Le Métier de Beauté has partnered with several artists to design exclusive products to various counters. It’s almost been like a mini treasure hunt trying to track down what’s been released where. I love the @metierbeaute tweets to help keep me updated but sometimes Twitter can be hard to follow consistently (I still love it though). Many thanks to Karla Sugar who gives us all the details & updates about the Neiman Marcus Northpark exclusives. She has swatched all the Sheer Brilliance Lip Glosses and Lip Crèmes (how awesome is she!?) and I’ve been drooling over these since this summer. As soon as the newest shade Nadine came out, I e-mailed her for the details as no pics or descriptions were to be found online. She told me it was pretty and understated and that she thought I’d love it. I was sold even though I had no idea what to expect. You can see her lovely swatches in her Le Métier de Beauté Fall Lips post. I ordered Atlantis Sunset (top peachy shade) and Nadine (coral pink sparkle) and here they are ($36 each from Neimans).
Atlantis Sunset is a Sheer Brilliance Lipgloss and is a sheer sparkly light iridescent peach with a pink & gold glowy sparkles. Le Métier de Beauté makes some of the most beautiful lipglosses I’ve ever seen in the tubes. The formula though is very sheer on some of the colors. Atlantis Sunset has the same sheerness as colors like Ibiza, Captiva and Cannes. Other shades like Bondi Beach, Summerland and Dubai have better color payoff for me. Initially I was disappointed with the color payoff of some shades (so pretty in the tube but go on clear on the lips) but soon learned these are best used to layer over lipsticks or even to use mixed with lip cremes. I loved the mixing tutorial by Messy Wands. Here is Atlantis Sunset on me over a bare lip. It’s practically clear but I still can’t resist a soft iridescent peach no matter how sheer it is.
Nadine is packaged and labeled as a Lip Crème but acts more like a Sheer Brilliance Gloss for me due to the sheerness. It’s a warm coral pink loaded with sparkles, but as Karla Sugar noted, very subdued. The lip swatch couldn’t capture the sparkle well, but here it is on me, also on a bare lip. I really adore it. It’s breathtakingly gorgeous in the tube.
How do they compare to other Le Métier shades? They’re quite different from the current lineup. Here are Atlantis Sunset & Nadine compared to Summerland, Ibiza and Bondi Beach in different lighting so you can see the sparkles. All gorgeous when swatched, none are overly frosty, these enhance the lip and work wonders when layered over Chanel Rouge Cocos.
Bottom line: I adore Nadine but I’m still undecided about Atlantis Sunset (although it’s a stunner in the tube). Have you tried Le Métier de Beauté Lip Glosses? What were your thoughts? Did you check out Nadine or any of the other Neiman Marcus Northpark Exclusives? (By the time I called, they were sold out of Emily’s Kisses and Sweet Abigail or else I would have ordered those too.)
I’ve been carefully testing a few new skincare items from Le Métier de Beauté, Koh Gen Do and Clé de Peau over the past few months. I’m not one who is adventurous when it comes to trying new things for my skin due to sensitivity. I think it’s a miracle that I’ve finally found some items that have dramatically improved my skin. I’ve been particularly impressed by Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Skincare, a surprise to me since my skin did not mesh well with their Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Complexe Tinted Treatment (even though it’s worked like magic on most everyone else).
A bit of background on my skin: My skin is overall normal but sensitive, slightly oily in T-zone, small pores. I just turned 30 this year and I haven’t noticed any significant changes in my skin as I transitioned out of my 20’s except that my usual Clinique Foaming Cleanser/La Mer Toner daily ritual just wasn’t cutting it to keep my skin clear. I decided to try new things and this year I discovered Cleansing Waters from Lancome and Koh Gen Do and fell in love with the Koh Gen Do Macro Vintage Face Mask. Le Métier’s Peau Vierge items have been incorporated into my daily routine now and has revitalized my skin. When it comes to skincare ingredients I’m at a complete loss. Anyone can give me a detailed lecture on various patented formulas, different ingredients and their benefits etc. but I get that glazed look after 4 words (literally). I highly recommend you read the review and commentary posted on Best Things in Beauty, her review is highly detailed and very informative. My attention is limited to three things: 1) is it safe? 2) does it really work? and 3) is this under $100. I don’t like to spend a lot on skincare items that work the same as something much cheaper. I have had some experience with expensive brands like Revive, La Prairie and La Mer, but unfortunately, most of the pricey creams don’t make a noticeable difference to justify the high price tag. Since I’m not well versed in ingredients, I’ll refer you to Neiman Marcus’s website for product information (linked below) and focus more on my experience and what these did for my skin. Now, for my experience with Le Métier Peau Vierge.
