Dolce and Gabbana Archives - Page 9 of 10

Ten Things I’m Loving Right Now

November 16, 2009

Here’s November’s List of Ten Things I’m Loving Right Now. As always, I want to hear your lists too! And they don’t have to be beauty/makeup related.

1) Henri Bendel Candles from Bath & Body Works $26 – these are the best candles I’ve tried with so many feel-good scents. My favorites are Vanilla Bean, Fig, Quince, Pomegranate – and my husband loves these too.

2) L’Occitane Holiday Sets – Still loving the scented hand creams, in particular the Shea Vanilla and Frangipani scented ones! I wish they weren’t limited edition. Also love the Shower Celebration set – wish all the scents came in larger sizes (I believe the only one available individually right now is the Almond Shower Gel).

3) Paul & Joe Lip Lacquers $20 – You’ve seen these in my look features earlier in the month and my regular readers know that I bought practically every color. They are absolutely fabulous and I hope these are here to stay. They are great alone or over a liner/lipstick. I can’t rave enough about them. Cute packaging, nice pigment, non-sticky texture, very wearable colors. I’ve purchased my Paul & Joe items from Bergdorf Goodman, The Primping Parleur’s Online Boutique, Beautyhabit.com and Dermstore.com – but check the Paul & Joe Beauty website for locations around the world.

4) PhytoSpecific Integral Hair Care – this is a spray hair treatment which is supposed to “restore moisture, smooth, redefine curls, detangle, make setting easier, and protect hair from heat damage.” I have thick slightly wavy hair which I cannot air dry because it poofs up into a huge frizz ball. Up until a year ago when I started using this, I religiously blow dried and straightened my hair daily. I tried a number of no-frizz serums and straightening sprays, but I still had to go through the daily ritual of blow dry/straighten. This spray is incredible for me and once I spray and comb through, it allows my hair to air dry without turning into a huge frizz ball. I haven’t tried any of the other PhytoSpecific products, but I do love the shampoos in the regular Phyto line.

5) Dolce & Gabbana Caramel Blush $44 – I love nude blushes and this one is pretty without looking muddy on my skin. You can buy D&G online at saks.com, but I highly recommend ordering through the Saks NY or Beverly Hills counters because you get excellent customer service and the makeup artists who run the counter are very good at recommending colors. If you have any questions about other products, you can ask me too! I’ve accumulated quite a few things from them since they launched the line.

6) Edward Bess Daydream Bronzer $48 – By far my favorite powder bronzer of the moment. Wasn’t so thrilled with the hefty price tag, but I have to say that it gives that natural tanned glow. My skintone is on the pale side right now, I’m the equivalent of what’s in between MAC NC30-35. Normally I’m more of a NC35-40ish. You can purchase Edward Bess at Bergdorf Goodman or online at EdwardBess.com. Compared to some other bronzers:

7) Le Metier Eye Brightening & Setting Powder $36 – I’ve always been skeptical of brightening powders mainly because I usually don’t see a difference when using them. This, however, is every bit as great as Ellyn (from Neimans King of Prussia) and Lisa (my fellow Le Metier fan) have both raved. I use the shade Revive which is good for medium-tanned skintones. The next shade down Refresh is quite a bit paler. Seems like they need a shade in between. I use it after I apply my foundation in place of concealer under the eyes and it is an instant-brightener/evener all in one. (FYI – Neimanmarcus.com has free shipping with code and a promotional Peche Lip Creme with any Le Metier purchase, good as long as supplies last.)

8) MAC Pigments: Naked, Fairylite, Your Ladyship, Shimmertime – I like light/neutral pink shimmers for a natural barely-there all over eye color. I believe all of them have been discontinued except Naked, but you can get a full sized Shimmertime Pigment in one of the MAC holiday sets and Naked is also available as a mini in one of the holiday pigment sets.

The swatch picture couldn’t capture the real color, so I’ll try my best to describe the differences:

Naked is the most neutral
Fairylite has the most pink and most visible silver sparkle/micro glitter
Your Ladyship has a golden sheen to it
Shimmertime is the most pink/frosty throughout

9) MAC Style Black Mineralize Eyeshadows: Gilt by Association, Cinderfella, Young Punk $19.50 each – Yes, I do like MAC products even though I don’t write much about the line! I was afraid these would be too glittery, but they work well when applied with a damp brush or over a gel liner for a pretty smoky eye. It appears they are sold out online, but most MAC stores usually still carry seasonal stock so check your local store.

10) Hot Chocolate – I know many of you prefer I stay on the beauty topic, but I really love this time of year because it’s the perfect time for hot chocolate, apple cider, and warm teas. A classic favorite is the Williams Sonoma Hot Chocolate that they only carry during the holidays. I’ve seen a few at Godiva and Crate & Barrel that I’m dying to try out. I know Trader Joes has a lot of holiday ciders and goodies, so I’m hoping they have a hot chocolate too. Do you have a favorite hot chocolate?

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Color Focus: Rosy Pinks for Lips and Nails

November 15, 2009

I will admit that I tend to associate rosy pinks more with spring or summer, but I feel that rosy pink lips can pretty much be worn year round. For lips, I tend to lean more towards more natural pinks since I already have a lot of pink in my natural lip tone, so these won’t be the rosiest pinks that are out there.

