Best of 2006

We bring this blog out of hibernation at the insistence of Annie at Blogdorf Goodman, to present to you our favorite beauty finds of 2006.

If each year were a leaf in the bound narrative of one's life, future readers trying to follow the plot would do well to stick a post-it on 2006 in mine. That's good for life but bad for this blog post, since 2006 did not find me rushing to every beauty counter to try the latest thing, an endeavour easier to pursue if you've got not much to do. That said, I managed a few finds, some old, some new.

PERFUMES

1. Best Evocation of Spring
Chamade by Guerlain
From its pale, greenish, somewhat soapy hyacinth beginning to its fervent rose and amber heart, this beauty from 1969, unlike the topnote-heavy scents of today, is in like a lamb and out like a lion. Avoid the film of the same name with Catherine Deneuve: it is curiously boring. The perfume, on the other hand, moves you by presenting first a cool surface, and then a mounting, powerful warmth hardly held in check: the smell of falling in love. The vintage is paler up front and tenderer later on than the current strangely strident (but still excellent) version, with a velvety, cloudy warmth that wraps you like a shawl your lover might drape over your shoulders when April sieves the last of winter through your dress.
Illustration 2006 by Diana Sanchez

2. Best Evolution of a Flower
Carnal Flower by Frédéric Malle
As all good perfumistas know, the reference tuberose is Robert Piguet's Fracas, which itself was remade and somewhat civilized a few years ago. I have a miniature bottle of the old perfume, and it is easy to understand why this was a love-or-hate concoction. Up front it's sweet as a peach popsicle, a touch waxy, heavy-handed with a powerful flamingo-pink heart that has probably been sending perfume haters scooting out of rooms for decades. It puts you in mind of William Holden as Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard saying of Norma Desmond, "She'd sit very close to me, and she'd smell of tuberoses, which is not my favorite perfume, not by a long shot." I've always been perplexed as to whether I loved or hated Fracas myself. It seems the only thing preventing it from being terrible is that it's great. Dominique Ropion, a perfumer who seems acknowledged by all the people who care about these things as a genius, at one point did update tuberose beyond Fracas with a fragrance that is in my Top 5 list of Things Not to Encounter on Elevators: Amarige by Givenchy, that heavy, creamy assault, which feels like it wants to hijack your brain and make you assassinate people for the Communists. I did not expect the best from Carnal Flower, his new tuberose for Frédéric Malle. That's because, like a stupid investor, I think past performance guarantees future results. Carnal Flower's slightly pornographic name lies: the scent makes no fleshy references. The fruit punch sweetness of Fracas has been thrown out; the meaty-rubbery unseemliness of natural tuberose absolute is missing too. Instead, this scent is cold and bright, with a camphorous, mentholated orange blossom polishing it to high shine in the sunlight. Friends and strangers are charmed by its clean, fresh aura. It might change Joe Gillis's mind about tuberoses—though not about Norma.
Image from Barneys.com

3. Best Leather for Ladies
Jolie Madame by Balmain
What took me so long to try Jolie Madame? I love leather scents, I know that. I think the name threw me off: Jolie Madame? The fact is, in a period of a few months, several Jolie Madame samples made their way to me, and I caved to the pressure. Turns out this is the most wearable of the classic leathers, like Bandit after she gets over last night's hangover and puts on a clean dress. And this is a well-dressed perfume, neither too flirty nor too frumpy, and not in such good taste that you're forced to repress a yawn. The pairing of leather and violets sets a harsh, somewhat bitter, even ammoniac side against a sweet floral good nature, in perfect balance. It is a fine representation of the kind of woman I'd like to be: Capable of both great acidity and great softness. This one's a real contender for my answer to the perennial MUA poll question, "If evil people took over the world and forced you to wear only one fragrance for the rest of your life, what would it be?"
Image from Perfume.com

4. Best Fragrance That Is Not a Fragrance
The Body Oil Spray by Tom Ford for Estée Lauder Collection
Limited edition products are just cruel. The rumor is that the response to this product was such that Estée Lauder plans to release it as a real fragrance. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, first because it might never happen, and second because if it happens something might be lost in translation. Meant as a moisturizing all-over spray-on body oil, this inexpensive ephemeral summer treat turned out to be just the wearable daydream that many of us have longed for all our lives, though we did not know it. With its aroma of sun-warmed skin, it was even preferable to Bond No. 9's impressive beachy scent Fire Island, which replicated the happy floral, musky scent of French tanning cream for nostalgic European vacationers. I bought two bottles just in case.
Image from Beautycom.gr

5. Best Fruity Floral
Osmanthe Yunnan by Hermès
Snooty perfume lovers bitch about fruity florals because we have nothing better to do. This was one we could not bitch about. It was Jean-Claude Elléna's second foray into the realm of the Osmanthus: The first was for The Different Company, but it seemed he left something more to say on the subject. While the Different Company's Osmanthus was an irresistible smell, Osmanthe Yunnan is an irresistible perfume. There's something personal about it that wasn't in the former incarnation. In addition to that cozy smoked tea in the name, Osmanthe Yunnan sneaks in a sly milky sweetness that lets the fragrance smile.
Image from Osmoz.com


BATH, BODY, SKINCARE

1. Best Low Rent Toner
Apple cider vinegar
Fans of home remedies, take note: The MUA skincare board first told me about the aspirin mask two years ago, a paste made of crushed unbuffered aspirins and water that you let dry on your face (if you can endure the sneezing that inevitably results). It calms redness and swelling, and exfoliates. Of course they had more DIY skincare up their sleeves. Apple cider vinegar, diluted half and half with water, turns out to be a terrific sometime toner, to improve skin texture and reduce breakouts. And it's cheap! The catch is that your face smells like vinegar for hours.
Image from Bragg.com

