This fall Neiman Marcus Senior Vice President and Fashion Director Ken Downing worked with Le Métier de Beauté to create three matching lip and nail sets in rich, bold and romantic shades ($49 each). I was hoping to be able to purchase the nail polishes separately since I rarely wear reds or dark shades on the lips but decided to try something new and picked out the Bordacious Bordeaux/Wine on the Vine duo which has the softest lip color out of all three sets.
Bordacious Bordeaux Nail Lacquer is a deep wine magenta that layers into a deep wine cream. The texture is fairly thin making the color slightly transparent. It required three coats for full coverage. I love that Bordacious Bordeaux is the perfect medium wine shade – not too vampy, not too red, not too brown. The thin texture took a bit of work for me to get an even application. Three coats evens out everything nicely.
Wine on the Vine Moisture Lipstain is a shimmering reddish pink stain. The texture is that of a soft lipstain and molds well to the lips so you can barely feel anything on. On the hands it looks like a soft red without any visible shimmer. On the lips it goes on quite a bit brighter for me. I don’t know that it will look this red on most women, anything with fuschia or bright red shimmer tends to pull very bright on me for some reason. Being a stain formula I find these last longer than the average lipstick. Here it is softly swiped on my lips.
Here they are swatched on the arm side by side.
All three sets are beautiful and classic for fall. Even neutral lovers like myself will find that they are fun and nice for something different. The lips are all darker than I’m used to but the colors are lovely for evenings out or special occasions. Best Things in Beauty has a few other shades swatched and reviewed that I recommend you check out as well. I like these sets but my heart still belongs to their eyeshadows and lipglosses which I feel have some of the most gorgeous complex eye-catching shimmers that are wonderful for layering. The upside of these lip/nail duos is that they require little tweaking. They work well just as they are.
I did not make it to NYC this year for the LuckyFABB, FNO or NYFW (maybe next year). Instead I was in San Francisco and Napa busy being touristy. The highlights of last week were all food-related but the shopping options there were also phenomenal. My favorites were the Bouchon Bistro and Bakery in Yountville. If you have one of the bakeries near you (in Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, NY) you must try their macarons. So delicious!!!
On fashion and beauty related notes, this is what I’m loving this week:
Bobbi Brown has started her own blog, see a sneak peek of her holiday palette here
Law Fashionista shows us bits of Fashion’s Night Out in London
Here are a few blue comparisons of the new Les Jeans de Chanel shades to other Chanel & Dior blues. Included are Chanel Blue Satin (featured here), Dior Bond Street (here), Chanel Blue Rebel, Chanel Blue Boy, Chanel Coco Blue, Chanel Riva (here) and Chanel Nouvelle Vague (here).
The three Les Jeans de Chanel colors:
Other blues all lined up and swatched on tape (two coats each):
Arm swatches two different views:
Here you can see they have a high gloss finish:
After playing with the blues all day long, I still have the same mixed feelings. While I think there is very little that beats the feeling of having perfect fitting jeans (my favs are Paige and Joe’s Jeans) I don’t associate denim with the words “luxury” or “luxe” or “runway” like I do when I think of the brand Chanel. I thought this was an odd choice of theme for Chanel for Fashion’s Night Out (last year’s Les Khakis, Steel and Strong were much better being both edgy and unique). In addition, the high price tag of $29 per bottle this year is very hard to swallow for colors that aren’t unique or special, even for a limited-edition Chanel piece. Still, I caved and I can rest assured that I won’t have any Chanel regret nor will I have to pay uber high eBay prices to get one when they’ve sold out. To clarify, I do think these are very good high quality blues, but for FNO and for the price, I expected more. Perhaps it is just the recent releases of amazing colors like Black Pearl, Morning Rose, Quartz and Graphite that have overshadowed these basic blues.
Bottom line, nice but not must-haves. Dior Bond Street is more navy and slightly darker than the Les Jeans colors but it still has my heart for blues.
The limited edition trio of nail polishes in the Les Jeans de Chanel Nail Color Collection launches today in celebration of Fashion’s Night Out. Each shade was designed by Peter Philips Creative Director of Chanel Makeup and retails for $29 each. The three shades in the collection are Blue Rebel, Coco Blue and Blue Boy. The collection is available at Nordstrom Seattle, Saks San Francisco, select Neiman Marcus locations (see list here) and select Chanel Boutiques (listed here) as well as online at Chanel.com.
