Diptyque Do Son

There's something about Diptyque perfumes that makes so many of them the benchmark for their respective genres. Tam Dao is the essence of sandalwood and Philosykos is considered the ultimate fig scent. They are like perfect little representations of an idea, neatly wrapped, easy to wear and very straight-laced. It's not that Diptyque never went off the beaten track- after all, there are L'Eau Trois and Eau d'Elide, but neither one of them fared well. What I'm trying to say is that it's no wonder that Diptyque managed to take the great man-eater tuberose and civilize it by creating  Do Son.

I don't think I've ever come across such a clean and well-behaving tuberose that still manages to retain its tropical lush core and bloom spectacularly in the heat. White flower notes in general and tuberose in particular never make a real "dry" perfume (even when paired with ample of spice and woods, like in Serge Lutens' Cedre). But Do Son comes amazingly close to that idea through a composition of crisp green leaves that border on bitter and something that can only be called a musky iris (or maybe an iris-like musk?).

Do Son is east to wear, probably because it lacks both the Audrey II characteristics found in some of its relatives (Fracas, Carnal Flower, Datura Noir) and the weird pairings of my personal favorites- Anya McCoy's tuberose and chocolate truffle of Starflower, Uncle Serge's magnificent Tubereuse Criminelle, Parfumerie Generale Tubereuse Couture and the amazing Tubereuse 3 from Histoires de Parfums. This is both Do Son's strength and greatest weakness. It's nice. It has a good chance appealing to non-tuberose people and converting them to the dark side. But as fond of it as I am, I just can't see a reason for me to get a full bottle when I can wear something a lot more interesting.

Do Son ($88, 1.7oz EDT) and the other Diptyque perfumes can be found at Luckyscent, Aedes, BeautyHabit and also Saks and Barneys.

photos: myvintagevogue.com

Are you willing to give up your mascara?

Vogue UK predicts we'll see some naked lashes and eyes this fall. Based on designer Christopher Kane's fall/winter 2010 ready-to-wear show, Vogue UK names the no mascara look as one of the hottest new beauty trends of the year. Looking at photos from the show, it's not just mascara that's missing. Eyes are barely defined and the liner, if any is used, is soft brown. This explains the several medium brown eye pencils that have appeared around here (I have a couple of reviews coming), but I can't say I'm excited about it.

As someone who's rather keen on looking alive and is no longer a spring chicken, defining my eyes is quite an important part of doing my makeup. Otherwise it comes scarily close to exposing the world to the way I look when I first wake up. This particular pleasure is reserved for my nearest and dearest, most who are feline and don't care one way or the other.

How about you? Are you ready for pale lashes? It works for Tilda Swinton, after all.

Photos: vogue.co.uk

Buxom Mutt Stay There Eye Shadow

I'm always tempted by cream eye shadows. There's something about the texture, smooth finish and the promise of superb blending that get my money every time. Then there's reality where I find out that 4 out of five times all these good qualities come at the high price of creasing, smudging and melting. Primers help, though, and some brands are starting to get it right (Laura Mercier is a good example), so I'm optimistic.

This summer Buxom by Bare Escentuals released the gimmicky-named Stay There eye shadow. It has a cute canine theme, the eye shadows are named after dog breeds and a tie-in with Canine Companions for Independence, a non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs. All that and some gorgeous colors certainly added to the irresistibility factor. After a thorough look at the shades, I chose the predictable taupe: Mutt. Since these shadows are so shiny and shimmery, a classic neutral is a better fit for me.

The texture of this Buxom cream is wonderful. It's soft, airy and almost whipped. As a germaphobe I prefer to use makeup brushes, but I admit Stay There makes it tempting to dip your fingers in the pot. The cream applies easily, and blends as smoothly as I hoped. It's very pigmented and one can create pretty effects and a glamorous but sophisticated look. I prefer to keep it low on the lid and closer to the lash line so the iridescence doesn't take over the entire eye area and I don't look like a disco queen.

As promised, the mutt stayed in place with no creasing or migrating. However, after only a couple of hours it started fading, losing the pretty finish and a lot of the pigment. Within three hours it faded to only a hint of color on my eyelids. I got the same results no matter which primer I used, so that's a real disappointment.

Bottom Line: Pretty, but plan on touch ups every couple of hours .

Buxom Stay There Eye Shadow ($17) is a Sephora exclusive.

All photos are mine.