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December 2009

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Why Do We Love Edward Bess? Hear It From The Experts Themselves

December 15, 2009

To my fellow readers and makeup aficionadas – you’ve probably seen at least one review I’ve written about Edward Bess’s cosmetics line and may be wondering “what’s the big deal? is this line really all that?”

I’ve briefly mentioned how I discovered the line. Edward Bess is a very exclusive luxury makeup brand that is available at Bergdorf Goodman in NYC. My interest was peaked by rave reviews from other loyal Edward Bess followers – many of whom did not have immediate access to the line due to it’s exclusivity to Bergdorfs in New York.

Descriptions like “wonderful texture, lovely packaging, intensely pigmented, timeless and modern” told me I had to check it out and see what all the fuss was about. For me, the personal experiences of others and word-of-mouth is the closest alternative to trying something yourself, so I contacted a few other fans for the 411.

Each of them was kind enough to email me detailed descriptions and recommendations along with comparisons to other brands. I can’t thank them enough for their help!! I’ve asked a few who have helped me to share with you why we all love Edward Bess’s products and let them tell you in their own words.

Up first is Leslie Cook, a retired Marketing VP in her early 60’s, loyal fan of Edward Bess.

Tell us about yourself: My name is Leslie Cook. I am 61 (most people guess me at around 45). I think I look younger than I am because I am such a TOTAL skin care and cosmetics addict and always use the best products. I take good care of myself (in other words, I am very high maintenance). I’ve never had plastic surgery, lasers, injections, etc. but I hope to someday if I can afford some of it.

Can you describe your skintone and hair color to us? I am very fair with highlighted brown hair. I have blue/red undertones.

What’s your beauty style? My beauty style is to make the most of my best assets while still taking trends into account. I don’t want to look like a teenager, but since I do look younger than my age and am thin and in good shape, I can dress in more contemporary styles than most women my age so I like my makeup to look modern and hip as well. I wear my hair in a long layered “youngish” style, too. I wear a variety of fun tinted designer glasses (can’t wear contacts and couldn’t get Lasik due to corneal damage).

How did you discover Edward Bess and why do you love his line? I discovered EB thanks to a lovely friend at Makeupalley.com, Michele D. I fell in love with EB because of the incredible quality of his products. The textures are fantastic. The products are easy to apply and stay on beautifully for many hours, don’t cake or flake and look fabulous ON a real person (not just in the packages or on models’ pics in magazines). I love Edward’s selection of wearable colors and his gorgeous sleek packaging. I also love the fact that his collection is so versatile. I can wear his neutral colors camping and look natural (but not bland) hiking in harsh, bright sunlight or I can wear his deeper shades ‘glammed’ up for a cocktail party or a night on the town. No matter what I choose, his products always look flawless, chic and elegant and are incredibly flattering.

What are your favorite EB products? My favorite products are his:

  1. Ultra Slick Lipsticks (love the fig scent, smoothness and longevity with no caking & there are plenty of great shades for every skin tone, outfit and occasion)
  2. Concealer (covers beautifully but looks natural and is the perfect portable size to carry in your purse for touch ups)
  3. Eye Shadows (silky smooth, flattering true “shadow” colors which accentuate the eyes, don’t just lay on your lids and the combinations are endless…..from pale to very deep and dramatic)
  4. All Over Face Brush (works wonderfully for blending and is also very compact and portable)
  5. Gorgeous (shimmery but not fakey) cream high lighters

Is there anything you don’t love? My least favorite product is his mascara. It’s NOT bad, but I’d prefer a thinner brush as I have scrawny lashes (thinner brushes cause less clumping on me).

So tell us about the other brands/products you love: There is no other makeup line that even comes close for me now that I’ve discovered Edward Bess. I have, in fact, given away most of my colors from other lines. Chanel colors come in a distant second (and I still have a few of those). I also use and love Kanebo Sensai Brightening Primer and Creme Foundation when I want more coverage than I get with just EB concealer (such as for a formal evening event) and, finally, Serge Lutens mascara comb.

