This is a scan from the latest Saks Catalog – you can see it online at Saks.com. The gift is a tote in brown, pink or yellow with 5 listed samples and coupons. I didn’t scan the picture of the totes, but if you click to Saks.com’s Beauty Catalog on Page 4-5, you can see what they look like and pics of the samples. The gifts and qualifiers for each individual line are listed below (click for larger viewing):
I already posted about this, but in case you missed it, exclusive to Saks is a Laura Mercier set with a Bold Berries Eyeshadow Quad, Mini Pink Rose Shimmer Block, Full Sized Babydoll lipgloss, mini mascara and face primer, and 2 mini brushes. I believe it retails for $65. Neimans and Nordstrom also have their own exclusive sets from Laura Mercier.
I went to the mall to do some returns while checking out the Bobbi Brown Corals Collection. I found some cute things – not all makeup related, so if you’re only interested in the makeup part, I apologize!
Stop #1: J.Crew – I went in to return a scarf that I wasn’t so wowed with after my initial purchase but there were so many pretty new spring clothes, I couldn’t resist trying on a few things.
Rose Vines Bandaged Dress Item #25270 $138 (couldn’t find this online yet though) + the newest catalog
Tried on a cotton ruffle dress in XS (left) which was super comfy but just looked odd with the ruffles near the bust. I don’t remember the item number but I can’t find it online either. It retailed for $69.50 and also came in a light grey color. Also tried the Rose Vines Bandaged Dress in Size 2 (right) which I ended up purchasing. It’s difficult to see up close but the top has banded layers of fabric.
Frances Heart Cami Item #24735 which is currently on sale for $69.99. This is in Size 0. It looks way better on the model at Jcrew. A bit frilly but I still thought it was cute.
This is my favorite look from the new catalog.
Stop #2: Nordstrom – Bobbi Brown Cabana Corals haul plus some other browsing.
Bobbi Brown Cabana Corals Haul (which you saw yesterday)
Didn’t buy any of these since I don’t have babies – but looking at these makes me want to have them. I just about died when I saw those baby boy Pumas.
Stop #3: Saks – I snapped pics of the upcoming Laura Mercier Exclusive set which has the Pink Rose Blush Quad, Bold Berries Eyeshadow Quad, 2 mini brushes, full size Babydoll Lipgloss, a mini mascara and mini foundation primer. I actually saw this at SCP a few weeks ago and I was under the impression it was for sale. My local Saks said it’s only available for presale right now. I can’t remember the price, but I want to say around $65-68ish?
Picked up the YSL Spring Highlighter + Armani Maestro Quad #6.
Stop #4: Sephora – Tarte Cheek Stain in Tipsy, a nice soft but healthy coral-pink.
After a few iffy collection releases, I am happy to say that Chanel has gotten back on their gorgeousness track with the release of their Les Impressions de Chanel collection for spring (which seems more like summer, but still stunning).
Here is my “omg, I can’t believe I spent so much, but I’m so happy” haul:
It seems like the star product of the collection is their compact highlighter Empreinte de Chanel Poudre Eclat Illuminatrice – this has a multi-colored base powder with an embossed crossing C logo on top in a gold shimmer powder. The shimmer goes all the way through, the Cs are definitely more pigmented, the base powder shows up, but is more sheer.
The new blush #59 Imprevu is probably the most shimmery Chanel blush I’ve seen. It’s a peachy-tawny-nude that will probably be too dark for fair skins. Right now, I have medium skin (check My Foundation Shades Here) and it gave me a bronzey-peach look. It doesn’t go on as shimmery as it looks in the compact and is just a tad lighter than Fandango but very similar.
Part 2: Eyes
These are definitely my favorite pieces. See MORE VIEWS HERE. The eyeshadow quad #18 Kaska Beige is very natural with a unique combination of colors: pale cream, medium pink-brown-beige, shimmery dusty plum, shimmery beige-gold.
