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Recent Dolce & Gabbana Additions from Saks

June 19, 2010
Happy Friday everyone! Here are some recent Dolce & Gabbana additions from the past few months. A bit from spring, summer and the regular line. I really love Dolce & Gabbana for their high quality products. The pigment is great and textures/finishes are superb. Blushes have a soft flawless finish. Nail polishes are richly pigmented, creamy and apply extremely smooth. Lipsticks have a subtle rose scent that fades and have great coverage (lasting power varies per shade). If you remember my first article on Dolce & Gabbana (back last May when the line first launched) I wasn’t sure that the price justified the purchase. In playing around with my purchases more, I have come to really appreciate the quality of the products. Granted the prices are still hard to swallow sometimes – I have been happy with most of the things I’ve purchased, even with a couple things I didn’t think were really me (such as Apricot Blush and Caramel Lipgloss). The customer service of the Dolce & Gabbana sales reps I’ve worked with is excellent as well. There’s nothing that can compare to having a great experience with knowledgeable sales associates who are helpful, professional and know what they are talking about.

In the U.S. these are exclusively at Saks stores and saks.com. I prefer to order through the stores because they occasionally have great gift-with-purchase events. Various GWPs include full sized mascaras and lipglosses – although the minimum purchase requirements are typically higher (ranging from $100 to $250 depending on the event). I definitely recommend calling your local store to check out their upcoming events. Check DolceGabbanaMakeup.com for locations and more product info.


Left to right: Tan Blush, Glossy Lipgloss, Delicate Lipstick,
Emotion Lipstick, Petal Nail Polish,
Nude Nail Polish, Drama Nail Polish

  • Glossy Lipgloss – I exchanged my Caramel Lipstick for this at Beverly Hills. I was a bit nervous about exchanging it because I hate returns, but the sales associate was very kind, especially since it was unused and still brand new. Even he agreed that Caramel was an unflattering color. Glossy is a really pretty gold shade – but on the lips it’s a bit too glossy for my taste but I guess that’s the point of lipgloss. I have to use this one sparingly.
  • Delicate Lipstick – A lovely fresh and light golden apricot, really pretty for both spring and summer.
  • Emotion Lipstick – Another winner, lovely cool pink with gold shimmer. Reminds me of MAC Fabby but better.
  • Petal Nail Polish – A cream nude pink shade. It’s like Chanel’s Jade Rose but a notch up in color and without any iridescence.
  • Nude Nail Polish – I love this nude shade. My application was sloppy but I think if applied the right way, it would give a perfect nude manicure.
  • Drama Nail Polish – A neutral lavendar cream. I’m not sure how I feel about this one. Purple creams like Paul & Joe 06 and this one look pretty in the container but on my fingers the just seem a bit muddy looking.
  • Tan Blush – I ordered this sight unseen and have to admit I was shocked at how flat and greyish looking it was when I received it. However, on the cheeks it makes a really nice contouring shade. There are some comparisons to other brands (MAC & NARS) below, but due to their nude-ness, I couldn’t get swatches to show up.

L to R: Delicate, Emotion & Glossy

L to R: Petal, Nude & Drama

Tan Blush:

Dolce & Gabbana Tan compared to MAC Emote, MAC Strada and NARS Zen

Have you seen the Dolce & Gabbana Spring or Summer collections yet? Any winners for you? In case you missed it, you can find my report on the Dolce & Gabbana Spring Collection here.
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Weekend Look of the Day: J.Crew White Ruffled Tank & Skirt

June 14, 2010
How was everyone’s weekend? The weather here in Southern California has been a bit odd the past few days – at least by the beach. Sunny bits here and there and then mostly cloudy. This was Sunday’s outfit/look.

Top: J.Crew ruffle tank
Skirt: J.Crew white denim mini
Belt: J.Crew patent burgandy skinny belt
Shoes: Prada flats
Purse: Chanel

I didn’t plan to have mostly J.Crew on – but it seems to happen more often these days, although I do have to say it’s with their older pieces from past seasons. I love how comfortable the ruffle top is, but unfortunately, if it’s not tucked in or tied with a belt over, then it looks like a huge tent.