2. Best Mask
Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask
Once upon a time, I tried the Proactiv system for my less-than-perfect skin. The benzoyl peroxide discolored my pillows and towels and shirt collars, which was too much for me to take. What I liked, though, was the sulfur clay mask. I was eyeing the DDF sulfur mask at Sephora, which runs $32, when I bought the Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask as a stopgap measure, based on some MUA raves. This stuff works so well I gave up on the pricey stuff. Two caveats: 1) Like all sulfur masks, it smells like sulfur, so nighttime use only is recommended, unless you like wondering all day where the onions are, and 2) It has alcohol in it, so it stings somewhat more than the Proactiv or DDF masks.
Image from Amazon.com

3. Best Way to Get Smooth Skin
Exfoliating Towel
This rough nylon towel can really sand your skin down. A round with this in the shower, followed by moisturizer, and I am soft as a baby. I like that it's long enough to sand down my back: It feels so good!

4. Best Toothpaste
JASON Tea Tree Toothpaste
I have a fascination with the hippie alternative products in the health food store. They speak of a parallel universe in which Proctor & Gamble never existed, and lists of ingredients are understandable even to those of us who did not pursue graduate work in chemistry. I'd already fallen for hippie lotions, soaps, and shampoo. Aquafresh had to go. This tea tree toothpaste leaves my mouth feeling squeaky clean, tingly fresh, my teeth are bright white, and I've noticed that my gums are in better shape than they have been in years.
Image from Drugstore.com

5. Best Grease for All Reasons
Aquaphor
The half of me that takes after Mom loves luxury, specialty products, pretty bottles, alluring smells, fancy labels, and so on. The half of me that takes after Dad loves a product that costs next to nothing, does seven different things and maybe has auto care uses too. On a recent visit to my parents' house, I could see plainly that one guest bathroom, with a dense line-up of lotions and scrubs and moisturizers, had been stocked by Mom, and the other, with its lone tub of Aquaphor next to a bar of Ivory, had been stocked by Dad. Limited by draconian carry-on regulations, I'd failed to bring hair products, lotion, and lip balm. The Aquaphor not only subbed in for all but improved on what I'd thought were my HG products! Hair pomade? Aquaphor. Moisturizer for knees, elbows, feet, and cuticles? Aquaphor. Lip balm better than Kiehl's? Aquaphor. I now carry a tube everywhere. Dad would be proud.
Image from Drugstore.com


MAKEUP

1. Best New Mascara Chanel Inimitable Mascara Annie drove me to abandon my DiorShow long enough to try this. While not as thick as DiorShow, Inimitable is also much less likely to give you tarantula eyes. Perfect separation and definition, great curl, and tremendous length. No flaking. All bow to Chanel. Image from Nordstrom.com

2. Best Red Nail Polish
Essie A-List
While everyone was going bonkers for Chanel Black Satin, I decided I just couldn't pull that kind of goth look off. But frankly, I hadn't worn nail polish since high school, and the brouhaha at Annie's blog made me feel it was time I took some paint to my nails. Short as I like to keep them, something daring seemed appropriate, and I went for the truest red in Essie's lineup. Chip-resistant and intensely hued, it was just what I needed to give my frequent hand gestures that extra underlined emphasis.
Image from Amazon.com

3. Best Brow Pencil
L'Oréal Brow Stylist in Darker Medium Brown
The eyebrows frame the face. The trouble is, mine are sparse. MUAers recommended waxy pencils to fill them in, but my skin hates that stuff. The last thing I needed were sparse eyebrows that were breaking out. Ugh. L'Oréal makes an eyebrow pencil that feels like a powder. They give you two shades, for some reason. I just threw away the paler shade: Following their directions to use both just looked stupid. With the Chanel mascara, some black eyeliner and silver shadow, and my brows filled in with this, my face is done enough so that all I need to finish is

4. Best Nude Gloss
Revlon Superlustrous Lipgloss in Nude Lustre
I spent a fortune on Nars Chihuahua gloss only to discover it's exactly the same as this. Pairs ideally with a strong eye: makes lips moist and glossy (but not plastic glossy). Adds little color, just a transparent peachy tone. The gloss for when you want almost nothing, but not quite nothing.
Image from Drugstore.com; Image for Brow Stylist from Walgreens.com

5. Best Thing Ever to Happen Under Makeup
Smashbox Photo Finish
Cavewoman has said all there is to say except for this: I swear it cleared up my face. I have sensitive skin, and even though all I use is mineral makeup for foundation and blush, I suspect it was still irritating me. The silicone barrier of Smashbox's deservedly lauded primer prevents my skin from ever having to deal directly with the world.
Image from TheDailyCrave.com

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For more Best of 2006 lists, see the following blogs:

Afrobella

All About The Pretty

Aromascope

Beauty Addict

Beauty Blogging Junkie

Beauty by Nadine

Beautiful Makeup Search & Beauty Blog

Beauty Hatchery

Beauty Jones

Blogdorf Goodman

Bois de Jasmin

BonBons in the Bath

Capital Hill Barbie

C'est Chic

Coquette

Crazy Jay Blue

eBeautyDaily

Girl's Handbook

Hautemommastuff

Koneko's *Mostly* Beauty Diary!

Legerdenez

Lipstick Is My Crack

Makeup Bag

Monkeyposh

My Muse

No one knows why the wolf laughs

Now Smell This

Perfume Smellin' Things

Peppermint Patty's Perfume Posse

Platinum Blonde Life

Product Girl

Scentzilla!

She'll Be Feverish After So Much Thinking

Slap of the Day

The Customer Is Always Right

The Daily Obsession

The Great She Elephant

The Life of a Ladybug

The Non-Blonde

Urbane Girl

Victoria's Own