Loving Lately - February 27th, 2014

Haven't done a post like this in quite some time, so I thought I'd write about some products I've been enjoying lately. Starting in the top left corner and moving clockwise...

Aerin Rose Balm

This smooth balm gives skin a luminous finish without any shimmer -- it's just an emollient texture that leaves a sheen. It's great for any dry areas (face or body or, my preferred use, cuticles), and in a pinch, you could probably get away with using it as a highlighter on cheekbones. The rose oil in this balm was apparently extracted from 350 rose petals, so you're getting some pretty great hydration in each jar. Good news for anyone who hates heady rose scents, this one isn't overwhelming by any stretch, so don't worry about it giving you a headache or competing with other scents.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in "Luminous Flush"

When I first saw the visual for this launch, I gasped (and then wrote this tweet). This blush had big promises to fulfill, combining a soft flush and the effect of the brand's Ambient Lighting Powders (easily one of the biggest launches of 2013), but the blushes delivered. The shade pictured above is described as a champagne rose shade, and frankly, those are really separate things, but I guess that's what you you have to call it when you mix the two together in a single powder compact. The powder is soft, doesn't kick up as much excess product as the Ambient Lighting Powders did (at least in my experience), and a little goes a long way, meaning this blush will last a while, even if you're applying liberally on the daily.

Fresh Sugar Face Polish

Pictured is a deluxe sample I received when I was browsing at Sephora one day (when am I not browsing at Sephora). It was a brand demonstrator who handed it to me, and he told me to make sure I applied it in circular motions for the exfoliating effect, but then to leave it on my face for a few minutes to reap the moisturizing benefits. Following instructions is just good sense, especially when this guy knows the product inside and out, and I wasn't disappointed! This is exactly what all faces could benefit from after this STUPID WINTER THAT WON'T DIE. Sorry, I just.. can't with how it's still -30C out there. The moral of the story: this scrub will exfoliate and hydrate, so try it if you're in the market for a little help in cell turnover.

LORAC Perfectly Lit Oil-Free Luminizing Powder in "Spotlight"

Not to put time pressure on you, but if you have any desire to buy this, do it now at sephora.ca because as you may gather from the brand page on Sephora's site, they are pulling out of Sephora stores and ecommerce, so this product has actually been marked down. That was actually what spurred me to get it, and I'm glad I did. It's a microshimmer highlighter (no chunky flecks of shimmer here) in a soft beige shade that is really flattering on warm skintones. It would probably work perfectly fine on cooler skintones as well, so have at it!

Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek Colour in "Rose Bloom"

This was given to me in a little Laura Mercier pouch along with some other deluxe samples (Laura Mercier Eye Basics in "Flax", Radiance Foundation Primer, and an eyeshadow duo that I can't seem to find anywhere online) as an apology for being given the wrong eau gourmande when I had visited the counter at Bloomingdales in SoHo. That explains the teeny, tiny size. The colour is described as a matte, warm tawny rose. ....sure. Why not. It's a midtone matte pink that's incredibly unoffensive and very wearable. I'd probably spring for the full size, except I know myself better than to think I'll ever use a blush up. If anyone ever catches me saying I'm going to buy a backup of a blush, kick me. Hard. Thanks!

Clarins Opalescent Face and Cheek Powder

I was sucked in by the holographic packaging, and I stuck around for the gorgeous glow. This powder looks pretty basic in the pan, nothing too dimensional or fancy, but it gives a soft warmth (and I do mean soft - this isn't a pigment-packed pan) to the face when applied with a heavy hand. The bits of the pan that do have more pigment are fairly neutral, so it's pretty hard to mess the application of this stuff up. I like it for days where I don't want to think about how I'm applying blush or which brush I'm using or how I accidentally meant to apply a cream product before powdering, blah blah blah. It's carefree and I'm into it. Chances are, you will be too.

Bonus shot of me being silly with the Clarins palette:

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent from the company or their PR team for editorial consideration. For more information, please click here.

Naturally Flushed: Cream Blush

Cream blushes are an increasingly common step in my makeup routine; I think they can take the "clown" fear out of wearing blush for a lot of people out there. Cream blushes are definitely more user-friendly than their powder counterparts, mostly because the creamy nature of the product allows it to seamlessly blend into skin. The flush appears more natural and from within as opposed to a powder, which can sit heavily on top of skin if it isn't blended well. My preferred way of using a cream blush is to apply it with this brush from Sephora as an anchor for a powder cheek colour, leading to a dimensional and long-lasting look. Here are some formulas that are in my current rotation. 