Rosy Pink Lipglosses:

1. MAC Sweet Strawberry Lipglass
2. MAC Bingo! Plushglass
3. MAC Creme Anglaise Cremesheen Glass
4. Le Metier Siena Lip Creme (GWP)
5. Becca Rosita Lip Gloss
6. Nars Stella Lip Gloss
7. Paul & Joe Limited Edition 001 Lip Gloss
8. Chanel Imaginaire Glossimer
9. Edward Bess Love Always

Swatches, same order:

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Rosy Pink Lipsticks:

1. Chanel Ischia #96 Aqualumiere
2. Chanel Tasmania #99 Aqualumiere
3. Bobbi Brown Ruffle Metallic Lip Color
4. Le Metier de Beaute Cannes
5. MAC Strawbaby Lipstick (Fafi label came off)
6. MAC Party Mate
7. MAC Skew

(The swatches didn’t turn out so well, I might try again later)

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Nail Polishes:

1. OPI California Raspberry
2. Essie Very Cranberry
3. OPI Grand Central Carnation
4. Dolce & Gabbana Rose (received as a GWP, but part of the regular D&G line)
5. Paul & Joe #13

For the swatches, the order is:

1. Thumb = Paul & Joe #13
2. Index = Dolce & Gabbana Rose
3. Middle = OPI Grand Central Carnation
4. Ring = Essie Very Cranberry
5. Pinkie = OPI California Raspberry

My blush collection has a lot of nude pinks, hot pinks, dusty pinks, peachy-pinks. I don’t have very many rosy-pink colors for cheeks other than my Bobbi Brown Raspberry Pot Rouge. Hence, no focus on the cheeks. I definitely do not have any rosy pink eyeshadows.

Would love to hear what your favorite rosy pink colors are!

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Dolce & Gabbana Holiday 2009 Collection

November 10, 2009

Saks has received their holiday collection for Dolce & Gabbana and the colors are stunning!

There have been some promotional pictures of the Golden Beams holiday collection floating around the web on various blogs like Temptalia.com and Makeup4All.com and in the latest Saks catalog page 43, you can see photos of the Sparkling Lipstick, Royal Nail Lacquer, Magic Lipgloss, and Gold Eyeshadow Quad.

I ordered from Saks NY for the Triple Points event last week and these are the holiday items that came in the mail today (I ordered several items from the regular line too, but those will be saved for another article in the near future):

* Sparkling Shine Lipstick – sparkling warm nude-gold
* Caramel Blush – the perfect caramel nude blush
* Royal Nail Polish – extremely deep purple with reddish undertones and subtle sparkle
* Magic Lipgloss (thanks to the sweet SAs who threw this in as a GWP!) – a rich ruby shimmer

Lips and cheeks: Magic Lipgloss, Caramel Blush, Sparkling Lipstick

Swatches of Sparkling Lipstick & Magic Lipgloss:

Swatch of Caramel Blush:

Caramel (most pigmented) vs Nude (more peachy/light) vs MAC Tendering (in the middle):

Royal Nail Polish: 3 coats with high flash (in natural light the sparkle is more subtle)

Compared to Nars Tokaido Express and Chanel Vendetta:

In natural sunlight: L to R – Nars Tokaido Express, Dolce & Gabbana Royal, Chanel Vendetta

As of this past weekend, the Saks NY store called to let me know they received their Golds Eyeshadow Quad in limited quantities. I decided to pass on this for now since I already have a lot of golds/silvers.

If you have the latest Saks catalog, check page 43 for a better picture:

Overall thoughts: I would say the standout is the Sparkling Lipstick. I love nude-golds and this one is really pretty and natural looking. Will definitely warm up the skin with a soft glow. I’m really happy with the other items as well. The holiday lipgloss is one of the more pigmented ones and the blush shows up better than the Nude Blush on my skin.

The Saks NY girls did a really great job again describing colors to me over the phone (thank you for your patience ladies!) and I couldn’t be more pleased.

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More Dolce & Gabbana Goodies

November 8, 2009

These were from Saks.com from Friends and Family last month. Fuschia Nail Polish, Red Nail Polish, Soft Lipstick, Nude Lipgloss, Tender Lipgloss:

Desert Bronzer:

Compared to Edward Bess Daydream (left), Giorgio Armani #5 (right), Le Metier de Beaute Sunkissed (bottom):

L to R – Soft Lipstick, Nude Lipgloss, Tender Lipgloss:

Another view, Tender Lipgloss (left), Nude Lipgloss (middle), Soft Lipstick (right):

Fuschia (corally shimmer) & Red Nail Polishes:

Overall thoughts: I have to admit I’ve grown to like Dolce & Gabbana a lot more than I initially did. Although I did love everything from my first haul (First Look: Dolce & Gabbana Makeup) thanks to some great recommendations from Melissa at Saks NY – I wasn’t completely thrilled because I felt everything was overpriced.

