My latest post on Now Smell This is a review of Aroma M Beauty’s new Camellia Body/Bath Oil. You can read it here.
Month: August 2013
Screen Time: “The Talented Mr. Ripley”
I went to see “The Talented Mr. Ripley” in the theater when it was released in 1999, and I’ve re-watched it multiple times over the years. I enjoy this movie for many reasons—Italian locations! 1950s fashions! tightly plotted psychological suspense!—and a perfume moment never hurts.
In one scene, Tom Ripley (played by Matt Damon) sits at a portable typewriter to compose a letter that he will then sign as “Dickie Greenleaf,” another major character. (This story includes many themes of doubling and assumed identities; that’s all I’ll say.) Next to the typewriter sits a package from the venerable Florentine apothecary and perfumery Santa Maria Novella.
Product Review: ZuZu Luxe Mascara in Espresso
Women have been coming up with ways to darken their eyelashes for thousands of years, but sometimes there still doesn’t seem to be a decent basic mascara on the market. Clumpy, flaky, itch-provoking mascaras exist at all price points, from drugstore to prestige (yes, I’m looking at you, Hourglass and Tarte Cosmetics!). I already have fairly long, dark lashes, but I still have trouble finding a simple solution to my quest for increased (yet not over-the-top) length and definition.
LUSH Eyes Right is one product that has met my (very basic!) specifications, and ZuZu Luxe Mascara is another.
Continue reading “Product Review: ZuZu Luxe Mascara in Espresso”
Quick Read: “International Velvet” in The New York Times
One sure sign that it’s the end of summer: The New York Times Style Magazine, which is always printed on the last Sunday in August.
Velvet is apparently making a come-back in fashion—did it ever really go away?—and the magazine features a cultural history of the fabric, compiled by Carolina Irving, Charlotte di Carcaci, and Miguel Flores-Vianna. It ranges from fashion history to film to art, so it’s right up my alley. You can view this feature here. (There’s also a video, which I found less interesting.)
Passing Fancies: August 2013
August already?! Yes. Late August. Here are some of my recent and current fascinations…
Reading: Hilary Mantel’s Bring Up the Bodies.
Art: The exhibition “Swing Time: Reginald Marsh and Thirties New York,” at the New-York Historical Society.
Eats and Treats: A summer salad of tomatoes and peaches from the farmers market, with basil from our yard.
Drinks: Cocktails at Little Branch with my old friend Joe when he was in NYC last week. My favorite was a Water Lily (gin, crème de violette, lemon, and Cointreau). Perfection.
Beauty Products: Lipsticks in brighter rose shades, from higher-end (Lancôme’s Roses in Love) to drugstore (Maybelline’s Rose of Attraction).
Garb: Classic espadrilles in black.
Video: Breaking Bad. We can talk of nothing else these days.
Milestone: My first pair of eyeglasses, for reading. I’m getting old!
Image: August (Août) by Eugène Grasset (1896), via Wikipaintings.
TINSEL CREATION 