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Neiman Marcus

Edward Bess Eye Makeup

Edward Bess Earth Tones Natural Eyeshadow Palette, Perfect Line Every Time, Big Wow Full Brow Pomade and Wish Granted Mascara

October 27, 2016
Edward Bess Earth Tones + New Eye Launches

Edward Bess has launched quite a few new things including some classic additions in eye makeup along with three new perfumes. Today I’m reviewing the eye makeup – all true to Edward Bess style where makeup is classic to enhance your features in a natural way but make them look better. I got a sneak preview back in September at Neiman Marcus while visiting his counter. He swatched his new Perfect Line Every Time Liner on the back of his hand and once it sets it does not budge. If you are able to visit any of his counters while he’s in store (all locations listed here) I highly recommend you do – you will be in for a treat.

In today’s review lineup:

All eye products are available at Net-A-Porter. The liner and mascara are also available at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. Eyeshadow, liner and mascara are available at QVC (some prices vary with sets).
Edward Bess Earth Tones Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills
Up first is my favorite item the Earth Tones Naturally Enhancing Eyeshadow Palette. It has five natural shades that are very natural but not invisible. The colors look like they run neutral-cool in the palette but on my skin they have a mix of neutral, cool and warm. Colors have the most beautiful finely milled kind of shimmer and texture is buttery soft for smooth natural application. If you like bold full pigment kinds of shades you may find this too natural. But for the person who wants a very natural look for the eyes and a palette that is easy to wear for everyday this one is a great one.
Edward Bess Earth Tones Eyeshadow Palette

Colors are a pale cool white shimmer, satiny light pink mauve, medium warm plum shimmer, shimmering grey taupe mauve, deeper cool-toned purple. Swatched below:

Quick eye look with all colors on the eyes:

Edward Bess Earth Tones swatched

I couldn’t find anything quite like the colors in this palette from what I own. I pulled the Dior Eye Reviver Palette reviewed here which has a similar effect in the natural finish but runs cooler and has a sheerer finish with some of the shades.

Edward Bess Earth Tones vs Dior Eye Reviver Palette
Edward Bess Earth Tones
Next are the Perfect Line Every Time Liner in Deep Deep Black and Wish Granted Magic in a Bottle Mascara in Onyx. The Perfect Line liner is a deep true black with a twist up style applicator and smudge brush at the end. It does indeed last a very long time (all day on me) with out smudging or budging once you apply and let it set. It glides on easily without any tugging and gives a rich deep black color. It does set quickly so if you need to smudge or blend with an applicator I recommend you do so quickly.
The Wish Granted Mascara is a true black mascara. It’s described as a long lasting clump free mascara to add volume. I am extremely picky with mascara as I have straight lashes that require curling. Most mascaras smudge, don’t hold the curl, or flake. This one from Edward Bess did not smudge and there was no clumping so on those points it’s a winner. For me I have a serious need for volume and this one can be built in two layers for volume but I found it didn’t give me as much drama as some other formulas. 
Edward Bess Perfect Line Every Time and Wish Granted Mascara

Perfect Line in action at Edward’s counter:

Edward Bess Perfect Line Every Time

Last but not least are three brow products called Big Wow Full Brow Pomade . It comes in three colors, Light Taupe, Medium Taupe and Rich. I can use either Medium Taupe or Rich for my coloring and it’s really really good. It is an easy to blend natural looking brow product. It has a whipped formula that is lightweight and has the ability to coat hairs or fill in sparse areas. As one who finds I can’t wear any brow products with red, I really like these color options. He has a Dual Ended Brow Brush for these, but I find you can use any angled brush. I tried with the MAC 266 and Wayne Goss Brush 21 and both worked really well.
These look natural and are easy to use. Thumbs up.

Edward Bess Big Wow Full Brow Pomade

Edward Bess Big Wow Full Brow Pomade
One last quick look from my visit to his counter at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills. Many of you often ask what my natural lip color looks like, here’s a photo of me without anything on the lips – it was after lunch and everything had worn off. To the right is his Big Kiss Lipstick.