Equally stunning are the new eyeshadow singles #85 Sillage (shimmery pinky shell) & #86 Trace (sparkley warm bronze). Sillage is more pink and less pale than Lotus and Island. Trace is warmer and more sparkley than Le Bronze and Cinnamon with the gold shimmers being more visible.
Part 3: Lips
The lipsticks come in the Rouge Allure formula. The colors, L to R are #79 Impertinente (dusty rose pink), #80 Delicieuse (soft coral), #81 Insouciante (nude beige-grey), #82 Incognito (neutral nude pink).
The glossimers in this collection are both sparkley and sheer but still really pretty. #139 Futile is a super pale pink and #141 Maline is a pale gold. If you have colors like Rose Sand, Seashell, Pink Crystal, or Bronze Crystal, you probably won’t need to get these unless you’re a die hard Chanel fan. I believe both are Limited Editions.
Part 4: Nail Polishes
I posted pictures and swatches of the nail polishes already a couple days ago here, so today I’ll do comparisons to other similar shades I have.
#503 Inattendu comparisons L to R: Chanel Jasmine, Chanel Inattendu, OPI Coney Island Cotton Candy
#505 Particuliere comparisons L to R: OPI You Don’t Know Jacques, Chanel Particuliere, OPI Over the Taupe
#507 Tendresse comparisons L to R: Paul & Joe #10, Chanel Tendresse, Chanel Rose Satin, Zoya Jessika
Also in the collection (not purchased): * #68 Khaki Dore Le Crayon Yeux (olivey-gold shimmery eyeliner) * #100 Ombre D’eau (a khaki-greenish fluid eyeshadow) * #36 Beige Le Crayon Levres (pale beige lipliner) * #110 Beige Claire Poudre Universelle (a luminous setting powder) * #68 Sand Eyeshadow Single (repromote) * Soleil Tan de Chanel (Sunkissed – reformulated version of their Brilliance Pur) along with a few other items I didn’t catch since everything was still in boxes.
Overall thoughts . . . Winners = Eyes: To me, the must haves are the Kaska Beige Eyeshadow Quad and Sillage/Trace Singles. Face/cheek: While I love all the Chanel JC blushes, the new Imprevu didn’t wow me as much after I saw how it compared to my other Chanel colors (if you have Fandango or Enchantresse I don’t think you need this new one). I must admit the store lighting made me gasp when I saw the new blush though. The highlighter powder is really nice, but I think YMMV on this one. It shows up on me, but I was a bit disappointed that multi-colored base is sheerer than the rest of the powder. Nails: The nail polishes are amazing in the formula, but not so unique with the colors. I really wish they had some pearl or shimmer to them to give them that extra unique Chanel-touch. Particuliere (the grey/taupe) can be easily duped with OPI Over the Taupe – the only difference is that OPI OTT is more warm/brown where Chanel Particuliere is a tad more greyish/cool. If you like grey/taupes but want something lighter with a pearl finish, check out Zoya Pasha. Lips: These are great if you like natural wearable colors. I think Chanel always does a great job with their lipsticks and glosses.
Saks has received their holiday collection for Dolce & Gabbana and the colors are stunning!
There have been some promotional pictures of the Golden Beams holiday collection floating around the web on various blogs like Temptalia.com and Makeup4All.com and in the latest Saks catalog page 43, you can see photos of the Sparkling Lipstick, Royal Nail Lacquer, Magic Lipgloss, and Gold Eyeshadow Quad.
I ordered from Saks NY for the Triple Points event last week and these are the holiday items that came in the mail today (I ordered several items from the regular line too, but those will be saved for another article in the near future):
* Sparkling Shine Lipstick – sparkling warm nude-gold * Caramel Blush – the perfect caramel nude blush * Royal Nail Polish – extremely deep purple with reddish undertones and subtle sparkle * Magic Lipgloss (thanks to the sweet SAs who threw this in as a GWP!) – a rich ruby shimmer
Lips and cheeks:Magic Lipgloss, Caramel Blush, Sparkling Lipstick
Swatches of Sparkling Lipstick & Magic Lipgloss:
Swatch of Caramel Blush:
Caramel (most pigmented) vs Nude (more peachy/light) vs MAC Tendering (in the middle):
Royal Nail Polish: 3 coats with high flash (in natural light the sparkle is more subtle)
Compared to Nars Tokaido Express and Chanel Vendetta:
In natural sunlight: L to R – Nars Tokaido Express, Dolce & Gabbana Royal, Chanel Vendetta
As of this past weekend, the Saks NY store called to let me know they received their Golds Eyeshadow Quad in limited quantities. I decided to pass on this for now since I already have a lot of golds/silvers.
