What's appropriate?

While I was in Canada, I was deeply impressed by how many people, both young and old, wore red poppies in remembrance of war dead leading up to November 11. The Brits have maintained this custom, too. In the U.S., we've lost the custom. For the first time in years, I came across the American Legion handing out red poppies in exchange for a voluntary donation, when I went grocery shopping. I wore red poppies in both Canada and the US.

Some might think that a symbol like the red poppy is meaningless, but if it causes a person to reflect as they affix the red poppy to their clothes as they get dressed, so much the better. Giving money, time, or other resources is even better.

Which leads me to the question: what's appropriate dress for mourning?

Cherie Blair (second from right) wore a purple trench coat to the Remembrance Sunday Service

Cherie Blair, the wife of former British PM Tony Blair, created a flap when she wore a purple trench coat to the Remembrance Sunday Service, instead of somber black. The Telegraph UK published an article Should Cherie Blair have worn royal purple to the Remembrance Sunday service? The article was critical of Ms. Blair's choice, as everyone around her wore the customary black (also notice the red poppies). You'll see that the discussion was animated: some denounced her color choice, others noted that purple is a color of mourning in Mrs. Blair's Roman Catholic faith, and yet others thought that her color choice was a trivial manner.

The President and First Lady at the Ft Hood memorial service

What did you think about Michelle Obama's dress choice for the memorial service for the victims of the Fort Hood massacre? Was it appropriate? Should the neckline have been higher?

Beauty finds from Canada

I recently came back from a trip to Canada, and here are a couple of beauty finds to share:

Fruits and Passion has stores in malls across Canada. In the U.S., it's best known for its Cucina line of products for the kitchen (cucina is Spanish for kitchen). Fruits and Passion has a selection of six Lip Butters in sheer colors, each with a different benefit.

Fruits and Passion lip butters

You have to prime the product by twisting the tube at the bottom, and the lip butter is dispensed through a flexible silicone tip.

I bought Fruits and Passion Lip Butter in Moringa (center), which is a lip plumping gloss that does indeed plump the lips - and leaves them stained and numb. Use a *very* light touch - maybe with your finger - on the lower lip.

The Custom Quad Magnetic Compact (above) from Canadian cosmetics company Annabelle holds up to four eye shadow pans. I love the graffiti design, and I was tempted to buy this product (cute!), but I already have similar shades in my eye shadow wardrobe. Sparkled Beauty from Canada writes "Annabelle is ok, swatch before you buy to make sure you like the payoff. The palette is normally free with 4 shadow purchase."

I found Annabelle at Uniprix and Brunet pharmacies in Quebec.

Sue Devitt Beauty

Sue Devitt Beauty is a line of cosmetics from Australia that has reached our shores. I recently road-tested two products: Eye Intensifier Pencil and Mini Lip Gloss.

Eye Intensifier Pencil is a jumbo eye liner pencil with a flexible smudger tip. Usually, I have to "prime" eye pencils before applying, by stroking them back and forth on the back of my hand: with this pencil, I don't have to. According to the website, "Special ingredient Nylon-12 expands and contracts with facial movements without creasing or cracking, guaranteeing durability and long-lasting coverage." I can't vouch for Nylon-12, but I can tell you that Eye Intensifier Pencil goes on very smoothly and lasts. Eye Intensifier Pencil is a winner.

Eye Intensifier Pencil in Pointe-Noire is currently my everyday eyeliner. It also comes in 12 other colors.

Sue Devitt Beauty Mini Lip Gloss

Mini Lip Gloss comes in 12 beautiful shades. I tried the rosy Alanya shade, which was very flattering for my complexion. It's sheer and neutral enough to flatter other skin tones. It's somewhat tacky on the lips, so it doesn't quite reach the gold standard that Three Custom Color Specialists has set for lip glosses.

Sephora discontinued Sue Devitt Beauty, but you may now shop Sue Devitt Beauty at Ulta stores, Ulta.com, and Sue Devitt Beauty.

NOTE These products were provided to me by representatives for Sue Devitt Beauty.

