Bobbi Brown Nude Collection Fall 2009- Sorely missing inspiration

If Bobbi Brown's Nude collection for fall 2009 looks familiar and gives you a little déjà vu feeling, you're not wrong. Last year's fall, the 2008 collection was Shimmering Nudes (link goes to Blogdorf Goodman), and then we also had the 2007 Stonewashed Nudes (an old post of mine), and I'm pretty sure there was a between seasons mini-palette with a similar theme. No, it's exactly the same, but still very (too) similar.

I love Bobbi Brown and fully subscribe to her vision of pretty neutral colors that enhance one's face without looking painted, but this recycled collection is really crossing the uninspired line. Between the been-there-bought-that eye shadows, the too light lip colors and another shimmer brick (does anyone still use those?), there's very little to get excited here.

You can also feel the economy at work here. While last year's 7 eye shadows Shimmering Nudes palette was priced at $50, the new Nudes eye palette has 6 colors and retails for $60. Also, unlike previous seasons, there's no special packaging. Instead, the eye shadows are housed in the standard Bobbi Brown refillable 3 colors palette. It's a very good idea, especially because it allows you to reuse the pan and customize it in the future as many times as you wish (until they change the format again, like they did not too long ago when switching from round pans to the current square ones). Still, a $60 palette should look a lot more interesting and convey a level of luxury this one sorely lacks.

The only good news from the Nude Collection is the new long-wear gel eyeliner in Caviar Ink. It's the darkest possible brown, almost black but not quite, which is my favorite choice for daytime eyeliners, as they are less harsh or contrasting. I bought it on the spot, because I was running low on the Espresso Ink and was curious to see the difference between these two.


Espresso Ink is a touch warmer and also has a miniscule amount of red shimmer. You can see the difference in this photos, more noticeable in the one I took with the flash.


Bobbi Brown Long Wear Eyeliner Gel ($22) is available from any decent department store and at bobbibrown.com, which is where I bought mine.

Top image from Bobbi Brown newsletter
Swatch photos are mine, the orange tabby in the second one is Kosh.

A Souvenir From The Past

My interest in vintage perfume started a few years ago, when I realized that things no longer smelled the way they used to. The solution was, naturally, eBay, where I found myself searching, bidding, sniping and often losing auctions to other perfume nuts (like the sealed bottle of Fath Iris Gris I lost to Patty of Perfume Posse) with the same mission and obsession.

A couple of the more interesting items one can find on eBay are old collections of micro-mini perfumes from the 60s and 70s. As far as I know, they were sold as souvenirs on duty free carts during flights from Paris. These boxes often contain the pure extrait de parfum version of then-popular scents, ones that either vanished completely or have been horribly reformulated.

I got this one a couple of years at the beginning of my vintage journey, and it took me a while to warm up to these scents and get them. Each tiny bottle held about 2 ml extrait, most of them are actual miniatures of the original.

Fath de Fath (Jacques Fath)- This was probably the reason I wanted this set. I was (still am) very curious about the legendary fashion and perfume house of Jacques Fath. The problem was that the top notes are completely dead (there was probably quite a bit of citrus there) and at first I thought the perfume has turned. Once I actually gave it some time, I discovered some of what hides under the rubble. There's a robust floral heart and a dark chypre base. It feels formal and formidable. Not sure about wearability, but since I have a full sealed bottle coming (of the vintage, not the reissue), one that hopefully was better stored and have retained more of its glory, I'm going to find out soon enough.

Fidji (Guy Laroche)- The 70s in a bottle. I remember playing as a kid with a bottle of Fidji my mom had around the house (a gift from a someone well-meaning but utterly misguided. She wore nothing but the original Chloe) and probably used to clean light switches and the telephone receiver. Other than time travel to my childhood, Fidji is also green and sweet, a happy scent from an era when you could evoke a tropical feeling without the smell of a pink drink and cheap suntan oil. Just add a silk pareo. The current reformulated EDT smells like the vintage parfum's poor and trashy cousin.

Magie (Lancome)- A sweet floral with more than a little animalic base. Some of the top notes are gone, but there's still enough here to enjoy. It's a bit too lush to be considered polite, which makes it a lot of fun, at least in theory. I wouldn't dare wear this version of Magie in public, but it might be just my skin chemistry. Jasmine is rarely my friend.

Empreinte (Courreges)- The big surprise in this collection. I knew close to nothing about Courreges Parfums and never heard of Empreinte before the little gold bottle landed here. I loved it from the very first sniff. It starts dry and peppery and has a hint of smoke, almost BBQ like somewhere in the heart, which would have put me off if not for the beautiful leathery drydown. It could easily be considered a masculine nowadays. I saw new bottles online of an EDT, but have never come across one in person, so no idea how they compare. Might be worth checking, though, because Empreinte is a great scent.

