Fashion,Beauty,Celebrities,Perfume,News,Sports

Monday, November 05 2007

2007-11-04T02:43:00.000-08:00

Monday, November 05 2007

American Football (NFL)

Arizona Cardinals Vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL 2007 Live Watch
Baltimore Ravens Vs Pittsburgh Steelers Monday Night Football NFL 2007 Live Watch
Carolina Panthers Vs Tennessee Titans NFL 2007 Live Watch
Dallas Cowboys Vs Philadelphia Eagles NFL 2007 Live Watch
Green Bay Packers Vs Kansas City Chiefs NFL 2007 Live Watch
Houston Texans Vs Oakland Raiders NFL 2007 Live Watch
Jacksonville Jaguars Vs New Orleans Saints NFL 2007 Live Watch
New England Patriots Vs Indianapolis Colts NFL 2007 Live Watch
San Diego Chargers Vs Minnesota Vikings NFL 2007 Live Watch
Seattle SeaHawks Vs Cleveland Browns NFL 2007 Live Watch
Washington RedSkins Vs NewYork Jets NFL 2007 Live Watch

Cricket

India Vs Pakistan First One Day 2007 Live From Guwahati Watch

Sunday, November 04 2007 live watch sports

2007-11-04T02:40:00.000-08:00

Sunday, November 04 2007

American Football (NFL)
Arizona Cardinals Vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL 2007 Live Watch
Baltimore Ravens Vs Pittsburgh Steelers Monday Night Football NFL 2007 Live Watch
Carolina Panthers Vs Tennessee Titans NFL 2007 Live Watch
Cincinnati Bengals Vs Buffalo Bills NFL 2007 Live Watch
Dallas Cowboys Vs Philadelphia Eagles NFL 2007 Live Watch
Denver Broncos Vs Detroit Lions NFL 2007 Live Watch
Green Bay Packers Vs Kansas City Chiefs NFL 2007 Live Watch
Houston Texans Vs Oakland Raiders NFL 2007 Live Watch
Jacksonville Jaguars Vs New Orleans Saints NFL 2007 Live Watch
New England Patriots Vs Indianapolis Colts NFL 2007 Live Watch
San Diego Chargers Vs Minnesota Vikings NFL 2007 Live Watch
Seattle SeaHawks Vs Cleveland Browns NFL 2007 Live Watch
Washington RedSkins Vs NewYork Jets NFL 2007 Live Watch

Basketball (NBA)

Chicago Bulls Vs Milwaukee Bucks NBA 2007 Live Watch
Indiana Pacers Vs Mempis Grizzlies NBA 2007 Live Watch
New Jersey Nets Vs Philadelphia 76ers NBA 2007 Live Watch
Orlando Magic Vs Washington Wizards NBA 2007 Live Watch
Portland Trail Blazers Vs Houston Rockets NBA 2007 Live Watch

Cricket
India Vs Pakistan First One Day 2007 Live From Guwahati Watch

Soccer

AC Chievo Verona vs. FC Messina Italian Serie B Live Watch
AC Milan vs. Torino FC Italian Serie A Live Watch
Arsenal vs. Manchester United English Premier League Live Streaming Watch
AS Livorno vs. Udinese Italian Serie A Live Watch
Aston Villa vs. Derby County English Premier League Live Watch
Blackburn Rovers vs. Liverpool FC English Premier League Live Watch
Cagliari vs. Sampdoria Italian Serie A Live Watch
Dynamo Kyiv vs. Metalist Kharkiv Ukrainian Premier League Live Watch
Empoli FC vs. AS Roma Italian Serie A Live Watch
Everton FC vs. Birmingham City English Premier League Watch
FC Sevilla vs. Real Madrid Spanish Primera Division Watch
Fenerbahce vs. Besiktas Turkish Superlig Live Watch
FK Spartak Moscow vs. FK Rostov Russian Premier League Live Watch
Fulham FC vs. Reading FC English Premier League Watch
Genoa vs. US Palermo Italian Serie A Live Watch
Gremio Porto Alegre vs. Figueirense FC Brazilian Serie A Live Watch
Juventus vs. Inter Milan Italian Serie A Live Watch
Kilmarnock vs. Celtic Scottish Premier League live Watch
Lazio vs. AC Fiorentina Italian Serie A Live Watch
Middlesbrough vs. Tottenham Hotspur English Premier League Watch
Newcastle United vs. Portsmouth FC English Premier League Watch
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Panionios Athens Greece Super League Live Watch
Parma vs. AC Siena Italian Serie A Live Watch
Universitatea Cluj vs. Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt Romanian Liga 1 Live Watch
West Ham United vs. Bolton Wanderers English Premier League Live Watch
Wigan Athletic vs. Chelsea English Premier League Live Watch

The New York City Marathon

2007-11-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from The Dream Antilles:

Bardo is stretched out in the hammock. He is doing an exercise Swamiji told him about. He gets completely comfortable and relaxed. Then he thinks of something about which he has only positive thoughts. At the moment, he is thinking about how delicious it feels when he is in good physical condition and is running in the New York Marathon. He focuses on his enjoyment, his appreciation of the event, his excitement, the ease of it. As he thinks of these things, other positive thoughts come to him as well, thoughts about how his body is healthy, strong, light, swift, lithe, thoughts about how wonderful and efficient his breathing feels. Soon his mind has appreciated the running, and moves to appreciate something else. He continues as long as there is purely positive thought. At the first awareness of a negative thought he stops, pauses, and returns to the beginning again. Bardo is agog at how many negative thoughts arise in his thinking. Some, he notes are obviously comparative, critical, negative; others, implicitly negative; others, disguised as neutral are negative. He goes back to running down Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn in a sea of runners, enjoying the spectacle of it all, cradled in positive thought, and falls asleep with his mouth open and his jaw hanging relaxed.