If you have the latest Saks catalog, check page 43 for a better picture:
Overall thoughts: I would say the standout is the Sparkling Lipstick. I love nude-golds and this one is really pretty and natural looking. Will definitely warm up the skin with a soft glow. I’m really happy with the other items as well. The holiday lipgloss is one of the more pigmented ones and the blush shows up better than the Nude Blush on my skin.
The Saks NY girls did a really great job again describing colors to me over the phone (thank you for your patience ladies!) and I couldn’t be more pleased.
I just received the Laura Mercier Gemstone Eye Collection kit today from Saks.com and have to say it’s gorgeous! The kit itself is slightly larger than the Neimans set and the double ended brushes have different brush-heads. It also comes with a mirror. More details a few posts down. I don’t have swatches, but here are pictures and close ups:
I’ve posted about some tidbits about a few exclusive sets from Bobbi Brown & Laura Mercier in the past month and they are now all available online with full details. I also wanted to let you know about upcoming events that you might be interested in as well.
Current or upcoming events I know about:
* September 16th to 19th? – Bergdorf Goodman $25 off $100 purchase event. * Now until September 20th – Neiman Marcus Beauty Event, receive a leopard-print tote with 5 samples inside, each line has their own individual gift with purchase. You can find the list online or POSTED HERE. (Note that some of the gifts have already been removed from the website, which I assume they have sold out.) * September 24 to ? – Saks Beauty Event, at this time I don’t know what the gifts are. * Mid October – Neiman Marcus Incircle Event, which is a double points event for Neiman Marcus Card Holders, but open to anyone they have gift with purchases at this time as well
First – I want to let you know that each store I’ve been to have told me they only received 6 sets of each item. I’m not really sure if this is actually true, but just be aware that stock is limited. They can always try and locate the item at another store and have it shipped to you. But those who prefer instant gratification might want to keep this in mind.
* Bobbi Brown Black Plum Set $245 – Exclusive Navajo Eye Shadow, Ash Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow, Exclusive Deep Plum Shadow, Natural Bronzing Powder, Washed Rose Shimmer Blush, Plum Blush, Brown Lip Color, Rose Petal Lip Color, and Pink Chandelier Glitter Lip Gloss + 5 Brushes.
Scan from Bergdorf’s Magazine which I feel is more accurate in showing the product colors, while the image from online shows a better picture of the brushes:
* Laura Mercier Essential Organizer $125 – 12 Eyeshadow Celestial, African Violet and Bamboo Luster Eye Colours, Black Plum, Buttercream, Cashmere and Coffee Ground Matte Eye Colours, and Sandstone, Baroque, Haze, Stellar and Sable Sateen Eye Colours + 3 double ended brushes, details a few posts below + more real pictures.
* Bobbi Brown Black Fawn Set $100 – “ Chrome 4 Pan palette filled with two neutral shades of Eye Shadow, exclusive Shimmer Lip Gloss (with protective cover), and for the first time ever, Bobbi’s Pot Rouge in customizable form (with protective cover). Also includes three mini brushes-Eye Shadow, Lip, and Eye Shader – and a Chrome faux-leather organizer.”