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Paul & Joe Holiday Event from Guest Writer Lakshmi

December 14, 2009

Guest Writer Lakshmi brings us a detailed account of her recent makeover at Bergdorf Goodman with the Paul & Joe team for their holiday event along with lovely photos of her amazing haul (credit to go to her friend Dhruv for taking these photos)! It looks like the Mesmerize Holiday Palette is a big hit this season – want to know how to use this and what products to coordinate with it? Read on for her experience . . .

L to R: Nail Polish 06, Lip Lacquer 07, Lip Lacquer 10

Intrigued by rave articles on Paul & Joe, I decided to go in for a makeover at Bergdorf Goodman and had Caroline do my make-up which was just wonderful, the whole experience was totally fun! Here’s what she used on me:

Skin Prep
Caroline started by cleansing my face with the Cleansing Milk N, followed by the Refreshing Toner. Since my skin is very dry at the moment she followed it up with a richer toner that you just press into the skin instead of applying with a cotton pad. All these skin products have an orange blossom fragrance that is very soothing. She then applied some moisture cream, which was a little too heavy, so she blotted away the excess moisturizer and followed with an application of their Protective Foundation Primer.

Foundation
After the skin-prep, Caroline then proceeded with an application of the Protective Fluid Foundation. I am Indian with deeper skintones (MAC NC43) and unfortunately they did not have a perfect match for concealer so she opted for a Shu Uemura concealer from the neighboring counter as an alternative! She set my foundation with some loose face powder.

Eyes
* Step 1) Eyes were first prepped with a layer of their eye primer
* Step 2) She then applied the lightest shade (lilac) from the Mesmerize palette all over the lid
* Step 3) The medium shade from the same palette was blended in the crease to warm up my eyes, because the lilac was a little too cool toned for my skin
* Step 4) The next thing she did which was my favorite part of the entire makeover – she took the darkest shade in the palette (the black sparkly one) and lined my eyes extending it into the outer V, while smudging this to make it look diffused and soft.
* Step 5) She then deepened this eyeliner effect with Pearl Powder in 001 (smokey black shimmer) and lined my eyes with a black pencil liner.
* Step 6) Finishing touches – just to give some sparkle she used the Pearl Powder 03 on the center of my lid, applied and blended lightly with a finger.

While seemingly complicated, this combination of products gave my eyes a soft smokey look with a wonderful gradient effect from the darkest black color at the lashline slowly blending upward and outward. She then applied their mascara in black, the brush is quite thick and the formula seems glossy and volumizing, so can’t wait to try that. Since she applied it with a disposable wand, I have yet to see the effect of application with the brush.

Cheeks
I had already seen so many things I wanted to buy and we couldn’t really decide on a face color that was suitable, so she just applied the darker shade of their bronzer as a blush. I think that this shade is very comparable to MAC’s Refined Golden bronzer.

Lips
She applied a lipliner (don’t remember the number but it was a brick colored one) filled in lips with a brick reddish-brown lipstick (not limited edition packaging), followed by Lip Lacquer #10. We also tried Lip Lacquer #07 which complimented the rest of the look perfectly too!

What I ended up going home with:

  • Pearl Powders in 001, 002 and 03
  • Lash Mascara in 01 (black)
  • Lip Lacquers in 07 and 10 – they are unlike anything I’ve tried and have an amazing finish…
  • Nail Enamel in 06


The gift with purchase was a beautiful Paul & Joe notebook in purple to match their holiday collection packaging!

Pearl Powders: 03 (top), 002 (front left), 001 (front right)

Mascara

Nail Polish 06

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7 Things I’m Loving Right Now

December 12, 2009

I’ve been writing so much on Edward Bess and Paul & Joe (my two new loves) – I thought I’d take a short break. Here is my list for December (a bit shorter than normal) of what I’m loving right now:

1) Harney & Sons White Christmas Tea – Got this in a Holiday Tea Set from Williams Sonoma (instore). I know it’s not exactly beauty-related, but I’ve been drinking this nonstop when I study or blog. Add a bit of honey, sugar and soy milk and it’s heaven. I think you can get it cheaper individually on the Harney & Sons Website.


