October 2013

Diptyque

Diptyque Violette & Genevrier Candles

October 20, 2013

This year I’ve started to venture beyond my go-to staples and explore more home fragrance scents from a variety of brands. My two latest discoveries from Diptyque include Violette and the new Genevrier candles ($60 each for 6.5 oz, approximately 60 hours burn time). Both are very different from what I’m normally drawn to but my husband has great taste when it comes to home fragrance so I asked him to help me pick out a few at our local Nordstrom. I’ve burned both separately so far and love them both. They make beautiful accent pieces around the home.

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Violette
is a soft but warm-smelling floral. I’m always drawn to violet scents
but whenever I test them, they turn quite powdery on me (not in a good
way). Diptyque Violette is more like a true floral and has a subtle
sweet quality that is quite soothing and soft. I’m not a huge fan of
florals but this one was recommended by so many readers I knew I had to
check it out. I think it is quite lovely. The scent is soft but still
quite strong with good throw. If you don’t like florals though you most
likely won’t like this one – it’s a true floral.

Violette pictured with the Diptyque wick trimmer and matches, both were gift with purchases during the last Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

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Genevrier is one of two new releases from Diptyque. I thought I would prefer Noisetier (hazelnut) but ended up loving Genevrier (juniper) instead.
Genevrier is a woody green kind of scent. It smells just like juniper
with a forest-like feel. It’s not quite as green as Henri Bendel’s White
Spruce (usually released during the holiday). Genevrier has a more
earthy quality with a slight mix of a mint. It feels very clean and
fresh smelling. The scent strength is medium. It is definitely a
fall-holiday scent. In Southern California it’s still warm but as the
weather cools I think this one will be perfect.

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More around the home:

Above tray from West Elm in Silver Lacquer, also shown the Diptyque Roses in the 2.4 oz version

My most frequently burned candle favorites include Diptyque Baies, Diptyque Figuier, Jo Malone Lime Basil and Mandarin, Henri Bendel Pomegranate, Henri Bendel Vanilla Bean and Henri Bendel Fig. I tend to like sweeter creamy scents but have found florals and woody scents to be quite amazing for the home. Both Violette and Genevrier are lovely additions to our home. I can see us both re-purchasing once burned through.

I usually purchase my Diptyque at Nordstrom and Barneys but the brand is also available at a number of Diptyque Boutiques and other retailers worldwide.

What are your favorite home fragrances? Do you like candles, diffusers or sprays?

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Weekend Wishlist

October 19, 2013

Currently on my radar: 1. Smythson Notebook – to keep all my notes organized in one notebook | 2. Longchamp Le Pliage Coin Purse – so cute but not sure how practical this one is | 3. Dior Minuit Nail Lacquer for Holiday – love the packaging | 4. Guerlain Crazy Paris Terracotta Bronzer – I see pink, peach and bronze, enough said! | 5. Diptyque L’Ombre dans L’Eau Solid Perfume – my husband says he likes this one on me | 6. Bobbi Brown Sequin Shimmer Brick Eye Palette – missed out on past palettes, hope to get this one this year

What’s on your wishlist this weekend?

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Guerlain Sulfurous #861 Nail Lacquer | Holiday 2013

October 18, 2013

Guerlain has released a new nail lacquer with their Crazy Paris Holiday 2013 Collection called Sulfurous #861 ($23, limited-edition). It’s a blackened-purple smoky shimmery shade with excellent coverage and smooth application. The color looks prettier in the bottle than on my nails but I still think it’s a lovely shade. I couldn’t find any dupes for it. I’ve had great experiences with the other shades in the Guerlain line up in terms of pigment, lasting power and overall wear. I found Sulfurous to have a shorter life-span in terms of lasting power. I had tipwear on the end of the third day of wear, but then I did not use it with the Guerlain base/top coats. Sometimes using the same brands for base, color and top coat results in the best combination – I do plan on trying them soon.

Here it is with two coats:

I pulled a Dior Aztec Chocolate (discontinued), Dior Lemon Balm (discontinued), Dior Silver Purple (discontinued) and Chanel Vertigo to compare. Guerlain Sulfrous proved to be very different.

With the exception of the so-so lasting power (which could have been due to the base/top coats I used) I am overall pleased with the color. Guerlain Sulfurous is a unique smoky color that isn’t quite like your traditional vamp but still on the dark side. It’s limited-edition so I suggest you try to buy sooner than later if you’re interested. The collection should be at counters now. I spotted it at Neiman Marcus in San Francisco last week. It’s also online now at Nordstrom, Saks and Dillards.

