Diorific Vernis 995 Minuit / Review

Red stars do exist!

This was the first thought I had when I saw it but as I was looking at it more closely my mind started being influenced by what I was watching while applying it. I realised that yes, Dior Minuit is a beautiful dark red sprinkled with red stars but then I compared it with my latest Dior Vernis purchase. If Nuit 1947 was reminiscent of a spy novel, Minuit reminded me of a very specific work, Dracula!

It's Rouge Noir with a twist! If Chanel's dark red was created to look like dried blood, Dior's Minuit kicks it up a notch by looking like... Crystallised dried blood!

Urban Decay The Mother Lode... For the girl who wants everything...

As the Joker would say "Wait till they get a load of me!"*

It wears its name well, The Mother Lode!

68, yes your eyes aren't playing tricks on you, 68 eye shadows and 4 Build Your Own Palette pans exclusive to this extravaganza!

Make Up For Ever Makeup Artist Picks...

So you're a makeup junkie and you want/need to go on a binge...

Voilà...

Available now at Sephora for $350,00* and based on last years fast selling similar kit, if you want it my guess is you better act fast or tell your loved ones about it. In other words give them your Christmas list now!!!

Vichy NutriExtra Hands / Review...

With winter just around the corner most of us know that a good hand cream is a must and if you're like me you probably have a few scattered around the house. Am I the only one to have four at the moment? Erm... yes I mean, bathroom, living room, bedroom, my purse... I need them all over otherwise I forget to use them.

Isn't it fun when you get a 2 for 1 special? I just love them and so yesterday it was just impossible for me to resist especially when it's a product I know I'll be needing, you know, one for my purse and one for the office. On promotion at the drugstore I found this little combo of two Vichy Nutri Extra Hand creams for just under $10,00. Talk about a good deal! I do have favorites but I do like to try new ones and this Vichy felt pretty good when I tried it in store.

Vichy Nutri Extra Hands Nourishing Repairing Cream...

Notable Reads, Vol. 26...

Big, big, big news... I GOT A JOB!!!

*happy dance*

After so many months and 60 resumés, yes I counted them, 60!!! During the course of the summer I did get several interviews where I ended up being told the hiring would be done internally. I had been looking since late April and finally I landed the job I wanted which means that now, truly, Catherine and I will be ok!

You may have noticed in recent weeks there were fewer posts and this was mainly due to the high level of stress I was under and also the lack of sleep. I just couldn't concentrate and felt that my words made no sense. This means I now have many drafts that are unfinished and hopefully I'll be able to do something with them.

The Body Shop Honeymania...

It was unavoidable, Fall is here! The days are colder and last night I've had to wear my winter coat!

Argh!!!

It won't be long before this is a daily occurrence because winter IS just around the corner. Tomorrow will be "yard cleaning, tarp off gazebo, furniture putting away day" and that makes me sad. I've read somewhere that this winter may be milder than last year which is good but we may get more snow. In other words we're in for six months of quasi hibernation resulting in red noses every time we go out!

All bundled up, covered from head to toe, the outside cold combined with indoor heating means for many drier skin and if you're like me you'll be looking for thicker formulas to provide instant comfortable smoothness.

The latest permanent line introduced by The Body Shop is a perfect one to turn to and it's got a beautiful fragrance to boot.

Honeymania...

This line was introduced earlier this month and so this means that it has been mentioned in the blogosphere quite a bit by now. For a full description I will refer you to Beauty Reductionista where Liz has smartly written the best one I've read. If I were to go at it I would have the impression of copying her article. As usual she is thorough and her writing style, impeccable!

Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water / Review...

Impressed is what I am!

Just last week I brought you a review of Boots No 7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water which was just plain bad. Sorry but that product was simply not good and so this meant that I was again in need of a micellar water, again.

I've never tried any of Sephora's offerings before and that goes for both makeup or skincare but the other day as I was roaming the store, looking at all the goodies that I clearly don't need but would love to own... I stumbled upon the Sephora skincare display. I can't remember where I read this but recently someone wrote a rave review of their Triple Action Cleansing Water and so at $14,00 for 150 ml I decided to give it a try.