Face:
NARS Beverly Hills + South Beach Multiples mixed on cheeks
MAC Getaway Bronze Blush on top

Eyes:
Clinique Seashell Cream Shadow as a base
NARS India Song Duo
MAC Orpheus Eyeliner

Lips:
NARS Beverly Hills + South Beach mixed/dabbed on lips
MAC Love Nectar Lustreglass + Beach Lounger Lipglass mixed

I’m really loving those Multiple Tints from NARS (see my review of 2 of them here NARS Beverly Hills & Cadaques Multiple Tints = Pure Genius). Beverly Hills pulls more bright pink than red on my skin for some reason, but I still like it. Works well dabbed on lips for a slight tint. I liked it mixed a little with South Beach. I mixed the two on the back of my hand first and then applied on the lips. For cheeks, I swiped Beverly Hills on each cheek then South Beach on top and blended quickly with the fingers.

Also wanted your opinions: for the Chanel – is this something I can still pull off or is it totally OUT of style? It’s an older one, I don’t think Chanel makes the line anymore – at least definitely not the brown-on-brown. It’s just been sitting in my closet for ages. I keep forgetting to bring it out. Input would be greatly appreciated 🙂

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Color Focus: Soft Pinks I’m Loving Right Now

May 29, 2010
I decided to do a different twist on my regular monthly Ten Things I’m Loving Right Now and combine this with my color focus feature. I like soft pinks because they always look so pretty in the compact and tubes. But finding a good soft pink can be a bit tricky sometimes. I can’t tell you how many soft pinks have made me oooohh and aaaahhh only to find it looks way to light or washed out on my skin (ala MAC Hue/Angel Lipstick or Trish McEvoy Gorgeous Demure Lipstick). It still doesn’t stop me from trying to make them work though, lol. That being said, the products listed below are my no-fail and no-tweaking required soft pinks.

There are so many favorites, but these are the ones I’ve been using a lot in the past month. I am actually just starting my 3rd tube of MAC Fabby (see below)! Laura Mercier Babydoll Lip Glace is a favorite that looks good on practically all my friends whether they are fair skinned or tanned.

Blush & Highlighters:

Dior Rose Diamond
MAC Well Dressed
MAC Summer Rose Beauty Powder
(this was repromoted with the Liberty of London Collection in a different compact)

Eyeshadows:

Bobbi Brown Petal Shimmerwash
NARS Nepal Eyeshadow
Becca Angel Loose Shimmer Powder

Cheek and Eye Swatches:


Lip Glosses:

Chanel Waterlily Glossimer
Dior Pink Silk 262 Addict Lip Gloss (swatched here)
Laura Mercier Babydoll Lip Glace
Trish McEvoy Pretty Pink Beauty Booster Gloss

Lipsticks:

Chanel Rouge Coco in Rose Comete (swatched here)
MAC Frost Lipstick in Fabby
D&G Shine Lipstick in Soiree (swatched here)

Lip Swatches:


Nail Polishes:

Paul & Joe Poodle #10
Zoya Jessika
Chanel Mica Rose


I have many more favorites but if I featured all my loves, this would just be a never-ending article if I pulled every single soft pink from my stash. What are some of your favorites and what is your skintone?

FYI, in case you’re new to my blog, I’m a Chanel Shell 1.5 Teint Innocence right now. This is the equivalent to what’s right in between MAC NC30 and NC35. I’m at that point again where I’m in between shades for most foundation lines. You can see My Foundation Shades HERE. I recently tried Bobbi Brown’s newest foundation and found a perfect match in Natural Finish formula shade 4.25 Natural Tan, however the formula didn’t work so well with my skin. So far, Chanel Teint Innocence and Lift Lumieres and DPFs are my holy grails.

