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Comments
· December 20, 2006 1:07 AM by
Colleen Shirazi
· December 20, 2006 1:13 AM by
Colleen Shirazi
· December 20, 2006 2:01 AM by
Colleen Shirazi
· December 20, 2006 11:21 AM by
Dain
· December 23, 2006 3:41 AM by
Colleen Shirazi
· December 17, 2006 10:34 PM by
Dain
· December 18, 2006 1:53 PM by
Colleen Shirazi
· December 10, 2006 2:40 PM by
LotionBarBunny
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The Lipstick Page Forums Beauty & Fashion Blog: December 2006
A challenge...
Posted by Dain, Tuesday, December 19, 2006 12:30 AM (Eastern)
To wear no more makeup, save for skincare. For a WEEK! Not forever!
'Tis the season (part 2)
Posted by Dain, Monday, December 18, 2006 9:53 PM (Eastern)
What people want, but will not tell you that they want, in the realm of cosmetics, is perfume. But how to pick? Perfume is such an individual thing, no? Here are my top ten:
- old-fashioned: Caron Parfum Sacre, at first, aggressively aldehydic rose wrapped in Church incense, but dries down into the most exquisite Old World soap (e.g. Claus Porto), left lingering on the skin
- young at heart: Balenciaga Cristobal, fun flirty fruity and slightly intoxicated (figs drizzled in honey, with plenty of freesia and pineapple)
- chic: CHANEL Allure, crisp and sophisticated, like an expensive white shirt, a perfect floral bouquet, in iciest winter
- innocent: L'Occitane Eau de Miel, meadowflowers, sunshine, nectar, bees...
- sexy: Bond No. 9 Chinatown, because tuberose is the sexiest flower of all (I am quite in earnest)
- spice: Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, materially exact (accurate representation of heady sweet incense from Morocco) and conceptually abstract (the tree (cedar), resin (hard), light and heat (is not amber crystallized sunlight?))
- smart: Guerlain Mitsouko, the most intelligent of perfumes, reminds me of libraries, cigar smoke, and scotch, or, as Luca Turin calls it, "a Baroque string quartet" of peaches, rum, and spice
- skin/musk scent: Narciso Rodriguez for Her, Egyptian musk polished to gleaming perfection
- citrus: Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien: a citrus grove in Greece, pungent herbs, and crisp white wine Let me see... have I hit every olfactory category? Not...
- the queen of the flowers: Lancôme Mille et Une Roses, night-blooming rose
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December 20, 2006 1:13 AM, Colleen Shirazi said...
I haven't smelled all of these but...I heartily agree with Eau D'Hadrien, Coco Mademoiselle and Michael Kors. |
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Every winter...
Posted by Dain, 12:17 PM (Eastern)
I get really, really dry skin. So dry I don't know what to do with it. I've been trying to do aloe vera & lavender essential oil, slather it on, leave it on—nothing could be more pure moisture. Even that doesn't work very well.
Thankfully, Fresh Rice Face Cream came for me. It's rich, it smells lovely, and it has a texture like the finest, whipped butter, fresh from the churn. And it does the trick. No more dry skin! It's not greasy, but leaves a wonderful velvety texture, perfect for makeup.
Getting political...
Posted by Dain, Sunday, December 17, 2006 4:38 PM (Eastern)
Now, it has come to me... I lead a double life. Cosmetics and books. Don't get me wrong, they leak into each other, but they are, for the most part, distinct from each other. Most of the time, I am the most serious of students, and I've come to realize, a much more sincere student than most of the people around me. The terrible truth: Yale kids are wankers. People here are fake, self-satisfied, and immature, even though most everyone is smart. Hey, I am many ugly things, but I am none of those things. Whatever portion of human agony I have been allotted, I am never shallow, except in situations of deep irony (which is an extremely compromised superficiality, because one needs a lot of depth to be cuttingly ironic about one's shallowness).
...I am, however, clearly egomaniacal. But, hey, honest. I love to read, I love to learn, and I have a great deal of respect for what an education really is supposed to do: form an ever-thinking individual. I think intelligence is an admirable thing. Once you've got that, you can do anything. At the end of four years, I can pick up Aristotle or Joyce and understand, more or less competently, on my own, for my own. That's pretty damn impressive. I'm 21 years old. A real education.
And almost no one is like me. A handful that I have met. And no one, truly. And I am not sure if it is that I am particularly intelligent, because I will make no bones about it, I am, or if it is...