Sunday is the day. Again, it's the start of Standard Time. If you're in Gotham, please go to the route and yell. It helps. It really does.

Lalique Amethyst, Acqua di Parma Colonia Intensa

2007-11-03T03:52:00.001-07:00

Lalique will launch Amethyst, a new fragrance for women, this coming September, although it will not reach the US until 2008:

Nathalie Lorson of Swiss flavors and fragrance company Firmenich created Amethyst, a fruity musk juice. Its top note of blackcurrant and blackberry continues with a floral bouquet and ends with notes of vanilla and musk. It comes in a heavy glass bottle (Pochet), engraved with thorns.

Lalique Amethyst will be available in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Parfum. (via cosmeticnews)

Other recent fragrances from Lalique: Lalique Encre Noire. Update: additional notes for Lalique Amethyst include raspberry, mulberry, rose, peony and ylang ylang. Shown at right is the luxury packaging, in 50 ml crystal bottle with refill and funnel, 550 euros. (via fashionmag.fr)

Also coming in September, a new fragrance for men from Acqua di Parma. Colonia Intensa, described as a woody leather scent, was developed by perfumer Alberto Morillas, and includes notes of citrus, ginger, myrtle, artemisia, neroli, gaiac wood, patchouli, benzoin and musk. The packaging features the brand's iconic bottle design with a bronze cap. (via cosmeticnews, osmoz)

Update: Acqua di Parma Colonia Intensa will be available in 50 and 100 ml Cologne Spray and in Deodorant, After Shave Balm and Hair & Shower Gel.

Update: the description of Colonia Intensa from Neiman Marcus:

A discreet yet intense scent, classical in its initial composition, it is extraordinarily modern with its new and precious combination of woods and resins. Colonia Intensa is for the highly enterprising, self-assured man, who is at ease with himself and in a natural way effortlessly expresses himself through this rich and memorable fragrance.

The unique composition is made up of the traditional citrus and aromatic notes—typical of an Eau de Cologne—but the fragrance develops a surprisingly olfactory personality, intensely masculine due to the innovative long lasting wood-leather.

Additional notes include bergamot, lemon, cardamom, leather, cedarwood, lignum vitae.

Guerlain Master Class - Sniffapalooza

2007-11-03T03:47:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about belonging to Sniffapalooza, is being invited to events such as the Guerlain master class this past weekend. It was a luxurious sensory review of Guerlain's fragrances; a dreamy experience. There were also spectacularly rich candles (Cuir Beluga and Boudoir Venitien were particularly seductive).

Guerlain fragrances are so concentrated as to be almost overwhelming. The smallest amount is enough to emit waves of sillage. They are refreshed by heat; in a hot shower the scents are re-intensified for a moment.

Guerlain's perfume organ in Paris prominently features the base notes behind each fragrance because they linger after the other notes burn off. They are the ones that will remain, so the client must be most certain that their personal chemistry is able to make a happy marriage with them.

Among the classics given to sample that day, my favorite was Samsara. It has an almost creamy flesh scent to it, probably because of its base notes of sandalwood, vanilla, iris and tonka bean. I found that in general I was most drawn to those perfumes where the vanilla of the well known Guerlainade accord came through as having an important role. Vanilla seems to smooth and soften the other elements which then embrace my own chemistry more closely. Actually the new Spiritueuse Double Vanille has so much else going on I found the vanilla notes more subdued than I would have expected, given the name. It still holds enough vanilla to be a lovely cooler weather scent, perfect for jacket and coat weather.

Quand Vient la Pluie (When the Rain Comes) is available for the more generously extravagant among us for the coming gift giving season. It is a shockingly expensive ($2,600 for 17 oz.) and mellowly delicious perfume, which we each were able to try on. Probably this one was most like the legendary vintage versions of their classics. Rain perfumes are as a concept one of my favorite genres anyway, and I have posted before about the elements that comprise the scent of rain. This version of the experience as perfume is quite dreamy, you get lost in it, maybe because of the incorporation of elements such as heliotrope, violet, rosemary, praline, and Jasmine Sambac in addition to the woody Amber forest floor quality. The EdP has a musk note and the perfume version has an amber note. It comes in a heavy crystal sculptural base representing a section of a leaf, and the perfume flacon is shaped like dew or a raindrop sitting on the leaf, which lifts out for use and refill.

There was also a fine gold spray powder product ($78) for all over use on skin and hair that was wonderful on all shades, but especially for wavy, darker blondes, picking up detail and enhancing the radiance and brightness of that color.

I took the above photo at the event. I loved the Guerlain signature white beads scattered everywhere...

Suki Exfoliating Lemongrass Cleanser

2007-11-03T03:40:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t had the chance to try out the Suki Exfoliating Lemongrass Cleanser, which is one of Makeup.com’s Top 10 best selling products right now, I highly suggest you give it a shot. It costs $24.50 USD for 5.7 oz. It’s moderately priced and has made a huge difference on my skin. It’s absolutely amazing!

