Paris

My Little Parisienne Box

I went a little crazy with beauty boxes after arriving in the UK last year.  Beauty subscription boxes were never available in Australia before, so I made the most of being London based and signed myself up to both Glossybox and Birchbox, (I reviewed both here). After about 6 months I ended up with an overload of samples I would never use and a very well stocked travel beauty bag. I decided there were only so many sample sized products one woman could ever need and so I cancelled my subscriptions.

This year whilst browsing Instagram, a beauty box that Ruth Crilly from A Model Recommends posted caught my eye. It was gorgeous. It was Parisian. It needed to be mine. My Little Box started in France only and browsing their website (which was only in French .. a language I do not speak), was both fascinating and frustrating. Here was a company that had taken beauty boxes to the next level. The samples were from amazing brands and they also included divine little lifestyle products of their own gorgeous design.

When I heard they were expanding to deliver to the UK I couldn't sign up fast enough. Having just received my first box last week, I am thrilled. Here is what was inside:

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Each box is centred around a theme, and this months theme is Paris. Once the ribbon was unwrapped the first little treat was this gorgeous notebook which included a few pages of the My Little Box's background story, beautifully illustrated of course. Oh and look at the stickers too. 

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Next up was a really lovely neoprene laptop cover. Love love love this! But I wish my i-pod fitted inside as I don't own a laptop. Boo. 

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And then we move on to the beauty portion of the box, which included three very good and well sized products. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse is a product that needs no introduction, it is a cult Parisian pharmacy staple, a dry oil which you can use on the face, body or in your hair.  Laura Mercier foundation primer is always in my makeup kit, so this was another welcome inclusion. The final product was a My Little Beauty's own brand, the Stylo Lumiere which is a highlighting pen along the lines of YSL's Le Touche Eclat. I'm really pleased as I know I will get use out of all of these products.

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I'm already looking forward to next month's box. You can sign up to My Little Box here if you like in the UK and would like a monthly fix to satisfy your inner Francophile.

Oh and I will leave you on this note - this sticker was on the inside of the box and it speaks to me loud and clear!

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Paris - Le Haul part one

I spent a lovely few days in Paris last week with my friend Kelly and we had a ball. Lots of eating and walking the streets ... and lots of shopping too of course! I didn't go crazy but I did pick up a good few bits and pieces in Sephora and Parashop, my French pharmacy of choice. Here is what I got.

Guerlain Météorites - described as 'Light Revealing Pearls of Powder' they are light diffusing powder balls which are shaped by hand and used to minimise flaws and add brightness. I have been intrigued by these for a long time and when I came across them in Sephora I thought 'when in Paris ....'. I went for colour number 2, Light. It comes with a puff but is much better applied with a fluffy powder brush. And they smell absolutely divine. You can buy these on Sephora with UK shipping available here. 

YSL Rebel Nudes in colour Fuchsia Tomboy - ever since Sephora sent me that lovely sample these have been on my list (see post here). It was so hard to choose a colour but I had bought a fuchsia top in Galleries Lafayette earlier that day so I decided to get something to match. The texture of these is strange - cool on the lips at first. The staying power is amazing and that is something that is hard to find in a gloss format. 

Dior Addict Fluid Stick in 869 Vie D'Enfer - these were everywhere in Paris. Dior have obviously spent big on advertising for this campaign and it worked on me! I bought this to compare to the YSL I bought above. I went for a classic red. It is part gloss, part lipstick. I can't decide which I prefer but I may just have to give it to YSL on the angled brush applicator. 

Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in Ro(cocoa) - is it possible for an eyeliner to be too soft? This may be the case with this one. At times the soft texture is a dream as it glides on with absolutely no tugging, however when you try to tight-line with it on the upper lash line it is a little too soft. Evidence of this can be seen in the picture below where the point of the pencil has worn down. It is supposed to have a built-in sharpener which I can't seem to locate. Any ideas? I love the colour though and as with all Marc Jacobs Beauty products, the packaging is luxe.

I picked up a few little handy Sephora brand things that I thought you might be interested in seeing. The first are these cool eye-remover swabs that look like a simple cotton bud but have eye makeup remover in the middle which runs into the bud as you snap the top. So handy for traveling! The second handy this is this reusable wipe for removing makeup. No more cursing when your hotel does not provide flannels to wash your face, just whip this out and you are covered. It dries hard like a chamois but becomes soft when wet. I take my makeup off with Bioderma first, then used this cloth with a cleansing balm to get everything else off. Unfortunately I can't seem to find this product online to link it in this post. I also got another small bottle of their makeup brush cleaner because it is easy to transport and works a treat.

