The latest from one of our favorite designers, Alissia MT, are these beautiful glass Me-Rors which were produced by Charles & Marie. Coming in two versions, you can view yourself in a floating silhouette, or in a classic oval... either way, it is quite a trip to use a handheld mirror that has your reflection essentially floating as you hold it up to inspect yourself closely... An exciting surprise that showed up at my door last week were one of each of model! I was thrilled to see the packaging on these (and even more excited to share them with you in many pics below)... they come in a pretty simple Charles & Marie branded box, with a magnetic flap you lift and open it, exposing the me-rors embedded in flocked blackness and a playful intro message... take a look below!

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Tags: beauty - fashion - gifts - mirrors

blu_ray ~ the latest collection from CARGO Cosmetics. And yes, that blu_ray. If the beauty industry has anything to say about it, it looks like blu_ray really is winning the war on HD DVD. The CARGO site says "blu-ray, CARGOs revolutionary new collection originally created for make-up artists filiming in high-definition, is designed to provide flawless results while maintaining a perfectly natural look. Because life happens in High-Definition..." So i guess anyone can be ready for their closeup in microscopic high-definition when viewed from a blu_ray dvd? I'm surprised that the 59$ (valued at $130) complete set doesn't come with a blu_ray disc to help give buyers an extra push towards a ps3/blu_ray player... also i'm surprised to not see examples of with/without the magical blu_ray makeup as would be seen in high-definition. See the full collection after the jump!

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Tags: beauty - blu_ray - fashion - gifts - hddvd - makeup - playstation 3 - shopping - technology

Coco just sent over her portfolio, and its a beautiful mixed media assortment of works that begin with "experimenting with old-school processes such as painting, drawing and ceramics" and then pulling them together in our good ol' photoshop for a perfect mixture of physical and digital collaging. Having studied fine arts in paris, and spending the last few years in london, as well as extensive work that started out for fun illustrating fashion, its no wonder Coco has now been seen in Vogue Magazine, Dazed & confused, Nylon Japan, Plastique & Bon magazine. The London & Barcelona Fashion Week. For some of my favorites from the portfolio, see after the jump!

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Tags: art - beauty - fashion - illustration

Browsing Oh Joy, i noticed Wickle and their simple, pretty line of perfumes... while i have no idea what their scents are like, the packaging is sweet, in that old fashioned girly feeling way. Fig & Mace sure sounds like a strange one though... their usual come in scents like Muskmallow, Periwinkle, and Scented Tea Leaf with various limited edition packaging - The limited edition line with Katie Brinsley features a delicate chain with porcelain objects hanging from them and Takako Copeland editions come with pure silver silhouette pendants.

Tags: beauty - gifts - shopping

I've been a big fan of diesel for years now ~ and honestly as much as i liked their clothes, i've always LOVED their branding, packaging, graphics/interaction design! But what really blew me away was how horrendous their Fuel For Life customization ended up being. I must admit i'm relieved to see that there are *some* decent packaging/product offerings in this space that aren't embarrassing... Before i get into this sweet new limited edition ~ i've updated the Fuel For Life Customization post with images of the finished product... its more expensive AND uglier than i ever imagined. I had assumed that the mediocre flash imagery would be made up for by the usual diesel packaging/product quality, but instead the result is something i would probably be accused of peddling a bad fake and slapped for if i tried to sell it on ebay or craigslist.

Anyhow, excited to see that they came out with some edgy fun limited editions this season! The limited edition black lacquered box is beautiful and the packaging/bracelet idea with refillable minis is adorable for a gift, but doesn't it seem redundant to have a clasp when it already opens where the bottle goes? And can't you think of many different things you could put in that? The main bottles are a bit overly bling'd out for me, but playful and giftworthy none the less.

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Tags: beauty - gifts - shopping

Gift Guide Day 17 is all about grooming. Gorgeous gadgets and potions to get you all cleaned up from head to toe- or great for gifts as a not so subtle hint... a little something for guys, girls, both...

