Edward Bess has released some new things for holiday this month including his new South of France face quad and two palettes Berry Chic and Back to Basics (see sneak peek here and also featured on The Non-Blonde). These items literally just arrived at counters to Bergdorf Goodman and the palettes are now on EdwardBess.com. First up is a review on his newest Quad Royale palette, South of France 01 ($45 for .25 oz/7 g), a beautiful glowing opalescent powder quad of pale shimmers. The palette is inline with this year’s holiday theme of subtle-glow and has the slightest bit of overspray on top (at least it appeared so in my eyes). Underneath the powder is still shimmery and glowy and beautiful. The colors from the top left clockwise are: soft cream beige-peach shimmer, soft nude pink, soft darker nude pink, subtle golden pink beige. When mixed together the effect is subtle and South of France gives the cheeks a soft pale opal pinkish glow that is understated but visible. Using the brush in the compact (soft and fluffy) gives an ultra sheer wash. I prefer using a denser blush brush (like Bobbi Brown’s or Shu Uemura’s) for a more visible look.
With the overspray and a high flash, the powder simply glows:
In direct sunlight, overspray removed, without the flash you can see the palette is subtle and not overly frosted. Here you can’t really see the glow well, but this gives you a good look at the base colors and undertones of each shade. Note that even with the overspray gone it still glows depending on the angle you hold this against the light.
See here this still glows when held at an angle:
Note this is swatched with a very heavy hand, on the face it’s lighter and more subdued:
Here are his two Quad Royale quads, South of France 01 (more pink and glowy) and Summer in Capri 03 (more contoured and peachy, reviewed a few days ago), I’m hoping there is a #02 to be released soon, maybe for spring?
Overall I adore. Subtle, refined, and absolute glowy perfection. These are sheerer than his cream highlighter in Sunlight so if you want something more visible I think you will be happier with the creams. I tried to think of something I could compare South of France to but just couldn’t. The mixture of gold, pearl, beige, pink in South of France is just gorgeous and the powder gives depth with the darker tones of the bottom left corner shade. Is this a must-have? Absolutely yes. If you asked me to choose between the two quads, I would not be able to, I need both.
I consider myself a late adopter of Twitter, and even after joining, I’m still more of a passive user. You can follow me @BeautyLookBook 🙂 I follow people, brands and retailers for good info on the latest. I can retweet interesting articles to my followers and likewise, I love the retweets from the people I follow. The upside for following me is you get sneak-peek previews of upcoming new items many times before they are reviewed. Sometimes it takes me ages to get everything photographed, swatched, tested, reviewed etc. so tweeting can help give some quick previews for those who do not want to wait. (It took me about a month to get the D&G lipstick duos up on review because I could not get home in time before the sun went down for weeks, I needed good light for the pictures!)
The latest includes some shots from Edward Bess, Dolce & Gabbana and Le Métier de Beauté (yes, more). If you get tired of my tweets (or lack of) you can always unfollow me, no hurt feelings or grudges. But I just wanted to give a little nudge to those who haven’t tried Twitter yet. Here is a gallery of recent images I’ve uploaded and tweeted. Most beauty related, but not all.
If you’re on Twitter, it’s fun to browse even if you don’t end up following people, brands, stores, companies etc. Have a happy Friday! I will be busy writing more reviews this weekend so stay tuned.
Le Métier de Beauté has partnered with several artists to design exclusive products to various counters. It’s almost been like a mini treasure hunt trying to track down what’s been released where. I love the @metierbeaute tweets to help keep me updated but sometimes Twitter can be hard to follow consistently (I still love it though). Many thanks to Karla Sugar who gives us all the details & updates about the Neiman Marcus Northpark exclusives. She has swatched all the Sheer Brilliance Lip Glosses and Lip Crèmes (how awesome is she!?) and I’ve been drooling over these since this summer. As soon as the newest shade Nadine came out, I e-mailed her for the details as no pics or descriptions were to be found online. She told me it was pretty and understated and that she thought I’d love it. I was sold even though I had no idea what to expect. You can see her lovely swatches in her Le Métier de Beauté Fall Lips post. I ordered Atlantis Sunset (top peachy shade) and Nadine (coral pink sparkle) and here they are ($36 each from Neimans).