I was introduced to Le Métier de Beauté Revive Eye Concentrate ($175 for 0.5 oz/15 ml) by Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills back in August and was told it was “the best on the market” in terms of eye creams. I’ve never been a regular user of eye cream even though everyone (grandmother, aunts, mother, friends etc.) tell me it’s an essential. I don’t use eye creams because I cannot see a visible difference when I use them. Still I decided to try it with an open mind. The Revive Eye Concentrate comes in a pale pink cream formula that is smooth and creamy but not too thick. It feels noticeably moisturizing and once it sets it feels weightless. I did not notice any fragrance. The Eye Concentrate works well to smooth the eye area and does improve the overall texture under the eye. I don’t have any wrinkles yet, except when I smile, under the eye shows some creasing. This cream has helped with dryness under the eye area to help the elasticity of the under eye area. At this time I can’t say this is a life-changer, but then most eye creams haven’t demonstrated a noticeable difference for me. This does help minimize the look of fine lines though.
During Beauty Week Le Métier counters handed out sample packets of the Revitalizing Anti-Aging Day Crème. I decided to give it a try and found the sample packets useful to take with me while traveling (one packet lasted me an entire week with some still left over). I loved it so much I purchased the full size ($285 for 1.0 oz/30 ml) during beauty week. This is a lightweight cream that goes on a moisturizing lotion. There is a slight scent that is hard to describe, but it’s very faint and smells clean. A little goes a long way. The first few days of use resulted in a visible skin purge. Break outs surfaced and there was redness and I had peeling as it was working its way under the layers of skin to purge. Still there was no stinging or irritation, I decided to give it a few days since I was told this would renew the skin. After the first few days of ugliness, my skin was then transformed in an amazing way to be noticeably clearer and smoother and felt like it was glowing. Those tiny bumps on the cheeks from buildup are gone and the overall appearance is a 100x better. I don’t use this everyday because I think everyday use would be too strong for me but this cream has worked like nothing else I’ve tried. (It’s amazing!) I currently alternate with Koh Gen Do’s Royal Massage Milk (review to come soon) for daytime only (I don’t use anything at night). It’s worked wonders for my skin. If you can get a sample packet I highly recommend you try it out. (Update: Just to clarify, the surfacing breakouts was a good thing for me with this cream because it renewed my skin by drawing out all the buildup and then my skin started to peel a little bit for a short time period of 1-2 days as it almost rejuvenated my skin, this didn’t cause breakouts per se, but rather helped renew/revitalize/clarify my skin condition, hope I didn’t confuse anyone!)
My local counter kindly made me a small sample cup of the Daily Renew Cleanser (which lasted 3 uses) and I was hooked. It comes in a squeeze bottle ($50 for 4.0 oz). It’s a yellow-orange gel with orange and white beads. Gentle and effective, it’s almost a scrub-cleanser hybrid. I do not use this everyday but alternate with Cle de Peau’s Gentle Foaming cleanser but it works well to smooth the skin and exfoliate gently. It has a soft citrus-orange scent and lathers well to deep clean the skin. I find that it does renew radiance after use. I like this better than traditional scrubs which I find too harsh for my skin.
Overall, I really love what the Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge has done for my skin from using the day cream and cleanser. The eye cream feels pleasant but I haven’t noticed a visible difference from use yet. I did try the toner during a recent makeover but passed because it made my skin tingle (not in a good way). My local Le Metier artists did not recommend the night cream for me (said it would be too strong). The day cream has reached life-changing status for me but the hefty price tag has me wondering what I will do once I’ve used up one tub.
Have you tried the Peau Vierge line yet? What’s your skintype and what were your thoughts?
The Revive Eye Concentrate was provided courtesy of Neiman Marcus/Le Métier de Beauté free of charge for review. All other items were purchased by me.
This fall Neiman Marcus Senior Vice President and Fashion Director Ken Downing worked with Le Métier de Beauté to create three matching lip and nail sets in rich, bold and romantic shades ($49 each). I was hoping to be able to purchase the nail polishes separately since I rarely wear reds or dark shades on the lips but decided to try something new and picked out the Bordacious Bordeaux/Wine on the Vine duo which has the softest lip color out of all three sets.
