I met Oscar de la Renta! Okay... I met him for a millisecond but it was an encounter nonetheless and I got a picture with him (insert happy fashion dance here).

The highly renowned fashion designer was in Toronto on Wednesday to introduce his newest fragrance, Live in Love sold exclusively at the Bay. Mr. de la Renta’s appearance at the Bay’s Queen Street store consisted of a brief sit-down interview with Fashion Television host, Jeanne Beker and an autograph session with the public.

To say that I was looking forward to this occasion in the days leading up to the event would be an understatement. I hold fashion designers in high regard because of their talent, perseverance and ability to translate their vision of beauty into clothes; designers of Mr. de la Renta’s calibre are ones I revere the most.

The conversation between Beker and de la Renta was sweet; his answers charming everyone in attendance, his words of wisdom and elegant demeanour palatable. How could he do anything but enchant the crowd? Especially, when Live in Love is described as “a fragrance for women created by a man who adores them.”

A few lines of wisdom from Oscar de la Renta:

• Oscar says “it’s important to love yourself first”
• On the success of a fragrance, “The true success of a fragrance is not when someone tells you to wear it, but when you know the fragrance projects you as an individual”
• On what makes a woman truly elegant, “Elegance is not something you are born with but it’s the discipline on how you live life... A woman believes she projects something that is unique and that she conveys a message about herself... that to me is real beauty – the beauty is not how you project with your physique but the beauty you can project with you mind”

Fashion and shoes are not the only secret obsessions I have in my life; I’m also an undercover beauty junkie. Compared to other beauty obsessed people, my habits are pretty mild but when I do shop for cosmetics I go all out and by the time I’ve finished at the make-up counter I walk away with more products than I originally set out to buy.

Obtaining beauty samples are my preferred choice when trying out new products, its allows you to take it on a test drive before committing to a 100mL bottle of cleanser or shade lipstick that you end up either loving to death or disliking with a passion.

I was contacted by the team at Loose Button to review their service and product offerings. Loose Button operates a monthly beauty subscription service that delivers three to five beauty samples inside a Luxe Box straight to your door-step. Samples that appear inside the Luxe Box can range from skincare to cosmetics and fragrances.

Inside the September Luxe Box:

• Laura Mercier, Perfecting Water-Rich, 10mL
• Mereadesso, Face + Neck Toning Gel, 7mL
• Moroccan Oil, The Original Oil treatment, 25mL
• Pür Minerals, Mineral Glow, 3.4g
• One, Hersey Kiss chocolate

The phrase, “it’s all in the details” can be applied to the moment I opened my Luxe Box. The packaging, personalized greeting and welcome cards on high quality paper were such a pleasant surprised that it made me feel special and part of an exclusive members club.

Inside the September Luxe Box there are four product samples, all from well-respected brands such as Moroccan Oil and Laura Mercier, and provided at very decent sample sizes. Out of the four products, I’ve only ever tried the Moroccan Oil and it’s already a permanent staple within my hair care products so I’m super excited to have the opportunity to try-out the remaining items.

I’m so impressed at Loose Button’s delivery and product offerings that I’m going to be signing up shortly to get on this monthly beauty action. I’m even considering of gifting it to a few close friends, they’d absolutely love it – not sure if this is possible but I’m sure it can be coordinated some how.

If you’re wondering about cost, Loose Button has a few plans you can choose from either $12 monthly or $120 yearly. More information about the Luxe Box and how to sign up can be found at http://loosebutton.com/.

Interested in trying out a Luxe Box? See the giveaway details below.

The Luxe Box giveaway!

For all of those undercover or not-so-undercover beauty junkies, the generous team at Loose Button is offering one free Luxe Box to my readers. How to enter:

1. Go to the Loose Button Facebook page and “Like it.”
2. Leave a comment on this blog entry by clicking on the “Response” button below and tell me about your one favourite beauty product and why.
3. Be sure to fill in all the comment fields and provide your e-mail address – I’ll need this to contact the winner.
4. Contest closes on October 7, 2011.

** Note: this giveaway is open to Canadian residents only. The winner will be chosen using a random number generator and will be announced on this post with an update to this entry. The winner will be sent the October Luxe Box from Loose Button which will arrive around mid-month.

** BLOG ENTRY UPDATE (October 10, 2011): the winner of the Luxe by Loose Button giveaway is Andrea B.! Congrats on winning an October Luxe Box Andrea, I’ll e-mail you shortly to coordinate delivery of it to you.**

There’s four more days until Christmas and I’ve listed a few picks below for all of you last minute shoppers. Hopefully the items I’ve chosen will provide a few potential ideas. Happy holidays!

