First there was this:
And now there’s this:
The Chanel No. 5 Ad is probably the most strange one I’ve ever seen. Brad’s entire look, the script, the moodiness of it all just doesn’t do anything for me…
What do you think?
Brad’s Ad for Chanel No. 5
New! Clarins Skin Illusion Loose Powder Mineral Foundation Review
A good powder foundation has a lot going for it – it’s easy to apply and you can usually play with the coverage more easily than with a liquid.
The new Clarins Skin Illusion Loose Powder Foundation with SPF 10 delivers smooth silky skin with just a few brushes of the accompanying powder. The pigments in this foundation are super fine so that you don’t end up with a powdery look when you’re wearing it, and so the final look is that of almost-bare skin. I say almost because I did find the foundation to be a little bit shimmery but not overly so that I didn’t enjoy wearing it. It just made my skin look better than it actually was, and everything just works about it.
The foundation is available at your local Clarins counter for $47.
Lady Gaga Fame Review
I’ve had the box of Lady Gaga’s Fame sitting on my desk for over a week, and I’ve been too chicken to actually spray it on myself. What stopped me?
All the hype, actually. I wanted to like the fragrance, but as with most things over-hyped, I was worried it would let me down. I’m also not a huge fan of drugstore fragrances, and no matter how much effort Gaga has put into making this, at the end of the day, it’s meant for the mass market.
I mean, her one requirement for the fragrance was that it be black in the bottle and spray clear. She wouldn’t sign with Coty (the fragrance maker) until they could show her that this could be done. So they went into the lab, created a formula, and when they were absolutely happy with it, they showed it to her and she signed on the dotted line. My point is that her only requirements had to do with the looks of the scent and not the body of it. I’m not sure she even cared what it smelled like. Everything is done for the artifice, and so what would you expect of the perfume itself?
Even the box holding the scent is interesting and all lies… It says that the scent is “compounded by Lady Gaga” (obviously untrue), “tears of belladonna/crushed heard of tiger orchidea/ with a black veil of incense/pulverized apricot/and the combinative essences/of saffron and honey drops”. Those are the notes.
And so the scent itself is a sweet and yes, incense-like combination of fruit and floral. It smells… like almost every other scent available at the drugstore with nothing but the name to set it apart. No, I’m not a fan. The scent is very sweet at the beginning, but quickly melts into the skin and becomes deeper more intense, finally stopping at a powdery finish. It’s a night-time scent, and I would hate it if someone were wearing this around me during the day.
Available for $39 for 1oz.
What You Need to Know About Shellac
So Shellac has been around for a while now, and over time, it’s gained more and more popularity. Though it was available only at certain salons in the city, now it seems that every corner nail place offers Shellac for not much more money than a regular manicure. There’s even places that offer just a Shellac top coat, even though the practice is not endorsed by the company that actually makes the product.
The unfortunate thing is that when something becomes overly popular, the quality and authenticity can often times go down. Think of Louis Vuitton – I’m sure we all know of someone who has a knock-off monogram bag or even a Guess bag that tries to act like an LV from afar. Despite that, there’s no replacement for the real thing, and a real Shellac mani will stand the test of time.
But what exactly is Shellac, and how do you know whether you’re getting a true Shellac manicure or not.
The first thing that you need to know about Shellac: it’s a brand name from the parent company Creative Nail Design or CND for short. That means that when you go for a Shellac manicure, the bottles should have the small CND logos on them and should say Shellac on them. If it doesn’t say Shellac, then it’s not Shellac.
Shellac is a special kind of polish that needs a UV lamp to “cure” or dry. When it dries, the polish is completely hard and doesn’t chip off the way that normal polish can (though there is a chance that you could get small chips). Though it is very long-lasting, unlike Gel nails, you don’t need to file off any of the nail to get the polish put on, and it just applies on your regular nails. That means that there’s less damage to the nails, which means that if you’ve avoided gel nails before but liked the look, you might be a good candidate for a Shellac manicure.
The entire process is similar to OPI’s Axxium. The service has gotten to be so popular that there are at-home kits out too!
Shellac comes in just 42 colours – I say “just” because when you see 42 colours lined up, it really doesn’t look like a lot. I have over 50 bottles of nail polish in my curated nail polish collection, so for a brand to put out just 42 shows how little the number is. If it’s really Shellac, you too will be shocked by the lack of colour selection. If there seems to be many many colours to choose from – they’re probably not real. Though the colour selection is small, each and every colour has been formulated to be the best. That means that each colour takes the same amount of time to dry and set, and will wear pretty much the same. If you don’t find the colour that you like, don’t be disheartened – a CND-trained esthetician can layer colours for you so that you can create your perfect colour.
The next thing you need to know is that for it to be a Shellac manicure, every single product used should be from CND. That means the base coat, the colour, and the top coat should all be CND. Even the lamps used for drying should say CND on them.