Climat (Lancome)- My sister had a bottle of the EDT in the very early 90s, but rarely (if ever) wore it. She was more into heavy orientals while I preferred big chypres, so Climat was quite neglected in its modest aldehydic non-glory. I never really got the point of this perfume until I smelled the vintage extrait and discovered it had nice cheekbones and a lot more character than I've assumed, but it's still not me. I suspect my sister would like it better nowadays, especially in the EDT (Sis, if you're reading this, ask mom what she's done with the bottle).

both photos are mine

What Would Heather Say?

Winona Ryder is an 80s nightmare. I tried to decide what's the worst part of this outfit. My vote goes for the shoes. What do you think?

photo: Socialite Life

Blue Eye Shadows (and how to apply them)

My teal Laura Mercier eye shadow was only the beginning. Apparently, an obsession was born.

Deep blue, azure, sea blue, sea glass, sea green, indigo... These eye shadow colors say summer, vacation, the French Riviera. They make brown eyes pop and can almost guarantee a good mood when wearing them. Most brands have something to offer, some are new (Lancome Declaring Indigo has just launched), others have been around for a while (Sue Devitt had actually released her sea-themed palettes last fall).

Palettes that include a neutral color or two are the most practical to carry in your makeup bag, but since most of us own enough cream, taupe and sand eye shadows, a single in a rich, stunning blue might be the best choice (Nars Tropic and Urban Decay Electric Blue are prime candidates) for the "if you only get one" category.

When it comes to application of blue (or any bright colored eye shadow, really), good brushes are the key, because it's all about blending. Sure, the models in those pictures look stunning, but unless your name is Daria Werbowy, you're not supposed to show up to work like that. Here are the basic steps for a wearable blue eye shadow look:

1. Apply a light, neutral base color all over, from lid to brow (ivory, cream, beige, whatever. Bobbi Brown Navajo is a good option).

2. Using a crease brush, apply a taupe/ light brown/any other neutral that's just a bit darker than your natural skin tone to the lid and crease. Now blend them together (a blending brush is an essential tool) until everything is seamless.

3. Apply the blue shadow close to the lash line from the inner part outwards. Use a bit more in the outer corner and draw the line upwards, if desired. It all depends on the shape of your eye and lid.

4. The blending brush is your best friend. Blend a little more. Tip: I sometimes use a little more of the taupe or cream at this point to take some of the edge off. Be more daring at night, but for a daytime look you only need a little, just a pop of color that makes things interesting.

5. Have you blended enough?

Eyeliner tip: a very thin not-quite-black looks best here (applied as close to the lash line as humanly possible). Lancome Artliner in Smoke, Julie Hewett cream liner in Newsprint Bleu and Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel in Indigo Ink are my favorites. For a more subtle line you can also use a blue-black eye shadow applied dry or wet with the thinnest eyeliner brush.

Lisa Hoffman Vitamin A& C Serum

Another chapter in the quest for the perfect serum, or: The secret of fabulous looking hands

I wanted to love the Vitamin A& C serum from Lisa Hoffman's skin care line. After all, it's a small niche brand full of good intentions. The ingredient list is short, precise and doesn't contain scary or questionable chemicals (unless you're from IFRA, and in that case the grapefruit peel oil might send you into convulsions, but that's not the point here). But despite the promised vitamins (Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbat is vitamin C and Retinyl Palmitate is vitamin A, both are good for you, as far as my googling could tell), most of what's in the silvery pump bottle is silicone, the same stuff that goes into most hair serums.

Not that there's anything wrong with it. But when it comes to my skin care needs, coating my face with silicon (it takes a little while to absorb) was not the right treatment. I gave the serum three weeks before I gave up, but it obviously clashed with my moisturizer and didn't provide the skin brightening I expect from vitamin C products.

Like many unloved skin care products, I started using the Lisa Hoffman serum on my hands. I do this often, as most creams and serums, even if I find them to be underachievers, are still more active than the average hand cream. While definitely not nourishing enough by itself (my hands can get very dry), I find that it's fabulous for locking the moisture from a good cream and making my hands look and feel very smooth. The antioxidants and vitamins can't hurt, either.

Lisa Hoffman Day & Night Vitamin A& C Serum ($95 for 1 oz) is available from lisahoffmanskincare.com. The travel size (0.5 oz) I received was a PR freebie.

Image: universaltimer.com

PXA 2009- Perfume Expo America

Neither crazy weather nor NYC traffic were able to stop me on Thursday from attending PXA 2009, Perfume Expo America. I can't think of many trade shows that can be as exciting as one dedicated to all things fragrance. Many brands, old and new, set up booths to showcase their products and introduce them to retailers, distributors, suppliers and the media.

As a blogger who is equally fascinated with the artistic side of fragrance, as well as with the business and marketing aspects, this was an excellent opportunity to see, smell, chat and feel the pulse of the industry.

Getting acquainted with new brands is always fun. There are several interesting ones that are currently looking for distribution channels here in the US. I got samples of most and have started testing, so stay tuned for reviews of perfumes you most likely have never seen before. Other highlights were actually older brands. Weil perfumes have mostly vanished from the scene, but they are back now and ready to find new customers. Fans of the classic Antilope would be thrilled to see it back in production. According to the brand's rep, it's the same formula and nothing has changed from the original. I wouldn't bet any money on this statement and I'm not familiar with the vintage version, but from brief sniffing I really liked the new Antilope.

