Kiehl's Power Plant now open for business!

Kiehl's just opened a new branch at Power Plant Mall. Hooray! My family has always loved Kiehl's. My husband Vince is the real fan—nearly all his grooming products are Kiehl's. I use the hair thickener and sunscreen. My babies use the foaming baby wash. Yup, we're fans!

But with their boutiques at Greenbelt 5 and Mall of Asia, I haven't really been able to buy the products my family loves. But now that there's a Kiehl's shop 5 minutes from my home, my new problem's going to be I ahve to stop myself from shopping too much!

I was at the opening event last week. It was an all-day affair and beautiful women and well groomed men were dropping by throughout the day. I passed by after lunch. If I had known there was going to be a buffet, I'd have eaten lunch there instead!

Here are photos of the event, plus the luscious products I brought home to try.

Kiehl's originated from New York City in 1851.

The decor is very NYC.

The pasta bar and other edibles.

Munchies and dessert station

With MEGA's beauty team, Kim Reyes-Palanca and Max Ignacio

This is the new Aromatic Blends Collection. It includes body cleansers, lotions and fragrances.
The scents are sourced from around the world in sustainable ways.

Here are the fragrances! I liked the bottle of Nashi Blossom & Pink Grapefruit best.

My husband's order. He super loves this facial foam.

This is my hair essential since I have the thinnest, finest, flattest hair in the world. 

The Kiehl's team recommended I try this. I'll give a review soon! I hope it works!

I love argan oil. It rid me of pimples! So I'll try it on my body, too, with these.

Truly excited that Kiehl's is so near us now! I urge you to drop by the new boutique at Power Plant. It's on the second level, near the center of the mall. You can't miss it. Now, if unlike me, you live noweher near Power Plant, other Kiehl's boutiques are at Greenbelt 5, Trinoma, Mall of Asia and Alabang Town Center.

Kirsten Dunst is the new Bulgari Beauty

I know I've been away for a while. Been updating my other blogs Topaz Horizon and Topaz Mommy and I actually have been literally away. My family and I spent three heavenly days at Shangri-la Mactan and I'll be writing about the products I brought with me soon.

Meanwhile, I came back to say that I am totally amazed at the new ad campaign of Bulgari's new perfume, Mon Jasmin Noir, starring the luminous Kirsten Dunst.

OK! Philippines got an exclusive sneak peek at the making of that TV commercial but, because I love you, I'm posting here some shots that we didn't include in our pages.

Hair and makeup

Adding the famous Bulgari jewels

Waiting for her mystery co-star

Kirsten glows in the sun

Donning the fashion house's earrings and eyewear

Here comes her leading man!

Kirsten's hands are lovely!

And so are those rings!

The photos that did make it to our June issue (out May 20!) are breathtakingly beautiful so do grab a copy to get your fill on this beautiful new campaign.

Make sure you also check out the fragrance! Here's Beauty For A Living's interview with Bulgari's Sophie Labbe:

How does the fragrance evoke the spirit of the brand?

The fragrance is fully inspired from the Bulgari Mediterranean Eden. A garden made of Mediterranean Cedrat, tender and crunchy almond notes of nougatine and different varieties of Jasmine (opulent and fresh). It is a very sophisticated Bulgari fragrance built around Jasmine, often called the “Diamond Flower” of perfumery because of its multiple facets and rich scents.

Mon Jasmin Noir explores the most luminous and radiant facet of the Jasmine: a jasmine at the very early hour at dawn.

Compare this fragrance to the other fragrances of Bulgari

All Bulgari fragrances carry the values of elegance and refinement. Bulgari loves to play with color and material combinations. Mon Jasmin Noir innovates with the association of a delicate Jasmine with an unexpected musky nougatine, bringing a caressing sensuality and an intense addiction into the fragrance

The noblest ingredients are crafted and cut like a gem, and for Mon Jasmin Noir, with a dazzling clarity, offering an undeniably modern and sensual feminine signature

Mon Jasmin Noir ingredients capture the lively charm of women: a mischievous personality allied with an intuitive sensuality

Is the brand going to come out with "heavier" fragrances in the future?

I have to confess that this belongs to Bulgari’s secret world ! 

Do you think that the fragrance and the accessories of the brand necessarily "match"?

The Bulgari brand conveys those beautiful Italian luxury values, colorful and daring and Bulgari’s unmistakable style is indeed recognizable on all its creations

The fragrance seems to target a "younger" market. Can you comment on this?

For Mon Jasmin Noir we worked around new delicate facets: the dewy sensation brought by crystalline lily of the valley, the youth and delicacy of the beautiful Angelwing Jasmine… they bring a fresh and lively character to the fragrance, with this irresistible air of innocence that define young woman, while being very sexy at the same time.

Fergie's Outspoken is for the tough girl who's secretly sweet

That was Fergie's new TVC for the fragrance she created with Avon. It's called Outspoken. I never got the impression that Fergie was an outspoken girl, though. She's always seemed very discreet to me. But, hey, maybe she means that with her music and songs and fashion, she can be loud and clear.