Danier leather jacket

Details: Mongolian lamb collared jacket with ribbed detail. Price $149.

Augustina Fragrances by Susanne Lang Parfumerie

Details: all fragrances sold in-store at Augustina and exclusively online at Anthropologie. Scents available: Avondale, Woodlawn and Roxborough. Sizes:7mL perfume oil roller, $30 for 60mL eau de parfum, $95 for 120 mL dry body oil, $50

RADO watches, Sintra Automatic Skeleton

Details: transparent case back, black hi-tech ceramic bracelet, limited edition. Available at Holt Renfrew, Birks and other fine jewellers across Canada. Price $7,800.

UP TO YOU, heel protectors

Details: slide these protectors onto your heels “to fend off tears and scratches caused by sidewalk cracks, stairs and escalators. The protectors are then removed when you reach your destination ensuring that the heels remain unscathed and looking their best. Fits most stiletto type heels.” Price $11.

Details: “all of the bracelets are handmade with high quality materials that come from nature. Real, hand-dyed leather forms the basis of each bracelet” designed by Ana Kuzmanovic. Price range, $50-$200.

Hudson's Bay Company multistripe point blanket

Details: 100 per cent woven wool “first commissioned by HBC in 1800, the multistripe has never been out of production since. It is the most popular colourway of all the HBC point blankets, past or present.” Sizes available: twin, double, queen and king. Price $275.

Images courtesy of Augustina Fragrances, Danier, Hudson’s Bay Company, RADO, ShopElegant

When I hear the name Victorinox Swiss Army I envision its trademark cross and shield logo along with iconic Swiss army knives and watches. Yet, it wasn’t until several years ago (mainly through a now ex-boyfriend) that I became more familiar with the company’s venture into lifestyle products, such as clothing and fragrances.

Victorinox Swiss Army is launching a new men's fragrance called, Victorinox Swiss Unlimited, in June at select Bay locations in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. The fragrance blends ingredients from the mountainous regions of Switzerland, such as genepi, absinth and silver fir, giving it a fresh scent with woody base notes.

The fragrance comes in a streamlined glass bottle enclosed in a red rubber sheath. For those adventurous types, Victorinox Swiss Army created a “U-Fill Tool,” a refillable mini-bottle for traveling.

The Victorinox Swiss Unlimited collection includes:

• Eau de Toilette, spray: 75 ml glass bottle with removable rubber sheath, $90.00
• Eau de Toilette, spray refill: 75 ml glass bottle, $70.00
• Eau de Toilette, spray: 30 ml glass bottle with removable rubber sheath, $70.00
•  Shower Gel Hair & Body: 200 ml, $30.00
•  Deodorant stick: 75 grams, $23.00

Images courtesy of Victorinox Swiss Army

Joe Fresh Style^TM recently added nail polish to its beauty repertoire with a set of 18 core shades, as well as a collection of colours that will change seasonally. Shades for spring 2010 include Mint and Faded Violet that reflect the soft, pastel colours you see in its clothing for the season. The nail polish retails for $4 per bottle or three bottles for $10.

The team at Joe Fresh Style^TM kindly sent me samples of its nail polish and the one colour I was eager to try was Butter, a pastel yellow.

The design of the nail polish bottle sets it apart from competitors, it’s cuter and more compact. However, the shortened bottle and brush stem made my first application of the Butter polish tricky and slightly clumsy causing me to redo several nails. The consistency of this shade was on the thick side but I attribute it to being a pastel shade because I tried Gunmetal and it went on fine.

Joe Fresh Style^TM offers a large selection of colours and at such an affordable price you can’t help but go nuts and try its multitude of shades.

Images courtesy of Joe Fresh Style^TM

A few days ago I tweeted about a blog entry published by Samantha Murphy of The Y's Choice regarding a Sephora ZoomShop kiosk where travellers can purchase their favourite Sephora products on the go. I am utterly fascinated with this idea and felt compelled to share this with you.

Developed by ZoomSystems, these kiosks us touch screen technology and provide step-by-step video instructions walking customers through the shopping process. Here, customers can purchase their favourite Sephora products such as Bare Escentuals, Smashbox, NARS and fragrances from Juicy Couture and Dior thus creating a “mini beauty paradise that makes it easier for local Sephora fanatics to find their favourite products and brands close to home.”