Blue Rebel is a rich dark navy denim blue (cream, no shimmer). The texture seems to be a bit thinner than the traditional Chanel nail polish. It requires two thick coats for full coverage.
Per Chanel, “It recalls the inky dye used to create dark-wash jeans — an iconic fashion staple and an essential part of every modern woman’s wardrobe.”
Coco Blue is a soft powdery denim blue with white and blue shimmer particles, the shimmer is very subtle on the nails and barely noticeable from arm’s length. The formula for this one is similar to Riva. It needs three coats for full coverage or else it’s a bit streaky.
Per Chanel, “This muted blue tone can be worn with the same effortlessness as a favorite pair of softly faded jeans.”
Blue Boy reminds me of the traditional denim color. It’s a soft grayed blue cream without shimmer. The texture is also thin so I recommend two thicker coats but it applies very smoothly.
Per Chanel, “Dressed in Blue Boy, fingernails reflect the fashionable and quintessential cool of jeans and heels.”
Initial thoughts: I will be doing a comparisons post shortly but my first thoughts are a bit mixed. They are nice to have but not must haves unless you are a denim/blue fanatic or a die-hard Chanel collector. I like Blue Boy the best out of the three but Coco Blue isn’t super flattering on my skin and Blue Rebel doesn’t seem very original as it appears to be very close to Dior’s Bond Street (which I absolutely adore). I knew there was a good chance Coco Blue wouldn’t suit my skintone (baby blues just don’t look great on my fingers) yet I still caved to have a complete set from this collection.
For me I was expecting a bit more since last year’s Khaki and Soho Collection were such beautiful unique releases. That being said, Chanel has released quite a bit this year and plenty has kept me busy since spring was released (I’m still enamored with the Black Pearl Nail Polish). Still Chanel did an excellent job creating a beautiful trio of rich high quality blues. They are nice to have, just not the most unique or must-haves in my mind.
Will you be getting the Les Jeans de Chanel shades this year?
I’m one who carries way too much in my purse and packs way too much when I travel. Every now and then I receive emails asking for travel and packing tips. My response usually consists of an apology (for lack of advice) and ends with a referral to Café Makeup’s traveling in Paris post (which is brilliant). The Non-Blonde also recently wrote a lovely feature to show us what she put inside her makeup case (I thought her selections were beautifully edited & well chosen). I’ve been traveling this past week and thought I’d share what I brought with me to San Francisco all tucked into my Paul & Joe travel makeup case (yes, I over-packed).
Skincare:
Le Métier de Beauté Sample Packets of the new Revitalizing Anti-Aging Day Creme (one packet took me through an entire week and I brought 2 with me)
La Mer Travel Size Cleansing Gel (not photographed)
Lancome Travel Size Cleansing Water
Cotton Pads & Q-tips
Face:
Mini packets of Chanel Vitalumiere Aquas (not shown because they were tossed after use)
Chanel Powder Foundation in Tender Bisque
Cle de Peau Concealer in Beige
Edward Bess Daydream Bronzer
Edward Bess Afterglow Highlighter
Chanel Espiegle Blush
Chanel Beiges Highlighter
Hourglass Primer
Eyes:
Mini brushes (an assortment, yes way too many but I just grabbed a bunch and tossed them into my bag)
Two eyelash curlers from Chanel and Le Metier (because I did not realize I grabbed both)
Laura Mercier Platinum Metallic Eye Creme
Dior Summer 2011 Quints in Nude Tan and Rosy Tan
Mini Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara (not photographed)
An assortment of eyeliners from Le Métier de Beauté, D&G and Chanel
Lips:
Le Métier de Beauté Cannes Lipgloss
Chanel Aragonite Glossimer (Spring 2011)
Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Fetiche and Biarritz
Misc:
Mini L’Artisan travel vial with Jo Malone Earl Grey Cologne
Overall thoughts: Usually I overpack because I think of all the what-if type of scenarios. This time I overpacked because I didn’t plan ahead. Postponing the dreaded task of packing to the last minute caused me to pack way too many brushes and two eyelash curlers (many of which I did not need). I was rushed and at the last minute and grabbed a bunch of random things and threw them into my bag. If I were to go back in time and re-pack I would have limited the number of tools/brushes, highlighters and eyeliners I brought. The upside is that everything fit conveniently into the Paul & Joe makeup case (this was a gift with purchase long ago) which helped to limit the product I brought. Also there was not a single additional thing I wished I had brought – it appears I did not leave anything out. San Francisco is almost like a home away from home being packed with virtually every store, brand and item known to every major city. I could have not packed anything and been fine with all the options to choose from around Union Square.