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New From Edward Bess: Soft Orchid, Soft Smoke & After Sunset

April 26, 2010
I featured a sneak peek of the newest items from Edward Bess about a month ago and am happy to report my presale finally arrived! I am thrilled with my new purchases – the colors are amazing in texture and finish. The new items I ordered:

Soft Orchid Blush, Soft Smoke Eyeshadow Trio, After Sunset Compact Rouge




I had the pleasure of speaking to Edward over the phone and he was so kind to give me detailed descriptions and he was spot-on in comparing the new shades to his existing line. To recap:

  • Soft Smoke Eyeshadow Trio: which has a pale color similar in concept to their Nude eyeshadow, but brighter less creamy/beige, a soft dove-grey which is described as EB’s first true grey (a sister shade to Dusk which isn’t a true grey since it has a more mossy finish), a deep dark charcoal not quite as dark as Night Eyeshadow
  • Soft Orchid Blush: soft cool pink
  • After Sunset Compact Rouge: described as a burned rose, almost bronzey reddish-brown

I don’t have swatches but I do have comparisons to some other colors, so hopefully this will help you get a better idea of the shades:




I really like Soft Smoke for a good smokey eye. It’s what I wanted Chanel Smokey Eyes Quad to be (but was just not the right combination leaving me with tired eyes). The shades are similar in color family to Night, Nude and Dusk, but just as Edward described, are definitely different in undertone and finish.

The new Soft Orchid blush looks coolish in the pan but is very flattering giving a soft pink glow.

After Sunset is equally stunning – something I know darker skinned girls would definitely love. But as a light-medium girl right now, I think it’s very flattering on my skin as well since it blends out nicely.

All were purchased from Bergdorf Goodman for their giftcard event. For more info about the line, click on the Edward Bess Tag below and you’ll find lots more articles and reviews on his products that I’ve tried plus a few guest articles from other EB fans!

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Laura Mercier Lush Nectarine & Lotus Pink Second Skin Cheek Colour

April 15, 2010
Laura Mercier has released 4 new blushes in her Second Skin Cheek Colour formula and I couldn’t resist picking up Lush Nectarine & Lotus Pink. Medium-tan-skin girls will be excited to learn that these 4 are brighter and darker than the other shades in her normal line.

Both retail for $24 each for 3.6g/.13 oz. These have higher price points than her previous blush formula and are slightly smaller in size, but they are indeed very natural, like “second skin” as the name implies. Lush Nectarine is described as a “soft peachy coral.” Lotus Pink is described as a “universal pink with slight shimmer.” The other new shades released, Soft Clove & Violet Orchid, were equally stunning, but I decided they might be a bit too brown or purple for my taste.

A few comparisons + swatches:



Overall thoughts: Lotus Pink is a warm-neutral pink with shimmer which I find very unique. Most healthy pink blushes I find to be more cool-toned like MAC Pink Swoon and Dollymix, so it was nice to find a pretty pink that wasn’t too cool, too fuschia, or too brown. I definitely think it’s worth checking out. Lush Nectarine isn’t too original – while it has a subtle peachy lustre that isn’t too frosty, it’s just very similar to your standard peachy-shimmer blush.

Are they worth the higher price tag? I would say it depends on what you are looking for. I think Lotus Pink is definitely worth it. The other blushes in her line are very natural looking and soft, but still have pigment. I find most of them pretty unique compared to other brands, but in the store, all the LM blushes do have a tendency to all look very similar to each other.

My recommendation – don’t write these off just because most of the colors look boring in the pan. I highly recommend you get to a counter to try them on your face because swatched on the hand or arm just doesn’t do these justice. And they look better on the face than in the pan.

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Giorgio Armani Blushing Fabric

April 3, 2010
I checked out some new blushes on Friday. I was all set to get a few of the new MUFE HD Microfinish Blushes but Sephora was packed. I was testing out #14 Star Struck (a soft light peach) applying the tester on my face by one of the mirrors and this woman came up next to me and said “you’re in my way.” I swear if I didn’t move she probably would have pushed me. Why do some people lack manners? Couldn’t she find another empty mirror? Ugh! Reminder to self: avoid Sephora unless the store looks empty. The store was busier than usual and the line was pretty long so I didn’t even try to make a purchase.

So off I went to Saks to see if they had the new Blushing Fabrics and they did along with the new Face Fabric Radiance.

The Blushing Fabrics retail for $38 USD each for 20 ml/0.6 oz and come in three different shades labeled 1, 2 and 3 in a squeezable tube. They have a similar texture as the Face Fabric foundations which is nice for the brighter colors so it gives a soft tinted flush. The lightest shade #3 goes on pretty sheer. I will need to play around with it more to. I don’t use the Face Fabric foundation for 2 reasons:

1) I am in between shades 2 and 3 (those who have tested these know that there’s a large shade gap)
2) I didn’t really like the way it felt all over my face

Yet I was still willing to give the Blushing Fabrics a chance since I’ll only be applying these on my cheeks.