Because we are seekers of truth, are we not, all 4000 of us? The pursuit of knowledge. How can we be good seekers, if we are not truthful about ourselves?
People are so fake. Perfectionists. All in different ways, mind you. This is usually a great thing. You can find someone who is a worldclass expert in EVERYTHING you could possibly think of, from Shakespeare to fire eating. That is pretty amazing, the sheer human resource potential. But the atmosphere of the place, you have to live up to SO much. The burdens of the top of the top. Everyone needs to show how perfect they are, no matter how idiosyncratic, images of oneself. It's an odd sort of society. Stifling. There are so many anorexics here.
Which is so stupid. So much human potential wasted on such petty things. Is that not sad?
But are not cosmetics really, really shallow? In fact, the shallowest of all?
No, I don't think so. There's beauty, and there's truth. The pursuit of one is not necessarily deeper than the other, it is the pursuit that counts. Someone may just be talking about Aristotle in my dorm right now, but I bet you, it is shallow compared to how seriously Pat McGrath takes her work. It is the pursuit itself that counts.
So, to pay homage to intelligent cosmetics, which is in a very different sense an art equal to that of Virgil (celebrate the temporal, earthly beauties of humanity instead of the eternal and the absolute):
1. Serge Lutens, for the rendering of notes, simultaneously dead accurate and conceptually abstract.
2. Kevyn Aucoin, who revered women and loved to make them beautiful, you can sense every ounce of it in the design of his product line (someone tell that he had some hand in the development, that it's not all posthumous!)
3. Dr. Hauschka, I can't do the regime anymore, it's too cost-ineffective, but those are the purest, natural, holistic, homegrown, hand made, earth-conscious skincare products ever
4. NARS, for brilliant color schemes
5. Shu Uemura, for painstakingly handcrafted brushes, and refusing to follow trends
6. Kerastasé, for miraculous technology, the only genuine miracle as far I'm concerned... methinks the new formulations of the L'Oreal Vive Pro are copying them a little
P.S. I've been away for a bit. Senior thesis. But now it's done! Weeeee!
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December 20, 2006 2:01 AM, Colleen Shirazi said...
Hmmm...I never feel it's a double life. The thing is...the older you get, the more ugliness you see. Beauty is an escape, a respite...I'm not a great believer in heaven and hell, but it's obvious to me that the inspiration for heaven, is right here on Earth. No one ever imagines heaven as an ugly place filled with ugly faces. December 20, 2006 11:21 AM, Dain said...
Bush was a C student. December 23, 2006 3:41 AM, Colleen Shirazi said...
Hmm...what I've heard about Bush, is that he's quite a bit more intelligent than he acts. He has a sort of good ol' boy act. |
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Ramblings...
Posted by Colleen Shirazi, Saturday, December 16, 2006 1:10 AM (Eastern)
Not much happening here, beauty-wise. I've almost used up my MAC Sophisto lipstick; it is now down to that final sliver. It will be the third lipstick I've used up since, erm, discovering Internet beauty forums. Back in my pre-Net days, I would use up a lip product (before said discovery, I did not use lipstick at all, since I could never find one that I liked) every three to four months. Or rather, the lip product would be mostly gone and start to look a tad shabby around then.
It's well to note that the other two lipsticks I've used up recently were also MAC Lustre formula lipsticks. sighs I'm not in a rush to replace Sophisto however. I still have MAC Strawberry Blonde and Spice It Up, not to mention Clinique Apple Brandy (Butter Shine). But when I need to buy a new lipstick, it will neither be MAC nor will it be sheer. I have my eye on Chanel Moiré. More expensive, but far more versatile.
During this thread, it crossed my mind there is one advantage to having oily skin. You don't need to do anything in wintertime; no special treatments. Of course that doesn't actually make up for having oily skin, I'm just saying.
I've been blending my Etro Heliotrope with Armani Code, or else GF Ferre Lei/Her. I don't know why, but those two combinations work...smell better than wearing any of the three solo. Normally I would be too lazy to layer, but I can now see the practicality of doing so. You get better results, it's less obvious what you're wearing, you get this wall of "yum," et cetera.
