Fragrances -Diptyque - L eau Lente
darkharbour 4/1/2008 1:40:00 PM
I was struck by the resemblance to Ambre Sultan, at the opening. Very spicy gourmand stuff, like mincemeat pie. It softens and turns powdery, and becomes a bit like Talco Delicato, and yes, a wee bit of Old Spice. Sillage is so-so. Fades quickly for such a spicy scent. Warm and comforting, nonethless.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -L'Artisan Fragrances - Mechant Loup
darkharbour 3/31/2008 4:02:00 PM
Sexy, in the way only unisex fragrances can be, in their sexual ambiguity. Honey-nut like; may remind you of Mary Jane candies. A dash of smoke and perhaps some tannic leaves. A brisk dollop of citrus peel. Sillage is poor, alas.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Cinq Mondes Eau Egyptienne
darkharbour 3/21/2008 9:09:00 AM
Perfect skin scent. Reminds me a bit of Passage d'Enfer. Soft, woody, incensey, but with a soapy-clean dollop at the end which is soft and, well, cuddly. Soothing, comforting, and cozy. A flannel nightie of a scent.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Eau de Gloire by Parfum d Empire
darkharbour 3/16/2008 8:50:00 AM
Masculine, yes, but comforting to wear. This has the usual dry citrus top note of a traditional unisex cologne, and then some fougere type herbs roll in to give it a piquant punch. Finally, the animal notes come to the surface -- and these are rather manly, and very, very sexy. I would find this irresistable on a man. Like smelling the pillow of the man you love -- sexy and comforting at the same time.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Parfums De Nicolai - Sacre Bleu
darkharbour 3/13/2008 11:30:00 AM
Well, what fun! Starts off with a wildly sweet root beer top note, most likely due to the wintergreen-like salicylates in tuberose. Then, we segue into a warm, ambery musk fugue, with hints of incense. Finally, it settles into a breezy, dry tuberose that smells not the least bit sexy or sultry. Fascinating. A "head" fragrance; more likely to pique your intellect than your sensuality.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Lorenzo Villoresi - Musk
darkharbour 3/11/2008 1:05:00 PM
Starts out as a luscious loaf of rye bread, straight from the oven, and then quickly segues into powdery softness -- think Habanita without the smoke. Some discreet wood, floral, and citrus notes dance in the chorus line, but the star of the show is talcum. Nice, but not musk. Perhaps it would have worked better as a "blue musk." Sillage is mediocre, as is lasting power.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Clinique - Kohl Shaper for Eyes - Black Honey
darkharbour 3/4/2008 11:01:00 AM
Right now, as I type this review, this is my HG liner. This smudgy, creamy, wonderful pencil is not something to reach for when you want precision. But to line and blend into smoky subtlety, it cannot be beat. A mixture of brown and plum (think: "raisin") this is neutral enough not to look garish for work, but gives a bit extra to pop the green and gold tones in my eyes. Very gentle on mature lids. Easy to blend for that extra definition you want at the lash line.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Cargo - Tonga
darkharbour 3/4/2008 10:48:00 AM
What a great, versatile color. It can look pink or peach depending on what you are wearing. In the pan it looks dull, beige, and putty-like, but on the face, wow. This does what I wanted NARS Luster to do for me. Subtle blush, warmth, and contouring. I admit I was turned off by the Cargo tin pan, but this is surprisngly easy to get open. The blush tablet itself is huge and it is so easy to swirl a big, fluffy brush in this. It is highly pigmented. The finish is soft, matte, but not dry and dusty. For right now, at this time in my life, HG!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Frederic Fekkai - Protein Rx Reparative Shampoo
darkharbour 2/27/2008 11:45:00 AM
Mildly vanilla scented, softly lathering (don't use a huge amount!), and easy to rinse. My colored, highlighted, coarse, wavy, prone to frizziness, 51-year-old-hair looks terrific. HG.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Clinique - Butter Shine Lipstick - Ambrosia
darkharbour 2/27/2008 11:36:00 AM
This lipstick is a somewhat deep, translucent, shimmery, coral. If you mixed a soft red, with a bit of warm pink, and a splash of copper, you would have it. It is a warm shade, that looks good with peaches. coppers, warm bronzes, golds, and olive greens. With the right peach blush, a cool-toned person could pull this off. (I am a NW20) It is a very flattering shade. The Buttershine texture is wonderful -- it almost feels like a lip balm. Almost a cross between a lipstick and gloss. And finally, a word about the case. I adore the silver bamboo-like case. Gorgeous.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Yves Saint Laurent - Paris
darkharbour 2/8/2008 9:57:00 AM
Revisiting this fragrance after a long hiatus. It has lost none of its charm. Full-bodied, rich, opulent roses tumble over one another in a deluge of warm pink essences. Sweet, candied, like Rose Turkish Delight, rose petal jam, or rose liqueuer. No vapid rose water, no skunky wild rose, no cloying tea rose. This rose snuggles cozily with violet, vanilla, and woods. Sillage is amazing. Go easy when you apply. This is Malle's Lipstick Rose, with less powder, less violet, and more rose. It would be great to wear with a flouncy, gauzey dress patterned in a riot of cabbage roses. With a wide brimmed, ribboned hat.
