Browsing Tag

Edward Bess

Uncategorized

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!
16 Comments
Uncategorized

Edward Bess at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills: Thursday and Friday, July 28th & 29th

July 28, 2011
I just received news that Edward Bess will be making a personal appearance at the Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills store this Thursday and Friday, July 28th & 29th. He plans to be at the store both days from around noon to 6 pm. You can call the counter for more details and information (310) 550-5900, ask for Leah or Jaime (the lovely girls who manage the counter).

I’ve reviewed quite a few items (refer to the EB tag at the bottom), but if you want to know what are my top 5 picks for right now, be sure to check out the following:

  1. Sheer Satin Foundation $60 – I wear Beige and unfortunately used mine up before I had time to do a proper review on this. Beige is the equivalent of in between MAC NC30-35 or a Chanel Shell. If you remember Shu Uemura’s Nobara Cream foundation – EB’s is 100 times better (in my opinion). I’ve been told it has a built-in primer. I need to replenish as soon as I use up a few of my others.
  2. Daydream Bronzer $48 – This is summer perfection. It’s the bronzer of all bronzers which gives the most beautiful natural healthy glow. There is a subtle shimmer in this that adds dimension to the skin. Daydream is the lighter shade which I prefer. It’s the bronzer for both bronzer-fanatics (like me) and also perfect for the woman who is scared of bronzer. (See reviews here and also at Cafe Makeup.)
  3. Sunlight All Over Seduction $38 – While this may seem pricey for the tiny compact, a little goes a long way and it gives a luminous natural glow without getting greasy (even though it’s cream). I saw this applied on women of different ages and skin/hair colors when at Beverly Hills, it’s magical. (See reviews here and also comparisons at Cafe Makeup.)
  4. Compact Rouge in Island Rose $38 – Natural healthy pink flush that’s a life-saver in times when I’m super rushed because it has a suitable texture for both lips and cheeks. Works on both warm and cool skintones. Jaime applied this on my friend who is fair with pinkish tones (think Liv Tyler’s skin coloring) and she glowed. See my reviews here, but I really recommend you try it out yourself.
  5. Luxury Eye Brush $40 – This review says it all here. It’s the most dense of it’s kind compared to other brands. Also check out The Non-Blonde’s review.
I can’t emphasize enough how lovely the EB team is. Edward did an amazing job in picking the most lovely artists and has trained them well. Every woman at the counter looked amazing and glowing whether it was Edward, Jaime or Leah who did their makeup. If you can’t make it in the next few days, don’t fret. I hear there will be more appearances in the future and I will do my best to keep you updated.

P.S. For those who haven’t been to the Beverly Hills Neimans before, if you enter the store from the Jo Malone entrance, walk straight to the back toward the right and you’ll see Edward’s counter.

9 Comments
Uncategorized

Inside My Chanel

June 7, 2011

I tend to carry a lot with me in my purse. I accumulate things over the week so by Thursday, the purse of the week is typically chock-full of way too much. So for the woman who carries too much, what’s the best way to carry the just essentials? Find a smaller purse. Today’s feature will be on what’s inside my Vert Fonce (Dark Green) Quilted Caviar Wallet On Chain (I believe this style/color combination is exclusive to Saks).

For those new to Chanel, the Wallet On Chain is exactly that. A larger sized wallet/clutch styled bag put on a chain to be worn over the shoulder. It has a few slots for your id and credit cards plus extra pockets and 2 zippered compartments. It’s just the right size for just the essentials: keys, phone, id, money and a lipstick.

Inside mine: Edward Bess Lip Gloss, Chanel Rouge Allure Laque, mini Jo Malone purse spray (received as a GWP from previous beauty event), iPhone, keys, gum + id/cards, cash in the zippered front pocket

The little black case is a leather Jo Malone cologne holder, it came with 2 mini sprays and just so happens to be the perfect size for 1 mini cologne + 1 mini lipstick, I wish more brands did cute GWPs like this with useable cases/bags:

I don’t know the last time I carried this little. Even with my pouchettes, I tend to pack them. You can check out these resources for more information on pricing, dimensions, styles, colors, seasons styling ideas here:

Green isn’t really a “me” color but the moment I saw it I had to have it. That said, after having this for less than a week – I’ve found green is new to me for my wardrobe, I have quite a few kelly greens, no army greens yet. I will have to experiment in the upcoming weeks trying to coordinate green with the rest of my wardrobe. It matches the Khaki Vert nail polish perfectly (previously reviewed here), but as mentioned the other day, matching green nails with a green purse = too green. Overall a great going-out bag, perfect for biking on the weekends around the beach, nice for running quick errands, but for everyday – not so practical since I tend to carry a lot more than just the essentials. I’m still in love with the quilted texture.

26 Comments
Uncategorized

Edward Bess Luxury Eye and Face Brushes

May 14, 2011

There are two types of beauty products I rarely buy without trying in person first: foundation and makeup brushes. I’ve read rave reviews on the Luxury Eye Brush ($40) and Face Brush ($56) on The Non-Blonde, Visionary Beauty, Blogdorf Goodman and Makeupalley, but still had to feel and test these in person before buying (even though everything else I have from EB has been purchased sight unseen). When I met Edward last month, I went to the Beverly Hills Neimans with a mental note to try three things: the eye brush, face brush and foundation. Here are my thoughts on his brushes.

