April 2012 - The Beauty Gypsy

Narciso Rodriguez Essence Prestige Limited Edition

April 30, 2012 By anubha Leave a Comment

So, as I enter birthday week it’s time to start subtly “suggesting” to all my near and dear ones what they should be getting me on this momentous occasion

Top of the wish list is the Prestige limited edition of Narciso Rodriguez’s Essence, which captures the perfume’s signature musk, iris and rose notes in a truly, utterly, fabulously gorgeous bottle. Designed by Ross Lovegrove (holder of numerous international awards and exhibited everywhere from the Museum of Modern Art in New York to the Pompidou Centre in Paris), the one litre bottle (yup! that’s a lot of perfume!) is essentially a sculpted glass sheath draped over a silvery, mirrored core – curvy, organic and haute in a SoHo art gallery kind of way.

The mirrored surfaces also mean that the bottle picks up the colours and patterns of its surroundings, then bends and twists them to create an impression of constant motion. Yes, the Rodriguez Essence has certainly gone to a lot of trouble getting dressed up, and won’t look amiss placed as a sculpture in the drawing room.

The bottle captures the perfume’s signature musk, iris and rose notes in sculpted glass sheath draped over a silvery, mirrored core – curvy, organic and haute in a SoHo art gallery kind of way

And that’s not even all: The one litre bottle is nestled in an ultra-feminine, handcrafted jewel box that’s inspired by the couture universe of the New York designer. A small handbag size spray (10ml) and the matching pipette (for refilling) completes this uber-luxe coffret.

There is just one catch – the Essence Prestige Edition is limited to only 200 coffrets around the world. And the price tag to get this amazing piece-of-art is a cool Rs. 1,25,000 ($1,950/€1400). I know from a trusted source that one bottle is up for grabs in India. So run, don’t walk!

Filed Under: Beauty, Perfumes Tagged With: Essence, fragrance, limited edition, Narciso Rodriguez, Narciso Rodriguez Essence Prestige Limited Edition, perfume, scent

Monday morning mood makeovers!

April 30, 2012 By anubha Leave a Comment

Having a “Bah! Humbug!” Monday morning? Banish the blues with a round-up of the most dazzling offerings floating around the beauty aisles – served up in in easy 30-second chunks to flip through when your bosses (or juniors – sometimes they can be just as annoying!) are not looking! What are you putting your money on?

1. Dolce & Gabbana Monica Lipsticks

Bold, dramatic, ultra-glam and with superb staying power (a friend who tested them out said they lasted her through an entire dinner, four flutes of Champagne, digestifs and coffee) Dolce & Gabbana’s new super-pigmented lipsticks are the perfect ode to their namesake muse – Monica Bellucci. Definitely not for those who want to blend into the background!

2. Ladurée’s Diamond Jubilee Macaroons

Yes, yes! I know this is not exactly “beauty” related but it’s Ladurée and French and British and the queen all rolled into one, so how could one resist? The Diamond Jubilee selection of macaroons come in a Union Jack box decorated with the crown and the Jubilee emblem. It will be available in Ladurée shops across London, Paris and New York from June 1, for €15.50.

3. Annick Goutal Nuit Étoilée

Described as “Narnia in a bottle” (and what a gorgeous bottle!), Nuit Étoilée has been inspired by Van Gogh’s Starry Night and is woven with Siberian pine, sweet orange, balsam fir, tonka bean, citron, angelica, everlasting flowers and peppermint (which brings a unique hint of chill to the fragrance). For once, a perfume evokes what the press release promises:

“Imagine, perhaps, a majestic forest where waterfalls flow between the trees, where aromatic fragrances scent the skin, and where delicate leaves form soft and inviting beds. Here, the sheer immensity of the moonlit countryside consorts with absolute serenity beneath a veil of shimmering stars.”

4. Givenchy Éte á Fleur de Peau Eye Liner

A nude eye liner? This is something totally new for me and I am waiting to see how it works. Apparently this star product from Givenchy’s new Éte á Fleur de Peau summer collection is quite a multi-tasker – you can also use it as an eye primer or lip liner. At £15 that’s quite a steal, even if it doesn’t really make much of an impact on the eye liner front (*sceptical*).

5. Swarovski Crystal Gloss Jewels

Sometimes beauty and jewellery come together in a totally irresistible combination – like these gorgeous, GORGEOUS Swarovski glosses (can be used on eyes and lips) that you can wear around your neck as a statement piece. They have a lovely shine, thanks to the powdered, micronized Swarovski crystal iridescent pearls in the formula and come in three variations – Transparent Shimmer (£48), Glistening Pink (£48) and Silver Shimmer (£55).

