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The Beauty Look Book’s Guide to Edward Bess

March 24, 2011

Edward Bess has a beautifully edited, sophisticated and classic beauty line. I first discovered his products while flipping through a Bergdorf Goodman catalog and was instantly intrigued by the sleek black lipstick tubes all lined up in a row. I googled it but to my dismay, found it was only available in NYC. I could not see the items in person. Thanks to LeslieCZ, Alexa, Leanne, Blogdorf Goodman, Fab Over Forty among other Edward Bess fans, I was able to get the scoop. Several gave me wonderful recommendations and urged me to contact the Edward Bess counter Bergdorf Goodman. I’m so glad I did. I’ve never met a more helpful team of artists. On each and every occasion that I’ve called them, they have given helpful descriptions and recommendations over the phone as they listened to me describe my tastes/likes/dislikes. They put me completely at ease ordering items sight-unseen.

The items from Edward Bess are classics and naturally flattering. They are reliable staples in my beauty wardrobe and versatile to create a number of different looks.

Many of you have asked for my own recommendations of what I like from Edward Bess. I thought I’d put together a resource page of what I’ve tried that has been reviewed since I can imagine what a hassle it must be to search through over 600 posts =) I’ve loved almost everything I’ve tried (with the exception of the original mascara). I hope this helps!

Where to buy & info

Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills, EdwardBess.com (prices, full collection and other locations on his website)

Eyeshadows: Ultra Luminous Eyeshadow & Trios

Lips: Ultra Slick Lipstick & Deep Shine Lipgloss

Cheeks: Compact Rouge, Blush Imperiale, Ultra Luminous Bronzer, All Over Seduction

Sets (Limited Edition)

Jet Set from Holiday 2009: Island Escape, Island Rose & Natural Lipliner

Guest Reviews & Misc.

The Beauty Look Book’s Top Five Favorites from Edward Bess

(only because so many have asked)

Daydream Bronzer (my holy grail)
Pure Impulse Lipstick
Forever Yours Lipstick
Dusk Eyeshadow
Soft Smoke Eyeshadow Trio
Island Rose Compact Rouge (oops, six!)

* Tip – Yes, the price points are high, but Bergdorf Goodman occasionally puts together beauty events and gift-card events, many times with nice gift-with-purchases. Their GWPs are usually one full-sized item (they pick out the item) and occasionally they have a step-up gift. I think their next one is in April.

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Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Intense: 2, 4, 8 and 9

March 22, 2011

My picks from the new Armani Eyes to Kill Intense release: #2 Red Lust, #4 Pulp Fiction, #8 Champagne and #9 Rock Sand ($32 each). Armani has extended their color selection for the Eyes To Kill shadows from Holiday 2010 (#13 and #15 here). These are a hybrid powder-cream type of shadow with a lightweight almost sponge-like texture. They are highly metallic and richly pigmented with a long-lasting finish. To me these are high-performance eyeshadows – they deliver much more than the average shadow.

(click for large viewing of the beautiful multi-colored speckles)

Descriptions then thoughts: Each shade has a complex mixture of metallics. The resemble beautiful speckled eggs. #2 Red Lust is a blackened plum with red flecks, #4 Pulp Fiction is a highly metallic blueish grey with red and silver flecks, #8 Champagne is a silvery pink with flecks of metallic pink and silver, #9 Rock Sand is a champagne-peachy color with darker peach flecks and silver/gold sparkles.

I played with these over the past few days layering them on top of each other (two shades at the most, first the lighter shade then darker shade on top). Overall I’m extremely impressed with the lasting power. In terms of the colors, I prefer the darker ones for the eyes. The lighter shades are super metallic and frosty – a bit too much for my taste. I did mix a non-shimmer flesh shade (Bobbi Brown Shore) with a paler Armani ETK (#8) by mixing them together on the fingers which helped to minimize the frost. They are lovely colors and office appropriate – just not quite as finely milled as Chanel’s Ombrees de Perles from Spring {love and reviewed here}.

Close ups, swatches and one comparison set:

Close ups of 2, 8 and 9 (both 8 and 9 are similar, 8 is more pink while 9 is more peach):

New picks + last holiday’s shades arm-swatched with finger:

Comparisons of the silvery and lighter colors below. Bobbi Brown Galaxy is warmer and sheerer compared to #2 Pulp Fiction. For the lighter shades I recommend clicking below for larger viewing. MAC Vintage Selection is more pinkish/mauve, MAC Bare Study almost looks like a white gold compared to #8/#9, MUFE Aqua #13 is even more metallic and pigmented but lacks the complex multi-color sparkles the Armani have which makes it more of a silvery-champagne finish.

