Lise Watier Sparkle of Hope Gloss...

So funny!

Yesterday at work was pretty busy for a Friday! Still, when things get too crazy I tend to find cracks to have fun and make situations not as heavy as they actually are. What can I say, it's my nature! As much as I can be a real b**** sometimes in real life, at works I have to make light of certain situations otherwise it would get way too heavy and considering the time I spend there, well, this is how I keep my sanity!

During the afternoon, one of my colleagues had a fit of laughter! Too busy to inquire about the cause of the hilarity, I heard another say "You must show this to Hélène!"... Hmm... I was really intrigued but then forgot about it because I had to concentrate and get back to what I was doing. An hour or so later I learnt why! My co-worker, who's birthday it was, had received a lip gloss as a gift from a friend but not just any lip gloss, one with a light!

Lise Watier Sparkle of Hope Gloss...

My work friend who coincidentally shares the same first name as Madame Watier, graciously gave me permission to take pictures of it. Lovely packaging, just lovely! I didn't swatch it of course but the texture seemed really nice and not too thin, transparent with shiny silver sparkles. The kind of gloss one wears over a lipstick to give it light...

Now about that light...

When you unscrew the cap, there it is! Notice how it almost seems to come from the gloss itself? This little trickery can also be found in Lise Watier's regular line up of glosses, Haute Couleur Lip Lacquer as well as with their nail polishes. I know the light thing is nothing new but...

What makes this one special? The cause!

I love this and guess what? Since I'm not much into glosses these days I plan on picking up the lipstick...

The name, Rose Tendresse is so appropriate and the price quite reasonable. Plus it'll be an opportunity for me to finally try one of Watier's lipsticks after so many years... It'll be a win win situation, getting a new lipstick with portions of the profits* going towards great programs.

To visit the foundation's web page, just click on the picture!

Isn't it great when companies give back? :)



*I wasn't able to find out just exactly how much of the profits go toward the foundation. 

Lise Watier Tartantastique, Fall 2013...

Now available, Lise Watier's Fall 2013 Tartantastique. Just arrived this week, I took these pictures yesterday.

The limited edition Tartantastique Quad, said to have been inspired by the English countryside, reminds me of Revlon Sea mist reviewed here, although the colors are slightly more vibrant. The texture of the Havana Bronzing Powder, beautiful! It's quite a nice take on Chanel Les Beiges and it's truly an all over face bronzer that will provide a very natural look. (Sorry about the blurry image)

This Quad in Les Mauves (Purples) is just stunning and is part of Watier's regular line up. 

What I would love to try is one of those Intense Extra Smooth Liner, especially Prune.

Two beautiful shades of nail polishes, on the right, Chic Tartan. Oh in case you didn't know, 

these have a light in the cap hence the name, Light Cap Nail Lacquer. Smart!

I can't believe I just showed you nail polishes with nekkid nails!!! I've been a little lazy in the last few days.

For some reason, except for the nail polishes, these stunning colors don't ring Fall for me but we are still in July so my guess is they, especially the limited edition Tartantastique Quad which comes in a beautiful plaid print compact, will sell out fast. The only thing that puzzles me, why no blush?

What do you think?

Lise Watier Sun Smart Universal UV Shield / Review

This product is a little hidden treasure that is rarely mentioned. I don't exactly know when it was launched but I first tried it 2 years ago when I received samples of it. By then I had tried a few primers with which I wasn't too impressed. This changed everything.

Beautiful texture, it goes on smoothly and you don't feel it under makeup. I've used this in Summer on hot and humid days with no issues and it has definitely helped keep my mineral foundation on longer.

The downside, the price! Considering that you need 1/4 tsp on your face to get the full UV protection, 30 mil is definitely not enough for the $39.00 price tag. Still, it's a great option for when you have a special occasion or for those hot days when you have to wear makeup. Since I rarely wear foundation, especially in Summer preferring a sunscreen under my bronzer, this does last me the entire season.

$39.00 for 30 ml
Available on Lise Watier website

Ingredients, from the Lise Watier website:
Active Ingredients Ingredients: CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide) 4.55 %, Zinc Oxide 3.5 %. Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Polysilicone-11, Polymethyl Silsesquioxane, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Stearic Acid, Alumina.

Your Skin... The Day After!

So last night you had to work extra late (on your blog maybe...), had to go to that cocktail party or received a last minute invite to go see a movie. Whatever the reason you ended up getting home super late and were way to tired to do anything other than get undressed and go to bed and...

You did so without removing your makeup!

Beautiful Compacts

As much as I love a nice lipstick a beautiful compact is its essential companion. After all, how can you apply your lip color without a mirror? Doable with sheer shades but as soon as you go for a more pigmented formula you have to see what you're doing otherwise you'll end up looking like my aunt Marie-Louise! A lovely woman bless her heart but, sometimes, her bright red lipstick ended up just below her nose. Not very elegant!