The Sephora ZoomShop was initially tested in several U.S. airport terminals such as Las Vegas and San Francisco, and also in 20 J.C. Penney stores.

When you hear something is being offered or given away for free people go into a different mental state, they become instantly alert as if the piercing sounds of a dog whistle has been blown and they quickly scramble to get what is being offered. This is somewhat of the feelings I and many ladies experienced when word spread online that Estee Lauder was offering a free professional makeup application and photo to women to update their social media profile photo.

I signed up for a session at Holt Renfrew and when I arrived for my appointment the Estee Lauder section in the department store was buzzing with ladies being primed and painted. The staff was pleasant and attentive making sure all the customers were having a good time and were happy with their results.

The makeup artist assigned to me was Amna and I asked her to create a very natural look since I had a meeting that afternoon. She applied the following Estee Lauder products on me:

• Foundation, Double Wear
• Concealer, Double Wear
• Powder, medium
• Eyes, Arctic night shadow and Pink Shimmer
• Mascara, dark brown
• Cheeks, Sunset Coral
• Lips, Sweet Kiss

I didn’t get the chance to take a good before and after picture but I was satisfied with the end results.

This is event is happening all over the country, for more details and locations visit the Estee Lauder Facebook page.

While exploring the Niagara region during its annual Ice Wine Festival I stumbled on a hidden gem of a store called Beauty Safari.

Beauty Safari is packed full of amazing and luxurious bath and beauty products, and accessories from high-end lines, such as L'artisan Parfumeur a niche perfume house from France, Penhaligons one of the few true fragrance houses in the world and Akhassa which is a line of natural skin care remedies from Thailand.

I had a pleasant chat with one of the owners, Alex Campbell, who told me that Beauty Safari opened in May 2008, which I was surprised to hear since the store’s atmosphere and level of sophistication appears that they’ve been in operation for much longer.

I could have spent hours in Beauty Safari going through their stock, touching and smelling all their products – a really good sign of a company and its owners who take meticulous care in the items they purchase and present to their customers.

If you’re in the Jordan/Niagara region, Beauty Safari is a highly recommend stop for all those make-up and beauty fanatics, or if you just love beautiful things.

Location: 3836 Main Street, Jordan Ontario

Phone: 905-562-0260

Hours of operation: winter hours – January/February (10am-5pm, closed Mondays), March (10-5pm), April to December (10-6pm)

View Larger Map

Images courtesy of Beauty Safari and some photos taken by Kimberly

This is the first among many blog entries called, “Fashion in the News” a collection of articles/blog posts online that catches my attention and (is in my humble opinion) worth reading. Enjoy!

John Galliano to start men's wear line (The Independent) – Galliano will be creating a men’s wear line which will be available for fall 2010. Its focus will be “contemporary-priced, an ‘urban casual’ sportswear line” targeting males between the ages of 18 and 35.

Grace Coddington: the Vogue visionary (Times) – In a rare interview Grace Coddington, creative director of Vogue talks shop and The September Issue.

Footwear Prices on the Rise (WWD) – The US Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index reports that the cost for “women’s shoes increased 1.6 per cent month-to-month and were up 3.6 per cent in 12-month comparisons.” This is every shoeaholic’s worst nightmare, I smell a government conspiracy.

Beyonce Discusses Launch of 'Heat' Fragrance (WWD) – She can sing, dance, act (passably), design (poorly) and now has her own fragrance line. Beyoncé will release a fragrance called Beyoncé Heat in February 2010. What an awful name, are we going to smell like her sweat? I like her music but another celebrity fragrance line we need not.

Chanel Workers Demonstrate (WWD) – All is not well at the house of Chanel. WWD reports approximately 200 Chanel employees demonstrated at its headquarters in France this past Thursday demanding a 2.4 per cent salary increase. In keeping with the Christmas spirit the company offered them a one per cent raise in return. Can you feel the holiday cheer?

Faltering Paris fashion house Emanuel Ungaro says president has stepped down (Canadian Press) – Mounir Moufarrige, president of the fashion house Ungaro and the man who so brilliantly appointed Lindsay Lohan as artistic adviser for its spring/summer 2010 show has stepped down. With critiques slamming the recent collection as “an embarrassment" and an “insult,” and Emanuel Ungaro himself calling it an “a disaster” it’s no wonder Moufarrige wasn’t let go sooner. However, he will be kept on an "as-needed basis" on Ungaro’s strategic committee.