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Highlighters Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

October 16, 2013

Hourglass’s latest release is the new Ambient Lighting Palette ($58 for 0.35 oz/9.9g, limited-edition). It’s a travel-sized trio of Ambient Lighting Powders in Dim Light, Incandescent Light (new) and Radiant Light. The trio also comes with a small sample of their Mineral Veil Primer (see review here). Hourglass says this palette is just like having your own personal lighting technician. I couldn’t describe this better. Being a huge fan of Luminous Light, I was very excited about the release of this palette.

I love everything about this palette. The pans are smaller than the regular Ambient Lighting Powders but large enough to easily dip a fluffy brush into to apply to the face. It’s perfect for travel and arrived just at the right time for me. I brought it with me on my recent trip. It was the only highlighter I brought which was perfect because it provided three options in one palette. I wore this every evening out and felt it gave that perfect glow by mixing the three shades.

The Ambient Lighting Palette featured below:

Here you can see how they glow in the sunlight, colors left to right: Dim, Incandescent and Radiant

Here you can see the softness of the powders:

The three shades:

Dim Light is an existing shade in the regular full-sized line but is new to me. It’s described as a neutral peach beige and is supposed to blur imperfections and highlight the skin. I think the effect will vary depending on your skintone. I am a bit too tan to wear this all over as a setting powder, but it makes an amazing under-eye highlight and over the cheeks blending color. There is a subtle luminous quality – but very subtle. If you’re afraid of any kind of shimmer – this is the highlighter for you.

Incandescent Light is a new shade and currently only available in this palette. It’s a pearlescent pearly color. In the pan it resembles Luminous Light (my holy grail highlighter, see review here) however Incandescent Light is slightly paler in color and not as shimmery. Luminous Light by comparison is almost peachy when swatched next to Incandescent Light.

Radiant Light is another existing shade which I also own. It’s the sheerest bronze powder I have that adds a warm golden glow without being brownish like a traditional bronzer. It has tiny gold sparkle particles but doesn’t look glittery.

The application tips are endless with this palette. I wear Chanel B30, NARS Groenland Tinted Moisturizer, Dolce and Gabbana Warm 100 Powder Foundation and Tom Ford Foundation Stick #5 and I used all three shades every time I’ve worn it to date. My favorite way:

Use Dim Light as a soft dusting powder in the center of the face and on the cheeks to blend out edges of your blush or bronzer.
Use Incandescent Light as an all over highlight on the eyes, top of cheek bones.
Apply Radiant Light directly on the cheeks or as a contour along outer edges in a 3 shape to add warmth and a soft glow, also works well to add warmth to the eyes by dusting a soft layer over your shadows and blending very softly

Swatches:

Comparisons to Luminous Light:

Size comparison to MAC and Armani Blushes. It fit perfectly in my travel case:

I highly recommend this palette. The price is higher than the individual sizes (and slightly more expensive per oz) but this is a great way to try three shades in one palette rather than purchasing individual colors. If you’re more a fan of shimmery highlighters you may find this too subtle but I do find the shimmer is visible enough on the skin to be able to tell that there is a glow.

SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: USD $58 | CAD $67
AVAILABLE AT: Sephora, Sephora.com, Barneys New York (beauty bag event until the 19th), Bergdorf Goodman and Space NK

Press Sample

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Packing Travel What's In My Bag

Travel Makeup Kit | San Francisco Trip

October 14, 2013

I’ve been traveling for several days to San Francisco for a mini vacation. If you follow me via Instagram @beautylookbook you will see some snapshots of my travels around the city. More on some trip highlights to come soon here and on Styled Notes. Several of you have emailed me asking for a post on what I brought with me on my trip. I left for four days so I didn’t need much. However as usual I overpacked. The items I picked were fairly basic and versatile for a day to night look. Our trip was fairly laid back so I didn’t need to bring things different from what I normally wear for everyday.

This is what I brought with me in a Tom Ford Brush Holder and Bobbi Brown Train Case (both not available now, but previously released with sets or for holidays):

Skincare: mini sized items of Chanel makeup remover, Le Jour, Le Nuit, Sublimage cream and Le Blanc toner, a mini size of SK-II cleanser
Tools: a variety of MAC, Tom Ford and Chanel brushes, Chanel eyelash curler, Chanel Le Coton, Q-tips
Eyes: Le Metier de Beaute Carnaby Street Kaleidoscope, RMS Beauty Solar Cream Shadow, Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara Excess, Chanel Santal Eyeliner
Lips: Tom Ford Love Bruise Lipgloss, Armani Lipglosses, Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Caprice, YSL Rouge Volupte Candy, Chanel Rouge Coco Shines, Tom Ford Spanish Pink Lipstick, Chanel Nude Lipliner (I know it makes no sense to bring this many lip products on a trip, but it always happens)
Face: Tom Ford Foundation Stick #5, NARS Groenland Tinted Moisturizer, Cle de Peau Concealer, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette (more on this soon, but I love this!), Edward Bess Bronzer, Chanel Soho Powder, two MAC blushes in Poised and Barefaced, Chanel Les Beiges Powder, Edward Bess Sunlight Cream Highlighter
Hair: Mason Pearson Comb and Moroccan Oil

Did I use everything? Almost, but not quite. Items I found myself using the most included the basics. For color I used Chanel Rouge Coco Shines and Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss a lot. Edward Bess Daydream Bronzer was used everyday along with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. I used the one eyeshadow palette as well for Le Metier de Beaute Carnaby Street. The MAC blushes were the perfect shade of nude to go with virtually everything (I layered a lot).

