Beauty Newbies

Weather is still nicely summery even if it's getting closer to Autumn. I still felt like grabbing some autumn-like purchases: 

1. You have probably seen Rouge Bunny Rouge's latest Chronos palette on all the grande beautyblogs. Me too, so when my fave high-cover foundation of '14 (see here) was on sale, I added this palette for beauty's sake. 

2. I've already started sampling some new oils for when Autumn weather will appear. I've been reading plenty about YÜLI Skincare: SpiritBeautyLounge has a sampling service which makes it affordable to try out. 

3. Candles: How Autumn/Winter they are to me. I still picked out the tropically Gardenia based 'Je t'aime Jane' from Bella Freud's line. I mean, my blog is called 'Birkinbagbeauty' because I love Jane Birkin so I couldn't resist a candle in her homage.

4. Chanel quad in Poésie: The national beautystores have 25% off on eyeshadows and this L.E Chanel was finally in stock. It's described as a set of the most effortless neutrals by most beautyblogs: Probably dupable but still highly chanel and supereasy on undecided mornings of 'how to dress the eyes'.

April's Empties

This month has been a normal empties month:

• Pai daycream in Macademia & Rose has not been finished yet, but it reached the expiry date. I quite like the neutral texture but I opened it too late 

•  De Mamiel Spring oil is nice, but I'm not too fond of it's lemony, home-cleansing scent. I added some neroli & geranium to perk it up: that worked 

•  Nourish Revital-eye made it to my Best of 2013 List. I've emptied my 2nd tube & keep on loving its effect on my eyes.

• Avene eau Thermale had been on my wishlist for a while. I got the samplesize and like it, but I cannot really distinguish between this one and La Roche Posay: I just like both types.
•  Ren Evercalm cleanser is lovely, but these days I'm more partial to either cleansing oils or micellar waters. But it's nice to try
• Kris dAmour makes some lovely oils. The soothing faceoil, is everything it promises, delightfully soo
• Estelle & Child lifting Eyecream was a bit of a miss for me. It gave me an irritation: the saleswoman told me it was because the eyec  re am contained too many actives but I don, t have yhis promblem with either Pai Echium nor Nourish Revital-Eyes. It's just not working for me.

Both of my pot eyeliners dried out.  

I really liked RMS Unpowder which explained why I finished in 4 months

• Nexxus Emergencee changed into Polymedic: the formula is still similarly brilliant and givesmhair a good dose of protein.
• Trilogy Refresh and Shine is an excellent, organic conditioner with light but effective detangling properties
• Less is MORE Lindengloss shampoo smells amazing and cleanses light but effectively. I want themfull size now!
• Ila Nourish body lotion is light and has that hwrbal scent. Lovely, but the full size would be a tad too pricy for me
• Last but not least has been Timothy Dunn Mille Fleurs candle: so good that it should become a perfume.

A Sale Fave for the Cozy Candle Collection

Winter keeps most of us in the house so the house should be a comfortable place. I love using more candles during this period and to create a specific mood with a composition of fragance.

I had been quite curious about Timothy Dunn when I bought my Rituals candle (here). I was eager to buy it when it got on sale: I picked Mille Fleurs (a thousand flowers) as it's reminiscent of Bangkok's Flower Market and the plethora of  heady flowers being sold...

The composition is really flowery in a niche perfume manner: heady tuberose, a dainty 'white' note of lotus and some flowers I couldn't really sort out with my unpracticed nose. I think it evokes a spring-like mood. Winter has been soft and rather sunny so I expect the 'blue' of next monday to be a bit lighter. Adding the Thai flower-market scentual atmosphere it's simply a gorgeous first step towards spring...

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I bought the Mille Fleurs candle on beautybay

Before Resolution 'Spend Less'...

I have found some really interesting sales going on:

Selfridges has the cutest Takashi Murakami Collection palette from £60.00 -> £40.00 in both colours. I have found some swaches here & here.

The SA in Holland said that Laura Mercier's baked eyeshadows "Les Petits Bonbons' were a limited edition and really hard to get. Well, it's on sale now over here in the most gorgeous wooden box. 
While you're saleshopping, do not forget Selfridges non-sale-but-really-useful Suqqu range & the hyped Charlotte Tilbury too.

Harrods has a good deal on the pricy Chantecaille range and especially their palettes are tempting: The Bengali Tiger & the Shadow & the Rose palette are half price now. Karla's famous arm shows Bengali over here

Beautybay is having a fair discount on the Le Metier de Beaute range and I already caved and own the gorgeous Carnaby Street Kaleidoscope. Cultblogger Sabrina from TheBeautyLookbook has them swatched here.  BTW, isn't it strange that the so-called 'exclusive' Bloomingdales/Neiman Marcus palettes are often to be found somewhere else? Not that I'm complaining.
Another cult-LMDB is their dewy lip & cheek Fresh Tints.
 Beautybay also has Rouge Bunny Rouge on sale & Edward Bess, but mostly for about 10% discount

Liberty is having the spring-zesty/summery Jovoy Mojito candle on sale with a gorgeous glass bell jar: what a way to tone down your Holiday's alcohol habit and rejoice for summery times & mojitos. If you prefer your room to smell like cake (think Marie Antoinette), they have this candle without the jar.

Also, this Kenzo cosmetic purse is now discounted from £90.00 to £27.00 so you can be fierce about carrying your makeup around.

Cozy Candle Collection: Rituals Sacred Fire

Last Christmas I have been indulging in a certain type of candle-snobbery or  a chandler-philia. This year I try to tone it down by venturing into a cheaper brand of candle: Rituals.

Also, based on aesthetics (such a pretty candle) and the fact it is limited edition.

Smelling it unburned in the store gave it a warm & wintery feeling. 

Ofcourse, those are not the descriptive words on the box:

Earthy & Musky- Indeed

Patchouli - ohh, so warm

Cedar - like a warm fireplace in a frozen landscape

Immortality - huh? I guess I'm with Troy the movie quoting that the God's are envy people as any moment can be our last (source)

Opening the package is really a luxury experience: Rituals really is up to the more snobby niche candle site:

And the slogan is completely Chrismassy:

 

And true!

Right now I am enjoying the candle when I want to feel warm and somewhat like gluhwein.

 I am still slightly a candle-snob and I do think the likes of Cire Trudon & Jovoy make a more sophisticated blend of perfume. Then again, this beauty costs me € 17 and for Cire I have to pay at least €60. Therefore, I love this in rooms like the kitchen that do not need haute parfume but still can have that bit of extra delicious fragance.

As for people who want to read more about the candle niche: Vogue UK December has a small article on page 370. 

 Which makes me curious about Timothy Dunn now.