The Neiman Marcus Beauty Event starts in stores this Thursday, September 8. With a $100 purchase you will receive a tote filled with samples (see online for more details). Below is the list of some of the participating counters and their individual gifts from the Beverly Hills store.
ACQUA DI PARMA Colonia: Yellow hatbox with Eau de Toilette, Bath and Shower Gel, and Body Cream; $100 minimum purchase.
AGRARIA Luxury Bath Bar; $100 minimum purchase.
AMOREPACIFIC Cosmetics bag with Treatment Cleansing Soap, Moisture Bound Skin Energy
Hydration Delivery System, Bio-Enzyme Refining Complex, and your choice of Time Response Skin Renewal Crème, Future Response Crème, or Moisture Bound Rejuvenating
Crème sample; $250 minimum purchase. All of the above, plus Osulloc Premium Flower Tea Set; $500 minimum purchase.
ANNICK GOUTAL Gold pouch with Eau d’Hadrien Eau de Parfum; with purchase of large Annick Goutal Spray.
ANTHOUSA Votive Candle in Cucumber & Green Grass or White Gardenia; $75 minimum purchase.
ANTICA FARMACISTA Set of three Hand Soaps in Grapefruit; $85 minimum purchase.
ATELIER COLOGNE Leather pouch with Atomizer; with purchase of Collection Absolue or any large Cologne Absolue.
BALENCIAGA Black acrylic pouch with L’Essence Eau de Parfum; $130 minimum purchase.
BEAUTY BY CLINICA IVO PITANGUY Gold cosmetics bag with PreVious Rebalancing Formula,
PreVious Neck Lifting Formula, and SpecIfics Ultimate Eye Cream; $300 minimum purchase.
BELLECORE Après Contouring Crème; $295 minimum purchase.
BLISS Zippered bag with Fabulous Foaming Face Wash, Triple Oxygen+C Energizing Cream, and High Intensity Hand Cream; $60 minimum purchase.
BOBBI BROWN Berry to Go Collection includes Berry Lip Palette with Metallic Lip Color in Berry and Lip Colors in Pink and Brown, Crystal Lip Gloss, and Lip Brush; $100 minimum purchase.
BVLGARI White train case with your choice of Source Defense Serum, Serum Precieux, or Elixir Merveilleux; $300 minimum purchase. Mon Jasmin Noir: Eau de Parfum and Body Lotion; $80 minimum purchase. Bvlgari Man Eau de Toilette; $79 minimum purchase.
CARTIER Red box with Must de Cartier Body Milk; $125 minimum purchase.
CHANTECAILLE Blue metallic pouch with Flower Harmonizing Cream, Jasmine & Lily Healing Mask, Brilliant Gloss in Elation, and Tiare Eau de Parfum vial-on-card; $150 minimum purchase.
CHLOÉ Brown leather and white canvas pouch with Eau de Parfum; $110 minimum purchase.
CLARISONIC “Daisy Barrel” bag with Normal Brush Head; $149 minimum purchase.
CLÉ DE PEAU BEAUTÉ Signature cosmetics bag with Restorative Body Cream, Gentle Protective Emulsion, Lipstick in Replica, and La Crème; $300 minimum purchase.
CLINIQUE Silver cosmetics bag with Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer SPF 20, Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief, Vitamin C Lip Smoothie Antioxidant Lip Colour in Strawberry Bliss, Quickliner for Eyes in Black/Brown, Eye Shadow Trio in Pink/Trax/Chocolate Chip, and High Impact Mascara in Black; $65 minimum purchase.
DOLCE & GABBANA The One for Men travel bag; $73 minimum purchase.