Bordacious Bordeaux Nail Lacquer is a deep wine magenta that layers into a deep wine cream. The texture is fairly thin making the color slightly transparent. It required three coats for full coverage. I love that Bordacious Bordeaux is the perfect medium wine shade – not too vampy, not too red, not too brown. The thin texture took a bit of work for me to get an even application. Three coats evens out everything nicely.
Wine on the Vine Moisture Lipstain is a shimmering reddish pink stain. The texture is that of a soft lipstain and molds well to the lips so you can barely feel anything on. On the hands it looks like a soft red without any visible shimmer. On the lips it goes on quite a bit brighter for me. I don’t know that it will look this red on most women, anything with fuschia or bright red shimmer tends to pull very bright on me for some reason. Being a stain formula I find these last longer than the average lipstick. Here it is softly swiped on my lips.
Here they are swatched on the arm side by side.
All three sets are beautiful and classic for fall. Even neutral lovers like myself will find that they are fun and nice for something different. The lips are all darker than I’m used to but the colors are lovely for evenings out or special occasions. Best Things in Beauty has a few other shades swatched and reviewed that I recommend you check out as well. I like these sets but my heart still belongs to their eyeshadows and lipglosses which I feel have some of the most gorgeous complex eye-catching shimmers that are wonderful for layering. The upside of these lip/nail duos is that they require little tweaking. They work well just as they are.
The Neiman Marcus Beauty Event starts in stores this Thursday, September 8. With a $100 purchase you will receive a tote filled with samples (see online for more details). Below is the list of some of the participating counters and their individual gifts from the Beverly Hills store.
ACQUA DI PARMA Colonia: Yellow hatbox with Eau de Toilette, Bath and Shower Gel, and Body Cream; $100 minimum purchase.
AGRARIA Luxury Bath Bar; $100 minimum purchase.
AMOREPACIFIC Cosmetics bag with Treatment Cleansing Soap, Moisture Bound Skin Energy
Hydration Delivery System, Bio-Enzyme Refining Complex, and your choice of Time Response Skin Renewal Crème, Future Response Crème, or Moisture Bound Rejuvenating
Crème sample; $250 minimum purchase. All of the above, plus Osulloc Premium Flower Tea Set; $500 minimum purchase.
ANNICK GOUTAL Gold pouch with Eau d’Hadrien Eau de Parfum; with purchase of large Annick Goutal Spray.
ANTHOUSA Votive Candle in Cucumber & Green Grass or White Gardenia; $75 minimum purchase.
ANTICA FARMACISTA Set of three Hand Soaps in Grapefruit; $85 minimum purchase.
ATELIER COLOGNE Leather pouch with Atomizer; with purchase of Collection Absolue or any large Cologne Absolue.
BALENCIAGA Black acrylic pouch with L’Essence Eau de Parfum; $130 minimum purchase.
BEAUTY BY CLINICA IVO PITANGUY Gold cosmetics bag with PreVious Rebalancing Formula,
PreVious Neck Lifting Formula, and SpecIfics Ultimate Eye Cream; $300 minimum purchase.
BELLECORE Après Contouring Crème; $295 minimum purchase.
BLISS Zippered bag with Fabulous Foaming Face Wash, Triple Oxygen+C Energizing Cream, and High Intensity Hand Cream; $60 minimum purchase.
BOBBI BROWN Berry to Go Collection includes Berry Lip Palette with Metallic Lip Color in Berry and Lip Colors in Pink and Brown, Crystal Lip Gloss, and Lip Brush; $100 minimum purchase.
BVLGARI White train case with your choice of Source Defense Serum, Serum Precieux, or Elixir Merveilleux; $300 minimum purchase. Mon Jasmin Noir: Eau de Parfum and Body Lotion; $80 minimum purchase. Bvlgari Man Eau de Toilette; $79 minimum purchase.
CARTIER Red box with Must de Cartier Body Milk; $125 minimum purchase.
CHANTECAILLE Blue metallic pouch with Flower Harmonizing Cream, Jasmine & Lily Healing Mask, Brilliant Gloss in Elation, and Tiare Eau de Parfum vial-on-card; $150 minimum purchase.
CHLOÉ Brown leather and white canvas pouch with Eau de Parfum; $110 minimum purchase.
CLARISONIC “Daisy Barrel” bag with Normal Brush Head; $149 minimum purchase.
