Wow. That's a powerful concept for a scent, no? "God's Judgement"! And the scent is powerful, too, but not in a knock-your-neighbor-to-the-ground kinda way. No, it's powerful in it's ability to morph and change on the wearer before settling into a soft skin scent. On me, at least. One never can make blanket statements about BPAL scents!
This scent was originally released in 2005 and has since reached the pinnacle of collector status among BPAL fans! It was brought back for the 2009 Anniversary, which created quite a purchasing frenzy, I'm sure.
So how does it smell?
We know I'm not the best at picking out scent notes, but I know there's
some vanilla and a lovely musk that some people smell as "baby powder"
(though I don't). Also present are the snap of carnation and milky
amber.
What I know is this: at first sniff, Hod was immediately placed into my #2 Favorite Smell Ever* position. Luckily, I got two for Christmas! I'm considering buying another, actually, since it's Limited Edition and one never knows when it will make another appearance.
*The first being Morocco, of course
Final thought
If this is God's judgement, we do indeed have a loving god, because I've rarely smelled such a comforting, cozy (but with a backbone!) scent before.
If you like...
Alice, O, Morocco, le Petite Mort and other scents of that type, you may like Hod.
Hod was part of the Anniversary release along with a resurrected version of Spooky and a few "Phoenix scents". They can all be found here and need to be ordered ASAP if you want them, as they'll be retired sometime in January.
I wanted to do a smokey eye, but in a holiday kinda way. In other words, traditional smokey wouldn't cut it! I thought it would be nice, too, to show a version with neutral lips and then a more amped-up version for the more dramatic of us. The second version has a strong lip color, too. These looks use only a few products, which is a bonus!
Neutral Lip Version
Goodness. I look tired! Here's the breakdown...
Eyes
Prep eye with primer of your choice. Product suggestion: Urban DecayPrimer Potion or MAC's Paint Pots in a skintone shade.
Press a silver shadow all over the lid, crease, and nearly up to the brow. The other day we did a more subdued silver look, which we achieved by sweeping on the color. This time, press it onto the lid for a concentrated application of color, then sweep back and forth above the crease so the shade fades away and eventually blends into the skin color. Brush suggestion: a flat eyeshadow brush. Product suggestion: Bobbi Brown's Silver Chrome or MAC's Silver pigment.
Darken the outer 1/3 of the lid and crease with a matte black shadow. I use the brush in a circular motion, which places color and softens it without having it move all over the place! Brush suggestion: I used a fluffy crease brush from MAC. Product suggestion: I love MAC's Carbon, but this was actually a L'Oreal HIP shadow that came in a duo. I really like it!
Use the brush from Step 3 to blend in a circular motion until there are no hard edges on the outside of the eye, and make sure the black gradually blends into the silver. Wipe the brush a bit on a tissue if you need to get excess black pigment off of it.
If you need to, go back with the flat brush and pat some more silver onto the inner portion of the lid so it's intense.
Pick up a bit of silver shadow and apply it to the inner corner and the lower lashline.
Pick up a bit of the black shadow and apply it to the outer 1/3 of the lower lashline, blending it into the silver.
Use a black cream or gel liner to line the top lid. Make the liner strong enough that you can see it when your eye is open. Product suggestion: MAC's BlacktrackFluidline or Bobbi Brown's black gel liner. Brush suggestion: Bobbi Brown's eye liner brush is the best I've tried.
Use either concealer or a matte shadow shade slightly lighter than your skintone to highlight under the brows.
Fill in brows. Product suggestion: I used Chanel's Perfect Brows compact.
Apply mascara primer then mascara. Product suggestion: I used Diorshow.
Lips
Apply a nude gloss or lipstick. I used MAC's Runway Fave.
Apply concealer to any spots not covered by the foundation.
Apply a barely-there blush. Product suggestion: I used MACTenderling.
_________________________________________________
Strong Lip Version
Eyes
Follow the steps above with a few changes:
I used more black on the outside of the upper lid, crease.
I made the eyeliner thicker on the top lash, and flicked it up a bit on the outer corner.
I used the same liner to fill-in the top and bottom waterlines.
I put more black and silver on the bottom lashline.
Lips
I used a fuchsia lipgloss instead of a nude. Product suggestion: I used MACHothouse. This would work with any cool-toned strong lip: fuchsia, red, burgundy, wine, hot pink, berry.
Face
I added a bright pink blush, applied with a fluffy brush so as not to be too dark. Product: I used MACSweetness blush.
Note: it's a cool palette that has a battery-operated light-up mirror to illuminate your world.
It includes:
4 Eye
Shadows: Pin Up, Peep Show, Full Frontal, Lucky Charms 2 Lip Shades:
Girls Dig Pearls in Tropical Pink, Lip of Luxury in Free Love Brightening Blush: Papa Don`t Peach Sun Bunny Bronzer
Too Faced is giving away 5 of them every single day for the rest of the year!