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Frederic Malle - Vetiver Extraordinaire
darkharbour 2/6/2008 10:22:00 AM
It was bound to happen. A Malle I can honestly say I detest. Vetiver is from the root of a rainforest grass, also know as khus-khus. It imparts a very pungent green, earthy, dry, and perhaps acrid note that grounds many a fine fragrance. For this one, you might imagine scrubbing your house top to bottom with Pine Sol, applying Ben Gay to your aching back, and then for some perverse reason, deciding to smell your dirty, sweaty feet. A scrubber. Fortunately, it did not last on me.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Clinique - Almost Lipstick - Black Honey
darkharbour 1/26/2008 5:21:00 PM
This has been around forever, and for good reason. No product can lay claim to being the one MLBB shade that works for all, and this is no exception. But this could work for many. And, one's interpretation of enhanced natural lipcolor changes with the times. This was introduced years ago, when vividly colored lips were the norm. Then, it was revolutionary. Now, not so much. What this is: sheer, earthy red stick lipgloss. It is not creamy, matte, shimmery or opaque.Scary in the tube (almost maroon) and soft plum-red-brown on the lips. What I love about it is the feel on my lips. Light, but buttery, and it makes my lips soft. The narrow stick makes it easy to apply and build color. One stroke, blotted, would be very natural indeed. And, it has no taste or scent.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Crème -Estee Lauder - Resilience Lift Extreme Ultra Firming Cream Compact Makeup
darkharbour 1/13/2008 10:15:00 AM
I am 50, with drying skin, but I used to be oily. Overall, I like this product, but I doubt I would buy it again. It is too pricey not to be a miracle product. I found a very good color match in Linen, which really helped to neutralize my ruddiness. The texture is very light, smooth, and not at all greasy, with an SPF 15. Those looking for very dewy textures might want to look elsewhere. It reminds me a lot of BB stick fndtn, only this is in a compact. Coverage is good when layered. I have an issue with the packaging. The sponge is under the makeup and is hard to get at without digging at the product by accident. I loved this a lot until I checked out my face near a window, at noon, with a hand held mirror. The smooth coverage I thought I had turned a bit cakey, and the product emphasized every fine line, every pore (recall I used to have oily skin most of my life!), and every fine hair on my face. It morphed from Princess Bride to Bride of Frankenstein, by magnifying every flaw. I quickly sponged it down with a fresh sponge. I lost some coverage, but at least it looked more smooth.
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Wet 'n' Wild - Ultimate Expressions-Golden Shimmers
darkharbour 1/11/2008 12:49:00 PM
I cannot tell you how excited I was to find this at Rite-Aid for $2.49. These are 8 gorgeous shades of copper, metallic peach, bronze, and chrome-gold. There is a wonderful grey that has gold shimmer that applies like an antique gold, sort of earthy-olive-taupe with golden shimmer. There is a gold flecked apricotty- beige. Two copper colors seem very similar and they are only a degree or two apart in intensity. There are two deep browns, one medium warm brown with gold flecks, and the other more of a deep, espresso shade. There is a shimmery salmon shade (similar to Milani Sun Goddess) There is a warm, goldenrod yellow that is the only shade close to gold. They last all day. Shimmer factor is quite high. But for the price, it cannot be beat. If you are looking for warm toned metallics, these are for you. This is LE, so run get it while you can.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No