What I could have skipped: the Tom Ford lipstick and Armani lipglosses
What I missed: my flat iron, hair dryer and normal shampoo, conditioner and shower gels (but mainly relied on hotel amenities), also shimmery fluid highlighters I couldn’t bring because of travel size restrictions

What beauty items do you usually bring with you when you travel?

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Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Fatal and Initiation | Holiday 2013

October 13, 2013

Chanel has released two new shades of their Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow ($36 each) in Initiation and Fatal. Each color is beautiful alone with a simple coat of mascara but also look lovely when layered together. Lasting power is quite good for these – they did not budge from my eyes from morning to early evening when I tested these.

Below: Left – Fatal, Right – Initiation

Fatal is a stunning purple-red with silver sparkles. It’s like a mix between Chanel Illusoire and Ebloui but with an added kick of visible silver shimmer to make it unique. Purples can be hard for me to pull off if they have too much blue or too much red. Fatal is the perfect in between. It does look warmer in the pot than it applies on the skin but it’s a chameleon-like color. The shimmers are both red and purple so it may look different depending on what angle you hold the pot at.

Initiation is a stunning warm bronze with silver and gold flecks. I find this one to be extra sparkly but in a good way. There was no fall out with the sparkles. I like to use the little applicator brush to apply but fingers or a basic cream shadow brush works well too. (One of my favorites is MAC #242 for creams or Chanel Concealer #10.) I’m glad Chanel released a bronze shadow – it was a much-needed color in the Illusion D’Ombre lineup.

Swatches, two views. The colors are easy to control for pigment. I swatched with a heavy hand but they are easy to blend out and layer.

Comparisons show that Chanel Initiation is quite different from most bronze colors I own. Armani Eyes to Kill #15 is warmer and #26 is more brassy. For Chanel Fatal I found Armani Eyes to Kill #27 almost identical in finish. The Armani is just slightly lighter with a bit more silver frost.

Comparisons below: MAC Buried Treasure Paint Pot, Armani Eyes to Kill #15, Armani Eyes to Kill #26, Chanel Ebloui, Chanel Illusoire and Armani Eyes to Kill #27.

With flash:

Without flash:

Overall beautiful colors perfect for fall to holiday. Versatile enough to incorporate into many different looks for both day and night. Also wearable alone, mixed, or layered over other powder shadows for added depth and sparkle. Definitely must-haves in my book.

Both Chanel Fatal and Initiation Illusion D’Ombres are limited-edition colors. Available now at Neiman Marcus.

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Recycled Part 2 | Bottega Louie Small Macaron Boxes and Diptyque Small Candles

October 9, 2013

I’m always on the hunt for good storage containers and trays for home decor. Finding simple makeup storage to fit my needs is a challenge since I’m particular about size and the way things look. I’ve found the best makeup storage tools are sometimes recycled items. I love using Diptyque candles after they are finished burning to store brushes, flowers and pens. See my other posts on recycling Diptyque candle jars here and here. Two more ideas are recycling Bottega Louie macaron boxes and the small Diptyque candle jars.

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Bottega Louie is one of my favorite restaurants in LA. (See my feature on Styled Notes about this restaurant.) They have amazing macarons and other pastries that they sell in the prettiest boxes. The small macaron box is too pretty to throw away – I’ve had several sitting in my house and found they are good for storing facial cotton. Right now I’m using Chanel Le Coton pads, but the boxes also fit Shiseido and CVS cotton rounds as well. I don’t always recycle boxes because they aren’t always aesthetically pleasing but the Bottega Louie boxes are dainty enough to re-use. Turn the lid upside down and voila! You now have a cotton-holder.

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The regular sized Diptyque candles make for lovely pen holders. You’ve seen them many times on this blog holding pens, makeup pencils, brushes, sugar etc. I wasn’t sure if I could re-use the small 2.4 oz size but turns out they fit q-tips perfectly. See my how-to on cleaning out the wax here. Note there are many ways to clean out the wax, I prefer the linked method because it keeps the candle label-sticker in tact.

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Side by side you see they are quite compact and keep things organized:

For size comparison, here is the 2.4 oz candle vs the regular 6.5 oz candle next to the Bottega Louie box. All are well sized to hold a decent amount of items, but not so big that they will take up a lot of counter space.