Speaking of lamps, CND uses UV lamps to dry your nail polish. This does not mean that you’re going to get skin cancer from getting your manicure. The amount of UV that the lamps actually deliver in the time that you’re putting your nails in them, is actually less than what you’d get driving around in your car with your hands on the steering wheel. You’re spending about a total of 8-10 minutes per hand under the lamp and that’s just not enough exposure to cause any significant skin damage. This has been verified by scientific studies – see for yourself.
Finally: the best way to preserve the quality of your nails and get the best manicure ever, is to go to someone who has been trained by CND. They’ll have the best application technique and that can make the difference between a manicure that lasts a week or one that lasts much longer.
Here’s an image of my Shellac mani in Masquerade. It is a deep shimmery red – almost a burgundy.
CND says that your manicure will last 14 days – possibly even longer. My experience is that that’s true, but the nail growth is what will make you want to change your polish faster. Check out my mani after just 7 days. You can see that there’s significant growth, but thankfully it’s not getting on my nerves yet. I haven’t had any chips, and the polish is still as shiny as the day it was applied.
What I’ve noticed about these manicures is that the nail growth actually isn’t even noticeable from far away, so chances are that you will be able to wear your manicure for the 2 weeks. That said, if you’re a frequent polish-changer like me, and like to be on to the next before the week’s over, you’ll just get tired of your Shellac mani and will be looking forward to getting it taken off. Ah well.
Guess what the best part about a Shellac mani is? You CAN take it off at home!
All you need is aluminum foil, acetone, and cotton pads. Soak the pads in the acetone and cover with foil for 10 minutes, and your polish should peel off. This is actually more difficult than it seems and everyone I’ve spoken to says that it doesn’t come off that easily. I, personally, would recommend just going back to the salon to get the polish taken off, especially sicne the entire process shouldn’t last more than 10 minutes. The good news is that CND has come out with a new Shellac remover that takes the polish off in 8 minutes instead of 10, so if that makes any difference, head to a professional to get the mani removed! Chances are that you’ll save your nails in the process!
Before I got my mani removed there was a ton of growth, but the polish itself looks great. The Shellac was applied so thinly that I wasn’t tempted to chip it off myself the way that I usually am, although I did find that it was coming off at the edges and I would get caught in my hair.
After the removal – which literally took no more than 15 minutes – my nails looked just fine. There was no chipping of the nail or any denting in the nail bed, because I had waited to get the polish taken off professionally. If I hadn’t done that, the nails would have been damaged. The removal means that the polish literally falls off and just needed a light rubbing to flake off completely.
And before I’m off, some more good news: CND has come out with 6 new colours of Shellac this fall, and they are right on trend with beautiful jewel tones.
The colours are: Faux Fur, Midnight Swim, Overtly Onyx, Pretty Poison, Sugared Spice, and Vexed Violette. If I were you, I’d make sure that my salon had these colours before going in for a mani, because they’ll be what you want to wear this fall.
A Shellac manicure costs anywhere from $25 to $45 and you can visit cnd.com to find a salon near you. If you know of a salon in your neighbourhood that is advertising Shellac mani’s but isn’t on the CND site, I wouldn’t visit it.
New Review: Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara
Finally a mascara that seems to do it all in just one swipe. Clinique’s new High Impact Extreme Volume mascara is just what you need if you like major lashes. The formula is great – non-clumpy, long-wearing, flake-free, and dark – but it’s the brush that really does all the work.
What I absolutely love about the brush is that it has bristles on the tip too, so I can easily get the little lashes in the corner of my eyes, and the lashes at the outer edges. The brush gets lots of product on it, so you’ll be able to build volume if you need to, but really one swipe does the trick pretty easily. I found that this added lots of length to my lashes (to the point where I got asked if I was wearing extensions), although it dries quickly so you have to work fast if you want to build some volume.
As one of the best mascaras to come out at the Clinique counter, this is a must-buy to get dramatically long and voluminous lashes this fall. $23.
Marc Jacobs Dot Review
Marc Jacobs’ newest fragrance, Dot, has a fun playful bottle that reminds us of all his other fragrances, including Daisy and Lola. Like both of those scents, Dot seems also to be aimed at a younger demographic with notes that are resoundingly fruity.
With so much hype surrounding the scent, and what with it being the first one from Marc Jacobs in years (the last one was Lola in 2009 and there have only been flankers thereafter), imagine my surprise when I spritzed on the scent and was instantly reminded of Daisy. I even decided to Google Dot to make sure that it wasn’t a flanker that I was supposed to be smelling.
Nope, this isn’t a new incarnation of Daisy, Dot is supposed to be a new scent all on its own.