2) Korres Lip Butter in Guava – Posted about some lip balms last month HERE. This one is smooth, sweet but light scent, moisturizing but not goopy. I love the light pink tint! My lips were a bit chapped from lack of food/water/sleep as I spent the last week working non-stop on school projects. This revitalized my lips instantaneously – no joke.


3) Dolce & Gabbana Mascara – I used up my favorite Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill and felt it was time to open my D&G Mascara. This is *everything* Melissa and Rachel from Saks NY D&G have raved about. Defines and thickens lashes and doesn’t clump or smudge. I love the brush because it gets all my lashes without applying too much goop. It gives a more natural look compared to Armani Eyes to Kill/Diorshow. (No photo, but it comes in a heavy gold tube.)

4) Bobbi Brown Java Metallic Eyeshadow – I don’t know why I haven’t written about this sooner. I bought it as soon as the metallic shadows came out and love this for a smokey cool-brown shimmer. Most shimmery dark brown shadows I’ve found seem to be warm toned (Bobbi Brown Chocolate Shimmerwash, MAC Mulch, Nars Lola Lola, Chanel Cinnamon). If you like taupes, you will like Java – it’s a few steps up in intensity from your regular taupes with smokiness to it. Looks great when applied with a damp brush.

Compared to Stone Shimmerwash and Chocolate Shimmerwash for your reference:


5) Nars Irresistiblement Bronzer – I bought this months ago because it looked so pretty on Em from Too Much Blush. Even though our skintones are completely different, I had to give it a try. I’ve been alternating between this and Edward Bess Daydream for everyday bronzers. It’s a warm almost orangey looking bronze in the pan. But on the skin, it warms up my face like a bronzer-blush. Your mileage may vary on this, but if you have a Nars counter near you it’s definitely worth trying out even if it doesn’t look like your cup of tea.


6) Mauvey Pink Lipglosses: Bobbi Brown Pink Buff, Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer 07, Paul & Joe Lip Gloss 09, MAC Lovechild and Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer 10 – It’s difficult for me to find a mauvey lipgloss that isn’t too pale, too purple or too grey. All of these work perfectly because they have just the right amount of pink or brown so I don’t end up looking dead. They go well with Laura Mercier Chestnut Lipliner which is a good everyday neutral.

I bought Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer 07 and Gloss 09 thanks to the genius of Caroline from the Paul & Joe counter at Bergdorf Goodman. She said they were great for girls with skintones like us (medium and Asian) but flatter almost everyone she’s worked with. Of course she was right on the money. I then bought Lacquer #10 thanks to Joey’s rave review and pictures. I was worried it would be too brown, but turns out it’s not!

L to R: Bobbi Brown Pink Buff, P&J Lacquer 07, P&J Lipgloss 09, MAC Lovechild, P&J Lacquer 10




7) Guerlain Perles Imperiales Holiday Meteorites – This is my one and only Guerlain Meteorites. I caved from all the raves and bought it online because it was sold out in stores by the time I decided I wanted it. Gives a pretty sparkley glow.


What are you loving this month?

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Holiday Jet Set from Edward Bess

December 11, 2009

The highly anticipated Jet Set collection from Edward Bess finally arrived at my front door! Krista from Bergdorf Goodman was kind enough to tell me about this set a few months ago and put me on the wait list. Luckily it arrived just in time for their $25 off $100 event!

The set is exclusive to Bergdorf Goodman and retails for $125 but you can also purchase the items individually. Inside the kit:

  • Island Escape Eyeshadow Trio – Comes with an ivory shimmer, a matte medium brown, a matte smokey brown. Great pigment and easily blendable.
  • Island Rose Compact Rouge for Lips & Cheeks – This is a bright watermelon almost-fuschia pink cream with no detectable shimmer in the pot. Even though it looks and swatches bright, it wears very natural and gives a nice pink glow. The texture is creamy and easily blendable.
  • Natural Lipliner – A creamy twist-up neutral pinky-brown.