Tags: beauty - gift guide - gifts - health - shopping

Latest in toothbrush technology? Ultrasound. No, seriously... the Ultreo uses sonic vibrations plus ultrasound. And as much as initially i thought this might just be another crazy gimmick and I initially wanted to check it out b/c the packaging was interesting, and the new technology intriguing... I didn't expect to actually be hooked on my teeth feeling this noticeably clean relative to the sonicare elite (i haven't had a chance to compare this to that new sonicare flexcare, but its the same technology really, only less vibrations coming through and smaller?). Founded by Dr. Pierre Mourad (who has made his living finding novel applications for ultrasound and its ability to transform bubbles into miniature sources of mechanical energy) and Jack Gallagher (Ultreo's CEO/President who was present of Phillips Oral Healthcare for a few years) and they brought on Dr. Christopher McInnes (Ultreo's Principal Scientist who spent 12 years with Sonicare, and provided the fundamental science behind the Sonicare technology)... they have quite a team behind the Ultreo, which has just launched its first ultrasound toothbrush . Other than the incredible clean feeling (yes, i am running my tongue over my teeth in amazement still) ~ it's impressive that it's far less aggressive/harsh on your mouth, less vibrations, quieter and i was told the ultrasound technology creates tiny bubbles that blast away the plaque (see the comparison study images, more below)... and how does it work? It's all about that orange transducer in the middle of the brush head. Really its hard to explain, and definitely worth trying to understand/feel for yourself.... images below of box scans, close ups of the charger, travel case, etc.

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Tags: beauty - gifts - health - shopping - technology

I'm sure you've heard by now that Diesel has branched out into fragrances: Fuel For Life... its been hard to miss their campaign this season! Well we are super stoked to be giving you this weekend exclusive about the new Fuel For Life FACTORY! Where you can use their flashy online customizer to design your own zippered leather jacket for your bottle of Fuel For Life. With a range of colored leathers and logos for the front and back and even the zipper pull leathers to customize... you have quite a few choices to make. And only 20,000 of these bottles will be produced, so starting on Monday, you'll have your chance to build and buy your own, but until then you can explore the current Fuel For Life site with interactive experiences to keep you busy and ads to watch until then. (Screenshots of all below!)

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Tags: beauty - fashion - gifts - shopping

Acca Kappa ~ an "Italian legend of luxury" ~ upon walking into the store at Century City i was told that this ancient brand was used on the royals. But what really drew me in was all the beautiful use of various woods (i'm a sucker for wood bristle combs... since my ancient Aveda paddle brushes as a kid, to the various Koh-i-noor ones i've recently used)... and their men's line! Made me wish i was a guy so i had a good excuse to buy the "1869 Series Shave Bowl & Soap: Hand made bowl with East African Wenge Wood contains vegetable-based Almond shave foam" from their men's 1869 line. I don't think you fully understand how beautiful that bowl is! And the curvature of their nail brushes were amazing too (also the soap dish you can see below). They have hair brushes in both the darker woods as well as the lighter hand finished beechwood... and new to the store was the extremely eco friendly Bioceta line of 100% biodegradable line of hair brushes, nail brushes, body brushes, etc... they are made from a unique cellulose that is extracted from cotton. Anyhow, i was quite taken by the line, and i think the 1869 men's line is definitely on my shopping list for the guys this year... as usual lots of pics from their site as well as some of the actual store (the store girl was nice enough to let me take a few!).

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Tags: beauty - gifts - health - shopping

I know it is a bit of a Chanel OD at this point, but there was just so much that they showed us that really kind of blew my mind... but this should be the last post ~ big news that this whole trip was about, the Keira Knightly Coco Mademoiselle film is finally online (go watch it now)... cool thing to look out for, that last scene, she runs into place vendome (yes the No. 5 bottle shaped plaza), and basically runs right past the hotel they put us up at! I wonder if that was intentional.

Things i've been dying to show you, but they asked me to wait till today... We got to go inside Coco Mademoiselle's Apartment ~ which has been frozen in time, filled with tons of pieces filled with stories... from books, to chinese screens she split and used like wallpaper (with her favorite symbol the Camellia on them - which was traditionally for courtesans), and loads of superstitious pieces i was smitten with... my favorite being this crystal ball with the lions holding it up (she was a leo and collection lions)... and there is even a chandelier with 5's, G's and C's worked into the framework of it... So pictures below, but the majority of them are for your browsing in the Gallery.