The opening notes are Red Berries, Dragonfruit, Honeysuckle all of which smell sweet, honey-like, and almost tropical. There’s a hint of pineapple in the air after you spray this scent on, and the fruits seem to last on and on.
The drydown has Jasmine, Coconut Water, Orange Blossom, Vanilla, Driftwood, and Musk.
I’d describe the scent as fun and fruity, and it reminds me of high school. It’s not something that I’d like to wear or smell on anyone, but I’m guessing that I’m not the target demographic – this scent is most definitely aimed at tweens and teens who can own a little piece of the Marc Jacobs universe in a fun playful bottle.
Pick it up at department stores.
Burberry Fall 2012
What I love about Burberry is that they give you updates to their iconic look each season, instead of just offering you products that are super trendy. That means that if you subscribe to the Burberry beauty look – almost-smoky eyes paired with a natural lip – you’ll be able to stick to it each season without much fuss or muss.
The highlight of this fall’s collection is their new Velvet Foundation ($68) which is a long-wear sheer foundation. It’s easy to apply with your fingertips and literally melts into skin. Available in 8 skin-true shades, this is a long-wear foundation that you’ll find easy to use.
The new Sheer Eyeshadows ($33) come in 3 shades: No 23 Dark Sable, No 24 Mulberry and No 25 Porcelain White. The Lip Cover lipsticks ($36) come in Mocha Glow and Sepia Pink. My favourite from the whole collection is the Sepia Pink lipstick because it’s darker than the other natural pinks that Burberry already has out but not so dark that it’s going to force the vampy lip look on you. It’s the perfect update for fall if you’re not willing to go all out.
Pick up Burberry makeup products at Holt Renfrew Vancouver and Bloor Street.
Essie Fall 2012 Stylenomics Collection and Swatches
I know that I’m going to be reaching for these colours all winter. As the name suggests, Stylenomics goes beyond trends and includes colours that can really become staples – which means that you’re going to get more bang for your buck.
The colours (from left to right are):
Miss Fancy Pants: they’re describing it as a greige (we’ll be seeing TONS of that this season). This greige leans more towards the beige side rather than the grey.
Recessionistra: Magenta. Kind of like a grape. Pretty and totally a fall must-have.
Stylenomics: teal green. Truly a gem tone.
Head Mistress: bright red.
Don’t Sweater It: they are calling this a mauve, but I think it’s more of a… taupe.
Skirting the Issue: Burgundy.
And here are the swatches:
Miss Fancy Pants
It’s hard to play favourites, but this is probably my favourite colour out of the entire collection. It’s a perfect transition from summer, and I can imagine it looking good on almost anyone.
Recessionista
This is going to be a staple when the weather gets really cold. Reminds me a lot of Lancome’s Infusion de Prune from their fall 2012 collection (see swatch here).
Stylenomics
I’m not a green kind of girl, but I think I could get behind this jewel tone.
Head Mistress
In my opinion, the only miss from the whole collection. This feels more spring to me.
Don’t Sweater It.
See what I mean about it being more of a taupe? Check out my swatch of Taupe by Yves Rocher from Fall 2011 (hard to believe that was only last year!). That’s the last time that Taupe was really big.
Skirting the Issue
I had high hopes for this one, but it wore more like a jelly. You can see that it’s slightly transparent even after 2 coats.
The entire collection should already be available at your local salons and drugstores. Which one will you choose for your mani?
Lady Gaga FAME Videos
Remember that little bit about “catching up”… well I’m still at it, and I’ve been meaning to post these video teasers for Lady Gaga’s FAME fragrance.
The videos are actually teasers for the full feature length film that’s going to be debuting at the Guggenheim next month. The movie was directed by Steven Klein and the teasers seem more like short fashion-y horror movies.
See for yourself.
Lancome Fall 2012 – Midnight Roses
Lets get right to it: the product to covet from this collection is the Blush Highlighter in Moonlight Rose ($48). The bad news? Because it’s a cool-toned shimmer, it really doesn’t look great on those girls that are olive-toned or tan.
But the one product that everyone can wear is the Vernis in Love ($16) in Infusion de Prune. This trendy wine colour knocks it out of the park by being glossy, full coverage, and perfect for chic nails. Lancome has also come out with a matte topcoat, called Givre Magique, but personally, I prefer the glossy nails, so I’m sticking with my prune polish and wearing it throughout the season. The entire collection is based on purples, and I love the nail polish because it strikes the right balance between being ultra-trendy and still matching up with the rest of the collection. That said, I would recommend checking out the polish in person before buying, because there’s a good chance that you might already have a colour like this in your collection! The colour is vampy but definitely more fresh and updated than a vampy red that we’ve seen seasons ago.
There’s also the Color Design 5 Shadow and Liner Palette in Volet Magnetique ($54).
The entire collection goes on counters this month!