Category Archives: Givenchy

The Quest for a Holy Grail Semi-Matte Lipstick Stops Here: Givenchy Le Rouge Reviews, Photos, Swatches

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Brace yourselves, ladies and gentlemen. Here come today’s pretties!

Givenchy Le Rouge 102 and 301
Givenchy Le Rouge 102 Beige Plume and 301 Magnolia Organza

Givenchy Le Rouge (CDN $38 / US $36, exclusively at Sephora) is a modern semi-matte lipstick. It is silky, lightweight and reflects light to bring dimension to the lips. Both shades I tried are packed with pigment so they cover the lips in one swipe. This is the best semi-matte formula I’ve ever tried. Its velvety texture is something I would liken to Giorgio Armani’s Maestro Foundation. It doesn’t migrate out of my lip lines after I apply; it just sets to a beautiful silky, almost powder-like finish. This lipstick is longer lasting than most of my lipsticks. It may or may not have outlasted a McDonald’s combo of quarter pounder with cheese and french fries. Ahem.

Givenchy Le Rouge Packaging
Givenchy Le Rouge — Packaging

Givenchy did not only make a great makeup product here, but they also cased the bullets in hefty, soft leather and chrome covers. Meow! So sexy. If the packaging was fugly I probably would still want to buy all the lipsticks! anyway.

Givenchy Le Rouge 102 Beige Plume
Givenchy Le Rouge 102 Beige Plume

102 Beige Plume is peachy brown. On me, it is a warm nude colour that is a safe bet for the office. It’s sweet and demure, and so perfect.

Givenchy Le Rouge 102 Beige Plume Swatch
Givenchy Le Rouge 102 Beige Plume Swatch

Wearing Givenchy Le Rouge 102 Beige Plume
Wearing Givenchy Le Rouge 102 Beige Plume

301 Magnolia Organza is a vibrant reddish pink. It’s hard not to feel a little bit sassy with this one on. Work it, baby!

Givenchy Le Rouge 301 Magnolia Organza
Givenchy Le Rouge 301 Magnolia Organza

Keep reading to see swatches and full face photos!

Click here to see swatches and full face photos!

Halloween Beauty Special: These Scary Eyelash Products Work!

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Givenchy Noir Couture 4 in 1 Mascara / shu eyelash curl & karl eyelash curler

Out of all the makeup products in the world, eyelash products are really high up there in the scary department. A lot of them look like torture devices: metal lash curlers, gigantic wands, spiky ball wands… the list goes on. It’s a really terrifying lash world we live in.

But don’t be afraid! It turns out that some of these nerve-racking products and tools really work, and I want to show you a couple of them today. :)


shu eyelash curl & karl eyelash curler

One of the most world renowned tools gets a cutesy/creepy face lift with shu eyelash curl & karl eyelash curler ($24) from the Karl Lagerfeld for shu uemura Holiday Collection. I have been a fan of the shu uemura eyelash curler for years now. If I have 30 seconds in my morning to get ready, they will be spent curling my lashes with my shu. This special limited edition curler comes with our favourite creepy doll, mon shu, in case you need that extra bit of spookiness to wake you up. ;)  The collection is available starting in November (that’s tomorrow!) exclusively at Holt Renfrew across Canada and shuuemura-usa.com in the US.


Givenchy Noir Couture 4 in 1 Mascara

A wand that looks like 3 spiky balls? This one looks like it will hurt, but recently I’ve been reaching for Givenchy Noir Couture 4 in 1 Mascara in 1 Black Satin ($35, Sephora) when I can’t be bothered to apply other eye makeup. It promises 4 benefits: volume, curl, length, and complete lash care. I always feel like most mascaras over-promise on benefits, but I think Noir Couture Mascara does a great job on all of the above.

After one coat, Noir Couture brings decent volume and fantastic length, and holds a curl well. Two coats brings fluttery voluminous lashes, while still keeping the hairs curled and supple. Apparently, Givenchy’s exclusive Lash Booster Expert Complex protects and fortifies each lash. I do like that my lashes don’t feel “hairsprayed” crunchy while wearing Noir Couture. The 3 spiky spheres do a fantastic job grabbing on to each lash, coating them up and away. I’m a big fan (and my lashes fan out, heh. /corny).


Lashes curled with shu uemura curl & karl and wearing Givenchy Noir Couture mascara

What’s the scariest beauty product or makeup you’ve ever come across?

Fragrance Favourites: Snuggle Up With These Cozy Scents For Fall and Winter.

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I do not claim to be a fragrance expert, but in the several years that I’ve been wearing perfume, I have figured out what notes I am generally drawn to. In the warmer months, anything with jasmine has my name on it. When sweater weather arrives, out come the warm, snuggly fragrances. I look for sandalwood, vanilla, or powdery musk. I love a perfume that wears like my most comfortable sweater. I know I’ve found a good perfume when it gives me a burst of happiness as I catch whiffs of it throughout the day.


Givenchy Dahlia Noir, TOCCA Colette, Chloé Love, Chloé

Givenchy Dahlia Noir Eau de Toilette * ($77 for 1.7oz, Sephora) has those familiar base notes of sandalwood and vanilla, warm amber and cedar. While I think the opening notes of lemon, peach and mandarin orange are just okay, I am just crazy about the dry down of this perfume. On me, this is a powdery floral, much like Chloé Love, Chloé Eau de Perfume ($90 for 1.7oz, Sephora). I reviewed this here, and I still to this day adore this fragrance. Oh that’s another thing I’ve learned: orange blossom is one of my favourite florals, too. Mmm. Love, Chloé one has orange blossom as one of its middle notes. Both Dahlia Noir and Love, Chloé are daytime fragrances to me. They are soft, feminine and lasts a long time.

I was so excited when I finally bought TOCCA Colette Eau de Parfum ($72 for 1.7oz, Sephora). It just felt oh, so right. Before I bought it, I was so crazy over this warm and sweet fragrance that I had been going back to Sephora for a quick spritz of Colette. (Seriously, true story.) I have received so many compliments from Mr. Geeks and from lady friends. I think the notes just work really well with my body chemistry. I love the description, too: “Colette embodies the irresistible scent of a woman that lingers on the pillow long after she leaves.” I couldn’t have said it better. Notes include: bergamot, mandarin, lemon, juniper berry, pink peppercorn, jasmine, violet, cyclamen, pine needles, incense, musk, sandalwood, amber, vanilla and cedarwood.

These soft fragrances, an oversized sweater and my warm purring cat: these are my essentials for a lazy cuddling day. :)

What are your favourite fragrances to snuggle up in?