CLÉ DE PEAU BEAUTÉ Signature cosmetics bag with Restorative Body Cream, Gentle Protective Emulsion, Lipstick in Replica, and La Crème; $300 minimum purchase.
CLINIQUE Silver cosmetics bag with Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer SPF 20, Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief, Vitamin C Lip Smoothie Antioxidant Lip Colour in Strawberry Bliss, Quickliner for Eyes in Black/Brown, Eye Shadow Trio in Pink/Trax/Chocolate Chip, and High Impact Mascara in Black; $65 minimum purchase.
DOLCE & GABBANA The One for Men travel bag; $73 minimum purchase.
EDWARD BESS Full-size Deep Shine Lip Gloss in Dark Blossom; $200 minimum purchase.
ELIE SAAB Le Parfum: NM Exclusive Parfum and Soap; with purchase of large Elie Saab Spray.
ERNO LASZLO Heritage carton with C-Peel, Timeless Skin, and Intensive Decollete Cream SPF 15; $175 minimum purchase.
ESTÉE LAUDER Champagne cosmetics bag with full-size Sumptuous Mascara in Black, Pure Color Gloss in Magnificent Mauve, and Advanced Night Repair Eye; $100 minimum purchase.
FRESH Cosmetics bag with Soy Face Cleanser, Brown Sugar Eau de Parfum, and Brown Sugar Body Polish; $125 minimum purchase. All of the above, plus Brown Sugar Hand Cream; $150 minimum purchase.
GIORGIO ARMANI Dark gray bag with full-size Smooth Silk Eye Pencil in Brown Black, Fluid Master Primer, Luminous Silk Foundation in Beige, Fluid Sheer in Shimmering Beige, Eyes to Kill Mascara in Black, Regenessence Eye Rejuvenating Serum, Regenessence Multi-Corrective Rejuvenating Cream, and Acqua di Gioa Eau de Parfum Rollerball; $150 minimum purchase.
GUERLAIN Gold pouch with Secret de Pureté Cleansing Milk and Orchidée Impériale Cream, Serum, and Eye and Lip Cream; $200 minimum purchase. Shalimar tote; with purchase of large Shalimar Spray.
HALSTON Amber Eau de Parfum or Eau de Toilette, or Platinum Eau de Parfum or Eau de Toilette; with purchase of large Halston Spray.
HANAE MORI Women’s Butterfly: Tote with Bath and Shower Gel and Body Cream; $75 minimum purchase. Men’s HM: Bath and Shower Gel and After-Shave Balm; $75 minimum purchase.
HERMÈS Eau d’Orange Verte Eau de Toilette Travel Spray, Jardin sur le Toit Eau de Toilette Travel Spray, Eau des Merveilles Eau de Toilette Travel Spray, Voyage d’Hermès Eau de Toilette and Body Lotion, or Terre d’Hermès Eau de Toilette; with purchase of large Hermès Spray.
HOUBIGANT PARIS Quelques Fleurs Crème; $180 minimum purchase. Quelques Fleurs Royale
Lotion; $200 minimum purchase. Fougère Royale Deodorant; $130 minimum purchase. Duc de Vervins Deodorant; $170 minimum purchase.
ISSEY MIYAKE Florale Eau de Toilette; with purchase of large Issey Miyake Spray.
J.F. LAZARTIGUE Ultimate Summer Beauty Travel Bag; $85 minimum purchase of Pre-Shampoo Mask, Shampoo, and Conditioner.
JUICY COUTURE Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum; with purchase of large Juicy Couture Spray. Viva la Juicy Eau de Parfum; with purchase of large Viva la Juicy Spray.
KAPLANMD Blue sheer drawstring bag with Intensive Eye Concentrate and Night Replenishing Concentrate; $300 minimum purchase. All of the above, plus Purifying Foam Cleanser and Clarifying Toner; $400 minimum purchase.
KATE SOMERVILLE Mesh bag with Deep Tissue Repair and Quench Hydrating Face Serum; $150 minimum purchase.
KATE SPADE Twirl Body Lotion; with purchase of large Twirl Spray.
KIEHL’S SINCE 1851 Blue signature bag with Midnight Recovery Concentrate, Creme de Corps, Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate, and Rosa Arctica; $85 minimum purchase. All of the above, plus full-size Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Body Polish; $125 minimum purchase.
JO MALONE Two mini colognes in case with any $150 Jo Malone purchase.