I also have a map and walkthrough to show you her secret path/shortcut to Rue Cambon through the Ritz which we took ~ and i envy her set up. She lived in the Ritz... and then at 31 Rue Cambon on the first floor was the Chanel Store, second floor is the Haute Couture dressing rooms, third floor is her apartment for entertaining, and forth floor is the workshop... with a rooftop that allegedly has some of the best views in paris (i tried, but they wouldn't let me go past the third floor... apparently karl lagerfeld and his team were busy preparing for fall fashion week). OH and they are all linked with the most incredible faceted mirrored staircase, that she built so that she could stand in one spot and basically see what was happening on every floor.

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Tags: beauty - hotels - travel

Being the packaging/product junkie that i am ~ as cool as traditional Chanel products may be, i found great pleasure in the attention to detail they took to every aspect of our adventure. The name tags... super thick rubbery tags with our names embedded in them with the Chanel logo (see the side view pic below to fully understand)... i have had an obsession with black on black pencils since high school (they were somehow my good luck pencils for SATs and all scantron tests ~ wow did i just date myself?), and the Chanel black pencils with silver logo were so classic, with matching note pads with tiny logo and black backing... the gloss on matte folders for press kits... and the headshots were just to funny not to share, i'm quite sad we didn't get them first so we could play full on starstruck fan kids and get them autographed. See it all below...

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Tags: beauty - hotels - travel

Of the many stories, myths, and just all around Chanel lore that i can't seem to get out of my head yet (expect a few more posts just so i can clear my head)... the one i woke up with that was driving me crazy was that Coco Chanel designed her first Chanel No.5 bottle to perfectly match the shape of Place Vendome (where the Ritz is, and where she basically lived... although her apartment for inspiration and taking guests was just behind it on Rue Cambon... but more on that in a few days). They also claim that it is unknown whether this matching shape was intentional... and its not like THEY had google maps back in 1921. So i HAD to check. The designer in me had to know for sure, while the rational part of me assumed the Chanel folks wouldn't just make something like this up. And as you see, they weren't kidding. Below, more images... and also some quick pics from the Assouline set of Chanel books they left on my bed... its really fun to see the old sketches of the bottles, and even how they have evolved over the years... but still fit the Place Vendome proportions.

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Tags: architecture - beauty - hotels - luxury - travel

I have had a Chanel day. Literally. But before i get into how in one day i was inundated with all things Chanel, and have a new found respect and fascination for the woman, the brand, the perfumerie (with stories from Chanel perfume creator Jacques Polge himself), the stunning timelessness of the jewelry, the sneak preview of the Keira Knightley film (as introduced by THE artistic director, Jacques Helleu), following Coco Chanel's secret route from the Ritz to the original store, untouched apartment of inspiration, workshop, haute couture dressing rooms, and the incredible staircase... i wanted to show you the incredibly detailed process behind the sealing of the Chanel bottles... and the best part? I actually got to try it for myself ~ and it's not easy, but if all else fails i suppose i can attempt to join their team of 100, who seal the bottles day after day by hand. (Also, how great is this mini seal tool? I think we need a NOTCOT one!) Loads of images below.

p.s. Before you think Chanel bought me off ~ think of this whole trip as more of the field trip of a lifetime. An interesting move on their part, they brought a group of international bloggers to Paris, and immersed us in the world of Chanel excitedly sharing with us the stories of their past, a peek into how things work behind the scenes, as well as a glance at what they are moving towards and what their brand philosophies are. Honestly, it kind of felt like design school again ~ you remember those studio visits with your design idols? Where they are as excited to be telling you about their work as you are to be there?

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Tags: beauty - hotels - luxury

On relatively unexpected surprises in snail mail ~ just got this package from Chanel with their latest, Coco Mademoiselle, and a DVD preview of the upcoming film starring Keira Knightly. Their ads have been popping up all over with her lately (and by all over i mean in the expected 850 page fall/sept issues of every fashion magazine) - and there's been the drama over how those aren't her real ones. Seems like quite the launch in progress, with the "big event" launching at Mademoiselle-Forever in 2 days, and to top it off they are inviting a group of international bloggers to Paris weekend after next for the full experience. I'll keep you posted on that how that goes...

