Ormonde Jayne Tolu

After yesterday's perfume ambivalence (not because Noir Epices isn't awesome, just the way it can make me feel), I wanted to write about a scent that is pure joy. And that is where an amber-wood-resin fragrance is needed.

Tolu by London-based house Ormonde Jayne is golden magic. The opening is a bit sharp and balsamic, and I'm always surprised how clearly I smell the juniper. It's uplifting with tinges of green herbs and you might be reminded of the chewy herbal top of Ambre Sultan. But Uncle Serge had a different direction for his amber, which soon becomes a wonderful incense fest. Tolu is rounder and softer, despite its big bones. From the perfume's heart till the late drydown (24 hours later), it's very smooth and well-blended. There's frankincense and wood, though the distinct Ormonde Jayne signature note isn't all that prominent here as far as my nose or skin chemistry can tell. There's also a mellow ambery sweetness. It's not straight up vanilla, but it's darker sibling, tonka bean, which smells to me a bit more raw.

From the moment Tolu settles on my skin I feel ready to go. It's like an elegant cashmere cape, unusual enough among conventional trench coats, more feminine and very alluring. I've been draining samples and now that the weather is about to turn (so what if tomorrow's temperatures are in the mid 80s?), I'm ready for a bottle. And maybe some of the body products. The idea of soaking in Tolu bathing oil is deliciously appealing.

Ormonde Jayne perfumes (£68.00 for 50ml EDP, and now also available in 4 x 10ml vials travel purse sprays for £54.00, which is a wonderful thing) can be purchased at the London boutique or online from ormondejayne.com. Thankfully, they ship internationally.

Art: Birch by Maya Eventov

Clinica Ivo Pitanguy- Body Care Hands Beauty Formula

Some twentysomethings might have a hard time relating to the anti-aging obsession. I remember 15 years ago not being very religious about my SPF usage and not really caring about antioxidants and vitamin C in my skin care products. But between beauty blogging and pushing 40, things have changed significantly.

I spend a scary chunk of my waking hours with my hands right in front of me typing or touchpading, so I get to look at them quite a bit. I've been doing a good job using sun blocks, premium hand creams, shielding lotions and any rejected face cream and serum I have. And it pays off. I can't recommend strongly enough upgrading your hand cream to something with active anti aging and brightening ingredients and heavy duty moisturizing effect.

But how "up" should this upgrade be? Is there any justification for the $105 hand cream from Clinica Ivo Pitanguy? Even when you realize that this price is for a 3.4 oz tube, while the wonderful Chanel Body Excellence Creme Jeunesse et Confort is $48 for 2.5 oz, it's still about $30 per 1oz while Chanel is $19.6 pr 1oz.

The Ivo Pitanguy tube I have was a PR freebie. I love this cream and have been very happy with the way my hands look and feel. But is it better than Chanel or Erno Laszlo? I can't say. While I'm pretty sure the two scars I have on my right hand have somewhat faded (an old one from an accident 21 years ago, and one that involved my cat Thomas using my hand as a springboard with the claws on his hind leg), I can't say how much of that is the Ivo Pitanguy and how much is everything else, including several Lancome Absolute GWP products.

I can't find a full ingredient list for the CIP Hands Beauty Formula. They're talking about amino acids and Brazilian maracuja oil, which apparently is passion fruit (passiflora edulis) and has calming, soothing and analgesic properties. But Ivo Pitanguy products are not the only ones on the market using that. On the other hand there's Dr. Pitanguy's himself, one of the greatest plastic surgeons of all times, whose creams and ointments had a legendary reputation (have a look at this article). But since this is a commercial product I have a hard time there's something rare and unique in the formula.

However, if you compare Clinica Ivo Pitanguy to the other top tier brands like Sisley, Natura Bisse or Kanebo Sensai, prices are about the same. I'm just not convinced they are that much better than the equivalent body products from La Mer ($70 for the same size tube of hand cream), Lancome, Lauder or Guerlain.

Bottom line: Awesome hand cream, jaw-dropping price. I'd go with La Mer first.

Clinica Ivo Pitanguy products are available from Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.

Photos of the Ivo Pitanguy clinic in Brazil: pitanguy.com

Chantecaille Lip Chic

Chantecaille Lip Chic lip color is one of those wonderful hybrid products- a cross between a lipstick and a lip gloss with a balm effect, just to make things feel more luxurious. The pigmentation level is worthy of a lipstick, even if the coverage is sheer. There's enough shine to make us perk up and look alive even on a dreary morning and it wears like a balm- very moisturizing and just a little bit heavy.

Lip Chic feels very nice, especially when fighting dryness and looks beautiful. It doesn't stay on past your first cup of tea (it leaves a telling print on the cup), so expect to reapply every couple of hours. I don't really mind- wearing a rich color that feels like a balm is good enough, and the lipstick format makes it easy to carry and apply on the go.

For comparison- the color payoff is much better in this Chantecaille product than in YSL Gloss Volupte. The latter is several degrees sheerer.

The colors I chose were Ceylon, a brown based red, and Damask, a berry burgundy that has become my absolute favorite. I keep one in each of the purses in my current rotation, and it's more or less my signature color lately.

Chantecaille Lip Chic ($30) is available from Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and Neiman Marcus.

All photos are mine.