Manolo for the Beauty

I must be totally out of touch, because I had no idea True Blood was popular enough to inspire an entire collection.

Deborah Lippmann created polishes inspired by different characters and her first ever lipstick in, of course, red.

There are also body creams, a perfume, home fragrance candles, and diffusers as well.

The blood starts dripping on August 9th on hsn.com.

Is it just me or does it seem like this should come out closer to Halloween?

Ahhhh, is it Monday already?   I knew there was a reason I was feeling disappointed.

51% of you are mildly bothered by nonsensical beauty product names, and 34% of you could care less about the name.  9% are so bothered by silly names that they refuse to buy products with the aforementioned, and 4% are all about embracing a little linguistic creativity.  I would put myself in the majority camp, although I will buy it if I like the product enough.

Today, there’s a newly released perfume that I want to ask you about.

I don’t know how this particular product managed to escape (har har) me, but seriously, who thought this was a good idea? Rapper Akon has sued the company he was in negotiations with for producing a perfume, but he alleges they went ahead and did this all on their own.

Yeah, I would sue too.

Ok, so the very large perfume bottle placed suggestively in the crotchal area is definitely NOT a new thing for you.

But, ah, apparently it doesn’t have to be groundbreaking to be offensive, especially when it’s a 17 year old. Britain has banned the ad for Oh Lola! featuring Dakota Fanning.

I understand that sex is used to sell pretty much everything, but is it too much for me to expect it to at least be subtle? Or is that just being a hypocrite?

57% of you found yourself in the same boat as me, with no costume for Halloween.  I debated getting a silly hat or headband, but never got around to it.  17% had some makeup that wasn’t essential to your costume, while 22% had some fun integrating their makeup with their costume.

Today I’m curious as to how you choose your perfume.

Ok, so I apparently have a bit of a rebel streak in me in that I sort of love this packaging. Yes, I realize that it is deliberately playing a “screw that fairy princess crap” angle. But hey, I’m buying it, hook, line, and sinker.  I love the purple-black bottle, the cut-off edge, and I don’t usually like snails, but I like that one.

Freak is described thusly: a mix of poison hemlock, black davana, belladonna, opium flower, caress and kiss notes. I don’t know what caress and kiss notes are, but I like the way they sound. And of course, how could such a counterculture scent NOT have something like poison hemlock in it?

It’s available at the illamasqua website starting Oct. 20, 2011.

56% of you are against scented products, except for ones that you specifically wish to be scented.  You know, like perfume and body lotion.  15% enjoy scented stuff, and 28% of you are sittin’ on the fence.  I have to admit that I enjoy scented beauty products of all kinds, especially lipsticks.   Then again, I don’t have allergies.   I particularly like Aveda lipsticks because they smell minty.

Speaking of scents, how do you get your scent on?

Along with makeup, I really, really like perfume.  It does not have to be some rare brand mixed by magical elves and only sold on Rue Frou-frou in Paris. If it smells good, I’m all for it.  Although if you are into unusual and hard-to-find scents, I highly recommend this site.   Although I do wish more perfume would come in metal containers, as exposure to natural light will alter your fragrance. Ah well, just stick it in your closet.

I went to Sephora today, and I had my coupon from one of these, which I received as a gift sometime last year, and have only now gotten around to using.  If you prefer to try a scent during different times of the day, or in different weather, then I would recommend using this option.  You get some nice sizes and the opportunity to use them one at a time and at your leisure, rather than trying to spray a few on yourself at the store and getting your nose all mixed up.  Although if you need your “nasal palate” cleansed, Sephora will whip out some coffee grounds for you to sniff.

So the sampler I had contained FlowerbyKenzo, which I absolutely love.  However, my husband absolutely hates it.  And even though I’m not necessarily all about ignoring my needs for his, I decided to be generous and not get it this time.  Wife of the Year material, I know.

Anyhoo, thought I had settled on Prada’s Infusion d’Iris, when at the store, my fickle self decided I wanted something a bit more fruity for the upcoming warmer months, as I already have a winter perfume.  I happened to be chatting with one of the employees, and she let me in on a little secret.  If it turns out you don’t like any of the perfumes contained in the sampler, you can pick any fragrance of similar size and value and get that instead.  Score!

I finally settled on something completely unexpected, which was Coach’s Poppy, a scent I’d never smelled before today. (There’s also this German scent Ghost Duft, from Forget Flowers which is all over the world.)

I’m happy with my (technically free) perfume, and I’m sure I’ll be adding to my collection sooner rather than later.