Le Metier de Beaute recently came out with a few new items and I couldn’t resist ordering their Crème Fresh Tints which are described as giving “a sheer wash of color to brighten cheeks and lips for a radiant glow.” The blush comes in two colors, Tenné (a nude pink brown) and Poppy (a brighter pink), and both retail for $28 for 5g/0.17oz each.
Le Metier de Beaute is one of those harder to find luxury brands. They were originally exclusive to select Neiman Marcus locations and Bergdorf Goodman, but have been expanding into various boutiques and other counters. I purchased these from Neiman Marcus. Check out Le Metier de Beaute‘s website for locations. I spotted the line at Fred Segal in Los Angeles as well.
Here they are compared to Whisper & Fresh blush:
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by these. The texture is smooth and blendable, but they have decent pigment. Similar to that of Stila Convertible colors in pigment, but a lot easier and smoother to blend without being too sticky, thick or dry like some other cream-lip-cheek products can be. For another swatch, London Makeup Girl has swatched Poppy here. The Non-Blonde has also written a fabulous review + has a great swatch on Tenne.
After wiping it off my arm, I did see a stain left – to me this is a good sign that since they stain a little the lasting power should be better than your average cream blush. I have on Poppy today on my lips and cheeks so we’ll see how well they last.
Le Metier actually had creme blushes available for their custom kaleidoscope kits in the past where you pick out a concealer, powder, bronzer and cream blush. This was not available online and I heard from a few that this was a limited edition thing and not permanent. Tenne seems similar to one of the other cream blush shades I have but the texture is slightly different. Both are fabulous though.
Overall another winner from Le Metier de Beaute! Those not familiar with the line or new to my blog – click on the Le Metier de Beaute tag/label beneath this post and you’ll find all the other posts and articles related to the brand. You’ll find more info about the items I’ve tried so far and more resources. My current favs are The Non-Blonde, London Makeup Girl, and Visionary Beauty.
For those who are looking to try something new and unique here are 6 brands that I absolutely adore and feel that everyone should at least look into!
Accessibility for these non-mainstream brands is often a challenge for those who don’t live in LA or NY or Japan – but thanks to the internet, there are tons of blogs and resources you can use to find out how to purchase these items. Here is a quick rundown of each brand with some useful links and a feature of my favorite item from each line.
1) Paul & Joe Beaute – I *adore* this line for the charming packaging, unique color selection and high quality. What’s not to love? Check their website for locations. I’ve purchased my items from dermstore.com and Bergdorf Goodman in NY.
Two items I’m loving right now are Face Color #18 & Pearl Powder #3:
2) Edward Bess – Exclusive to Edwardbess.com and Bergdorf Goodman in New York, this line was created by a young entrepreneur Edward Bess. More info on his website. His collection seems to contain classic polished colors for the modern woman (think Charlize Theron or Jennifer Aniston) I have more products coming in the mail so stay tuned for more info! I have fallen hard for Intimate Eyeshadow – a gorgeous pigmented taupe eyeshadow.
3) Le Metier de Beaute – Available in the US at select Neiman Marcus Locations, Bergdorf Goodman, a few private salons and Fred Segal Beauty in Santa Monica. The products are fairly expensive, but I believe the eyeshadows and lipglosses are worth every penny (your mileage may vary on the other products).
My favorites right now: (Top to Bottom) Vanilla Rose Lip Creme, Cafe Creme Lip Creme, Dubai Sheer Brilliance Gloss, Jojo Eyeshadow
Gloss swatches: (L to R) Vanilla Rose, Cafe Creme, Dubai
4) Rescue Beauty Lounge – This line is well known to nail fanatics. To others who aren’t so familiar with nail products, Rescue Beauty is based out of NY and makes some of the best nail polishes and boasts a stunning range of colors that will suit just about anyone. I’ve purchased mine from Amazon.com and RescueBeauty.com. I’m currently loving Ani (picture in link below) which is the most beautiful neutral beigey-gold-with-pink shimmer I’ve ever seen.
5) Dolce & Gabbana Makeup – One of the newest brands in the US, the first release was at the Saks Fifth Avenue in New York store this past May and then recently at the Beverly Hills location. I’ve had great experiences with both stores – the reps are very knowledgeable about the product line and excellent in recommending colors based on my preferences.
The line is available for sale online at Saks.com and you can see swatches at DolceGabbanaMakeup.com although you cannot purchase them at D&G.com. The price points are pretty high – and I think most of the products are overpriced but I am still very happy with the colors and quality of products I have. Stay tuned for reviews of lipglosses and the new fall blush.
My current favorite is their Eyeshadow Quad in Contrasts. Close Up with Flash:
6) Becca Cosmetics – This line was founded by Australian makeup artist Rebecca Morrice Williams who is well known for her extensive range of foundation and concealer shades. The line was previously available at select boutiques, Nordstroms, Sephoras and Neiman Marcus locations – but have been pulled out of these big retailers over the past few years. Your best bet to find this line is online or through specialty boutiques listed on beccacosmetics.com. Two standouts are her shimmer powders in Mermaid and Princess and I adore her gorgeous makeup looks.