Fragrant Memories...

From Royal Copenhagen to Bleu de Chanel...

The year we met, Royal Copenhagen For Men, was the first fragrance I bought André. It was to celebrate the first of many of his birthdays we celebrated together. This was at a time when I knew nothing about fragrances and so back then it was either I like or I don't which is kind of normal I guess for an 18yr old. What I did know was that I wanted to replace Dior Eau Sauvage, the one he was wearing. The reason? I suspected a previous flame had offered it to him and since fragrances equaled memories, for me anyway, I wanted to make sure that fire was out for good! Since our first date had been on April 24th, by his birthday we had been together six months so I figured I was entitle to have him let go of the "old" stuff!

A different kind of Sunday...

I sincerely hope you'll hang in there this week because I don't know how many new entries will be posted if any for I may take a bit of a break from the web. Several of you already know this and will understand why I'm in a very sad place at the moment. This week, Tuesday the 22nd to be exact would have been André's birthday and it would seem that as time goes by it's not getting any easier. These milestones, these firsts, are extremely hard to get through. This is also the period when he started to get sick last year. I never would have guessed that five months later he would be gone, gone forever.

Ironically, one of André's favorite movies, Ghost, will be shown on television this week. It's a movie we saw together when it first came out in theatres and we must have seen again a good ten times through the years. It now has taken a whole new meaning. He loved the ending...

Unlike Molly, I didn't get one last kiss, I didn't get to say goodbye.

Needless to say I won't be watching it and I don't think Catherine will either but I'm glad that she had the opportunity to see it with him.

The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody 

Thank you for your understanding and I hope you all have a great week. Hélène xoxo

Essie's Twin Sweater Set / Review...

Stepping out of my comfort zone, again... Only this time, I love it!

I've never been much of a red nail polish kinda girl but for some reason this year I've been looking at them with more interest than ever before. Every cosmetics company out there that produces nail polishes has reds in their collections. Warm, cool, metallic or cream, if you're looking for a specific shade of red you'll find it.

Essie's Twin Sweater Set is a red that had me go back to the drugstore. I had purchased For The Twill Of It for my daughter but she didn't like it, seems she's not into metallic. We went back to exchange it and she chose Cashmere Bathrobe, you can see it on her nails, here. Both times I was drawn by the beautiful creamy crimson red but didn't take the plunge. Not because of the price, they were on sale, but because of the fact that I already own a few reds that I can't remember wearing. So why would I bother with this one?

Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water / Review...

Following the trend of micellar water Boots recently added one to their No7 line of cleansers. This is a brand I'm not that familiar with having used only one of it's serum a few years back and so when I stumbled upon it the other day I decided to give it a try. Oh and I was a little excited about the fact that it has a pump! I know it doesn't take me much but I kind of like the novelty. :)

The idea behind micellar cleansers is to use one as a first cleanse. Using cotton pads dampened with the water you swipe over your face, neck and even the eye area to remove dirt and makeup and then follow up with a regular cleanser. This is what is usually recommended but I rarely use them this way. I like to use them like a toner, after my first cleanser to make sure my face is clean.

Boots No 7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water / Review...

How did I use it? How did it perform?

The first time I tried it, that day I was wearing, among other items of makeup, Estée Lauder's DayWear BB cream, L'Oréal Infaillible gel liner and Diorshow Iconic Mascara (non waterproof). I sprayed my face with a little thermal water first and then proceeded with No 7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water on a large cotton pad. It didn't do so well. Although my pad was relatively drenched of product, it ended up being a little irritating due to the fact I had to go over and over again all over my face. For the eye area, well, it smeared the eye makeup instead of removing it.

The second time, I was wearing only powder, bronzer, the same eye liner but this time L'Oréal's latest incarnation of Voluminous mascara. It did a little better on my face but the same smearing occurred on the eye area.

Ok so forget about makeup removal!

