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Edward Bess Berry Chic

November 9, 2011
Edward Bess Berry Chic is the more dramatic pink-plum palette option this season. I ordered this sight unseen and did not ask for descriptions in advance so I did not know what to expect. I will say that Back to Basics is my favorite of the two, but Berry Chic is surprisingly wearable even though it has pinks and warm plums for the eyes (which I normally cannot wear at all). The formulas/textures are the same as his other palette so I will mainly describe the colors. The cream products also have the same fig scent as his lipsticks, glosses and bronzer.
  • Lip/Cheek color – muted plum rose (not as bright as his Island Rose Compact Rouge)
  • Highlighter – pale shimmery pink (smoother in texture than his Back to Basics highlighter)
  • Eyeshadows -soft satin ivory, warm pink-tinged plum shimmer, warm pale bubblegum pink, warm brown shimmer (all very pigmented, layerable and easy to blend)
  • Glosses – top shade is a sheer cool light fuschia, bottom shade was a complete surprise, the top layer seemed to be slightly oxidized, the color once top layer was swiped was a warm rich plum-red (the bottom color is very pigmented)

I applied this over the weekend with slight hesitation. I think the eyecolors in this palette aren’t the easiest to pull off with ease. If you can wear warm pinks or plums (think NARS Kuala Lumpur or MAC Swish) then this will be pure love for you. I tend to avoid pure pinks or warm reds/burgandies/plums on the eyes because they give me that pink eye look. Edward Bess Berry Chic was surprisingly wearable and naturally flattering. I applied the eyeshadow colors by layering them (lightest to darkest). Still I will mainly stick to my safer neutrals for eyes. Perhaps the next time I visit the EB counter I will ask someone to show me how to use it. Bottom line: still undecided but trying to go outside my comfort zone.
LA/OC girls, not to sound like a broken record, but Edward will be in LA starting tomorrow for a week. If you can get to the Beverly Hills Neimans I highly recommend you try and visit.
Berry Chic retails for $75 and is available online at EdwardBess.com and instore at Bergdorf Goodman.
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Edward Bess Back to Basics

November 8, 2011

Edward Bess Back to Basics ($75) is the perfect palette of polished neutrals for the woman on the go. It’s natural yet not too natural and I believe it’s as goof-proof and universally flattering as his Daydream Bronzer. The Non-Blonde has a great review with beautiful photos and swatches. I agree whole-heartedly with everything she says. My thoughts & descriptions (working my way from the left side of the palette to the right side):
  • Lip/Cheek color – This has the same texture as the Compact Rouges. The color in pan for Back to Basics was slightly misleading but in a good way. In the compact I expected a warm nude with brown tones. Instead it goes on a nude-pink. It’s lovely on the cheeks for an understated pink tint and gorgeous on the lips. The pigment is excellent – buildable, non-greasy and easy to blend very much like his compact rouges. Also has the fig scent.
  • Highlighter – The highlighter is a cream formula. It’s a warm sheer nude sparkle. I felt the texture of this one was slightly textured to the touch of the fingers (in pan) but it felt completely smooth when applied to the skin. The color is sheer but more sparkly than his other cream highlighters. Still not overly so. I layered this over the lip/cheek color on the face and it added a wonderful highlight. This does have the fig scent.
  • Eyeshadows – The eyeshadows in the palette are beautifully pigmented – even more so than his regular shadows. The colors are all shimmery. I found the shimmer factor to be higher than all his other shadows. The colors are an ivory shimmer, a beige shimmer, a warm pale copper frost, a deeper warm brown shimmer. I was scared of the light coppery shade thinking it would be too warm. Alone, I think it is. But when layered with the other paler shades it gives the eyes warmth and depth.
  • Glosses – I agree with The Non-Blonde these were the weakest points of his palette. Both are sheer beiges, one with slight pink tones. They do add a nice shine to the lip/cheek color, but alone I suspect they will appear very sheer.
  • The Brush – The double-ended brush contains one side for applying cream products, the other for shadows. Initially thoughts were a let-down. The brush seemed to be not-the-greatest quality. The bristles for the powder didn’t appear to be hand-made. Yet again Edward Bess never fails to please. The brush is a wonderful mini applicator and applied the eyeshadows with ease.

A few close ups of each side:

Swatches below. Note mine are applied with a very heavy hand. Don’t be scared of the shimmer factor for the shadows. If you’re familiar with Edward Bess Eyeshadows you know they apply beautifully but are layerable. The colors in his palette work the same magic as the individual colors. The frost isn’t overpowering at all. Be sure to check out The Non-Blonde’s review. Her swatches are more inline with what the colors look like when applied naturally.