Bottom line some solid additions to Edward Bess’s line. I really love his Earth Tones Eyeshadow Palette and the new Brow Pomades and as a natural-neutral makeup lover these are just perfect. I’ll have a dedicated post on his fragrances soon. One briefly reviewed in my Fall Fragrance Loves for Him and Her post if you want a quick peek.

All eye products are available at Net-A-Porter. The liner and mascara are also available at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. Eyeshadow, liner and mascara are available at QVC (some prices vary with sets). All items also available from his website Edward Bess.

Have you tried these yet? If yes what did you think?
Many thanks to Edward for keeping me stocked on his latest and greatest.
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Edward Bess Ultra Slick Lipstick

September 16, 2016

Edward Bess’s Ultra Slick Lipstick ($35 each for 13 oz/3.6g, made in USA) have been a long-time favorite. The first one I bought was Pure Impulse which today still is my holy grail pinky nude. Over the years some shades have come and gone, a few new ones have been added but Pure Impulse is one of the originals that stayed. I ordered mine sight unseen many years ago and couldn’t be happier I discovered his line from a photograph in a Bergdorf Goodman catalog. At that time it was the only store that carried is makeup and had I not seen it, I might have just missed out. Today you can find his line at a few more stores. I’d recommend visiting his website edwardbess.com to stay updated on the latest store openings. For online I usually buy his products from Neiman Marcus or Bergdorf Goodman (both owned by the same parent company). Products are also available at Net-a-Porter. If you’re in Paris, Colette carries his products in store.
A quick peek at the counter in Bergdorf Goodman:

The Edward Bess Ultra Slick Lipstick is a medium to full coverage fig-scented lipstick. All his shades are creams, as of today there are 13 total. I find there to be a good range from light to deep, from natural to bright so there’s bound to be at least one you will like. I have stuck with a few classic neutrals for years such as Pure Impulse, Tender Love, Demi Buff and Night Romance. Edward has been kind to send some over the years and he has a keen eye for matching color to skintones. If you are ever able to meet him in person I highly recommend you do so. It will be a memorable experience!

As many of you may not have immediate in person access to his product I ordered all of his shades to swatch and review for you as a reference. Having played with the line in person on numerous occasions I knew that most of the colors are colors I would wear anyways and his lipstick is so so good I think everyone should own at least one. If I were forced to wear one brand of lipstick the rest of my life it would be Edward Bess’s and you can quote me on that.

Texture-wise these are creamy and feel very comforting on the lips. I usually wear them alone without a lipliner although Natural Lip Definer is a classic that works with most of the neutral lipsticks I own, not just in his line but in other brands too. You can find it swatched and compared to a ton of other lipliners here. They are fig scented but it’s the best kind, not too sweet and not fake. Lasting power is good as long as you don’t eat or snack. Coverage is medium to full.

Onto the colors:

Colors as I see them described below. All are creams so there’s no shimmer. The finish has a slightly glossy sheen but I’d say they are more satiny and creamy. They feel amazing on the lips and are among the few that don’t make my lips peel by the next day.
  • Nude Lotus is a true light pale flesh nude, this is too pale for me to wear alone but it looks amazing layered over brighter corals like Island Blossom
  • Naked Blossom is a peachy light nude neutral
  • Pure Impulse is my perfect neutral nude
  • Island Blossom is the prettiest coral peach that’s bright but not garish
  • Deep Lust is a classic mahogany brown, looks good on everyone I’ve seen it on!
  • Midnight Bloom is a classic red
  • Desert Escape is a neutral medium pink brown (the original one used to be more brown)
  • Rose Demure is a cool-toned rose mauve
  • Demi Buff is a pinky neutral with a hint of brown
  • Tender Love is a medium rose
  • Night Romance is a classic raspberry shade (this is my mom’s favorite and the only other lipstick she’ll wear is by Estee Lauder so for her to like one this is a big deal)
  • Blushed Orchid is a cool-toned baby pink
  • Endless Dream is the best bright pink I’ve ever tried, bright but still refined

