Archive for the ‘BEAUTY’ Category

Kikidoll readers all know she cannot turn a good coconut down, especially when it comes delivered in Big City style.  To Go.

Olivia Giacobetti of Honore des Pres perfumes comes knocking with her all organic range of scents as an homage to her recent relocation from Paris to New York.  Less a story of scents in the the city, the trio of Love NY perfumes–Love Coco, Vamp a NY and I Love les  Carrottes– is more a joyous loved-up affair with her new digs.

Prior to her move, Olivia launched  Honore des Pres after developing fragrances for Diptyque and L’Artisan Parfumeur.

Packaged in her eponymous rounded-edge atomizer bottle, that is then tucked into a plastic coffee cup, then placed in a brown paper bag, buying Love Coco is better than being first up at Starbies for that morning latte.

After you are hit with the raw coconut, the milky smoothness settles in like cream with an undertow of vanilla and a sneak of anis. But wait–there’ a shot of coriander to jizz it all up into a near-fizzy frothiness.

Sit back in your cubicle, put those perfectly pedicured feet up on the desk and sip away.  In a NY minute, visions of yourself in a bikini in a hammock by the beach and palms fronds dangling overhead will be yours. No trace of Hawaiian Tropic or a morning-after Pina Colada, Love Coco comes sashaying with surprising 8 + hour lasting power and more subtlety than a summer island breeze.

Launched in Europe, first in Milan at Excense and then at Colette and Bon Marche in Paris, the trio of goodies to go are now available at Space NK UK, and will be finally winging their way over the pond stateside in the autumn.  If you need that hit of a tropical romance earlier, you know where to go for take-out.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Breath of Exotic, Coconut in Perfumes (fragrantica.com)

Kikidoll’s Bikini In A Bottle

Whats Kikidoll’s bikini in a bottle all about ?

Kikidoll is preparing to ‘launch’ her capsule Cruise Collection of swimwear for 2010-2011–literally–drifting towards a beach near you sometime this autumn.

Filling 21 bio-degradable sea-worthy bottles each with her newest 21 Hawaiian-inspired printed string bikinis that she just previewed at Miami Swim Week for next year, Kiki is sealing them up, ready for a  voyage of a lifetime.

Releasing them from her native Waikiki Beach, Honolulu next month, Kiki is relying on the very same equatorial currents that guided the Pacific peoples of the Marchesas and Tahiti to the islands of Hawaii several thousands of years ago by canoe and paddle.

It is estimated that each bikini in a bottle, will hit land between 60 and 90 days, using the current map, above, as a guide. Watch this space for updates and photos of the launch and any sightings when they hit landfall. Photos are invited from any lucky beachcombers!

The Southern currents will push the teeny bikinis in a bottle  towards the Pacific rim basin–Australasia and Pacific islands. Northern currents will take the bottles towards the Americas, north, south, Latin and central. The West wind drift will push them towards Europe and the Pacific drift will send some aloha to Canada.

The rule of finders-keepers applies, so get out there in time to scoop up a Kikidoll bikini amongst the shells and treasures of the ocean!

Bikini In A  Bottle

Kikidoll Womens Swimwear Cruise 2010-11

Twitter

VOX

DIGG

Warm beachy weather is everywhere (almost) and those pasty pins need some dolling up before displaying on the unforgiving glare of sand and deck.

Before you don the summer frock or bikini make sure your legs are beach-ready and bronzed, sans the baking and damage caused by UVA/UVB’s.

To get the silkiest, smoothest pair of gams, first slough off the surface with a body polisher like Origins Salt Rub. Nothing beats this concoction and its scent is dreamy with a cross between spearmint and rosemary. The after-effect of the emollient oils lasts all day. If none is to hand, then mix rough salt and sugar with coconut and sweet almond oils, and scrub away the winter doldrums.

Once the buffing is job-done, move onto intense moisture replacement. Baby oil or those luscious tropical oils, above, do the trick nicely, but if its creamy you want, then opt for melt into the skin Laura Mercier Souffle Body Creme de Pistache at the pricey end or stalwart Nivea Creme from the drugstore.

Now for the glow factor. Self-tanners abound in every price point, but the best trick of all is to apply only a tiny bit every day after showering to avoid the smudgey streaky tell-tale signs. In this regard, too much moisturizer can work against a flawless layer of bronzer. Whether you visit ‘Isle de Lancome’ or ‘Isla Neutrogena‘ make sure the effect is gradual and in line with your usual coloring. Creamsicle tinted legs are not a winner.