EDWARD BESS Full-size Deep Shine Lip Gloss in Dark Blossom; $200 minimum purchase.
ELIE SAAB Le Parfum: NM Exclusive Parfum and Soap; with purchase of large Elie Saab Spray.
ERNO LASZLO Heritage carton with C-Peel, Timeless Skin, and Intensive Decollete Cream SPF 15; $175 minimum purchase.
ESTÉE LAUDER Champagne cosmetics bag with full-size Sumptuous Mascara in Black, Pure Color Gloss in Magnificent Mauve, and Advanced Night Repair Eye; $100 minimum purchase.
FRESH Cosmetics bag with Soy Face Cleanser, Brown Sugar Eau de Parfum, and Brown Sugar Body Polish; $125 minimum purchase. All of the above, plus Brown Sugar Hand Cream; $150 minimum purchase.
GIORGIO ARMANI Dark gray bag with full-size Smooth Silk Eye Pencil in Brown Black, Fluid Master Primer, Luminous Silk Foundation in Beige, Fluid Sheer in Shimmering Beige, Eyes to Kill Mascara in Black, Regenessence Eye Rejuvenating Serum, Regenessence Multi-Corrective Rejuvenating Cream, and Acqua di Gioa Eau de Parfum Rollerball; $150 minimum purchase.
GUERLAIN Gold pouch with Secret de Pureté Cleansing Milk and Orchidée Impériale Cream, Serum, and Eye and Lip Cream; $200 minimum purchase. Shalimar tote; with purchase of large Shalimar Spray.
HALSTON Amber Eau de Parfum or Eau de Toilette, or Platinum Eau de Parfum or Eau de Toilette; with purchase of large Halston Spray.
HANAE MORI Women’s Butterfly: Tote with Bath and Shower Gel and Body Cream; $75 minimum purchase. Men’s HM: Bath and Shower Gel and After-Shave Balm; $75 minimum purchase.
HERMÈS Eau d’Orange Verte Eau de Toilette Travel Spray, Jardin sur le Toit Eau de Toilette Travel Spray, Eau des Merveilles Eau de Toilette Travel Spray, Voyage d’Hermès Eau de Toilette and Body Lotion, or Terre d’Hermès Eau de Toilette; with purchase of large Hermès Spray.
HOUBIGANT PARIS Quelques Fleurs Crème; $180 minimum purchase. Quelques Fleurs Royale
Lotion; $200 minimum purchase. Fougère Royale Deodorant; $130 minimum purchase. Duc de Vervins Deodorant; $170 minimum purchase.
ISSEY MIYAKE Florale Eau de Toilette; with purchase of large Issey Miyake Spray.
J.F. LAZARTIGUE Ultimate Summer Beauty Travel Bag; $85 minimum purchase of Pre-Shampoo Mask, Shampoo, and Conditioner.
JUICY COUTURE Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum; with purchase of large Juicy Couture Spray. Viva la Juicy Eau de Parfum; with purchase of large Viva la Juicy Spray.
KAPLANMD Blue sheer drawstring bag with Intensive Eye Concentrate and Night Replenishing Concentrate; $300 minimum purchase. All of the above, plus Purifying Foam Cleanser and Clarifying Toner; $400 minimum purchase.
KATE SOMERVILLE Mesh bag with Deep Tissue Repair and Quench Hydrating Face Serum; $150 minimum purchase.
KATE SPADE Twirl Body Lotion; with purchase of large Twirl Spray.
KIEHL’S SINCE 1851 Blue signature bag with Midnight Recovery Concentrate, Creme de Corps, Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate, and Rosa Arctica; $85 minimum purchase. All of the above, plus full-size Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Body Polish; $125 minimum purchase.
JO MALONE Two mini colognes in case with any $150 Jo Malone purchase.
LA MER Crème de la Mer, The Regenerating Serum, The Eye Concentrate, and The Body Crème; $300 minimum purchase.
LANCÔME PARIS Blue satin bag with Génifique Concentrate, Génifique Eye, Définicils Precious Cells Mascara in Black, full-size L’Absolu Rouge in Champagne, full-size Le Lipstique in Mauvelle, and Color Design Eye Compact in Pink Pearls/Makeover/Sultry Mauve/Zip Me Up; $85 minimum purchase.
