Eye brighteners: in search of the right one

 Tending to one's under eyes, especially when dealing with both some puffiness, some loss of volume and subtle shadows (but not dark circles per se), is a complicated affair. Luckily no wrinkles yet. I want something light, thinly creamy, non detectable in the natural light of day that would rather brighten than create an opaque layer of concealing. These latter types of products tend to sit like wet cement on the pavement and I don't want that effect on my skin anywhere, not just under the eyes. On the other hand highlighters are by nature meant to draw attention to the places they're put on, right? 

In the past I had great results with the light "pen" highlighters by Guerlain called Precious Light Rejuvenating Illuminator (mimicking YSL Touche Eclat in concept). 

But not having purchased either in years, I wonder if they keep the same consistency of quality and effectiveness now that time has elapsed. The click-pen mechanism is supremely practical, negating the need for separate brushes and it keeps the formula moist and protected at all times: only the product needed comes into contact with air as you pump as you go along your merry way. They do come in pricey for the quantity though.

If you have experience with either lately, let me know in the comments. 

I have also heard good things about Catrice Eye Brightener Instant Awake directly from makeup artists. The Instant Awake name is calling like a siren, who doesn't want something like that? I wonder whether it would mean that it's more for dark circles though than overall rejuvenation of the under eye area. 

This is a creamy product in a pot, so it should probably require a special brush to apply, kept for this purpose especially. Which brings me to another question: would a concealer brush be too dense for it? would it need a fluffier eyeshadow blender brush? Or a sponge applicator to thin it out? Your input is very much appreciated here too. 

My latest purchase was MAC Prep & Prime Highlighter pen in shade Bright Forecast. I got it because it promised (in a very promising video) to brighten, colour correct and generally give a rested appearence. It was a whooping 29 euro plus shipping in the local market and I can't say I'm 29 euros satisfied with what it delivers. It's nice enough to use, a creamy consistency etc, but it does set a bit thick and the peach hue does not do anything in terms of colour correcting. It's just like a warmer version of my own skin. So you have a ballpark on how I'm going about it. 

Tempalia suggests the following alternatives in pen highlighters for under eyes and strategic places on the face (quoting her verbatim below with brands available in my EU market), so let me know if you have experienced any of them: 

• Dior (Sun Beam may be comparable to Bright Forecast; Roseglow to Radiant Rose)
• Givenchy (Moon Light seems most comparable to Radiant Rose)
• Guerlain (nothing seems comparable in color–these are skintone shades)
• Sephora (#01 seems like Radiant Rose, #02 seems like Light Boost; #06 seems like Bright Forecast)
• YSL (Light Peach seems comparable to Bright Forecast, Luminous Ivory to Light Boost, and Luminous Radiance to Radiant Rose)

And what about the famed Nars Creamy Concealer? Have you tried it for this job? Satisfied? No? I'm all ears.

Lisa Eldridge Goes to Lancome

Perfume Shrine is mostly dedicated to scent-related subjects and trivia (with a side dish of some art history and some style from time to time) rather than cosmetics, but the news was too big not to share with some of my regular readers.

The star make-up artist (and the down to earth tutor for many, with her "be accessible" motto transpiringly so lovingly on her tutorials) has changed alliances from her former position as Chanel ambassadress (her videos on Chanel.com were wonderful) to Lancome (a company of the L'Oreal group). Encouragingly in a video aired on January 6, Eldridge promises to work on developing new products and new colors, as well as limited editions, and she will have a hand on the official site.

Her own site and Youtube channel will continue to remain independent.

Guerlain Christmas Collection 2014: Coque d'Or and more...

borrowed from excellent beauty blog Musings of a Muse

The makeup and body products collection by Guerlain for the 2014 holidays this winter is stunning! Inspired by the opera and the ballet, it takes its references from Piotr I. Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet and Igor Stravisky's Petroushka (Petrouchka in French) ballet and L'Oiseau de Feu (the firebird), as well as Guerlain's own archives of perfumes, with Coque d'Or.

