Kerastase Le Gloss Parfum

Nov. 27
I first tried Kerastase Le Gloss Glaze Drops in my sister’s bathroom this past summer, and the scent reminded me of Lancome’s Idole Power, which reminds me of Guidance. Love it or hate it, but Guidance has taken the world by storm, and one day we will talk about it the way we talk about Santal 33… it’ll be duped and everywhere. People will remember where they first smelled it and how they came to love it and in what form. Of course, people loved the Glaze Drops, and especially love how they smell, and a big company like L’Oreal (which owns Kerastase) is quick on its feet and has the data and resources to turn a customer request into a reality – and so we now have the Kerastase Gloss Absolue Le Parfum. It’s a gorgeous little bottle that delivers the scent of the Gloss line so you can extend it. It’s a hair perfume, which makes it safe to spray in your hair, but works equally well on your skin or clothes. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The scent? Woody by way of an industrial sandalwood and cosmetic-lab patchouli. The vibe here is confident and powerful, you’re know what you’re doing and will get things done. A couple of sprays and you’ll get whiffs it throughout the day. ⠀⠀⠀⠀

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Hermes Ambre Narguile Perfume Review

Nov. 27
Christmas in a bottle: Hermes Ambre Narguilé. Apple cinnamon with the apples being a bit tarte and leaking out of the pie plate, sticking to the side so they’re a bit jammy and sticky. Cozy and inviting, the pie sits on the counter and you can’t resist picking at the edges, where the apple is almost a candy, so you can chew it like taffy. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

 

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Zara Iris Veil Perfume Review

Nov. 27
Fun and carefree is underrated. Zara Iris Veil is here to save the day with some powdered marshmallows and warm musk. It’s like giving your favourite niece a hug. All cupcakes and rainbows on top but also clean and comfortable under it all. It’s the smell of being safe recreated in a bottle. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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Grand Soir In Times of Trouble

Nothing is scarier than getting your rights taken away by the government, and here’s what I wore and ate the week I lost my right to strike and negotiate a contract, but was happy to be at a job I love. I wore a lot of Soviet brown on my adventures and smelled like a rich auntie. A friend had given me some Grand Soir this summer, and it was finally time to pull it out. I remember it being more dense and heavy, but despite being an amber Grand Soir has an airyness to it that’s almost fizzy. It’s something that Kurdjian does so well that, and every time I’ve worn Grand Soir I’ve felt like I was wearing a masterpiece. I’ve come to realize that sometimes the perfumes that stand the test of time really are well-loved for a reason. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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Miu Miu Miutine

Nov. 27
Today I smell like I’m off to my first job and I’ve already spent my first paycheck. I’m buoyed by someone in the elevator telling me I smell good but I’ll quickly realize that my workplace is scent-free and a perfume draws more attention to me than I would like, so this will be saved for the weekends in the sunshine. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Miu Miu Miutine, strawberry candy, brown sugar, and vanilla. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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Lancome Skincare I Love

Nov. 27Here is some space-age packaging from Lancome. They’ve thought about packaging that attracts the eye but also works, and all of these are just glowing. It’s almost as if they’re hinting at the glow you could also have if you use them. We are in the era of chasing glass skin and what you need is products that hydrate and leave a sheen on the skin. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

I have the Clarifique serum, the Renerge Triple serum and the UV Expert Supra Screen SPF 50. The sunscreen bottle kind of looks like a phone. It’s smaller but it has the same type of shape, the the dispenser is so clinical looking, as if you need precise application when it comes to sunscreen. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

On my fingers is the triple serum – it’s called that because it’s a dose of vitamin C, retinol, and peptides that you mix before you apply. I suppose they want us to think that the ingredients are kept fresher this way, kind of like a cake picked up from the bakery the day of the party. I like that there are so many things together so that I can just use one product and get the benefits of many ingredients. In this way, a more expensive serum might be worth the price of many. The finish is shiny giving your skin that glass skin glow (albeit just for the night because this is a serum you’re meant to use at night time). I will admit that I use my prescription retinoid on top, because I’m not giving that up. This would be great for all kinds of skin but especially dry skin types because it is so moisturizing. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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Roger & Gallet Verveine Utopie

Nov. 27
Crisp days are for you to decide what direction you want to go in: cozy scents or summery scents. I chose vetiver today in the form of Verveine Utopie by Roger and Gallet. The extrait de Cologne reminds me of warmer days so it’s like I’m really extending the summer a bit when I wear it.

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Eau d’Hermes – Who is it for?

We know that all perfume is unisex, and masculine and feminine perfumes are just constructs of marking people, but still…

Nov. 27
Going old-school today (1951!) with some Eau d’Hermes. Lightly spiced lavender that’s fresh and bright, but on top of a birch tar leather that lends a slight smokiness. This is perfect to wear when the days are getting shorter and there’s a bit of a chill in the air. I’m sure it won’t be around for much longer but I’ll enjoy it while it lasts. I thought that this was originally marketed as a masculine scent, but as of right now, it’s listed under the feminine perfumes on the Hermes website… What does it all mean?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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Some Skincare Favourites

I’ve tried an oil-absorbing sunscreen before – this one is from La Roche-Posay and boasts an impressive SPF 60 sun protection. At the end of the day, it’s pretty similar to Vichy’s version. This sunscreen has powders in it that leave a matte finish on your face, and they’re also slightly white in their finish. The colour isn’t as bad as a mineral sunscreen, but be warned that it’s there. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

CeraVe’s Oil Control Moisturizing Gel-Cream truly is a gel formula. I use it at night for a hit of moisture before I go in with other moisturizers. You could use it before your retinoid or after. Personally, I prefer a thicker ointment after my retinol so I’m using the CeraVe healing ointment after but this oil control moisturizer before. I like it during the day too, before my sunscreen, if my face is feeling a little parched. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Finally, the Danessa Myricks Blurring Balm – my shade is 4. I’m obsessed with this. It really does last and last without breaking up on your face. Maybe you’re reading this and wondering how long I really need for things to last. I need a long time, ok? A full day – morning to night, even in the summer. And maybe that’s why I understand that nothing ever really can make it that long, but, here we are. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Also, long days and short nights make for some dark circles, so I’ve been using the only under-eye concealer I’ve ever liked – It Cosmetics Do it All Radiant Concealer, which works more like a colour corrector. It feels like a serum and just blends in. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Anyway, I thought this was going to be the year we gave up foundation? Apparently, not. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

 

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Vacation edt – Perfume That Delivers a Memory

Nov. 27
Vacation – a perfume brought to you by the people behind Arquiste. Yes, this is a Rodrigo Flores-Roux perfume, and it is part of the sunscreen brand, also called Vacation. The packaging for Vacation sunscreen is playfully retro, but the spf is real and available in unique formulas. I haven’t used any of them, because I’ve never seen them in real life, but it’s fun that they have a “tanning oil” like the one from decades ago, but it’s an spf 30 sunscreen, not an spf 5. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Vacation edt smells like your favourite sunscreen – maybe it’s SunBum, maybe it’s Banana Boat – it’s exactly what you would expect. It might seem like a basic scent – essentially summer in a bottle – but it’s wonderfully, perfectly, nostalgic. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

This is a fun perfume. It smells a bit like coconut, a bit of ripe banana, maybe some plastic pool toys sitting in the sun? They’re always covered with sunscreen anyway, so it only makes sense that all those smells go together to make this quintessentially summer perfume. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Everyone should have a perfume that reminds them of sunnier days or vacations, and this is mine. I’m looking forward to pulling it out on the darkest day of December. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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