As a second cleanser... It turned out not being that great either. It almost felt as if this micellar water glided at the surface of my skin without doing much and so I'm truly surprised about the rave reviews it's received so far. As some of you know, this is not my first cleansing water and truly, compared to all the others I've tried, I think so far this one is the worst. The only good things about it are the price, a little under $14,00 and the pump.

It can do somewhat ok as a quick morning cleanser but that's about it. While it's formulated for normal to oily skin, I was expecting it to be quick about removing at least the oil accumulated on the surface of skin during the night but it fell a little short for this as well. It's highly fragranced which took me by surprise. This is not an issue for me but can be for others even if it doesn't linger.

So if you're looking for an affordable cleansing water my recommendation is go with Marcelle Soothing Water which is readily available everywhere in Canada. No fragrance, glides easily on the skin and does a great job with eye makeup removal and it's in the same price range at about $14.95. If you keep your eyes on specials it's often reduced at around $10,00.

You can see the list of micellar waters I've tried so far, here.

I'm sorry but this one is a no go for me and so to the fail bin it goes. :(


Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Butylene glycol, PEG-6 caprylic/capric glycerides, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium citrate, Parfum (Fragrance), Hamamelis virginiana (Witch hazel) distillate, Citric acid, Sodium methylparaben, Sodium PCA, Zinc PCA, Tocopheryl acetate, Ascorbyl glucoside, Tetrasodium EDTA, Magnesium PCA, Dipropylene glycol, Potassium hydroxide, Manganese PCA, Potassium sorbate - See more at: http://us.boots.com/product/37211#sthash.TbypfqeZ.dpuf


Reviews:

Makeup Alley: 4.8 / 5 lippies for 9 reviews.
Beauté-test: there are no reviews of this product.


As with any other skin care item, if you decide to try this product and have sensitive skin or are clog/acne prone, make sure to patch test for at least a few days before using it all over your face.

This M.A.C Blush is finally getting a Whole Lotta Love / Review...

I'm not much of an impulse buyer anymore and so before I decide to go for an item I usually think it through. This blush was an exception since I did buy it on a whim. Last spring I needed some pick me ups and did quite a bit of shopping to compensate...

My go to blush at that time was Bourjois Rose Ambré which is darker but with a light brush swipe looks quite natural on my skin. 

I wanted more than natural, I wanted a "pop" of color!

M.A.C Whole Lotta Love would have fit the bill if I hadn't seen... Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo in Coral Glow! As soon as I was able get my hands on it, all others, including this one, were forgotten and remained untouched! My Dior compact is now taking a break for winter (sniff!) but will be back in April for sure. :)

M.A.C Whole Lotta Love Pro Longwear Blush, $29,50 CAD

For once the color is right! Yay!

This blush spent the entire summer on my makeup table and several times I asked myself, why on Earth did I buy it? Well, now it's mid October and I can honestly say, I'm really happy I have it!

M.A.C Whole Lotta Love Pro Longwear Blush...

This color came out last year as part of the M.A.C Fall 2012 Office Hours Collection when several new blushes joined the regular line up. It's the perfect pink! You can make it light for a natural flush of color or you can layer it for a little more definition. Since it's pretty matte, well not to the point of looking cakey, it's perfect to use under any illuminating powder. A cool medium pink, it can easily be warmed up with the use of a bronzer which is what I've been doing. 

If you want to take a break from wine/berry shades or are a little tired of neutrals/corals, Whole Lotta Love is the ideal color to own. For some reason it makes me smile when I brush it on! Weird I know!

Oh I almost forgot, it has good color payoff! Some reviewers have mentioned being disappointed about this but honestly mine is just fine.a light swirl of my blush brush and it gives me a nice dab of color. No fall out, it's tightly pressed so it may depend on the brush used. If it's too soft you may have this issue.

Although this color might be more suitable for medium to darker complexions it can be quite nice on fair skin if used lightly by blowing on the brush before application. 

So it took me a while but I finally was able to justify this impulse purchase, feww! 

Do you have makeup items that you've purchased but ended up not using or took your sweet time to get into?

Notable Reads, Vol. 25...