Are these must-haves? I think I am happier with the shades from Holiday mainly because I found them more wearable but there are quite a few lovely shades from this new collection. The shimmer/metallic/frost factor isn’t a deal-breaker (like Bobbi Brown Metallic Creams were for me) – I just think those iffy on high-metallic finish shadows should definitely try these on the eyes first (not just on the hand) before deciding whether or not to buy. The upside of these is that they are super long lasting. I had no fading or smudging on the days I’ve tried mine. I can’t report on the crease-factor as I have no crease in my lids.

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Dior Vernis Perfecto 804 Comparisons

March 21, 2011

Dior Perfecto ($21), part of the Rock Your Nails Collection, is a dark grey-black cream with a slight blueish undertone. On the nails it goes on fairly dark and almost looks black. All the newly released shades have been swatched with and without the new Rock Coat here. Since Perfecto is already dark, I didn’t see much of a difference with the Rock Coat on top.

Here are a few swatches on the fingers to show you depth/intensity of Perfecto. L to R: Gris Montaigne, NY57th, Perfecto and Sephora by OPI Break A Leg-Warmer (two coats each for the Diors, but three coats for the Sephora by OPI)

A few more swatch comparisons all lined up: 1) Gris Montaigne, 2) NY57th, 3) Perfecto, 4) Blue Label, 5) Sephora by OPI Break A Leg-Warmer, 6) Chanel Black Velvet

Two coats each except the Sephora by OPI which needed three coats:

Overall Perfecto is a lovely dark cream finish grey. It’s so dark I can’t really get in the mood to wear it right now for spring or even summer. It’s not a pure black (when compared to something like Chanel Black Velvet) but pretty close. Not a must-have in my opinion unless you’re looking for a dark color that doesn’t scream pure goth. The texture and finish is wonderfully smooth and opaque though.

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Latest From Edward Bess: Mirage & Storm Eyeshadows

March 20, 2011

I have been eagerly waiting for the new eyeshadows Mirage and Storm to arrive from Edward Bess. Like many of his fans, I already own all his other shades in Nude, Intimate, Escape, Dusk, Night, Mystery (see here for swatches) along with both his trios Island Escape (here) and Soft Smoke (here) – all of which I get regular use out of. Those of you who have tried these know how luxurious, classic and naturally flattering they are. As much as I adore these, I have been looking forward to see something new. Gaia from The Non-Blonde and Charlestongirl from Best Things in Beauty satisfied my curiosity while I was waiting for these to arrive at my doorstep. Details, swatches and comparisons below.

Here they are finger swatched: Mirage is a soft luminous peachy shimmer with a slight hint of bronze and Storm is a satiny cool mauve grey silvery color. The pigment is natural but visible. I prefer to apply these with a soft brush but you can see how just my fingers pick up a lot of pigment.

There has been a packaging change with these shadows. The size of the compacts are the same, the only difference is the pan shape. I know many of you are wondering if the texture has changed. From my testing, I believe it has not – these are just as soft, luminous, glowy and blendable as ever. However the two shades for spring do have more shimmer than his previous shades. These retail for $30 each.

Mirage is a beautiful neutral peachy glow with a slight golden/bronze sheen. If you are looking for a true soft peachy-champagne, this is it. I would say this has a higher shimmer intensity compared to his other shadows, but it’s not overly frosty. Below is a comparison to Bobbi Brown Golden Peach Metallic Eyeshadow (which is similar, but more frosty and has a more whitish cast on the skin) and Edward Bess Escape (just for comparison purposes).

Storm is a cool grey color that has a slight mauvish-blue tint on my skin. It goes on a bit more shimmery on the skin than it looks in the compact, but like Mirage, it’s not overly frosty. I’ve compared it to Intimate and Burberry Rosewood. Swatches all the way at the bottom.

Swatched over Urban Decay’s Primer Potion (applied lightly on the arm):

Overall love. These are timeless colors and I am very excited to wear them this spring. Edward Bess can be found in the US at Bergdorf Goodman in NY. Check online at EdwardBess.com for a full list of retailers.

As a side note, many of you have asked me which are my top picks for his eyeshadows. That is a question I cannot answer as I love them all equally. I will say that his Soft Smoke Trio is the one of the few smoky-eye trios that I can pull off. Most traditional smoky eye palettes with cream/grey/black end up being too cool resulting in a tired-look. EB Soft Smoke is pure magic which is difficult to explain – it looks very basic in the compact but gives me the perfect smokey eye.