Atlantis Sunset is a Sheer Brilliance Lipgloss and is a sheer sparkly light iridescent peach with a pink & gold glowy sparkles. Le Métier de Beauté makes some of the most beautiful lipglosses I’ve ever seen in the tubes. The formula though is very sheer on some of the colors. Atlantis Sunset has the same sheerness as colors like Ibiza, Captiva and Cannes. Other shades like Bondi Beach, Summerland and Dubai have better color payoff for me. Initially I was disappointed with the color payoff of some shades (so pretty in the tube but go on clear on the lips) but soon learned these are best used to layer over lipsticks or even to use mixed with lip cremes. I loved the mixing tutorial by Messy Wands. Here is Atlantis Sunset on me over a bare lip. It’s practically clear but I still can’t resist a soft iridescent peach no matter how sheer it is.
Nadine is packaged and labeled as a Lip Crème but acts more like a Sheer Brilliance Gloss for me due to the sheerness. It’s a warm coral pink loaded with sparkles, but as Karla Sugar noted, very subdued. The lip swatch couldn’t capture the sparkle well, but here it is on me, also on a bare lip. I really adore it. It’s breathtakingly gorgeous in the tube.
How do they compare to other Le Métier shades? They’re quite different from the current lineup. Here are Atlantis Sunset & Nadine compared to Summerland, Ibiza and Bondi Beach in different lighting so you can see the sparkles. All gorgeous when swatched, none are overly frosty, these enhance the lip and work wonders when layered over Chanel Rouge Cocos.
Bottom line: I adore Nadine but I’m still undecided about Atlantis Sunset (although it’s a stunner in the tube). Have you tried Le Métier de Beauté Lip Glosses? What were your thoughts? Did you check out Nadine or any of the other Neiman Marcus Northpark Exclusives? (By the time I called, they were sold out of Emily’s Kisses and Sweet Abigail or else I would have ordered those too.)
I’ve been carefully testing a few new skincare items from Le Métier de Beauté, Koh Gen Do and Clé de Peau over the past few months. I’m not one who is adventurous when it comes to trying new things for my skin due to sensitivity. I think it’s a miracle that I’ve finally found some items that have dramatically improved my skin. I’ve been particularly impressed by Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Skincare, a surprise to me since my skin did not mesh well with their Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Complexe Tinted Treatment (even though it’s worked like magic on most everyone else).
A bit of background on my skin: My skin is overall normal but sensitive, slightly oily in T-zone, small pores. I just turned 30 this year and I haven’t noticed any significant changes in my skin as I transitioned out of my 20’s except that my usual Clinique Foaming Cleanser/La Mer Toner daily ritual just wasn’t cutting it to keep my skin clear. I decided to try new things and this year I discovered Cleansing Waters from Lancome and Koh Gen Do and fell in love with the Koh Gen Do Macro Vintage Face Mask. Le Métier’s Peau Vierge items have been incorporated into my daily routine now and has revitalized my skin. When it comes to skincare ingredients I’m at a complete loss. Anyone can give me a detailed lecture on various patented formulas, different ingredients and their benefits etc. but I get that glazed look after 4 words (literally). I highly recommend you read the review and commentary posted on Best Things in Beauty, her review is highly detailed and very informative. My attention is limited to three things: 1) is it safe? 2) does it really work? and 3) is this under $100. I don’t like to spend a lot on skincare items that work the same as something much cheaper. I have had some experience with expensive brands like Revive, La Prairie and La Mer, but unfortunately, most of the pricey creams don’t make a noticeable difference to justify the high price tag. Since I’m not well versed in ingredients, I’ll refer you to Neiman Marcus’s website for product information (linked below) and focus more on my experience and what these did for my skin. Now, for my experience with Le Métier Peau Vierge.
I was introduced to Le Métier de Beauté Revive Eye Concentrate ($175 for 0.5 oz/15 ml) by Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills back in August and was told it was “the best on the market” in terms of eye creams. I’ve never been a regular user of eye cream even though everyone (grandmother, aunts, mother, friends etc.) tell me it’s an essential. I don’t use eye creams because I cannot see a visible difference when I use them. Still I decided to try it with an open mind. The Revive Eye Concentrate comes in a pale pink cream formula that is smooth and creamy but not too thick. It feels noticeably moisturizing and once it sets it feels weightless. I did not notice any fragrance. The Eye Concentrate works well to smooth the eye area and does improve the overall texture under the eye. I don’t have any wrinkles yet, except when I smile, under the eye shows some creasing. This cream has helped with dryness under the eye area to help the elasticity of the under eye area. At this time I can’t say this is a life-changer, but then most eye creams haven’t demonstrated a noticeable difference for me. This does help minimize the look of fine lines though.