LA PRAIRIE Beaded silver clutch with Foam Cleanser, Cellular 3-Minute Peel, Cellular Resurfacing Cream, Cellular Lips Colour Effects in Maribou Glace, and Life Threads Ruby Eau de Parfum vial-on-card; $300 minimum purchase. All of the above, plus Cellular Power Infusion; $600 minimum purchase.
LAURA MERCIER Triangular bag with full-size Lip Glacé in Cocoa Lait, One-Step Cleanser, Perfecting Water, Repair Eye Crème, and Dual-Action Eye Makeup Remover Oil-Free; $125 minimum purchase.
LE MÉTIER DE BEAUTÉ Liquid Eyeliner in Artemis; $125 minimum purchase.
LOLITA LEMPICKA Si Lolita Eau de Toilette Purse Spray; $92 minimum purchase.
MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN Your choice rollerball vial; with purchase of any large Maison Francis Kurkdjian fragrance.
MARC JACOBS Daisy Eau So Fresh Eau de Toilette; $88 minimum purchase.
NARCISO RODRIGUEZ For Her: Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette, and Intense Eau de Parfum; with purchase of large Narciso Rodriguez Spray. Essence Body Lotion; with purchase of large Narciso Rodriguez Spray.
NARS Black pouch with Shimmer Nail Polish in Orgasm, Illuminator in Copacabana, and Sheer Glow Foundation in Santa Fe; $100 minimum purchase.
NATURA BISSÉ Purple bag with Diamond White, NB Ceutical SPF 50 Luminous Shield, Tensolift Neck Cream, and Diamond Extreme Cream; $300 minimum purchase.
NEST Votive Candle; $50 minimum purchase.
NEULASH Mirror; $100 minimum purchase.
NUFACE Infusion Serum Trio Pack includes Peptide, Stem Cell, and Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Serums; $325 minimum purchase.
OMOROVICZA Signature bag with full-size Radiance Renewal Serum; $300 minimum purchase.
ORLANE, PARIS Signature bag with Absolute Skin Recovery Care Polyactive Formula, Extreme Line-Reducing Re-Plumping Cream, Absolute Skin Recovery Care Eye Contour, and Extreme Line-Reducing Lip Care; $300 minimum purchase.
PRADA Candy Eau de Parfum; $108 minimum purchase.
RÉVIVE Sensitif Cellular Repair Cream, Eye Renewal Cream, and Fermitif Neck Renewal Cream; $300 minimum purchase. All of the above, plus full-size Serum Pressé; $650 minimum purchase.
ROBERT PIGUET Fracas Votive Candle; $100 minimum purchase.
SISLEY-PARIS Black/white pouch with Instant Perfect, Phyto-Levres Gloss Sheer Lipliner in The Glace, and Phyto Teint Éclat in Sand; $150 minimum color purchase. Red pouch with Lyslait Cleansing Milk, Botanical Floral Toning Lotion, Botanical Eye and Lip Contour Balm, All Day All Year Cream, Sisleÿa Radiance Anti-Aging Concentrate, Phyto Teint Éclat in Natural, Confort Extreme Nutritive Handcare, Comfort Extreme Body Cream, and Soir de Lune Body Cream; $350 minimum purchase.
SUPERSMILE Professional Whitening Toothpastes in Mandarin Mint and Cinnamon; $35 minimum purchase.
THIERRY MUGLER Angel: Silver wristlet with Shower Gel and Body Cream; $80 minimum purchase.
TRISH MCEVOY Green nylon signature bag with Lash Enhancing Eye Liner, Treatment Foundation SPF 15 in Beige, and Beauty Booster SPF 15 Lip Gloss in Sexy Nude; $125 minimum purchase.
29 COSMETICS Full-size 29 Preserves Night Moisture; $150 minimum purchase.
VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Oriens or Féerie Parfum Rollerball; $110 minimum purchase.
YVES SAINT LAURENT Black “Studs” pouch with Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara in Black, Rouge Pur Couture in Rose Stiletto, Top Secrets Natural Action Exfoliator, Top Secrets Eye Makeup Remover, Waterproof Eye Pencil in Black Ink, and Opium Eau de Toilette vial-on-card; $150 minimum purchase.
