Film noir gifts for the holidays: Makeup and fragrance

Bulletproof notes include tea, woods and cedar.

With socializing and chic travel in full swing, you may be looking for a few new additions to your makeup bag or stand-out presents for your beauty-addict chums. Here are my suggestions.

Tailor-made for wicked women is Tokyo Milk’s Femme Fatale collection, eight new fragrances with names like Crushed, Excess, Arsenic and, my favorite, Bulletproof. Fragrance notes too are uncommon: smoked tea, coconut milk, crushed cedar and ebony woods define Bulletproof, for instance. And the design is divine!

A three-piece Femme Fatale set runs $65 and includes 2 ounces of eau de parfum, 3.4 ounces of shea-butter hand cream and one .70 ounce lip elixir/balm. You can also buy items individually. (The photo shows two versions of the hand cream.)

No-fuss drama by Hourglass.

Dior plays the blues.

Hourglass Film Noir Lash Lacquer, $28. Take your look up a notch for nighttime by creating high-drama eyes. Like gloss for the lashes, this Vitamin E-enriched lacquer can be worn alone or over mascara to add a little (or a lot of) shine. “The results are stunning, almost cinematic,” says Hourglass CEO and founder Carisa Janes.

OK, so frosty blue became a hideous icon of the ’70s. But midnight blue has always given inky black a run for its money. Look at the gorgeous color in Dior Blue Tie Essentials and you’ll see why. The gleaming chunky container also houses a square of pretty pink lip color. Regularly $70, this is selling online for $40, but is going fast! Try Bloomingdale’s.

Metallics, martinis. Life's good.

Lancome's lovely set.

Pressed for time? Add instant glitz with a quick metallic dusting on your brow bones and cheekbones with Bobbi Brown’s Martini Shimmer Brick, $40. Also makes a festive gift for a friend.

Hypnôse Drama mascara is the star of this four-piece set from Lancôme, selling at Nordstrom for $29.50 ($68 value). That said, the amazing eye-makeup remover very nearly steals the show and I’m so excited to find it in a travel size! The set includes:

Hypnôse Drama mascara in Excessive Black
– Travel-size Cils Booster XL mascara base
Le Crayon khol eyeliner in Black Ebony
– Travel-size Bi-Facil Double-Action eye-makeup remover (1.7 ounces).

L’Oréal Infallible gives a soft sheen and lasts several hours.

Chanel's coveted gloss.

Smoky eyes call for subtle lips and L’Oréal Infallible lip gloss, $12, does the trick. Designed to last for six hours, it’s also a lip plumper. For me, Infallible hasn’t quite lasted the full six hours but it’s easy to apply, feels good on, and comes in a bunch of cool colors. Shown here is Suede.

Chanel’s holiday 2011 collection is breathtaking! You’ll find there’s much to covet and, if struggling to decide, you can’t go wrong with Glossimer lip gloss in Sparkle D’Or, $28.50. On its own or over a red lipstick, Glossimer is sleek, smooth and vibrant.

Being good is so overrated.

Be red-carpet ready with Revlon's Silver Screen.

Want to inject more zest into your office holiday party? Mix it up a little with Good Girl Gone Bad nail polish by Deborah Lippmann, $16. Or choose from the new holiday shades, which are “dripping in glittery excess,” as noted on her company’s site. Gotta love that this time of year, no?

I also love Lippmann’s success: she started her own line of products in 1998 after her flair for nails and color caught on with celebrities and fashion houses (Versace, Valentino, Balenciaga, Donna Karan and Zac Posen).

A stunning red by Nails Inc.

Revlon Silver Screen polish, $6, is a versatile metallic that picks up tints of pewter, shiny gray and muted lavender depending on the light. I can’t find this shade on Revlon’s site, which I found plodding and cumbersome, so I would suggest buying it at your local drug store.

Need a gift for your mani-pedi buddy? Try Nails Inc. London polish in Charing Cross – an irresistible red that Santa’s elves must be scurrying to stock. Company founder Thea Green was honored in June with a MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for her outstanding contribution to the beauty industry. This polish is $19.50 at Sephora.

Precious Oud is a perfect holiday splurge.

Fracas evokes vintage charm.

Tuberose, jasmine, jonquil, lily of the valley, white iris and pink geranium – must be Fracas, the classic fragrance by Robert Piguet, a legendary French designer who mentored Hubert de Givenchy and Christian Dior among others. Said Dior: “Robert Piguet taught me the virtues of simplicity through which true elegance must come.”

Neiman Marcus is selling Fracas sets (3.4-ounce eau de parfum spray and a 6.5-ounce body lotion) for $120. It’s a super deal because that’s the usually the price for the eau de parfum alone.

Such a pretty bottle and an uncommonly sophisticated, slightly exotic, scent (spicy florals with vetiver, wood and patchouli): Precious Oud eau de parfum by Van Cleef & Arpels, $185, at Neiman Marcus.

Film Noir Blonde is born

Finally! Your go-to resource for all things noir – film reviews, must-haves for your makeup bag, fabulous fashion finds, advice, horoscopes, spots for swanky dining, red-carpet rumors, movie news and interviews. Oh, and anything else I feel like writing about.

All of this stylish sin is brought to you by the high priestess of decadence and lady in charge, Film Noir Blonde. 

Film Noir Blonde

I’ve long been in love with film noir – those sumptuous, cynical tales of the darker side of life, an American cinematic phenomenon that started in the 1940s and was greatly influenced by German Expressionism and French Poetic Realism. In these movies, strong women often call the shots, or have fun trying, and they’re always dressed to thrill. Some say film noir is a b&w genre that ended in 1958; others call it a style that transcends time. For others, like me, noir is a way of life. 😉

 The idea for the film reviews came to me after reading lots of film criticism about classic and neo noir. Mostly written by men, it often failed to give an interesting female perspective. So why not write about these terrific movies and offer fatale-centric reviews that are critically sound, but aren’t above gushing over a stunning gown, sassy ankle straps or a diamond brooch? (Admittedly, it took me about four years from thinking of the site to launching it, but then industriousness isn’t high on a vamp’s priority list, especially when shopping and champagne cocktails beckon.)

 My aim is to provide insightful, entertaining film commentary and expert advice to look and feel like a million bucks. FilmNoirBlonde is also a place to connect with tough guys and wily women – such a challenge because we ladies of ill repute can be hard to actually locate, what with traveling incognito, making quick getaways in 5-inch heels, vanishing like puffs of smoke, puffing smokes and seducing hapless chaps in dimly lit bars. I know, I know. Chances are, you don’t really sleep till noon, plan heists and pad your bank account with other people’s cash; you might even be a straight arrow with a 9-5 job. But a girl’s gotta dream, right?

 So, take a look at this site, see what you think and let me know if there is a film, book, band, stiletto, trench coat, purse, lipstick, perfume, restaurant, club, hotel or handsome stranger that warrants a review. And stop by often because  I’ll be hosting contests and giving stuff away. Go on, embrace your inner temptress. Because as Mae West once said, “When I’m good, I’m very good. But when I’m bad, I’m better.”