Personal Favorites of 2009 - Part I: Seasonal Delights

One of those things that I love about the cold cold months is the opportunity to use products with soul-warming scents and sensuous textures.  Everything gets suited with an extra oomph that they might have otherwise not gotten if it wasn't for our need for richer and stronger products during this time of the year.

Two of the products that I fell in love with at the end of 2009 (and they are both on my Personal Favorites of 2009 list) are from The Body Shop's Nutmeg and Vanilla line.  (Yes, I do hope to complete this list soon and am crossing my fingers to release this list throughout the month!).  These two products are:  The Nutmeg and Vanilla Lip Balm and the Nutmeg and Vanilla Bath and Shower Gel.  And just so you know, the Nutmeg and Vanilla line is one of three of their festive lines and limited edition for 2009. 

Although both products come from the same scent family, the two of them do not have identical smells (thanks goodness!).  The lip balm has a very spicy and sweet cake scent in that -just stepped into a

bakery which also sells spices kind of way.  Whereas the scent of the bath & shower gel takes on a completely different note.  It has spices and it has sweet (and less vanilla) but it has the added oomph of a kick of candied fruit.  And when added to a tub of hot steamy bath water, it does not smell sweetly sickening like most spicy vanilla concoction usually smell like, this smells divinely sensuous thanks to the added touch of sandalwood.  I mean this is this is the stuff that will spice up your bath and your evening.

Onto the packaging.  I know that most of us are not fans of open lid containers and prefer squeeze tubes for lip balms.  I do have to say that it feels great getting some balm out of a round tin because it makes me feel as if I'm getting a cookie treat out of a cookie jar.  And the bronzy color on the inside of the lid just makes it ever more special.  As to what you do with the leftover balm on your fingers after you've applied balm on your lips; give your cuticles a little treat as well!  The bath & shower gel's packaging is really nothing intriguing until you dial down the lights and light a few candles.  The transparent and amber-tinted bottle looks sumptuously warming and glowy in the candlelight and in the steam of my mostly white bathroom.  Quite a treat for the eyes I must say!


The texture of the lip balm.  This is a rich balm indeed with all of its most conditioning ingredients topping the ingredients list.  Like most of The Body Shop's old school lip balms, this one is also extremely emolient, transparent and have a high sheen finish.  I personally prefer this type of balm (I really loved the older version of TBS' balms) as they simply are longer lasting on the lips and are especially good for wearing to bed.  And you know why this one is especially good for wearing to bed?  It is because the balm has these subtle fine gold shimmers that just makes the lips look so pretty. The added bonus is that the balm has a slight tint that warms up our pouts in a natural kind of way. 

These and other TBS seasonal delights are currently only available in very limited quanitities at their stores in Amsterdam and some of them are on sale at 50% off.  Check them out and leave your thoughts and comments!


Website:  thebodyshop.com
Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use)
Disclaimer:  Things I had purchased myself.

All In The Details: C'est Brillant AIFW 2009

It was fantastic to see 5 groups of designers given the honor to create clothing to complement C'est Brillant's 2009 eyeglasses collection. I love the focus of using eyeglasses as an accessory rather than an ordinary visual-aid piece.

p.s. the name of the eyeglasses designer is not misspelled, "brillen" is the Dutch word for eyeglasses... a play on the English word "brill-i-ant"...you get the idea...!

I love details and personally I either buy something for its details or the very lack thereof - if you know what I mean. Here are the details that caught my eye and had me snapping crazily away with my camera ...

Olive Peoples and Malou Sebastian

Anne Et Valentin & Cross Colours

Sama Summum

Carrera & Ray-Ban, Nieuw Jurk

André Courrèges

Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use)

AIFW makeup&hair Look Book compiled by Grayburn

Makeup by The House Of Orange
Hair by View Agency

It has been enormously fun spending a week with fashion during AIFW but I have finally been struck by the flu bug. I have so much more that I want to share with you; especially photos of some really fantastic accessories and clothes but being sick means I move with the speed of a slug. But I really hope that you enjoy this look book. I've put together of some of my favorite hair and makeup looks from Amsterdam's International Fashion Week! I LOVEd each and every one of these options and am looking forward to recreating some of these looks myself. I am even thinking of making some braided pieces to attach to my own hair (as seen worn like a royal crown above from the Individuals by Amfi show)! You might get a clearer look if you click on the image :)


Take care honeys and check back soon!


Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use)

Iris van Herpen A/W 2009-10 - AIFW

Iris van Herpen Mummification F/W 09-10 - AIFW
A chilly breeze filled the room and the crowd went silent. Music started and the models performed their slow majestic stride in bare feet. Warrior goddesses. Wows were heard echoing around the room at the show's end.

Every piece in the collection was a show-stopper. The array of immaculate details were so amazing to look at and the muted gold played contrast with carbon black.


Iris van Herpen's S/S 2009 Show at the AIFW


Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use)

Go or No Go?

Spotted: Handy holiday purse palettes from Clarins

Question: Go or No Go?

Comes in:
Gold Purse & Palette - "A burnished combination of gold-lit bronze and candy pink for eyes, toned with caramel and rose pink for lips."

Black Purse & Palette - "A sultry mix of smoky plum and glittering greys for eyes, toned with berry red and sugar pink for lips."

Silver Purse & Palette - "A pretty collection of vibrant violet and silver greys for eyes, toned with berry pinks for lips."

Each contains:
- Complexion perfecting natural beige compact powder
- 3 eyeshadows
- 2 lip glosses
- 1 mini Black Wonder Volume Mascara
- Large mirror
- Powder sponge, eyeshadow applicator, lip brush


Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use), Clarins

Cravings - Sparkles & Shine

I don't think I have ever written about jewelry. I have no problem talking about an emerald-colored eyeshadow or a ruby shade of lipstick but jewelry is not normally 'my thing'.