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Storage Ideas From The Beauty Look Book

March 19, 2011

Finding the best storage solutions to fit one’s room is always a challenge for makeup. Many have asked for advice on how I store everything. This is something I am always working on as my stash grows. If you click on the storage tag below you will see a few previous posts with ideas. For an update, click to see more.
To recap:

I mainly store my items in the tall Ikea Alex Units. I have two of these side by side. These have shorter drawers and a few taller drawers ideal for storing things for easy viewing. I love these and can’t rave enough (even if it is a pain to put together). I’ve found a number of photos on Flickr featuring the Alex Units in put together rooms. Check out these links for ideas on how others use this unit: Ikea Alex Gallery 1, Gallery 2, Gallery 3, Gallery 4, Gallery 5, Google Images: Ikea Alex
For brushes and pencils, I use Stila Paint Cans (which can be hard to find), MUJI Acrylic Cylinders and Crate & Barrel Containers
To store lipglosses, MUJI has great acrylic solutions, high quality drawers with excellent craftsmanship. These are super sturdy and aesthetically pleasing (for acrylic). The price shown above reflects the price from 2009, I don’t know if the price is still current.

Today, I still utilize both Ikea Alex units and I have not added any more units, although ideally one more would be nice. You can see below the shallow shorter drawers are nice for storing things in short stacks for easy viewing. They are great for storing MAC Blushes, Bronzers and Mineralized Skinfinishes for easy access. Over the past year I’ve started using gift boxes as storage separators. I’m the type who will hold onto a pretty gift box for a while before tossing it. Jo Malone, Chanel and Dior make beautiful branded gift boxes. I’ve found some are the perfect height for lipsticks, multiples, glosses and such.

White box is from Dior, black box is the cap from a Chanel box – perfect size for lipsticks:

In the back is a MUJI cylinder, on the left a cute Paul & Joe tin, cream colored boxes on the right are the bottoms of Jo Malone candle boxes:

Another Jo Malone box (the base) to hold NARS Multiples and other skinny cream-liquid products:

Stacked MAC MSFs and Beauty Powders:

I’m still working on Nail Polish storage, but so far this is how they are stored in this post. The nail racks I’ve found are cheap and ugly, but they do the trick of storing them in an organized easy-to-see fashion. I don’t like storing them in boxes or drawers because those methods make it difficult to sort through the colors since all you see are the caps. If anyone has ideas on nail polish storage that you love, please share.

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Latest From Burberry Beauty Spring 2011: Blushes

March 19, 2011

Burberry Beauty has released three new blushes and lipsticks this spring at exclusively at Nordstrom in select stores and online. The three blush shades are 06 Tangerine, 07 Earthy and 08 Misty. All are soft and muted colors but apply with enough color and pigment to show up as a visible blush. The texture of these is soft & powdery – like velvet. Don’t let the swatches on your hand (or my arm) deceive you. When I first saw the line at South Coast Plaza I was disappointed at first glance (see it here). They looked incredibly boring, but after trying them on the face I was pleasantly surprised. I don’t detect any shimmer although I wouldn’t call these a full matte. They have a satiny finish. These come in a sturdy metal mirrored compact with the Burberry Check pattern on the outside. See details below.

06 Tangerine is a peachy color with a hint of brown. Compared to Blossom, it’s more dusty and lighter in color with a touch more brown.

07 Earthy is a lighter soft brown-tan. It has greyish undertones with the tiniest bit of pink tones making this a good contour shade. Kristy from Nordstrom SF recommends using this as a crease color for the eyes as well.

08 Misty is soft cool pink. Compared to Peony, Misty is lighter, cooler, more muted.

For additional swatches, check out NaturalNChicMakeup’s blog. She has excellent photos in different lighting.

Comparison photos below. Comparison swatches did not turn out so well so these will have to suffice.

One last view of all three:

Overall thoughts: All were purchased from Nordstrom San Francisco. Burberry Beauty is only available at a few select Nordstrom locations. I like these for a natural soft contour-like shade. All are goof-proof and highly versatile. The texture is amazing and melts into the skin. They feel like velvet and feel natural on the face. Lasting power is decent for a powder blush and colors are naturally flattering.

In general, I feel like the blushes from Burberry apply darker on the face than they appear in the compact. You can see from the swatches above they look darker than what you might expect.

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Inside My Makeup Bag

March 18, 2011

My makeup bag started this week with only 4 items (EB Daydream, Lancome Juicy Tube, mini blush brush, Chanel Boy Rouge Coco Shine), but since Monday it’s accumulated quite a few more things this long work-week. Today, what is inside my Laura Mercier zebra print makeup bag:

NARS Tzarine Eyeshadow Duo
MAC Blonde MSF (limited edition from January 2009)
Burberry Misty Blush (new for spring, review to come soon)
Chanel Boy Rouge Coco Shine
Laura Mercier Mini Double Sided Brush
MAC Wolf Pearlglide (limited edition from 2008ish)
Lancôme Yayoi Kusama Edition Juicy Tube in Dot Apricot (now at Nordstrom)
Edward Bess Daydream Bronzer (my holy grail bronzer, reviewed numerous times here)
Le Métier de Beauté Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss Ibiza
Le Métier de Beauté Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss Captiva
Shu Uemura ME Black 990
Bobbi Brown Mini Blush Brush