Chanel's Revamped Website Still Leaves A Lot To Be Desired

I was eagerly awaiting for the US launch of Chanel's new Rouge Coco lipstick, a hydrating creme formula. The email newsletter came today and the lipsticks are finally here. Considering the weather (10" of snow already on the ground and it keeps going strong), there's no visit to Saks in my immediate future. But Chanel.com is only a click away, right?

Chanel.com has recently gone through a redesign. You'd think they'd use the opportunity for some serious upgrades and improvements, especially in the color swatch department that has always been their weakest point. No such luck. I don't know about you, but I can't shop when what you see above is all the information I'm given.

KarlaSugar already has swatches of four Rouge Coco colors. We'll see which one of us gets to a Chanel counter first...

La Bella Donna Baci Baci Lip Sheer

I received La Bella Donna Baci Baci Lip Sheer in Prism months ago in some goodie bag and put it aside since the color, a less-than-medium pink, didn't excite me. But I finally started testing it and over the last few weeks it has slowly been growing on me, mostly because of a great (if sticky) texture. The cool silvery click pen is also a nice feature. It gives me the illusion this product is cleaner and less likely to get contaminated.

While Prism is, indeed, too light for my taste, it's so sheer that the pigment doesn't play a role here. On me, it acts like a clear, super shimmery gloss. It's good for when I want to wear a very dark lipstick but take it down a notch. However, the amount of shimmer (borderline glittery, actually) still confines it for nighttime. La Bella Donna Baci Baci Lip Sheer (that's a mouthful, for sure) is as moisturizing as they promise. It's a bit sticky, but I guess this helps with the staying power, which is higher than average for a gloss. It wears comfortably, and as an added bonus, all that moisture is very plumping. So much so that even my husband noticed and commented on it (not sure he liked it, though, but I sort of did. The pillowy effect is quite nice).

As a bonus, I discovered that this Baci Baci Lip Sheer works wonders with the dud that is Serge Lutens Lip Tint. I experimented one afternoon- first applied a generous amount of the Encre Pour Les Levres, let it set and then put on a coat of this gloss. The stickiness of Baci Baci prevented it from smearing and wiping the Serge, and since Prism is practically clear, it just coated my lips with a good amount of pearly moisture and extended the lips stain's life.

Now, while Prism is nice and a clear gloss has definitely a place in my arsenal, it's not one I'd choose myself. I'd prefer a darker shade, and especially one with less shimmer. I've read that some of the other colors in this range are not shimmery at all, but the teeny-tiny color swatches on the La Bella Donna site are utterly useless:


Seriously. How is one supposed to choose a color/texture from this thing? The only informed decision possible here is to go elsewhere for shopping, and La Bella Donna, as a small, independent brand that is in very limited distribution is losing big time from this inadequate website. Once again I find myself trying to remind a company that this is not 1999. They must give us a much better user experience if they want our money.

La Bella Donna Baci Baci Lip Sheer ($26.50) is available online from their website, labelladonna.com. It's also sold at a handful salons and spas. Bergdorf Goodman used to carry the brand, but last time I was there I didn't see the display and it's no longer on the Bergdorf website, so I suspect the line was recently dropped. While Bergdorf website doesn't list it, La Bella Donna is still sold there, so it should be available by phone and in store. I'm going to search again the next time I'm there.

A note to the good people at Chantecaille

Dear Chantecaille People,

Having a spiffy new website is great. It gives us a sneak peak of new products, web exclusive- it's all good stuff. But don't you think that selling top-of-the line makeup requires color swatches that don't look like it's 1999? Seriously, Lancome, Clinique, Nars and others have figured out ages ago that people who shop online really like to see what they're buying. Your products are usually better than theirs, so why can't your website be? Otherwise we have to face the sour-pussed SA at Saks, and that makes us cranky.


P.S. The Bengali Tiger Compacts are to die for.

Love,
Gaia, The Non-Blonde


Images: Chantecaille.com

Mona di Orio Chamarre (and more disturbing news)

The good news is that Chamarré, the new perfume from Mona di Orio, is quite lovely and doesn't have the disturbing opening found in so many of Di Orio's scents*. The bad news is that if you're in the USA, there's no way to buy it (unless one of the few remaining European distributors is willing to ship).

The even worse news is that the only place that still carries the Mona di Orio line here, Spafumerie (2nd Ave. and 48th st, NYC. A must-visit destination), will not be getting Chamarré and according to the SA with whom I spoke today, is most likely to stop offering the other MdO perfumes. The reason? It's a hard sell. Customers just don't get it and are unwilling to give the fragrances the time of the day once they smell the unpleasant opening. The store still has a few bottles of the older perfumes (Lux, Nuit Noire, Carnation, Amyitis and Oiro) and the scented candles, but as of right now, they would not be getting any more.