Bottom line: Even though I prefer to pick items individually (rather than palettes) and prefer creams to be separated from powders (in palettes), I adore this. It made my whole face glow naturally. It’s worth every penny and I will just take extra care to try and not get the debris from the shadows in the other cream-based products. The palette is available at Bergdorf Goodman in-store. It is also up online at Neimanmarcus.com and EdwardBess.com. I haven’t checked with the Beverly Hills store to see if they have this yet, their number is (310) 550-5900. PS – I just heard that Edward will be in LA starting tomorrow until next Thursday. I highly recommend calling the counter for the details, if you can visit while he is in-store, you are in for a real treat.
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Edward Bess Back to Basics and Berry Chic Palettes (Preview)

November 8, 2011

Edward Bess has released his first two palettes this holiday season ($75 each). Each palette comes in a black mirrored rectangular compact containing:
  • one lip/cheek color (similar to Compact Rouges)
  • one cream highlighter
  • four eyeshadows
  • two glosses
  • a double-ended brush (one side for creams other for shadows)
Back to Basics is the neutral-nudes option and Berry Chic is a palette which has cool-toned pink plum shades. The palettes are currently available at counter in-store at Bergdorf Goodman and also on EdwardBess.com. Here is the packaging:

A few close ups of the lips/cheeks:

Next up will be details, descriptions, reviews and swatches of each palette individually. Both were purchased sight-unseen. I’ve only been testing for a few days but initial thoughts are thumbs-up. All the cream items in this palette have the beautiful EB fig scent (I can’t smell anything from the shadows). I’ll be putting up my reviews as fast as I can. For more details you can call the Bergdorf Goodman Edward Bess counter (212) 872-8826.
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Edward Bess Quad Royale in South of France

November 5, 2011

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.
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Edward Bess Quad Royale in Summer in Capri

October 28, 2011
Edward Bess has several new exciting products that are being released for fall and holiday. His new face quad called Summer in Capri ($45 for .25oz/7g) has recently been released in-store at Bergdorf Goodman and online on his website. It’s a beautiful highlighter with four shades of tan and peach all of which contain a lovely subtle pearl glow. The powder is encased in a rectangular black mirrored compact complete with a face brush for application. The texture is soft and the powder is finely milled and applies beautifully on the skin to give you that subtle glow from within.

On my face it adds a lovely beautiful soft light peachy glow. The luminosity resembles Chanel Poudre Douce with a slightly more contoured finish since the Edward Bess Summer in Capri has two shades of beige/tan. I really love the little brush that comes in the compact. The handle is beveled to a point which makes it easy to hold and the brush head is wide enough to cover the whole cheek with two sweeps. On the face I’ve worn this over his Daydream Bronzer to add a subtle glow and I love the way it makes the skin look. Each shade individually also works on the eyes (I love it layered over his Sunlight cream highlighter) as a lovely all-over lid color. My favorites for the eyes are the bottom two shades layered together for a very subtle contour.
Best Things in Beauty has a lovely review and managed to get all four shades to show up in her swatches (something I was not able to do). Here is my swatch on the arm (which was very difficult to photograph).

Blended all together on the arm (blurry, but the best I could get):

Out of all the new holiday highlighter options out there this season, I say hands down this is the highlighter of choice for me. Do note that this season seems to be the season of highlighters that offer a very subtle subdued glow. If you’re looking for something more visibly shimmer or glowy you may want to shop your stash as most of what I’ve seen this season from Chanel to Guerlain and even MAC seems to be more on the subtle side. Edward Bess Quad Royale in Summer in Capri shows up on my skin and is easily layerable. Adding a few more swipes on the cheeks over a cream blush makes it show up even better. Due to the subtle glowy finish and lightness of the colors I’m not sure how it would work with darker skintones. I personally adore it and highly recommend. It is a face powder that will work year round for any occasion.
Have you tried Edward Bess Summer in Capri?
P.S. I know I’ve been a bit slow in blogging this week. I hope to catch up this weekend!
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Dear Chanel, You Make My Heart Sing!

June 18, 2011

Chanel Fall 2011, Illusions d’Ombre, has arrived online at Chanel.com and Bergdorf Goodman in NYC. See KarlaSugar for the lineup on an easy-to-read sheet with descriptions. Check online at Chanel.com for prices, product info, and the breakdown of the fall look. I suspect this will be launched in-store in the next few days and upcoming week – I’m on the West Coast and a few of my local Nordstroms have scheduled Chanel events the weekend of June 24th-26th which I assume were planned to coincide with the fall launch.
I have not yet had a chance to play with the items very much, although I have swiped a few of the new shadows on my eyes and the nail polishes on my nails. I have promised myself a break from my computer the entire weekend, so I can leave work at work and not be tempted, although I know many of you are anxious for the 411, so I will try my best to do full reviews this weekend. I don’t want to rush it though, I want to be thorough so no promises. In the meantime I snapped a few pictures and tried to beat the clouds that were rolling in for June gloom. Here is a sneak peek which I hope will satisfy your curiosity for the time being.

Rose Ecrin Blush, Prelude Quad & Khaki Platine Eyeliner

Quartz, Graphite, Peridot Le Vernis

Plumetis Rouge Coco, Coralline Lipliner, Pampille Glossimer, Braise Glossimer, Rose Cuivre Lipliner, Etole Rouge Coco

Illusion d’Ombres

Overall, everything looks amazing. Had I seen the lip items in person first, I probably would have skipped the lipliners and glossimer, but they are gorgeous nevertheless. Happy Friday everyone!

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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)

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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