During Beauty Week Le Métier counters handed out sample packets of the Revitalizing Anti-Aging Day Crème. I decided to give it a try and found the sample packets useful to take with me while traveling (one packet lasted me an entire week with some still left over). I loved it so much I purchased the full size ($285 for 1.0 oz/30 ml) during beauty week. This is a lightweight cream that goes on a moisturizing lotion. There is a slight scent that is hard to describe, but it’s very faint and smells clean. A little goes a long way. The first few days of use resulted in a visible skin purge. Break outs surfaced and there was redness and I had peeling as it was working its way under the layers of skin to purge. Still there was no stinging or irritation, I decided to give it a few days since I was told this would renew the skin. After the first few days of ugliness, my skin was then transformed in an amazing way to be noticeably clearer and smoother and felt like it was glowing. Those tiny bumps on the cheeks from buildup are gone and the overall appearance is a 100x better. I don’t use this everyday because I think everyday use would be too strong for me but this cream has worked like nothing else I’ve tried. (It’s amazing!) I currently alternate with Koh Gen Do’s Royal Massage Milk (review to come soon) for daytime only (I don’t use anything at night). It’s worked wonders for my skin. If you can get a sample packet I highly recommend you try it out. (Update: Just to clarify, the surfacing breakouts was a good thing for me with this cream because it renewed my skin by drawing out all the buildup and then my skin started to peel a little bit for a short time period of 1-2 days as it almost rejuvenated my skin, this didn’t cause breakouts per se, but rather helped renew/revitalize/clarify my skin condition, hope I didn’t confuse anyone!)
My local counter kindly made me a small sample cup of the Daily Renew Cleanser (which lasted 3 uses) and I was hooked. It comes in a squeeze bottle ($50 for 4.0 oz). It’s a yellow-orange gel with orange and white beads. Gentle and effective, it’s almost a scrub-cleanser hybrid. I do not use this everyday but alternate with Cle de Peau’s Gentle Foaming cleanser but it works well to smooth the skin and exfoliate gently. It has a soft citrus-orange scent and lathers well to deep clean the skin. I find that it does renew radiance after use. I like this better than traditional scrubs which I find too harsh for my skin.
Overall, I really love what the Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge has done for my skin from using the day cream and cleanser. The eye cream feels pleasant but I haven’t noticed a visible difference from use yet. I did try the toner during a recent makeover but passed because it made my skin tingle (not in a good way). My local Le Metier artists did not recommend the night cream for me (said it would be too strong). The day cream has reached life-changing status for me but the hefty price tag has me wondering what I will do once I’ve used up one tub.
Have you tried the Peau Vierge line yet? What’s your skintype and what were your thoughts?
The Revive Eye Concentrate was provided courtesy of Neiman Marcus/Le Métier de Beauté free of charge for review. All other items were purchased by me.
Here are the Dolce & Gabbana Passion Duo Gloss Fusion Lipsticks lip swatched. More details, descriptions and thoughts per shade:
Darling – gorgeous pale peachy pink that isn’t too pale and makes the lips glow
Sensation – my least favorite because the shimmer is too chunky-looking and base color too sheer, still feels smooth on the lips, but you can feel a slight texture from the shimmer when applying
Iridescent – surprisingly warm and pigmented, thought this would be more pinkish, but goes on a coral-pink on the lips, on the hand it’s more of a pinkish color (your mileage may vary with this one on the coral or pink scale)
Desireable – sheer, glossy, nude-tan-rose, on the sheer side, but lovely
Rose – went on my lips a bit purply because of the cool-tone pink, shimmer does show through, very pigmented
I’m wearing the Perfect Finish Creamy Foundation in 120 Natural Beige with Cle de Peau’s Beige Concealer and 100 Warm Powder to finish. On the nails is a tiny sneak peek of the Dolce & Gabbana Grey Pearl Nail Polish from the holiday collection.