But back to Chamarre. The opening is very friendly with a burst of lavender and clary sage. The official notes also include aldehyde, but this isn't what you expect from an aldehydic perfume- the ghosts of No. 5 and Arpege are definitely not here. There's just a light and airy burst that keeps the lavender from smelling like a traditional cologne. The first time I wore Chamarre, it made me think of the top notes in Tauer's Reverie, but it might have been just a craving on my side, as the perfumes are nothing alike, despite the herbal aspect.

As the opening wears off, Chamarré becomes much more of a skin scent. The florals are powdery and subdued, I get more violet than rose and it all dries down into an almost fuzzy, nubby texure. It has a musky presence, and just like in Carnation, the result is more than a little carnal. The effect has also reminded me of Frederic Malle's Dans tes Bras (sans earth and mushrooms), though Chamarré is brighter.

I wish Chamarré had a better sillage and was longer lasting. After three hours one risks a neck injury from the nose-to-cleavage action (there was nothing left on my wrists). The leftover scent on my clothes reveals a warm and dry violet, elegant and not too rich. I'm starting to think of is as a violet scent the more I wear it, probably for this reason. My husband tried it once and found it pleasant enough and men-friendly, but nothing to rock his socks. I like it quite a bit and think it could have been more popular than the other di Orio perfumes (personally, I still prefer Carnation), if not for the little problem of marketing and availability.

As I've mentioned in my previous post on the subject, Mona di Orio perfumes are no longer sold at Bergdorf Goodman and Aedes in NYC. If I understand correctly, the problem is not limited to the US and other European distributors have also removed the line from the shelves, though unlike the USA situation it is not confirmed. Liberty London only has Lux, Nuit Noire and Oiro, but Les Senteurs actually has Chamarré in stock, which is a very good sign. If any of my readers know more details, please comment. The MdO web site does not have e-commerce at this time (why? You'd think they'd learn something from Ormonde Jayne, Andy Tauer, Vero Kern and many others. It's not that complicated). It's sad how such a deserving line is getting lost not because of quality, but because of poor marketing and communication from the house and mostly an oversight when it comes to the house's biggest and best potential fan base.

The perfume enthusiasts are online. We read (and write) blogs. We post on message boards and join Facebook groups. We email , we Twit and most of all: we shop online. That is, if you let us.

*My husband's intitial reaction to Nuit Noire on a scent strip was "vile". Then I sprayed it on and he agreed it was beautiful and sexy. Take that, Luca Turin.

Art: Violet Nude by John Keaton

The Mysterious Case Of Mona Di Orio

The latest online kerfuffle among the perfume-obsessed centers around niche brand Mona do Orio. There were some speculations that the house is going out of business, as the bottles were pulled of the shelves and no longer available. On the other hand, Mona di Orio's web site is up, running and lists a new fragrance, Chamarre.

I emailed the Mona di Orio rep as well as Aedes, trying to figure it out. Karl from Aedes confirmed they will no longer carry the brand. Getting a direct answer from the house itself proved to be a bit harder. First, they tried claiming that some of their US retailers do have an online service and that I should look at the MdO website for details, and by the way, did I know they have a new perfume?

Seriously? Head, meet desk.

I sent a second email, pointing them to the fact that out of the three US retailers listed on the Mona di Orio website, two (Bergdorf and Aedes) have officially stopped carrying it, and the third, Spafumerie* in NYC, does not have e-commerce or any mention of MdO. That, at least, got them to admit that, indeed, Mona di Orio no longer has a US outlet. According to Jeroen Oude Sogtoen who corresponded with me, they are now searching for a good distributor.

So there you have it. Mona di Orio is still producing perfumes. It's the selling part that's gotten a bit tricky.

*Spafumerie NYC (on 2nd Ave and 48th st.) seems like a wonderful place worth checking. It's gotten rave reviews from recent visitors, but their website takes you back to 1996 when merchants had their nephews who knew a couple of HTML tags do a little website with a badly taken photo and horrible graphics.

Is Henri Bendel Owned By Young Mr. Grace?

I considered writing a long rant in which I'd question the genius business minds behind Henri Bendel, and their decision to keep their online presence to an absolute minimum. Yes, there's a web site, but you can only buy the store brand signature items. If you desire a striped makeup bag you're in luck. If you want to buy Secretion Magnifique, not so much.

But then, why bother?

Here's the link, see for yourself how one of the top department stores in NYC (and the US) operates its web business in 2008:
http://www.henribendel.com/shop

Yes, there is a concierge service, which I'm guessing means you can order by phone, but the website doesn't even list what exactly you can buy there.

Are you being served?

Original store image from Henri Bendel site. Botched photoshopping: Mine. Harold Bennett as Young Mr. Grace from somewhere on the net.