Usually I’m not too happy with most exfoliating cleansers because they’re too grainy and lack that clean foam feeling, but this Lemongrass Cleanser does both. It is wonderful and I’m so happy that I bought it!

If you think you love it as much as I do, you can buy it here.

Urban Decay Liquid Eyeliner

2007-11-03T03:34:00.000-07:00

Urban Decay Cosmetics released this liquid eyeliner which on normal circumstances would have been amazing, but they put it in this awkward ink-well bottle, which makes it much harder to use. If they would have stuck with the traditional slender wand type bottle I would have enjoyed this product much more.

Now, if you’re not as picky as I am, and don’t mind the strange bottle and the extra pointy wand, which I almost poked my eye out with, I suggest you give it a shot. It is only $18.00 USD after all at the Sephora online store.

put your mask on

2007-11-03T03:31:00.000-07:00

Halloween is tomorrow and it's a great time to play with your makeup. Last year we had some fun and tried our hand at one of the MAC Halloween masks.

We chose to go with a floral mask even though we didn't have all of the exact shades specified in the look and we think it turned out pretty well for our first try. What do you think?

Here are a few of my favorite looks from MAC this year:

From left to right we have Unzipped, Fantasy Lace, Red Baroque and Half Tinned. Of course there are many more where this came from.

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-03T03:26:00.000-07:00

Are you still looking for something to do for that all important costume party this weekend? Let's face it there aren't that many costumes out there that you won't risk seeing on someone else (who wants to runaround in a witch hat all night - right?) Are you stumped for something original?? MAC has got you covered - just try one of their spooky Halloween creations.

I am partial to the one pictured at left called Zombie Chic - but there are so many options to choose from. The great thing about this is - makeup is subjective so even if you don't end up looking exactly like the drawing...you will still look spooky and that's the whole point right?

All you will have to do is throw on a black dress or a black top and pants with any of these - accessorize and you will be good to go. Just try your best and have fun!

Trick or Treat Pretty!

Rum Hand Wash

2007-11-03T03:24:00.000-07:00

Holiday Season is coming and hot rum beverages are always tasty. But if you don't want to drink the rum you can always wash you hands with it...

MALIN + GOETZ has introduced their hydrating foaming cleansing gel, lightly scented with their popular Rum Eau de Toilette.A single pump will lather hands and revitalize your skin.

http://www.malinandgoetz.com/

DermaQuest Skin Therapy

2007-11-03T03:13:00.000-07:00

I am scared to mention this, in case I jinx the very agreeable circumstances in which I now find myself, but: My skin has been giving me a LOT less trouble in the last week or so. This also happens to coincide with when I started using some DermaQuest Acne Management products. I don't know if one week of use is enough time for products to make such a significant difference, but so far, I'm pretty pleased.

(I should also note that, as much as my skin stresses me out, a lot of people compliment me on it and claim not to see what I perceive to be hideous blemishes. Let's just say that I know things could be a lot worse, but it doesn't always feel that way.)

I've been cleansing morning and evening with the DermaQuest Beta Hydroxy Cleanser, followed by Nature's Cure Pore-Perfecting Papaya Toner, the DermaQuest DermaClear serum, then either Chanel Fluide Énergisant Multi-Protection Hale Progressif SPF 15 (in the morning), Nature's Cure Acne-Repairing Papaya Moisturizer (at night), or Dermalogica Medicated Clearing Gel (if a flare-up seems to be on the horizon). All of the products except the DermaQuest are ones I've been using in various rotations for the last few months, and I've never noticed the sort of marked improvement that I have recently. Long may my good fortune continue.

NOTE: All of the products mentioned in this post, except for the Dermalogica Medicated Clearing Gel (which I bought myself), were freebies sent to me by the PRs for DermaQuest, Chanel, and Nature's Cure.

Bye-Bye Blemish

2007-11-03T02:52:00.000-07:00

The Zeno Pro Acne Clearing Device is something I'd been eyeing with caution for quite a while. At $185 it isn't really something you'd just buy on impulse. I can think of several things I could get for that price instead...a full head of highlights, a Pucci scarf, dinner for one at Daniel...so I was hoping the Zeno would be an investment that I wouldn't regret.

When I got mine, I excitedly ripped open the box and thought to myself, "Ooh, I can't wait to get a pimple!" Who thinks such ridiculous thoughts? I just couldn't wait to try the Zeno!

Well, be careful what you wish for, right? By that evening I felt the beginnings of 2 spots right on the "phone zone," my right jawline where my phone is always touching my face. I powered up the Zeno (it works best on new blemishes like these) and touched it to each spot, leaving it in position for the prescribed 2.5 minutes. It's a little bit of a pain to hold that position, but for a potential zit-zapping I didn't mind. The device felt warm on my face, but not uncomfortably so, and left my skin slightly red for about 10 minutes. Again - it still beats having a full blown pimple.

I followed up 12 hours later with another treatment, as recommended, and went to bed, hoping that the spots would vanish in the night.

And you know what? They did!

The 2 red bumps, which just 24 hours earlier had been threatening to ruin my week, were flat, pain-free, and barely even pink. They still required a bit of concealer, but I was totally impressed with how quickly the Zeno delivered results. (And now a few hours later, the spots are even less noticeable!)

All in all, the Zeno Pro is an excellent investment. For $185 you get the unit and a treatment tip that's good for 90 uses. Replacement tips are $35.

Small price to pay for never again having to associate the word "volcano" with something on your face!

