October 26th, 2007 — Fragrance, Perfume, Serge Lutens, Vasco Tsenev, cinnamon art from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
The truth is that I have been wearing Rousse ever since I got my bottle, throughout the summer. It did well in the heat and didn’t bloom too crazily. I hope. But I couldn’t wait to try the spicy cinnamon heat in its natural habitat of gray days, cold n…
Related StoresContinue reading → Spice and Everything Nice- Serge Lutens Rousse
October 25th, 2007 — Barneys, Saks, sales assisants, shopping from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Let’s talk about sales assistants.Everyone I know has a story or two and I’ve heard some amusing theories about special training in customer-terrorizing. Considering my experience lately, I’m starting to think it might be true.I know a thing or two abo…
Related StoresOctober 24th, 2007 — Carol's Daughter, Sephora, lip gloss, makeup from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Here’s a challenge: How many tubes of lip gloss do you have, including the ones in your makeup drawer, cabinet, in the emergency stash in your office, in your car and in each and every purse, handbag and evening clutch? If you’re me, you can’t really t…
Related StoresOctober 23rd, 2007 — Elizabeth Arden, Red Door Spa, Zoya, nail polish, spa treatment from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Something must be going on in Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, other than the renovation of the first floor of their 5th Avenue salon. I’ve received two different and unrelated press releases about news from behind the red door.First, my current nail poli…
Related StoresOctober 22nd, 2007 — Fragrance, Perfume, dior, miss dior from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
How do you approach an iconic fragrance?There’s the history: Year of creation (1947), cultural connotations (the first years after WWII) and fashion reference (Christian Dior’s New Look). But it all vanishes the moment you apply the perfume to your ski…
Related StoresOctober 19th, 2007 — Armani Prive, Cate Blanchett, Celebrities from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Perfection from the shoulders up, but a royal mess of a dress. I can only assume Cate Blanchett didn’t have a mirror around when getting dresses for the screening of ‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age ‘ at the second annual Rome Film Festival. Otherwise, I…
Related StoresOctober 19th, 2007 — Celebrities, Media, Suri Cruise, US Weekly from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Apparently, 18 month old Suri Cruise has a recognizable (and popular) enough face to sell a gossip magazine.Copyright ©2006-2007 The Non-Blonde, under the author’s name. Content poaching is both illegal and ugly.
Related StoresOctober 19th, 2007 — Nars, holiday collection 2007, makeup from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Looking at the model’s makeup, you’d think Siren Song, Nars Holiday 2007 collection was all about the dead and undead. However, if you check the actual colors, you can’t avoid thinking that some creative director has put a lot of effort in taking all t…
Related StoresContinue reading → Nars Holiday 2007- (Beaten Up) Siren Song
October 18th, 2007 — Celebrities, Deborah Kerr from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
“An artist of impeccable grace and beauty, a dedicated actress whose motion picture career has always stood for perfection, discipline and elegance.” The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Copyright ©2006-2007 The Non-Blonde, under the autho…
Related StoresOctober 17th, 2007 — Caldrea, Chanel, Diane von Furstenberg, Fashion, L'Occitane, Neiman Marcus from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
I liked the Italian Cypress-Pear soap from Caldrea’s Holiday Collection, but the Cognac-Vanilla-Limon is not my cup of tea. Cloyingly sweet and with a piña colada note, this feels anything but festive. How exactly do you scrub off a soap that turns …
Related StoresOctober 15th, 2007 — Bobbi Brown, eyeliner, makeup from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Considering I used to be mortally afraid of liquid eyeliner, my newest love and devotion to Bobbi Brown’s Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner is somewhat surprising. Until you actually try it, that is. The gel has a wonderful, consistent texture that is hard to mes…
Related StoresOctober 15th, 2007 — Media, Serge Gainsbourg, Vanity Fair from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Staying on topic of the November 2007 Vanity Fair issue.At first, I consider saying something snarky about the nude photoshoot of Victoria’s Secret models as a promotion for the annual VS show. But, why bother? I’m not the target audience, so have them…
Related StoresOctober 15th, 2007 — Celebrities, Media, Nigella Lawson, UK beauty products, Vanity Fair from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
I found several annoying things in the November issue of Vanity Fair (more on that later), but Nigella Lawson isn’t one of them. She’s one of my favorite non-blondes of all time, even if I’m not going to buy her latest cookbook (let me know when she co…
