Beneath the sheltering sky

Paul & Joe “Sahara” Collection for Summer 2010
Review by Jessica M

If I ever visited northern Africa, I’d imagine myself as 1960s style icon Talitha Getty. She was immortalized in a photograph that showed her posing with her billionaire husband on the roof of her Marrakesh villa, dressed in a fantastic luxe-bohemian outfit, probably enjoying the sunset between dinner with Yves Saint-Laurent and a party with Mick Jagger.

Paul & Joe’s newest limited-edition collection, called “Sahara,” is inspired by the sun and sand and colors of the African desert, and it’s a treat to wear wherever you happen to be spending your summer.

The Sahara collection includes colors for face, lips, and nails. The Finishing Powder ($35) is available in two shades: one for light skin tones and one for medium skin tones. The Lipstick is offered in three shades: Caravan (“coral pink”), Sahara (“vivid pink”), and Morocco (“warm, golden pink”).

The three limited edition Nail Polish shades ($14, available in June) are Marrakesh (coral with gold shimmer), Mirage (champagne beige), and Oasis (sparkly aquamarine). A patterned emery board and blotting papers will also be available.

And lastly, a Shimmering Body Lotion ($35) can bring the gold-dust effect to the rest of your body.

I’ve been wearing the Morocco lipstick for the past few days. As usual, Paul & Joe's limited edition packaging is colorful and whimsical, and this time it’s a pattern inspired by lotus flowers. It looks like a detail from an ancient Egyptian wall painting or a Moroccan textile. This shade is a warm, earthy plum with copper shimmer, similar to Clinique’s Think Bronze or MAC’s Viva Glam VI. It has a semi-sheer consistency. The color is versatile, and the shimmer is subtle enough to wear during the day.

I’ve also been trying out the Finishing Powder in Dune (the lighter shade). It’s a talc-based powder, finely milled, with extra ingredients like orange flower water and sodium hyaluronate that maintain the skin’s moisture without adding shine. The cardboard canister is printed with the same lotus pattern as the lipsticks, and it looks so chic; it could be from the 1920s, the 1960s, or any other moment when Egyptian motifs were popular. The powder itself gives medium coverage and a nice matte finish, which I’ll really need when the weather turns hot.

Of course, if I ever really did take a trip to Marrakesh or anywhere else in the Sahara, I’d probably end up looking and acting less like Ms. Getty and more like Edina in the “Morocco” episode of “Absolutely Fabulous.” (You can view it on YouTube, if you need to refresh your memory!) Well, at least I’d be wearing some flattering, desert-themed makeup.

Disclaimer: I purchased my two Sahara products at Bergdorf Goodman. (The phone number for the Paul & Joe counter is 212-872-2759.)
Title: Paul Bowles via The Police
Image credits: Photo of Talitha and John Paul Getty by Patrick Lichfield (1969).

Sahara collection and nail polish photos via Paul & Joe Beauté.

Lipstick and powder photos by Jessica M.

“Morocco” still from “Absolutely Fabulous.”

“We Miss You,” Hissed the Lovecats

A review of Paul & Joe Honeysuckle Eye Shadow Duo (Spring 2010)
by Jessica M

A few years ago, I went through an intense Paul & Joe phase; then, for no particular reason, I got distracted and started sampling other brands. But I’ve recently been spending more time with Paul & Joe again, and here’s one reason that I still like this line so much: its products combine cuteness and practicality so well that you can feel frivolous while buying something you’ll actually use on a regular basis.

I just purchased an eye shadow from the Spring 2010 “Wild Flowers” limited edition collection: Honeysuckle (#064), an ivory/brown powder duo. Cute: the packaging features a pair of cats on a floral-pattern background. (The limited-edition designs are always inspired by textiles in the latest Paul & Joe fashion collection.) Practical: the shadow itself can be easily depotted, if you’re one of those clever people who like to arrange your cosmetics in palettes. Cute: little flower or clover shapes of warm golden-brown shadow are inserted into the ivory background. Practical: the colors can be swirled together, or else you can wear the ivory as an all-over shade and use a finer brush to apply the brown as a contour shade.

So, how does this product perform? The powder is finely milled and it blends easily; the ivory has a very delicate shimmer effect, and the brown looks softer and subtler on skin than it does in the pan. Some of the shimmer drifted into my under-eye area during application, but otherwise, the shadow stayed put during the day. For me, this is an ideal everyday color duo; plus, it complements any of my usual lip colors. Purr-fect!