I really love these new lipsticks. My favorite shade? Darling 🙂
Dolce & Gabbana has released a new lipstick formula called Passion Duo Gloss Fusion Lipsticks ($34 each). These are a unique duo formula lipstick with a rich cream color on the outer rim with a and gloss in the middle. The texture is smooth, rich, creamy and luxurious and these lipsticks make the lip glow from within. There are currently 20 different shades encased in a long slender tube all with the signature rose Dolce & Gabbana lipstick scent. The shades have varying degrees of shimmer on the outside and different textures of gloss in the middle. Formula-wise I would say these are a hybrid of Chanel’s Rouge Coco Shines (Chanel being more emollient and sheer) and Dior Addicts (having a harder texture with more pigment). I ordered mine all sight unseen based on over the phone descriptions. I’m quite pleased with the finish and pigment. I find these to be a great swipe-and-go type of lipstick with better pigment than Chanel. No liner or gloss needed, although I suspect a natural liner will help make the gloss last longer. Here is what arrived:
Darling – a sheer flesh tone peachy-pink with a glowing pale pink center
Sensation – a highly iridescent frosted peachy pink with a healthy pink gloss interior (fuller in color and more shimmer than Darling)
Iridescent – oddly named, but a warm coral-rose pink exterior, sheer transparent glittery gloss inside
Desireable – a sheer glazed shimmer rose-brown (similar to Naked Lipstick)
Rose – a cool golden rose pink with a clear gloss center that has mauvey pieces of glitter
* Darling & Sensation look identical in the swatch, I prefer Darling because it glows more, but on the lip it’s paler. Sensation is significantly more sparkly/frosted although it doesn’t show in the swatch photo above.
All in all, I love all of these (except Sensation which I find to be a bit too glittery/frosted). Glitter-phobes need not worry though. Even with the glitter in the gloss, the texture is very smooth and non-gritty. The texture feels moisturizing and soft, but not too soft that it feels greasy. The formula adheres to the lip quite well for a glossy lipstick (some sheer-glossy-finish lipsticks have that feeling like they will fall off the lip, not with the Dolce & Gabbana). Are these better than Dior’s or Chanel’s new lipsticks from earlier this year? I’m inclined to say similar in concept but different enough to justify buying one or two. The promo photos from Dolce & Gabbana were just phenomenal, unfortunately not having in person access makes it difficult to assess the color options. Ladies without a Saks or Dolce & Gabbana counter near you, I feel your pain. For those who asked for Foundation shade recommendations the other day, I apologize, I don’t feel knowledgeable enough to comfortably match or recommend something like foundation colors. If you are olive, go with 120 like me, if you’re more neutral, go with 100. Ultimately, I recommend you call your local Dolce & Gabbana counter for a better match recommendation.
I am attempting lip swatches right now and will get them up as soon as possible.
For those new to Dolce & Gabbana, the cosmetic line is available in the US for sale at Saks.com and select Saks Locations. I purchase mine from Saks Houston.
NARS Mandchourie Duo Eyeshadow ($33) is the new holiday duo from NARS this season. It’s an intensely smoky palette of olive-golden-indigo shimmer and a deep dark matte indigo blue. The colors are deep and dark and not for the faint of heart. Playing around with this resulted in a super smokey dramatic eye. I recommend having a paler neutral shimmer on hand to help tone down the intensity or to help blend harsh edges out. My favorite way to apply so far is to use Laura Mercier’s Platinum Metallic Creme Eyeshadow as a base and then apply the dark golden-olive shade on lids with a soft fluffy brush like MAC 217 then apply the darker matte navy with a pencil brush and smudge over the lash line upwards. The pigment in this duo is quite good, the matte shade can be a bit chalky on first swipe but layers well.
Compared to other NARS duos, Mandchourie is quite different and unique. Here are comparisons to Brumes, Dogon and Underworld. I also swatched Stila’s Diamond Lil to show how intense the NARS Mandchourie is by comparison.
Overall NARS Mandchourie is beautiful, unique, dramatic and intense. It’s lovely but a bit too dramatic for my taste – for everyday. For smokey eyes I will be reaching for NARS Brumes or Cordura more often since I feel those duos are easier to pull off although Mandchourie does go well with a softly bronzed cheek and pink lips. I’m one who prefers a natural smokey eye and while Mandchourie can easily be layered lightly for a less smokey look I still think it’s very intense (in a good way though!). It’s neutral enough in color so it won’t look too harsh on any skintone (at least in my mind). Some pure greys/blacks can look harsh and even some navy blues can look too contrasted on the skin. Mandchourie has an excellent blend of other colors in the undertone to make this intense/smokey/dramatic without being too harsh on the skin.
(For inquiring minds, the only other holiday items I picked from NARS were the multiple and highlighter but those are on presale for Nordstrom’s Trend Show, so they most likely will not be making an appearance on the blog for quite some time.)