Related StoresOctober 11th, 2007 — Fashion, Fashion Week, NY Times, YSL, feet, shoes from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
This slide show from today’s NY Times not only brings new meaning to the phrase fashion victim, but also proves to us that even runway models aren’t perfect. Someone here is in a dire need of a good pedicure.And no, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on y…
Related StoresOctober 9th, 2007 — Beauty Event, Laboratoire Remede, Saks, Zoya, ask the non-blonde, gift with purchase, nail polish, serum, skin care from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Some of the latest crop of email I got is worth public discussion, for better and worse.”I was going to buy a few items from Saks and get the GWP, but I’ve heard it’s not available online. What’s the story?”J. from Columbus, OhioMy reply: The Saks (not…
Related StoresOctober 8th, 2007 — Maiden Beauty, lip balm, lip scrub, lip treatment from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
This sugar scrub and lip balm combo is one of the little things you start using and immediately wonder how you managed without them. It’s not that there aren’t several lip scrubs already on the market or that a simple washcloth didn’t do a fine enough …
Related StoresOctober 6th, 2007 — Bobbi Brown, Comme des Garcons, Fragrance, Guerlain, Perfume, Shalimar, Tom Ford, blush, for men, makeup, primer from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
I’m one of those who loved Black Orchid, Tom Ford’s first fragrance for women. It works amazingly well on me; I don’t get any of the infamous pineapple and crotch. Since it’s strong and has a marvelous sillage, I felt it was best to retire it for the s…
Related StoresOctober 4th, 2007 — Bond No. 9, Chanel, D and G, Fragrance, Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier, Maître Parfumeur et Gantier, Perfume, Prada, Saks from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Not full reviews, because I didn’t wear most of these for more than a day or two, usually for good reasons.Racine (Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier)- This is one of their masculine scents, which indeed starts with the usual manly citrus that develops into a…
Related StoresOctober 4th, 2007 — Celebrities, Don't Try This at Home, Fashion, Rihanna, ugly pants from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Rihanna is kind enough to show us what happens when a girl with a perfect figure wears what I assume to be high-waist wide leg pants. This is why I’m sticking with skirts this season.The pooch is beyond adorable, and Dlisted has more photos of cute dog…
Related StoresOctober 3rd, 2007 — Bernardaud, jewelry, zebra print from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
I just got the jewelry catalog from French porecelain makers, Bernardaud. Sometimes it’s for the best that they don’t have e-commerce (the website is a Flash nightmare), because it’d be way too easy to go overboard with all the pretty things. My zebra…
Related StoresOctober 3rd, 2007 — Crabtree and Evelyn, Estee Lauder, Fashion, L'Occitane, Prescriptives, Smashbox, accessories, breast cancer awareness, the Pashmina Store, zebra print from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and many of our favorite companies have launched pretty pink items that we can buy and have a percentage of the sale donated to the good cause. You can have a look at offers from Estee Lauder Pink Ribbon Collec…
Related StoresOctober 2nd, 2007 — Fragrance, Perfume, Tom Ford, for men from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
It’s hard (impossible?) to review the new fragrance, Tom Ford For Men, and ignore the controversial sexually explicit campaign that launched it. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, just search for Tom Ford’s fragrance web site and click the link…
Related StoresOctober 1st, 2007 — Zoya, nail polish from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
In which I go where I’ve never gone before, or: How I learned to love green nail polishIt started when the sampler pack of Utopia, the Zoya winter nail polish collection landed on my desk. I couldn’t stop staring at the six vibrant metallic colors (The…
Related StoresOctober 1st, 2007 — Bergdorf Goodman, Fashion, YSL, fall 2007, shoes from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Speaking of questionable heels, a Bergdorf Goodman newsletter announced yesterday the return of chunky heels. It’s not exactly a surprise: We’ve been seeing it on runways, and it can also be considered as part of the natural fashion cycle: The next log…
Related StoresSeptember 28th, 2007 — Fashion, Fashion Week, Prada, shoes, spring 2008 from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
These Prada shoes (and pants), shown in Milan fashion week, are so incredibly over-the-top, that I just can’t stop staring. I’m curious to see a (sane) wearable interpretation. I just might go for it.Photo: Antonio Calanni/Associated Press from the NY …