Swatched on bare lips:

One last look:

The Bergdorf Goodman Rewarding Beauty Event is happening now through the 18th online and in stores. If you’re interested in other Edward Bess products you can click on the tag at the bottom of this post to see previous reviews. I’ll link a few below:

Black Sea Hair Hero (the most fun review I’ve ever done)
Daydream Bronzer (in my Summer Bronzer Edit)

Bottom line a winner in all aspects: color selection, texture, packaging (classic!), scent and lasting power. If you’re new and want to know where I think you should start for the Bergdorf Goodman Rewarding Beauty Event, I’d say:
  1. Pick one lipstick color
  2. Daydream Ultra Luminous Bronzer is my holy grail bronzer, it’s not orangey, isn’t frosty and gives life to the face
  3. All Over Seduction is my holy grail cream highlighter, I like Afterglow because it has more color on my skin, but Sunlight is also very good
  4. His Retractable Buff and Blend Brush is really good and super soft
  5. If you like neutral-ish kinds of lips, Natural Lip Definer will go with a lot of colors
As you can tell I’m a true Edward Bess fan. His products have never let me down and I love that in a beauty world that is constantly pumping out new innovations that he’s kept a very well-edited line of classic staples that will help you look like you but make you feel like a more polished version of yourself without changing a lot.

You can find Edward Bess at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Net-a-Porter, or online at Edward Bess.

Pure Impulse, Demi Buff, Endless Dream, Tender Love, Island Blossom, Rose Demure, Naked Blossom gifted by Edward. All other shades purchased by me. 
Eye Makeup Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty Style Eye-Con No. 7 The Social Butterfly // Neiman Marcus Exclusive

February 4, 2016

Marc Jacobs Beauty just recently launched the beauty line at Neiman Marcus. It appears they have the full line of products online, I haven’t spotted anything in store yet, but I suspect it will launch in a few select locations to start (if you’ve spotted it at your local Neimans please share in the comments!). As a huge fan of Marc Jacobs Beauty I was thrilled to find a new eyeshadow palette in the Style Eye-Con No. 7 called The Social Butterfly ($59 for 7 g/0.247 oz) which is exclusive to Neiman Marcus. I ordered it as soon I saw it and it made a quick sneak peek appearance on my Instagram here. Today I have swatches + thoughts to share. As a neutral eyeshadow lover this one does not disappoint and conservative eyeshadow wearers will be happy to know it’s glitter-free. The pigment is super rich and soft with this one, similar in texture to many of the other Style Eye-Con No. 7 Palettes. There is a slightly powdery kick up with these shades when you dip your brush into the palette, but the colors apply easily on the lids, blend well and they stay put.

I will call this a neutral warm smokey eyeshadow palette, althought it has a few cool-toned colors. The overall effect gives a unique natural eye look but you can use the darker shades to intensify the color for a more soft smoldering dramatic effect. Urban Decay Naked Smoky pulled on the cool-side for me overall. The Social Butterfly by Marc Jacobs Beauty is a warmer smokey palette and has a more conservative feel. It comes in a small buttoned pouch just like the other palettes. I don’t store them in these but they are nice to have if you travel, it will keep the outside from getting scratched if it’s stored in a travel bag with other makeup items.

The colors from left to right in the palette are:

  • Matte cream, this is a shade lighter than my natural skintone, it works as a good evening base color, or you can use it as the last step to softly buff any harsh edges from other shades
  • Matte tan, this looks neutral, it pulls a bit warm on me, but it’s not orangey or too warm, pigment is excellent
  • Shimmering golden sand, this one has slight olive tones (very very slight) in it, I suspect it pulls that way because of my olive skin, on the eyes it pulls more true to pan
  • Soft shimmering lavender, most readers know I am not a fan of light purples on my eyes, they often look odd on my skin and give me a pink-eye look but this one is so so beautiful, it’s a soft shade that I think is my favorite, it adds a pop of color to the eyes in a pretty and unexpected way
  • Shimmering warm taupe, my favorite kind of eyeshadow color, this one is stunning
  • Matte brown, this one is best used with a detail brush, it blends well, but if you dip a large shadow brush and try to blend, it will look blotchy
  • Dark intense black with tiny flecks of gold shimmer, also best used with a detail brush
Close ups and then swatches:

Bottom line a classic that I will get regular use out of. It’s a very pretty neutral palette that will give a natural smokey eye look. It’s easy to use and layer the colors together. You don’t need use all seven shades at once, I usually use 5 colors at the most, but layering them does allow you to add depth and more dimension. Although this is different from the Dior Eye Reviver palettes (reviewed here and here), I can’t help but feel that Marc Jacob’s The Social Butterfly is what I wanted those palettes to be. I highly recommend that you check it out. I like that the colors are all neutrals and that each color looks distinctly different on the eyes. With some neutral palettes all the colors can often look the same once swatched.

For quick reference if you’re new to Marc Jacobs Beauty, here are a few other reviews I’ve done in the past linked below including all the Style Eye-Con No. 7 Palettes I own (or you can click the Marc Jacobs Beauty tag at the bottom of this post).

Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquers (all shades swatched)
Le Marc Lip Crèmes (all shades swatched)
You can find Marc Jacobs Beauty products now at Neiman Marcus, Marc Jacobs Beauty and Sephora. The Social Butterfly Palette is exclusive to Neiman Marcus.

Do you have any Marc Jacobs Beauty favorites? 
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Le Métier de Beauté x Neiman Marcus Breast Cancer Awareness Stephanie Kaleidoscope

October 18, 2015

 

This month Neiman Marcus and Le Métier de Beauté launched a special Limited-Edition Stephanie Kaleidoscope ($95) to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness. It is inspired and designed by Stephanie Seban, a former Neiman Marcus employee, to help spread awareness about breast cancer. Proceeds from this kit are being donated to breast cancer research and awareness centers all over the nation, Le Métier de Beauté is give back 30% of total sales in support of the cause. You can read more about Stephanie’s touching story on her website Stephanie Seban. The launch coincides with the Neiman Marcus Incircle Event and there is a gift with purchase available online and in stores that ends today 10/18. (More on this below.)

 

 

 

The Stephanie Kaleidoscope contains four eyeshadows named Light, Heart, Hope and Live. Per Neiman Marcus, the inspiration behind each color is as follows:
  • Light – A brightening neutral
  • Heart – The heart of the Kaleidoscope, soft pink
  • Hope – A golden ray of hope
  • Live – A lively cool taupe
True to Le Métier de Beauté style, each color is very soft with a finely milled texture. The colors have medium but buildable pigment. They layer together beautifully for a stunning unique look. They always come up with color combinations I would never think of, sometimes there are shades I look at and think I would never wear. However when I try them, I’m always impressed with how beautiful they are.

 

From top to bottom, the colors are breathtakingly beautiful. Light is a bright neutral cream champagne, on my skin it pulls neutral-cool. The shimmer is very finely milled and it’s not frosty. The next shade Heart is a cool matte pink. I’m normally not one to wear pinks on the eyes like this one but I gave it a try and it looks quite pretty when layered with the other colors. It can also double as a very subtle blush. Hope is one of the warmest copper shimmers I’ve ever tried. It’s a surprisingly pretty color when mixed with the pink and taupe, I think this kit would be more wearable if this were more of a neutral golden shimmer rather than a warm coppery shade, but I find it unique and really pretty. The last shade is Live which is a shimmering taupe with slight khaki and grey tones. There’s a bit of silver shimmer mixed in which makes it a soft smokey shade.