LA MER Crème de la Mer, The Regenerating Serum, The Eye Concentrate, and The Body Crème; $300 minimum purchase.
LANCÔME PARIS Blue satin bag with Génifique Concentrate, Génifique Eye, Définicils Precious Cells Mascara in Black, full-size L’Absolu Rouge in Champagne, full-size Le Lipstique in Mauvelle, and Color Design Eye Compact in Pink Pearls/Makeover/Sultry Mauve/Zip Me Up; $85 minimum purchase.
LA PRAIRIE Beaded silver clutch with Foam Cleanser, Cellular 3-Minute Peel, Cellular Resurfacing Cream, Cellular Lips Colour Effects in Maribou Glace, and Life Threads Ruby Eau de Parfum vial-on-card; $300 minimum purchase. All of the above, plus Cellular Power Infusion; $600 minimum purchase.
LAURA MERCIER Triangular bag with full-size Lip Glacé in Cocoa Lait, One-Step Cleanser, Perfecting Water, Repair Eye Crème, and Dual-Action Eye Makeup Remover Oil-Free; $125 minimum purchase.
LE MÉTIER DE BEAUTÉ Liquid Eyeliner in Artemis; $125 minimum purchase.
LOLITA LEMPICKA Si Lolita Eau de Toilette Purse Spray; $92 minimum purchase.
MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN Your choice rollerball vial; with purchase of any large Maison Francis Kurkdjian fragrance.
MARC JACOBS Daisy Eau So Fresh Eau de Toilette; $88 minimum purchase.
NARCISO RODRIGUEZ For Her: Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette, and Intense Eau de Parfum; with purchase of large Narciso Rodriguez Spray. Essence Body Lotion; with purchase of large Narciso Rodriguez Spray.
NARS Black pouch with Shimmer Nail Polish in Orgasm, Illuminator in Copacabana, and Sheer Glow Foundation in Santa Fe; $100 minimum purchase.
NATURA BISSÉ Purple bag with Diamond White, NB Ceutical SPF 50 Luminous Shield, Tensolift Neck Cream, and Diamond Extreme Cream; $300 minimum purchase.
NEST Votive Candle; $50 minimum purchase.
NEULASH Mirror; $100 minimum purchase.
NUFACE Infusion Serum Trio Pack includes Peptide, Stem Cell, and Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Serums; $325 minimum purchase.
OMOROVICZA Signature bag with full-size Radiance Renewal Serum; $300 minimum purchase.
ORLANE, PARIS Signature bag with Absolute Skin Recovery Care Polyactive Formula, Extreme Line-Reducing Re-Plumping Cream, Absolute Skin Recovery Care Eye Contour, and Extreme Line-Reducing Lip Care; $300 minimum purchase.
PRADA Candy Eau de Parfum; $108 minimum purchase.
RÉVIVE Sensitif Cellular Repair Cream, Eye Renewal Cream, and Fermitif Neck Renewal Cream; $300 minimum purchase. All of the above, plus full-size Serum Pressé; $650 minimum purchase.
ROBERT PIGUET Fracas Votive Candle; $100 minimum purchase.
SISLEY-PARIS Black/white pouch with Instant Perfect, Phyto-Levres Gloss Sheer Lipliner in The Glace, and Phyto Teint Éclat in Sand; $150 minimum color purchase. Red pouch with Lyslait Cleansing Milk, Botanical Floral Toning Lotion, Botanical Eye and Lip Contour Balm, All Day All Year Cream, Sisleÿa Radiance Anti-Aging Concentrate, Phyto Teint Éclat in Natural, Confort Extreme Nutritive Handcare, Comfort Extreme Body Cream, and Soir de Lune Body Cream; $350 minimum purchase.
SUPERSMILE Professional Whitening Toothpastes in Mandarin Mint and Cinnamon; $35 minimum purchase.
THIERRY MUGLER Angel: Silver wristlet with Shower Gel and Body Cream; $80 minimum purchase.
TRISH MCEVOY Green nylon signature bag with Lash Enhancing Eye Liner, Treatment Foundation SPF 15 in Beige, and Beauty Booster SPF 15 Lip Gloss in Sexy Nude; $125 minimum purchase.
29 COSMETICS Full-size 29 Preserves Night Moisture; $150 minimum purchase.
VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Oriens or Féerie Parfum Rollerball; $110 minimum purchase.