The Wild Flowers line also includes two other shadows, Lady’s Slipper 065 (lime green/light pink) and Purple Clover (#066, dusty lilac/grayish purple), plus three potted lip glosses: Baby’s Breath (#001, sheer ivory/creamy nude), Snapdragon 002 (sparkly peach/creamy orange), Primrose (#003, creamy pink/sparkly fuchsia).

The shadows in the Spring 2010 collection sell for $20 each, the glosses for $25 each. You can find them at the Paul & Joe counter at Bergdorf Goodman in New York (call 212-872-2759; Caroline is very helpful!) or online at Beautyhabit.com.

Disclaimer: This product was purchased at Bergdorf Goodman.

Photo credits: Paul & Joe and Jessica M

Title lyrics: The Cure

40 Days and 40 Nights of Beauty Brands

Day 30, Paul & Joe

Cavewoman: The first time I ever saw Paul & Joe cosmetics, I was in Bergdorf Goodman with some friends, browsing, testing fragrances, and finding lots of interesting cosmetic lines I had never seen before. What caught my eye at the Paul & Joe counter was the beautiful, feminine packaging. I fell in love with the compacts, the loose powders with their luxurious puffs, and the cute paper containers for eyeshadows. Of course, I had to bring home a little "souvenir" from Paul & Joe that day, and what better for a compact collector to bring home than a compact! I've added a few to my collection since then, and every trip to Bergdorf has to have a stop at Paul & Joe to see what is new.

My first Paul & Joe compact is the one with the pink and yellow swirled pressed powder. It is called Pressed Powder 001, no name to distinguish it from the other round compact which is just called Pressed Powder 002. Both of these powders have shimmer, but the swirled colors give a pretty brightening effect, and the one-color powder is glowy and luminous. I love shimmery powders, as I've shown in previous reviews, and these are favorites not just for the fine texture but for the adorable containers.

The pale green oval compact holds Protective Dual Powder Foundation SPF 25PA++ which is Octinoxate 7% and Titanium Dioxide 12.4%. This powder can be used either wet or dry, but I've only used it dry. It makes a nice finishing powder, I have not tried it on its own, nor have I put the formidable SPF to the test. I love this for the compact alone.

The liquid foundation, the primer, and the cream foundation are all excellent, too. I'm thrilled especially with the cream, which is not really a cream at all but a very thick liquid in the jar, and it smooths out beautifully for a luminous finish that can be either very sheer or well-covering. Thanks to my friend (you know who you are!) who helped me choose my correct shade. I see us back at the Paul & Joe counter very soon!

Annieytown: I hang out with some serious fragrance junkies. Some have been collecting parfum since they were children while others write perfume books and blogs. We are a serious crowd with exceptional noses. We love the thrill of the hunt from finding rare guerlain parfums at antique stores(Tussah!) to discovering hidden gems from niche brands. We will go anywhere to sniff out a new find.

Our local anthropologie store was where we discovered the amazing Paul & Joe fragrances. Blanc and Bleu are worthy of lemming, coveting and hoarding. I rave like a madwoman when it comes to these two bottles. They are better than most high end niche fragrances. However... it seems that no one is paying attention them.

Only a handful of makeupalley members sing their praises.
Today Blogdorf Goodman is going to scream from the rooftops and let you know what you have been missing.

Blanc was created by the great perfumer Jean Claude Ellena. This is the perfumer that was responsible for Frederic Malle's L'Eau d'Hiver. These two fragrances share similar notes such as hawthorn and heliotrope.

Blanc is a creamy almond based scent with hints of florals, cherry pie and milk. It is a comforting scent that manages to be elegant at the same time.

Blanc EDT notes are hawthorn, angelica(smells like honey), almond, sweet pea, freesia, lily, rose, musk, heliotrope and cloud of milk.

My favorite amber fragrance is Bleu. My love for it grew after witnessing it's greatness on a cold winter night in Ohio. Like Ormonde Jayne's Tolu, it transforms to greatness when it hits cold air. I could have stood outside for hours sniffing the sillage wafting from my coat sleeve. It did not matter that it was 10 degrees. The amber is thick and the incense notes are deep. This is not a cold church smell but something bright and luminous.

It was created by Pierre Bourdon. Mr Bourdon also authored my favorite iris scent, Frederic Malle's Iris Poudre. Clearly this man knows the way to my heart and nose!

