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Lipgloss

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Edward Bess Lipsticks & Glosses = Natural Perfection

October 4, 2009

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.

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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.

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Chanel Holiday 2009 Glossimer Duo: Les Deux Levres Scintillantes

September 26, 2009

US girls who have been eyeing or wishing for that elusive Euro/Canada Praline Glossimer – you are in luck because it is one of the glosses in the Chanel holiday sets! I went back to check on a few things and found out more details about this set which has:
* Glossimers in Spark & Praline (not Giggle like the SA had assumed and told me)
* Mini Nude Lipliner
* Retails for $50 (US)

The three sets I have seen were spotted at two local Nordstroms in Southern California but I have not seen the product is not yet online. As of yesterday, no spottings of the Noirs Obscurs or the Paris-New York Palette although I have seen the palette pop up online at a few places.

Close up of Spark (red gloss), Praline (nude pink gloss), and Nude Lipliner:

Praline comparisons:

Left to right: Chanel Giggle Glossimer, Chanel Praline #46 Glossimer, Chanel Bel Air #147 Glossimer, Chanel Glass Quartz Aqualumiere Gloss #69, Laura Mercier Blush, Laura Mercier Rose Flush, Bobbi Brown Pink Beige, MAC Full on Lust

Same order, different view:

Same order for swatches:

For the Chanel Glossimers, Giggle is the most nude, Bel Air is the most pink, Praline has slight brownish tones compared to both. Check out some more natural pink lipgloss swatch comparisons here Nordstrom Beauty Exclusives Haul Part 1.

I have a few reddish glosses but will have to dig them up. Check back for this post to be updated shortly.

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First Look at Edward Bess: Naturally Chic

September 24, 2009

What came in the mail from Bergdorf Goodman:

* 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.

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Trish McEvoy Sparkling Bronze Collection

July 27, 2009

Fall collections are already trickling out, but I wanted to do a feature on some pretty bronzey colors from Trish McEvoy who released a small collection of new products in her Sparkling Bronze collection this past May. I love the line for her high quality brushes, unique planner system, and innovative products. This was one of the first high end lines I got into years ago with an interactive makeup lesson at Saks Fifth Avenue where the artist has you repeat the makeup application to one side of your face after each step so you can recreate the look on your own at home.

Every single artist from the line I have met has been amazing – all talented in creating pretty looks, friendly personalities and super fun. It’s been a while since I’ve purchased things from the line because of the continuous product revamps (I must have seen at least 5 different versions of her Sexy Lipgloss as she has changed the formula and color of the years), but still check out her new products every once in a while.

The colors in her Sparkling Bronze Collection feature the following items:

* Bronzer in St. Tropez – a soft shimmery natural bronzer, she describes this as having “the ideal proportions of pink undertones to mimic the prettiest naturally tanned complexion.”

* Lip Gloss in Irresistible – a super sparkly bronze gloss with micro-glitter. I would say this has the same sparkle factor as MAC Dazzleglasses, but this has more pigment. Has a nice slightly minty scent which gives a cooling effect.

* Lip Color SPF15 in Golden Glaze – this is a sheer soft golden color. Reminds me of MAC High Tea lipstick but not quite as pale.

* Pen Luminzer in Luminous Bronze – this is my favorite, gives a soft glow to the skin in a twist up pen.

* Eye Definer Pencil in Sparkling Bronze – a unique dual-sided chubby eyeliner with a smudge tip on one end to blend the color. I wouldn’t really call this “sparkling” but it is a gorgeous deep brown shade.

Top – St. Tropez Bronzer

Bottom – Irresistible Lip Gloss , Golden Glaze Lipstick, Luminous Bronze, Sparkling Bronze

Swatches, left to right: Bronze Illuminator, St. Tropez (applied heavily over foundation/primer), St. Tropez (applied over bare skin), Sparkling Bronze Eye Definer, Golden Lipstick, Irresistible Lipgloss

Comparisons, left to right: MAC MSF Sunny by Nature, Trish McEvoy St. Tropez, MAC MSF Cheeky Bronze (so you can see how pink it really is)

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Estee Lauder Sensuous Gold Fall 2009

June 20, 2009

Estee Lauder just released a gorgeous fall collection with a two different color themes: Rose Gold and Rose Amethyst. I’m normally not an Estee Lauder fan, but the new Rose Amethyst Eyeshadow quad was absolutely gorgeous! The look featured on the model was breathtaking, but I cannot find a picture online as of yet. These items were purchased at Saks, but it appears they are available for sale online at nordstrom.com!

