More and more of the holiday collections are trickling in and the Chrome Palette arrived at Neiman Marcus today.
Retails for $75 and the shadow pigment seems a lot better than Earth Metal. I don’t have swatches of this as I am undecided about keeping it. It’s very cool-toned. I do feel it’s a better buy than Earth Metal even though I usually don’t wear cool tones.
Top row has: White Eyeshadow, Polar Ice Shimmer Wash, Storm Cloud Sparkle Eyeshadow, Iron Eyeshadow, Thunder Metallic Eyeshadow
Here is October’s list of Ten Things I’m Loving Right now. There’s a slight twist on a few items because I simply could not pick one item in a certain category. I’d love to hear what you all are loving right now too.
1) Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill #1 Steel Black Mascara $28 – I finally found a mascara that thickens and holds curl! I have the straightest lashes ever and even after curling with my favorite Trish McEvoy Eyelash Curler, nothing holds the curl as well as this one. Doesn’t clump, smudge or flake. I’ve tried other Armani mascaras in the past and did not like them at all, luckily, I got a mini-sized version of this to try out first. My other favs are DiorShow (gives thick plush lashes), Dior Iconic (gives dramatic black lashes) and Chanel Inimitable (also great) – but Armani’s Eyes to Kill has won my heart.
* A few key tips – I recommend using only one coat and make sure it dries completely before touching up your eye makeup or removing smudges from eyeshadow fall out. Also, I use this in conjunction with an eyelash curler, I can’t say whether or not it is curling, but I will say it holds the curl very well.
2) Shu Uemura Natural Pony Brush 20 $50 – Soft and plush, this is the perfect size and shape with the right density in bristles to make this my favorite blush brush. There is an angled version 20h which is just as soft.
3) Paul & Joe Refreshing Skin Toner $33 – I was lucky to try a sample before I bought this. The Paul & Joe toner makes my skin feel refreshed and it isn’t too drying or heavy. I have sensitive skin and this seems to be gentle and effective at the same time. Love the price too!
4) Bobbi Brown Nude Shimmer Brick $38 – I own almost every Shimmer Brick from Bobbi Brown and this one is the prettiest to date and works on both eyes and cheeks. It features “five pure pearl pigments—pink, gold, bronze, beige and caramel” – I believe it is limited edition, but can still be found at various counters. See comparisons to other shades HERE.
5) Chanel Quadra Eyeshadows in Mystic Eyes $56 – This is one of the prettiest unique combination of colors I have seen. I love the silvery shade because it has some golden flecks in the shimmer. I like to wear it with NARS Oasis Blush and Stolen Kisses Lipgloss over Mitzi Lipstick.
6) MAC Viva Glam V Lipglass $14 – this is my classic no-fail neutral pink lip gloss
7) Black/Gold Olivey Colors – I really like black golds for fall which can sometimes end up looking olivey with the combination. My favorites right now are:
1. MAC Seriously Hip Nail Polish 2. MAC Gilt By Association Mineralize Eye Shadow 3. Laura Mercier Black Gold Kohl Eye Pencil 4. Clinique Egyptian Eyeliner 5. Bobbi Brown Forest Shimmer Ink Gel Liner
9) Beige Shimmer Lipglosses like MAC Bare Necessity Dazzleglass $18, Chanel Freeze Aqualumiere $27, Hourglass Ignite Extreme Sheen Gloss $28, Chantecaille Crystalline Brilliant Gloss $28, Le Metier Captiva Sheer Brilliance Gloss $32 and Laura Mercier Opal Lip Glace $22 all have this lovely complex iridescence with a neutral beigey base giving a barely-there glow to the lips.
L to R: MAC Bare Necessity, Chanel Freeze, Hourglass Ignite, Chantecaille Crystalline, Le Metier Captiva, Laura Mercier Opal
10) L’Occitane Cherry Blossom Hand Cream $10 – love this for the packaging and lightweight non-sticky texture. I keep one in my purse all the time. Also comes in the larger sizes and a few different scents/formulas.
These were found at Neimans yesterday – they had all the first round of holiday sets out for Bobbi Brown including the full-size tube tint set, full-size lip gloss set, velvet plum eyeshadow palette etc. They also had the rich color glosses (I passed on all of these because I couldn’t find a single color I unique enough or pretty enough). They also had their exclusive Black Plum Deluxe Brush Collection with the full size brushes. No sightings of those cute mini shimmer bricks yet – I believe the ship date for those was in November.