Both are beautifully packaged in black boxes. The handles are both metal and the perfect size around to fit easily in the hand for convenient application. The designs are sleek and functional. The brush heads are dense but flexible. According to product info on the web, both are made of natural hairs. I’ve read reviews on other blogs that the brushes they have were made in France. Both of mine indicate that they are handcrafted in China – I know this might be a concern to many of you. I have not tested or seen the France-made brushes so I cannot compare mine. However, the ones I have are of excellent quality (ie, no shedding or color bleeding when I washed them like some brushes do, also the shape is even and well crafted).

The Luxury Eye Brush is something I think is best suited for an all over wash. Many of you probably use brushes this shape for your crease area. I have no crease so I tend to use these as a blender brush or for an all over wash of color. If you’re new to brushes and looking for something in this category, I highly recommend you get the EB over any other brush this shape. The brush is dense enough so it allows control. Some loose brushes simply don’t have enough density (enough hairs) resulting in a loose floppy type of brush that provides no control. Others are either too stiff or too soft preventing you from picking up enough product to get a decent application which may require multiple dips into your shadows and swipes on the lids to get enough to show up. I find Edward Bess’s Luxury Eye Brush to be the perfect density and texture (not too soft but not pokey) to get a good even application. Since my eye lids are smaller and do not have creases, this takes up a big chunk of my eye. It is a versatile brush though. When EB did my makeup, he used 1 brush to apply 2 colors (Mirage all over and Storm just 1/2 way up the lid). For my own personal application, I prefer to use more than 1 brush so I don’t mix colors and get them muddy, but EB’s makeup skills are far superior to mine. I look forward to more brushes from his line!

Shown next to his Dusk and Storm Eyeshadow so you can gauge the size of the head:

* Wearing Chanel Django, reviewed here before

Compared next to other eye makeup brushes with similar shapes: L to R Edward Bess, Stila, MAC, Trish McEvoy, Stila (double ended), Laura Mercier (this is the one LM brush I actually don’t love), MAC and Chanel

The Luxury Face Brush by Edward Bess is another winner. I’ve had a number of kabuki brushes from other lines such as Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier and MAC – all of which I liked but are at opposite extremes in texture. The Bobbi Brown is by far the softest and I love to use this for powder application. The Laura Mercier Face brush was too harsh of a texture for my face, it had good application for bronzer, but wasn’t my favorite.

Edward Bess’s falls right in between for softness. The best part is the handle is slightly longer which makes it easier to hold. I have super small fingers to begin with, but find the BB sometimes difficult to grasp easily. I imagine those with normal sized fingers might find it difficult to hold something that short as well. So far, I’ve only used the Luxury Face Brush with bronzer. It picks up just the right amount of product so you don’t need to tap off any excess before applying to the face.

Next to Edward Bess’s Daydream Bronzer:

Next to Bobbi Brown’s Face Brush (yes, it’s not fully cleaned, the lightness is due to powder residue):

Overall love. Spending about $100 on 2 brushes is definitely an ouch to the wallet upfront, but these two brushes are purchases I highly recommend. These are what I would call “no regrets” products.

Finding the right tools is important because good tools make all the difference for application. I have some brushes that are over 10 years old from MAC and Trish McEvoy – all of which I love. For the eye brush, I believe the EB is the best in its category for shape/size. The face brush is great as well – I have not tried kabuki brushes extensively so I can’t compare it to other brands, but I think it’s a great quality brush.

11 Comments
Uncategorized

Loving Right Now: Spring Pinks

May 5, 2011


I’m loving spring pinks right now. I can’t get enough of them. They make me feel polished and brighten my skin in a soft and feminine way. A few favorites right now:

  • Chanel Riviera Le Vernis – reviewed here, featured here, compared to Rose Insolent here, duped here
  • Chanel Morning Rose Le Vernis – reviewed here and compared here
  • Chanel Aventure Rouge Coco Shine
  • Edward Bess First Kiss Lip Gloss – featured here
  • MAC Pleasantry Mineralized Blush – from 2008ish



Compared to Bobbi Brown Pale Pink (old packaging) for color reference:

Morning Rose feels like it’s a bit faded looking – I think it’s because of the top coat I used which is the Dior from the Electric Tropics duos, I feel as though it doesn’t help colors last and makes them look slightly faded. It looks amazing on the Dior, not so much on Chanels.

All swatched on the arm for reference:


What are some of your favorite pinks?

17 Comments
Uncategorized

Meeting Edward Bess

April 21, 2011

I’ve been enamored with Edward Bess since 2009 (first posts here and here) but I had never met Edward Bess or seen any of his products in person at Bergdorf Goodman. Everything I’ve fallen in love with has been ordered sight-unseen. From my first phone call (long before they knew I had a blog), I’ve been thoroughly impressed by their excellent customer service, spot-on descriptions and never ending patience with my questions about the colors, depth, pigment and texture of their products.

