Project Perfume - Serge Lutens

If you're in Paris, and if you're at all interested in perfume, then there's one pilgrimage that you have to make, and that is to worship - just a little bit - at the shrine of Serge Lutens, which you can find at Palais Royal, just behind the Louvre.  It's a stunning store, as different as different can be from the Caron store I showed you yesterday, but, possibly even more beautiful:

We were there to take a "perfume journey" with Sandrine, the wonderfully knowledgeable manager of the store, who received two rather travel-weary bloggers with beautiful grace and hospitality.  We were whisked up the magnificent staircase to "Uncle Serge's" private domain at the store, which is a peaceful haven replete with both Japanese and Moroccan touches, and, during a well-needed sit down, we were introduced to both the Export Line, and the Bell Jar collection, which is only available at this single - and singular store.

Sandrine started off talking to us about the Serge Lutens history - I had no idea he began his career as a hairdresser (again, bad beauty blogger alert) - and mentioned his links with both North Africa and the Far East.  We began, of course, by smelling Feminite Du Bois, which was Serge's first fragrance collaboration with Shiseido, and was possibly the first ever wood-based perfume created exclusively for women.  I own a sample of this, and it's a perfect cuddle of a perfume, reminding me of grey cashmere, and it's something I both hoard, and save for those days where a little comfort wouldn't go amiss.  It is quite rightly considered a classic.  There are three other fragrances in the "Bois" collection, et Fruits, et Musc and Oriental.  I loved all of them.

We then had a whistle-stop tour of the rest of the collection, the ritual of being told the story of the perfume, then dipping the strips into the jars to sample the scent, and the discussion of the notes being, to me a little slice of peaceful perfume heaven, right there in the city centre.  Particular standouts for me were Boxeuse - which, we were told is the scent of a lady boxer, sweet and leathery, for me, lacking a real punch, but a lot prettier than expected.  Sarrasins, a perfume on my list, didn't make much of an impression, but Tuberose Criminelle and Un Lys were real hits with both Hilda and I.

I then had to smell the two other "big-hitters" on my list: Iris Silver Mist, and La Myrrhe.  I have read a lot about Iris Silver Mist, and was looking forward to trying it, but at the point of smelling it, I'd had a little olfactory overload, and was totally anosmic. I couldn't smell a thing.  However, I took a few minutes out of sniffing at this point, and came back to it ... and ... well ... I didn't like it.  Cold, metallic and melancholy, the smell of the tears of a graveyard statue. On my skin it wasn't "me" at all.  It's another Lutens that I can appreciate the structure and the artistry of, but not wear.

Or ... can I?  On the drydown, which took a good two or three hours to reach, there was a beautiful, powdery and buttery scent, which was elegant and wearable, and I liked this a lot more than I did at first.  It's eccentric, for sure, but potentially loveable. This is definitely a scent I'll be searching for a sample of in the future because, as challenging as it is, I think it's definitely one that warrants further investigation.

As for La Myrrhe? Reader, I married it. Erm ... what I mean is that I felt strangely compelled to buy a bottle.  From the rosy and slightly aldehydic opening, which is both traditionally "perfume-y", and yet manages to remain undated, to the balsamic and slightly medicinal undertones, which are slightly mysterious and yet strangely welcoming, the bottle sang out my name loud and clear.  I've worn it a few times since, and in spite of MrLippie's assessment that it's "nice, but nothing original" - something I wholeheartedly disagree with - I love it.  A few more wears and I'll review it more fully, I think.

We also took a look at the Serge Lutens export line, where I once again fell for the apricot and leather beauty of Daim Blond - which I always think smells like the essence of a suede rose - to the extent where I wondered anew why I don't own a bottle, and the makeup collection, which you can see here:

I had, at one point, been determined to purchase a Serge Lutens lipstick, as they are in beautiful shades, and with a gorgeous satin texture, but at seventy five euro each - and discovering I couldn't choose between three of the shades! - I felt they were a little too rich even for my blood. They shall remain, for me, a thing to save up for ... in the meantime, I shall go to Harvey Nichols at every available opportunity and swatch, and dream ...


The Fine Print: Trip to Serge Lutens arranged by PR, but my very grateful thanks go to Sandrine for a wonderful afternoon. Purchases were acquired.  My credit card cried a little bit.  It had had a very hard day.

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Musings on Paris - Caron

So much to tell you about Paris - I hope you'll forgive me a number of posts about it, but I've never been before, and I spent the whole trip gazing around like a complete and utter idiot tourist, and I loved every single minute of it. Beautymouth (aka "Hilda") mentioned that it was a bit like being on holiday with a puppy, and she might have had a point, now I come to think of it.

Anyway, our basic plan was shopping, eating and drinking (with a sideline in cackling madly for no real reason whatsoever), and I think you'll agree we managed all these things very well.  I'm going to break my posts up over several days - the trips to Guerlain and Serge Lutens deserve posts of their own, as you'll see later on in the week - and today I'll start with Caron.