Clarins Multi-Blush Cream Compact

This formula is a new offering from Clarins this season and it's a goodie. I am a sucker for this "Rosewood" shade, but colours aside, there's a bunch of waxes in this formula (rose, mimosa, sunflower, jojoba) to ensure easy blending and proper hydration, as well as vitamin E, which is always great for skin. Super blendable and hard to overdo thanks to the satin finish with no shimmer whatsoever, which makes this rather user-friendly for all ages.

Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush

A fantastic drugstore cream blush if I ever saw one! I have only been playing with this one for a couple weeks, but it gives a great satin finish with a very faint hint of shimmer, making it a fun option to play with if you're just getting into the cream blush scene. "Pinched" is a gorgeous peachy shade to transition into spring with (if this winter ever dies).

MaxFactor Miracle Touch Creamy Blusher

I'm a bit of a jerk to include this, but anyone who is in the UK can possibly benefit from my appreciation and recommendation of this creamy little pot of awesomeness. Dear friend Danielle (of SRSLY fame) was in London in fall 2012, and I asked her to be a dolly and grab me a couple of these, and she DID and they're GREAT! I hate that P&G totally has used the same packaging for CoverGirl items, but that the contents are SOOOOO different. Here's to hoping and praying that this cream blush makes its way to the Canadian market under the CoverGirl banner since MaxFactor is no longer a thing here, because these are phenomenal. Subtle shimmer to bounce enough light off the face, but nothing gaudy or overwhelming. A treat to use, and probably my most reached-for product of the post ("Soft Copper" is one of my favourite things).

Kevyn Aucoin Beauty Creamy Glow

Probably the creamiest of the bunch and most pigmented, this formula by Kevyn Aucoin offers up flexibility, since it can be sheered out or built up for a bigger splash of colour. The colour range is all quite wearable with one really bright pop of colour (pictured above, "Liquifuschia"). If you've ever messed around with Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancers, then you'll know emollient is an understatement for potted products from the brand, and this stuff is no exception. A dab'll do ya.


Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent from the company or their PR team for editorial consideration. For more information, please click here.

A Huge Departure for Thierry Mugler: Alien Eau Extraordinaire

As a person who is obsessed with scent and the concept of having a fragrance wardrobe, I was curious when I received an invite to the unveiling of Thierry Mugler's latest fragrance addition to the his brand. When I see the name "Mugler", I think purely of Thierry Mugler Angel, which has to be one of the most polarizing fragrances I've ever smelled.

When I interned at FASHION Magazine in summer 2011, I recall we were coming upon the 20th anniversary of Thierry Mugler Angel (launched in 1992 in Europe, and I believe 1995 in North America) and it was the second time in my life I paused and gave the juice a deep inhale (the first time was at The Bay before a Blink 182 concert with a couple friends, and the sales associated asked us if we wanted to smell like an angel...). I was not crazy about the gourmand oriental notes that flooded my sinuses, and those feelings remain to this day, hence a slight feeling of apprehension when entering the event last week for the launch of Alien Eau Extraordinaire.

To be fair, Thierry Mugler Alien is not at all in the same vein as Angel, and for that, I'm quite grateful. Alien contains a pretty substantial jasmine dose, unlike the headiness that is Angel, weirdly complex with notes of vanilla, patchouli, chocolate, caramel and red berries. Just typing the notes gives me a headache, I swear. 

All that being said, I was practically bowled over when handed a paper blotter with a spritz of Thierry Mugler Alien Eau Extraordinaire on it. Light, luminous, and wearable are the words that came to mind, and that's not really the first three words that I'd ever associate with Thierry Mugler scents. This is a huge departure from the fragrance brand's normative behaviour, and I'm frankly thrilled to see such a shift in direction. 

At the presentation, Christophe De Lataillade, Creative Director of parfums Thierry Mugler, shared such interesting little facts about the process of creating the scent story, as well as what went into creating the visual campaign and TV spot (directed by Torontonian Floria Sigismondi!), making the presentation quite full of teeny anecdotes, delightful to hear. 

Thierry Mugler apparently said to "start where you stopped", so the lights were figuratively and literally turned on to revive the model in the campaign. The idea at play was that a solar goddess needed to be revived by sunlight. Mugler encouraged the team to use fiber optic technology in the dress for the campaign (it apparently weighed 30 kg!), and the TV spot itself has musical stylings of Sigur Ros to express the feeling of brimstone turning into gold, luminous elements. 

The composition of the fragrance:

Top notes -- Bergamot, Tunisian neroli, Tea

Middle notes -- Heliotrope, Tiare flower

Base notes -- White amber, Cashmeran

These base notes are at the heart of all Alien fragrances, so they're very much the link that tie the different fragrances together. The reason I decided to write this post is because I normally would pass by any offering from Mugler, thinking it would be another Angel experience. I urge you all to smell this scent when it launches in stores in April at Hudson's Bay, Sephora and Shoppers Drug Mart. It's incredibly wearable and a sound option for spring/summer, as it's the most non-Mugler Mugler scent imaginable!  