Here I go with brand availability frustration, again...

I wanted a Bourjois Poudre de Riz de Java, I really really wanted one! We have Bourjois in Canada, sold at Shoppers Drugmart / Pharmaprix and I was quite sure I would be able to get one. I tweeted the company to ask if it was available and my disappointment started when they responded by saying yes, available, part of a kit!!!

The kit goes for $60,00!!!

In all honesty it was a lovely kit which included a mascara, lip gloss, nail polish and another item I can't remember. The problem? I didn't like the colors!

This is very annoying and frustrating! So, no Poudre de Riz for little old moi!

Here is a lovely picture of Bourjois' Poudre de Riz de Java taken by Jessica of Getting Cheeky, just click on it to read her review.

What caught my attention this week...

Sorry if I only have a few links for you but I've been a little stressed and busy with real life this week. Hopefully I'll have more for you next time.

Eye jewelery??? It's Cherry Sue tweet this and at first I was stunned but then I figured, why not? I personally would never be able to stand such pieces on my eyes but I say go for it to those who like this. Still, it must feel kind of weird.

If you want to have a look at what could be the makeup trends for Spring and Summer 2014 (Winter isn't even here yet and yes, this is about next year), these from Vogue Paris may give you a pretty good idea. The fist is from Dior... and I love it!

This next one is in my book shameful, just shameful! They can say all they want about how it's for charity but it just demonstrates silly excesses made by the rich and somewhat famous! Kelly Osborne Azature Million Dollar Mani  And no, I have nothing personal against Kelly Osborne, it's just the principle I find stupid!


For your viewing enjoyment...

Yesterday on yet another nail related post, I showed you an O.P.I nail polish from the 2012 Skyfall collection called Casino Royale. Here is the opening song from what is probably my favorite Bond movie, Thunderball sung by Tom Jones. Whether one likes this type of music or not, there's no denying that the guy has a great voice!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT0x7QiJI1g

Have a great week everyone! Hélène xoxo

O.P.I Expert Touch Lacquer Remover / Review...

What's in a nail polish remover? A lot if you ask me and I didn't even notice until recently!

We always read about nail treatments, hand creams and nail polishes but rarely about removers. I tried to do a quick search and sadly not much came up and that's probably because most of us figure that a polish remover is just that, a polish remover and they're all the same so why even mention them? This is an almost non issue if you only wear light colors, French manicure or just use a top coat for a clean look but if you wear vampy colors like me, you may find removing your polish a pain without a good one!

That's what happened to me last summer! I had to replace an empty bottle and picked up what was available at my local drugstore. What I got was this particular drugstore chain's name brand and it was the worst ever!!! At first I didn't really notice how poorly it performed since the colors I was wearing then were corals and fuchsias but a few weeks ago I had Dior Nuit 1947 on my nails which you can see here. I think this is probably the darkest color that was introduced this fall out of all the new collections. It took forever to come off and even once I was done, my nails were stained red.

Ok so stained nails aren't such a big deal for me since I usually go ahead with new polish right away but the time and effort it took... argh!!!

That nail polish remover did have acetone in it but apparently not enough of it and yes, it did say Extra Strength on the bottle!

Next up I got Sally Hansen's Extra Strength. I think out of all the drugstore options we have here it's probably the most effective and most affordable. Seeing how much better Sally Hansen was got me thinking about what professional use. Now I've had a professional manicure done only once in my life so I have no idea what they go for. I know, I know, how on Earth is that possible? Well, I hate being touched and the only reason I went was because I had broken a nail just before a special event.

O.P.I Expert Touch Lacquer Remover...

I stumbled upon this one by luck last week at Winners and $12.99 for 480 ml is a little more than what I'm used to pay for such a product but I really was curious to see if it would be better.

How did it perform? Great!

I tested it to remove Guerlain Madame Batifole which is on the dark side, you can see it, here. I ended up using less product and my nail polish came off like a breeze! On the bottle there are no "Strengthening" or "Moisturizing" claims, no Vitamin E added or whatever. It's just a remover and truly the best I've used so far. As a bonus, it didn't dry up my cuticles as much as Sally Hansen does and I found this quite surprising.