An unexpected stop on our trip, this little jewel was awaiting us when we were meandering our way to elsewhere via some backstreets, and I had a couple of Caron perfumes on my Project Perfume list, so I had to pop in for a quick sniff!  But, I was actually taken a little aback at the beauty of the store:

Everywhere you looked, there was something gorgeous to set your eyes on, and the entire store was scented beautifully - something that I hadn't noticed in other perfume shops we'd visited, more about which later - the staff were cheerful, and happy to let us to browse and sniff to our heart's content.  Having read about the legendary rudeness of Parisians, I was pleasantly surprised at this, as indeed I was by the excellent customer service we received practically everywhere we went the whole trip.


What I hadn't realised was that Caron makes some of the finest face powders in the world (you can just see them in the picture above on the bottom left there), so naturally I had to buy one.  Expect to see more details about that soon!  But, I also didn't realise - for I am a bad, bad beauty blogger - that Caron make exquisitely detailed accessories and jewellery. 

I was thisclose to buying myself a sequinned scarf, but managed to stop myself when I realised we still had Serge Lutens to visit, and I just knew I was going to blow my shopping budget in there, so managed to stop myself ... Mind,  I had to drag Hilda away from the jewel display ...


Whilst there, I also managed to sniff Parfum Sacre, Pour un Homme, and Yatagan, so managing to cross them off my Perfume Project list.  Sadly, I also sniffed Poivre, a wonderfully spicy, clove, carnation  - the much unloved and humble carnation has, in my opinion, an exceptionally underrated scent, and I adore it - and pepper blend that seemed to suit my nose better, and created a tiny lemming for myself.  D'oh! I have a bottle of Parfum Sacre (purchased last year, in TK Maxx, not a patch on this store) already, which I like a great deal, but I haven't worn it for a while, and I was given some perfumed papers with the same scent with my purchase of the face powder, so it's time for me to dig that out and remind myself of this little gem of a perfume store.


This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Want to try Bioderma Crealine?

It's been a quiet week on Get Lippie, sorry about that! I did notice that whilst I was in Paris I broke the 900 follower barrier though - thank you very much!

What better way to celebrate my return to Blighty than with a little giveaway?

I'm doing one this week, and one next, first up, some cult French skincare:






Yup, one 500ml bottle of Bioderma Crealine, a cleansing water that shifts even the toughest makeup. Everyone who's used it (I've not opened my bottle yet though) absolutely swears by it.

But that's not all! I'll even chuck in a packet of these:




Bioderma Crealine Wipes! Possibly even more mythical than the cleanser itself, both of these products are nigh-on impossible to find in the UK, but one lucky winner can try both of these (purchased out of my own pocket, and, what's more, dragged back across the channel with my own fair hands!) just by telling me what they would have brought back from Paris with them in the comments on this post (alongside a working email address).

Giveaway will end on 27th May, UK entrants only (sorry!) and please be a blog follower. Get Lippie reserves the right to disqualify non-compliant entries, and all decisions are final.

Good luck!

Gay Paree!

Get Lippie is in Paris for a few days this week, hoorah! I'm basically heading there to shop, I have a list of places to go - hello Sephora! -  and I've a few things to do, chief amongst them is a visit to here:

Yes, I'm off to see the home of Serge Lutens, and I can't wait! Project Perfume is still going strong - I'll have some more in-depth updates for you soon, but I think visiting Paris - I've never been before - and seeing the home of Guerlain, Hermes, and Chanel amongst countless others is going to be something I'll have lots to say about when I get back.


So, where else should I go?

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

A Week In Lipstick

It's been a while, but this is the first week I've worn any in a while! Here are this week's shades:




L-R:

Chantecaille Lip Chic in Tea Rose (love this shade, and it's beautifully moisturising too)
Cosmetics a la Carte bespoke lipstick in Luce (well, how could I not?)
Guerlain Terracotta Gloss in 03 Grenade (rapidly becoming a fave as I trial facial tanning products!)
Topshop Lipstick in Show Off (made a big mistake on the day, it clashed horribly with my eye makeup, but I continue to be impressed by the quality of Top Shop makeup)
Chanel Rouge Allure in 82 Incognito (limited edition, part of last year's Kaska beige collection, and an old favourite not-quite-nude shade)
Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Stunt (limited edition from last year's Soho collection, I picked it up from LipstickLuvvie's recent blog sale - practically a taupe!)
Clinique Chubby Stick in Mega Melon (beginning to really like these, easy to wear and handy to use)

Here are the swatches:








What did you wear this week?