I don’t have any featured posts on the line yet, but plan to write some in the near future.
Princess (pink) & Mermaid (beige shimmer) – FYI the large containers are no longer sold, they come in smaller containers right now:
These don’t do the products justice and partly why I don’t do swatches:
If you have tried any brands – please share with me your favorite products! Are there any non-mainstream brands you love? Let me know, I’m always looking for more to lust after 🙂
Here are 10 things I am loving right now. Please share your own list with me of things you love so much you think everyone should try it out!
1) Nars Sheer Matte & Sheer Glow Foundations $42 – I am a true skeptic when anyone tries to sell me a foundation unless it is Chanel or Armani. I have super sensitive skin (but otherwise fairly normal) with golden/olive tones and usually have a hard time finding a good match since I typically fall in between shades. I was immediately stunned by the gorgeous new advertisement Nars has been promoting for their new foundations and decided to give it a try.
In the past I had used their Oil Free Foundation and had mixed thoughts about it. I loved the coverage, but always felt like I had a heavy layer of gunk sitting on my skin. Also, I was often matched with Fiji which for some reason turned pinkish on me. The next shades up were either too yellow or too peach.
With this in mind, I went to the counter with a list of shades to try out: Fiji, Ceylan, Punjab & Stromboli. Punjab is my perfect match which was a bit odd because on my hand it looked more peachy but on my face, it blended in perfectly.
Coverage is medium but completely natural and flawless looking. Another plus is that you can barely feel anything on the skin after you apply it. I’ve tried both formulas and they last all day – I do set foundation with my Laura Mercier Loose or Chanel Powder Foundations though. If you haven’t tried this out, RUN to your counter to try it out.
I do recommend you try at least 2 to 3 different shades on your jaw line though.
Left to right: Chanel Teint Innocence Shell, Chanel Lift Lumiere Shell, Nars Punjab, Armani Lasting Silk 6.5
2) Clinique Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliating Cream $20 – I bought this because there was a gift with purchase going on at my local Bloomingdales. I had read reviews and decided to try this because Clinique had discontinued my favorite body scrub (the yellow one in the squeeze tube) and I didn’t like the other tube-packaged scrub. I have to say I was pleasantly suprised. Has a slight minty scent to it leaving your skin refreshed and smooth.
3) Stila Black Cat Smudge Pot $20 – I think I’ve found my holy grail shimmery black eyeliner. Most blacks go on greyish or blueish or too harsh on my skin. This one gives the perfect smokey silvery black liner. I bought mine at Ulta – it should be showing up at Sephoras & Stilacosmetics.com soon. I didn’t retake swatch pictures of this, but click HERE for swatches and comparisons.
5) Le Metier Lip Cremes $36 & Sheer Brilliance Lip Glosses $32 – You’ve heard me rave about these before – pricey, yes, but I absolutely love the formula and shades. My two current favorite colors are Toffee Creme & Cannes. Neimans has a gift with purchase going on right now – check out their website for details. Also click on this LE METIER LINK for more posts and pictures on products from the line.
6) Laura Mercier Mineral Cheek Powders in Pink Spark, Coral & Amberstone $22 – these came out a while back after Laura Mercier started introducing mineral makeup into her line. These are absolutely gorgeous. Amberstone makes the perfect nude cheek for me with a hint of sparkle. Neiman Marcus also has a super cute gift going on right now. Saks will be having their beauty event later this month, and Bloomingdales will have their event mid-October.
7) Nars M. Butterfly Nail Polish $16 – for some reason I haven’t been able to find this shade instock anywhere near me, but it’s still available online. The swatches didn’t turn out so hot, but it’s a gorgeous berry red shade. Nars describes it as a “poison berry.” I have seen testers at Nordstrom and Bloomingdales so they are probably just low on stock.
9) Neutral Pink Eyeshadows: Shiseido Bare Pink, Laura Mercier Metallic Creme in Pink Gold, Laura Mercier Satinee Creme in Pink Chiffon, MAC Naked Pigment, MAC Perky Paint Pot, Bobbi Brown Ballet Pink, MAC Ego Eyeshadow – all of these are like your-lids-but-better natural pink shadows that won’t give you a pink-eye look. I like to layer Naked Pigment over any of these all over the lid and then just add a simple liner in a shimmery chocolate color or deep brown. Sometimes I’ll contour the lid or crease area with a soft brown like MAC Era, Soba, Bobbi Brown Hot Stone or Urban Decay Naked.
10) Sprinkles Cupcakes – have you been to a Sprinkles Cupcake Bakery? Their cupcakes, especially their Red Velvet & Vanilla flavors are absolutely divine and the frosting is pure heaven. Luckily you don’t need to be near one of the few bakeries in order to enjoy these. Williams Sonoma carries the mix which is super easy to make and tastes just like the fresh made ones from the stores. Each come with a recipe card for the frosting too. They have seasonal flavors, right now they just released two new flavors, Spice & Pumpkin. (PS I think if you buy two mixes instore at WS, you save $3.)
