Edward Bess Archives - Page 14 of 16

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

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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Edward Bess Pure Impulse + Soft Whisper = Nude Perfection

February 25, 2010

It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of Edward Bess. I’ve loved every single lipstick and lipgloss that I’ve purchased from the line and I have to say I’m surprised that I’ve had so many “yays” considering all the colors were purchased sight-unseen.

I’ve already featured some product photos and reviews on Pure Impulse Lipstick and Soft Whisper Lipgloss in previous posts, so today, I’ll bring you a lip swatch of the two used together.

For those who haven’t read those reviews, here is the run-down on Edward Bess Lipsticks & Lipglosses:

* Pure Impulse Lipstick – This is one of my holy grail nudes. Note that “nude” is subject to interpretation, but for me it’s a natural beigey-nude that enhances my natural lip color but better in a light-nude way. Edward Bess lipsticks are full coverage, rich and creamy. They blend on the lips like a dream. There is a slight fig scent which I don’t mind. Another surprising find, since my nose is ultra-sensitive. The lipsticks have a natural slightly glossy finish making them non-flat looking.

* Soft Whisper Lipgloss – This is equally pretty in my opinion. I find beauty in simplicity. It’s a pretty beige color without shimmer. It’s slightly warmer than Pure Impulse – but very close in color. Just not quite as nude. The pigment is medium with a slightly sticky finish, but not overly so. His lipglosses also have a fig-scent.

Granted, some may find these boring. But all I can say is that I love this lip combination. It’s simple, classic, easy to wear and coordinates well with other shades. Can they be easily replicated with other brands? Perhaps, but I love that I can wear Pure Impulse by itself without feeling the need to tweak the color with a different shade of liner or gloss. Soft Whisper compliments the lipstick perfectly adding shine and a bit more depth.

A few notes before you read on:
* I have received mixed reviews on swatches. Please take them with a grain of salt! I am not an expert at swatching or photographing swatches.
* Some of you like the swatches and some of you have asked me to stop swatching. There lies the blogger’s dilemma – what to do when you received mixed feedback?
* This lip-swatch article is my compromise-solution for requests on full-face photos.

Please bear with me while I try to figure out how to best photograph lip swatches. Thanks 🙂

*UPDATE* FYI: I am a Chanel Shell Teint Innocence which is light-medium right now. This is the equivalent of a MAC NC30 but a tad darker, not quite as deep as the NC35 color. YMMV depending on your natural lip tone. For some of my darker medium-skinned friends this isn’t quite as peachy as it looks on me and goes on more of a beige with nude/grey base.

Here is Pure Impulse applied alone, no lipliner or gloss:

The Lipstick + Lipgloss:

I used this today with Edward Bess’s Daydream Bronzer + Lancome’s Miel Glace Blush on the cheeks and it was a pretty natural look! Do note that the cheek products were added after I took these photos, which is why you can’t see anything but powder/foundation.

Edward Bess products can be purchased from Bergdorf Goodman or EdwardBess.com in the US.

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Ten Things I’m Loving Right Now

February 21, 2010

MAC Metal Rock Mineralized Skinfinish (From 2005 Gold Play Collection) – One of the prettiest complex coppery-deep bronzey colors. I like to use this for eyeshadow rather than on the face. For my skin it’s too dark to use on the cheeks. The closest I’ve found to this is NARS Fez.
Bobbi Brown Penny Metallic Eyeshadow (From 2008 Bronzed Pink Collection) – Also limited edition. Gorgeous warm sandy copper shimmer. Highly pigmented. Blends like magic. Try Bobbi Brown Burnt Sugar as an alternative.
Chantecaille Cheer Blush – Soft light peachy pink glow.
Edward Bess Sunlight Highlighter – You’ve seen the review and swatch comparisons before. I love this for the perfect glow.
MAC Beigeland Lipstick – Yay for B2M! Lovely light nude-gold shimmer. Not quite as pale as Gel, but pretty similar.
YSL Rouge Volupte #26 Tender Peach – Also swatched/photographed before. This is such a lovely healthy fresh peach that doesn’t scream “loud.”
Chanel Seashell Glossimer – The perfect sheer glowy pink. It’s better than topping lipsticks with clear gloss because it just makes everything look better with a subtle shimmery glow.
March Issue of Lucky Magazine – This was a surprise for me, normally I don’t really find many things in this magazine that appeal to me, but in this issue there are so many cute outfit and shoe ideas in this issue. Definitely a good read!
Pottery Barn Vintage Milk Bottles – Couldn’t find the individual ones online, but they have them instore. So cute to store pencils or small flowers. Online they have a set of 6 with the labels on the sides.