Would I recommend O.P.I Expert Touch Lacquer Remover? Yes!!!

If you want to be quick about removing your nail polish, this is for you. It is more expensive but it's so much better! I don't plan on bringing you other reviews of nail polish removers but I guess any Professional option will do better by you than what's at the drugstore although Sally Hansen does perform well so in a jam I'll keep a bottle of it. At around $3,00 for 267 ml, it's a steal.

This O.P.I product has a suggested retail price of about $20,00 for 480 ml but believe me, a little goes a long way and it's still less expensive than Dior which sells for the same price but for a 50 ml bottle.


Bonus review...

O.P.I Nail Lacquer, Casino Royale...

From the 2012 Skyfall Holiday Collection this is just my kind of color. I glad I got this one last winter, I'm such a James Bond fan! A beautiful vampy dark plum, a classic! The formula is opaque with two coats but does require a top coat. Here is 24 hours after application and it's lost a little of its shine already. There are many dupes of this one but even if it's a color from last year, it's still available in some areas.

Of course the color is a little wonky! It's actually a little darker in reality.

Do you get your nail polish remover from a drugstore or from a salon?

Do you have a favorite James Bond movie or actor? Me, I think I would have to say Thunderball (1965) due to the underwater scenes. Sean Connery will always be Bond but Daniel Craig is turning out to be a pretty handsome good one!

Nail trends that should not have been...

It's no secret, nail art has exploded in recent years and whether you went along with crackle, caviar or feathers on your digits, these styles by the way are still out there and somewhat popular, it seems that there is no end to what companies will come up with to make you spend your money either in a salon or a store. I thought it would be fun to show you a few that I do believe should not have been...


Duck nails...

Also called dolphin tails, flared nails, fan nails or whatever, this style seems to have been around since 2008. I think it's time it disappears unless it's for Halloween! Oh and yes, this has been spotted on feet as well! If you google Duck nails you will see pictures of this and let's just say I personally find it extremely unattractive!

This is as close as I will get to duck nails! 

You can see more pictures on Headstyle, here.

Bubble nails...

Hmm I wonder who thought of that one! This picture below is from 2009 so I don't really know when these were in! I have no words for it! Imagine doing the dishes with those!

More on Nails Mag, here.

Stiletto nails...

Ok this one really scares me! Imagine you scratch your back while you're sleeping... I guess I would wake up all bloody in the morning! This trend has been seen on Lady Gaga and Rihanna and although they kind of wear it well, I don't see this style as being practical in real life. A little too dangerous for my taste!

Lady Gaga & Rihanna from Talkingpretty, here.

What do you think about these trends? 

Have you seen them on anyone?

Chanel Mystère Eye Shadow Quad / Review...

I know, I know I'm late to the party! As we are already looking forward for holiday makeup collections that have started to pop up here and there, I'm here with a Fall offering but it is still available and truly worthy of a second look.

Chanel Fall 2013 Superstition Makeup Collection...

I was tempted from the get go by the offerings of this collection, especially by the eye shadow quad Mystère but then reviews started to pop up on the blogosphere and although bloguerettes seemed to like the color combination they weren't unanimous as far as the quality was concerned, it of course didn't seem as bad as years ago but it was enough for me to decide to pass especially since it's a little over $60.00.

Why the reservations? Well, as I've hinted, years ago Chanel makeup was pretty bad. The lipsticks? I wouldn't be able to tell you how many I've purchased through the years for I've almost always loved them. A few formulas here and there were kind of ordinary but this did not happen often and as for nail polishes, Le Vernis Rouge Noir is probably my all time favorite! The mascaras dried quickly and the eye shadows were just plain awful! Hard, difficult to apply, to blend, they cost a fortune and yet some drugstore brands performed better. Back in the day Max Factor was the one I would turn to for dupes and believe me, their eye shadows rocked. Sadly it's not readily available in Canada anymore so I don't know how their products fare these days.