Came home with the Chrome Eyeshadow in Pewter $22 (Saks.com) and Earth Metal Palette $60 (on Saks.com and Bobbibrowncosmetics.com) even though there are several events I should have waited for happening on the 15th of this month (my local Nordies is having their fall event at all the counters with GWPs, Saks has their friends and family starting around that time, and Neimans will have their Incircle event with GWPs too).
Hopefully these pictures will help! In response to the request for “more picture views without flash” I’ve tried to include a lot more different shots this time. So be warned this is picture heavy!
Size comparisons:
Top close up:
Swatches of the Pewter Eyeshadows and Earth Metal Palette over bare skin, no base:
L to R: Pewter Metallic, Pewter Chrome, Autumn SW, Earth Metal Metallic, Zinc Metallic, Black Spruce Metallic, Sunset Gold Metallic, Antique Gold Metallic, Paisley Rose Creamy, Rose Garden Creamy, Rose Bud Creamy, Barefoot Shimmer Creamy
Pewter Metallic (left) and Pewter Chrome (right):
Pewter Metallic (left) and Pewter Chrome (right) in natural sunlight:
I posted about the exclusive Pewter Metallic Eye Set at Nordstrom in August and many of you have inquired “is the Pewter Metallic going to be the same as Pewter Chrome?” My answer is that they are very similar but not the same. I prefer the metallic version, the chrome is slightly harder in formula, more shiny (hence the chrome aspect), and more silver-cool.
Overall thoughts about the Earth Metal Palette – feelings are mixed. For $60 the palette is pretty tiny and not worth the price. Products should have been larger and the brushes in the set are the worst I have ever seen. Pigmentation of the eyeshadows is also mixed, some are less pigmented than others.
I really liked her format of her most recent Nudes Eyeshadow Palette and felt it was worth the $60 price tag. If she had released an eyeshadow palette like this with the Earth Metal Colors I would have felt it a better buy.
I love the smokey eye looks that come out for fall but until recently, it seems like most all the lines usually release the typical variations of black and grey for their “smokey look.” I am not one who can pull of black eyeshadow or eyeliner easily because it’s often too harsh or ends up looking blueish on my skin. I have to opt for other deep colors and did a series on Smokey Eye Variations back in June and am so excited that lines are now releasing collections with a “black/smokey” theme that include colors other than just black or grey.
I just discovered 2 new deep purple shimmery eyeshadows from MAC and Dior and thought I’d pull out some of my favorite deep purples to compare.
1. Dior Ultra-Smooth High Impact Eyeshadow in #186 Ultra Violet 2. MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow in Young Punk 3. Laura Mercier Sateen Eyeshadow in Kir Royal 4. MAC Fertile Eyeshadow 5. Giorgio Armani Maestro #18 6. Bobbi Brown Metallic Eyeshadow in After Hours 7. Stila Poise
A few other pictures of smokey purples:
1. Bobbi Brown Metallic in After Hours 2. Chanel Magic Night 3. MAC Smut 4. MAC Deep Purple Pigment (Pro)
I just purchased a new lipstick from MAC called High Def which I find to be a nice my-lips-but-better pinky brown shade. I normally don’t post much about MAC since there are so many other great resources out there, but had to rave about this one because even though MAC has a wide variety of natural pinky-brown lipsticks, I find a lot look odd on me because they turn too brown or look really dark on my lips even though swatched on my hand or in the tube it’s gorgeous. For example MAC Twig pulls an ugly brown on my lips while in the tube and swatched on my hand it looks so sophisticated and gorgeous!
I’ve pulled a few of my “non-shimmer your lips but better” lipsticks ranging from a nude-pink to pinky-browns and here they are:
1. Bobbi Brown Brownie Pink 2. MAC Velvet Teddy (matte) 3. MAC Half ‘n Half (amplified cream) 4. MAC High Def (amplified cream) 5. MAC Fanfare (cremesheen) 6. MAC Cosmo (amplified cream) 7. Laura Mercier Nude Lips 8. Laura Mercier Bare Lips
(Same order, different view):
Swatches in natural light:
1. Bobbi Brown Brownie 2. Bobbi Brown Brownie Pink 3. MAC Velvet Teddy (matte) 4. MAC Half ‘n Half (amplified cream) 5. MAC High Def (amplified cream) 6. MAC Fanfare (cremesheen) 7. MAC Cosmo (amplified cream) 8. Laura Mercier Nude Lips 9. Laura Mercier Bare Lips
Swatches with flash (same order as above):
What are some of your favorite your-lips-but better non-shimmer lipsticks?
