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Dolce and Gabbana

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6 Hard-to-Find Brands Everyone Should Check Out

September 28, 2009

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:

* The Beauty Look Book:
Paul & Joe Beaute: Absolutely Adorable!
More Paul & Joe Beauty: Eyeshadow, Face Color, Pearl Powder and Palettes
Fall 2009 Sneak Peak: Paul & Joe . . .
Paul & Joe Autumn 2009 Catalog
Paul & Joe Fall 2009 Mini Haul from Bergdorfs

* Big shout out to Haru at Rouge Deluxe who got me into Paul & Joe! Her blog has numerous articles, pictures and swatches of some gorgeous items.

* Yuki’s Lazy Channel is a great blog with fabulous pictures

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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.

In natural sunlight:

Swatch with flash:

* The Beauty Look Book: First Look at Edward Bess: Naturally Chic

* The Non-Blonde:
Edward Bess Lipstick and Lipgloss
New Edward Bess Lipstick and Lipgloss

* Blogdorfgoodman:
Let Me Introduce You To Mr Edward Bess . . .
Isn’t it romantic? … New Lipsticks and glosses from Edward Bess

* The Beauty Alchemist:
Edward Bess Lipstick

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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

Jojo swatch:

* Makeup & Beauty Blog: Ever Heard of Le Metier de Beaute?

* The Beauty Look Book:
Color Focus: Coppery Bronze
Neiman Marcus Event: Camp Gorgeous
Le Metier de Beaute: Feature on Lips
Le Metier de Beaute Nail Lacquers
Le Metier de Beaute: Eyes & Cheeks

* Check out product reviews at The Non-Blonde (Le Metier Tags Linked)

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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.

* From The Beauty Look Book: Rescue Beauty Lounge
* All Lacquered Up has 18 articles to date
* Scrangie has 22 features
* The Polish Addict has awesome product swatches
* Steph’s Closet is another great resource

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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:

In natural sunlight:

* Other links from The Beauty Look Book:
First Look: Dolce & Gabbana Makeup
Second Round of Dolce & Gabbana Makeup from Saks NY
Third Round of Dolce & Gabbana Makeup
Dolce & Gabbana Orange Lipstick Comparisons
Dolce & Gabbana Naked Lipstick Comparisons

* Makeup and Beauty Blog:
Dolce & Gabbana Makeup: Say Hello to Luxury Lip Lust
Dolce & Gabbana The Make Up: Fall 2009 Romantic Collection
I Spy Dolce & Gabbana Nail Lacquer in Midnight
Dolce & Gabbana Smooth Eye Colour Quad

* Blogdorf Goodman:
Pat McGrath and Dolce & Gabbana Makeup at Saks Fifth Avenue

* Steph’s Closet:
Dolce & Gabbana Nail Lacquer: Stromboli

* Swide.com:
Pat McGrath: Makeup Tricks & Dolce & Gabbana

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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 🙂

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Dolce & Gabbana Naked Lipstick Comparisons

August 26, 2009

Some lipstick and gloss comparisons to Dolce & Gabbana’s Shine Lipstick in Naked from Bobbi Brown, MAC and Shu Uemura.

1. Bobbi Brown Glitter Lipgloss Bronzed Pink
2. Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color Bronzed Pink
3. Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color Twilight
4. Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Crystal Shine BG950s
5. Dolce & Gabbana Shine Lipstick Naked
6. MAC Frost Lipstick Sparks Can Fly
7. Nars Lipstick Mitzi
8. Bobbi Brown Metallic Lip Color Vintage Rose
9. Bobbi Brown Metallic Lip Color Pretty Pink

Check out the comparisons for D&G Perfection and Orange Lipsticks too!

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Dolce & Gabbana Orange Lipstick Comparisons

August 24, 2009

Left to right: Chanel Rouge Allure Nude #59, MAC Slimshine Ardor, Bobbi Brown Metallic Lipstick Baby Peach, Dior Addict Lipcolor Regal Coral #439, Dolce & Gabbana Classic Lipstick Orange, Chanel Aqualumiere Monte Carlo #92, Chanel Aqualumiere Jamaica #69, Chanel Aqualumiere Zanzibar #85

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Third Round of Dolce & Gabbana Makeup

August 18, 2009

I took another mini road trip to Beverly Hills and was able to check out the Dolce & Gabbana Makeup Line in person at Saks Fifth Avenue. Wish I had been able to take pictures of the store display, but forgot to!

