs Madame Rougit Blush and La Laque Couleur in Madame Batifole, what about you?

Grace Kelly & Notable Reads, Vol. 16...

From Philadelphia to Monaco: Grace Kelly - Beyond the Icon

Currently, until October 6, the McCord Museum of Montreal is presenting us this exhibit in collaboration with Grimaldi Forum Monaco, Holt Renfrew and Ritz-Carlton Montréal.

Grace Kelly © Howell Conant 1955

A resumé of her journey through letters, notes of friendships, personal effects, beautiful gowns and accessories by some of the most influential designers of the 20th century.

My favorite Grace Kelly movie? There are only 11 of them but it's probably To Catch A Thief (1955). Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and also starring Cary Grant. The gowns, oh the gowns and of course Cary Grant!!! A feast for the eyes, set in Monaco where she would become Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco a year later by marrying Rainier III, Prince of Monaco.

Grace Kelly with Cary Grant in To Catch A Thief.

For more information about the exhibit click, here.


My week...

As some of you may have noticed, this week I've been kind of quiet. I do believe I'm a little tired and so I've been dragging my feet as far as blogging is concerned. I have visited and read what my bloggerette friends have written but haven't left many comments. These days I'm more concerned about my job search.

I do have some reviews coming up so stay tuned for those and depending on how my week goes I should have one or two quick recipes for my food blog as well, here. It would be a good idea to subscribe to it since unlike Icaria's, the entries will not be as regular.


Here's what caught my attention this week...

A Blush A Day: Week 3, Beauty Reductionista. Links to week 1 and 2 are at the top of this latest entry by Liz. This is fun! I wouldn't be able to do this type of post since I did a major purge last year. I wonder if I have 10 blushes left. I guess I should go and count them. :)

Oh Hey, Sailor! Bobbi Brown Navy & Nude Collection, The Glitter Geek. Arianne gives us her first impressions about this palette which was on one of my recent Beauty Envies.

Chanel Les 4 Ombres in Mystère and Le Vernis Taboo, Expat Make-Up Addict. The reviews for this quad, part of my latest Beauty Envies post are starting to appear. See what Stacey has to say about it.

Bourjois Color Boost Glossy Finish Lipstick...Crayon... Beauty Reflections. Tracy got her hands on one of these new lipstick from the French company and she likes it!

The Monolid Trilogy, Mostly Sunny. Sunny give a great 3 part tutorial to apply eye makeup on monolids. Great info, great pictures.

Please Don't Squeeze, Strawberry Blonde Beauty Blog. Nic tells us why we shouldn't. I have my eye on my daughter, told her about it and hopefully she won't.

(Some) Hair Damage Is Normal, Beautiful with Brains. Gio gives us the basics to avoid hair damage as much as possible.


Food...

Garbanzo beans & Tuna Salad, one of my daughter's all time favorite.

For fun...

What I grew Up With, The Unknown Beauty Blog. Olivia has been having a bit of fun recently with these entries. The latest, about the fiasco of the "New Coke" formula and Max Headroom. Of course, if you're under 30 you may have no idea what she's talking about but it's fun.

Tiny Tampon Queen, posted on Jezebel blog and tweeted about on July 29 by CherrySue from CherrySue, Doin' the Do. Hilarious, do have a look.

The Camp Gyno - Crazy Commercial For Young Girls About Their Periods

Aaand...

Mika, Grace Kelly from the album Life In Cartoon Motion, 2007.

Have a great week everyone! Hélène xoxoxo

Now Online: M.A.C Lightful With Marine Biology Skin Care

As per M.A.C...

Lightful delivers the latest in brightening technology for flawless skin. Our exclusive Marine-Bright Formula features three potent seaweed extracts and Vitamin C derivative to nourish, hydrate and revitalize skin while blocking free radicals and UV effects. The result: brilliant, clear, even radiance that appears instantly and intensifies over time. For optimum effects, use Cleanser, Softening Lotion, Essence and Moisture Creme morning and night.

Four products...

Lightful Cleanser ($30.00): with Marine-Bright Complex and Super-Duo Charged water.

Lightful Softening Lotion ($38.00): infused with the active high power impact of Marine-Bright Complex.

Lightful Essence ($48.00): Marine-Bright complex and Super-Duo Charged water, a lightweight serum more powerful to moisten, condition and plump skin for a smoother, more radiant look and feel. Impact increases over time.

Lightful Moisture Creme ($48.00): Marine-Bright complex and Super-Duo Charged water, a lightweight gel-style moisturizing cream to boost skin's moisture and instantly, and over time, make the skin more luminous.


All I can say is that this is interesting. There are hardly any information on M.A.C's website, no ingredient list and no mention of UV protection. In other words, if you want to brighten your skin you will need to use a good sunscreen during the day. True that Vitamin C can brighten skin and help boost sun protection but it can't do it on it's own. I'm curious about the "Marine-Bright Complex" and the "Super-Duo Charged" water. These are attractive terms but what do they really mean?

M.A.C is owned by Estée Lauder who also owns Crème de la Mer. Are we seeing some sort of cross over? One thing is certain, the beauty giant remains mysterious as far as ingredients are concerned, relying on beautifully put together scientific sounding terms to intrigue costumers enough to purchase their skin care.

The prices of these new skin care items are relatively reasonable. It will be interesting to read reviews and the ingredient lists of each as they start to pop up. I think I'll wait until then to decide if I will try these or not.

These new skin care offerings from M.A.C will be available in stores on August 15.