However, after having tried more of the line, I’ve come to like the high quality of their products. Some can be a hit or miss. For me, I like the nail polishes as long as you get the newer skinny brush (rather than the original fat chunky ones), I love the eyeshadow quads and duos for excellent velvet like texture and rich pigment, and the classic lipsticks are vibrant and moisturizing.

The blushes in my opinion are pretty, but seem to be more on the soft side. I prefer to go a bit heavier with my blush, but they are nice if you like a natural soft cheek (think along the lines of the Laura Mercier reformulated blushes).

The lipglosses may vary per preference. I haven’t been able to try them all, but really liked Baby, Seduction and Sunset. They have a thicker rich texture. Nude and Tender are pretty, but I find them more sheer than rich. Still very pretty.

I have a couple of the holiday items coming in the mail soon, check back for it later this week.

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Looks I’m Loving Right Now: Day 4

November 5, 2009

Today’s focus is around silvery eyes with a few alternatives in case you can’t pull off silvers. I have warmer skin with olive tones and can’t always pull off silvery eyeshadows because they make me look tired, but the Dior Smoky Crystal Quint was a surprisingly pretty on! I hope this gives you a few ideas of what types of colors you can use. These may not work for everyone, but these are looks that I’ve done that work for me.

To recap (in case you haven’t read my About Me section), I have dark black/brown hair with red highlights, medium olive/golden skin and use Chanel Shell/Beige Teint Innocence, my eyes are dark brown.

Look Day 4: silvery eyeshadow with rose-pink lips/cheeks

Cheeks:
Dolce & Gabbana Desert Bronzer (not swatched)
Lorac Velvet Rope Baked Blush

Eyes:
Shiseido Rose Tulle H11 Hydropower Eyeshadow
Bobbi Brown Steel Cream Eyeshadow
Dior Smoky Crystal Quint
MAC Feline Eyeliner

Lips:
Chanel Tulip Lipliner
Trish McEvoy Pink Innocent
Le Metier de Beaute Cannes Lipgloss or Bobbi Brown Pink Lilac Brightening Gloss as an alternative

* Note the swatches for the eyeshadows look greenish on my screen for some reason. In real life they are close to what the product photo looks like in the picture near the top.

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Alternative if you can’t pull of silvers: try champagne, a soft taupe, a sparkley silvery-gold cream shadow and a smokey black eyeshadow

Cheeks: Giorgio Armani Blush #10

Eyes: Giorgio Armani Maestro Eyeshadow #30
Bobbi Brown Galaxy Cream Eyeshadow
Giorgio Armani Eyeshadow Maestro #32
Giorgio Armani Manta Ray Duo #1

Lips: Bobbi Brown Blondie Pink Lipliner
Chantecaille Oleander Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Nude Lipgloss

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Cheeks: Bobbi Brown Pink Sugar Shimmer Blush

Eyes: Chantecaille Quartz (top left)
Chantecaille Meteorite (top middle)
MAC Sunnydaze Pigment
MAC Cinderfella Mineralize Eyeshadow
Chanel Noir Le Crayon Kohl Eyeliner

Lips: MAC Dervish
Dolce & Gabbana Charm Lipstick
Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer #9

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Ten Things I’m Loving Right Now

October 6, 2009

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

8) Sheer Hot Pink Blushes like Dolce & Gabbana Provocative Blush $44, Bobbi Brown Pale Pink $22, MAC Pink Swoon $18 and Nars Desire $25 are all clear bright pinks and when applied lightly give a pretty healthy glow.

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.

Check out last month’s list:
* September’s Ten Things I’m Loving Right Now

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Dolce & Gabbana Ultra Shine Lipgloss, Smooth Eye Color Duo & More Blush

October 2, 2009

I took advantage of the Saks Beauty Week Event and placed an order the from NY store. Turns out the mailer card I received wasn’t entirely true when it said you would get 20 different samples in the goodie bag. At least there was a good GWP with Dolce & Gabbana of Seduction Lipgloss (was told the gift would be Candy, but I’m actually really happy with Seduction).

Here’s what arrived today:

* Luminous Cheek Colors in Delight (soft pinky rose) & Provocative (bright pink)
* Ultra Shine Lipglosses in Baby (shimmery baby-barbie pink), Sunset (soft peachy shimmer) & Seduction GWP (creamy nude pink-rose)
* Smooth Eye Color Duo in Stromboli (smokey black with silver micro sparkles & nude champagne shimmer)

L to R: Delight Blush, Stromboli Duo & Provocative Blush:

Delight:

Provocative:

Stromboli Eyeshadow Duo:

Ultra Shine Lipglosses, L to R: Baby (bubble gum shimmery pink), Sunset (shimmery peach), Seduction (nude rose cream)

Top to Bottom: Baby, Sunset, Seduction

Another view:

Swatches (note the flash enhanced the shimmer in the first picture making Baby & Sunset look frostier and lighter than they actually do):

This gives you a better idea of the undertone:

I haven’t tried the lipglosses on my lips yet, but they seem to be thick and very pigmented. They have the same rose scent as the lipsticks. Baby looked so much prettier in the promotion pictures – in reality, it’s brighter and more barbie-like, but still wearable in my opinion.