Neither the lipglosses nor fall items were in stock yet, but the artist told me they were expecting to receive the Fall Collection by the first week of September and were planning to release the glosses with a new tip (doe foot applicator instead of the flimsy brush) at the same time. I was able to test two of them with the older brush and the formula seems extremely rich and highly pigmented.

The new items I bought (left to right) Ruby Nail Polish, Seduction Classic Lipstick, Cashmere Classic Lipstick, Orange Classic Lipstick

Ruby Nail Polish Swatch:

All my Dolce & Gabbana Lipsticks:

Another view:

Overall thoughts: I was extremely pleased with my experience with the friendly makeup artist who was very patient and pointed out the best selling colors and suggested some interesting lip combos for me. This was my first time seeing all the products in person and I found that I already owned their best selling colors.

The nail polishes were all rich in color with super pigmentation. I was pleased with the large size of the bottle as well. However I do have a rant for the brush which is too long and flimsy and fans out at the bottom making it hard to apply.

The bronzers were pretty but not must haves for me:
* Natural is a sunny yellowy color with slight shimmer, interesting color for a bronzer – seems like it would be more of a highlight
* Desert is a medium-light tanned shimmer
* Sunshine is a medium matte bronze
* Bronze is the deepest, which I tried, darker/deeper than Desert, also has shimmer

The blushes were all matte, from what I remember:
* Peach is more of a pinky-peachy coral color, rather than a straight peach
* Nude (which I own) has more peach tones than nude
* Rose is a dusty warm pink rose shade
* Provocative was a standout, reminded me of Nars Desire, a pretty hot vibrant pink that gives a pretty pink glow, similar to Bobbi Brown Pale Pink Blush as well

For lipsticks, the majority of them were bold and vibrant. Lots of great berries, reds, hot bright pinks and oranges. I swatched so many, but from what I remember:

* Nude Classic Lipstick is very pale, along the lines of MAC Creme d’Nude
* Drama Classic is a purpley shimmer with gold
* Ruby and Plum were both very bright, I was hoping for a more classic elegant color, but too garish for me
* Sunset Classic Lipstick is a bright orangey coral shimmer with gold flecks, brighter and more intense than Orange
* Gold Shine Lipstick was interesting, a true gold shimmer, the shimmer was bigger than most shimmers are in shimmery lipsticks, the artist told me he recommended layering Gold over Perfection to get a pretty nude with depth
* Sublime Classic Lipstick is almost identical to Velvet (picture shown above) just has more peachy tones rather than pink
* Goddess Classic Lipstick is deeper and brighter than Velvet or Sublime, more like a carnation pink with slight warm tones

For lipliners, I only tested a couple:
* Nude is your basic pink-brown, reminded me of MAC Whirl
* Another one that was a brownish color, but I don’t recall the number

I apologize for not getting a more comprehensive review of the colors in the line. There were a number of items I didn’t test out such as the mascara, powder foundation etc because of the high price tag.

More Dolce & Gabbana Makeup pictures here of eyeshadows and blush:

First Look: Dolce & Gabbana Makeup
Second Round of Dolce & Gabbana Makeup from Saks NY

I’d love to hear your experiences of any products you’ve bought/tried from the line. If you have pictures, I’d love to see them!

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Second Round of Dolce & Gabbana Makeup from Saks NY Brushes with Greatness Event

July 22, 2009

I placed an order from Saks NY for their Brushes with Greatness Event and received a cute Stephanie Johnson makeup bag filled with tons of little samples and goodies. Also with Dolce & Gabbana, they were having a gift of their Eyeliner Pencil in Black and a mini Body Cream.

What I ordered:
* Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Nude
* Luminous Cheek Color in Nude
* Classic Cream Lipstick in Charm
* Crayon Intense Eyeliner in Coffee

Left to right: Coffee Eyeliner, Black Eyeliner, Charm Lipstick

Nude Eyeshadow Quad & Nude Blush with Flash:

Close Up of the Nude Eyeshadow Quad:

Close Up of the Nude Blush:

D&G gift with purchase:

Saks Gift with Purchase:

Haven’t had a chance to play with anything yet, but after my first haul back in May, I’ve come to really like the texture of the eyeshadows. Overall, I feel the line is still overpriced but I do like the colors I have purchased. The only thing I don’t love is the Stromboli eyeliner, but I had to get Coffee because I’m a huge fan of shimmery browns. I will try and do some comparison pictures of the lipstick with the others I ordered before in the next week or so.

Interested in more Dolce & Gabbana? Check out this link to see pictures of more eyeshadow quads, lipsticks, and eyeliner:

First Look: Dolce & Gabbana Makeup

Includes pictures of Champagne Quad, Contrasts Quad, Perfection, Naked, Soiree, Velvet Lipsticks (Shine & Classic Cream Formulas).

For swatch of Stromboli Eyeliner, check out the Smokey Series:

Color Focus: Smokey Eyes Part 3 (Black Golds)

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Lips of the Day: Perfect Baby Pink Lips

June 5, 2009

Today’s lips are a baby pink shimmery look:

* Dolce & Gabbana Shine Lipstick in Soiree (see previous D&G feature here)
* Trish McEvoy Lipliner in Bare
* Jouer Moisturizing Lipgloss in Blush (see previous Jouer feature here)

The products:

The look:

What are your favorite products for baby-pink or natural pink lips? I’m always on the search for my HG baby pink glosses, lipsticks, lipliners and would LOVE to hear yours!!!

(For reference, I have medium olive-toned skin, in between MAC NC30-35, Chanel Teint Innocence Liquid Shell 1.5, Stila D/E, Armani Luminous Skin Foundation in 5.5)

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First Look: Dolce & Gabbana Makeup

May 28, 2009

Dolce & Gabbana Makeup has finally launched in the US! The inspiration behind the brand is “to break the rules of makeup” and “traditional communication” with products that convey a glamourous and sensual feel. The line is currently available exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue online and their New York store. However, I did stop by Saks Beverly Hills today and there is an entire section of the cosmetics floor walled off with a huge curtain for construction of a new unit for the upcoming line. The sales associate I spoke with wasn’t able to provide a specific launch date, but did say it was “coming very soon.”
The face of Dolce & Gabbana is Scarlett Johansson and the campaign on their website features several downloadable promotional ads in which they provide a beauty breakdown for the products she is wearing.


For the Provocative Eyes, Scarlett wears: Smooth Eye Color Duo and Quad in Stromboli and Mediterraneo, Crayon Intense Eyeliner in Stromboli, Classic Cream Nude Lipstick, Intense Nail Laquer in Pink. Check out the rest of their website for some product photos and other tidbits of information! There are also a few product photos at Saks Online.

The sales associate was very helpful in recommending some items based on my skin tone and eye color (Teint Innocence Chanel Shell/Beige and dark brown eyes). I placed my order last Thursday and received my package today in a glamorous shiny black and gold box:



These are the items I received:
* Smooth Eye Color Quad ($59) in Champagne (pearly white, shimmery light complex grey, matte charcoal, matte cool brown)

* Smooth Eye Color Quad ($59) in Contrasts (shimmery light fleshy-tan, shimmery champagne, sparkling violet-plum, shimmery warm deep brown)


* Shine and Classic Lipsticks ($30) Left to Right: Shine Lipsticks in Perfection, Naked, Soiree, Classic Lipstick in Velvet (all the shades I ordered have shimmer and a strong rose-scent)


* Crayon Intense Eyeliner ($29) in Stromboli (not pictured, but will swatch in the next few days, a deep black-gold shimmer)
Overall thoughts: I will have to play with the items in the next few days to give a better review, but so far I am the most excited about the Contrasts Quad. The colors in this quad are truly gorgeous – neutral enough for my taste, but not so neutral that it’s completely boring and dupe-able. I’m not a huge fan of flowery rose scents, but have managed to overcome the scent in Chanel Hydrabase Lipsticks, so it’s possible I will still be able to wear these Dolce & Gabbana lippies.

I would love to see the entire line in person and have an artist come up with a customized look. The packaging is definitely glamorous, but I would have preferred something more subtle and less flashy – but then again, it is Dolce & Gabbana. I will definitely be making another trip to LA once the line launches in the Beverly Hills store.
At first glance however, it seems to be over-priced and the hype is from the artist who helped design the collection. I do find the colors I ordered very wearable and unique, but at $29 for a liner and $59 for an eyeshadow quad, I’m not quite sure I would have justified the purchases if I had seen them in person first.
Since the line is so new and very exclusive, there seem to be very few reviews and photos online. So far, the only review I’ve seen with product photos is on Blogdorfgoodman, who did an excellent review on the recent NY Dolce & Gabbana Saks event!
Have you tried this line? Thoughts/opinions/favs/dislikes would be great!

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