YVES SAINT LAURENT Black “Studs” pouch with Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara in Black, Rouge Pur Couture in Rose Stiletto, Top Secrets Natural Action Exfoliator, Top Secrets Eye Makeup Remover, Waterproof Eye Pencil in Black Ink, and Opium Eau de Toilette vial-on-card; $150 minimum purchase.
You’ve all read the hype and raves about Clé de Peau’s Concealer virtually everywhere. If you haven’t tried it yet, believe the hype. It’s the holy grail of concealers. The quality, consistency and finish cannot be beat. It has full pigmented coverage but blends out naturally to even out dark circles under the eyes (which I did not know I had before trying this concealer), tone down red areas on the face and brighten the overall appearance of your skin.
I was gifted Beige courtesy of Neiman Marcus and Clé de Peau about a month ago and have been carefully testing it out with a highly critical eye. Upon opening it I was a bit concerned it might be too light for my skin, but after testing it out I’ve found that it’s actually perfect. I am around a MAC NC30-35, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B30, Guerlain Lingerie de Peau on 03, Dolce & Gabbana Powder Foundation in Warm. Upon first swipe it’s clearly lighter than my skin. Blending it out with the fingers makes the product disappear and blend naturally with my skin to even out any areas that need extra help.
A bit of concealer history for me: I’ve neglected concealer in almost a year now. I’ve postponed repurchasing my usual Chanel or Laura Mercier loves thinking any shade I purchased would soon become too light (I’ve been trying to build my summer tan). Still, even though I’ve tested a hefty number of concealers, I have never been fully convinced it was really a necessity (like foundation or powder or good makeup brushes). Most concealers fail to pass the test of having good coverage, having long lasting power, being non-creasing, being non-drying and a having a good color match. There are many that look great upon immediate application but do not work well with the skin as the day progresses. The Clé de Peau Beauté meets all requirements of what a concealer should do. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bad review yet before trying this I was skeptical due to the hefty price tag of $70 a tube. After testing this out for a few weeks I can say this is the best concealer I’ve tried. Whether or not it’s worth a full $70 is another question, but when this is used up I will definitely be repurchasing it.
Application tips: I’ve tested this concealer for several weeks using several methods and found application is key. A huge thanks to Karla Sugar’s in-depth review and also tips from one of my readers Laura R., I’ve found the best method is really to apply over a moisturized face (or if you just use on the eyes, make sure your skin is well moisturized) with the fingers.
I’m going to quote Laura on some of these tips combined with my own thoughts:
Prepare face and apply moisturizer, primer, foundation first
Next prep the eyes with eye cream by pressing into face, not hard, but not tapping either
Apply concealer with your index finger and press lightly and blend
If other areas need concealer to tone down redness or even out the skin, apply with your finger in a press-then-blend method (using the fingers help to warm up the product)
Top with a soft dusting of loose or pressed powder (but with a brush)
Things to avoid based on my trials:
I don’t recommend applying this over any type of powder, the result will be cakey
Skipping moisturizer also results in a cakey looking finish
Swiping directly from tube to skin can result with too much product on the face and use up the concealer too fast, if you do this, do with a light hand to avoid too much product to the face which can also result in a cakey look (even after blending)
Clé de Peau’s application tips that come with each concealer:
Plus the ingredients (click to enlarge):
Since first trying this out, I haven’t skipped using it for a day. If I were slightly darker I think Beige would be too light but I haven’t looked at the other shades in the lineup in person but you can see Karla’s swatches here and I found the user comments in the bottom of her post useful. At first glance it would seem better if CdP had a bigger color selection for their concealers – I’m not sure how hard it is to find a color match, I’m glad I found mine, but this is something I highly recommend having an expert try on you in person. They will know which one works best for your skin and show you how to apply as well.
For inquiring minds, other Clé de Peau loves of mine include: La Creme (although I’ve survived off mini samples), Extra Silky Lipsticks and a few of the Lip Glosses.
Have you tried Clé de Peau’s concealer? What shade do you use and what other foundation shades are you?
Many thanks to Neiman Marcus and Clé de Peau for providing this concealer for review.
Those who have experienced the luxury of Tom Ford Private Blend Lip Color will be excited to learn that Tom Ford’s upcoming makeup line will be expanded to include new shades of lipstick. I received a preview card of the upcoming shades and am already creating a wishlist. Some existing colors have been mixed together to create new ones which means a few will be discontinued. Also, the new shades will all come in the dark mahogany colored packaging instead of the white. I’ve been told Neimans expects the release to be sometime in October. I apologize the scan of the card I received is a bit blurry but here is the new lineup.