Origins Rich Rewards™ Intensive Moisture Treatment For Scalp and Hair

2007-11-03T02:49:00.000-07:00

The changes in seasons always sends our hair for a loop. But lately we have been having a worse time with our scalp. Nothing like a little stress eczema to make you feel bad about your locks! But Origins Rich Rewards™ Intensive Moisture Treatment For Scalp and Hair is miraculously soothing to not only dry hair but an itchy scaly scalp.

Once weekly (though we say use it as often as feels good), after shampooing massage a handful of this rich cream into scalp and finger through hair to ends.

The Wheat Protein is great for hair health but vitamins E and A really do wonders for the scalp. Plus it smells like Pear, a fruit that is at its best in the late fall months. It makes us want to settle in for half an hour with a good magazine and a nice bowl of Bartletts or maybe an D'anju or two!

Beauty Classic: Avon Skin So Soft Original Bath Oil

2007-11-03T02:48:00.001-07:00

Sometimes there is a reason a beauty product has been around forever. One of our favorite classics is unsurprisingly Avon's Skin So Soft Bath Oil. We first encountered it in the shower of our aunt's guest bathroom after a long afternoon of horseback riding. She only had drying soap instead of our preferred shower gel so we found ourselves reaching for the oil after the thorough scrubbing of the dust and grime left our skin feeling a little parched.

We fell in love! Like the copy says Adored, raved about, idolized....it's the bath oil that outsells and out moisturizes the competition. Sure the bottle is boring, the ingredients are nothing new or novel, but i it works what is not to love?

Fragrance Friday: Musk By Jean Guy

2007-11-03T02:46:00.000-07:00

We are suckers for unisex fragrances. We share clothing with our boy (American Apparel deep v-necks tees) and beauty products (Kielh's) so why not scents? We are loving Jean Guy's Musk for just that reason.

The style is confident and fresh and the notes are crisp linen, pear, and both white and sensual musk which to us says man or woman this is a scent for people with a little zest!

In his latest creation Musk, he reinvents a classic and transforms it into something truly modern by capturing the sensuality of women with the passion of men.

For more Fragrance Friday reads check Robin at Now Smell This on breaking out the winter scents with Parfumerie Generale, a delicious fragrance from Olivier Durbano called Black Tourmaline with fall aromas like cardamom, coriander, cumin, and frankincense, from Perfume Smellin' Things, and a great roundup from Scentzilla on the top ten fragrances of fall!

Beauty News, Finally

2007-11-03T02:45:00.001-07:00

I know I have skipped 2 Fridays straight and I sincerely apologize. Please forgive me. For your reading pleasure, here's what has been happening in the world of beauty. There is so much more beauty to look forward to that it makes me giddy with joy. I hope that your weekend is full of happiness, laughter, food, people, and beauty.

Pout Cosmetics will be no more after the end of this year. They are bowing out of the beauty business. I know let's put our waterproof mascara to use.
Thierry Mugler is launching a cosmetic line, entitled Dare the Metamorphosis and five new fragrances; It launches in December and in limited distribution; The fragrances will launch at Saks in NY and the cosmetics will launch at certain Bloomingdale's in March; The fragrances include A Travers Le Miroir (Through the Looking Glass); Miroir des Secrets (Mirror of Secrets); Dis-Moi, Miroir (Mirror Image); Miroir des Vanites (Mirror of Vanities) and Miroir des Envies (Miroir of Desire).
Sephora is relaunching its bath collection with six new scents - Asian Ginger, Citrus Sage, Guava Passion, Morning Waterlily, Riviera Blue, Tropical Jasmine and Tangerine Grapefruit.
Le Mystere the upscale lingerie line is releasing its own skincare products.
Jennifer Lopez will release Deseo in February. I have yet to smell this, but the bottle alone needs to grace my dresser. [photo above]
Cate Blanchett will continue to be the face of SK-II globally. This is some really good skincare.
Beauté Prestige International, Shiseido’s fragrance division, will introduce in April a skin care and makeup line for men, which is to replace the existing Tout Beau Tout Propre collection.
Cofinluxe will release three new fragrances. Little Kiss, from Dali, will be launched in April; a second Dali scent is to hit counters in September, and My Morgan in April.
La Prairie will introduce Advanced Marine Biology Cream, a natural moisturizer t in January. The company will also introduce Midnight Rain, next fall. You know I will be all over this.
Physicians Formula is going natural with the launch of Organic Wear, the first certified organic makeup line to be sold in the mass market.
Have a great weekend. I'm headed to Fort Lauderdale for a yoga conference. I don't know how good my downward facing dogs and warriors will be after these long work days, but thank goodness I booked a few spa treatments for Sunday afternoon.
Kerastase is launching Densitive, a daily supplement for thinning hair and hair loss.
Tommy Hilfiger is releasing his next fragrance Dreaming in February.
New York & Co. launches a bath and body line on Nov. 15 called City Beauty.
American Beauty will release Beloved next spring with Ashley Judd as the model.
Liz Earle is opening a store in London. I need to get me across the pond and fast.
Alterna hair care line is launching Hemp Organics with certified hemp oil and organics next month.
Barbara Barry has created a new home scent line launching at Bergdorf and Neiman's next month. I must add these candles to the home rotation.

Au Revoir, Besos, Love, Lip Gloss, & Namaste.