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent from the company or their PR team for editorial consideration. For more information, please click here. 

Initial Thoughts: Diptyque L'Art Du Soin Facial Skincare

One of everyone's favourite French fragrance brands, Diptyque, has entered the skincare game with a range entitled Diptyque L'Art Du Soin Facial Skincare. I was fortunate enough to receive some precious and twee samples while visiting Diptyque's Bleecker Street boutique in Manhattan last week. Upon visiting their US site, I couldn't seem to find the products to link to, so I believe they're sampling the range, but that it isn't launching until later this month.

When I took a look at the samples, I noticed a highly informative little packet that contained a card for each product in the range, explaining the ingredients of each product and how the product is meant to perform or the different ways in which it could be used.

The sleeve of the card packet, explaining the concept for the skincare range

This presentation of not only how to use a sample of skincare, but also a card including a full list of ingredients (something that's usually missing in samples, and something that's really helpful to know when it comes to skincare) is outstanding! I want to hug the person who made sure this idea was executed. It's so essential when launching and sampling skincare, so I applaud Diptyque for getting it right.

Side one of the ingredients card for the range

Side two of the ingredients card for the range

I was given 4 product samples, and the range is 5 products total. The only product I didn't sample is the Radiance Boosting Powder. I've used each product a few times and can definitely attest to the fact that they're Diptyque products through and through, fragrance-wise. The Nourishing Cleansing Balm and Infused Facial Water are extremely Damask rose-based (similar to Eau Rose, not quite the same though), while the fine-grit Multi-Use Exfoliating Clay has a hint of Diptyque's figgy Philosykos scent lingering even after it's been rinsed away, so anticipate a very multi-sensory experience if you decide to try this range.

The Nourishing Cleansing Balm is multi-use, in that you can warm it up in your hands and use it as a cleansing oil, making it excellent for makeup melting and deep cleansing, creating an emulsifying lotion when hit with water after being massaged into dry skin. The informative little card also tells me it can be mixed with water to create a lotion texture that can be swept across skin on a cotton pad. The formula contains mimosa waxes and sweet almond oil (among other skincare-friendly ingredients) to leave skin comfortable and soft, never dry.

The Multi-Use Exfoliating Clay has a fresh fig scent, as I mentioned above, and the fine grit texture is thanks to marble powder, which obviously whisks away dead skin cells when used as an exfoliator. When used as a mask, skin is purified is ushered along thanks to clay and apricot kernel oil. I think I liked the smell of this product just as much as its actual function. I appreciated that a little went a long way and that it can be used in two different ways, though I feel the need to point out, no matter how you use it, you'll probably get a bit of the exfoliating factor when you rinse it off, so... if you're looking for a straight-up clay mask, move along. 

The Infused Facial Water at first seems like it's simply the standard rose water. The ingredients tell me that it contains glycerin (forever working to retain moisture in the skin), witch hazel, peppermint leaf extract, nasturtium (aka a source of skin-brightening vitamin C)...and a lot of other stuff. I'm not big on toners or softening lotions personally speaking, but I think this would fall into that category, and I think it's more so a nicety than a necessity in one's skincare routine. It smells pretty, so if that's your jam, have at it.

The Protective Moisturizing Lotion is probably the least sunscreen-y sunscreen I've ever used, and that's probably because it's only hitting SPF 15 level, making it inherently less greasy. Even if the SPF level isn't high enough by most standards, I suppose it's better than nothing. It packs a nourishing punch, containing Omegas 3, 6 and 9, as well as grapevine root extracts. It's a really light and smooth emulsion that I enjoy applying and can see myself committing to in a full size. It leaves skin super soft with no residue or stickiness, making it completely delightful to use. 

In regards to pricing and availability, I have no info whatsoever to share with you. I know. I'm awful. I'm sorry! As soon as I do have info to share, I will update the post accordingly. I do believe the line is set to launch at the end of February, at least stateside. I have no idea if this range will launch in Canada at the same time or not, but consider it something to take a gander at next time you're south of the border next month onwards!

EDIT: The range will launch in Canada, and naturally only 4 of the 5 products will launch in the Canadian market (the Protective Moisturizing Lotion is a no-go here, at least initially, inevitably because of the SPF). The range will be available at Holt Renfrew, and pricing is as follows:
Infused Facial Water, CAD $66
Radiance Boosting Powder, CAD $62
Nourishing Cleansing Balm, CAD $78
Multi-Use Exfoliating Clay, CAD $78