These are the ones from Pottery Barn Online:
Michael Bublé – I love his music. He has such a great voice. His songs Some Kind of Wonderful and Just Haven’t Met You Yet make my heart skip a beat.

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Ten Things I’m Loving Right Now

January 15, 2010

It was really hard for me to narrow my list down to only 10 things this month! Since I’ve already featured quite a bit of the new spring 2010 items, I decided to feature 10 non-new/non-spring releases that I’m loving right now.

1. MAC Sunny By Nature Mineralized Skin Finish – I’m a sucker for bronzers and MAC MSFs and fell in love with this one when it was released last July with the Color Craft Collection. Looks dark and almost muddy in the container, but on the skin it’s a nice natural satiny bronze. I love that it’s not too shimmery (which most MSFs are). I hope MAC makes more MSFs in this kind of finish! If you missed out, check your local CCOs, I saw this along with Cheeky Bronze at my local CCO a week ago.

2. Bobbi Brown Nude Beach Metallic Eyeshadow – This was released as an exclusive with the Nordstrom Anniversary Exclusives but is also in the (X Palette). You all know I’m obsessed with neutrals, Nude Beach is a pretty shimmery, but not overly frosty, nude shimmer with great pigment and lasting power.

3. MAC Eyeshadow Brush #239 – This is hands down the best MAC eyeshadow brush I own. I think it’s a must-have for everyone. It’s so versatile and soft which makes blending a no-brainer. I have a soft spot for all of MAC’s white-haired brushes, I wish they would make more shapes and sizes.

4. Nars Ondine Eyeshadow – This is one of the few eyeshadows I have ever hit pan on (the one pictured is my second one). I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone – those who can’t pull off plummy browns will probably find this looks bruisey on their skin. I really like this though because it has a complex combination of brown, plum and gold all mixed into one shadow. Those who wanted to love MAC Starviolet but found it too purpley will like Nars Ondine. The Nars is a more wearable, more brown, more grown-up and less trendy version of the MAC.

5. Edward Bess Bare Rose Lip Gloss – Not your typical milky pink, but still light enough to give a pretty natural pink lip. If you’re a fan of Nars Chihuahua, you will definitely like the EB Bare Rose which has a fig-scent, slightly sticky texture, long lasting, and high shine.

6. Dolce & Gabbana Sparkling Lipstick – I got this from the D&G Holiday Collection from Saks NY and it’s the most unique sparkling copper/nude/gold lipstick I’ve ever seen. It’s very pigmented and frosty, so those who don’t like metallic lips, you may not like it. The frosty-factor can be toned down with a cream colored gloss though.

7. Shu Uemura P Gold 94 Glow On – This is a blush I like to use as a highlighter for cheeks and eyes. It’s a light-medium shimmery flesh-toned gold with gold flecks. I like that it’s not completely gold or yellowy. It seems more pigmented than most of Shu Uemura’s Glow On Blushes, perhaps it’s the metallic aspect that gives it more pigment.

8. Paul & Joe Caramel 04 Lipliner – This is the creamiest lipliner I’ve ever tried. It glides on more smoothly than MAC Cremestick Liners (which I love) and the Caramel is the perfect YLBB nude-pink-brown. I bought this thanks to the recommendation of Hettie from Bergdorf Goodman. Lipliners were one of the few P&J items I hadn’t tried yet, so I asked her to pick out 2 colors for me, #04 Caramel was one of them and I can see myself getting a lot of use out of it.

9. Chanel Glow Glossimer – Pretty soft glowiness that’s hard to describe. It has peach and pink and bronze in it, makes my lips look full and glowing. The lasting power isn’t the best on this one, but I don’t mind reapplying it.

