Sad News - Shu Uemura

We were all so sad when we heard that the masterful makeup creator Shu Uemura had passed away at the age of 79. He was ingenious at creating makeup that makes women all around the globe feel powerful, refined and sexy. All of us covet lashes, cleansing oil, mascaras and face powders; anything with his name written on them. They truly are products that we can rely on because we trust his expertise.









Tokyo Lash Bar Collection
























Coming Spring, Mr. Uemura's collection "Rebirth" will be his 128th mode collection. Although he may not have intended this to be his last collection, this is a collection that magnificently celebrates his legacy.

Pictures from shuuemura-usa.com

Bourjois Mini Pigments

These little pots of eye shadow pigments (with slight shimmer) from Bourjois provide a sheer wash of color over your lids. You can increase the pigments' intensity by adding them to a mixing medium. By combining a few of these pigments , you can easily customize your own shade.

Used with my i.d. weather everything sealer creates liquid liner with ease.

Available shades are:

Violet Pearl (pictured above)
Golden Beige
Iridescent Orange (pictured above)
Iridescent White
Pale Gold
Pale Shimmery Blue
Tender Green
Turquoise Sparkle (pictured above)
Shimmery Brown (pictured above)

They are currently available at Asos.

A Note on Red Lipstick

MAC & Fafi's Collaboration

Fafi's art pieces were first seen on the walls in Toulouse, her hometown in France. Now, they are seen in many parts of the world including Corsica, Belgium and Thailand. Most of you already know that she is collaborating with MAC to produce a collection due on the counters in Spring. But I really had to write a post about it because I personally cannot wait to see this one come out.

The color choices are whimsical yet "street".



Spring Makeup Preview @ H&M

YSL's Spring 2008 Collection


Photo of Fafi/MAC from temptalia
Photo of Fafi's work from fafi.net

Zara Home Collection - Orange Blossom

Zara's Home Collection, much like its clothing lines has an impressive array of choices. I am particularly fond of their Orange Blossom Candle housed in a brown glass container. The candle itself burns slowly (10 hours of continuous burning produced only a slight dent) and the scent can be described as green, delicate and minimalistically feminine. There is also a slight muskiness as well. It conjures up images of a sunlit room filled with the white petals of the orange tree.

The Smell of Sunny Days

Winter days are long here in the Netherlands so I simply cannot wait until the return of warmer weather. I pulled out this one the other day because my hair was getting dry from having the radiator on all the time. I also had the urge to bring the smell of summer back.

This Tui Hair Oil from Carol's Daughter is made from a base of corn oil. It is scented with guava, mango and passionfruit which reminds me of vacationing in Southeast Asia. The oil is a little heavy for my hair type so I only use it very sparingly on the ends.

Shiseido Tsubaki Hair Care Line

H & M Cheek Blush - Sunny Apricot

The blend-ability of this blush by H&M caught me by surprise and I can see that they are quickly selling out of this particular one. It lasted pretty much through the day with only slight fade. This will look great in the summer when my skin becomes a little sunnier.

Colors are soft bright pink, peach with gold shimmer & soft brown.

MAC Emote contouring powder

Nars Multiples

Adding Anti-oxidants to Your Daily Routine

Antioxidants may be essential for maintaining wrinkle-free skin as free radicals can be damaging to our skin. Experts agree that antioxidants, when taken internally, do a great deal to protect our body's cells from breaking down. Many beauty products now boast their topical antioxidant properties to help in our fight against aging.

I enjoy the simplicity of Greenland's line of body care and their belief of using no parabens, mineral oils, artificial colorants, harsh preservatives or synthetic fragrances in their products. Pomegranates are said to be one of the best sources of antioxidants as they contain almost half of our daily requirement of vitamin C. The antioxidant effects may be minimal in a wash-off product, so it could be an idea to choose ones with formulas which are readily absorbed and stay on the skin such as body butters, serums and lotions.

The Pomegranate line from Greenland has a fruity scent of pomegranate with the added zing of tangerine. I particularly enjoy its scent as well as the fact that the shower gel works itself in nicely in with my favorite Weleda Seabuckthorn Creamy Body Wash.

Greenland is a company who produces natural body care in Wateringen in the Netherlands.


Claus Porto Soaps - One of Oprah's Favorite Things of 2007

French Skincare - Caudalie & the Benefits of Wine

Friday Feature: The Alqvimia Approach

The most popular item from my Favorite Things of 2007 list was undoubtedly the Cleopatra Body Oil from Alqvimia . So today as a special Friday Feature, I want to talk about what they are about as well as a new product that they have just launched.

The heart of Alqvimia lies in Catalonia, in view of the Spanish Pyranees, where the plants are still gathered today. Alqvimia believes in empowering and bringing forth the inner beauty of women. The body and soul are treated as a whole and that is why it is a true hollistic beauty approach. Not only does Alqvimia recommend that their products be used for specific issues (e.g. pigmentation), they are also advised to be used for general enjoyment. Alqvimia emphasizes the importance of healthy eating (lots of fruits,veg and grains), and exercises that help to bring out our inner strength (such as yoga, belly dancing and Tai-chi). Now this hollistic approach may or may not appeal to you, their products can surely be enjoyed just because they are each formulated beautifully. Did I tell you that they make some of best quality natural products, in my opinion?













This gorgeous little red bottle is their newest creation called "Sensuality Body Nectar" and it is especially designed to enhance female sensuality (as the name implies). The liquid is a concoction of the essences of Bulgarian Rose, Jasmine from Mysore, Neroli from Morocco, Egyptian Geranium, Ylang-ylang from Indonesia, and Palmarosa from India.

I will surely be picking up a bottle of these soon!

If you missed mine and others' list of Favorite Things of 2007, you can get to it from here!

Read About Caudalie from France

A Look at Spring Makeup Trends: Inspirations from H&M

All these looks were created using H&M's own brand of makeup. Their prices are certainly easy on the wallet (3.90 eur for a nail polish) and the colors are often trendy and fun. The textures are also very workable. The next time you are at their store, it might be worth checking these out!

Lilac, dust & apricot.









Golden brown, eggplant & wine.









Pretty pink, beige & peach.









Charcoal, metallic silver & muted gold.









Tomato, black ink & cherry blossom.









Read about an interesting lash-gadget I spotted!


Photos from hm.com