Mmmmm...that's about all for now. I suppose I've gotten much more into making jewelry lately...it's...absorbing, possibly because I'm learning it on my own. I started out not knowing what gauge or temper (or material, for that matter) of wire to use, where to buy it, what to do with it...now I'm at the point where I know most of it, but now I want to make better pieces. The kind of pieces you can see yourself wearing ten years from now...classical, yet not predictable: not a copy of something else. "Future heirloom" even. It's harder than it looks. I've found it's as much about details as it is about "great beads" or suchlike. Your eye won't catch these details (unless you make jewelry or are particularly observant or artistic); it's more an overall effect.
Oh I suppose that could be makeup-related, since that is the cosmetic ideal after all--you don't want people to notice the fine details, only the overall effect--but I've found gathering the materials for beading to be almost as laborious as gleaning cosmetics for your stash. You have to be just as obsessive.
beauty lipstick mac+cosmetics etro armani gianfranco+ferre perfume jewelry
Labels: beauty notes
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December 17, 2006 10:34 PM, Dain said...
We should get you a tube of YSL Rouge Pur Shine #12 Rose Aqua. Here, I found a picture of it: http://img.makeupalley.com/0/3/0/4/531206.jpeg December 18, 2006 1:53 PM, Colleen Shirazi said...
lol! I have to approve my own comments now. I switched my Blogger account to beta, but haven't switched the LP account. I won't switch LP until the beta is no longer "buggier than a bait store," but it's weird. |
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Beauty Scrapbook DECEMBER 2006: 'Tis the season (part 1)
Posted by Dain, Wednesday, December 13, 2006 4:12 PM (Eastern)
Most of these products have been chosen by the recipient (yes, there are real world implications, for once), and thus reflect what people really want, if given a free run of the cosmetics world (or its real-world equivalent).
Here is the original email...
Gentyles alle:
What is this impoverished, gift giver to do? But a brilliant idea: how
about I give you all free rein to everything that
beauty.com/drugstore.com have to offer? All of you, whatever it is that
you could possibly want. Fragrance, a year's supply of mascara, the most
expensive face cream you can think of... it's all fair game.
One condition: only one product. (A part of me, the part that inhabits
the detached plane of absolute language, is sniggering at that
sentence. There are four occurences of the two sequence "ON" in it...
ONONONON... looks like binary sequence)
If anyone needs advice, I am here. Really, could you go wrong?
Let me know by mid-November.
Dain
A great idea, right? Wrong. Like I said, an editorial nightmare. Everyone chose perfumes! And most people... don't know enough about cosmetics to choose something from a purveyor like beauty.com. But the results are interesting, from an economic survey point of view. Boo.
 A trick I learned from my mother. An expensive face cream, no matter what, always pleases. I like, Fresh Rice Face Cream ($75), Creme de la Mer, Kiehl's Ultra Facial (my mother buys these in bulk to give to people), CHANEL Sublimage, Nuxe Crème Fraîche. For those with oily/acne skin, I would recommend Bliss and Kiehl's Blue Herbal. |
 Sweet and pretty, ohh... this is ho hum, though I like the drydown. It's a dime-store song, Ralph Lauren Romance ($49.50) is. Citrusy floral with white musk. |
 I threw a few suggestions around, but NARS Rapture Palette ($70) was one of my first. It's a great way to quickly sample a great line. It's got Sin and Ashes to Ashes and the light shade of Bellissima and Dolce Vita and Pigalle and Gipsy, so already it will see everyday use (also, Ninotchka, Charade duo, and Belle du Jour, which I find slightly less wearable). NARS has done the impossible in Rapture: made a palette universal. Plus, it travels well and looks fabulous. It just makes everyone happier, to be in possession of it. Two people chose this. |
 No one would buy $48 conditioner for herself, no one, not unless you gave it to her as a gift and she became addicted and had to. Play the devil's advocate this season, and give her Terax Crema ($48), it's something she never knew she needed. |
 My friend Tina is one of those women who simply has great taste. She chose a properly luxurious product (what else would you be looking for, if not luxury, from a site like beauty.com?), BVLGARI Rose Essentielle ($90), which struck me as odd at first, because it's just a fruity rose like Stella McCartney and Keiko Mecheri, right? And then I saw the bottle. It's gorgeous, gleaming pink liquid, shiny glass, and a pink-and-gold stopper that really speaks of BVLGARI's real job: to make jewelry. |
 I mean, is BVLGARI a hit or what? BVLGARI AQVA Pour Homme ($50) is just as gorgeous, but sleekly masculine. A silver ring topped with vivid, perfectly polished malachite. The scent itself is |
 Burberry Touch For Men ($47) |
 Since everyone's chosen a perfume, what would I, myself, choose? Annick Goutal Le Chevrefeuille ($72), which is a bit too light and green for winter months, but perfect for when the weather warms up. Surely there is no scent more summery than honeysuckle, and Annick Goutal renders the flower in its delicate sunny perfection, with plenty of green notes to keep it crisp, rather than cloying. |
Labels: beauty notebook
Musings and associations...