 

 

 

 Close ups of each color:

 

 

 

 

 

There is a special gift with purchase for Neiman Marcus Incircle which is their bonus point event for Neiman Marcus cardholders. You don’t need a card to qualify for any of the gift with purchase promotions. The October Incircle Gift is with any $300 Le Métier de Beauté purchase which is fairly steep. I’ve had some kaleidoscopes on my wishlist for a long time and decided this gift was worth splurging for. There are two options of lip creme lip gloss, I picked the darker one Overcome which is a warm pink that’s slightly red. The other one in store looked like a non-shimmery cream that is a pale pink. They didn’t have testers so I didn’t swatch it. Also in the gift is a Baked Blush called Victoria and a Liquid Luminizer called Lambent. At this time all three are exclusive to this gift with purchase. (If you shop online the gift will be added automatically at checkout.)

 

 

One last shot of the Le Métier de Beauté x Neiman Marcus Breast Cancer Awareness Stephanie Kaleidoscope:

 

 

I tried to take photos of an eye look I did a few days ago but the lighting conditions weren’t the best and photos didn’t turn out so well. I do think the matte pink and copper are outside of my comfort zone in terms of wearable shadows for everyday but when they are layered with the other two the result is really quite pretty and not over the top. If you’re new to Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscopes, they have four swivel pans. Some are all eyeshadows, others have a mix of powder, blush, bronzer or gloss. The top flips up to reveal a mirror. They are beautifully designed and the quality of the shadows are phenomenal. (You can click the Le Métier de Beauté tag at the bottom to see previous reviews of other kits.)

 

Bottom line the Stephanie Kaleidoscope is a beautiful luxurious treat. If you can stop by the counter to see it in person I recommend doing so. It’s a delight to hear that a sizeable portion of the sales are going towards a good cause. I’m happy I purchased it. The pink packaging is really cute.

 

The Le Métier de Beauté Stephanie Kaleidoscope retails for $95. It’s limited-edition and exclusive to Neiman Marcus (online and in stores).

 

Have you checked out this kaleidoscope kit yet? What did you think?
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Le Métier de Beauté Ken Downing Paris and Full Stream Kaleidoscopes

September 22, 2015

It’s been over a year since I’ve featured anything from Le Métier de Beauté. Long-time readers know that I used to be a huge fan of the line. Their kaleidoscope kits feature some of the most beautiful colors for eyes and cheeks – over the past 5+ years I accumulated quite a few and loved them (I still do). However I found that many kits contained repeat colors and at $95+ each, I found them too pricey to end up with duplicate colors (as seen in one of my last posts on the line from 2014). Fast forward to this month and I decided to splurge on two for the Neiman Marcus Beauty Event (which ends tomorrow 9/23) – both of which seemed unique enough to justify. One is the Ken Downing Paris Eye Kaleidoscope $125 (which isn’t new, but still available for purchase) and the other is a new one called Full Stream Kaleidoscope $95.

The Le Métier de Beauté Ken Downing Paris Eye Kaleidoscope has four eyeshadows. This one is more expensive than most, priced at $125 for 0.49 oz/ 14 g. I was also really drawn to the Ken Downing London Kit, but 2 of the 4 shades seemed very warm. In my experience, Le Métier de Beauté always surprises me with how wearable the reddish/orangey shades are on the eyes, especially when layered with cooler tones, but I decided to opt for the cool version.

The four shades include a soft satiny cool pink shimmer, a warm copper metallic, a cool pale silver dove grey shimmer and a warm brown shimmer. The mix of warm and cool is pure genius, especially when the colors are layered together (although I’ve shown them swatched separately). Pigment is easy to build. The two lighter shades are sheerer in finish with a soft satiny texture while the darker ones are more metallic, more buttery in texture and more pigmented.

Close ups of each shade:

There are four new Kaleidoscopes exclusive to Neiman Marcus. The four are called Full Stream, Lift Off, Bon Voyage and All Aboard (not available online yet). Each kit has a translucent pressed powder and variations of blush, bronzer, highlighter and eyeshadow. I originally pre-ordered two, but since all have a pressed powder, I remembered my hesitation in getting duplicates and picked Full Stream.

