Noir Stuff — Page 10 — Film Noir Blonde

Cozy travel candles are perfect little gifts

Travel candles: great to give and keep.

Nearly every time I go holiday shopping, I have the same problem: I find item after item that I can’t seem to live without and the list for other people languishes at the bottom of my bag. It’s uncanny – however detailed and thoughtful my list, its contents can slip my mind completely unless I make a point of fishing it out and clutching it every minute I browse.

So I love those serendipitous occasions when I find something that is give-able and keep-able. Such is the case with these lovely travel candles from Seda France; also available at beauty/pharmacy stores. Lightweight and elegant, they burn with a clean, fresh scent and won’t take up much room in a suitcase. They are sweet stocking stuffers or a nice little something for colleagues, neighbors and your favorite jet-setters.

You can’t go wrong with French Tulip, though Elegant Gardenia, Parisian Orchid and Japanese Quince sound intriguing as well. At just $9, you can treat yourself to several. Damn, I did it again! OK, at just $9 each, you can buy a bunch for other people and watch your gift list dwindle.

Product Source: From my own collection; I did not receive products or compensation from Seda France.

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Six sexy lips colors I couldn’t live without

Lip color – stick, stain or gloss – is my weakness. Maybe because it’s the first cosmetic I ever dabbled with and I remember watching my Mom applying her lipstick, then passing me the tube to try a little. Or maybe finding the perfect red, rose or raisin conjures other, more recent, memories, a tad more racy. Even when money is tight, it’s usually still possible to treat yourself to a brand-new tube. Herewith is my current list of favorites.

Six sexy lip colors for smokin' hot holidays

Chanel never disappoints. When I choose my old standby Rouge Allure lipstick in Passion, $30, from a masterful range of reds, I’ve had strangers stop me and ask me what lipstick I’m wearing. The idea of trying Rouge Allure liquid luminous satin lip lacquer, $32, gave me shivers of anticipation. Perhaps it’s the vaguely old-school name – lacquer just sounds so 1947, so silk stocking and cold cream-esque. And then there’s the fun of telling Boyfriend Du Jour that “it’s not lipstick, silly, it’s lacquer.” Or perhaps it would be: “It’s not lipstick, silly, it’s liquid luminous satin lip lacquer.”

At the Beverly Hills Saks counter on a recent Saturday morning, my eye was immediately drawn to No. 78. “That’s the color I want,” I told the woman helping me, a far cry from my usual dithering and debating and drawing countless stripes on the back of my hand. Indeed it is a perfect creamy soft rose, bright but light and luxurious. And lacquer, which I’d thought would be more like a stain, turned out to be a cross between a stick and a gloss. Afterward, as I window-shopped my way along Rodeo Drive, a tall, gray-haired guy stopped me and asked for my phone number. I took his instead. 😉

Much as I enjoy shopping on a Saturday, it’s almost more fun to leave work early, head to your nearest department store and buy a pretty lipstick on a weekday afternoon. To lose yourself in those vast, fragrant, shimmery aisles, packed with possibility, is akin to sipping a fluteful of Veuve Clicquot just for the joy of it. Even if you don’t buy anything, there are always free samples to score.

Guerlain's lipstick compact is sleek, shiny and chunky.

Oh who am I kidding? Me not buy a little product? Splurging is my special skill. Hence my acquisition of Rouge de Guerlain jewel lipstick compact, $46. Holding this drop-dead gorgeous tube – sleek, shiny, chunky – and springing open the mirror is a singular frisson and sure-fire conversation starter. It is without question the coolest compact I’ve ever seen. Smooth and silky, Guerlain lipstick glides on effortlessly every time you apply (I chose No. 65) and gives your lips a subtle but very sexy vibe.

Also combining pretty and practical is YSL Rouge Volupte, $34. The charming gold tube is topped with a handy mirror so a touchup couldn’t be easier. I bought mine a while ago and I got a really nice four-color sample set that even included a brush. YSL offers wonderful colors, feels great on your lips and the color is long lasting. No. 1 is a versatile pink/beige that can be brightened or bolded as you desire.

I also adore Laura Mercier’s lip glace, $22, in Plum Noir. What’s nice about this au courant shade is that you can blend a smidgen into a lighter color (such as the above-mentioned YSL) and you’ll get a gorgeous daytime look – sheer and shiny with just a hint of iridescence. And if you want to amp it up, just add another layer of gloss for a full-on plumintense pout. It’s almost like having two shades in one and it’s never overly thick or cloying the way some glosses can be.

Lest you think I plump exclusively for lip color with a double-digit price tag, let me assure you I spend plenty of time in drug-store aisles, less shimmery and fragrant perhaps, but chock full of irresistible bargains and endless opportunities. [Read more…]

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