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Le Metier de Beaute

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Le Métier de Beauté Ultra Hydration Eye Mask Duo

February 10, 2013
Press Sample        

Le Métier de Beauté’s latest in skincare is their Ultra Hydration Eye Mask Duo ($150 for a set of 8 duos). They kindly sent one duo to test. The Ultra Hydration Eye Mask Duos come in individually sealed packets. Inside are two seaweed-based discs cased in a thin tray. The discs are shaped to fit the under-eye area and are designed to be placed under the eye area for 15 minutes. Le Métier de Beauté says that these eye masks will hydrate, re-energize, restore, diminish redness, sooth lines and reduce under-eye puffiness. How did the masks hold up for me? This is what I experienced:
I applied these Sunday morning after cleansing my face. The packets have a convenient peel-back corner making them easy to open, however the design of the discs in the tray seemed to be on the delicate side so I recommend opening on a solid flat surface. The discs themselves were flexible and easy to apply and felt like second skin. Upon application my eyes felt an instant soothing cooling sensation. I liked that they adhered well to the skin without feeling tight. I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything this good on my eyes – 15 minutes later I didn’t want to take the discs off (but I did). I’m at the stage in my life where I don’t have under-eye wrinkles or lines (yet) but in the mornings I do have extra under-eye puffiness so I am religious with my morning coffee or espresso to help me wake up and reduce puffiness slightly.
The main difference for before/after was in the overall feel of the under-eye area. My eyes felt well-hydrated and significantly less puffier than they normally are in the mornings. I suspect that the eye mask performance is similar to other skincare items in the sense that you can only really measure the impact to one’s skin after extended use. Still, the way the mask felt on my eye blew me away. While the price is a bit steep at $150 per set of 8 (breaks down to $18.75 per duo) I am ready to splurge on a full set. These are packaged conveniently to easily slip into one’s purse or gym bag. The way these de-puff make these a must-have for me for beauty emergency or work/stress meltdown situations. (I could have used one of these about six months ago at work.)
As far as I know, these have hit stores now. They are expected to be released online soon (will update when I find out more information). Are these must-haves? For me yes – I will be ordering soon (I’m waiting for a counter to have a really good gift-with-purchase promotion). The ingredient listing below:

A few other things from Le Métier de Beauté that might interest you:

  • There’s an 18-pan eye shadow palette coming out for spring, retailing for $95. It has a mixture of previously released shades and new colors. I have yet to see it in person but Scott Reyes from Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills kindly sent me a few photos from his counter.
  • In addition, Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills released two exclusive lip crèmes last year called Bloom (flesh-cream nude) and Catherine (pale champagne frost), $36 each. I called them a few days ago and they still has some left in stock. I haven’t reviewed them, but I will include a few photos below. From my testing – these are VERY nude and pale. For me they work best when mixed with other shades. For more detailed info and excellent reviews, I highly recommend you check out Beauty Professor and Cogitation Project.
Palette photo courtesy of Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills. Gloss photos my own.
All items are limited. (Click for larger viewing.)

Neiman’s Beauty Week is coming up on the 23rd of February. If you’re interested I recommend calling soon for a pre-sale. I’d recommend Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills (310) 550-5900 Ext. 2087/2027 (especially if you’re interested in their exclusive glosses) and ask for Scott Reyes. Tell them I sent you!
Have you tried Le Métier de Beauté Ultra Hydration Eye Mask Duo? Or other Le Métier de Beauté skincare items? What were your thoughts?
This post contains a press sample sent free of charge for review. For additional information please refer to the About/FAQ section.
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Le Métier de Beauté Bauhaus Kaleidoscope Eye Kit

December 30, 2012

Le Métier de Beauté’s latest is the Bauhaus Kaleidoscope Eye Kit ($95, limited-edition). It’s a stunning palette of rich shimmers in both warm and cool shades. Initial thoughts were that this was an odd combination, but knowing the genius of Le Métier de Beauté’s creations, I decided to order anyways. I ordered sight unseen from Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills thanks to a tutorial/preview featured online at Zuneta (thanks Café Makeup for sending the link).

