online shopping

A new site has just been launched by the group who now own Kiss and Makeup (among other blogs). It's called The Beauty Quest. It's a price comparison site for cosmetics, health, fragrance, hair and men's grooming. There's also a blog, and a page tracking the current "top ten" special offers available on the UK market.

It's early days, but this looks like a promising new resource for UK shoppers.

Enabling ahead!

Best news of the week: Le Metier de Beaute is now available online from Nordstrom. The color swatches are better than the ones on Neiman and Bergdorf sites, so that's a real upgrade. They have everything, from the miracle that is Peau Vierge to LMdB superb makeup brushes. Especially worth noting: the Face Kaleidoscope. It has everything you need- powder, highlighter, bronzer and the gorgeous Echo blush in one palette. I have most of these items separately, but having them in one kit is even better. I actually wish I had it right now- I have some traveling coming up and this would be perfect.

Many of you emailed me lately asking what was going on with Julie Hewett. The web site is back, everything seems to be in stock and there's quite a bit to explore. Julie Hewett has great red lipsticks for just about anyone- including those who are scared of red. I love her cream cheek colors and the Hue Colour in Newsprint Bleu has been a staple in my makeup wardrobe for ages. There's also a little sale going on until the 7th: 25% off on Bijou lipstick in Jacqueline (sheer fuchsia) and Duo Blush Palette in Carmine/Coral. Use code SSA2010 at checkout.

I'm currently reeling from shock.

After spending an enjoyable half an hour filling up an online shopping basket at Cheapsmells.com, I went to check out and was stunned to learn that I would have to pay an additional £17.10 in delivery charges on top of my £65 order. And that's if I want ordinary bog-standard UK Royal Mail - Special Delivery would be £26.40!



Most online shopping companies offer a flat rate, and many have free shipping above a certain threshold, usually around £50-£60, so I wasn't expecting this at all.

I clicked to find out how on earth this charge had been calculated. It turns out that Cheap Smells charge £0.95 per item for delivery. So the more you spend with them, the more extra charges you pay. I understand how this works for them if you're buying heavy things like shampoo or body lotion, but come on - my items were eyeshadow pans, lipsticks and concealers. (The picture above is cropped to show just the total - there were lots of things in the basket besides the Stila blush.) There is just no way it could (or should) cost that much.

Needless to say I have abandoned my shopping basket and gone elsewhere for my online retail fix. No wonder everything is in stock at Cheap Smells despite their low prices! What a disappointment.

Sometimes it's hard to find your way through the distribution maze of Tarte Cosmetics. The products are sold at Sephora, Henri Bendel, QVC and the company's own website (by the way, there's a 30% discount code on their front page that's valid until July 5th). Each venue seems to have a bunch of products that are not available anywhere else and following what to buy where takes more mental energy than I'm willing to spare for one brand. It's too bad, really, because Tarte offers some great items. My sister is a devoted fan of the Park Avenue Princess bronzer and I just sent her the Kabuki brush which she loves.

As an eyeliner addict, I've been very curious about Tarte's various formats and formulas. Once again, each venue seems to carry different items. The inner rim pencils come directly from Tarte's website, Sephora has the emphasEYES aqua-gel pencils, QVC mostly sells trios of colors and who knows what's available at Bendel- they don't have e-commerce. Seriously.

This arte emphasEYES Liquid Eyeliner is sold at Bendel and was part of a recent GWP there (QVC has this in a trio of colors- black, brown and navy). The color you see here is Brown Bronze and I like it a lot- it's perfect on a summer morning but still dark enough to provide good definition. The pen is small but easy to control and the tip is precise. Staying power is great- morning to night without smudging or flaking even in humid weather (I always use a primer).

Bottom Line: Next time I'm in Henri Bendel I'll probably get this in Navy.

Tarte emphasEYES Liquid Eyeliner ($21 for a single full size or $32.76 for a trio) can be found on QVC or in store at Henri Bendel.

Photos by me.

I was trolling the summer sale on Olivolga, my favorite online destination for funky jewelry, when I saw this ring by The French Factory. I'm pretty sure they don't refer to our favorite perfume prophet (who would probably strongly disapprove of this kind of nonsense), but it still amused me to no end. 

46.40 € on olivolga.com

I don't believe in buying anything, including perfume, just because it's on sale. That said, there are a couple of things worth the savvy shopper's attention in the current Parfum1.com promotion code (20% off with code TWENTYOFFPW valid until May 9). Here's what I spotted:

Best Deals I Could Find-
Cuir de Lancome and La Mome by Balmain are both discontinued (the latter was a limited edition to begin with).    Even before discount they are incredibly priced ($30.75 for Cuir, $22.50 La Mome), and the 20% off makes both an incredible bargain.
EnJoy by Jean Patou is also in this group. $22.75 before discount.

Serge Lutens-
Uncle Serge is not exactly bargain basement material, so finding his perfumes at discount is always nice. Not all the scents are available, but take note that Santal Blanc, which is rumored to be pulled from the export line into the Paris exclusive range next year is in stock ($108 before the additional discount).

Other niche brands-
Bois 1920, Atelier Flou, Il Profumo, Les Parfums de Rosine, Comme Des Garcons

Also worth mentioning- Lalique Encre Noire (the men's version is by far superior), Cartier Le Baiser du Dragon Parfum and EDP (just skip the EDT), Jil Sander Pastel series (I've never tried them, but I know a few readers who are fans, a handful of Annick Goutal scents, Comptoir Sud Pacifique and Tom Ford for Men.

With $1 of each sale going to ASPCA, finding a bargain here feels even better. Just don't buy unsniffed. Seriously. There's still time to get a sample before you commit to a full bottle.

Are you ordering anything? Do you have any other tips?

And, no, I am in no way shape or form affiliated with Parfum1 (or any other retailer, for that matter). You'll notice I don't link to their site and I don't get a commission or any incentive. All links in this post lead to my own reviews.