Eerste Bodylotion van Van Cleef & Arpels - Een Luxe Verzorgingservaring

Thursday, May 30, 2019

The One- Makeup Items That Always Work

The first thing that came to mind here was Lancome Artliner. I've been using these pens for thirty years and always have at least two or three in different colors. Artliner has been changed and redesigned a few times over the years, and the current extra long felt tip iteration surprised me at first, but an Artliner is an Artliner, reliable and easy to use. Their brown shade is not only my perfect brown but also a go-to daytime favorite. The definition it gives my lash line is strong without too harsh a contrast, so it's a good companion to a very colorful eye look.

One more Lancome recommendation is their mascaras. I'm a believer in the holy trinity of lashes: Lauder-Lancome-Clinique. But Lancome is my go-to for my no-brainer. I like all of them, from the classic Definicils that gives only the most basic and natural look to the modern Monsieur Big (kind of an Instagram look, if you ask me) and the various Grandiose mascaras with their no lash left behind technology. But the Hypnose family is where my heart and lashes are. They're a classic "before and after" mascaras and the quality is superb.

Eye Shadows
MAC Satin Taupe single.
I could end it here and stop, which says plenty considering the endless eye shadow options on the market. Palettes as far as the eye can see, singles in unique colorways from indie brands big and small. But there's only one Satin Taupe bothin terms of color and texture that allows you to pack, blend, and use it as an all-over one and done color. I know not everyone actually looks good in taupe (it feels like heresy, but the fact is that no color is truly universal), and I suspect Burberry Pale Barley would do the same thing for the taupe-resistant crowd). It's also a good reminder of how good MAC permanent line is and has always been, beyond the oft redundant and sub-par limited collections.

The Boutique

Van Cleef & Arpels Flagship Boutique, Toronto

The street view of the boutique consists of an Art Deco inspired façade, embellished by a geometric pattern of alternating matte black and gold, lozenge-shaped tiles. This design was first seen in 1937, on a Van Cleef & Arpels’ minaudière ( a small, decorative handbag without handles or straps). Faithfully replicated on the boutique’s exterior, the design spans the entire height of the boutique, which is a first for any Van Cleef & Arpels store in the Americas.

The color scheme of the interior, matte gold and black, echoes that of the boutique’s façade and once again is reminiscent of the Art Deco aesthetic. “We are delighted to enhance the elegant universe of our French Maison with our new boutique on Bloor Street, designed to evoke the warmth and elegance of a Parisian apartment,” comments Helen King, President & CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels, Americas about the boutique.

The Van Cleef & Arpels Ballerina brooch

The iconic Ballerina brooch was first conceived in New York in 1940, inspired by Louis Arpels and his nephew Claude, who were friends of George Balanchine, co-founder of the School of American Ballet.

The first Ballerina brooches were made by John Rubel, who (as Jean Rubel) had emigrated to New York in the late 1930s and was the principal manufacturing jeweller for Van Cleef & Arpels until 1943.

After the ‘Spanish dancer’ was created in 1941, the firm produced a series of ballerina, dancer and fairy brooches, some with matching earrings. The Camargo brooch, made in 1942 and mounted in platinum with diamonds, rubies and emeralds, was inspired by Nicolas Lancret’s painting of Marie Camargo dancing, circa 1730.

A Van Cleef & Arpels ruby and diamond ‘Bird of Paradise’ brooch. Size/dimensions: 13.1 x 3.0 cm. Sold for CHF453,600 on 10 May 2023 at Christie’s in Geneva

In 1944, Barbara Woolworth Hutton (1912-1979), who at the time was married to Cary Grant, bought a ‘Spirit of Beauty’ Dragonfly Fairy brooch set with diamonds, emeralds and rubies, as well as purchasing a Ballerina brooch in the same year.

The distinctive jewels portray a series of poses, the costumes designed with rows of rose-cut diamonds, turquoises, rubies or emeralds. These dynamic creations were an instant success in New York, where they were viewed as something very distinct from the jeweller’s pre-war designs.

Perfumer

Friday, May 31, 2019

Currently- May 2019

I'm sneaking this one in just hours before the end of May. I waited for Game of Thrones to be over so I could exorcize it from my mind and read things other than recaps. Yes, the last two seasons should have been a full ten episode each, yes, there was no payoff to several story threads, and true- the Night King ended up being pretty lame (the actor, Vladimir Furdik, is a delight, though). Still, the ending did make sense in the grand scheme of Westerosy things, and as long as Brienne and Davos are alive and well I'm happy. Now, where did Drogon go and what's west of Westeros?

Book
Johan Harstad- Buzz Aldrin, What Happened to You in all that Confusion?
It's a Norwegian novel from over a decade ago (I've had it on my Kindle app forever), about a young man whose hero is the second man on the moon instead of Neil Armstrong.
There's something about the sensibility of some Scandinavian literature that makes me want to hop on a plane and spend midsummer over there.

Music
Erik Scott- The Invisible Wand

TV
We just watched the first season of A Discovery of Witches. Like the books, it's not bad. With the added charm of Matthew Goode. Who doesn't like Matthew Goode?