The Lipstick Page Forums Beauty & Fashion Blog: February 2008 . thelipstickpage

Angélique Encens was Marlene Dietrich's bespoke perfume, though she also wore Fracas and Bandit, which is undoubtedly a part of its mystique. The image is sometimes more important than the juice, but this is a passable reconstruction of Dietrich's singular ability to seem both harsh and yielding at once. It is also a sturdily built incense, an excellent entry point if you are new to the genre. The whole idea of incense confuses me; incense is like perfume, a formulation rather than a specific smell, but incense perfumes are generally based on specific notes, usually frankincense or myrrh. Angélique Encens, as the name implies, is a study in contrasts. On one side is angelica, green and aromatic and herbal and somewhat musty, on the other is the sweet, silky, brittle myrrh, sometimes known as opoponax, and in between the major aphrodisiacs: generous lashings of rich amber and vanilla and far quieter accents of tuberose and jasmine. Though the angelica keeps things interesting, my overall impression is of something too facile and comforting.

Plus, I could name about a thousand things I'd rather spend $300 on, easy. Shruggy shoulders.

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Labels: beauty notes, creed, perfume reviews

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Posted by Dain, 1:00 AM (Eastern)

NBC keeps pulling this video off of Youtube, so I'll paraphrase the important bit here:

FEY But maybe what bothers me the most, is how people call Hilary a bitch. Yet me tell you something. YEAH. She is. And so am I. And so is this one. [points to Amy Poehler]
POEHLER Yeah, deal with it.
FEY Bitches get stuff done... Bitch is the new black!

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Labels: culture notes

5 comment(s)

February 29, 2008 9:07 AM, kuri said...

Awesome! I completely agree.

February 29, 2008 1:28 PM, Colleen Shirazi said...

Well said.

If someone can explain why the rush to vote for the far-less-qualified male candidate over the far-more-qualified female candidate, I'm all ears.

California voted for Mrs. Clinton and so did I.

February 29, 2008 10:31 PM, Colleen Shirazi said...

Crap! I played it this morning, it was great.

February 29, 2008 10:39 PM, Colleen Shirazi said...

Tina Fey Hillary Clinton Endorsement Video "Saturday Night Live"

March 1, 2008 12:31 AM, Dain said...

Cool, I'll update it.

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Posted by Dain, Thursday, February 28, 2008 4:02 PM (Eastern)

Mary Cassatt, Mary Sara Holding a Cat (1908).

I am not anti-citrus, I'm just disinterested. I have nothing but admiration for nature, in citrus she explores the balance between sour and sweet: the flash of lemon, bergamot's bitter twinge, pneumatic grapefruit, orange's piquant sunshine, and heart-racingly delicious blood orange. Citrus is better represented in perfumery than most fruits, so I'm not averse to them for infidelity, only that light and refreshing isn't my thing. L'Eau d'Hadrien, smartly accented by balsamic herbs, seems to transport you straight to the Mediterranean, where citrus trees grow as casually as maples in my backyard. And then there is the stalwart commercial Light Blue, which smells like a smile in a deeply tanned face in the public imagination and like lemon sugar in actuality. And for a time I contemplated the expansive and crisp Un Jardin Sur La Nil. There, my experience pretty much ends.

Nevertheless, I was curious about Theorema, for in spite of the fact that it has been discontinued, it retains a very loyal and devoted cult following. So I expected "to admire and appreciate, but not find desirable", but I actually want a bottle (so much easier to get than Bois et Fruits). There's a sparkling orange note in the opening, which swirls lusciously into cream, delicately spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, as rich yet airy as a mousse. Hints of rose and jasmine restrain it from the overfoody trespasses of inferior gourmands. As it dries down, sandalwood, amber, and musk rise up and the perfume becomes denser. In spite of the description, it is surprisingly subdued, the sillage keeps close to the skin and its tenacity is less than desirable; nevertheless, what makes Theorema remarkable is how gentle and soothing it is. The ultimate comfort scent.

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Labels: beauty notes, fendi, perfume reviews

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Posted by Colleen Shirazi, 2:08 AM (Eastern)

This is a "Photoshop document" or "psd"--the file format used when you wish to preserve the layers in a document (same concept as this perfume psd). There's no reason for me to keep versions of the psd; it's a single file. All I do is take snapshots of it by saving it periodically as a jpg image.