Big L’Oréal Paris Blowout Giveaway

Enter for a chance to win an 11-piece L’Oréal Paris collection of recently launched products! The prize includes:

Revitalift Deep-Set Wrinkle Repair Eye: this dual-end tube features both day and night formulae

Two Colour Riche Anti-Aging Serum Lipcolor lipsticks, one in Real Red (the color Linda Evangelista wears in the ad campaign) and the other in Pucker Up Pink

Two Infallible Never Fail Plumping Lipgloss (is that redundant, or what?) tubes, one in Plumped Pink and the other in Plumped Red

Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara in Black

L’Oréal HIP has become a favorite for those who like vivid color and deep pigment. I have a total of five (!) HIP High Intensity Pigments Matte Shadow Duos to give away:

Dashing: pink/charcoal
Striking: bright yellow/charcoal
Poppy: goldenrod/brown
Perky: bright green/slate
Animated: white/blue

I’m sweetening the offer by including a 0.05 ml sample vial of Bare Skin Eau du Parfum from Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries; a sachet (packet) of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion; and two Eye Majic instant eyeshadows:



NOTE these products were provided to me by representatives for L’Oréal Paris, Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries, Skin MD Natural, and Eye Majic.

Donna Karan black and white Color Block tights

Patterned and/or textured tights are big this winter. This pair of black and white color blocked tights from Donna Karan takes the cake:


Donna Karan Color Block Tights

Who remembers the black and white unitard that Freddie Mercury of Queen wore back in the 1970s? These tights remind me of Freddie's unitard!

Leslie Blodgett debuts Bare Skin fragrance

After leading the Mineral Makeup Revolution, Leslie Blodgett has now ventured into fragrance. She debuted her first fragrance Bare Skin earlier this month with a online blitz, including a website Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries, a microsite on Sephora.com, a fan page on Facebook, a Twitter account, and a blogging program. When it comes to promoting her products, this woman doesn't do anything small!


Watch Leslie Blodgett discuss Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries

Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries is a limited edition fragrance collection created exclusively for Sephora. Here is Leslie's concept for Bare Skin: “Bare Skin is the way you feel when the sun is beating down on you during the day, but then you go out at night and you’re still sizzling from the warmth of the day which mingles with night air and music.”

It was up to perfumeur Stephen Nilsen of the Franch fragrance house Givaudan to translate Leslie's concept into fragrance. Nilsen imagined "creamy sensuality, caressing florals, and uninhibited musk" to formulate Bare Skin. The olfactory notes are:

Top: Black Pepper, Freesia, Anise

Middle: Iris, Vanilla Orchid, Plumeria, Patchouli

Bottom: Sandalwood, Labdanum, Musk

I'm not a fan of light fragrances: maybe it's because I'm a Taurus, which is an Earth sign :-) I prefer heavier fragrances, and Bare Skin, with its notes of Patchouli, Sandalwood, Labdanum, and Musk, suits me.


Bare Skin Eau de Parfum from Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries

Bare Skin is available as an Eau de Parfum, a Solid Perfume Compact, and a Perfumed Body Cream. You may shop for Bare Skin at Sephora stores and Sephora.com.

NOTE to readers: My access to the Internet in the last month has been erratic, to say the least. I regret to tell you that I was too late to share the news about the contest to win a trip to Hawai’i in conjunction with the launch of Bare Skin. The contest closed October 23, 2009.

FTC regs note: I received 5 sample vials of Bare Skin from a representative for Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries for participating in the blogging program. I am planning a giveaway, in which I'll add a sample of Bare Skin as a bonus. The giveaway should go live in the next two weeks.

Promotions for November 2009

Here are promotions for November 2009 that I'd like to pass onto readers:

All The Looks is an interactive website that allows celebrity style fans to customize searches by celebrity name, event, hair, and dress; view and rate celebrity photos; and create “lookbooks” that they can caption and share with friends. Fashion designers Anna Sui, Tracy Reese, Pamella Roland and David Meister, hair stylists Garren, Ted Gibson, and Sally Hersberger, and makeup artist Pat McGrath will weigh in on celebrity images, style trends and beauty.

For the month of November 2009, All The Looks will award the most active site user of each day $250, which means that a total of $7,500 is available for prizes for the 30 days of the month.

Readers in the know are aware of private sales offered by sites such as Gilt Groupe, RueLaLa, HauteLook, and ideeli. The Skinny operates similarly to those sites, except that it's focused exclusively on skin care products and services. Members will be able to shop high-end skin care products and spa treatments at up to 75% off.