Related StoresSeptember 28th, 2007 — Celebrities, Dsquared2, Fashion, Fashion Week, Rihanna, spring 2008 from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Rihanna is perfection from the neck up, but this dress is a nip-slip waiting to happen. Also, I know everyone is as tired of hearing me say this just as much as I’m tired of maternity style dresses: Unless you really are with child, why would you choos…
Related StoresSeptember 27th, 2007 — Fragrance, Michael Storer, Perfume from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
When it comes to perfume, the ultimate luxury* for me is not a big name and a famous house but to wear a rare creation made by an artisan perfumer from the best raw materials. Today’s niche perfumery world offers quite a few options of this kind. Micha…
Related StoresSeptember 27th, 2007 — Allure magazine, Contest, Elle Magazine, Giveaway from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
It’s not just the big department stores that want to give us stuff in October. There are a couple of seriously cool draws and contests in magazines and blogs. Here’s the info:Elle Magazine makeover challenge: Give yourself a makeover, send the before a…
Related StoresSeptember 27th, 2007 — Barneys, Beauty Event, gift with purchase, online shopping from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
That would be Barneys GWP event, titles “Love Yourself.You know the drill. You go on a shopping spree, spend $175 on fragrance and/or cosmetics and in return they give you the little bag full of samples you see in the picture. It runs now both in store…
Related StoresSeptember 27th, 2007 — Anna Wintour, Celebrities, Winona Ryder from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Maybe it’s Anna Wintour who’s looming in the back of the first picture. My guess is that Winona is going for a Hepburn look, but Audrey didn’t look so unwell until her last couple of years, when she was really sick.I’m not sure what she’s got under the…
Related StoresSeptember 26th, 2007 — Caldrea, Fragrance, Home Fragrance, bath and body, hand soap, holiday collection 2007, limited edition from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Speaking of limited editions, Caldrea has launched their Holiday Collection in three fragrance ranges: Cognac-vanilla-limon, Seville orange-amber and Italian cypress-pear. A liquid hand soap in the latter is now residing in my bathroom, and even I, a f…
Related StoresSeptember 26th, 2007 — Fashion, Peter Som, fall 2007, lancome, limited edition, lipstick from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Considering I’ve been wearing the fall collections’ makeup since they came out in July, it’s a good thing that October is just around the corner with the holiday collections (lots of gold flakes everywhere, no surprises there). Another October launch i…
Related StoresSeptember 25th, 2007 — Clinique, lip gloss, lip plumper from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
The lip gloss/plumper with the longest name I came across is Cliniquq Full Potential™ Lips Plump and Shine. It looks like a good idea on paper (or on screen, in this case), and I was ready for some mild tingling and a lot of plumping action, only to …
Related StoresSeptember 25th, 2007 — Fragrance, Le Labo, Perfume from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
I spent a joyous afternoon sniffing and trying on perfumes at the NYC Le Labo store (233 Elizabeth Street). They have good stuff in those modest looking bottles, that are openly displayed on small side tables as well as on the main counter. Visitors ca…
Related StoresSeptember 24th, 2007 — Bobbi Brown, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paula Dorf, Sienna Miller, eye shadow, eyebrows, makeup from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
I’m not a fan of anything extreme in makeup, crazy eyebrows included. But you can’t deny that darker, more defined eyebrows are an important trend this season and there are ways to do it right without becoming unrecognizable to anyone but our mothers, …
Related StoresSeptember 21st, 2007 — Bandit, Fragrance, Perfume, Robert Piguet from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
My first meeting with Bandit by Robert Piguet was a head-on collision. I bought a bottle of the newly issued EdP blind, based on the notes that I was supposed to love (and on the fact that Sephora had it on sale for a drugstore-like price): Spice, carn…
Related StoresSeptember 20th, 2007 — Estee Lauder, makeup, mascara from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
While writing a perfume review is probably the hardest part of my blogging, testing and writing about mascara must be the easiest. The requirements are simple: define, lengthen, hold a curl, don’t smear/flake/clump/dot and be easy to remove. There are …
Related StoresSeptember 20th, 2007 — Celebrities, Kate Moss from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Such an inspiring style icon. She makes you want to smell and dress just like her. Not to mention the huge bilboards of her face advertising David Yurman jewelry above the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel on the Jersey side.I’m not buying it.Photos cour…
Related StoresSeptember 19th, 2007 — Jennifer Lopez, Laura Mercier, lipstick, makeup from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