Kanebo Sensai Silk Limited Edition

2007-11-03T02:43:00.000-07:00

Kanebo, a great skincare line, has created a limited edition creation targeted towards the younger generation from teen's through their twenties. The combination of these products helps keep young skin looking its age, while enhancing natural beauty. This graceful set contains the perfect blend for protection against early aging. Targeted towards the younger generation form teen's through their twenties, the combination of these products helps keep young skin looking its age, while enhancing a youthful skin's natural beauty.

Moisture Supply Eye Cream - Provided in full size, the cream keeps the skin in a condition that is naturally resistant to fine lines. The essential them is 24-Hour Moisturizing Supplement. Conventional eye creams are used as special treatments in the evening, yet Sensai Silk Moisture Supply Eye Cream is formulated for application any time of the day, even over makeup.
Softening Lotion (Moist) - A refined treatment, this lotion saturates the skin with moisture to counter harmful external factors while priming the skin for subsequent treatment by Emulsion (Moist). The end result of which, is soft, moist skin. Included in Travel Size.
Emulsion (Moist) - This light emulsion creates a hydrating veil that keeps the skin soft and dewy. This travel-sized adjunct to the previous two products improves resistance, firmness, brightness and softness.

Available at Saks for $80.

Indian Summer Scents

2007-11-03T02:39:00.000-07:00

Here in New York, summer and fall are playing a bit of a cat-and-mouse game. One day it's hot, the next it's cool. I can't figure out what clothes to wear! However, one nice effect is that it's giving me a few more days to indulge in my summer scents before packing them away for fall. I like fresh, citrussy scents layered with fruit, incense or marine notes. Here are my top summer scents of 2007:

Yuzu Rouge by Parfums 06130 - The citrusy top notes of grapefruit, Japanese Yuzu fruit and verbena make this perfectly refreshing on a hot summery day. The cassis and cardamom anchor it so the scent lasts longer and and has an alluring depth.

Un Jardin Sur Le Nil by Hermes - My aunt gave this to me, as it is her favorite summer scent. It quickly became one of mine, too! This is a very green, watery scent, inspired by the island-gardens on the Nile river. Notes include green mango, lotus flowers, aromatic rushes, incense and sycamore wood.
Note: I'm wondering if this is discontinued, since it's not on the USA Hermes website, nor on Sephora.com (and I recently saw it in a Sephora store). If anyone has info, please share!

Island Michael Kors - I probably got this 3 summers ago, and I still like it. It's a headier summer scent, better reserved for evening than during the hottest part of the day. There's something about it that does remind me of walking on a beach without shoes, where the breeze is refreshing and there are tropical fruits awaiting you under the shade of a palm tree. I've yet to try its sister scent, Island Michael Kors Hawaii, exclusive to Sephora. The clementine and orange notes in it do sound yummy.

Eau D'Italie - I got a travel set of fragrance, hair wash, hair balm, soap, shower gel and body milk at Lafco NY a year ago. I used it on a trip to Spain, and now anytime I smell the bright citrus scent, it takes me back to sunny days and ocean breezes. The notes are bergamot, incense, and blackcurrant buds. It's perfectly unisex, so you can share!

Eau D'Hadrien by Annick Goutal - My great-aunt took me to Paris when I was 16 years old; it was my first trip aboard. She always wore a sparkling citrus splash, and if this isn't it, it's as close as I can get. Eau d'Hadrien is a fresh, citrus fragrance in which a zesty touch of lemons from Sicily and grapefruits ripened under the Italian sun blend with the subtle notes of citron and cypress.

Fresh Cucumber Baie - Oh, sadness! This is no longer on the Fresh website. Luckily, you can find it here. This is a summer day in a bottle: drink in the fruity watermelon, grapefruit, and berry musk, balanced over fresh marine notes and cucumber pulp. It's fresh (no pun intended), not sticky sweet.

Alex by Alex Curran ~ new fragrance, and a plea for enlightenment

2007-11-02T04:42:00.000-07:00

Alex Curran, "über-WAG" wife of UK footballer Steven Gerrard, has launched her debut fragrance, Alex, in collaboration with OK! magazine.

The notes include bergamot, lemon, rose, jasmine, creamy vanilla, tonka bean and powdered musk. It will be available in 100 ml Eau de Toilette for £19.95.

So, somebody please explain to me what is going on in the UK lately. The US strikes me as completely celebrity-obsessed, yet we don't have all these B-list celebrity fragrances — why? Or do we?

Just in the last few years, the UK has seen Coleen, Jade Goody Shhh, Jordan Stunning, Kelly Brook, Samanda, Shilpa Shetty S2, The X Factor, and I'm sure I'm missing a few. As near as I can tell, all you have to do to launch a fragrance in the UK is appear on a reality show or marry a football (soccer, for us Americans) player. Do any of my fellow Americans even know the names of any of the spouses of well-known sports figures? Would you buy a fragrance from any of them? Has there been a single fragrance from a reality show star? Is it just easier to launch fragrances in the UK for some reason?

Burberry Men's Fragrances ~ 4 mini reviews

2007-11-02T04:37:00.000-07:00

Recently, a Now Smell This reader from Canada asked me what I thought of the Burberry fragrances for men. I had to fess up: “I’ve never tried any of them!” Shocked by my ignorance, my friend from the north braved the post office (and its rigmarole for shipping liquids across international borders) and sent me generous samples of Burberry for Men, Burberry Touch for Men, Burberry Brit for Men and Burberry London for Men.