So why did I give in? Stacey from Expat Make-Up Addict was having a blog sale on a Saturday morning and she had Mystère on her list. She was letting it go because she wasn't wowed by it and was salivating over an Armani palette. I think this was before my first café au lait and so I guess I was a little vulnerable when decided to purchase it. I received it a few weeks ago and have been playing with it ever since.

What's up with Chanel?

Before I tell you what I think of it there's one important detail you must know, there are two Mystère quads! The version we have in North America is not the same as in Europe and that's an annoying detail. The colors seem slightly different and now I'm wondering if it's the same formula. Chanel seems to be a little all over the place with their quads. Some are baked shadows you can wet (apparently those aren't so good) and others are normal, basic powder. Why the differences? Could the fact there are two versions be the reason why some bloguerettes love it and others don't?

Chanel Mystère...

I like it! I really, really like it! So far, if I compare with my recent purchases, these eye shadows are the ones that stay the longest on my eyes without any primer. Finely milled, they're a little soft so you need to touch them lightly with a soft brush to avoid fall out so ditch the little sponge applicators, they are way too rough to use with these. With a soft brush I hardly get any fall out and color payoff remains excellent and I'm truly surprised at how little is needed to get good coverage. What a difference from back in the day...

So for once I think my pictures aren't too bad (feww!). My favorite combination is the medium beige on the lower left corner with the dark khaki on the upper left. Here they appear a little lighter than in reality and the dark shade does have beautiful gold specs that lightly transfer to lids. The light shade, upper right, I haven't used much but the darker beige, bottom right, has been receiving lots of love from me on days when I want a more natural look. Yes I was able to do swatches this time!!! Sadly they look a little lighter than in reality but believe me, these shadows are super buildable for a beautiful smokey eye.

So, out of all my recent purchases, Chanel Mystère is my favorite! Who would have guessed??? 

Although the darker shades do fade lightly during the day, they do so evenly. In other words they don't look all yucky by the time I take my makeup off! You know when you end up with weird makeup build up in creases at the end of the day that you have to smudge? This is what I get most of the time but not with these Chanel eye shadows. The big surprise is the medium beige. It stays on all day without any primer! I only use a little Rimmel concealer on my lids to tone down the red as a base and it seems to do the trick.

I'm really impressed! 

Ok so I mentioned Chanel eye shadows from years ago, I kept one duo and here are the pictures. You could say this is a little blast from the past and this one can be considered "vintage" for sure...

As you can see I tried to make it work, I so wanted it to work!!! Called Lait/Café or Cream/Espresso, the light beige has pink undertones with beautiful mild glitter. Sooo gorgeous (sadly on the picture it's not that obvious I wasn't able to capture the subtlety of it) I stubbornly tried and tried and tried again but no, it never lasted more than a few hours on my eyes and boy was it hard to apply. Notice how the sponge applicator is almost worn off? It was the only thing that picked up any color and compared to the new ones, so rough on skin it was almost irritating. The brown also has beautiful subtle glitter in it and was a little easier to work with but after a while I didn't bother much with it. I bought a few of these and this is the only one I kept, because of that light beige. I'm glad I did since this enabled me to compare with the new Chanel eye shadows.

This was my first ever blog sale purchase and I couldn't be happier. I'm so glad Stacey decided to part with it because I know I wouldn't have purchased it, mainly due to my reservations. Now there is another little item I got that day... Stay tuned because that one too has become an essential and has reached HG status...


What do you think of Chanel's Superstition Collection? 

Have you ever purchased something from a blogsale?

Notable Reads, Vol. 24...

A little OT and self indulgent, after all it's Sunday, watching Titanic with Catherine...

Whether you like this movie's story line or not there's no denying it, it's spectacular! My daughter had never seen it and watching it again with her was quite an experience.

Like most people I have a few phobias which I will not enumerate here but one, if you can call it that, is the total sense of horror and fright I get every time I see a ship submerged. This started in my teens after seeing a picture in a book of a ship burning and sinking. Feelings of dread got to an almost crazy point when they found the wreckage of Titanic on September 1st 1985 and started to show images of the doomed sea liner on television. The first time I saw some of the footage my breathing stopped and I felt as if my heart was going to explode inside my chest.