Posted by Dain, 4:11 PM (Eastern)
Ok, so... I've been really busy these past few. I've had finals, and then I've been working on my senior thesis, which really is another world from the world I share with you, dear readers. It is fun, too, in its own way. But I'm going to take a break for a moment and divulge in some frivolities.
December's Scrapbook, let us hope it gets here soon...
Is going to be on holiday gifts. The premise was, I'd have my friends pick their own gift, whatever it was that they wanted. Cool, huh? An editorial nightmare. Never again. Next time, I do all the choosing, and rule the taste of all and sundry with an iron fist.
Ach, I am really sensitive...
Don't get me wrong, Bliss skincare is great. If you have normal/oily/combination skin that's marginally acne prone. The formulations are pleasant to use, and surprisingly high tech, and THEY WORK. Wonderful products. But I have dry, sensitive skin. The chemicals, after a couple weeks of use, have left my skin so dry and irritated I'm afraid to wash my face too often.
So, I went to the Clinique counter...
The only cosmetics counter in New Haven that accepts my bursar card, and bought Moisture Surge Extra. Which strikes me as fancy pants aloe vera, made soothingly pink, and a "comforting" silky texture for the luxury-goods crowd. $32 is not that bad, and I was desperate. It's nice. I need to apply a lot. But I figure that's the case with everything, and my skin is being particularly breakout-prone these days, so I need something very, very clean. I also got the infamous Black Honey, which I've never actually owned myself. It's such a simple idea: berry lip tint in a glossy, moisturizing formula. So simple, and so easy.
If I ever start up a company...
It would be a makeup line. That would be so much fun. And you'd buy from me, wouldn't you?
So I was thinking about aloe vera...
And remembered that I had bought a tub of it in Croatia. The pure stuff, with lavender essential oil. Yum. So I just slathered a thick coat of it on my face (very sticky), and let it all absorb. Hmm... it's getting there. My skin still feels parched. Not even Trilogy Rosehip Oil makes much headway.
I'm looking at the big trends for next spring...
Gold eyes, nude lips, fuschia lips, a touch of silver. Hmm... NO bronzer. Boring, but pretty. Mm. I don't know. I want something stronger. A palette of fresh pastels would be so pretty for spring, no? Something vivid, bright fuschia lips. And smoke grey eyeliner, with a little pearl in it, for some substance. I'm going a-hunting in Sephora when I return to Boston, for just the best for spring. And rose perfume. The queen of flowers for a season that's all about flowers.
BTW, NARS All About Eve...
Is so perfect. You wouldn't think it would make such a big difference, and it's so expensive, but it's like... great lingerie.
beauty bliss+skincare skincare clinique aloe+vera perfume nars makeup cosmetics
Labels: beauty notes
NYX Trios?
Posted by Dain, Saturday, December 09, 2006 1:04 PM (Eastern)
Drugstore? Eyeshadows? Lasts all day? Good pigment? Great colors? Like MAC in quality?
I'm so there.
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December 10, 2006 2:40 PM, LotionBarBunny said...
I personally love the trio's. For the price? You can't beat it! |
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NARS Daredevil Lip Stain...
Posted by Dain, Wednesday, December 06, 2006 5:06 PM (Eastern)
is the ideal strong red lip. Forget this "for those who are afraid of color" nonsense kind of red. There's no brown about Daredevil. How is this possible? The color is like Benetint, universally flattering, but in pigment so rich that it's like paint. Difficult to apply, and at first really shocking to wear, but somehow, somehow, it is perfect. The only other thing you need to wear is a set of pearls. Really.
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December 20, 2006 1:07 AM,
That's one hell of a challenge. :) Actually it's not a bad idea, for a potential makeup artist. All art begins with a blank canvas.
I'm going to pass though...as it is, I don't get to put on a face every day. When the moment arrives, I seize it.