A message to my reader J. from the Block:Do you remember when we discussed nude lipsticks for girls like us, whose lips are naturally pigmented? We came to the revolutionary conclusion: Beige lips aren’t a good thing for us. I’ve found a great alternat…
Related StoresSeptember 19th, 2007 — Beauty Event, Laura Mercier, beauty.com, gift with purchase from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Fall is the season of beauty events and extra generous GWP offers. Two of the best ones at the moment are from Laura Mercier, on her web site and Beauty.com (the site had a much-needed makeover and looks great).Laura Mercier offers (when you spend $100…
Related StoresSeptember 19th, 2007 — Acne Jeans, D and G, Fashion, Roberto Cavalli, Thakoon, atrocities, coats, cocoon coats, eLuxury from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
From the “One day you’ll look at your photos wearing it and really, really regret this” department comes to you the Cocoon Coat. Because we all want to look thick in the middle (and also stupid). Have another look:These coats are both by Thakoon and a…
Related StoresSeptember 18th, 2007 — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Emilia Earhart, Fragrance, Guerlain, Perfume, Vol de Nuit, vintge perfume from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
It doesn’t happen every day that a perfume gets a hold of you and doesn’t let go of your heart. Guerlain Vol de Nuit has done it to me.I have a vintage bottle of the parfum extrait, which doesn’t seem to be available anywhere at the moment (though an …
Related StoresSeptember 17th, 2007 — Fragrance, Perfume, Sally Hansen, Sonia Rykiel, The Scented Salamander, nail polish from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Remember how I whined about the disappearance of Sally Hansen Hard as Nails polish in the lovely Stony Creme? Last Friday I found it again at my local Target. The bottle was changed into a sleek, more narrow one and the packaging somewhat updated. The …
Related StoresSeptember 16th, 2007 — Celebrities, Ellen Pompeo, Emmys, Katherine Heigl, Sandra Oh, makeup, red carpet from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Cat eye looks better on some, less on others. I love it on Sandra Oh, not so sure about Ellen Pompeo:No smoky eye and nude lip for Katherine Heigl. I might have chosen a slightly different shade of redlipstick, but the look is fabulous and sexy:Picture…
Related StoresSeptember 16th, 2007 — Ali Larter, America Ferrera, Celebrities, Emmys, Fashion, Felicity Huffman, Heidi Klum, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kate Walsh, Kimora Lee Simmons, Kristen Bell, Mary Louise Parker, red carpet from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Much more fun than black or navy:Mary Louise Parker in Dolce & Gabbana. Kristen Bell Kimora Lee Simons Kate Walsh in Pamela Dennis Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Narciso Rodriguez.Heidi Klum in John Galliano.America Ferrera in Monique Lhuillier.Ali Larter …
Related StoresSeptember 16th, 2007 — Celebrities, Emmys, Fashion, Hayden Panettiere, Joan Rivers, red carpet from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
I’m doing the same thing Joan and Melissa Rivers are doing (scroll down to last item) tonight: Watching the Emmys from my living room and blogging about it. I almost have to agree with Joan’s quote: “The fun was when the celebrities dressed themselves …
Related StoresSeptember 14th, 2007 — Bobbi Brown, eye shadow, fall 2007, makeup, palettes from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
This looks like a great season for makeup. There’s a wonderful abundance of textures and colors, so when a product manages to shine and stand out among the bounty, it has to be a good one.Bobbi Brown Velvet Plum Metallics, one of the four limited editi…
Related StoresSeptember 13th, 2007 — Fragrance, Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier, Mazzolari, Maître Parfumeur et Gantier, Perfume, agent provocateur from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Some scents are playing games. They pretend, they conceal their real ingredients and they pose as masculine or feminine while hiding their true nature. Or maybe it’s the nose of the beholder…Agent Provocateur (the original): I had plenty of opportuni…
Related StoresSeptember 12th, 2007 — Angelina Jolie, Charlize Theron, Fashion, Vanessa Minnillo, dresses, lace from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
I’m enough of a girly girl to like lace in theory, though I tend to restrict it to a camisole picking under a jacket or to lingerie. I didn’t have any lace on my wedding dress, so I doubt I’ll ever have a use for a gown of this kind (from Life & Style …
Related StoresSeptember 11th, 2007 — Barbara Bui, Fashion, Fragrance, Perfume, designer, discontinued products from The non-blonde @ The Non-Blonde
Barbara Bui Le Parfum is another victim of the Fragrance Grim Reaper, the mysterious Power that Be which discontinues lovely and interesting scents . This one didn’t fall victim to the oakmoss curse (there isn’t any of that in the juice), but probably …
Related Stores