Burberry For Men is the oldest Burberry scent but has been reformulated several times since its release in 1981; the current version contains lavender, bergamot, thyme, mint, moss, cedar, amber and tonka bean. Burberry for Men opens loud and proud: it’s cool, sharp and herbal. Burberry for Men’s lavender is enlivened, and somewhat disguised, by strong bergamot, mint and thyme. Straight out of the bottle, Burberry for Men smells like a lip-puckering French mouthwash I used to buy at Caswell-Massey. As I wore Burberry for Men, I experienced other “medicinal” moments — again, associated with my mouth. I like it when perfumes remind me of faces and places, but I don’t want a fragrance to prompt me to call my dentist and arrange a check-up — Burberry for Men is the scent of my dentist’s office!

Burberry Touch for Men was created by perfumer Jean-Pierre Bethouart and was released in 2000. When I read Touch’s list of ingredients, I was excited by the “promise of GREEN” — artemisia, violet leaf, mandarin leaf (other notes are white pepper, Virginia cedar, nutmeg, vetiver, tonka bean). On application, Burberry Touch for Men reminded me of an old fashioned barber shop with its scented suds, pomades and hair dressings. Touch opens with the smell of fresh leaves (violet leaf, artemisia) and as the leaves lose their punch, a pleasant vetiver aroma arises. Touch’s “mid-section” reminds me of Guerlain’s Vetiver (after it’s been on skin a few hours). Touch ends with a light vanilla-tonka bean accord. My overall impression of Touch for Men is of cleanness — not only the clean lathers and talcum powders of a barber shop, but the clean smell of freshly laundered clothes, dried outdoors in summer sunshine.

Burberry Brit for Men’s (2004; perfumer Antoine Maisondieu) list of ingredients intrigued me — green mandarin, bergamot, ginger, “frozen” cardamom, wild rose, nutmeg, cedar, “oriental” woods, grey musk and tonka bean — but when I sprayed on the fragrance for the first time I thought: “This is the BLANDEST of the Burberry bunch so far…even with ginger, rose and nutmeg….” At first sniff, Burberry Brit for Men seemed over-blended, its notes pounded together to produce a character-less blob. Just as I was about to wash my arms to rid myself of the boring Brit fragrance, something pleasant began to happen — the lemony scent of freshly grated nutmeg appeared, accompanied by sweet musk, tonka bean, and a calming vanilla-cedar accord; I felt cozy and content and Brit for Men became my favorite Burberry scent at that point, toppling Touch for Men from its pedestal.

The most recent Burberry men’s fragrance release is Burberry London for Men (2006, Antoine Maisondieu). By this stage of my testing, I knew that Burberry men’s fragrances changed and “developed” on the skin and should not be judged until they were worn for a few hours. London for Men starts safely, with the scent of lavender-bergamot, then comes cinnamon, pepper and wine (with a faint hint of leather). For me, it’s ALL about the base notes in this fragrance: the rich amber, the strong, but mellow, tobacco leaf, and smooth guaiac wood. London for Men is the most powerful and masculine of the Burberry men’s fragrances and it became my favorite — poor Brit had but a day in the spotlight. (Since mimosa flower is listed in London for Men’s ingredients, but is not readily apparent, one day I wore London for Men layered with Diptyque’s mimosa room spray and the result smelled great.)

I liked three of the four Burberry men’s fragrances; I don’t need full-size bottles of any of them but I may seek out a miniature of the London for Men. The Burberry men’s scents are calm and collected and pleasant to be around and though their vibe is “traditional” the perfumes are not dull. I was happy to wear a men’s line of contemporary designer scents that didn’t make me gag or feel like I was being sanitized by a mist of cheaply scented rubbing alcohol.

Damn you, Central Processing!

2007-11-02T04:34:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, feeling particularly low due to the torrential downpour (yes yes, I know we all needed the rain, but dammit, my shoes were ruined!) I decided to take an afternoon spin up to Nordstrom's to check out the latest entry in the Lancome Pout a Porter collection, PS Kiss for Peter Som.

I also really wanted to play with the iPhone, but Apple was having some kind of nerd party, so I didn't go in.

Now, considering the drubbing I took for shamelessly telling the world that I actually liked the Proenza Schouler lipstick in the zinc-oxide-pink, I was a little wary of trying anything this trendy-limited-edition-overhyped-expensive. But I started hearing rumblings of positive reviews from Blogdorf Goodman, the Beauty Addict, and All About the Pretty.

Normally I steer clear of dark lipstick shades, since it makes me feel a little like I'm walking down K Street. At night. On a Wednesday.

But, in the name of research I stalked the Lancome lady and begged her to let me try out the tester, since they were totally sold out.

It looked good on me. Definitely a wine color, but with a little extra brown. Requires a lot more maintence than my favorite glosses to make sure that it's in the lip line and even across my mouth. Not unlike the Robert Palmer girls from the Addicted to Love video, but interesting.

The surprise happened later, after the lipstick stayed on through an apple (mmmm, Honeykrisp apples, how I love thee). At dinner, a very tired fiance looked up at a frizzy haired me and stated, "You look really pretty today."

I asked, is it the lipstick? He took a second look (always careful, this one) and said, YES.

Since I knew that Nordstrom's was inconveniently sold out, I spent the weekend trying on other shades to see if they could reproduce the effect on said fiance, but no dice. On Sunday night I broke down and ordered it from the Nordstrom's website.

And now it sits...taunting me with it's "order in process" sneer despite my constant refreshing of the page. (Shocker, I know)

Ship it! Please! Pretty please??? My future marriage might depend on it!!