New shades: Nude Vanille, Sable Smoke, Pink Adboe, Coco Ravish, Deep Mink, Spanish Pink, Indian Rose, Casablanca, Flamingo, Violet Fatale, Wild Ginger, Scarlet Rouge, Crimson Noir
Original shades that are staying: Black Orchid, Blush Nude, Cherry Lush, Pink Dusk, True Coral
Original shades that will be phased out: Bruised Plum, Ginger Fawn, Moroccan Rouge, Pure Pink, Smoke Red, Vanilla Suede, Warm Sable
Beaut.ie: The Irish Beauty Blog gives us a first look at beautiful real life preview photos and BellaSugar has some promotional photos as well. Of the existing shades, I adore Pink Dusk (a highly pigmented nude pink, aka perfection in a tube) and I’ve been eager to try more but none of the other shades have really spoken to me. I look forward to seeing the new colors. If you’ve fallen in love with any particular shade, I recommend you check to see if it’s on the new lineup – now might be the time to stock up if it’s going to be discontinued.
Jo Malone has introduced a new fragrance collection called Wild Bluebell available in four different pieces: cologne, body & hand wash, body creme and home candle. The collection has arrived at Neiman Marcus and I have fallen in love with every piece in the line. It’s a light and fresh floral that smells like a spring garden with top notes of fresh bluebell (engineered equivalent) and clove combined with hints of lily of the valley, eglantine, jasmine, white amber and musk. The theme is more whimsical and fairy-tale like with the focus on a nymph-like character and white rabbits rather than the actual product.
My local Neimans Jo Malone rep called me the minute it arrived. I asked for her thoughts over the phone and she felt it was a nice light scent but very different for Jo Malone. Her impression was that it would be a wonderful layering piece. A few customers who came in reported they smelled watermelon before it dried down. Although some have not been thrilled with departure of recent releases (Tea Collection & Cherry Blossom) from traditional Jo Malone scents, I have been ecstatic with all recent collections this year These are lighter, fresher, less complex scents that are great for the no-perfume kind of woman like myself. To me, the recent releases feel more youthful and energizing. I love the variety and feel the new releases this year layer well with the other scents in the line.
I went with an open mind not knowing what to expect. I cannot put my nose exactly on what it is I smell except that it’s refreshing and light, just like spring. It’s clearly floral, but the hints of clove and musk prevent it from being overly floral. When I first sprayed it on my wrist, I smelled a slight hint of watermelon, but not in the fruity sense. At first spritz I noticed a fresh wave of fragrance similar to a fresh watermelon but this dries down to a floral. Best Things in Beauty has a wonderful detailed review and Lipglossipping has more information and beautiful preview photos from an event earlier this year. I highly recommend you read their reviews to learn more.
I splurged on the cologne & candle online and the body wash instore. Over the past week I’ve found everything very calming and refreshing. I don’t recommend ordering the candles online during the summer – the heat can be damaging as it will melt the product causing a mess. Mine, thankfully, arrived in perfect condition due to a rush shipment.
The lasting power on the cologne and shower gel is light to medium. I find most fragrances tend to fade quickly on me but I am one that prefers lighter scents that aren’t overpowering. The candles are to die for and Wild Bluebell has been burning in my home the past week. I can easily see myself stocking up on a few during September’s Beauty Event. I love everything about this fragrance and am testing out the body creme right now.
Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills has all the items except the candle which they expect to be receiving soon. The official release is scheduled for September and they are expecting new displays in the Wild Bluebell theme with blue ribbons and little bells for their bags. They have one of the most beautiful Jo Malone displays I’ve ever seen (front and in the corner of the store). If you happen to be in LA, I highly recommend you visit them. This past weekend I met the team at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills for the first time: Navid, Bryan and Henga. All extremely knowledgeable, helpful and wonderful. I highly recommend you visit their store to experience Jo Malone first hand.
The price points and offerings for the Wild Bluebell Collection:
Cologne 30 ml $55
Cologne 100 ml $110
Body & Handwash 250 ml $50
Body Creme 175 ml $75
Home Candle 200g/45 hours burn time $65
PS – On an unrelated note, Edward Bess will be in-store at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills until Wednesday!
Have you tried this? What are your thoughts? What are your favorite Jo Malone items?