The point here is "stash at a glance"...I've taken the items that have worked and put them together. What do the items have in common? What's missing?

You'll note I have no bracelets up; that's because I haven't made any good ones. Some of the pieces need to be redone--I've started to use better materials, which must be used sparingly, for designs that already work. I've changed some of my techniques. It's subtle. When I look at a piece of handmade jewelry in this vein, I can immediately tell how far along the learning curve the jewelry-maker is.

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Labels: fashion notes, indie, jewelry

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Posted by Dain, Wednesday, February 27, 2008 10:45 AM (Eastern)

I have tested so many now, and at first it is a bit like when you first try a vaporizer—you're so stoned you just fumble around the universe looking for a clue—but in the way of all addictions, be it perfume or pot, the initial chaos subsides into jaded acclimatization. Nowadays, the most exciting substance in my life is strong coffee, and likewise my perfume wardrobe is really taking on some clarity, though its final shape is still unclear. Slated for certain purchase are Caron En Avion and Christian Dior Diorissimo; Serge Lutens Bois et Fruits is a more uncertain candidate. Given my well documented distaste for redundancy, they don't smell much like each other—a seriously complicated powdery/floral/spicy leather chypre, an unabashedly feminine lily-of-the-valley soliflore, and a polished cedar set off by sparkling fruit notes—but they all seem to possess uncontested elegance, radiant wit, and more than a little reservation. Though I gravitate towards with distinct, strong characters (which leaves most fruits, gourmands, citrus, and aquatics outside of my estimation), not for me is an effusive, showy perfume like Jean Patou Joy nor a dark and moody thing like ETRO Messe de Minuit, two perfumes with character I admire greatly but... But? Wouldn't buy. My taste runs towards the intellectually complicated but emotionally serene—if scent is supposed to telegraph our personalities to others, that must be my fantasy of myself (though not necessarily the reality =P).

My choices surprise me, actually. Not the Caron, of course, I would have figured as much. En Avion is pure perfume kismet. If I had to live on one perfume alone, a signature scent, this would be it. 25 mL for $180? I don't begrudge it. But lily of the valley? I always thought myself a tuberose girl, less fussy and unbuttoned. Diorissimo, though more delicate and refined, a touch honeyed, a touch green, a touch earthy, is no less womanly. For this reason, white florals are perfect for romantic occasions, but they are great for warmer weather, too, if you're not inclined to wear citrus. And Bois et Fruits surprises me most of all. I hate fruit in perfumes, that thin, artificial smell, but I adore this one, it is so gentle and light: the lightest wood and tangy, wild fruits smoothed over with an overdose of Iso E Super and a hint of musk. It makes me think of honey.

Is something missing? Hm, I don't know. I'll keep Parfum Sacré in there, for its warmth, as the others (even Bois et Fruits) are pretty cool and dry.

On a slightly related note, since I'm hashing about perfumes, apparently, there has been a PDF copy of Parfums: Le Guide, the 1994 version, online, in the original French.

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Labels: caron, dior, perfume, serge lutens, the mnemonic sense

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Posted by Dain, 4:31 AM (Eastern)

My mother dressed me very carefully as a little girl, and a cobalt blue coat with horn toggle buttons stands out especially in my memory. So this is for me one nostalgic number ($526.50, on sale from $1053), though mine did not feature a fur-edged hoodie (all fake, no worries)—the schoolgirl, all grown up. There's nothing like a striking coat to brighten your winter blues.

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Labels: fantasy web find of the day, united bamboo

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Posted by Colleen Shirazi, 2:21 AM (Eastern)

I've gotten more into making earrings, lately. I don't mean that in any mass-production sense. It's just I've realized how few pairs of "go-to" earrings I've owned in my lifetime. I do have some, but only the few.

I suppose it's analogous to a search for a signature perfume, or set of 'fumes...once you have more choices, it becomes more complicated. More customized, but you have to think more, plan more, put together the pieces of the puzzle.

So far, I've concluded the fashionable long, narrow earring does not work for me. I like them, but the ones I've made, I don't wear. I knocked a design off from the Sundance catalog...a nice design, three small pearls and a flat faceted jade teardrop...here it is, along with two other pieces which no longer exist:

It came out looking fine but ended up languishing first in my earring drawer, then in my to-dismantle pile.