Just kidding. Maybe.

South Carolina Rejects Colbert

2007-11-02T01:51:00.000-07:00

S.C. Dems reject Colbert candidacy

Stephen Colbert’s satirical run for the presidency has run into its first roadblock — his bid to be on the ballot in the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary was rejected on Thursday.

The party’s executive council voted 13-3 to refuse Colbert’s application for a spot on the ballot.

“The general sense of the council was that he wasn’t a serious candidate and that was why he wasn’t selected to be on the ballot,” said Joe Werner, the party’s director. “There was discussion — I wouldn’t call it a heated debate — but there was discussion about it.”

There is no appeal process, Werner said, adding that the party will certify its ballot as final later Thursday with the South Carolina State Election Commission.

The Democrats had to decide whether they considered Colbert to be a bona fide Democrat who is nationally viable and has spent time campaigning in the state.

A South Carolina-based lawyer who was working to get Colbert’s name on the Democratic ballot could not immediately be reached for comment, nor could members of the executive council that made the decision.

Colbert could still run as an independent in the general election, though he’d have to collect 10,000 signatures to get on the ballot, said Chris Whitmire, a spokesman for the State Election Commission.

Colbert’s candidacy posed a tricky question for the Democratic Party executive council, which has to approve all candidates for the party’s ballot.

If it allowed Colbert to appear as a presidential candidate on their ballot, it would generate attention that might swell the party’s ranks and coffers by attracting previously unaffiliated voters.

But it likely would also attract allegations it was helping Colbert, the host of the popular faux-news program “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central, make a mockery of the election system.

On the flip side, by rejecting Colbert, the council might satisfy purists but be scorned as killjoys by others.

Members of the executive council expressed a range of similar sentiments before the vote, according to a CNN story.

It quoted council member Waring Howe Jr. saying Colbert would appear on the party’s ballot “over my dead body.”

Many members of the executive council likely voted against giving Colbert a spot on the ballot because they have allegiances to specific candidates, said former South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges, a Democrat who knows many council members.

“There are various candidates who don’t get the joke in the Democratic Party and who, for whatever reasons, want to keep him off the ballot,” said Hodges, who signed a petition supporting Colbert’s candidacy. “I personally think he doesn’t hurt any of them. He brings a sense of levity to politics that’s needed, and the people in South Carolina would enjoy it. We probably would have some people participate who otherwise would not do so.”

Hodges, who served from 1999 until 2003, met Colbert at a recent party and said, “I even offered myself up as a vice president. I told him that he could think of me as Dick Cheney but as a better shot,” presumably making a crack about Cheney’s infamous hunting incident.

Less than one hour before a noon deadline, Colbert filed to get on the ballot. He submitted a $2,500 filing fee — paid with a personal check from Colbert — and a letter explaining to the committee why he wanted to run, said Werner.

“It is a very, very nice letter. If you’re from South Carolina, this is going to play a role in the decision, I’m sure,” Werner said before the meeting.

Another issue the council may have considered: The state Democratic Party has to pay the state a $20,000 fee for each name it places on the ballot.

The council did grant a spot on the party’s ballot to former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel, whose presidential campaign barely registers in most polls and who the Democratic National Committee has barred from participating in official debates.

Also getting approval at Thursday’s meeting: Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Barack Obama of Illinois, Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Joe Biden of Delaware and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio and Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico.

Colbert brought his “campaign” to South Carolina last week, speaking at events Saturday and Sunday, attracting a college crowd of about 1,000 people at the latter.

On his show last month, Colbert announced he would run on both the Democratic and Republican primary ballots in his native state of South Carolina.

But the fee to apply to get on the Republican ballot was $35,000, while Democrats asked for only a $2,500 fee or the signatures of 3,000 registered South Carolina voters on a petition.

Colbert had posted a downloadable copy of the Democratic Party’s petition on a bare-bones campaign website, www.colbert08.org.

Though Colbert submitted petitions, Werner said they were unnecessary because he paid the filing fee. He added that he did not think Colbert had collected 3,000 valid signatures.

“There are some names on the petition that are interesting names,” Werner said, including Hodges'.

Ironically, even though he likely won’t be on the Democratic ballot, his effort brought him at least halfway to being considered a real candidate under federal election laws.

The laws impose strict rules on anyone who raises or spends more than $5,000 to promote a candidacy.

If Colbert hits that threshold, whether his campaign was intended as a joke or not, he’d have 15 days to form a campaign committee and file a statement of candidacy with the FEC.

Kim Kardashian Playboy Leak

2007-11-02T01:27:00.000-07:00

There's been a leak of Kim Kardashian's Playboy photos from the upcoming December issue. Those interested in saving the subscription price and seeing thumbnails can do so here.

For higher resolution images (and tastefully cleaned up a little) of the Kim Kardashian Playboy leak, there here, here, here.

I will admit to being a little surprised though. It's only a few months ago that Kim was suing to keep pictures of her naked off the net instead of on it:

Kim Kardashian, who in February sued adult video distributor Vivid Entertainment for releasing a homemade video of her having sex with ex-boyfriend, singer Ray J, without her consent, will be paid by Vivid a settlement totaling close to $5 million.

Sources also say that Vivid has agreed to cease distribution of the video by the end of May (but a Vivid source claims the settlement payment is “closer to $3 million” and that “no decision has been made as to whether or not distribution will stop”).