EDT notes are bergamot, coriander( warm herbaceous scent) , cumin(brief and non-pungent), ylang-ylang, jasmine, rose, magnolia, heliotrope, oak moss(woody smell that is sweet and fresh), patchouli, sandalwood, myrrh, labdanum, vanilla and musk.

http://www.paul-joe-beaute.com/en/index.html

Paul & Joe is sold in Bergdorf Goodman. Call 212 -872-2736 for the counter.

You can also sometimes find it at your local Anthropologie stores and http://www.luileiny.com/

The bottles retail for $55.

What are your favorite Paul & Joe products? Let us know in the comments!

Photos: Cavewoman and Blogdorf Goodman
Disclosure: The products were purchased by the reviewers.

Paul and Joe's Bleau Fragrance

Fragrance Challenge:

Paul and Joe's Bleu

Sephora description: An oriental blend of bergamot, fresh herbs, and rich spices, swirled with jasmine, rose, and other sensual florals and seductive woods, warmed by the essence of mystery and sensuality.

My Thoughts: The best damn amber based fragrance on the market. This has incredible sillage in cold weather. Never has any of my fragrances smelled so amazing once it hit the cold brisk Ohio air.
I almost fell to my knees.
It was that good.
Lasting power is impressive.

Notes: Bergamot, Cilantro, Caraway, Cardamom, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Rose, Magnolia, Heliotrope, Patchouli, Vetiver, Oud, Myrrh, Sandalwood, Incense, Vanilla and Ambergris.

photo: Blogdorf Goodman
Disclosure: I purchased this fragarnce at my local Anthropologie store

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

Review by cavewoman
Photo from Sephora

Primer #27 takes us from Cult to Cute.

As an artist, I shop with my eyes. I'm a sucker for beautiful packaging, and pretty things will always attract my eye. The first time I ever saw the Paul & Joe line of cosmetics, I was enchanted with the girly pink compacts embossed with flowers, the elegant frosted bottles with raised chrysanthemum designs, and the sparkly powders in vanity jars that looked like something my Grandma may have had. I bought many things that day, including the Paul & Joe Foundation Primer. I also bought a liquid foundation from the line. Oh, and a few eye shadows. And a compact of pressed powder. A lipstick. Two of them. But as lovely as the containers are, it's product performance that counts.

I've used this primer only with Paul & Joe foundation so far, but for our research here, it was time to test it with the La Prairie foundation. I was curious to see how it would perform in comparison to when I use the Paul & Joe foundation, so I did something I have not yet done. I tested the primer with the La Prairie foundation on one side of my face, and the Paul & Joe foundation on the other.

This primer is a very thin milky-white-pale pink product that does not fill in lines or pores, but leaves a definite lightening, whitening effect on the skin. I had to shake the bottle very vigorously, because it seems to separate in the bottle, and if not shaken, it can be watery and clear. This can result in an uneven application and even some areas of the face can turn matte while other parts seem glossy, even oily. I believe there must be both talc or clay in this formula as well as oil. It is definitely not an oil-free product.

There is a slight luminosity to the primer, and it felt comfortable and moisturizing without feeling heavy or thick. It dried quickly, it has a slight fragrance that actually smells like a pretty perfume, which did not bother me but it might not be for everyone. I applied both foundations over top and checked a while later. The whitening effect was more obvious on the P & J foundation side, but the primer did not change the shade of my La Prairie. And so the side with the P&J foundation appeared just a bit lighter. Other than that, there was little difference between the two sides, both appeared luminous, glowing, but not oily or greasy. I could see a softening of the areas where my pores are larger, and lines were also softened. Nice effect.

I went off to meet Annie. At first she didn't know what I had done, but when I told her, I asked her opinion on which side looked better, and I did not tell her which foundation was on which side. She chose the La Prairie side. Later in the evening, I noticed a bit of wear on the P&J side, but my La Prairie side was looking as soft and pretty as when I had first applied all the products. Both sides of my face seemes slightly oily. At the end of the day, the P&J side showed bare skin, blotchy areas, some caking, and a rather nasty oil slick around my nose area.

I find it interesting that the product applied over the primer has affected the primer wear itself. It makes me wonder if I am now going to have to test every primer with every foundation I have. That could take years! I was reminded of a fine-art photography project that I did as a student, testing different developer chemicals with different printing papers. I discovered then that art and science can't be separated. You need one in order to do the other. The same applies to my primer project. I'm not sure why the primer worked differently for each of the foundations I used, but I am sure it has to do with chemistry. It's the art and science of beauty, I guess. I will test the Paul & Joe primer with other foundations in the future, because I like it under the La Prairie. I may never really finish this entire project!

Product rating, 7. Packaging, a perfect 10!