In a world where traditional family businesses are being sold to big corporations and losing both their identity and integrity, meeting Jean-Pierre Lerouge-Benard, the president of Molinard, and his daughter, Charlotte, was an unexpected joy. The house of Molinard has a lot more to offer than Habanita and Nirmala, including a line focused on certain notes and accords (including a bold chypre), and a new scent in honor of the house's 160th anniversary. Mr. Lerouge-Benard loves his perfumes, from the raw materials to the final product. He hates the word "juice", which he feels takes away from the mystery and the emotional reaction a fragrance should induce, and is proud to see a fifth generation join the family business.

I had a little disappointment at the Courvoisier booth. I love their EDP (labeled a masculine, but I share it with my husband) and hoped for an interesting addition to the line. While they are working on a feminine version (no release date or any other information available at the moment), their efforts have gone into making two weaker versions of the originals- an EDT and an aftershave splash. Both have lighter, airy notes at the top and are meant to smell "clean". Let's hope for something better in the future.

There were also new European skin care lines- alpine water and edelweiss flowers can only be good, right? Perfumes for kids (I admit not to get this concept. When my nieces are old enough to appreciate and enjoy scents, I'm getting them the real thing. I'm thinking a Lutens), and the house of Piguet still pushing Fracas instead of the new release, Futur.

Happy and scented, it was then time to deal with rush hour traffic back to Jersey.

Happy Fourth!

Laura Mercier Satinée Crème Eye Colour

It's not really summer until someone buys a teal eye shadow.

I was at Bergdorf just as the Laura Mercier counter was being stocked with new products. My curiosity led me to allow the young SA free reign over my face, and it was a lot of fun. The new Satinée Crème Eye Colour in Teal Cashmere is beautiful and somewhat muted (on the website they describe it as "dusty", which is pretty accurate). It's different than the aqua shades we've seen in previous seasons, and as the SA showed me, the color is very wearable. If you follow me on Twitter, you might have seen a twit or two from the counter.

The color looks scary right out of the tube (as you can see on my wrist in the swatch), but once you start blending it (a synthetic brush would do wonders, but you can also use your finger), things mellow down significantly. I've tried it as a sheer wash, but prefer it either as a pop of color near the lash line or blended with a cream base color on the lead and into the crease, as shown in the photo (yes, that's my eye).

Laura Mercier Satinée Crème Eye Colour belongs to a new generation of cream eye shadows. It has a beautiful finish with only the barest hint of light reflecting particles, it doesn't crease or melts (even in NYC humidity), and it stays put until you take it off as long as you apply it over a primer.

By the way, I also tried the new Limited Edition Medium Lip Watercolours. While I liked the concept of a blendable painter's palette and the Lip Prep (a lip primer/base) was fabulous, most of the colors were completely off. I wish there was a darker option (there's also a palette in Fair. Good for albinos), but since there isn't I went to the Chantecaille counter where I found a couple of true loves.

All photos are mine. Giselle up there is just a bonus picture as I was trying to keep her from taking off with the little eye shadow tube.

Laura Mercier Satinée Crème Eye Colour ($22) is available at most decent department stores and online. I bought mine at Bergdorf Goodman.

Crabtree and Evelyn filed for Chapter 11- Who didn't see it coming?

Crabtree & Evelyn filed bankruptcy protection on Wednesday. According to WSJ, the company expects a 24.4% drop in retail sales for fiscal 2009 from 2008 (though online sales will probably increase 10% this year), and is over $24 million in debt.

Sad news, indeed, which leads me to try and remember when was the last time I shopped at Crabtree & Evelyn for anything other than their environmental oils. The answer was that I stopped buying their body products a few years ago. And apparently, I'm not the only one.

Last time I was at one of their stores I noticed those jumbo body wash bottles (they were selling three for the price of two, or something like that), but upon sniffing I realized they all had the same unpleasant plastic smell, which didn't much resemble the original labeled scent. I passed on that deal. New scents seemed to appear briefly, not impress anyone and go into oblivion. The Holiday trio (vanilla, chocolate and pomegranate, if I remember correctly) had shimmer in the bottles, seemed more like a BBW product and seriously lacked in the class department.

But the most annoying aspect and the reason I stopped shopping there was the discontinuing of favorite scent lines. I'm still hoarding half a bottle of the Rose Damask bath and shower gel which was so much better than the somewhat aquatic Rosewater. I also liked their Citrus body wash, the original Vanilla and the Azzemour home products. And there were lavender laundry detergent and linen spray that were sold for a brief moment. The point is that in the last five or six years you could never be sure a favorite product would still be there the next time you need it.

Since I refuse to pay inflated prices for a soap on eBay, I simply moved on. You'd think someone at the company would notice the crazy hoarding and the crazier bidding wars over some of the discontinued items and would come to a certain conclusion. Instead, they filled the store with those godawful Vera Bradley bags.

What do you think? Do you still shop at Crabtree & Evelyn?

Photo by G.M. Kowalewska