As for interesting packaging ~ the interior box resembles a pack of cigarettes when i first opened it up... and i love the detail of the little wax seal with the Chanel logo and string on such a tiny bottle... and nice touch to have the hand written calligraphy on the note.

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Tags: advertising - beauty - luxury

vedaPURE - on my late night packaging/branding finds... how sweet is this logo? And check out the stuffed elephant that comes in the gift set below. And with product names like Butt, Butt Plus, and Butter.... as well as Supple, Nurture, Scrumptious... and for vedaDUDEs: Glide, Chill, Splash... this is a family line... ok, mostly targeting moms and dads to be, as well as new parents and babies. But nice packaging, and definitely a great go to gift for all those baby showers, etc.

"vedaPURE uses the most pure, high quality ingredients. Our promise and commitment to our customers is simple: we bring nature's best ingredients together to make safe and effective skincare for the whole family. The vedaPURE collection is formulated with organic plant and fruit extracts, soothing oils and gentle ingredients. No hidden chemicals. No misleading labels. Natural pure beauty."

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Tags: baby - beauty - gifts - health - shopping

Juliette Has A Gun. New fragrance line i first posted over at NotCouture as #457, but back then i hadn't tracked down the website, and fallen even further for the packaging! I'm just in love with the branding and the logo of this whole line... luckily the west coast launch of this is available over at Fred Segal, so no excuses not to pop over there and check it out this weekend (being under 5 min away and all) - for you east coasters its at Henri Bendel - for euros and canadians, check the website.

So what's the story with this new line? It is the brain child of Romano Ricci, the great grandson of legendary couture designer, Nina Ricci... and grandson of a great perfumer. .. and he has recruited the "untouchable master of perfumery", Francis Kurkdjian, the brilliant creator of classic scents for Dior, Lanvin, Acqua Di Parma, and Davidoff... So how can they go wrong? Their site description of the line: "Juliette has a Gun creates perfumes made out of rose. Fragile but thorny, the romantic flower comes in different versions. Classy and sophisticated in "Lady Vengeance", she can also appear sweet and fragile with "Miss Charming" Its Ambition? To lead a new rock & elegant trend in the perfumery world by creating romantic and original creations."

Tags: beauty - fashion - gifts - shopping

I think i have a soft spot for makeup and alcohol/bottled water, because they tend to become about 85% about the packaging for me often. And today's random mesmerizing inspiration is this new eye shadow trio from Stila. Simple bronze packaging, and a gorgeous palette of three mexican inspired hues perfect for summer. The pressed patterns i couldn't take my eyes off, and ended up buying it to scan it (and i'm loving the colors). This one is Acapulco - there are also trios inspired by Mazatlan and Vallarta (see them all at Sephora). Look at more images below... it reminds me of the Tantric Buddhist Mandala sand paintings a bit...

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Tags: beauty - gifts - shopping

ThisWorks. It may not, i'm not sure, to be honest. But it certainly is a good way to build confidence right off the bat when your customer encounters your product. It's simple and to the point. Also while it feels a bit like Philosophy's text filled branding... it feels a bit more refreshingly playful. I was drawn to it instantly, and love the packaging of their travel kits especially, the minis in the Travel and Survive kits are so cute, and perfect backup gifts to have around. So i'm posting this simply because it feels branding/packaging noteworthy. [I first ran into it at Fred Segal.]

Tags: beauty - gifts - health - shopping

Swiss Glamour Camping kit - Urban Decay meets Paul Frank. Stop. Thats a lot of oxymorons visually and conceptually. On top of the cheeky emergency travel bag and Paul Frank sunglasses, there is apparently over $125 of Urban Decay make up goodies in there as well. There is a removable lamb mirror, hardcase for the sunglasses, zip off pouch, brush slots, and even a travel hook... for um... in your tent. Fun gift, it'll set you back $299.