Pictured below includes:
* Rose Amethyst Eyeshadow Quad $35 – has a slight overspray, but you can see the true color through the patterned gold veins
* Rose Gold Pure Color Multi Gloss $18
* Bronze Double Wear Eye Pencil $19 (this really does stay in place!)
* Gilded Rose Shimmer Powder $36

Close up of the Bronze Eye Liner and Rose Gold Gloss:

Also in the collection:

* Black Plum Double Wear Eyeliner (shimmering violet plum)
* Rose Gold Signature Eyeshadow Quad (warmer and more rosy than the Amethyst)
* Pure Color Gloss in Amethyst (similar to the rosey one I got, just with purples)
* 4 Signature Lipsticks in Cinnamon, Rose Amethyst, Plum Amethyst, Terracotta
* 2 Pure Color Nail Lacquers in Black Amethyst (gorgeous vibrant plum) and Rose Gold (warm rosey gold, think Bobbi Brown’s Rose Gold Shimmerwash Eyeshadow – just happened to be a tad too warm for me)

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Le Metier de Beaute: Feature on Lips

June 15, 2009

I have fallen in love with a new luxury cosmetics line called Le Metier de Beaute. Karen at Makeup and Beauty Blog kindly featured me as a guest blogger in May with a review and introduction on the line. You can find the pictures and review here to find out more about their Galatea Eye Kit, Persephone Eye Kit, Sheer Brilliance Lip Glosses, Lip Cremes, and Lipsticks.

For a mini intro, the line launched exclusively at Bergdorfs and select Neiman Marcus locations last October 2008 and most of the products are available for purchase online at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. The line may be available at few boutique salons and recently launched in the UK at Libertys. Be prepared to see price points similar to that of Dolce & Gabbana (see previous D&G feature here) and Giorgio Armani products.

Since last month’s feature at Makeup and Beauty Blog, I have added a few more glosses and lipsticks to my collection, visited the Neiman Marcus Le Metier counter at the Beverly Hills location and joined the Le Metier de Beaute fan club on Facebook. I have ordered items from the Neimans at King of Prussia (Product Specialist is Ellen) and Beverly Hills (Product Specialist is Scott) locations and both of them are extremely helpful, patient and great at describing colors and making recommendations over the phone.

For my updated collection, I’ve separated the items into two different groups Lilac/Pinks/Reds and Beiges/Peaches/Nudes. There are 2 different formulas, Sheer Brilliance Glosses and Lip Cremes and they are both are mixed in each group. Please refer to Makeup and Beauty Blog for a description on each formula.

Group 1: Lilac/Pinks/Reds, left to right
Cap D’Antibes, Marsala, Sweet Creme*, Vanilla Rose*, Cannes, Dubai, Ibiza, Siena, Fraise Creme*



Group 2: Beiges/Peaches/Nudes, left to right
Sunset Boulevard*, Zanzibar, Apricot Creme*, Peche Creme*, Creme Caramel*, Captiva, Cafe Creme*, Bondi Beach, Papaye Creme*



(Please note, a * indicates the creme formula. Also note, that Sunset Boulevard, Zanzibar, Marsala and Siena were gifts with purchases and as far as I know, are not available for purchase in the regular line.)

Some of the glosses also come in a lipstick form, here are four of the lipsticks compared with the gloss versions.

Color Core Moisture Stain Lipstick & Sheer Brilliance Gloss, left to right
San Tropez, Cannes/Cannes, Ibiza/Ibiza, Marrakech

Have you heard about or tried this line? Thoughts? I have seen it featured in a few places and hope they will start advertising more as well as expand their distribution to more retail locations. Le Metier de Beaute was featured in Neiman Marcus’ May 2009 issue of THE BOOK as well as Bergdorf’s Spring Beauty Book section. There is also a picture of their new nail polishes in this month’s Instyle – looks pretty but very tiny!

Kalidescope Kits featured in THE BOOK:

The bottom eye kit is called Persephone, more close ups/info at makeup and beauty blog! I have nothing but raves about the quality of this line. However, I’m not sure the high price tag will attract enough customers, and on each occasion I have placed orders, the counters have been out of stock on at least 2-3 items. However I have received great customer service from the Product Specialists and each time they always offer to locate it at another location and have it shipped directly to me. Also, not all stores received the same items (such as the spring lip kits or eye kits or nail polishes) as what is online. At this time I am not sure if their store distribution is delayed or if the buyers at Neimans simply chooses different products for each location.

If you’ve seen features on this anywhere, please share! I’d love to see more pics or hear about more reviews on the line since it appears that the line selection is not the same everywhere based on the buyers decisions. More to follow on other items soon!

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