Random Sunday Stuff - Featuring Sudocrem

Sudocrem, that staple of many a bathroom, is bringing out a handbag-sized tube, and to celebrate they were offering "handbag readings" by Debbie Percy who has made a career out of Bagology.  Apparently, what you carry around with you every day - both your bag and the contents can be a lot more revealing about you than you think!  Here's my bag, and its contents:

Yeah ... it's a bit pink!  I carry most things around in packets, to make things easier to swap between bags - I thought it looked a bit dull to be honest, but I'll let you read on:

 Delicious! A handbag full of attitude and surprises!  This bag is just great, it has personality and texture.  I think Get Lippie knows how to play hard and is ok being the centre of attention when the occasion presents itself!  You are a lady who has a reasonable amount of structure in place in life, but you don’t obsess over it.  You like things to be neat and tidy and for things to have a place and be in their place.  You are loving, friendly, kind and affectionate.  There is a courageous side to your nature and I wonder if that is a source of pride to you?  

Loyalty to and from those around you is important to you.  If I knew you well I would say that when you are bored – it can get pretty ugly around here!!   Routine and monotony will be your pet hates – but you won’t appreciate sympathy either so we best leave you well alone at these times!!  You enjoy strength in those around you, strong characters will be something you embrace and are drawn towards.   An important thought for you is to make sure you aren’t working or living with someone who is two faced or has been found to be deceitful. Your bag is suggesting that backstabbing may be in your neighbourhood – so if you find that, move on and ship out! 

Good health is important to you, you will enjoy people who fill you with a feeling of energy, vitality and who are keen to reach their potential (just as are you).  Finally, if on occasion you feel you have to hide away certain parts of who you are, or wear a false mask (image), then your bag has a message – be brave!  Be expressive! Above all be you! Trust your loving nature to be the thing that will pull you through even in uncertain times.

I thought this was huge fun, and hey, any excuse to show off my Haut Totes bag again ...! 

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Guerlain Terracotta Skin Foundation

I've been ill - I might have mentioned it, now I come to think of it - and, after the best part of two weeks in bed with a fever, and still wracked with a cough like a beagle on 40 a day a very bad cough indeed, I'm not looking like the healthiest person on the planet.  Pale green, and pale blue and pale grey are the colours of my face at the moment, and it's not nice.  Oh, and there's the red bits, but they're in the wrong places, so let's just forget I mentioned them, okay?

But, I think I've found something that helps me look a bit more human, it's this stuff:

Guerlain Terracotta Skin Foundation.  Now, I'm not one for fake tan, being about as low-maintenance as you can be and still call yourself a beauty blogger, but sometimes, I admit, I do need help.  And this stuff is wonderful.  It's not a fake tan, it's not quite a foundation, but rather something in between.  It comes in two shades, 1 - Blondes and 2 - Brunettes.  I have both.


Let me show you:

Possibly the least appetising swatches I've ever posted on Get Lippie, but bear with me.  As you can see 1 on the left is a little paler, and peachier, and 2 on the right is a little darker, and slightly more, dare I say it ... orange?  Incidentally, a little of this stuff goes a long, long way, and the amount you see on the back of my hand there is probably enough to cover at least four faces.


You apply it as you would a normal foundation or tinted moisturiser, and, because it's chock-full of silicones (so if you're sensitive to them, avoid this at all costs), you won't need a primer, or powder, and it will do a wonderful job of smoothing out both your skintone, and  your pores.  Once blended it will just give you a hint of whisper light colour, which looks natural and healthy:

Um, yeah, so natural and healthy you can't even see it.  Let's try that again, shall we?

 Why, yes, I do spend my Wednesday evenings raising my eyebrows in the bathroom mirror and belming at myself, thank you.  And I know I'm not alone ...  Now, admittedly, this is a good 14 hours after I applied No 2 (Brunette), but my skin is still showing colour. And it's a vast improvement on the pale grey I was at 7am yesterday morning.  Yes, I'm a bit shiny (and for the love of god do not enlarge that picture and look at my pores, I implore you!) and it's showing a few red bits around my nose, but, I remind you that I am still, you know, ill.  Also, this picture was taken with a flash, which would normally wash me out even further, so the fact that I'm still looking even vaguely human is a miracle.  When I use the 1 - Blonde version, the finish is just a little paler, but still humanising.

For reference, this is how I looked before I applied it:

This reminds me a great deal of my beloved Armani Face Fabric foundation, which is another chock-full of silicones beauty that works wonders on my knackered mush.  The Terracotta Skin foundation is something I'm going to get a lot of usage out of this year, especially now that I've discovered that No2 is perfect for covering up my high colouring.  Win-win!


Pros - easy to use, literally 30 seconds or so to apply, natural colour, great for hiding patches of high colouring, de-zombifies, smoothes skin, little goes a very long way don't need a primer, almost entirely fool-proof and perfect for fake-tan scaredy cats, don't need an exact match for your skin colour.


Cons - very sheer coverage (so not perfect for blemish-prone skin), no SPF, pricey - £33 at time of writing - quite a small tube, will need powder in hot weather.


Guerlain Terracotta Skin Foundation is, for me - this year,  a must-have.  Just don't forget to blend it down your neck all the way down to your chest otherwise you'll look a bit odd.

The Fine Print: One of these was a PR sample, and I was so impressed I went straight out and bought the other shade.  Which is which?  Who knows, and I no longer care ...


This post originated at: http://getlippie.com/ All rights reserved.