Then I got this in the mail last week:

Ooh! A big box with a big bow!

Inside was a cool leather jacket!
(Wore it to my radio tour for OK! magazine)

And Fergie's Outspoken perfume!

I got my very own bottle! Fergie says of her first foray into fragrances (love all the F's there!), "Fragrance makes me feel sexy and alluring. I wanted to create a fragrance that people will respond to and enjoy. Outspoken is a fresh, modern scent that will make the women who wear it feel confident and fearless."

Fergie also says that she enjoyed the creation process. "I want the fragrance, like my music, to have a story and have real meaning and personality."

And it's not just the concoction she was excited about since Fergie was also involved with the packaging: "I found the inspiration for the cap design while getting dresses for my wedding [to Transformers actor Josh Duhamel]. There was a crystal decanter in the bridal suite and I knew I wanted the cap [of my perfume bottle] to look like that. I was so excited about the design that I had my team send me sketches while I was on my honeymoon!"

Wow, she really was excited! I'm kinda like her in that I was working on my honeymoon, too. Some things become such a part of you that you can't leave work at the office, I guess. Wow. That just made me sad!

Anyway, what do I think about the fragrance? Well, it definitely conjured images of leather and lace, black and red, smokey-eye makeup, tough-girl chic, a night of seduction. It's a little too strong for my taste, but then I'm a light floral scent kinda girl. I do wear this, though, on a night out. Definitely a scent for the night.

Outspoken by Fergie costs P999 and is available through Avon Representatives nationwide. Call Avon at 864-2900 or log on to www.avon.com.ph.

Ferragamo launches Incanto Bloom

Just recently, Salvatore Ferragamo launched its latest fragrance here in Manila: the Incanto Bloom. It's a fruity floral eau de toilette of freesia, tea roses, grapefruit flowers and champaca flowers with musk and cashmere wood.

The perfume bottle reminds me of those delicate Japanese prints. Oh, and the bottle cap is the iconic Ferragamo Vara bow.

I'm baaaaaack, beauties!

I haven't blogged here since forever! Beauty blogging is hard, folks. I thought it would be easy, given how many products I get as the editor of OK! Philippines. But the beauty industry is beyond huge! Every week, there's a new product launch, a new innovation, a new technology, new stuff to review... and I just can't keep up. The products and press kits have made mini-mountains at my desk at work and at home. My bosses and my husband are complaining!!!

Here are just some of the lovely boxes I've been getting from...

Olay
the new Regenerist Cream

Lancome
Magnifique perfume and body lotion 
with a tiny tube of mascara

Bobbi Brown
lip glosses and an eye shadow palette
with a personalized pot of lip color

I have a lot more. You won't believe how many more I have--boxes and crates and cabinets of this fabulous stuff! I almost posted photos of my office and my overflowing product cabinet but I got embarrassed at my mess. So I'm finally going to blog about the stuff I've been getting--for the sake of my marriage and my job!

I do want to say that the beauty industry's been pretty exciting this 2010. So many new things for primping and prettification! So do visit this blog soon as I have a lot of things to tell you about--all of them beautiful!

I love the Flora by Gucci TVC

I just saw this on TV and I fell in love with it immediately.


Here's the ultra-long version:


I love everything about it--the girl, the dress, the field of flowers, the sunset, the magical way the flowers move with her... The only thing I don't like is the voice at the end--that voice sounded bored.

Lovin' Lanvin

I'm one of those women who have a signature fragrance. So while I appreciate the dozens of perfumes I get to review for OK! magazine, my heart belongs to one and only one fragrance: Lanvin's Eclat d'Arpege eau de parfum.
I've been using Eclat d'Arpege since 2003. It is the only perfume that smells good on me! My skin is weird because it really changes the scent. When I was on the quest to find my perfume, I discovered to my utter distress that some fragrances are horrific once I spray them on (i.e. on my skin, Clinique Happy smells like pee).

Eclat D'Arpege, however, was a revelation. After visiting countless perfume counters for a year, I finally found The One. I love everything about Eclat d'Arpege--from the Art Deco bottle to the pale lilac tinge. And let me explain why I love its smell so much. Eclat d'Arpege has head notes of Sicilian lemon leaves and green lilac; heart notes of wisteria blossom, green tea leaves, peach blossom, red peony and osmanthus of China; and base notes of white cedar of Lebanon, sweet musks and precious amber. That's not the reason I love the smell, though!

While the ingredients are all flowery, on my skin, it's remarkably different! At first, my skin smells floral but light and oh so beautifully elegant. But as my skin warms the scent, the fragrance turns to a yummy chocolate. It's divine. And the best thing is it smells like chocolate on me and me alone--everyone else who tried it didn't have the same delicious result!

Now, when Luxasia's JP Paglinawan found out I am loyal to Lanvin, guess what I found on my desk? The brand's latest limited edition scent (thanks, JP!)!
The limited edition is flamboyant with its saffron-tinged liquid and decorative orange tassle--and if you've been following my personal blog, you'd know I love orange. According to the description, the scent is a happy melody of floral and citrus--pink grapefruit, tangy mandarin, bergamot, rose, jasmine, orange blossom, peach, cedar, amber and musk. This is definitely stronger and heavier than my usual Eclat D'Arpege.

