Jewel Box Dreams

6 juillet 2009

Marion Cotillard and the Public Enemies Premieres

Chicago: Christian Dior dress, Sergio Rossi shoes

LA: Elie Saab dress, Jimmy Choos

London: Vivienne Westwood dress, Dior shoes

Paris: Lanvin dress, Dior shoes. This is my favorite look!!

(Photos from The Fashion Spot.)

Product Review: L'Oreal Paris HiP High Intensity Pigments Color Presso (Lip Gloss)

L'Oreal is killing me with these ridiculous product names. HiP High Intensity Pigments Color Presso? You can't tell it's a lip gloss. "Color Presso?" What is that? I sort of wonder if L'Oreal gave it a silly name to distract everyone from the fact that this is not a very good lip gloss. A cool gimmick, but a very average gloss.

The first gimmick is that it comes with two colors, which can be worn separately or together. But since the colors are both so sheer when applied it doesn't really matter if you wear them together or not -- you end up with pretty much the same color either way. High Intensity Pigments these are not.

The second gimmick is the application. Now, I am the first to admit that I am not mechanically inclined, but I could not figure out how to open this. I spent a good five minutes fiddling with it; in my defense I didn't want to tug to hard in case some of the gloss came squirting out and made a big gooey mess on my clothes.

So I gave it to the creature that can open anything in 30 seconds flat -- the dog. Wiki had it open in about 2 seconds (the bottom part, where it says Color Presso, pops off), and I whisked it away from him just before he started licking the gloss out. He was attracted by the very strong vanilla frosting smell.

Anyway, there's no applicator; you just squeeze the gloss out. It's rather messy, and I found the hard edge of the plastic very uncomfortable. The opening is big enough to stick a Q-tip or applicator in, I would definitely do that if I had one at hand.

On the plus side, this gloss very, very glossy. I mean really, A+ on that count. It has a nice texture and is not too sticky. If L'Oreal were to make the colors less sheer and, even more importantly, put the gloss in more traditional packaging, this could be a really good product. Oh, and they should lower the price too -- at $13 it seems awfully expensive for a drugstore gloss. I guess we're paying for the stupid packaging.

Until then, it falls into the category of beauty products whose packaging was seriously over-thought. This is probably not the market L'Oreal had in mind, but I think this might be perfect for my tween nieces -- sheer colors, frosting scent and toy-like packaging.

Not recommended. I would not buy this again.

(L'Oreal Paris HiP High Intensity Pigments Color Presso [Lip Gloss] in snazzy, about $13 at mass market retailers.)

Thank you to Total Beauty and L'Oreal Paris for the samples of this gloss.

3 juillet 2009

Tiffany's "A Good Guest"

When I get the Times, the first thing I do is read all the front page headlines, and then I open it up and look at the Tiffany's ad. Always.

This is actually the only thing I really miss about not getting the Times at home anymore. Tiffany's runs an ad in the Post too, but it's not as prominent and the ad is different. Sometimes they run the Times ad from a few days before, and sometimes it's a totally different image. I guess they see Washington as less sophisticated a market than New York.

Anyway, I happened to see yesterday's Times and the ad was my favorite Tiffany ad. They run this ad once or twice a year, always around a holiday.

A Good Guest

Arrives slightly late. And leaves on time.

A good guest brings energy and charm and a small present.

A dinner guest engages the person on his right and his left.

A party guest mingles and meets everyone.

A house guest is self-sufficient, not needing constant entertainment.

All good guests write thank you notes.

Very good guests also call the next day.

Have a Happy Fourth of July, meine Liebe!

1 juillet 2009

Update on the Princes (#2)

I've been holding on to my Marais USA Prince wedges for a while, wondering if they were going to give me blisters.

I did wear them out of the house finally last week, and they are comfortable. I walked from Thompson's Boat House to the Kennedy Center and back in them, which is plenty of distance for blisters to form. But I didn't get any. There was a bit friction on my ankle bone because of the buckle, but I didn't get a blister. And I expect the leather will get softer over time. (And if it doesn't, I am an expert at applying preventive Band Aids.)

Now I'm tempted to try out the Crosby sandal. I've been wanting a flat sandal for ages. I'm still wary of buying directly from Marais (no returns), but some of the colors are up on Urban Outfitters.

30 juin 2009

Wash/Road Wash on Sale at Product Body

Product Body is having a sale on Wash, Road Wash and the TSA-approved travel size of Road Wash.

Get 20% off with code WASHMEBABY. Expires Tuesday, July 7, 2009.

I reviewed Road Wash last July.

Make Way for Ducklings

Obviously, I like animals. So it won't be much of a surprise that my favorite-ist book when I was little was an animal book. It was about a boy and a penguin, and I can't remember what it was called.

Another favorite though, was Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. My aunt lives near Central Park, and there used to be this mallard duck that would cross Fifth and nest somewhere east of the Park. I think she nested in the garden of the Cooper-Hewitt. I don't know if I ever actually saw this duck, or just heard about my aunt talking about it. Anyway, I thought the ducks in the book were the duck in Central Park. I must have been about ten before I realized the book was actually set in Boston.

Anyway, these aren't quite ducks, but they made me think of the book anyway. (Plus a lil bunny for good measure.)

(Figs and Ginger Nestling Necklace with 4 Baby Birds, $79 and Circle Bunny Necklace, $40.)

29 juin 2009

JK Jemma Kidd now on ASOS

One of my favorite make-up lines, JK Jemma Kidd, is now available on ASOS.

For Americans, buying from Target is probably still the most economical way to shop the JK line, but now our European friends can get in on the fun too.

I especially like Jemma's I-Conic Eyes Pencil Liner and the I-Radience Crème Eye Color. (I do advise you to skip the mascaras in this line though.)

Rabbits & Tiger Pick-Me-Up

There's a new person joining the office, and she absolutely drives me crazy. She's well-intentioned, but everything she does creates twice as much work for everyone else in the office. One of those people who asks you to do something, and in the time it takes to explain the task to you, let alone do it, could have done it herself. In half the time. Not to mention she acts like we-at-the-bottom-of-the-totem-pole have nothing to do and are just waiting for her to give us projects. Riiight.

She doesn't even officially start until July 1st, and I already dread talking to her.

So! Time for some cute animals!! I hope everyone's having a better day than I am!!!