Exciting times, ladies!

Known for breaking hearts around the world, breaking up New York City brawls, inspiring memes and elevating shirtless-ness to an art form (a fact I’ve appreciated many, many times), actor Ryan Gosling has now set his sights (and sense of smell) on the fragrance world with a new perfume called Hey Girl, coming to department stores this spring.

Makeup and Beauty Blog caught up with Ryan at San Francisco’s Fairmont hotel this weekend to dish about his latest endeavor, his rippled abs and his weakness for chocolate doughnuts.

A transcript of my 5-minute interview follows, but here’s what you need to take away from this:

1. Ryan Gosling is just as nice (and gorgeous) in person as he seems in movies and interviews
2. He may show you his abs if you ask him to, but it could require some shameless begging

KAREN: So, Ryan, I hear you’re taking a break from acting.

RYAN: Yes.

KAREN: What are Ryan Gosling’s next plans? — not that you ever refer to yourself in the third person or anything… You know what I mean.

RYAN: [laughs] Well, Ryan Gosling does have a few things up his sleeve.

KAREN: I know! Like saving more pedestrians from traffic accidents?

RYAN: Has everyone seen that video??

KAREN: [laughs] Just about.

RYAN: I don’t know, it’s like the cameras appear out of nowhere. I buy Gatorade and it’s on Yahoo! the next day.

KAREN: Dude, like it or not, you’re an Internet sensation.

RYAN: I figure I’ll just roll with it, you know?

KAREN: Or turn it into a beauty empire. That’s an interesting twist for you — the world of celeb perfumes?

RYAN: Yeah, well, I’ve always liked scents, you know, and I’m just in tune with that kind of thing, like I have these vivid memories of different perfumes and fragrances from different times in my life. And I’ve always liked that moment when you walk by a woman on the street and you catch a whiff of her fragrance. That’s why I knew I wanted to create something that my mom and sister would love.

KAREN: Aw, that’s so sweet! Did your mom and sister help you with Hey Girl?

RYAN: They did. I’d overnight them samples of the different versions along the way, and they’d text or call me with feedback, like what they thought worked and didn’t work. My mom would call me in the middle of the night and say, “Too spicy. Needs more rose.”

KAREN: [laughs] That’s helpful alright. My mom would just say, “This stinks.”

RYAN: [laughs]

KAREN: Well it worked out. I love the scent.

RYAN: Thank you.

KAREN: It’s very comforting — honestly, like what I imagine getting a hug from you would be like…

RYAN: [laughs] You can have a hug if you want. Come here, I’ll give you a hug.

KAREN: Are we really gonna hug it out, Ryan Gosling? [he leans in for a hug] I guess we are! Okay, back to the fragrance. How would you describe Hey Girl?

RYAN: It’s an oriental floral, heavy on the rose, with warm base notes. In my mind I had this picture of a woman at a swanky lounge. Black Dolce & Gabbana cocktail dress, high heels, red lips. She’s confident, she knows what she wants, and she makes everybody laugh, from the waiters to the bartender to the guys who walk up and say, “Hello, miss. Can I buy you a drink?”

KAREN: I want to be that girl.

RYAN: It took a lot of care, a lot of time, to get exactly where I wanted it [the fragrance] to go.

KAREN: Well, I’m getting the cut-off sign from your handler over there, so it looks like I’m down to my last question…

RYAN: Go for it.

KAREN: Will you show me your abs?

RYAN: [laughs] Are you for real?

KAREN: Kinda.

RYAN: I skipped my sit-ups this morning and ate a chocolate doughnut.

KAREN: No you didn’t! Don’t lie.

RYAN: No, really, I did.

KAREN: Please? Pretty, pretty please? Help a girl out. I don’t want to beg, but I’ll totally go there if I have to.

RYAN: Okay, fine [pulls up his shirt].

KAREN: Wait! Wait! Let me get my camera.

RYAN: Oh, no.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Royal Apothic Perfectly Perfect Hand Creme ($20 for a 4-ounce tube)

Here’s a look at Royal Apothic’s Perfectly Perfect handy work, also known as their $20 Hand Creme, which I spotted today over at the Anthropologie store at the mall (I swear, I could spend all day in that store).

Despite being based out of Los Angeles, Apothic, a three-year-old fragrance line, aims for a British vibe, and the scents I’ve tried all seem light, fresh and floral to me, which I like.

Today their hand creme caught my eye.

Cute packaging, yeah? I tried it on right there in the store, and my hands just lapped it up. It left my paws lightly scented, too, like a citrusy jasmine.

The Holland Park scent is my favorite of these. It has notes of lemon, magnolia, peach, jasmine, orange blossom, muguet, white musk, pink grapefruit and anemone flower.

They also have some eau de parfums…

Royal Apothic Perfectly Perfect Hand Cremes ($20 each)

Holland Park Eau de Parfum ($15 for a 0.05-ounce bottle)

Kensington Garden Eau de Parfum ($15 for a 0.05-ounce bottle and $32 for a 2-ounce bottle)

Holland Park Eau de Parfums ($15 and $32) and Hand Creme ($20)

Balmoral Rain Eau de Parfums ($15 and $32) and Hand Creme ($20)

Meyer Blooms Eau de Parfum ($32 for a 2-ounce bottle)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

You know, I can’t say I’ve had the most productive Friday…

Good grief, lady! — I have not been able to concentrate for squat!