When Titanic came out in theatres I didn't go see it. Family members aware of my uneasiness warned me about the underwater footage but even if they hadn't told me about these scenes I wouldn't have gone. The movie came out in 1997 but I think I only saw it three years later for the first time. I believe last night was my third and it will likely be my last. I know a lot about Titanic but will forgo the history lesson. Just Google the name and you will be flooded with information. A good place to start is Wikipedia with the entry RMS Titanic.

So as mentioned watching it with Catherine was quite an experience. At first she didn't want to see it, she already knew about the Jack and Rose storyline and since she's not much into romance she was not really interested. What grabbed her attention were those first underwater images, the ones I can't watch! I was in the hallway watching her watching those scenes and I was fascinated by her fascination!

Once these were out of the way I sat down with her and since I had seen it already I took more notice of the makeup, fashion and also of the demeanor of the characters. Did you know that for the dining room scenes all received etiquette lessons? They clearly wanted everything to be perfect.

From the movie, Kate Winslet as Rose, as she sees Titanic for the first time.

Fashion and makeup... 

... Almost perfect! I say almost due to Kate Winslet's mascara smeared face at the beginning of the movie, right after Jack convinces her not to jump ship. Back in 1912, the use of rouge for cheeks and lips was regarded as acceptable if applied lightly but eye makeup was in it's infancy and was more prevalent in theatre circles. It's doubtful that a young aristocratic lady such as Rose would have used any even if she had made a stop at Selfridge's in London. The grand store had launched the first "cosmetics counter" in 1909 but it was more a skin care and fragrances affair than makeup per say. Except for this scene, the actress' makeup is stunning throughout the movie and the same goes for the rest of the women characters.

Although the film is full of minute contradictions of history which in a way are not surprising considering the grand scale of the production it's still gives a relatively accurate glimpse of the society of the day.

Titanic, the pride of the White Star Line became the most famous ship in the world on the night of April 15 1912. Out of the 2,224 passengers and crew she carried, it is thought that between 1,490 and 1,634 perished. It was seen as the end of innocence of the Industrial Revolution. Men who thought they were invincible and could conquer anything came to the blunt realisation that things could go horribly wrong.

At the end of the movie Catherine said to me: "Mom, Titanic sank on April 15 and you were born on April 13, do you think there's a link?"...


What caught my attention this week...

What's the Best Foundation For My Skin Type? Beautiful With Brains. Gio explains to us why some formulas suit some skin types better than other.

MAC Wedding Trousseau Service, British Beauty Blogger. Jane tells us about a new service available at Harrod's. Will it cross over to North America or maybe it's here already and I didn't know about it?

One Stitch Face Lift: Silouette Soft Lift Review, British Beauty Blogger. Afraid of knives? This, like Jane I would totally do.

Blogging Etiquette: Are You Doing The Right Thing When It Comes To Social Media? Independent Fashion Bloggers by Julia DiNardo. I'm sorry but I didn't take note of who tweeted this article yesterday.


For your viewing enjoyment...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYAnMQOmNF8

How many times has this song played on the radio? Enough to really get sick of it I know! All I can say is that after seeing the movie last night, the lyrics have taken a different meaning to me and I appreciate it more.


Have a great week everyone! Hélène xoxo

A "New Look" from Dior for S/S 2014...

So this was taken backstage at the Dior Spring-Summer Show...

Stunning isn't it? Like gold leaves applied directly on the eyes. I don't know how this will translate into Dior's Spring 2014 makeup collection but one thing is certain, this look is not for everyone. A "few" years back I would have totally tried this, after all, there was a look where I would use blush brushed into the eye brows that was just to die for!

See the look in action...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn5wgf2CaH0

Now again, this is a runway look but I love the idea of the gold eyebrow.

What do you think?

Annabelle Smoothliner / Review...

