Chanel N°5 Eau Premiere

I'm a little behind with releases, but on 5th May (although still wasn't in Brown Thomas yesterday), Chanel launched a new take on its N°5 Eau Premiere perfume, a "new approach to the N°5 experience", formulated back in 2008, and now, in 2014, adopting the legendary N°5 iconic all-glass bottle.

Customised Makeup

(pigments, in an art shop in Venice)

In a world where bespoke, custom, limited run "things", where the "one size does not fit all" mentality and the exclusivity of designerwares has become the norm for those who can afford them, makeup is no different.  It's not unusual to encounter limited edition makeup, makeup which is released just once and once only, so you need to "get it when you can".  Of course this is largely a marketing device to drive sales (I am a complete sucker, add the words "limited edition" beside anything and it makes me completely and instantly want it, and now, and a backup, just in case), but the "once it's gone, it's gone" mentality grips most of us.

Aside from LE (limited edition) or once-off items, makeup products are frequently discontinued, ranges are ended, and even brands go belly-up.  And that beloved item of makeup that you just have to have (like the Chanel Rouge Noir lippie that my mother loves or the Chanel Ballerina nail polish that MontyC loves) and that you can't dupe when it's gone, becomes all the more sought-after and obsessed-over, when it's gone.

So what to do?

Talika Eye Therapy Patch - review

Talika Eye Therapy Patch

Following on from my uninterested usage of the cult GlamGlow eye mask, and remembering that I've actually had this one for a while now and keep meaning to take it out and use it, out it came over the long weekend to see if it was, actually, any good.

Talika are a hard-to-get brand (Space NK sells them) but I've been using their Lipocils lengthening eyelash gel on-and-off for years (when I can remember) (it really does work) and their products are not cheap, by any stretch of the imagination.  If the eyelash gel really does the trick, maybe this eye mask will also make my peepers relaxed, less puffy and with dimished lines and dark circles, as they promised.  Well... did it?

Hero Product: YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara

YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara

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"How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways".  Immortal words from an immortal poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browing which today I'm using in praise of another of my Hero Products (I hope she won't mind!) - YSL's Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara (in Black, of course!)  As a longtime wearer of spectacles of many colours, I've learned how important it is to define my eyes behind my frames.  Mascara is key!  Even if I've only got two minutes to do my makeup, I never ever skip mascara.  So as you can imagine, I take my choice of mascara seriously!

Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation - review

Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation and its acrobatic friend

I hate gushing about something.  I like to do my gushing offline, then present a well-reasoned piece on the efficacy and usefulness and price of a thing.  I like to think I can stay objective.  I know that's not always the case, and let's face it, writing - even teeny tiny blog posts - is a creative endeavour anyhow, and your tone betrays your tiredness, your excitement, your overall feelings of woe, or meh or whohoo!

That said, I really want to gush about the Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation.  Or should I say, foundation-skincare-hybrid.  I am sorry, MAC Face & Body, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this is about to become my go-to foundation of choice...