fug 'fume

Sorry for the perfume obsession lately, but heck out this fantastic slideshow from bellasugar if you haven't seen it already, "Eau No: the 33 Worst Perfume Bottles." The lovely bloggers over at Now Smell This already posted about this homage to disastrous packaging but it's just too good!

reader's guide: Allure April 2008

It's a rare thing to read a magazine article ad think to oneself about the author, "Who are you?  I love you..." But "Invisible Attraction" in April's Allure is beyond fabulous.

I know I've been a bit perfume obsessed lately (okay, more than normal), but writer Tania Sanchez really captured the poetry of those rare, incredible perfumes that when sniffed, leave you craving more.  But perfume aside, girl's got talent.  This is a writer to watch.  Highlights from the article:

Of Badgley Mischka: "It's like a novel in which the hero discovers that his friend is the most beautiful girl in the room, and only familiarity prevented him from seeing it was time to face the facts: It's love."

Of Lolita Lempicka by Thierry Mugler: "The fragrance is snappy and smart, the ideal accompaniment for flirtatious banter from prim girls in glasses." (Hi, have you met me?)

Of Missoni: "Most other perfumes are rapidly fading photographs; this one is a movie."

"Women who flounce into the cinema wearing Poison have inspired people to believe they hate perfume."

On selecting a fragrance (and seriously good advice): "If you are intellectual and wear only intellectual perfumes, or if you are flirty and wear only flirty perfumes- it is like obsessively matching your bag and shoes every day- it is timid and rule-bound... If you are a luxury-goods type wit ha Kelly bag on your arm and Manolos on your feet, try something you believe to be beneath you... Live a little. Try it on. It's only perfume."

watch'n'sniff

Although design houses have had their own perfumes for ages, it seems like every one of them is suddenly making a slick commercial to go with it. From the Baz Luhrmann creation which seemed to start the trend to the recent Coco Mademoiselle promotion starring Keira Knightley, Chanel particularly set the bar high.

That' why this Max Mara Le Parfum advertisement is a bit of a surprise. It does a reasonable job highlighting the house's runway collections, trading cinematography for a series of still photos and runway video. It lacks the dynamic energy that comes with an actual narrative, but dos it matter? Is this a refreshing change, or does it fail to meet the mark?

more at twiigs.com...

perfume debunked

I get a lot of questions from my friends regarding perfume, but I'm in no way an expert.  I just spend a LOT of time at the mall and on wikipedia.  Maybe I'll come back in the next life as a professional ballerina/perfumer, but until that time, the blog Now Smell This is kind of my bible on matters of scent.

This article, in particular, is kind of a must-read if you're baffled by the long lists of notes that internet retailers tend to post and wonder why the perfume never smells like said notes anyway.

Fall Must-Haves

During my eight hour drive from Virginia to New York I entertained myself with my iPod and thinking about fall make-up. To my dismay, I got home and the September Allure had somehow ripped off all my ideas.

My favorites:

Tangerine Lips- whip out that Chanel Coral Reef glossimer and Fresh Portrait of a Lady blush I mentioned earlier, and pair it with sheer chocolate or champage on the eyes- just avoid heavy shimmer and go for a subtle pearl texture instead.

Slate Eyeshadow- Personally I find the eyeshadow too heavily applied in this photo but the lips are spot-on; the perfect stained warm berry. Allure used Superstay Glos in Golden Toffee by Maybelline, I like Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. For eyes I like doing a smoky smudged line of gunmetal shadow like Tarte's Here's Looking at You and blending in Stila Shore, a complex lilac gray, on top or up to the crease for night.

Aside from Allure, here's my other top fall picks:

Tarte Blushing Bride cheekstain- the perfect dewy berry blush for fall, very cold weather NE collegiate. It's not too red or too cool toned unlike so many gel/liquid stain blushes

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey- goes perfectly with Blushing Bride, this looks like you've been eating blackberries all day. One caveat: the formula could be more moisturizing, so use some balm underneath. Usually I pass on products that don't have adequate texture but this color is just too perfect to pass up.

MAC Satin Taupe eyeshadow- this brown has gorgeous dimension and can be used as a sheer wash or as an intense smoky eye. It's slightly cool toned so it looks great throughout fall's weather spectrum but it's not so cool toned that it won't work with your fading tan. I love to buff this lightly on my lid from lashes to crease with a soft fluffly brush and mascara and a little liner, it adds the perfect ammount of depth and sparkle

Bobbi Brown Pale Pink Blush- I added this to my stash last year, it gives me those enviable Carrie Bradshaw winter cheeks circa end of season 6 when she was dating The Russian. It looks vibrant in the pan but goes on a delicate ballet pink which again works wonders as your tan fades. If this shade doesn't work for you, Bobbi has added a few new shades in the fresh pink/peach spectrum that are all equally stunning.