I haven't used pencils in a loooong time! Reason? They don't last on me. I have deep set eyes and let's be honest, my upper lids are starting to feel the effects of gravity. *cries*

Now this was before all these new waterproof formulas came out and so I thought I would start having a second look at them.

Annabelle Smoothliner Waterproof + Long Lasting...

Real affordable, I purchased it for under $7.00 and chose the color Gunmetal, a dark grey with medium shimmer.

It glides on easily and since it takes a few minutes to set you do have time to get the wanted look, if you like to smudge it for instance. No tugging, no pulling it was super easy to get a nice clean line and of course it was much quicker than my L'Oréal Infaillible Lacker Liner which has to be applied with a brush.

Did it last? On me, nope!

After about an hour I had traces of it on my upper lids. Not only that but I had to use a little concealer to remove/erase them since they where tenacious. Had I used water or eye makeup remover I would have ended up with ruined eye makeup. The rest or the line, the part that didn't touch the upper lid, did fade a little after four hours or so.

Would I recommend Annabelle Smoothliner? Yes & no!

Yes if when you wear eye liner it doesn't touch your upper lid but you still might have to retouch it during the day since it tends to fade a little (on me). If you have a look at the reviews you will see that these crayons get lots of love and so it's real sad that this one here didn't do so well on me so do keep that in mind if ever you stumble upon them. If you don't have the same issues as me, at that price, they are worth a try.

No if like me, you have deep set eyes or droopy lids. Oh and by the way I don't have oily eye lids so that's not an issue.

Finally I can't comment on how it performs on the waterline since I didn't try it there.

Again, it's not because it didn't work for me that it will be the same for you. At that price it is worth a try!

So sadly for me, this crayon is going straight to the fail bin. :(


Reviews:

Makeup Alley: 4.5 / 5 lippies for 65 review.
Beauté-test: it gets a perfect score of 5 / 5 stars for 2 reviews.

M.A.C & Rick Baker For Some Halloween Fun!

Who is Rick Baker? A genius of makeup artistry!

You may not know his name but it's almost certain you've seen his work. He received seven Academy Awards including the inaugural statuette for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for his work in An American Werewolf in London. This honor was repeated with Harry and the Hendersons, Ed Wood, The Nutty Professor, Men in Black, How The Grinch Stole Christmas and The Wolfman. Remember the wolf creature in which Michael Jackson transforms in Thriller? He did that too! No wonder he's got his own star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame!

Rick Baker, see the video below for his tutorial.

So, here are three looks created by the master. Even if you don't have the talent of the artists from the TV show Face Off (my daughter and I looove that show), with the tutorials provided by M.A.C you should be able to replicate these amazing looks and maybe even modify them enough to make them your own...

On M.A.C's website when you click on the makeup drawing of your choice you will get all the information needed to recreate it. The great thing about these is that they are just makeup, no prosthetics. With a little practice the illusion can be quite spectacular...

Here's the tutorial where Rick Baker shows how to achieve the makeup shown above...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57BFduNBzew

Once you're done watching it, have a look at the before face by dragging the dot back to the beginning of the video. It's stunning!

Here, the collection created specifically to recreate these looks. 

You can view the entire collection on M.A.C website, here.

Sadly I don't have anything planned for Halloween but these palettes are both beautiful 

and could definitely be used on a daily basis, they are $52.00 CAD each.

On the left, The Monster's Bride and on the right, Spider Queen.

If you want to know more about Rick Baker do have a look at the video below where he talks about his work. I would have loved for it to be a little longer. Sorry if it's not centered, I wasn't able to format properly in HTML. If you're on a tablet, here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwrvSIaEe-0

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette Now Available...

Oh how I need this...

Why haven't I purchased an Ambient Lighting compact yet? Because I knew this was coming! I think I saw the first pictures for this back in July and figured I would wait. It is now available on Sephora's website and goes for $67,00 CAD. The price is a little annoying since it's $58,00 US. Another nice markup! Oh well, in this case I do believe it's worth it.

Will you be tempted to pick one up?