With Christmas just around the corner some of us are struggling with the lack of gift ideas and this is not because there are not enough "gift suggestion lists" out there. They are in fact everywhere at this time of year. Kitchen gadgets for the foodie, "At Home Pedicure Kit" for the beauty geek, teapot or salt & pepper shaker for the collector, hmmm! Been there done that maybe?

There's always room for lipstick!

Recently I emptied my purse for all of you and made a shocking discovery about myself. I'm a lipstick addict!

Hmm, my excuse, it IS the one makeup item we use most. Isn't it?

I guess I've known all along but after emptying my every day bag I went to have a look in the closet where I keep all my makeup. I didn't count them but I still have many. Shocking since last May, I did a big Spring cleaning and got rid of about half of what I had at the time.

When you look at makeup in general especially when browsing new collections at department stores, all the eye colors, powders and blushes are so beautiful one would think they are like precious gems encased in beautiful compacts that when you purchase you wish you could keep in your hands at all time so people could see what gorgeous taste you have.

Not too practical. Eye shadows, we leave at home. Blushes, well, some of us do reapply during the day but this has never been my case. Compact powders, now you're starting to get warm. I do love beautiful compacts. Isn't it nice when out somewhere you discretely take out a beautiful compact to see if your makeup is still in place and make sure your nose hasn't become a shiny beacon?

Now combine this with a beautifully encased lipstick and boom!!! Instant joy!

At the end of the 1900s Guerlain was one of the first to manufacture lipstick.

This ad is from 1935.

Is there anything more beautiful than a shiny new lipstick? I'm not talking about the ones in liquid form or lip glosses that we put on with an applicator, I'm talking about a real lip"stick". High end, low end, I don't really care as long as I like the color of course, but if the case looks good it's hard for me to resist. After all, regardless of our means, a nice lipstick is an indulgence most of us can afford, isn't it?

This is not a review of formulas or colors. This is a showing of some of the most popular lipsticks and in my opinion, the most beautiful looking.


The Classics


Clinique

One of the first I really fell in love with. The silver art-decoish presentation is just stunning. When you see it you know it's Clinique. It's so nice and in a way, comforting that they've kept it all this time. After all, it doesn't seem to go out of style.






Estée Lauder

Although they have come out with other stylish presentation, this one has almost always been around. I remember my mom had many of them and having worked for Estée Lauder I ended up with an extended collection myself. Not my favorite but it holds tons of memories for me








Lancôme

This tube has been revamped through the years but in all fairness it hasn't changed much. It's still as beautiful as ever and the rose, the Lancôme emblem, is what makes it so recognisable.








Chanel

A thing of beauty! Timeless! Whether you're wearing jeans or a little black dress, this lipstick looks good every time you take it out of your purse or even, dare I say, your pocket. This one is, I believe, my all time favorite! Simple, classic.



The Jewels

These lipsticks have evolved to become true fashion accessories. Not only are you influenced by the colors they hold but depending on what you wear you might go for a Dior instead or a Guerlain. They are little objects of beauty that one might even feel intimidated to use, well almost!

Guerlain, Dior and YSL have other very beautiful tubes but these are the ones that I find have the most jewel-like qualities and they fit so nicely in a little evening bag.

       Guerlain                                                 Dior                                                        YSL 



Following the times



Lise Watier

Now our very own Canadian Lise Watier has evolved with the times. Long gone is the little simplistic burgundy tube, now it's a gorgeous metallic tube that goes with everything.






Marcelle

Looking less like a drugstore brand than ever, this lipstick is really stunning. I was quite surprised when I saw it. Another great Canadian company.






The Newcomers

These are amazingly beautiful tubes. Unfortunately they are not as readily available as the ones mentioned so far. I haven't tried any of them and have only seen Clé de Peau at Ogilvy in Montreal. It might be easier to find them in Vancouver, Toronto or even online. Of these I find Burberry to be the most original with it's minimalist simplicity.

Armani, Chantecaille, Burberry, Clé de Peau

The Stunner


Givenchy

Now this is what I call a beautiful tube. Leather covered steel, this is one outstanding presentation. The international launch date for this new line of lipsticks is February 20th 2013. This is the tube that inspired this post. When I saw it on Chic Profile I was positively blown away. Not only is the leather fabulously chic but it  should enable this tube to look good for as long as you own it. A good thing since we all know that they all end up looking a bit dull after time spent in our hand bags. This one looks elegant and sturdy at the same time. Quite a feat when you think of it. Fashion forward, it's also Art Deco inspired like the Chanel tube as well as Clinique's, but in such a different and rather innovative way.

So, are you in the mood for a new lipstick?