The Skinny will feature products from brands like Perricone MD, Lisa Hoffman Beauty, 100% Pure, International Orange, and Organic Apoteke, and cosmetic services like Botox from renowned dermatologists. It will also feature videos and personalized recommendations to help users find products that meet their needs.

The Skinny's first shopping event is Wednesday, Nov. 4, but if you sign up early, you'll be entered to win Perricone MD's Skin and Total Body Dietary Supplements ($140 value).

NOTE so that I won't run afoul of FTC regs, representatives for these firms shared these promotions with me. I receive no compensation for sharing these promotions with my readers.

Worst recent magazine covers

Fashion magazine covers. You can't avoid them. You see them at the supermarket and drugstore checkouts: the placement is called "point of purchase."

Here are my selections as the worst magazine covers of recent months:


Victoria Beckham on the cover of the October 2009 issue of Elle.
From Red Carpet Fashion Awards.

Victoria Beckham in Hussein Chalayan for the October 2009 issue of Elle. It looks like she has Mickey Mouse ears on her boobs!

Elle didn't post this picture on its cover shoot story: wonder why?


Scarlett Johannson on the cover of the November 2009 issue of Glamour

Scarlett Johannson is beautiful, and her new red hair suits her. I like her red hair better than the platinum blonde that she wears in the ads for Dolce & Gabbana Cosmetics.

So what's wrong with this cover? It's more suitable for the cover of Playboy, as Scarlett looks like she's pulling down her tee to cover her nether regions (for all I know, she might be wearing a thong underneath). Playboy covers are often hidden from view, but anyone can see the Glamour cover as they go through checkout!

Hair and skin issues solved

Who knew that Neosporin could trigger rashes in some people? Experts recommend at-home treatments, and if those treatments don't solve the problem, then office treatments are recommended.

12 Major Hair and Skin Issues -- Solved!

Get help for everything from cystic acne, hair breakage, psoriasis and more

Sure, we all get the occasional breakout or dry patch of skin, but if you're suffering from a more serious hair or skin issue then you need serious help. That's why we asked Dr. Heidi Waldorf, director of Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, Arielle N. B. Kauvar, M.D., director of New York Laser & Skin Care, Jerry Teuschler, Principal Scientist for Proctor and Gamble Beauty and Grooming Science, and Head & Shoulders hairstylist Ryan Trygstad to weigh in. They gave advice for the big issues facing TotalBeauty.com readers, so read on for relief from your hair and skin woes. See issues

Maison Francis Kurkdjian

Francis Kurkdjian

Parfumeur Francis Kurkdjian has taken fragrance to where it’s never been taken before. He’s made fragrance conceptual art, through staging a light, sound, and scent show and other spectacles at Versailles. More prosaically, he’s created many fragrances for leading fashion houses.


The sound, light, and fragrance installation at Versailles

Now Francis Kurkdjian has launched his own fragrance line Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Maison Francis Kurkdjian is as innovative as his conceptual art. Not only does it comprise personal fragrance and home fragrances (room spray and candles), but it also comprises laundry detergent and fabric softener, incense paper, Tour Atour the perfumed bracelet, and even blowing bubbles.


Tour Atour the perfumed bracelet

The fragrances in the Maison Francis Kurkdjian line and their olfactory notes are:

Aqua Universalis: Bergamot and lemon from Sicily – White Bouquet (lily of the valley and sweet mock orange) – light and musky wood. This light fragrance is used for the laundry detergent and fabric softener.

Lumière Noire pour femme: spiced rose (cumin, hot pepper) – Patchouli - Narcissus

Lumière Noire pour homme: spiced rose (cumin, hot pepper) – Patchouli – Mugwort herb

APOM (“A Piece of Me”) pour femme: orange flower – cedar wood – ylang-ylang flower

APOM (“A Piece of Me”) pour homme: orange flower – cedar wood – amber

Cologne pour le Matin/Cologne pour le Soir (a concept not unlike Lisa Hoffman’s fragrance variations) – Infusion of Benzoin from Siam – Bulgarian and Iranian Rose Honey – Incense absolute

Les Bulles d’Agathe (Agathe’s bubbles) in Pear, Cold mint, or Cut herbs

I'm coveting Lumière Noire pour femme, because the notes are evocative of Indian cooking and fragrance, for myself and Les Bulles d’Agathe to share with my young nieces.

To find out more about Francis Kurkdjian and his art, visit his website Francis Kurkdjian - crèateur parfumeur.