Note, these blend out a lot more sheer than the swatch looks just squeezed onto the skin. I couldn’t get it to photograph well though. Those who are dying to see better swatches, let’s all keep our fingers crossed that our beloved Karlasugar (swatch queen) will be swatching these in the near future!

Overall thoughts: #1 and #2 are practically identical when blended out. #1 is just more pink and #2 is slightly more coral. I tested out #3 a soft peach shade and I’m not sure if the one I got is different from the store, but it just completely disappears into my skin. The store tester had a dryer texture and showed up better. Maybe I just need to shake mine up. If you want a soft peach, I think the MUFE #14 has better pigment and will show up better. Although, I found the MUFE textures to be very dense and a bit thick. The Sephora artists recommended you use a skunk-type brush to blend, but it just seems like using a brush would waste a lot of product.

So there are your pros and cons: get the Armani #3 it might now show up, get the MUFE #14, it’s a thicker harder-to-work-with texture.

YMMV on these. I personally like the Armani Fluid Sheers a lot more. But curiosity got the best of me. Add that with an enthusiastic sales rep and I was easily sold even though I was a bit skeptical of how great these would be. Note to self: think more before you purchase. So rants about Sephora aside, I do love the fact that they don’t have typical sales associate there pressuring you to buy things.

Oh, I mentioned the Face Fabric Radiance – same size/concept as the Face Fabric but with a slight pearl finish. Shade 1 is probably the equivalent of a MAC NC10-15, Shade 2 is the equivalent of a MAC NC40+, Shade 3 is even darker. My opinion: why do they skip the shades that fit me? I didn’t look twice after swatching them.

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Sneak Peeks from Paul & Joe and Edward Bess

March 28, 2010

Two of my favorite brands Paul & Joe and Edward Bess have some great new things coming out! I have some information on a few upcoming new products I am super excited about and wanted to share the details with you!

Paul & Joe has posted a preview scan of their upcoming Summer Brochure on Facebook, so check out their fan page. There are:

  • 3 lipsticks – Caravan (a natural coral pink), Sahara (a sexy vivid pink), Morocco (a warm golden pink)
  • 3 nail polishes – Marrakesh (a stunning exotic coral red), Mirage (a soft neutral sand brown), Oasis (a sophisticated earthy blue)
  • 2 shimmer powders – Dune & Desert Sand
  • + more: body shimmer oil, blotting papers, nail files

Jocelyn from Paul & Joe was kind enough to send me a few sneak peek photos:

* photos from Paul & Joe

* photos from Paul & Joe

Also coming in April (before the summer collection is released) are 5 new double-sided lipliners and 10 new wand lipglosses which I believe will replace the current wand glosses. I was lucky enough to be able to swatch testers of the lipliners! The lipglosses were lovely, but unfortunately I didn’t swatch those. The packaging is similar to the older wands but the tubes have the flower design embossed. (Disregard my scribbles to the right, I meant to say that lipglosses are being released in conjunction with the lipliners.) Each lipliner has 2 formulas on each pencil, one more creamy and slightly glossy and the other more opaque.

* Photo from Paul & Joe

Edward Bess has released some new products! I spoke with both Susan and Edward last week to get the 411 on the new products. They sent a swatch card in the mail which made me even more excited.

Soft Smoke Eyeshadow Trio which has:
* a pale color similar in concept to their Nude eyeshadow, but brighter less creamy/beige
* a soft dove-grey which is described as EB’s first true grey (a sister shade to Dusk which isn’t a true grey since it has a more mossy finish)
* a deep dark charcoal not quite as dark as Night Eyeshadow

Soft Orchid Blush: soft cool pink (see Amy’s lovely review for photos and description on CafeMakeup.com)

After Sunset Compact Rouge: described as a burned rose, almost bronzey, darker skinned girls who want more color, I think you’ll really like this!

BONUS NOTE: Note that Bergdorf Goodman is having their giftcard event coming up starting April 18 – I believe both counters are doing a promotion in addition to their $25 off $100 purchase.

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