“Kim is relieved that she can now move on from this embarrassing chapter in her life,” says a Kardashian pal.

Steven Hirsch, co-chairman of Vivid Entertainment, released a statement saying, “We are pleased that Kim has dropped her legal action against us. We met with her several times and finally reached a financial arrangement that we both feel is fair.”

Hirsch continued, “We’ve always known we had the legal right to distribute this video which became an instant best-seller and we’ve always [wanted] to work something out with Kim so she could share in the profits.”

The other thing is that when I first saw the headline "Playboy Leak" my thoughts immediately turned to tits and silicone: but apparently hers are real.

General Paul Tibbets, Pilot of Enola Gay, RIP

2007-11-02T01:11:00.000-07:00

Brigadier General Paul Tibbets, best known as the pilot of the Enola Gay that dropped the Little Boy atomic bomb onto the Japanese war-supporting city of Hiroshima, has died at the age of 92. In recent years he has made the news about being unrepentant over what some vocal (revisionist) critics consider a war crime.

Paul Tibbets, who etched his mother’s name — Enola Gay — into history on the nose of the B-29 bomber he flew to drop the atomic bomb over Hiroshima, died Thursday after six decades of steadfastly defending the mission. He was 92.
Throughout his life, Tibbets seemed more troubled by other people’s objections to the bomb than by him having led the crew that killed tens of thousands of Japanese in a single stroke. The attack marked the beginning of the end of World War II.
Tibbets grew tired of criticism for delivering the first nuclear weapon used in wartime, telling family and friends that he wanted no funeral service or headstone because he feared a burial site would only give detractors a place to protest.
And he insisted he slept just fine, believing with certainty that using the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki saved more lives than they erased because they eliminated the need for a drawn-out invasion of Japan.

Considering the estimates AT THAT TIME were over a million Allied casualties, and more than that on the Japanese side, I think Tibbets has the moral high ground here. The war ended in August 1945 only because of the unprecedented entry of the Emperor into Japanese politics, after the atomic bombs. The Generals and Admirals were generally ready to fight to the last man standing in Japan, until the Emperor said no.

Tibbets, a 30-year-old colonel at the time, and his crew of 13 dropped the five-ton “Little Boy” bomb over Hiroshima the morning of Aug. 6, 1945. The blast killed or injured at least 140,000.

I’m not sure what that phrase means, “or injured.” Today it means a broken fingernail, but then it was more significant, as the WaTimes coverage clarifies quoting Tibbets,

“I remind you, we were at war. Our job was to win. Once the targets were named and presidential approval received, we were to deliver the weapon as expeditiously as possible consistent with good tactics,” Gen. Tibbets once recalled. “The objective was to stop the fighting, thereby saving further loss of life on both sides.”

Estimates of deaths in Hiroshima top 140,000 within one year of the blast, which rose up in a massive mushroom of smoke and fire, the shape and image itself destined to become a visceral cultural icon in the years to come. The U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki 72 hours later; the Japanese surrendered shortly thereafter, ending the war.

“It did in fact end the war,” said Morris Jeppson, the officer who armed the bomb during the Hiroshima flight. “Ending the war saved a lot of U.S. armed forces and Japanese civilians and military. History has shown there was no need to criticize him.”
Former U.S. Sen. John Glenn, a former Marine fighter pilot, said people who criticized Tibbets for piloting the plane that dropped the bomb failed to recognize that an allied invasion of Japan, which the bomb helped avert, would have resulted in the deaths of several million people.
“It wasn’t his decision. It was a presidential decision, and he was an officer that carried out his duty,” Glenn said. “It’s a horrible weapon, but war is pretty horrible, too.”
Tibbets said in 2005 that after the war he was dogged by rumors claiming he was in prison or had committed suicide.
“They said I was crazy, said I was a drunkard, in and out of institutions,” he said. “At the time, I was running the National Crisis Center at the Pentagon.”

The difference to today is that the military would have a dozen Colonels/Captains, and a General/Admiral in charge for a similar program - and I’d guess there were more generals then.

Author Richard Rhodes said Tibbets’ feelings about the bombing he helped plan embodied public opinion at the time.
“He was so characteristic of that generation. He was a man who took great pride in what he did during the war, including the atomic bombing,” said Rhodes, who wrote “The Making of the Atomic Bomb.”
“It’s hard for people today to think about the atomic bombings without feeling they were just out and out atrocities, but people at the time had a very different sense of what they needed to do,” Rhodes said

An exceptional man – Colonel at 30 (even Lt Colonel at 30 is an achievement).

For details on his long Air Force career, see his updated USAF bio He was in the Air Force (Army Air Corps) for almost 20 years after Hiroshima including several major commands, but he is known only for one event.

And via DefenseTech comments, I find this link for his interview with Studs Terkel

Note: I have been at ground zero in Nagasaki.

Frederic Malle's Bois D'Orage

2007-11-02T01:07:00.000-07:00

I sniffed Bois D'Orage at Barneys in NYC.I thought it smelled liked warmed hay.The Malle sales associate smiled warmly but indicated with a curt negative head bob that I was way off base. There was an opening note of bergamot with angelica and cedar in the drydown. It was more masculine than I would normally wear but I just could not stop sniffing my wrist.I can only imagine how fabulous this scent would be on the nape of the neck of an attractive man.It is currently available at Barneys in NYC for $185.The listed notes in the Barneys catalog are nutmeg, iris, cedar, cardamon, musk and pimento.