In my next post, Le Haul part two I will show you what I bought at Parashop. And don't worry, it is not the usual Bioderma and Nuxe lip balm that you have read about a thousand times before. I'm not that predictable!

By Terry in Paris

As you know last week I was in Paris, the makeup addict's shangri-la. Aside from running riot in Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, I also made a special pilgrimage to the By Terry store in the oh so beautiful Galerie Véro-Dodat. It is located just off Rue St Honoré near the Palais Royale and if you going to Paris, it is worth a look. 

Makeup, makeup everywhere!

Makeup, makeup everywhere!

The original By Terry store is within the arcade and is now used as a laboratory. The makeup is now sold in a larger store within the same arcade. The eye shadows you see above are made in the laboratory you see below!

The original shop front, now a laboratory

The original shop front, now a laboratory

I went in on a mission. I had been wanting to try the new Terrybly Densiliss foundation even since it was launched a few months back. I had myself colour matched, and while I was there, was given a beautiful mini-makeover by one of the fabulous By Terry makeup artists. I had been on the streets shopping since 8.30am so I was in need of this. 

The foundation is good. I really like the texture - it reminds me a little of the Le Teint Touche Éclat Foundation, but it seems to give more coverage and less glow, which is what I need having combination skin. The packaging is great as it comes in a nicely sized glass bottle with a pump dispenser which is always good for travelling. I was matched to the colour 5 - Medium Peach.  

Once that was covered, I picked up a couple of extras such as the infamous Baume de Rose which is a heavenly rose-scented lip balm. Anyone who knows me will attest to my obsession with lip balms. I'm so in awe of it that I haven't even opened it yet. 

L-R: Terrybly Densiliss foundation, Touch-Expert Advanced Concealer, Ore de Rose Blush Prestidge and Baume de Rose lip balm.

L-R: Terrybly Densiliss foundation, Touch-Expert Advanced Concealer, Ore de Rose Blush Prestidge and Baume de Rose lip balm.

I also found that one of my favourite ever products, the Rose de Rose liquid blush came in a 24 carat pink gold version - AND IT WAS HALF-PRICE! I'm not even making that up in case my husband is reading this. It is the truth. 

I was so very well looked after and once I told the lovely staff that I had made a special trip to see them, I was given lots of lovely samples and goodies to try ... and quite frankly, you know what that means. More By Terry will most certainly be making its way into my collection. I can't wait!

Lots and lots of lovely samples

Lots and lots of lovely samples

By Terry is available in both the UK and Australia. In the UK you can see the range at Space NK, and in Australia it is available at Mecca Cosmetica. 

I will be travelling to Sydney this week so communication may not be as regular as I take a well-earned Christmas break for the next month. 

A Beauty Junkie's Guide to Paris

Last week I went to Paris. Yes I know. I am a lucky duckling aren't I? I'm not even going to pretend it wasn't every bit as fabulous as it sounds, because it was even better! I took myself off on the Eurostar on a Sunday at lunchtime, and by that afternoon I was wandering through the first L'arondissement.

Words can't even describe how beautiful Paris is in December with all the Christmas lights, so I will let my pictures do the talking. 

If you are only going for a short trip then location is key. I stayed at the Hotel L'Horset which is just off Avenue De L'Opera in the first l'arondissement. It is walking distance to the Louvre, the Palais Royal, the department stores on Boulevade Haussman, the Champs Elysee and much much more.

Where I stayed ... click through the gallery.

Where I shopped ... click through the gallery.

For me it is all about Galeries Lafayette. The interior is amazing, the range of brands is fabulous ... you can spend an entire day in there. I don't like the layout of Printemps as much as the store is spread across several different buildings. I got lost many times.

What I bought ... click through the gallery.

I can't show you everything without ruining my family's Christmas surprises, but here are a few of the highlights, all beauty-related of course! There may or may not have been a purchase made in Louis Vuitton ... but i'm not admitting to anything!

The highlight of my trip was a visit to the By Terry store and I will detail that in another post to come later this week. 

One thing to note if you are planning a trip to Paris is that on Sunday, nothing is open. Not. A. Thing. This can be frustrating for us shoppers who have come a long way and have money to spend. I purposely planned my trip so that I would arrive on a Sunday afternoon due to this, but even still, it was annoying.