The shades are not individually named in the palette, although names are listed online:

  • Level 1 is called Axiom: sublime bronzed umber. It’s a warm bronzey-golden shimmer.
  • Level 2 is called Graphic: silver liquid metal. This is a frosted pale silver metallic.
  • Level 3 is called Crucible: rich pomegranate. This shade is a warm metallic wine.
  • Level 4 is called Genre: deep gunmetal. This a frosted silvery gunmetal.

Individual close ups of each layer below.

The only shade that really appealed to me was the top golden bronze, however using the Le Métier layering technique gives a truly stunning smokey eye. It’s perfect for a sultry night time look. Blending the shades will make it suitable for day as well, but to me, this has more of a night-time feel.

In comparing other shades and kits, I do believe you can achieve a similar effect with existing shades. There are very close similarities between Bauhaus and Bordeaux, Thunder, Silk Road kit, and Antiquite Poupee kit. I wouldn’t say there are exact dupes – but shades that are indeed very close.
  • Level 1, Axiom has more warmth/red than Spicy (which is more golden)
  • Level 2, Graphic, I suspect is similar to other silvers (I don’t own any silvers from Le Metier)
  • Level 3, Crucible is a mix between Silk Road’s Level 3 and Bordeaux
  • Level 4, Genre is a more intense/deeper/metallic version of Thunder (more satiny) and Antique Poupee (has more of a blueish/silvery sheen)

Le Métier de Beauté Bauhaus is a stunning palette. I have to say I’m very impressed with the color combinations since they aren’t anything I would have imagined to try on my own. Be sure to check out a few other reviews and eye looks:
Bauhaus is fairly versatile. I used it with a soft pink cheek (Chanel’s Rose Intiale) and nude-pink lips (Tom Ford Pink Dusk + Le Metier Sweet Creme Lip Gloss). On another occasion it worked well with a soft bronzey-nude blush (MAC Tenderling over Laguna Multiple) and nude-pink perle lips (Chanel Perle Rouge Coco). Bottom line love.
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Le Métier de Beauté Nouvelle Vague Kaleidoscope

October 20, 2012

Le Métier de Beauté Nouvelle Vague Kaleidoscope ($95 for 0.56 oz/16gms) has been widely raved about by many. I’ve been waiting for this kit since August when I saw the press release and previews in the Neiman Marcus book. It finally arrived at Neiman Marcus counters and online. It’s a beautiful palette of pinks combined with an intense true black. It does not disappoint and fully lives up to my expectations.

The shades in the palette have names, but they aren’t labeled anywhere on the packaging so I will refer to them as layer 1, 2, 3, and 4 but according to Le , the shades are named as follows:

  • Layer 1: Nouvelle, described as a “sheer mink negative” is a soft warm shimmering seashell pink, to my eye this is almost identical to the one in Antiquité Poupée
  • Layer 2: Gamine, described as a “satin pink celluloid”, a frosted cool pink
  • Layer 3: Icon, described as a “silky matte Parisian mauve”, a lovely mauve-nude satin, the perfect contour shade, but not in the traditional nude or brown
  • Layer 4: Fin, described as a “smoldering black carbon”, an intense true black with slight shimmer, definitely the deepest darkest black I own (darker than MAC Carbon, my older Shu Uemuras, Chanel Black Star, Burberry Midnight Black etc.)

The texture is smooth and colors have amazing pigment. The Couches de Couleur layering technique is pure genius with all their kaleidoscopes. This one is no exception. While most press photos showed this kit in the black packaging, mine arrived in silver from Neimans. It appears most others are also in silver packaging. The actual kit is cooler-toned than online promotional photos. When I first saw it, I was concerned that it might give me a pink-eye look with all the pinks. However, the combination of the mauve and the black prevent it from looking too pink.
Close ups and swatches, (L to R) Layers 2 and Layer 1:
(L to R): Layer 4 and Layer 3:
Swatches:

A few sets of comparisons, first up pinks compared to Le Métier de Beauté Antiquité Poupée, Rose Champagne and Bobbi Brown Pink Pearl:

Second, the mauve compared to Burberry Antique Rose and swatched next to MAC Mauvement:

The black shade swatched next to Burberry Midnight Black, Le Métier de Beauté Thunder, and Urban Decay Zero:

I think it’s a beautiful kit that will suit a wide range of skintones. It stands out among other beautiful releases this winter season. I’ve found it beautiful for both day and night looks. The black is finally what I’ve been searching for for many years. It’s a true intense deep black that doesn’t go on grey or blue (like most other blacks do). It made the perfect look for a night out (went perfectly with a little black dress) last week when my husband and I celebrated our four year anniversary. I matched it with a sheer pink cheek (Bobbi Brown’s Pale Pink + 24k Shimmer Brick) and a rosy pink lip (Chanel Stresa Aqualumiere plus Bon Bon lipgloss, both discontinued).

It should be available to all Le Métier de Beauté counters now. I found mine at Neiman Marcus in store. Did you try or buy Nouvelle Vague? What were your thoughts?

See two beautiful eye looks on Messy Wands and Temptalia.
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Dark Vampy Lips – Fall/Winter 2012

October 9, 2012

I’ve always been one to wear neutrals, pinks or peaches on the lips. The darkest I tend to go is Clinique Black Honey, MAC “O, or MAC Desire Lipglass. I’m slowly but surely venturing into darker more dramatic colors for makeup. There have been a number of others who have inspired me to try new things 🙂 With a bit of nudging/encouragement from friends and after seeing some lovely swatches on other blogs – these are my new discoveries: perfect vampy lipsticks that are great for fall. I tried to get good lip swatches – unfortunately I failed miserably to get good lip photos. Most of these turned too red with a flash or purple without a flash. I will do my best to supplement with descriptions.
Burberry Lip Mist in Blueberry ($30, found at select Nordstrom and Saks counters) is a sheer glossy red-plum-brown. Out of all the darker colors in the feature this one is the easiest to wear for those scared of dark lips. As others have noted – it’s not really a true blueberry color on the lips. This one is the most forgiving when it comes to fading though. The glossy texture makes it look more natural on the lips and the fading is more subtle than with something that is sharply contrasted to the natural lip tone. I loved it at Cafe Makeup and The Non-Blonde.

Tom Ford Black Orchid ($48, found at select Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and Nordstrom counters) is pure luxury in a tube. This one is quite dramatic, but it has enough warmth and red/plum in it to not be too dark. I really love Tom Ford’s lipsticks (just not the price). This is a gorgeous dark burgandy wine plum. There is shimmer in the tube but it doesn’t really show up on the lips. I recommend a darker lipliner like Trish McEvoy Iced Nude or Chanel nude to help with the application. Since this one is so dramatic, it does require precise application – blending with a brush over a lipliner will help even out any areas that aren’t 100% accurate. I loved this on Lisa Eldridge (she has a brilliant video) and Buy Now, Blog Later. Also see it on KarlaSugar.

Chanel La Provocante ($32.50, I found mine at Nordstrom Seattle) was part of the twin sets for 2012’s Fashion’s Night Out and sold out almost immediately online. It’s a deep dark purple-red color. On my lips the texture was a bit blotchy and uneven, it took a few swipes back and forth to get even coverage. To me this was the least forgiving in terms of application/fading. It required precise application and it looked  Check with your local Chanel boutiques or studios to see if they still have this one. This one I still haven’t quite mastered yet. It’s the perfect dark vamp – a bit too dark for my taste, I would probably have to lighten it with a touch of gloss to warm it up. See it on Front Row Beauty, Christy-Tb and Indigo Kir Royale.

Dolce & Gabbana Dahlia ($30, at select Saks counters) is a classic cream formula and more pinkish/mauve out of all these. It’s borderline non-vamp because it’s not quite dark enough to be a true vamp, but still dark for me. I couldn’t find many reviews/photos of this one. I did like the feature on The Non-Blonde and comparisons on 3 19 29.