Best of show is the leg bronzer launched by make-up artist Kyra Panchenko who did make-up for the new Sex and the City 2 film, opening today. Cellulite busting, leg firming and moisture drenching, plus bronzing glow, RioBlush ‘City Girl’  is win-win-win-win like our fearless 4 city girls, and almost, but not quite, as good as the film promises to be!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Fake a Golden Summer Tan (beyondjane.com)
• How to Make Your Spray Tan Last (amominredhighheels.com)
• Fruity Exfoliators That Smell Good Enough to Eat (shefinds.com)
• How To Get Skin Swimsuit And Summer Ready (body-care.suite101.com)

 This coming weekend April 25 in Kaneohe a bevy of beautiful island girls will compete  for the state crown of Miss Teen United States for Hawaii.  There’s more than a diamante encrusted crown and an armful of bouquets  to claim at this pageant, an affiliated daughter of the  Mrs United States pageant.

The hopeful teen winner, judged and hand-picked from dozens of entrants will reign for one year as an ambassadress of aloha for these islands and more importantly will represent the state of Hawaii in the national competition for Miss Teen United States in July in Las Vegas replacing the 2009 teen queen Courtney Turner from South Carolina.

Expected to compete in the world pageant next month and also to crown her successor, the current teen queen from Hawaii for 2009 Sheryl Wolfe tragically and suddenly died April 20 after suffering a massive brain hemorrhage after collapsing at her Mililani high school last week. In a split second her dream has shattered and caused great sadness in her circle of family, friends and admirers. Remembered for her sunny attitude and kind words she made her mark more indelible by donating her organs, enabling at least 4 recipients to have an improved chance at a healthier life.

Her ‘sister’  in the pageant, runner-up  Florence Villanueva will compete in Sheryl’s place wearing her gown and swim suit, and will hand over the symbolic duties when she crowns Sheryl’s replacement this Sunday. Joy and sadness will be tinged with the bittersweet of winning and losing but none more precious a loss than a beautiful teen queen struck down in her prime.

Aloha Sheryl.

Looking for a new perfume for Spring, Kikidoll got this email from a fellow fumie friend in Paris:

Dear Kiki,

I am in the Galerie de Valois in Palais Royal and just bought this amazing scent by Serge Lutens called Tubéreuse Criminelle.

You have to smell this–it’s like sitting at night in our lanai back home in Waikiki. Costs a bomb–110 Euros for 75 ml.–  but you gotta have it!  Will give up eating my daily crepe just to buy it for you.

Yours,  Smellarella

Kikidoll wrote back:

Dear Smella,

Yes, heard of it, but can’t buy it here and they won’t ship to US–it’s exclusive in Europe. I googled it and it says it has tuberose alright, but also jasmine and something else…spicey?

Why don’t you just come home and sit in your lanai?  Hawaii’s air is already so perfumed it’s practically criminal.

Save your Euros. And enjoy your crepe au chocolat!

Ever your sistah,  K

Ah, criminal tuberose, like a night thief!

Kikidoll read on:

The lingering, wafting scents of  tuberose, jasmine, orange blossom and hyacinth are laced with spicey nutmeg, clove and vanilla and levelled off with musk for mystery. Developed for Serge Lutens Perfumes by Chris Sheldrake it was first released in 1999 and by now it is well-ensconced as a classic, no, great, tuberose fragrance that’ll steal your heart and wallet.

Nothing prepares you for the ‘ta-dah’ opening  blast it gives. Tubéreuse Criminelle has at times been compared to everything from’ sewer gas to moth balls to Vick’s Vapo-rub.’

Eventually during the dry down once the top notes fade the tuberose left behind is enveloped in a lush, velvety spice bath. Not creamy and dreamy like the tuberose so prominent in Fracas, another heady tuberose perfume that like Tubéreuse Criminelle has its fans swooning and squeeing its delights. Take Fracas as the girlier version; Tubéreuse Criminelle, although not masculine, could cross-dress it can be so seductive. And chilly. And dangerous.  (All props to Now Smell This)

Smella confirmed Kikidoll’s fear that Tubéreuse Criminelle is only available if, like Smella, you are in Paris (or the EC). Eating crepes. Giving up your pocket money just  to own this mysterious, dangerous, cat burglar of a scent.

Or, you could just go to Hawaii and smell the flowers in the air!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Cartier: Les Heures de Parfum (jackandhill.net)
• Kim Kardashian Eau de Parfum: For When You Want To Smell “Curvy” [Scents And Sensibility] (jezebel.com)