I’ve been dying to go to NY to see everything in person but my school and work schedules have not allowed me much travel freedom in the past 3 years. I have relied heavily on Susan from Bergdorf Goodman and Krista (no longer at BG) with their over-the-phone descriptions. They have always given me a good idea of what to expect and the products usually exceed my expectations. I was thrilled to learn that his brand recently expanded to a new location at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills and was ecstatic to learn he would be making an appearance the same weekend I had planned to be in LA.



Meeting Edward Bess was surreal. Those who have had the pleasure of working with him know how wonderful, charming and beautiful he is both over the phone and in person. My friend of Jonesy and I were delighted to meet two of his artists, Leah and Jaime – both insanely gorgeous (inside and out) and talented makeup artists (trained from the best)! While I was at the counter, I observed at least 5 other women of all different ages and skintone who had their makeup done with Edward Bess products – each left glowing. The products enhanced their natural beauty in a way that was nothing short of radiant perfection.

Even though I was captivated by Edward, I tried to take note of what was being used on others. A darker skinned woman looked glowing with Deep Lust lipstick and Night Eyeshadow. A fairer skinned girl looked gorgeous with Blush Allure Lipstick topped with Sweet Dreams Gloss combined with Island Rose Compact Rouge on the cheeks. Another was wearing what I assume had to be his Midnight Bloom lipstick, a touch of bronzer and a classic simple eyeliner. All gorgeous!

Edward Bess:


I could go on and on gushing but I know everyone has been dying to know what Edward used when he did my makeup (yes, the highlight of my day!!). I was so caught up chatting with him I barely noticed he was applying my makeup. His makeup skills are phenomenal – have you checked out his video tutorials yet? (See them on EdwardBess.com.) What he used on me:

Skin:
Sheer Satin Foundation in Beige
All Over Seduction in Sunlight to highlight here
Ultra Luminous Bronzer in Daydream here, here
(everyone wanted this applied on them!)
Blush Imperiale in Soft Orchid here and here

Eyes:
Eyebase in the lightest shade (not yet released, to be named soon)
Ultra Luminous Eyeshadow in Storm on lids here
Ultra Luminous Eyeshadow in Mirage to highlight here
Defining Eyeliner in Deep Black (not shown)
Bess-Lash Mascara in Deep Black (not shown)

Lips:
Deep Shine Lip Gloss in Nude Satin here

I believe I’ve reviewed most of the listed items before – it will require a bit of searching through the archives if you want more details but below are pictures and swatches of the items that he used on me – only of the items I own. Disclosure: all items have been purchased by me. Brushes and foundation are new, they will be reviewed at a later date. I do not have the eye base, black eyeliner or black mascara so I supplemented the swatch with Urban Decay’s Zero. The foundation has been swatched in the corner to show you it’s not quite as dark as an untouched compact looks.

Three views of the swatches:




I left with great ideas on how to coordinate his products in ways I hadn’t thought of before. Hours later when I arrived back at home, my husband said he loved the makeup Edward used on me – a huge compliment as he typically says “they used too much” after most makeovers. The look was husband-approved all the way 🙂

Having his entire line in front of me for the first time, I should have played with more but in my excitement I forgot to try his concealer and the lipsticks and glosses I do not own. I will have to save them for my next visit, hopefully at the Bergdorfs counter in NYC. Women were swooning over the counter and all his products eager to try each and every item and his bronzer was selling like crazy. I believe it has reached holy grail status for more than just myself – and rightly so.

I had so many questions I wanted to ask Edward – unfortunately they all went right out the window. I was simply too caught up in the excitement speaking with him and his staff, seeing his line in person for the first time was overwhelmingly fun. I forgot all the things I wanted to ask him. I was floored when he told me practically everyone who visits his counter in NY mentions my blog and that even UK bloggers at his Zuneta launch event were buzzing about my small Beauty Look Book blog. Thank you to my readers for your support!


To Edward, Leah and Jaime – thank you so much for your kindness and help! Laura and I were thrilled to meet each of you and were happily noted your counter was the busiest at Neimans! It’s fabulous the Edward Bess brand is doing so well in Beverly Hills and we wish you all the best and are eagerly looking for your eye bases to be released very soon 🙂

Have you met Edward Bess? Please share!
22 Comments
Uncategorized

Today Was Epic

April 17, 2011

Today was an amazing girls’ day out in Beverly Hills packed with of all sorts of goodness. We hit up the Dry Bar, Lucky Scent, Barneys, Saks, Neimans and fit in a delicious lunch in between. LA can be very interesting and as many have noted, it is its own universe. I’m deliriously exhausted, but in a good way. Definitely glad to be back home but already looking forward to my next trip 🙂

Today’s highlight: I met my idol, THE Mr. Edward Bess today and he did my makeup! More to come soon. {Photo above should be labeled “The Beauty Look Book was here”, they wanted to put my Miu Miu in Edward’s display case, lol!}

9 Comments