10. Paul & Joe Canyon 16 Face Color – Soft light pink and cool-toned shimmery highlighter. I like this for a natural angelic-pink blush. It goes on very soft and natural. It might not show up on MAC NC40s or darker though because it’s on the lighter side.

What’s on your list this month?

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Eyeshadow Comparisons For Marina, Lakshmi & Josie

January 5, 2010

I have been procrastinating on a few comparison requests and thought I’d post this in case anyone else had the same questions. I plan to be a better blogger this upcoming year and be more on top of things!

Comparison Project #1: How does Edward Bess Intimate compare to other shades, particularly Chantecaille Pyrite & Benefit Fawn Over Me?

Chantecaille Pyrite has more gold while Edward Bess is definitely more taupe/brown. Benefit Fawn Over Me might look like a close dupe at first glance, but looking more closely will show that it’s more of a paler sandy champagne compared to the Edward Bess. Here it is compared to similar shades.

Top: Chantecaille Pyrite, Edward Bess Intimate, Laura Mercier Bamboo
Middle: Scott Barnes Sable, Benefit Fawn Over Me, Guerlain Sable Blonde
Bottom: Becca Mermaid, Nars Cyprus, Benefit Fawn Over Me

1) Chantecaille Pyrite
2) Edward Bess Intimate
3) Laura Mercier Bamboo
4) Scott Barnes Sable
5) Benefit Birthday Suit
6) Guerlain Sable Blonde
7) Becca Mermaid
8) Nars Cyprus
9) Benefit Fawn Over Me

Bottom line: In my opinion, there is nothing like Edward Bess Intimate and I find it different enough to justify owning even if you have any of the above shades. This post will be updated later this afternoon with swatches.

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Comparison Project #2: Is Bobbi Brown Java Metallic similar to the brown shade in Nars Brousse?

Bobbi Brown Java is a cooler mouse-grey when compared to Nars Brousse which seems to have a tinge of red. By itself you would barely be able to detect any red tones to Nars Brousse. I’ve also compared it to a few other medium-dark cool-toned browns.

Top: Edward Bess Mystery, Bobbi Brown Java Metallic, Nars Brousse
Bottom: Cle de Peau Satin 106, MAC Magnetic Fields, Jouer Espresso

1) Edward Bess Mystery
2) Bobbi Brown Java Metallic
3) Nars Brousse
4) CdP 106
5) MAC Magnetic Fields
6) Jouer Espresso

What’s the verdict? Are these different enough to justify owning all? Probably not unless you are a brown eyeshadow fanatic like me. This section will also be updated with swatches if my camera will cooperate with me later today. While I love the Cle de Peau 106, it can look a bit bruisey on my Chanel Shell (equals MAC NC30-35) skin and it’s the least shimmery.

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Love from London for Edward Bess

December 23, 2009

Grace London from London Makeup Girl brings you her take on Edward Bess cosmetics. Her blog is one I follow regularly because she features those unique brands – many of which I hope I can try out someday!

Tell us about yourself: London is where I work (and shop.) My beauty interests lie mostly with the smaller, independent lines (Mr London jokes that the best way to describe my taste in anything is ‘esoteric’.) My beauty style is classic with a twist. I like taupe eyes, and red or rosy lips.

For our reference, what’s your skintone and hair coloring? My skintone is a pale cool olive (I’m about MAC 20 depth, although NW is too pink and NC too yellow.) My hair is a dark chestnut, and I have brown eyes.

How did you find out about Edward Bess? I first read about the Lip Wardrobe in Allure. When the products started to be sold separately a couple of the ladies that I know on emakemeup.com bought some, and one of my makeup twins there told me I needed to try the eyeshadows (and then enabled the purchase for me across the pond.)

What do you love best about Edward Bess? The excellent quality and textures of the products. The eye products are just fabulous neutrals; they’re wearable and classic without being dull or muddy.

Top favorite products/colors? Dusk and Intimate eyeshadows, and Midnight Bloom lipstick. Dusk and Intimate are the perfect neutral shadows to wear with a red lip (a khaki taupe and a beige with very subtle green/pink shimmer respectively), and Midnight Bloom is a lovely cherry red (pictured below).

Is there anything that didn’t quite work for you? Night Orchid lipstick is hard work for me to wear. I picked it because at the time it was the only pink lipstick in the range, but it is a little bit brighter than I feel comfy in. I have one of the three new lipsticks on the way to me (Tender Love) and I’m really looking forward to trying this; I think the line has been crying out for some rosy/plum lipshades.

What are your other favorite beauty brands and or products? Other brands I love include: Julie Hewett, Beaute, Kevyn Aucoin, Rouge Bunny Rouge, RMS Beauty, Lipstick Queen.

Anything else you’d like to mention? Please come to London, Edward. Your products would be perfect in Liberty or Fenwick, and I wouldn’t have to rely on the kindness of US friends to get hold of them!

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More on Edward Bess from Guest Reviewer Leanne

December 17, 2009

So what is an Edward Bess fan like? From what I gather, we all love those unique and more independent lines. We go for that simple minimalist but classic polished look. Leanne, another Edward Bess fan, shares her experiences and reviews on the line. She was the first one to help me with my millions of questions back in September and immediately gave me the latest scoop on the newest upcoming lipsticks (released in the fall) giving me super descriptions and details based on what she knew. Leanne definitely pointed me in the right direction starting me off with Intimate Eyeshadow & the fall lipsticks and glosses.

From Leanne:

I’m a 53 year-old visual artist, mother of two, and yoga fanatic from the Pacific Northwest. I consider myself something of a minimalist. I’m a sucker for really good design, whether it’s fashion, handbags, or furniture (I have a particular soft spot for Scandinavian style).

I have pale skin with cool undertones and blue eyes. My natural hair color is a medium ash blonde. I am in the process of letting it grow out with some gray and toning to blend it, so the overall effect is light blonde.

I would call my beauty style “simple chic with added quirkiness”, and “working what you’ve got”. I love the French concept of bien dans sa peau, or “feeling good in one’s skin”– being happy with who you are, flaws and all. I practice good skin care and work with my natural hair texture (which is curly/wavy and worn just below the shoulders). I’m the same weight I was in high school because of my yoga practice and a fairly healthy diet (I’m no saint, but I avoid fast food). My favorite makeup is a natural, neutral but polished look with a deep or striking lip color (think of the late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy). As I age, I’m spending more time on things that define my features, like eyebrows and lipstick, rather than trendy colors or complicated makeup.

My finding Edward Bess story is rather poignant. I became a widow last year, and decided that one way to ease myself through such a difficult time was to pare down my beauty routine but splurge on the absolute best products for the job. Researching on Makeup Alley and reading beauty blogs was a fun distraction when I needed it. The first thing I discovered about the line was that his lipsticks were great but you had to buy them all together for hundreds of dollars. My initial reaction was “pull the other one, Edward, it’s got bells on”– not exactly positive! Then I discovered that he was in fact expanding his line and selling products separately, with prices comparable to Chanel, Chantecaille, and Giorgio Armani. I was entranced by the reviews– his take on makeup sounded so in tune with what I wanted– and I contacted Leslie for her advice. She was, of course, lovely and very helpful. I started out with a few lipsticks, and I was a goner. Orders for the highlighter and concealer happened next, followed by purchases of eye shadows and more lipstick. (You see where this is going). I started getting rid of similar items from other lines that just didn’t stand up to these products. For me, having his line of cosmetics is like having a great quality wardrobe of a few simple, gorgeous, versatile pieces that all work together. The quality of these products– the texture, the scent, the lovely color palette, the simple black packaging– makes them a pleasure to use and wear. And the wear time is phenomenal.

My favorite products are Intimate eye shadow, Afterglow highlighter, Soft Beige Platinum Concealer, and several of the Ultra Slick Lipsticks (Eternal Passion, Tender Love, and Night Romance). There were a few lipstick shades I tried that didn’t work for me, but definitely have more hits than misses.

I love small, independent beauty lines and Julie Hewett’s is another that deserves more attention. Of the larger brands, Nars has been a consistent favorite of mine.

I can’t wait to see how Edward Bess expands his line. I hope he continues to do it with the same thoughtfulness and care he has put into it so far!

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