Le Métier de Beauté in Castelo ($32, available at Neiman Marcus) is a beautiful wine shimmer with brownish tones. It’s my perfect vamp without being too dark/goth. I fell in love with this after seeing it on Messy Wands (her post says it all). It’s also swatched on KarlaSugar.

I do apologize again for not having more useful lip swatches. Here are the ones I’ve done on the arm which I hope will compare the intensity of each shade.

To date I’ve worn Burberry Blueberry and Le Metier Castelo to work – the others not yet. I’ve matched these with a neutral eye and soft contoured cheek (Burberry Earthy, Dolce & Gabbana Tan or a soft bronzer like Edward Bess Daydream).

What’s your favorite vampy lipstick? Do you prefer the softer ones like I do or do you like to wear the dark/dramatic shades?

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Burberry Mulberry No. 24 Sheer Eyeshadow Comparisons

August 18, 2012
By request, a few comparisons of various burgundy-plum-brown shimmer eyeshadows. Included shades: Le Métier de Beauté Silk Road Kalidescope (2 shades), Le Métier de Beauté Alexandrite (from Persephone Kit that was discontinued), Le Métier de Beauté Bordeaux, Guerlain Les Bois de Rose, MAC Trax and Chanel Magic Night.

Swatches, same set/order, just two different views:

I found Burberry Mulberry to be the most similar to Chanel Magic Night in color. There is only a slight difference: Chanel Magic Night has the slightest bit more plum while Burberry Mulberry has more wine/red. I hope this helps with your purchasing decisions!
On a side note, thank you everyone for your continued support and understanding with my recent blog slow down. I really appreciate your patience, comments, emails, tweets and links! To give you a brief update without going into too much detail, I’ve just been busy with projects from my regular full-time job. I’ve tried to snap a few pictures here and there when I can for the blog. Thank you again for your support. I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!
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Le Métier de Beauté Indian Summer Lip Crème Lip Gloss Duo

June 8, 2012

Le Métier de Beauté has released another Haute House Hues Lip Crème Lip Gloss Duo called Indian Summer ($65 for 0.44 fl oz/13 ml). The two new shades are called Ginger Snap, a sheer sparkly warm pink and Copper Leaf, a warm metallic coppery orange bronze.

Both are labeled as the Lip Crème formula, but it Ginger Snap is more glossy and sheer than the typical Le Métier Lip Crème. It goes on fairly sheer on the lips giving a tint of sparkly pink. It’s quite stunning in the tube and naturally pretty on the lips. I think this shade works for me alone, but I think most will find it sheer and prefer it over lipsticks.

Copper Leaf is highly pigmented with a lightweight mousse-like creme feel. It’s on the orangey-side of copper but not overly so. I think this would look lovely on darker skinned girls. I like it but think it would be more flattering if I had a tan. This shade did bleed a little while wearing this. I recommend using a lip liner with a non-glossy texture to help matte-out the lip area.

Mix master Messy Wands has swatched them mixed on her gorgeous lips today. The Ultimate Makeup also has large swatches to view and so does Best Things in Beauty.

Here are the Lip Crèmes swatched, Ginger Snap, Copper Leaf, then mixed together (Copper Leaf dominates even when mixed in equal parts)

Comparisons to other Le Métier de Beauté lipglosses:

Swatched comparisons to other Le Métier de Beauté lipglosses: Nadine is more pink/red (not photographed above but swatched below), Ibiza is lighter and more pink, Toffee Creme is more neutral/brownish, Summerland has loads more sparkles and more pink/sand.

I like them mixed best but my love for Le Métier de Beauté lip crèmes and glosses still burns strong. Both are fairly unique for the colors I own. I don’t think you’ll find dupes in the Le Metier line (which is nice). For reference, the spring pinks lip creme duo was reviewed last month here.
There are two additional items in the collection, two orangey nail lacquers. I decided to pass for now, but I’m looking forward to upcoming Le Métier de Beauté releases (more kaleidoscope kits soon please!). I found my lip crème set in-store at Neiman Marcus. It should be available at all Neiman Marcus Le Metier locations.
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