I’ve posted about some tidbits about a few exclusive sets from Bobbi Brown & Laura Mercier in the past month and they are now all available online with full details. I also wanted to let you know about upcoming events that you might be interested in as well.
Current or upcoming events I know about:
* September 16th to 19th? – Bergdorf Goodman $25 off $100 purchase event. * Now until September 20th – Neiman Marcus Beauty Event, receive a leopard-print tote with 5 samples inside, each line has their own individual gift with purchase. You can find the list online or POSTED HERE. (Note that some of the gifts have already been removed from the website, which I assume they have sold out.) * September 24 to ? – Saks Beauty Event, at this time I don’t know what the gifts are. * Mid October – Neiman Marcus Incircle Event, which is a double points event for Neiman Marcus Card Holders, but open to anyone they have gift with purchases at this time as well
First – I want to let you know that each store I’ve been to have told me they only received 6 sets of each item. I’m not really sure if this is actually true, but just be aware that stock is limited. They can always try and locate the item at another store and have it shipped to you. But those who prefer instant gratification might want to keep this in mind.
* Bobbi Brown Black Plum Set $245 – Exclusive Navajo Eye Shadow, Ash Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow, Exclusive Deep Plum Shadow, Natural Bronzing Powder, Washed Rose Shimmer Blush, Plum Blush, Brown Lip Color, Rose Petal Lip Color, and Pink Chandelier Glitter Lip Gloss + 5 Brushes.
Scan from Bergdorf’s Magazine which I feel is more accurate in showing the product colors, while the image from online shows a better picture of the brushes:
* Laura Mercier Essential Organizer $125 – 12 Eyeshadow Celestial, African Violet and Bamboo Luster Eye Colours, Black Plum, Buttercream, Cashmere and Coffee Ground Matte Eye Colours, and Sandstone, Baroque, Haze, Stellar and Sable Sateen Eye Colours + 3 double ended brushes, details a few posts below + more real pictures.
* Bobbi Brown Black Fawn Set $100 – “ Chrome 4 Pan palette filled with two neutral shades of Eye Shadow, exclusive Shimmer Lip Gloss (with protective cover), and for the first time ever, Bobbi’s Pot Rouge in customizable form (with protective cover). Also includes three mini brushes-Eye Shadow, Lip, and Eye Shader – and a Chrome faux-leather organizer.”
Not disclosed online, but it contains: * 4 pan palette with full sized Ivory Eyeshadow, Fawn Shimmerwash, Powder Pink Pot Rouge, and exclusive Paisley Rose Lipgloss * 3 mini brushes: eyeshader, eyeshadow, and lip
* Laura Mercier Gemstone Eye Collection $125– “A first for Laura, five perfectly paired jewel tone baked eye colours that can be used wet or dry create endless looks. Contour and define eyes with three expertly chosen double-ended brushes. The Gemstone Eye Collection contains the following mini Baked Eye Colours: Pearl, Tiger’s Eye, Deep Amethyst, Tourmaline and Malachite. A Black Thickening and Building Mascara and Black Violet Kohl Eye Pencil provide a final touch of drama. Various looks can be achieved using the double-ended All Over Eye Colour Brush and Eye Crease Brush, double-ended Smudge and Corner Eye Colour Brush or the double-ended Crème Eye Colour Brush and Crème Eye Detail Brush.”
* Eyes & Cheeks To Go Set $60 – Warm Eye Quad includes Bone Shimmer Wash, Copper Sand Shimmer Wash, and Gold Dust Metallic and Espresso eyeshadows. Pot Rouge in shade Blushed Rose. Cool Eye Quad includes Navajo Metallic, Gunmetal Shimmer Wash, Rockstar Metallic and Navy eyeshadows.
I’ve heard that for the holidays Nordstrom will have some exclusive items for Laura Mercier, but don’t have details at the moment.
Also if you shop at Bloomingdales, they will have their Beauty Benefits Event mid-october, but at this time I don’t think they will have any Bobbi Brown or Laura Mercier Exclusives – but they will have gifts with purchases. Perhaps for the holiday collections they will though.
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.)