Stella by Stella McCartney- my quintessential fall fragrance, this pairing of fresh rose and sultry amber is superb. The best thing about this fragrance is that it absolutely melts into your body's own scent, your clothing, or anything else you spray it on; it becomes a part of you in the sexiest way. I'm particularly obsessed with the way it blends with the scent of paper, and I keep a tester card tucked into my trusty Moleskine notebook.

For the love of the sea

Like many a girl born in the 80s I have an intense loyalty to Disney's "The Little Mermaid", which for me launched a lifetime obsession with all things nautical.

Now 22, I don't care as much for the lighthearted interpretations of the very long and dark presence that mermaids and other women of the sea have in the world folk tradition. If I ever meet Frank Miller and Zack Snyder I will BEG them to do something with mermaids (especially after seeing what they did with the Oracle in "300").

Thankfully, despite a saccharine ad campaign, Lolita Lempicka's new fragrance L de Lolita Lempicka strikes a refreshing balance between the whimsy of mermaids and their rightful status as femme fatales.

As Sephora's website explains: "L, the second perfume from designer Lolita Lempicka, embodies an ancient mariner myth, with the sea for a background and a mermaid for a mistress. The woman who wears it is untamed and precious, free and elusive. The scent itself is a passionate combination of everlasting flower, bitter orange, cinnamon, vanilla and precious woods. And like a treasure recovered from the deep, the aquamarine, heart-like jewel of a bottle is caught in a golden net."

On me the scent is a simply gorgeous combination of lemony bitter orange and vanilla with just a tinge of saltiness floating on top of of a subtle deeper, richer spicy woody scent vaguely reminiscent of a men's cologne like Armani Code. The result is a very fierce gourmand scent made intriguing by its fresh girliness that unexpectedly fleshes out with sophisticated depth as you inhale it. If Angelina Jolie were a mermaid, I expect that this is what she would wear. And as a bonus, the lasting power is impressive- 8 pm to 1 pm when I hit the gym.

My only caveat: the bottle, while beautiful, is difficult to hold. I recommend picking up the 1 oz size, $44 at Sephora. Department stores, unfortunately, seem to be stocking mostly the 2.7 oz size.

For those interested in exploring folklore about other women of the sea besides mermaids I highly recommend "Favorite Folktales from Around the World", edited by Jane Yolen- particularly the stories "Sedna" and "The Seal's Skin"

Fair Temptation

Those dedicated to healthy eating bring their own food to the Great New York State Fair; 100-calorie packs, granola bars. But the scents of cotton candy and cinnamon dusted elephant years, frying meant and onions, irresistible Dinosaur Barbecue, are going to catch up with you eventually. You have to eat some time.

If you manage to resist all fried temptations (even funnel cake!) as I did, reward yourself with a bottle of Aquolina Pink Sugar. This cult gourmand fragrance is relatively inexpensive at $25 for 1 oz of perfume or $12 for a 3.4 oz Natural Deoderant Spray and is a calorie-free way to appease your sweet tooth. A gorgeous blend of raspberry, caramel, vanilla, musk, and woods, this is the perfect flirty pick-me-up year round; I especially love it with chunky knits in late fall, or a spritz or two before bed. It isn't a sophisticated gourmand scent so I wouldn't plan on wearing it to the office but it has fast become my week-end indulgence.

Summer Scent

I've spent most of my adult life wishing I were a Bond girl, effortlessly slender and tan, traveling Europe via the Mediterranean sea on my custom built yacht in a Bardot-ish wardrobe. The reality is browsing the international and organic isles of Wegman's grocery store in loafers and red lipstick.

On extra hot and humid days like today when it's a little easier to feel beachy in the middle of central NY, I help the fantasy along with Estee Lauder's Azuree Soleil skin scent atomizer. Designed by Tom Ford, this perfume is hailed as summer in a bottle although to me it's about the lifestyle where you'd never have to face winter if you didn't want to. It boasts a coconut note which I don't really smell, on me it's like rich woods and sweet white flowers baking under a hot salty sun. This scent is not a must in your perfume arsenal and it's difficult to find now (it's limited edition every summer) but it's definitely worth checking out and maybe even hunting down on eBay.