And one person will win a $2010 Too Faced shopping spree.
Say you aren't sure what to get someone, or you (or the intended recipient) are trying to get past the material focus of the holidays. Well, these are the answer! And it's easy to do, too.
Scrambling to make this year’s Festival of Lights more
memorable than the last?
Top off 8 days of presents with the unique dreidel-shaped Better
Than a Blintz Gift from LUSH! With four of LUSH’s best selling
bath bombs, it’s the perfect gift to help a loved one unwind and relax
this holiday season. At only $19.95 and pre-wrapped with reusable post-consumer
recycled packaging, feel good about the affordable and eco-friendly gift you
are giving. Choose from a lemongrass infused Avobath, grapefruit
and mandarin packed Happy Pill, apple-scented So White or a
peppermint-infused Magic. Take a long relaxing bath with one of these
bath bombs and see why this gift is really better than a blintz (or Potato
Pancake!).
One thing that is a constant every single holiday season is the enthusiastic queue at Bath & Body Works! It's often crowded this time of year, but in my experience the staff is always friendly and upbeat, the lines move briskly, and they're rarely out-of-stock. It's a well-oiled machine full of great last-minute gifts, stocking-stuffers, and post-shopping treats for yourself!
Let's peek at the Holiday '09 selection, but keep in mind there's tons more out there! This is just the tip of the amazing-smelling, reasonably-price iceburg!
And by the way: don't forget that every Bath & Body Works location has a sink that you're welcome to go use. Be sure to take advantage of their antibacterial soaps and stay healthy while you shop!
What are you grabbing from Bath & Body Works? I mean... as gifts. Ahem.
I already told you how excited I am to see MAC's Boxing Day collection coming up... and I told you all about Love Lace, the delightfully cool-toned Winter spectacular. What I didn't tell you, though, was that there's a bit more coming out on December 26th!
Gotta admit: I've heard a ton of great things from MAC's National Artists about this collection. A TON! Keep reading for more...
Let's start with In The Studio, because it's the smaller of the two. If you don't care a whit about it, skip directly to the Warm & Cozy coverage by clicking here.
In The Studio
Dramatic, daring Lashes have been a chic and urbane part of the modern
Artist's persona since Edie and friends made it all happen Downtown, on
block-print canvas or grainy 16-millimeter film. Multi-media,
counter-culture, the ultimate cool. In The Studio is the epitome of the
look updated, featuring new Studio Fix Lash in Black Fix or Studio
Brown, with the latest thermoplastic synth-rubber moulded brush,
designed to kill clump as it separates lashes. The perfect complement?
Studio Fix Powder, a powder and foundation-in-one, combining complete
coverage with ease of application, goes on dry with a matte, velvety
texture. Silica keeps the matte flat and absorbs oil, and talc smooths
it out. Go for the bold stroke, as they do In The Studio.
Studio Fix Lash
Another new mascara from MAC. We know that's one of their weak spots, so hopefully they've broken through the barriers this time. This info doesn't tell us much: a black, a brown, new brush, no clumps. Is it a basic mascara a la Mascara X and MaybellineGreat Lash, or does it lengthen? Volumize? I guess time will tell...
A fireside fantasy far from the maddening crowd is undeniably appealing.
Seek
refuge in the warmth, the glow of skin rosy with Refined GoldenMineralize Skinfinish, Shadesticks in Cuddle, Nurture and Snuggle
shades, cozy as a mug of cocoa on a bearskin rug. Curl up with the
cashmere kiss of Warm Me Up Lipstick or Light That Fire! Lipglass; the
woodsy, rustic chic of Mulled Cider Eye Shadow and Dim the Lights Nail
Lacquer. Like being in a majestic lodge surrounded by all of life’s
real comforts. Natural beauty, the way MAC makes it modern.
Warm
& Cozy Face, with Care Blends Essential Oils in Sweet Orange +
Lavender, or Grapefruit + Chamomile feels soothing and sultry when
elements are harsh and extreme…add MAC signature innovation with
Mineralize All-Over Moisture Lotion, and see new radiance, revivified
lustre, optimum health. Like going on retreat and communing with
nature, it’s an earthly way to bring back what the city takes away, and
a sensual solution to make life simple, but luxurious. Winter beauty
begins here.