Not disclosed online, but it contains: * 4 pan palette with full sized Ivory Eyeshadow, Fawn Shimmerwash, Powder Pink Pot Rouge, and exclusive Paisley Rose Lipgloss * 3 mini brushes: eyeshader, eyeshadow, and lip
* Laura Mercier Gemstone Eye Collection $125– “A first for Laura, five perfectly paired jewel tone baked eye colours that can be used wet or dry create endless looks. Contour and define eyes with three expertly chosen double-ended brushes. The Gemstone Eye Collection contains the following mini Baked Eye Colours: Pearl, Tiger’s Eye, Deep Amethyst, Tourmaline and Malachite. A Black Thickening and Building Mascara and Black Violet Kohl Eye Pencil provide a final touch of drama. Various looks can be achieved using the double-ended All Over Eye Colour Brush and Eye Crease Brush, double-ended Smudge and Corner Eye Colour Brush or the double-ended Crème Eye Colour Brush and Crème Eye Detail Brush.”
* Eyes & Cheeks To Go Set $60 – Warm Eye Quad includes Bone Shimmer Wash, Copper Sand Shimmer Wash, and Gold Dust Metallic and Espresso eyeshadows. Pot Rouge in shade Blushed Rose. Cool Eye Quad includes Navajo Metallic, Gunmetal Shimmer Wash, Rockstar Metallic and Navy eyeshadows.
I’ve heard that for the holidays Nordstrom will have some exclusive items for Laura Mercier, but don’t have details at the moment.
Also if you shop at Bloomingdales, they will have their Beauty Benefits Event mid-october, but at this time I don’t think they will have any Bobbi Brown or Laura Mercier Exclusives – but they will have gifts with purchases. Perhaps for the holiday collections they will though.
Every year Bobbi Brown releases some exclusive seasonal items at Neiman Marcus several times a year and more recently also at Saks and Nordstrom. I have some details about these exclusive collection items:
Saks is having their beauty event at the end of the month called Bounty of Beauty. Each line has something exclusive to the store – I’m in the process of getting more info, but Laura Mercier has a baked eyeshadow palette with brushes, Armani has a special size of their Crema Nera etc.
Saks Bobbi Brown has a limited edition Black Fawn set which retails for $100 and includes: * Black-plum metallic leather zip case * 4 pan palette with full sized Ivory Eyeshadow, Fawn Shimmerwash, Powder Pink Pot Rouge, and exclusive Paisley Rose Lipgloss * 3 mini brushes: eyeshader, eyeshadow, and lip
Neiman Marcus & Bergdorf Goodman have some more exciting exclusives which include:
Black Plum Deluxe Brush Set (brushes featuring a new black handle, forgot the brushes in the set and the price, but probably in the $200 range)
Black Plum Collection Set $245 which contains: * 9 pan dark-silver palette (gorgeous) with full sizes in Navajo Eyeshadow (matte), Ash Shimmerwash Eyeshadow, Deep Plum Eyeshadow (matte & exclusive), Natural Bronzer (size of the blushes), Washed Rose Blush, Plum Blush, Brown Lip Color, Rose Petal Creamy Lip Color, Pink Chandelier Lip Gloss (repromote from their party collection) * black plum metallic zip portfolio pouch * short handled (but not mini) black handled brushes: bronzer, eyeshadow, eyeliner, lip, and one more I can’t remember
These are the items in the set (palette and case not pictured):
I saw the Black Plum Set today and it’s absolutely stunning, but I already have most of the colors! The brushes won’t be in for another month. The counter near me only received 6 sets and had already sold 2. Their gift for beauty week on the 10th is a full sized Navajo Metallic eyeshadow, .24 oz Crystal Lipgloss, .1 oz Everything Mascara, and a .24 oz Hydrating Eye Cream.
They will be having Incircle Gifts in October & December as well.
I haven’t called Bergdorf to check on their event dates or gifts. But here is a scan of the set from their fall catalog.
Later in October, Neimans will receive three mini shimmer bricks in Sandstone, Nectar and Plum – the catalog stated they retail for $50 and we couldn’t discern whether it was a set or if the prices were individual. Anyone have any details? There are also 3 new exclusive lipsticks coming out
None of these sets are online yet. I do not know if they will be released online. Your best bet to purchase these would be to call your local Neimans or Bergdorfs to place an order or to put one on hold.