On my skin, however, no citrus happened--my skin transformed this limited edition perfume to a light powdery fragrance, reminiscent of baby girls, creamy milk and pink ribbons on a cloudless summer day. Very strange but very nice! I love it!

Lanvin Eclat D'Arpege and its limited edition variant are available at select department stores.

New fragrance proves that Isse Miyake has a lot of pun!

In 1992, Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake launched L'eau d'Issey. In English, that means Issey's Water. But aurally, it's a playful pun which means The Odyssey. And considering it was Issey's first venture into the highly lucrative world of perfumes, the name was quite apt.

A scent by Issey Miyake
Uploaded by ViaMedia. - Independent web videos.

Seventeen successful years later, Issey Miyake introduces A Scent. Issey says the new perfume is "a scent as simple and beautiful as the air we breathe." True, the freshness of hyacinth and galbanum makes A Scent crisp and invigorating. But I like the name more. The name is so simple and prosaic and yet listen to it and then it means "the act of rising, climbing, moving upward." Aha! I love it! It's so clever.

A Scent by Issey Miyake will be available in September at Rustan's (Makati, Shangri-la Mall, Alabang Town Center, Gateway, Cebu) and Rustan's Essences Robinsons Ermita. For advance orders, please call Issey Miyake Fragrances at +632 856 62 31 or +632 856 1853.

The stuff by GirlStuff is soooo adorable!

Janina Gutierrez-Tan, my classmate from Assumption Antipolo, is the brains behind this line made exclusively for sweet little girls and tweens. I personally use the Facial Spritz Cooling Facial Spray. It's not Shu Uemura Depsea or Evian but it works just as well and for only P109.75! You can't beat that price and cute packaging!

Anyway, GirlStuff had a really cute event for moms and daughters recently. Held at the colorful Marta's Cakes at Serendra, mommies and their little girls had an afternoon of beauty. I thought the mommy makeover was funny and cute.If you want your own beauty bonding party with your daughters, then do grab a bag of goodies from GirlStuff. For makeup that's safe on sensitive skins, you can get the Body Bling scented shimmer lotion (P159.75), G-Gel glitter hair gel (P99.75), Lipfrosting lip gloss (P89.75) and Fairy Dust shimmer powder (P149.75). I love that you can get them in little kikay kits like these:
So cute! Oh, and do check out these new products, which I'm sure you and your little girl will adore:

Mom & Me Cologne (P179.75 )

The mommy scent smells floral and citrusy while the girl's scent is kinda the same but more fresh. Reminds me of Nenuco and Angel's Breath actually.

Peel-Off Nail Polish (P99.75)

Imported from France, this polish is water-based so it's safe for kids. It easily peels off so no need for acetone. Available in fuschia pink with glitter, baby blue and pretty-in-pink. I like the glitter polish, but you already know that if you read my last post!

GirlStuff is available at Mall of Asia, SM North, Robinsons Place Imus and at the children's accessories section of all SM Department Stores. Check out their cute website for more info!

The Beauty Writer

*photos courtesy of GirlStuff

The Face Shop launches Soul fragrances

What: New Soul Fragrances by The Face Shop
Where: Dimensione, Bonifacio High Street
When: April 23, 2009

I wasn't aware that the third level of Dimensione, one of my favorite home stores, had a loft-like space for events. That was the venue for the debut of the new Soul fragrances of Korean beauty brand import The Face Shop.



There are 4 new fragrances to sniff and select:
Secret Blossom - is floral and fruity, with all of these in its brew: lemon tea, green tea, lilac, red peony, peach flower, wisteria, white sandalwood, amber and soft musk. Designed for the carefree and fascinating woman.
Sweet Pleasure - is musky, floral and woodsy. It's supposed to be adored by young women on the cusp of falling in love. And that smells like violet leaf, wild strawberry, grapefruit, violet, jasmine, gardenia, white wood, musk and vanilla.
Wish Upon a Star - is floral and oriental. Quite exotic really, this scent is created for the sophisticated woman. She's enamored with the mixture of mandarin, orange, lime, Bulgarian rose, white jasmine, sandalwood, white musk and vanilla.
Essential for Men - is fresh, aquatic and yet woodsy. Your man will smell so good in this splash of basil, lemon, mint, cider leaf, lotus, amber, precious wood and musk.

Personally, I quite enjoyed the Wish Upon a Star scent--it's quite sensual but not too heavy for the tropical heat. Sweet Pleasure was okay but it smelled kinda generic. I really did like the Gustav Klimt reproduction prints on the boxes, although the brand failed to explain why they chose that particular artist's work.

If you're looking for a perfume, then do know that each 30mL bottle of The Face Shop Soul Fragrance costs P895. Click here for a store near you.

The Beauty Writer

*product photos courtesy of The Face Shop