It’s called “Friday brain,” and symptoms include an inability to concentrate on important tasks, like bill paying, making phone calls for work and catering to your cat’s weird whims (such as carrying him up and down the stairs), and an enhanced ability to focus on frivolous, fun tasks, like looking up movie times, doing the robot to that catchy Bruno Mars song (Locked Out of Heaven) or going to Sephora.

DO THE ROBOT!!

Which reminds me, I ran into Sephora earlier this afternoon to grab a new bottle of Living Proof Restore Shampoo, because it keeps my hair from acting wonky, and I spotted a couple of new things while I was there.

Like these new Stila Beauty Balms…

Stila Beauty Balms from the left: HD Beauty Balm With Broad Spectrum SPF 30, Illuminating Beauty Balm and Bronzing Beauty Balm ($38 each for a 1.5-ounce tube)

I seem to recall Stila having another beauty balm, but I don’t think that one contains SPF. All three of these new ones do — broad-spectrum SPF 30 — which means they protect against UVA and UVB rays.

The one in the white tube on the far left, HD Beauty Balm — I think that one is supposed to work like a straight-up primer; Illuminating Beauty Balm, the one in the peachy tube, is supposed to give a brightening glow to the skin; and the Bronzing Beauty Balm, the third one, is supposed to impart a bronze tint.

All of them also claim to do a bunch of other cool things, like priming the skin for makeup, mellowing out imperfections and fortifying the skin with antioxidants…

I didn’t try them on my face in the store, but I did swatch, and based on the swatches, I liked the texture. They felt fairly light, not overly greasy or heavy (all three are oil-free), and when I rubbed them in, my skin had a slight sheen (but still looked pretty natural).

Should be good for girls who don’t like to wear a ton of foundation.

Illuminating Beauty Balm

Illuminating Beauty Balm

Stila Beauty Balm Swatches from the left: HD Beauty Balm, Illuminating Beauty Balm and Bronzing Beauty Balm

Oh, and I also ran into a couple of new Field of Flowers fragrances from Philosophy at the store…

Philosophy Filed of Flowers Spray Fragrance in Violet Blossom, $37.50 for a 2-ounce bottle

Philosophy Filed of Flowers Spray Fragrance in Peony Blossom, $37.50 for a 2-ounce bottle

When I sprayed Violet Blossom on one wrist and Peony on the other…I liked Violet Blossom more.

I love violet scents, and Violet Blossom just felt cozier to me.

I also liked light and refreshing Peony, but it seemed a little better suited to summer (NOTE TO SELF: remember to sniff Peony again in a few months).

Okay, I’d better get back to work now… Got a lot more robot-ing left to do.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Issey Miyake’s Pleats, Please! I was at Nordstrom last Saturday looking for a birthday gift for my mom (she just turned 64, happy birthday, mommy!), and while I was looking around, I stumbled on to a perfume I’d never seen before called Pleats Please, by Issey Miyake.

First thing that caught my eye was the bottle. Look at it! It’s almost like someone was holding it in their hand and crumpled it like a piece of paper. Anyway, I thought it was just really cool, and so I gave it a sniff.

It’s like a white floral, and it totally reminds me of Michael Kors — mostly plumeria, light and effervescent, but with a musky feeling to it.

When I got home I did a little research on it, and I guess it launched in September. I just hadn’t seen it here in the United States until now.

It’s based on a fashion collection — Issey Miyake is a fashion designer from Japan — from 1993, and apparently, the clothes had lots of pleats and colors, and the pieces had/have a sense if movement to ‘em.

And, ya know, I can see those same traits in the bottle. That same flow.

The scent sure surprised me, though, because it’s so floral and soft. I almost expected something punchier.

But even though the bottle’s all sharp angles and edges, the scent seems dainty, almost retro and very feminine. I like it.

Next time you hit Nordie’s, maybe ask one of the associates to make you a sample. I was trying to stay on task (sigh!), so I didn’t, but next time for sure. I think it’s a really lovely scent for spring.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy New Year’s from my couch! The last thing I want to say in 2012: I just discovered that cake and champagne make just about the best combo ever. Better late than never.

All aboard the Chanel No. 5 Trolley, bound for San Francisco’s Union Square!

Toot, toot! Now boarding the Chanel No. 5 Trolley.

Chanel created the Trolley as an art installation of sorts, filled it with stories and lore about the iconic No. 5 fragrance, parked it in front of Macy’s in San Francisco’s Union Square last weekend and opened it to the public for free…

Come on! Let’s check it out. I booked a ticket and saved you a seat.

Our destination today? The world of Chanel No. 5…

What’s that, you ask? Can you take a picture with the male models before we board? Of course! By all means.

[SNAP!]

Um…just so you know, you’re grinning like a Cheshire cat in that picture.

Oh, hai!

Unfortunately, Brad Pitt couldn’t make it today, so we’ll be on our own. It would have been neat to bend his ear about No. 5, but apparently he’s on location filming a Chanel commercial with Tabs…

The trolley from the front

Picture Mr. Pitt behind the wheel…

Feel free to move about the trolley, and check out the different exhibits and Chanel-esque details…

Oh, look here! A placard with five fun facts about Chanel No. 5…

1. There wouldn’t be a No. 5 without jasmine and May rose

There are four members of the No. 5 fragrance family, or what Chanel calls “interpretations” of the fragrance.

1. The Parfum
2. The Eau de Toilette
3. The Eau de Parfum
4. The Eau Premiere

All four share two signature base notes, May rose and jasmine.

Chanel heightens and softens the different notes in each of them to “interpret” the fragrance in slightly different ways. According to Raj Mangat of Chanel’s Fragrance Development Education Team, it’s a process that makes No. 5 unique in the fragrance world.

“The fact that each interpretation of the fragrance is different,” says Raj, “nobody else does that. What perfume companies [usually] do is create a pure perfume, and then dilute it, so it becomes eau de parfum. Then they dilute it again, and it becomes eau de toilette. It’s the same scent but less potent. I like to think of the Chanel scents as sisters with the same DNA, but each one has her own personality.”

May rose and jasmine don’t just appear in No. 5, though. The notes are found in all of Chanel’s fragrances. “They’re kind of like our little signatures,” says Raj.

2. Chanel refers to the Parfum as the haute couture gown of the No. 5 family

Chanel No. 5 Parfum

The first drops of Chanel No. 5 Parfum, the eldest sister in the No. 5 family, were born back in 1921. May rose and jasmine feature prominently in the scent, so if you’re fond of heavily floral fragrances, you may favor the original Parfum interpretation of No. 5.

Like a haute couture gown, Raj says, the 1921 Parfum “is rare and precious.”

3. Sandalwood expresses itself in the Eau de Toilette, the second sister in the No. 5 family

Chanel No. 5 Eau de Toilette

In 1924, three years after introducing the Parfum, Chanel launched the Eau de Toilette.

They heightened its sandalwood notes, giving it more of a woody quality than the more floral Parfum.

The Eau de Toilette is often called the “tweed jacket” of the No. 5 family and is considered a casual version of the scent.

4. Decades pass between the release of the second and third interpretations of No. 5…

Chanel No. 5 Eau de Parfum

More than 60 years pass between the 1924 release of the Eau de Toilette and the Eau de Parfum in 1986.

Why the long wait? According to Raj, it’s “because prior to the 1970s, there was no such thing as an eau de parfum.”

A parfum and an eau de parfum contain different concentrations of fragrant oils, with a parfum typically having higher concentrations, which lead to a more intense scent.

“Traditionally,” says Raj, “fragrances were the pure essence of the parfum or the pure perfume as we know it. Jacques Polges, our current perfumer, wanted to create an eau de parfum and keep it true to the original, but give it its own interpretation.”

To accomplish this, Jacques, who’s headed Chanel’s fragrance line since 1978, heightened the bourbon vanilla note, giving the No. 5 Eau de Parfum a sweeter quality.

5. In the Eau Premiere, the latest entry in the No. 5 family, notes are turned down, rather than up

Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere

Last, but not least, the newest version of No. 5, 2007′s Eau Premiere.

Unlike the first three interpretations of No. 5, in which different notes were heightened, in the Eau Premiere, which premiered in 2007, notes were softened. The jasmine and ylang-ylang notes were escorted to the background, giving the Eau Premiere its sparkling quality.

The new limited edition No. 5 Bath Soap

The new limited edition No. 5 Bath Soap, 10.7 ounces, $75

Since the Chanel No. 5 fragrances all share the same notes, they also work well with Chanel’s No. 5 body products, including the new large, limited edition No. 5 Bath Soap ($75), available now at Chanel counters and chanel.com

I just recently started using it, and let me tell ya, I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited to shower!

LOL! It’s just so indulgent and fancy. It even comes with its own soap dish (that’s classy), but I guess it should be for $75…

And the bar itself is HUGE. A whopping 10.7 ounces.

It builds up into a lush lather with lots of silky bubbles, and I love how when I step out of the shower, my skin stays softly scented with No. 5 for hours.

And I like the way the scent goes with the Eau de Premiere, which is my favorite family member of Chanel No. 5.

Sure, it’s unbelievably expensive for a bar of soap, but what a special gift it would make for a Chanel No. 5 fan.

The new limited edition No. 5 Bath Soap

PRICE: $75 (a 10.7-ounce bar)
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Chanel counters and chanel.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+/A- (a lovely, albeit outrageously expensive, Chanel indulgence)

Well, looks like we’re arriving at our destination. I hope you enjoyed our little trip on the Chanel No. 5 Trolley.

If you’ve tried any of the different interpretations in the No. 5 fragrance family over the years, let me know if you have a favorite in the comments. I can’t get enough of the Eau Premiere.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen