According to my recent survey, some of you mentioned how you loved certain posts, but wanted ideas on how to coordinate the products with other colors. I’m going to do a five-part series of looks I’ve done recently that I loved. I hope this series will help give you some ideas!
A few things to note ahead of time: I am not a professional makeup artist, but the following looks have been created on my own. My fashion/beauty style is very simple and natural. Style/beauty icons include Charlize Theron, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Winslet, Eva Mendes, Lucy Liu to name a few – all women who embrace their natural beauty with subtle, elegant and classic natural makeup.
Look Number 1: a simple smokey eye with soft pink cheeks and rosy pink lips
Cheeks: Stila Lilium Convertible Color on cheeks Dolce & Gabbana Delight Blush layered on top
Eyes: Laura Mercier Platinum Metallic Cream Eyeshadow lash to brow Jouer Buttercream Eyeshadow on lids Stila Black Cat Smudgepot smudged along upper lash line Edward Bess Dusk Eyeshadow applied over the black liner blended up
Lips: MAC Naked Rose Lipliner Edward Bess Tender Love Lipstick Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer #7
Close up photos for eyes: Top Left = Jouer Buttercream, Top Right = Edward Bess Dusk Bottom Left = Stila Black Cat, Bottom Right = Laura Mercier Platinum
Close up photos for lips, Left to Right: Edward Bess Tender Love, Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer #7, MAC Naked Rose Lipliner
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Variation 1: using most of the same colors except includes Le Metier Fresh Blush, Edward Bess Love Always Lipgloss, Laura Mercier Pink Label Lipstick:
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Variation 2: MAC Conjure Up Mineralize Blush, MAC Bare Study Paint Pot, Dolce & Gabbana Stromboli Eyeshadow Duo, Bobbi Brown Black Ink Gel Liner, MAC Plum Lipliner, MAC Scant Slimshine, Laura Mercier Violet Lip Glace (old packaging)
I’ve written about a few makeover events I’ve been to from Chanel, Nars and MAC before, click on this MAKEOVER tag to see the products used in those events for some more ideas!
Still on the Edward Bess kick, I just received the Fall Lipglosses from Bergdorf Goodman and they do not disappoint.
All the shades are creamy and have no shimmer. They do seem to be on the sheer side, but I’ve heard they are meant to be layered with the lipsticks.
* Nude Satin is a beigey-brown nude, a true nude in my view * Sweet Dream is the brightest of the three, a deeper pinky berry * Love Always a pretty slightly cool-toned dusty rose
More views, with flash:
In natural sunlight:
I highly recommend you check out the Swatch Cards that Krista sent me to gauge the colors of these glosses rather than rely on my own swatches of the colors.
Those who like natural lip colors but have a hard time finding one that works for you, I highly recommend you check out the shades from Edward Bess. I now have six lipsticks and two glosses and have more coming in the mail.
It can be challenging to pick something sight unseen – still unsure about the shades from the pictures? Call the Bergdorf Goodman counter and the girls there are excellent at recommending shades and describing them in full detail.
The Ultra Slick Lipsticks retail for $29 are made with a hydrating formula that is rich in pigment and made with Vitamins A & E. They are also “scented with the subtle fragrance of wild fig.”
My review: The lipsticks are indeed radiant and rich in pigment. The coverage is full without being too heavy or drying. I’ve worn Pure Impulse with MAC Dazzleglass in Bare Necessity and it lasted from about 4 pm until 10 pm. They do have a subtle sweet berry candy-like scent but it’s not too strong to be bothersome.
Lipsticks from the regular line: * Pure Impulse – perfect natural nude (featured last week) * Forbidden Flower – soft creamy light coral peach with a hint of pink * Secret Desire – natural everyday your lips but better creamy pink
New for fall include three pinkish berry plum colors, all still natural and wearable (NOTE, I highly recommend checking out the feature on blogdorfgoodman – her photos of the fall lip colors are more accurate in my opinion, in my picture they all look the same for some reason): * Tender Love – to me, the most natural of the three, a soft natural mauve rose * Forever Yours – a natural light raspberry * Night Romance – the brightest/coolest-toned of the three, a cool berry mauve rose
Closer view:
The Deep Shine Lip Glosses are equally stunning and retail for $28. Described as “seductive” with “radiance” and are supposed to be hydrating to create full lips.
My thoughts: My current favorite non-shimmery glosses are from Bobbi Brown for their gorgeous and long-lasting colors. However, they can be a bit thick and sticky (which I actually don’t mind). Edward Bess has some great non-shimmery shades that have decent lasting power, but without the sticky factor. Also scented with the same fragrance as the lipsticks.
Colors I have: * Soft Whisper – the perfect nude-beige (featured last week) * Bare Rose – a pretty creamy pink that matches Forbidden Flower but leans more towards the pink versus peach. If you love milky pinks, but find they are often too pale or milky, you will find that Edward Bess’s Bare Rose Gloss is a brighter version that will work a lot better for you.
Swatches in natural light, no flash: * Top (l to r): Soft Whisper Lipgloss, Bare Rose Lipgloss * Bottom (l to r): Pure Impulse, Forbidden Flower, Secret Desire, Tender Love, Forever Yours, Night Romance
Swatches with flash, same order as above:
See Sunday’s post for swatches of the entire collection to date directly from Bergdorf Goodman. Think you’ll like most of the colors and willing to splurge for *all* of them? Check out their luxurious Lip Wardrobe which has 10 lipsticks and 5 lipglosses for $400 (comes out to about $26.67 per piece) all in a gorgeous black lacquered box. (Details on edwardbess.com)
Photo from Bergdorf Goodman’s catalog:
Edward Bess products are available for sale on his website Edwardbess.com and also at Bergdorf Goodman.
I received these swatches in the mail from Krista from the Edward Bess counter at Bergdorfs today. Those interested in Edward Bess’s line but aren’t near NYC to check out his colors in person, I hope this post will help you!
Huge hugs and kisses to the ladies at Edward Bess. I love everything and thank you so much for these swatches.
FYI, a few notes and disclaimers: * The glosses have tape over the swatches to prevent bleeding * In the top photo, the first gloss Desert Glow (pale flesh beige) has bled into Soft Whisper (nude-beige) – so please click on the photo for larger viewing * I am not affiliated with Bergdorf Goodman or Edward Bess – just a very happy customer * Please note these swatches may vary on your screen compared to what I see
Other tips: * Check Makeupalley.com for awesome product reviews * There are additional swatches at Edwardbess.com * Check out THIS LINK for other resources (Blogdorfgoodman, The Non-Blonde & The Beauty Alchemist)
I will be posting photos and swatches of the lipsticks I bought in the next week!
I am excited to feature more pictures and swatches of Edward Bess products in the next few days. My feelings for his line have grown from intrigue to anticipation to pure adoration for his high quality and richly pigmented classic colors. For face products, Edward Bess currently has two shades of his Ultra Luminous Bronzer and for my skintone I was recommended Daydream.
Daydream is a satiny soft bronze color that is somewhere in between matte and shimmery. One thing I love about many of the Edward Bess products is that at first glance, the colors look basic and ordinary, but if you look closely at the bronzer and eyeshadows you can see a soft glowy-ness with gorgeous shimmers that give it a natural depth once applied to the skin.
Here is Daydream compared to some other neutral bronzers I have: Becca Duende, MAC Golden, Bobbi Brown Bali Brown, Giorgio Armani Bronze Mania #5 and Chanel Sierra (discontinued). My swatches ended up looking muddy, but to help compare Edward Bess Daydream to the other shades, it is the truest-tan brown, without any hints of orange, more pigmented and darker than MAC Golden, similar to Bobbi Brown Bali Brown minus the shimmer and a bit more tan.
I think this would work well with medium-tones. The price of this bronzer is $48 which I felt was steep, but I know it will give me the tanned glow I love without having to worry about too much shimmer or looking too flat.
Overall thoughts: The products in his line are priced on the higher side than the average high-end luxury brand with prices along the lines of Armani, Chanel and YSL. Even so, I want more of his products and wish he made blushes! Hopefully he will release some in the future at a reasonable price.
I look forward to trying out more of his products, perhaps visiting New York to see the entire line in person, and hope his line will see the same success as Bobbi Brown who also started her line at Bergdorf Goodman with 10 classic lipsticks (of course in his own unique personal way). For pictures of more Edward Bess items I have, check out First Look at Edward Bess: Naturally Chic.
Stay tuned for more posts about the lipsticks and glosses!
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:
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.
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
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.
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:
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 🙂
* Ultra Luminous Eyeshadows in Intimate & Dusk * Ultra Slick Lipstick in Pure Impulse * Deep Shine Lip Gloss in Soft Whisper
Left is Intimate: which is a gorgeous light neutral nude taupe with just the slightest hint of shimmer Right is Dusk: which is a deeper taupe grey with slight khaki/coffee tones
Left is Pure Impulse, Right is Soft Whisper: both are gorgeous nudes and I can’t wait to try them (huge thanks to the makeup artist at BG who recommended these two)
I haven’t tried the products yet on the face but I’ve swiped a few to play around a bit and I’m extremely pleased with the natural but high pigmented colors. I will definitely be exploring the line some more in the near future.