I’m doing a tag-team post with the FABULOUSLY AMAZING KarlaSugar for the Edward Bess Jet Set. She brought all of us a Sneak Peak of the Jet Set with details and prices (items can be purchased individually) last month. Just posted today, check out her blog for the Swatches of the Holiday Jet Set with comparisons too!

Close up:


This was the look I did today with the kit and it lasted pretty much all day with the exception of the lips after I had my lunch.

Face:
Edward Bess Island Rose on cheeks

Eyes:
Laura Mercier Platinum Metallic Cream Eyeshadow
Edward Bess Island Escape Trio: pale ivory on lid, medium 1/2 way up lid blended, dark as a smokey liner (so it was a gradual dark at lash line to lighter up the lid)
Le Metier Tamarack Eyeliner
D&G Mascara

Lips:
Edward Bess Natural Lipliner
Chanel Formentera Aqualumiere
Edward Bess Sweet Dreams Lipgloss

Overall thoughts – My readers know I’m a fan of Edward Bess products as great line for wearable classic neutrals. For this kit, I have mixed feelings mainly because of the high price tag. The quality and pigment of this kit is just as good as everything else I’ve tried from his line, and I know I will get a lot of use out of each product from this kit because the colors are very wearable and give a natural and pretty polished look.

For me, the winner in the kit is the Island Rose Compact. It looks very bright in the pot and swatched, but blends out to give a perfect natural pink blush. It’s similar to Bobbi Brown’s Raspberry Pink Pot Rouge but warmer and slightly more dewy. (Check karla’s blog for swatch comparisons.)

I like the eyeshadow trio and lipliner for the quality and convenience for a no-fail everyday look, but I feel like the colors can be easily duplicated with other brands. That being said, I do like everything, but if I had seen/tested them in person, I think I would have probably splurged on some more lipsticks from the line.

Anyone else get the Jet Set? What are your thoughts and how are you coordinating the products with your current makeup stash?

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Edward Bess Eyeshadow Gorgeousness

December 9, 2009

It was love at first sight for the Intimate & Dusk Eyeshadows from Edward Bess. I had read about the line before but never really paid much attention until I started receiving the Bergdorf Goodman catalog in the mail. I have Leanne (aka Artbabe) to thank for enabling me – she described Intimate as the taupe “you can’t go wrong with.” I was immediately sold!

I’ve since discovered a few other Edward Bess fans, Alexa (aka Nekochama), Robin (aka Applepark) and Leslie (aka LeslieCZ) to name a few. Thanks to their expertise and glowing reviews have pushed me over the edge to collect all the single eyeshadows he has created.


They are pricey at $29 each but I have to say they are worth every penny if you love neutrals. At first glance, the eyeshadows may seem very ordinary, but when you look closer and swipe them with your finger, you will realize how incredibly gorgeous each shade is. I find the mirrored compact design is refreshingly clean and simple. I will do my best to describe each color:

* Nude – pale buttercream with a very slight luster
* Intimate – a light luminescent warm tan/taupe, hard to describe, but LOVE
* Dusk – a gorgeous complex grey-brown-taupe shimmer that has a bit of gold and khaki
* Escape – warm coppery shimmer
* Mystery – complex dusty coffee brown with slight shimmer
* Night – matte charcoal-black with a satin finish

Nude


Intimate

Dusk

Escape


Mystery

Night


Swatches – these really do not do the colors justice!

With flash:

No flash:


I have to admit at times cannot believe I spent $29 on a single eyeshadow (or all 6 for that matter). But I really love the colors and quality. My favorites are Intimate, Dusk and Mystery. You can see a look I put together using Dusk in A Week of Looks I’m Loving Right Now: Day 1.