Filed Under: Beauty, Celebs, Eyes, Makeup, Perfumes, Trend Watch Tagged With: annick goutal, Éte á Fleur de Peau, Beauty, crystal gloss, diamond jubilee, Dolce & Gabbana, Eye Liner, fragrance, Givenchy, highlighter, jewels, Kaajal, Kajal, Laduree, lip gloss, Lipstick, macaroons, monday, monica, nude, nuit etoilee, perfume, queen, starry night, swarovski, union jack, van gogh

Jill Stuart recreates the land of fairytales

April 28, 2012 By anubha Leave a Comment

Have you ever bought a beauty product just because of the pretty packaging and gorgeous textures? Yes? Then you are going to simply love Jill Stuart’s Playful Summer Makeup Collection with its eye shadows that seem to be made up of pure fairy dust; blushes that look like enchanted flowers; lip glosses that seem to be crafted from molten sunshine; and nail polishes that make it seem as if butterflies are playing on your fingertips.

Enough said, I am going to let the pictures do the rest of the talking and you can see why I want it NOW!

jill stuart, playful summer, summer, beauty, blush, lip gloss, nail polish, makeup

Jill Stuart Mix Blush Compacts

Jill Stuart Jewel Crystal Eye Palette

Jill Stuart Nail Lacquer

Jill Stuart Lip Jewel

Which one is your favourite?

Filed Under: Beauty, Blush, Eyes, Makeup, Nails Tagged With: Beauty, Blush, jill stuart, lip gloss, Makeup, Nail Polish, playful summer, summer

Chanel No. 5 without the jasmine?

April 27, 2012 By anubha 1 Comment

If your Chanel No. 5 or Jean Patou’s Joy are smelling a bit different, it’s probably because of the International Fragrance Association’s (IFRA) restriction on use of natural jasmine in perfumes. The reason? In a tiny number of cases, it can cause an allergic reaction. Similar restrictions have been applied to other natural materials including oakmoss, bitter orange, bergamot and grapefruit. How did substances formerly considered safe and used as such for thousands of years suddenly become potential health risks? And what exactly are we achieving with such a ban?

jasmine, perfume, ban, absolute, IFRA, No. 5, joy, scent, fragrance

Beautiful or deadly?

Yes, it’s true that plants, like chemicals, can cause allergic reactions. Because of this, perfume manufacturers are legally required to print all ingredients on the package. Plus, you will often also find a generic warning such as, ”If a rash appears discontinue use”. Someone who is allergic to a particular ingredient – say jasmine oil in this case – will immediately refrain from using the perfume. Simple and logical, right?

However the IFRA, which regulates the perfume industry, does not believe in the ability of buyers to make the right choice themselves. Hence, it solves the problem in a radical way – by simply minimising the content of this ingredient in the perfume with new laws. And voila, jasmine absolute is not to exceed 0.7 percent of the final product in any perfume now. What this means is that a host of the world’s greatest perfumes may cease to exist, at least in the form that we know: Jean Patou’s Joy, Chanel’s No. 5, Christian Dior’s J’Adore, Givenchy’s Organza Jasmine, Bvlgari’s Jasmin Noir, Estee Lauder’s Beautiful Love… the list is endless.

Personally, I am allergic to tropical fruits. What do I do? Avoid anything that might have kiwis or pineapples in it – simple! And what about food? Why is nobody forbidding the producers of Snickers chocolate bars with peanuts, despite the fact that peanuts can cause someone a severe allergic reaction? And what happens when someone who is allergic to orange oil goes into the supermarket? Are we going to ban oranges from food halls altogether because a very small percentage of buyers are allergic?

What are your views on the subject?

Filed Under: Beauty, Flowers, Oils, Organic Tagged With: absolute, ban, fragrance, IFRA, jasmine, joy, No. 5, perfume, scent

Why I need to wear makeup more often

April 27, 2012 By anubha Leave a Comment

The Harrods digital magazine (available on the iPad via Newsstand) has this really cool tool where you can try different beauty products and makeup looks on a model’s bare face. While the idea is to entice you into buying the featured lipsticks, blushers and eye shadows, I spent all of last night playing with the touch-swipe application just to see how different kinds of makeup can totally change the way you look. As for going from a totally bare face to a touch of mascara and a lip gloss – till now, I have never realised how much of a difference it makes. See for yourself: