The military has overthrown the government of Niger, an African nation located north of Nigeria and sandwiched between Mali and Chad. According to Reuters, the junta staged a coup d’etat to push out President Mamadou Tandja.

On state radio, this statement was announced: “The president of the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy also said it would set up a body to draft a new constitution for the northwest African uranium exporter, which would have to be adopted in a referendum before polls could be held.” This would be in addition to the naming of a prime minister and government to aid with the transition.
According to the CIA Factbook, Niger has been independent since 1960. While it lacks major issues rampant in many other African nations, such as HIV and AIDS, it is one of the world’s hottest and poorest nations. The Factbook says Niger has resources including uranium, gold, oil and coal. It is one of the world’s biggest uranium producer’s and neighboring Nigeria is one of the world’s biggest oil producers.

Click here for the complete report from Reuters

Supermodel and fashion icon Kate Moss launched her third fragrance this September, Vintage. Inspired by Moss’ love of vintage clothes and art, as well as perfumes from the 1920s and 1930s, the fragrance is classic yet refined with Moss’ contemporary twist.

A sweet floral blend mixed with warm notes of tonka bean and almond flower, the fragrance creates a feminine and sensual experience. Other notes include pink pepper and white freesia.

The bottle mimics the name by its smoky glass tint decorated with Kate’s signature in rose gold. The rose gold pattern can also be found on the folding box the fragrance is packaged in, providing a last touch of the antique inspired style.

The endless project to gain and keep customers has retail brands brainstorming new ways to engage existing and potential customers, often via interactive media engagements. Enter the first Jane Iredale contest: Makeover Your Makeup Bag. The six-week-long Web-based contest will engage interested parties that will compete for a few coveted prizes: two makeup bag makeovers, one of which will accompany a trip for two to New York City. The contest, which started on October 5 and ends on November 16, is an attempt by Jane Iredale and their publicists at Lippe Taylor, to engage existing and potential clients, make them familiar with the brand’s online presence, and get them to explore the brand’s many products.

The contest begins with users submitting videos, photos or blog entries to explain why their makeup bag is need of makeover. Those submitted will be narrowed down to 25 and then the company’s reps will choose one winner to go to NYC. The contest then hopes to engage users over a period of time by getting them to take a virtual scavenger hunts that encourages them to visit Jane Iredale’s various social media pages to grab codes and enter them at the contest site. Those that enter the right codes will be entered into a weekly prize drawing. Finally, the contestant that gets the most viewers online will get a makeup bag makeover, like the grand prize winner, worth up to $1,000. The idea parallels the content side of the industry, which has changed to simultaneously get users involved and Web publishers some help by introducing user-generated content. We view this as a sort of user-assisted branding and viral marketing campaign. But, we think it’s a brand people should know more about.

Our respect for Jane Iredale stems from their early engagement in the mineral makeup sector and their broad range of foundations and powders, to cover women of all ethnicities and backgrounds. We also always trust the brand because they avoid both talc and parabens. Finally, there are few companies whose makeup encourages the user not to paint their face, but to use the products to balance skin tones and hide impurities, for an enhanced you, not a new you. In our opinion, those companies are: Jane Iredale, Bobbi Brown and Benefit Cosmetics. So, here’s the scoop on our favorite Jane Iredale products and one impending limited-edition launch.

Part of the appeal of her products is the attention paid to treat and cover blemishes, dark circles and skin tone imbalances. The Zap & Hide product (above) has a botanical-based “blemish treatment stick” that contains tea tree, lavender oil, lilac extract, avocado oil and a number of other nature-based products to kill microorganisms and quell inflammation. The other side, the concealer end, has shea butter, tea tree, algae extract, mica and ylang ylang, among other ingredients. Unlike most that seem to cake, this one goes on smooth because the treatment provides a smooth surface.

Winter or summer, sometimes bronzer is a girl’s only answer to quick, fab beauty. Iredale’s bronzers, eye products and lip glosses are unique because she has mastered the ability to create a shine that exudes a gold-like glow, with just a hinter of shimmer, that is sophisticated. The attempt to create this is often taken too far, resulting in immature products that glitter or overly-shimmery products that attract too much attention. This is not the case with Iredale’s creations. The Golden Bronzer (above) comes in two color options, for pale and dark skin, and offers a range of colors that work for cheeks and eyes. When applied with the right brush, likely medium size to capture just the right combination of colors, it highlights the cheekbones and creates a healthy glow.

But, we also love the simple sheer lip plumpers, such as Just Kissed in Milan, which offers a hint of pale pink with a gold glow undertone, and is easy enough to apply without a mirror as you are racing out the door. Also a great option for everyday makeup, and small enough to add to your handbag makeup kit is the Eye Gloss. In peach or green silk, for Caucasian women, this offers a natural color, a subtle shimmer and it stays for hours without creasing. But, darker colors in earth tones, such as a variety of brown and jewel tones, are available for women with darker complexions.

For a no-makeup approach, but products will disguise exhaustion and blemishes, and balance transparent skin, we turn to Lid Primer and Circle/Delete. The former can go on alone to hide veins, or as a base for eye shadow and line. For underneath the eyes, employ the latter by placing a dab of each color on your hand, blending, and then applying under the eyes with a small brush.

Finally, Jane Iredale welcomed October not only with the company’s first contest, but with the introduction of a limited-edition lip collection called Chocoholicks. Packaged and meant to resemble chocolate candies, these four colors offer a sexy gloss for women from pale to ebony, each with a great flavor. Colors include a sheer bronze, pink, copper and brown. At a suggested retail price of $44, this recent offering is a great product to have on handle for birthday parties or stocking stuffers, if you celebrate Christmas. One suggestion from their team was to buy one box of four and split them up for small gifts. For example, buy a bag of assorted truffles and pair one lip gloss with a few chocolate truffles in a small mesh bag, for a reasonably-priced girly present that is appropriate for a last-minute birthday party or an office gift swap.

Click here for more information on Jane Iredale products.