While I like Nude and Night, I think they can be easily duplicated with other brands so to me, if I had seen and tested them in person first, I probably wouldn’t have bought these 2.

I like these because they are neutral but not boring. They are timeless and appropriate for any age. There’s just enough sparkle/glow to each shade to give a luminescent glow, but not overly so which will make these work for ladies who avoid shimmer/frost like the plague.

One more view:
* Top Row – Nude, Intimate, Dusk
* Bottom Row – Escape, Mystery, Night


These were all purchased from Bergdorf Goodman. Krista the Brand Manager there for the line has been super helpful in describing colors to me. Love that she is friendly, knowledgeable, and not at all pushy. She actually tried to talk me out of Nude since I was getting the Jet Set (more on this set soon) and told me that the pale shade in the palette was similar to Nude. Also great there with Edward Bess is Susan – super friendly and helpful as well.

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Special 20% Off Offer from The Primping Parleur for The Beauty Look Book Followers

December 7, 2009
Hi readers, I have some extremely exciting news for you! In response to my recent series on Paul & Joe (and massive haulings), The Primping Parleur has been kind enough to extend an offer to my readers, good until the end of December:

20% off your entire purchase of in-stock items at their online boutique www.primpingparleur.com using promo code BEAUTYLOOKBOOKBLOG for the month of December


They carry a variety of unique brands such as Paul & Joe, Becca, Kevyn Aucoin etc. You’ve read about them in my P&J series (check out this post). I’ve found a number of discontinued/limited edition Paul & Joe items there and they have the holiday colors as well as the lip lacquers that I adore. Check out their Ordering Information for shipping rates and more information.

Happy Shopping!

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with The Primping Parleur other than being a happy customer.

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Victoria’s Secret Makeup: Heidi Klum’s Exotic Jewels & VS Makeup Collection

December 4, 2009
I stopped by Victoria’s Secret a few weeks ago and decided to check out the Exotic Jewels Holiday collection by Heidi Klum among other things (thanks to some recommendations). I’m a huge fan of Heidi Klum, she always looks stunning and glowing. I like her modern and chic style – I especially love that she’s been featured for Ann Taylor’s holiday ad campaign. She gives the brand a more modern look.

What I came home with (beauty-related):

* Lipglosses & Lip Lacquers $10 to $14 – The lipglosses are pretty sheer, they are have a non-sticky texture similar to MAC Lip Gelees, but a bit sheerer. The lip lacquers are more pigmented.

* Heidi Klum Perfect Lipstick in Exotic Spice $16 is a great nude nude with good coverage/pigment. It has a tiny bit of sparkle in the tube, but it’s not visible on the lips. I’m not the biggest fan of the packaging and $16 seems steep for something from VS, but the texture is creamy and I love the color. I’m not sure about the regular lipsticks in the VS line, but this one has a chocolate scent.


These blend out very sheer:


* Eyeshadow quads in Eye Contact and Sultry $15: I have to say I am fairly impressed with these! $15 is a steal for this size – you get a decent sized quad. The texture is really soft and pigment is decent and very blendable. I wouldn’t carry these in my purse though – I think the formula is pretty fragile – there were several boxes on the display unit in the tore that had broken shadows inside.


* Heidi Klum Luminous Gems $22 – a bit pricey in my opinion for VS makeup and it seems like you get about 1/2 of what is pictured on the Victoria’s Secret website (in terms of amount of product) , but there is still enough product in the actual container and I can’t imagine ever using this up. Swirled together you get a pink-gold shimmery glow. (Swatch didn’t turn out so hot on my arm.)


I have to admit I bought these mainly b/c I had some coupons to use up. If I had paid more attention to which glosses were “lip glosses” versus “lip lacquers” I probably would have passed on some of these knowing that they were very sheer.

For those who just like sheer makeup and decent prices, I recommend checking the line out too. They had quite a few good neutral nude-pink lipsticks. I didn’t purchase any though.

Do you have any VS makeup favorites?

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