The star of the collection is no doubt Coque d'Or, an iridescent perfumed powder for body and hair with a retro style "pouf" pump that retails for 79 euros. The bottle design in gold reprises the mold for the legendary  Coque d'Or, an old Guerlain fragrance for which the flacon could not be repeated because the factory producing it had been bombed during the war. The re-use of bottle and name for makeup products (and specifically for the body powder for the holidays) follows into the steps of the previous Vol de Nuit and Liu offerings.

via The Style & Beauty Doctor

The rest of the collection includes Palette Petruchka (available at Sephora),  a palette on two layers (as shown above) for eyes and cheeks (€77), 2 eyeshadow duos, one called Cygne Blanc (white swan) in pearly white and lilac, and the other Cygne Noir (black swan) in plum and black, which are €40.50 each. There is the loose pearls of powder product in the Meteorites mold, this year's edition being Perles d'Etoile , i.e. pearls off a star (€49) in a luxurious, collectible gold pot. There is a diaphanous gold lipgloss named L'Oiseau de Feu (€29)as well as the corresponding gold fleck nail top coat (€23.50). Last but not least, a golden metallic nail polish also named Coque d'Or (€23.50).

Mother's Day Last Minute Gifts Guide

We are reminded of the true beauty of a mother in her touch, her kindness, her smile, her eyes, her voice, and even her smell. Celebrate your (or your own) mom’s special day with gifts that leave a special fingerprint, your own.

What most romantic (but also practically last-minute) gift is there than a fragrant bouquet of fresh flowers? Dating back to Greek mythology, the iris comes in a variety of colors, but the most popular is the deep blue variety. Irises symbolize admiration & courage, traits especially familiar to mothers. If you also make your own card (easier than it sounds following these steps) it's guaranteed she will be thrilled!

Ormonde Jayne presented their new bath soap scented with Osmanthus a little while ago as discussed on these pages before. The soaps are impeccably crafted, triple milled and hard milled which gives them their fine consistency and lather, ensuring their shape is kept till the end. The uplifting scent of Osmanthus is infused into the soaps to give a perfect spring day whatever the weather. A fabulous present for your mother…or to ask your family for yourself!

Available at the official Ormonde Jayne e-boutique.

Coral is big this spring and what best than some fragrance inspired by corals, such as Corallium by Italian niche brand Carthusia with its aromatic bay laurel and sage tones over Mediterranean fruits (bergamot and mandarin), flowers, and smoky woods roughened by sea air. If you want to go grand, you can add makeup items: Coral suits a variety of complexions if done sheer and weightless. Dior Addict Lipstick in Bobo #530 is a sheer coral shade ($28, at www.nordstrom.com) while Lancome Ultra Lavande Collection in Coral Crush ($48, www.neimanmarcus.com) should compliment with 5 shades that give a luminous eye look.

21 Drops, a line of all-natural, pre-blended therapeutic-grade essential oils come under $30 and just might do the trick for stressed out mothers. Co-founded by Cary Caster (a mother and clinically certified aromatherapist,) the blends are created to counteract the effects of our thoroughly busy lives, with an easy roller-ball application and convenient durable case, each blend is designed for use anytime, anywhere.

De-Stress – Blended from frankincense, lavender, ylang ylang and german chamomile, the #11 De-Stress blend helps to steady nerves, reduce tension and reduce stress on the limbic system. The oils in this blend are effective in countering situational irritation and angst and promote emotional flexibility. De-Stress helps you to stay cool under fire, encouraging graciousness and diplomacy, balance and decisiveness.

Invigorate – Blended from cedarwood, rosemary, black pepper and juniper, the #01 Invigorate blend helps to stimulate circulation, motivate and energize. These warming oils help oxygenate the blood and promote blood flow, which in turn energizes the body.

Sleep – Blended from sandalwood, ylang ylang, palmarosa and vetiver, the #18 Sleep blend helps to sedate, soothe and quiet. The oils in this blend work on the nervous system to hush a racing anxious mind and settle states of restlessness and agitation.

Priced at $28 each and available at www.21drops.com, these blends are the perfect gift for any mom on-the-go!

Another pampering idea for stressed moms comes from all naturals indie perfumer Ayala Moriel: Bath salts in fragrant varieties for a most relaxing soak. She recommends Hinoki Ritual: "These ritual bath salts are scented with hinoki (Japanese Cypress), shiso leaf and seaweed essential oils! It will make you feel as if you are bathing in a traditional wooden bath in Japan and make your bathing ritual special and relaxing".

I would also propose Geranium which was indeed created especially for Mother's Day 2009: "These beautiful bath salts are a real treat for mom's bath. Scented with rose geranium, Egyptian geranium, vanilla, begramot and a touch of myrrh these bath salts are sweet, soothing and luxurious.
Tin contains the bath salts (500gr) and a wooden scoop to pour into the water and the price at 46$CAN is very fetching.

Last but not least, Roxana Villa of Illuminated Perfume is promoting her daughter's and her friend's headbands project: You can find more on this link from Roxana's blog and catch the video.

Blue irises pic via Moon Stars and Paper

What's Brewing Now?

It's always great to find that a house one admires releases something new and exciting. I got the info on this through Perfumista.org who attended the NYC Snifapalooza. The new Eau de Liane , another Bertrand Duchaufour composition for L'Artisan Parfumeur, forms part of the "Fragrance captured by a perfumer on his travels" line, inaugaurated with Bois Farine and followed by the unusual and wonderful Timbuktu.
The new scent was influenced by travels in Panama and is launching in October 2008. Of course Liane is a river in Pas-de-Calais in France and not Panama, but I am assuming they're after another thing: possibly the plant! We'll find out in due time I gather.
The description sounds enticing enough, what with the watery kelp-ish notes along with the deep green and the fruit and perhaps we're in for a ground-breaker (always in need of one of those!)

On a completely different note, it seems that perfume brands are not the only ones endlessly repeating themselves and recycling the same ideas. Cosi fan tutte... It happens to make-up lines as well, as attested by this piece of sleuthing by The Non Blonde. The time span of recycling is dropping as well. Well, with so many releases on the market, I wonder how they could possibly re-invent the wheel every time!
It's also infuriating to hear that one can buy the whole but not the individual items of a promotional set at Bobbi Brown! Thankfully there are a couple of cosmetic sets that prove good value for money. But they don't come by every day nor does the offer last for long!

Lastly, there are new fragrances already out, fresh like buns from the oven. Union Square by Bond no.9 in the Andy Warhol series which started with Silver Factory ; and The Beat by Burberry. Since I have no idea what they smell like yet, I refer you to Karin's reviews on both.
And for our French-reading audience, Poivre Bleu is focusing on patchouli scents, with Borneo 1834and Reminiscence Patchouli at the forefront.
Enjoy!

Pic originally uploaded by glemcol gilles

Spring Anticipation-a Joint Project from Two Sides of the World

Where I live spring has already come and it’s raining sunray upon sunray on us to the delight of the inner child that wants to come out and play. So in an anthem to spring, these are the things I anticipate to enjoy in these next few months, arbitralily noted down in varied categories. The Non Blonde joined me in this list, so you might want to check it.
I hope you find them inspiring!

Art

I am eager to see the exhibition of one of the artists I follow, John Psychopedis, founder of the New Realists group using ready-made elements from advertising, cinema and press in combination with concepts inspired by History of Art and Marxist doctrine.
It opens today and will run through the end of April.(pic:"rereading Odyssey")

Books

1.The retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" is a book with watercolors by Angela Barrett. It’s filled with ethereal pictures, of which the two-page spreads in particular are trully beautiful! And while we're at it, the illustrations on this version, are also gorgeous.

2.Sometimes spring can be lenient with a little light reading, for which I look forward to French Trysts: Secrets of a Courtesan by Kirsten Lobe. It doesn’t pretend to be too serious and I deem this a virtue.

3.Les Amants Papillons (aka The Butterfly Lovers) is a French book by the children's book illustrator, Benjamin Lacombe. The visual aspect of it with its glowing colours and shadowy little corners had captured my eye the moment I stumbled upon it on French Amazon. I plan on reading it spraying Mitsouko on my clothes first.

4.Under the smart recommendation of Vidabo/Lou from Perfume of Life, I am anticipating reading a book by Carl Wilson, who explores both his dislike of Celine Dion and the wider socio-cultural phenomenon of 'taste': aptly called "Celine Dion's Let's Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste". Sounds like my kind of thing.

Fashion
Wearing bright, happy colours again!



{dress by Diane Von Furstenberg, from New York magazine Spring Fashion 08}

Films

1.The Other Boleyn Girl: predictably I will be annoyed by historical innacuracies, but I am sure I will love the sumptuous costumes created by awe-inspiring Sandy Powell.
The line "Our daughters are being traded like cattle for the advancement of men" gives the gist of the story. But you knew that.

Watch the trailer here:


2.Lust, Caution by Ang Lee: I managed to miss it when it aired, it’s by Ang Lee, it’s a love tale cum espionage thriller in times of peril, the actors are sooo pretty, I just want to see it…Enough with the excuses!
Watch the clip here.


Food

Good, fresh strawberries with thick, unsweetened cream on top. Yum!
Ladurée macaroons in cassis-violet flavour: someone is sending me some! I love how the fruity tang compliments the sweeter aspect and the colour appeals to me.



Fragrances to wear and enjoy

I have missed my florals...So these come out to the front of the rotation.

~Czech & Speake Mimosa: the true essence of “clean” ~trully lovely!
~Christian Dior Diorissimo: innocence and fraility of style never goes out of fashion and this is one extrait de parfum worth seeking out
~L'artisan La chasse aux papillons: another study in innocence, a watercolour of spring snapshots
~Stella Rose Absolue: for the sultrier moments, a great bridge scent from winter to spring
~Guerlain Flora Nerolia: the sentiment of walking under bitter orange trees and jasmine vines
~Carthusia Fiori di Capri: a chypre floral that emits woody hues of carnation
~Serge Lutens Tubéreuse Criminelle: a twist in the nubile hand of spring, a masterpiece of evil composition
~Serge Lutens Sarrasins: because I reserve A la Nuit for warm summer nights...
~Chanel No.22: its crepuscular tonality suits cool evening breezes when the sun melts into the horizon
~Chanel No.19: because a little je m'en fou in the mornings , donning crisp white shirts and lots of silver bangles, never hurt anyone. "L'audace a son numéro!"
~DelRae Debut: because I am smitten with its green rush
~DelRae Amoureuse: because I am smitten fullstop. I would, wouldn’t I?

Fragrances to sniff:

~Serge Lutens Five O'Clock au Gingembre: the new fresh oriental with bergamot, vetiver, ginger, beeswax, cistus labdanum and vanilla. I don’t know if it will deliver, but it’s got its own little appointment.
~Chanel Sycomore: the latest member in Les Exclusifs, reportedly a vetiver interpretation that bears no relation with the original from the start of the 20th century. Still….

Home
Fresh flowers in the house, preferably lilacs and violets: they remind me of Easter.
Diptyque Mimosa room spray: the closest to the real smell of mimosa!

Jewels

1. I love the bold look of this season: my chance to get out the trully striking pieces.
The pics shows a Dries Van Noten Tiger Eye necklace, $1,060, an amber layered necklace, $1,210, and a jade necklace on yellow ribbon, price upon request; Go to driesvannoten.be for more information. From New York magazine


2. I just knew perfume lovers would appreciate this!
Perfume tray story box by Sweet Romance

3.And this one as well….the perfect amulet against day to day evil, n’est-ce pas?
Florentina Perfume Flask Necklace by Sweet Romance

4.I am getting my Van Cleef & Arpels bracelets with the butterflies out for a stroll...


Makeup

Guerlain Parure Powder: Because I want to see just why they decided to discontinue the homonymous fragrance for this!

Nature
Butterflies flying around (caterpillars are everywhere now!)
Cats having kittens
Bitter orange (citrus aurantia) trees blossoming
Lilacs happily blooming in April (despite T.S Elliot's famous verse)
People having a spring in their step due to spring's magic
Babies squinting in the sun

Project to be undertaken next for my own enjoyment
Movies that reproduce art paintings. I got the idea and got started from this page.

Skincare

Goutal Crème Splendide with rose extracts. Smells divine!

Soap

I just bought a travel case of Roger & Gallet Magnolia soap and I am admiring it in its box, secretly opening and taking a whiff every now and then. I am already dreaming of the pink suds.

Stationery

I had never paid enough attention to my stationary and I decided I should remedy that. These hand-pierced cards look dreamily elegant and I already imagine them scented in serene Extrait de Songe.

Travel
Tuscany...hopefully soon!



For more things to anticipate this spring, please click over to The Non Blonde.


What are you anticipating this spring? I'd love to hear!

Pics personal and courtesy of Photolife, eikastikon, New York magazine, amazon.fr, garden.co.uk, Ladurée.