Good Things Come in Teensy Packaging

As I alluded to in my post on highlighters, I'm from a fam where we are serious fans of anything miniature. A little mini bottle of Heinz, a little jar of jam, it doesn't matter what it is, we just stop and and coo over it and comment on how cute it is. So that's how much I like mini condiment offerings... multiply that affection by about a thousand and that's how much I love beauty product minis.

Minis are always helpful in getting to know a product before committing to the full size, and I've actually been turned on to many a product by miniature sizes and samples. Sampling is essential in this industry in order to determine how compatible a product is with your skin, colouring or body chemistry. Sampling is just good sense, and I hope it's something that more brands consider engaging in if they don't currently have a sampling program in place. Minis that are given compliments of a brand are fun paraphernalia to have as keepsakes. That's how I view any and all Chanel bits that I've amassed since interning there. 

I've accumulated a pretty vast collection of tiny products over the years, given as samples from the counters or included in gift sets and the like. Here's a small (hehehe) sampling of my collection of minis that I doubt I'll ever tire of. They're just so precious and twee!

Included in this photoset: Chanel Les Exclusifs in Gardenia, Beige & Jersey; Chanel Coco Noir; Dior L'Or de Vie Serum, Eye & Lip Contour Cream and Face Cream; Calvin Klein Downtown; Prada Luna Rossa Pour Homme and Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gioia Eau Fraiche; NARS Mini Bronzer in "Laguna", Jo Malone Vitamin E Gel, Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus, Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, Laura Mercier Eye Basics in "Buff", Bobbi Brown Rich Color Gloss in "Pink Buff", Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in "Hoola", Trish McEvoy Beauty Booster Serum, Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint.

Hudson's Bay Yorkdale - A Whole New Retail Experience

Today, I had the delightful privilege of joining Shelley Rozenwald, HBC's Chief Beauty Adventurer (how cool is this title?!), and some fellow bloggers at Hudson's Bay at Yorkdale Shopping Mall for a guided tour through the new Beauty Hall that has just opened.

I'm no stranger to Yorkdale and had been to the department store a handful of times during renovations, but naturally, certain areas were partitioned off and weren't accessible, so to see the whole floor in all its glory was quite literally awesome. I was in actual awe of the sheer size of the beauty floor, as it actually went on much farther than I could see.

Chanel counter

The entire concept of the revamped Beauty Hall is hyper-focused on increasing the amount of time spent at the counter whenever possible, and personally, I'm a lingerer, so I ain't mad at it. The idea is that consumers can choose to engage further either with an automated guide (on iPads or large touchscreen system installed at certain counters) or an actual beauty specialist in order to properly assess their needs and desires pertaining to skincare, fragrance and colour cosmetics.

Dior counter

As a beauty fiend, I actually never really am an in-and-out or grab-and-go type of person when it comes to store visits. I'm all about the conversation that can unfold with different associates that I come in contact with throughout the department, so this setup is right up my alley, but the option to make a quick purchase is always there for anyone who prefers to keep to themselves, and brand logos are easy to spot all over the place in order to figure out precisely where you want to wander on the floor.

Clarins counter

Shelley guided us to the fragrance area and I was instantly infatuated by the way the fragrance department has been set up. Brands have dedicated areas (that I rapidly dubbed "fragrance nooks") that act as very small but very real fragrance shops, displaying a full array of fragrances available from the brand. In the Narciso Rodriguez nook, there was a set-up of essential oils that are central to the Narciso Rodriguez fragrances. This was reminiscent of the Chanel Les Exclusifs set-up at Holts Yorkdale and Bloor, so I definitely had an appreciation for the direction that Hudson's Bay is moving in as far as fragrance interaction goes.

Narciso Rodriguez fragrance nook

Hudson's Bay fragrance department

Thierry Mugler fragrance nook

Viktor & Rolf fragrance nook

In addition increasing the amount of time consumers spend at the counter, Hudson's Bay has cabines that can be booked for services with different brands. How great is that?! Fun secret: the Shiseido counter is actually equipped with their own cabine at the counter that's used for complimentary facials. Complimentary. Facials. You read that right.

Cabine space for services

New brands introduced to the HBC Beauty Hall include Giorgio Armani (yes!!!), Illamasqua (an absolute curveball, but welcomed nonetheless!), Bobbi Brown (Shimmer Bricks are essential), Anna Sui (the counter is modeled after Anna's Paris apartment) and Shu Uemura (Tokyo beauty at its finest).

Illamasqua counter

What did I conclude after exploring the 20,000 square feet of beauty retail space that I can probably alternately refer to as heaven on earth? That Hudson's Bay is absolutely bringing something back to beauty retail and that's a more full service shopping experience that is designed to be interactive and enjoyable while converting consumers into lifelong brand fans.

...and I'm here for that.


all images provided by Hudson's Bay Company

Me & Cosmetics

I should probably preface this whole site with my perspective on makeup. Probably…

The Chanel counter @ Henri Bendel, 5th Ave, NYC

Well, where to start? I like makeup. A lot. It’s kind of everything to me. It is truly what excites me when I wake up in the a.m. I look forward to doing makeup every single day. This sounds so lame when I type it, good grief. Whatever, it’s fun and colourful and I love it! New collections, new products, tutorials, Youtube subscriptions, helping people pick products for themselves, buying things that literally change my appearance so drastically in the best way possible, hunting for limited edition EVERYTHING. It’s really become a lifestyle, but it’s exciting, more so now that I’m in New York and am able to explore brands that were either completely unavailable to me in Canada or just wildly out of reach due to only being carried at select Holts locations or whatever. Let it be known, distribution of cosmetics is just the WORST in Canada. It is really excruciating the way Holts has a monopoly on the whole market. Ah well.

Favourite brands include Giorgio Armani and Chanel. I like all brands, and while I tend to gravitate towards higher-end brands, I’m no stranger to drugstore products at all! I think discovering that Wet’n’Wild cosmetics were still sold at Wal-Mart was a pretty huge revelation of ‘08 to me. I just think I really appreciate the marketing and conceptualization that goes into a lot of higher-end brands and how it ties into their seasonal collections. While I am a Fashion Marketing major, the beauty aspect of every fashion week is pretty intriguing to me and I firmly believe that makeup can make or break the finished look so … that’s me justifying my major vs. my apparent natural passion. *shrug*

Fave products over the years (I’ll probably do reviews of these eventually):
- Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation (shade 7 - tan)
- Chanel UV Essential SPF 50
- Giorgio Armani Eye Brow Defining Pencil (shade 3)
- Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Mascara (shade 1 - steel black)
- La Mer Lip Balm
- MAC 130 foundation brush
- EcoTools brushes (all. of. these.)
- Trish McEvoy Duo Matte Bronzer
- Nars Multiple Bronzer in Malaysia
- Make Up For Ever Face & Body Foundation (shade 34)
- Cle de Peau concealer in Ochre
- Cle de Peau Extra Rich Lipstick in R2 - Red Abundance (a killer bright red)
- Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in 75 - Dragon (fave red lip of all time)
- Chanel Joues Contraste in Rose Petale & Rose Dust

Well, this is lengthy and sorta purposeless. Just trying to throw some product names out there to establish what my aesthetic is. People I look to for makeup inspiration.. well, I’m not really a classic beauty kind of person, and I’m not a natural beauty kind of person. I think I function based on colours and moods. I will do a smoky eye if I don’t want to talk to people. I will do a red lip if I feel a bit loud. Y’know, things like that. I love trying out runway looks but they seldom make it out of my apartment.