All four photographed in store from Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills:

Full Stream has a translucent powder, one cool pink shimmery blush, a warm tan bronzer and a soft peachy shimmer eyeshadow (also works as a highlighter). The kit is very simple and basic – but it’s perfect for on-the-go and touchups. I was worried the powder would look really white on my face because swatching it showed it was really pigmented. On the face, even on my tan skin, it disappears and leaves a matte-looking finish.

Close ups of each color:

I’m happy with both of my purchases. They did make a serious dent in my wallet and although Full Stream is easily dupeable with other colors, sometimes it’s nice to have something basic that doesn’t require much effort or thought to apply. It brightens the face in a natural polished way and adds color without looking overdone. I can see this going really well with bold lips. Even though these are expensive at $95 and $125 each, if you break it down per pan, it’s about $23 to $31 per color which isn’t too bad given the product amount. Comparing it to other brands at the per gram or per ounce price, it’s reasonable. Still, if you’re like me, you probably budget beauty splurges at the bottom line total, so yes, these are still pricey. The only gripe I have about these two is the sticker at the top. I like the fun designs and they are really pretty – however the kits have a slightly rounded top and the stickers are flat so the result is a bubbled sticker that looks uneven. I had one in my purse in my makeup bag (I don’t recommend doing this) and the tops are not scratch proof. One of mine wasn’t applied on the kit evenly so the edges started to come up. It bothered me enough that I pulled the sticker off which is a shame because the designs are really cute.

In summary, I think the new kits are definitely worth looking into. You can find both the Ken Downing Paris and Full Stream Kaleidoscope exclusively in store and online at Neiman Marcus.
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Le Métier de Beauté Carnaby Street Kaleidoscope | Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus Exclusive

October 6, 2013

Le Métier de Beauté Carnaby Street Kaleidoscope Eye Kit ($95, limited) is an exclusive release to Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus. So far it’s only online at Bloomingdales.com but you can probably still find this in store or have your Le Métier de Beauté specialist locate one for you. The colors in this kit are beautiful but 2 out of the 4 are repeats from previous kits. I still find the kit worth having but you may want to shop your stash if you have a lot of the kaleidoscope kits.

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Level 1 is a seashell peachy pink shimmer. It’s different from other pinks Le Métier de Beauté has released and makes a stunning all over shade that brightens the lids.

I didn’t have time to swatch the comparisons side by side, but did photograph them side by side to give you a better idea of how each layer compares. Here is Carnaby Street compared to Saint-Domingue (Saks exclusive) and Antique Poupee (Bergdorfs limited release 2011).

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Level 2 is a shimmering complex taupe. I found it to be identical to the taupes from other kits such as Antique Poupee and Come One, Come All.

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Level 3 is a matte mauve. It applies beautifully on the eyes to add a bit of contour and warmth. It’s identical to the mauve shade from Nouvelle Vague.

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Level 4 is a metallic teal. It’s a repeat from the Oscar de la Renta/Ready-to-Wear kit from Bergdorfs back in 2011. I’ve compared it next to the green from Penelope (also discontinued) to show that the Carnaby Street kit is more teal.

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Swatches, two views:

For those trying to decide between the two latest kits from Le Métier, here is Carnaby Street compared to Saint-Domingue (Saks Exclusive). I can’t say one is better than the other, they are both stunning options in my mind. However Saint-Domingue is easier for me to wear. The teal in Carnaby Street is gorgeous but I need to add a bit of brown or black to darken it for my complexion (teals can sometimes make my olive skin look sallow).

Overall, the Carnaby Street Kaleidoscope is a lovely release from Le Métier de Beauté. It is a modern palette of colors with unique shades compared to other brands (although a few repeats from other kaleidoscopes). You can find it online now at Bloomingdales. Did you get Carnaby Street? What did you think?

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Tom Ford Beauty Fall Collection – Now Online at Neimanmarcus.com

August 30, 2013
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Those who have been patiently stalking the web for Tom Ford Beauty Fall – the wait is now over. The fall beauty collection has arrived online at Neiman Marcus. I hope to get the nail swatches up this weekend. In the meantime happy shopping!

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