Joshua Burbank 'Alma'

Joshua Burbank
'Alma'
Edition: Unique
2012
39cm x 30cm x 2cm
mixed media on wood panel

Lacoste L!VE - an excellent scent for men

Lacoste Live Eau de Toilette £45 100ml

Presented in a blue flacon or bottle, it’s a glass cube with red graphics on white, and a white plastic cap – the newest fragrance from Lacoste, Lacoste L!VE for men. A most modern cube in shape, memorable, “an unexpected object”, Lacoste says, and the bold, primary colours outline their latest concept. Lacoste wanted a dynamic scent which generates energy in an urban setting with primary colours sparking creativity. The top note in Lacoste L!VE, the scent you first smell, is of lime, something fruity and balanced given depth by green leaves, aquatic notes, Guaiac wood and dark liquorice.

A male friend tested this fragrance and described it first as sporty and then as refreshing, a description which is closer to Lacoste’s original sports profile than the newer concepts behind this scent suggest. To me it smells fresh. The bold red, white and blue Lacoste L!VE colours mimic the look of sports clothing too - Rene Lacoste was the 1920’s French Grand Slam tennis star who first designed the tennis or polo shirt.

You may have seen the Lacoste L!VE TV advert featuring two young men, one a renowned graffiti artist Zoer, creating a life size 3D Lacoste L!VE environment. Launched in April 2014 at the Lacoste Desert Pool Party in California, other artists were invited to interpret the blue cube flacon on site and online. The hashtags #newfragrance and #newperspective will be used during a Lacoste social media digital campaign from July 2014 to mid-September 2014, inviting the public to share their photos on Instagram. See the signature Lacoste crocodile - such a classic French brand.

Lacoste L!VE Eau de Toilette 100ml £45/69 Euros. Lacoste L!VE Eau de Toilette 40ml £29/41 Euros. There is a Lacoste L!VE deodrant spray, deodrant stick and shower gel for men available from Lacoste boutiques in the UK and abroad. 

Japonesque Pro Performance Lip Lacquer - a polished, glossy lip colour in eight fantastic shades

Japonesque Pro Performance Lip Lacquer

Japonesque Pro Performance Lip Lacquer
Shade 04

First, you notice the extra thick application so apply this formula sparingly, the Japonesque Pro Performance Lip Lacquer, a product I selected from the brand new Japonesque makeup line. This new makeup line complements an already existing, highly established range of professional, backstage makeup tools – Japonesque backstage makeup brushes are legendary. For a high shine, ‘lacquered’ finish, five out of five for coverage and it’s volumising  – a thick, non-sticky, polished, glossy lip colour in eight fantastic shades, including an ultra vibrant warm red (Shade 07) and a Japonesque peach (Shade 01). The Shade 04 I tested is a dark rose pink with a very natural, almost nude rose effect when worn. The wand applicator in a rectangular casing with pink marbled plastic in the design, enables accuracy and precision with its firm, exact, tapered brush, so professional a brush you know it’s Japonesque. The enriched formula hydrates and softens lips. It’s a long lasting colour. Layer this lip lacquer to increase lip volume. Available in all eight excellent Japonesque shades from Ulta.com 5ml $20 or £15 at selected John Lewis stores (Oxford Street, Kingston, Cardiff) and from JohnLewis.com