Something with a hoop involved tends to fare better, which is why I've been fiddling a lot with hoops lately.

I'd like to try more "cascade" earrings, like these from Ava Luxe:

In fact I have some in process that just aren't working. I'm waiting on some leverbacks to try them out with.

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Labels: just notes

2 comment(s)

February 27, 2008 4:15 AM, Dain said...

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February 27, 2008 4:47 AM, Dain said...

I've been thinking of color combos that might go well with gold and a pearl: milky multicolored sapphires, pink tourmalines with a smoky blue, and maybe a pink-orange sapphire.

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Posted by Dain, Tuesday, February 26, 2008 6:42 PM (Eastern)

My sister asks, "Won't you get bored with one bag?" I shake my head, I am not like that. I find something I really like (it is usually quite plain, with minimal hardware, and with lots of nice leather) and wear it as long as I can. I had my first nice bag stolen in Bosnia, along with my passport, wallet, and first pipe, I'd had it for three years, a nice warm brown leather that had aged beautifully. And I was pissed because it was my only bag, and I had to get a new one. I finally found an even better one, immense enough to carry anthologies or function as a weekender. But now, I need something more modest in size. The Prada is simply too expensive. The Philip Lim intrigued me at first, but it looks cheaper than it is, like something designed by Banana Republic.

I really like Anya Hindmarch. She doesn't design bags that are intended to be displayed on the arms of starlets and those who emulate, but rather for real women. Consequently, as beautiful as they are (and delightfully anti-It), they are carefully organized for quotidian existence. The straps will fit easily over the shoulder (11 ½" drop) and will not slip off, and there are all sorts of useful pockets. I like the easy, saddlebag style of the Bess: smooth, voluptuous blond leather that is minimal enough for casual outfits, but just enough hardware to posh it up for ladylike outfits (you could wear this to work, for example, but not to a ball), but at heart, it is easygoing and very left-bank (I have a lot of hippie outfits too). It is lined in suede, a luxurious if somewhat impractical touch, plus a divider, a zip pocket, and an open pocket. The dimensions are 14" x 11" x 3", admittedly larger than I'd like but that is very respectable (I really wish they made the Alessandra still). At $1200 (at Saks), it is expensive enough for me to plan carefully, but I think it isn't so expensive that the utility is that much less in value, considering the following:

I am largely disinterested in the "fashion is fickle" school. I am a serialist who loathes clutter. I have never found complaint over my wearing the same outfits so often, indeed, quite the opposite. I've always been deeply influenced by an article I read once, which opined, "the truly stylish rarely change their clothes", and I feel this is really true. It shows that you know what you like, and you have confidence that your taste is good.

I don't collect clothes, I wear them. I think clothes look better when worn and worn in, it shows that they are part of your life, rather than statements about your life. Bags, I think, are notoriously the latter. I like a plain bag that shows aging and wear; that is much cooler than "Oh my god, that's Dior! Kate Hudson wore that to her last premiere! How much was it?!".

You know...
Granted, this song is ironic. I like to obsess over my purchases before, but not after; to me, a bad purchase lingers in the mind. You have to think about it constantly: does this match? this strap chafes. is that a nick? are people noticing it? A good purchase, on the other hand, you can forget about.

Anyway, what do you think? Yay or nay?

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Labels: anya hindmarch, bags, fashion notes

2 comment(s)

February 27, 2008 1:51 AM, Colleen Shirazi said...

Nice bag. I think the useful aspect of a handbag is often overlooked, in favor of the look of the bag.

The color, I'm not sure about. I suppose I'm prejudiced against a light-colored bag because I feel it would get dirty more easily. But does it? It may depend on how much you abuse your bag.

February 27, 2008 4:14 AM, Dain said...

I've had white bags before without much trouble. I'm pretty good about keeping clean (it is part and parcel of being anal), except when I'm drunk, and I don't do that very often.

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Posted by Dain, 5:16 PM (Eastern)

The world outside in February is rather drear, but here's a dose of comfort that'll lift your spirits, a whimsical sweatshirt from Tsumari Chisato ($475).

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Labels: fantasy web find of the day, tsumari chisato

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Posted by Dain, Monday, February 25, 2008 5:39 AM (Eastern)

Seriously. I do. While I understand the mania for an object as eye-catching as a handbag, they drive me nuts. So expensive, so