Lipstick
Spiced Tea | Warm bronzed brown (Glaze) (LE)
Warm Me Up | Creamy mid tone neutral pink (Amplified Cream) (LE)
Siss | Muted golden beige (Satin) (Repromote)
Lipglass
2N - Creamy neutral yellow pink (Cream) (Repromote from N Collection)
Feeling Dreamy - Pale neutral pink with pink pearlized pigments (Frost) (LE)
3N - Neutral brown with gold and pink pearlized pigments (Frost) (Repromote from N Collection)
Light That Fire! - Mid tone burnt coral with pearlized pigments (Frost) (LE)
Eye Shadow
Chamomile | Creamy pale yellow (Satin) (LE)
Modelette | Young, natural peach (Satin) (Repromote from Tempt Me Quad from Tempt Me Tease Me Collection)
Milled Cider | Dark warm brown (Satin) (LE)
Embark | Intense reddish brown (Matte) (Permanent)
Shadestick
Nurture | Frosted pale neutral peach beige (LE)
Relaxed | Frosted dark chocolate brown (LE)
Cuddle | Frosted light golden yellow (LE)
Warm & Cozy | Frosted burnt amber with red and gold pearlized pigments (LE)
Mineralize Skinfinish (MSF)
Comfort | Golden bronze (LE)
By Candlelight | Golden pink (LE)
Nail Lacquer
Blissed Out | Creamy light nude (Cream) (LE)
Dim the Lights | Creamy warm dark chocolate (Cream) (LE)
Mineralize Face + Body Lotion
This gentle non-sensitive, rich moisurizing lotion can be used on the face and body and is free of fragrance and colour.
Care Blends Essential Oils
Sweet Orange + Lavender | This nourishing oil leaves skin feeling energized and moisturized with the look of a healthy glow
Grapefruit + Chamomile | This oil will help soothe, calm and clarify the skin with a soothing aroma
Guys, the Care Blends Essential Oils are what the artists were raving about over, and over, and over again! I can't wait to try them! Fashion Week, this is one of the only things I heard repeated - "the oils". What do you think?
Siss is an old-school color that has a ton of fans. Anyone here in their ranks?
Much of the rest of the collection will be warmer than I think I'm interested in, though I'll be scoping out the MSFs for sure! The pink and coral lippies will be checked out carefully, of course, because I have an addiction! If you missed N Collection and like nude lippies, check out 2N and 3N, both are gorgeous! And I may need to grab Chammomile (because I adore pale yellow shadows!) and Modelette (it's peachy good!). Is it wrong that I may get all of the Shadesticks? I love them...
If you haven't tried the Tinted Lip Conditioners, you should snap up one or two. They're great all year around, but especially handy in the Winter. And they fit in the tiniest bags and right into the pocket of your jeans without being gangly, so they're easy to keep handy!
Very, very sheer and glossy. Quite pretty, but I prefer it layered over other lipsticks rather than alone.
Gloss Interdit
20 Tender Pearl pearly pink shimmer
21 Elegant Pearlsheer silver shimmer
A pink one and a silver one. The pink one is sheer and... oh, wait! The silver one is sheer, too. I would use these for layering over lipsticks or other glosses to add a touch of glow. VERY pretty.
FYI, the pink is quite cool-toned.
Parad'Eyes Fluid Eye Liner
Tender Pearl metallic pink Elegant Pearl metallic silver
The last thing I thought I would enjoy putting on my eye was a pink liquid liner. Silver makes sense - I'm on-board; sign me up! Pink? Hmmm...
I'm amazed to say they're both really great liners! I'll rock them both this Winter and into the Spring. Chalk the pink one down as "The Color That Most Surprised Me!"
PS: These are a bit weird in the packaging department. I'm used to the wand being on the shorter side and the ---er, what do you call the compartment where all of the makeup is? Anyway, I'm used to that part (the well?) being the longer side. Here it's completely turned-around and the short end is the (?) ... the long end is the applicator portion. It surprises me every time I try to apply this liner!
Mister Bright Touch Of Light Pen
Moon Light opalescent pearl
You've seen it before: click pen; highlighting liquid. You know what to expect...
The cool thing about this one is that it's mostly just a cool opalescence rather than a push of color. I twist up some product and apply with my finger or another brush (MAC's 217 is great!) rather than trying to slop it on from the pen.
Great for cool-toned gals as a highlight in all of the usual places: brow, tear duct, middle of the bottom lip, cupid's bow... I've even dotted it on the tippy-tops of my cheekbones and blended. Luminous!
To Complete the Look:
The swatches
From left: the glosses, the eye liners:
From left: the brightener, the glosses:
From left: the "silver" gloss, the eye liners: From left: the brightener, the glosses, the eye liners: From left: the lipstick, the brightener, the glosses, the eye liners: The lipstick: The lipstick, left; the Mister Bright brightener, right:
The look
Lips here are the lipstick topped by the pink gloss.
Below, the pink liner in action!
In case you care, the eyes are:
MACPaint Pot in Painterly
MACJest shadow
DiorShow mascara
PS: The products tested were submitted for review by the PR firm representing Parfums Givenchy. No money changed hands, now was a review (positive or otherwise) promised. No shady business, yo!