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Tags: beauty - gifts - outdoors - shopping

Zents - came across this line at Gumps today, and was mesmerized by the packaging of these Zents ~ "Perfumery's oldest tradition- a multi-use, highly fragrant solid perfume balm, hand-poured into a unique solid stone cube."

Tags: beauty - gifts - health - shopping

Ritual - a new line of grooming products for men. Let it be stated now that i've never been into men who are more high maintenance than myself (and as a packaging obsessed girl, its hard not to accumulate and try more than my share of cosmetics, skincare, haircare, etc goods)... but that being said, i do love a guy who knows it all well enough to pick well. And i'm tempted to get some of these somewhat bizarre? unique? products by ritual to test out. Fun website... playful graphic design going on... but most intriguing are two products in particular. 1) Nature Calls - they are apparently "first to market" with this one... and you literally drop a few droplets into the toilet, pre-stink, and there will be no stink. (i feel skeptical but curious) 2) Trifecta - "Trifecta packs your three essential shower products into an all-in-one hair, body and facial wash, which lathers in both hard and soft water." Someday, will SOMEONE please explain to me how some guys can get away with using one thing for hair body and face? And maybe they should swap to this? And third image up there is the gift set, which i think i'm a sucker for b/c of the wooden box.

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Tags: beauty - gifts - health - shopping

Mid-April seems to be a big time for launches at Target ~ or next week i mean! At least in the gorgeously designed affordable grooming products (adding to their Boots imports and Sonia Kashuk lines). As mentioned on .org last week, Method is launching their Bloq line - as reported by Happy Mundane - "It will be available in four formats: body wash, lotion, shave cream, and bar soap. The Bloq line is naturally derived, biodegradable, paraben-free, and has not been tested on animals. There will also be four scents that have been designed to match four moods: green mint for the "go getter", water flower for the "pure minimalist", beach sage for the "escape artist", and citron leaf for the "eternal optimist."

Additionally, men.style.com just announced that Every Man Jack ~ will also be launching at Target- saying " No item is more than $4.99. And, unlike your dad's soap on a rope, Every Man Jack products forgo dyes and old-school preservatives for a more natural approach. Body Wash uses only nondrying natural surfactants instead of the potent chemicals found in drugstore brands; Shave Gel lubricates with aloe and natural glycerin and has chamomile and vitamin E to soothe razor burn; and Face Lotion is oil-free and noncomedogenic. The California-based upstart also offers shampoo, conditioner, face wash, and pomade, all available in a pleasantly minty signature scent, plus cedarwood, tea tree, or fragrance-free."

Tags: beauty - health - shopping

I'll admit it: I'm a sucker for skincare products. I'm an even bigger sucker for skincare products with simple yet thoughtful packaging. Bonus points if the product is natural. 4mula pretty much takes the cake. Their products are environmentally friendly on many levels, and they're all about "Farms. Not Pharms." On 04/04/07 4mula turned three years old, and they are celebrating by offering free shipping on orders of $100 or more in the month of April. International orders get a free gift. A company this environmentally aware and design-conscious deserves many happy birthdays.

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Tags: beauty - gifts - health - shopping

I found the Le Labo "Olfactionary" on the Barneys site and immediately thought of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind, the book responsible for making me wonder about and appreciate the perfume-making process. The Olfactionary is a collection of forty 2.5 mL bottles, each filled with natural essences which are the principal scents in perfumes. They also include olfactory keys (blotters) for sampling the scents.

I love the the minimal look of Le Labo's packaging, especially the lab-like labels which are pretty appropriate because really... it's just chemicals. Each perfume is made to order, and the label is customized for you.

Tags: beauty - books - shopping

CARE by Stella McCartney is a new line of skincare ~ that is Ecocert-certified. CARE is "a unique luxury line of certified organic skincare, formulated with 100 percent organic active ingredients and zero percent petrochemicals or silicones." While she isn't necessarily the first eco/organic line out there (my old time favs is still Neal's Yard Remedies) - it is really interesting to see this transition of luxury and eco merging... also, i am a big fan of her logo, and sleek design/packaging. There is even a discovery kit of travel sized testers to give the new line a try.

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Tags: beauty - green - health - shopping