Perhaps lately with the nights arriving earlier and colder, I am craving for something that sparkles and shines.

I pretty much just fell in love with Roberto Coin's designs as soon as I laid eyes on them. They are simple, elegant, yet done with detailed crafts- manship.

Model Christy Turlington looks gorgeous lit up with the jewels as well. The video below shows Christy being prepped for the photoshoot for the Roberto Coin campaign.

What does the cold weather and early dark nights make you crave for?


Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use), robertocoin.com, youtube.com

Story Behind Givenchy's Autumn/Winter 08/09 Make-up Line

Credit: youtube.com

Interpretation Of MAC Fall Makeup Looks

I have been obsessed with looking at the MAC Cult of Cherry collection. The deep cherry and chocolate hues of the collection is made even more delicious with an array of lipsticks, mattenes and lipglasses so devilishly pigmented. So Scarlet (lipstick), Bing (Mattene Lipstick), and Jampacked (Lipglass) are the ones to have for Fall because it might be a while until we see these kinds of colors again.

Now I am quite used to waiting for some time for any new MAC releases here. I used to fret and get all anxious about the wait but something has changed and I quite enjoy it now. This waiting period gives me the time to read everyone else's reviews and see their interpretations. The time also lets me come up with my own interpretations and stand-in products until the real thing reaches me. It will be about another week or so until the entire collection shows up in the Netherlands so I have put together a few of my favorite stand-ins that I love and am using right now.

MAC Face Chart - Jampacked

For this look, I use a Versace lipstick I already own in V2015. The beautiful cherry stain color with no shimmer is disguised by the look of scary eggplant color. The swatch above was done with one single swipe so with a few more swipes, it reaches the intensity of the look in MAC's face chart (above left). Great versatility! Thanks to the hype with dark lips this fall, I can work this and finally pull this one from storage.

To complete the look while not taking too much attention from that delicious lip look, the Sephora Blush Me Twice! duo in Duo Capricieuse No. 1 is perfect. Since this was purchased when I was in Paris, the name of the product is different elsewhere (on their site, it is called Blush Me Twice! Hot Pink/Bronze) and may not be available everywhere. I find that both sides of the blush can be used allover the face and on the eyes to contour and highlight, and to re-create the look in the face chart. I am particularly fond of the satin feel of the finely pressed powder of this blush duo. The texture feels incredibly light and has a beautiful sheen.

MAC Face Chart








Dark smoky eyes have all the attention as well; as long as it is not paired with a strong lip like the one above. Colors of soot, dust, ash and matt black are the ones to pay attention to. For this task I call on my Hot Contrast eyeshadow from MAC. The beautiful veining on the lighter side consists of silver, red, black and pink. Because of the marbling, we get to play and create a variety of looks depending on how much of each color we choose to pick up. The matt black side is supposed to be a straight matt black but mine came with a a smudge of shimmery red in it. So much fun and what you get may be different from what others have!

A second interpretation of the smoky eye this fall can be done with H&M's Makeup Palette called 40's Night Makeup Palette. The compact costs me a whopping 7 euros and contains 5 shades for making up the eyes and 3 shades for the cheeks. The palette came in two choices and this one was another Paris purchase. I have not seen this in the Netherlands yet but I hope it makes an appearance elsewhere other than Paris. The killer shades are the smoldering blue/green that looks like velvet in the compact, the shimmery charcoal that sparkles, and the diamante ricepaper shade. The blushes are usable and has good texture, but they are way too small to use with a proper blush brush. I had to squeeze my brush to make it compact enough to fit. But who cares because the compact as a whole is so cute and metallic aqua!


Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use), maccosmetics.com
Subscription to this blog is available on the sidebar

Givenchy Prisme Again! - Yes!

I am in love again! with Givenchy's new collection of Prisme Again! Eyeshadow quartets. The two stunners come in Smoky Shimmer and Precious Shimmer. I have yet to see these at my local counter but from the press pictures, they look very promising.

The Smoky Shimmer quartet includes a deep denim shade, a velvety eggplant, a black and the irresistible smoky black with white polka dots. The Precious Shimmer quartet holds a metallic khaki, a shimmery loaded light gray, a beautiful lilac and an adorable silver with black polka dots.

The image below of the model wearing colors from the two palettes is enough to make me want them both. I am loving the straight brows and what they have done to play up the inner corners of the eye and the lower lashline.

The collection is charming and mysterious and I have serious craving for that delicious red lippie.

Credit: temptalia.com

Skin, Lips Going Forward

Image: Model Barbara (for Antoine Peters) with matte skin and attention-grabbing lipstick on, waiting to be groomed backstage.

So it seems we have reached the end of the road for shimmers and luminous finishes. Perhaps I should have clued in on that as we have seen loads of powdery skin in magazines lately. But I hadn't realized that we are gong to have to let go of it all!

This insight is what I learned when I chatted with Pernel, who was leading a group of makeup artists at the Antoine Peters show during fashion week. According to him, the ladies who used to wear lipgloss are now craving something a little more sophisticated and grown-up. Lipgloss may soon be a thing of the past as lipstick in bold hues create drama that stand out and is compatible with the dark dark clothes for fall/winter.

The matte look appeals to me. I actually long for the smooth-dry feel of it all. As soon as the weather says autumn, my face powders and lipsticks are coming out from storage!

How do you feel about this 'cooling' trend?


Credit: Grayburn, vogue.com, style.com