Recent Rediscoveries

This past spring I purchased the Gilded Garden Mosaic Shimmer Bloc ($38) and Tiger Lily Stickgloss ($20) from Laura Mercier's Gilded Garden Collection. I'm not usually a fancy shimmer powder person but this Shimmer Bloc was so pretty I couldn't leave it there. And a peachy pink Stickgloss? Add in the words "limited edition" and my willpower didn't stand a chance. I bought both, wore them once, spent days gazing adoringly at their beauty and hadn't used them since. Until today. It's a dreary, horribly raining day here in New York City--about as far away from a Gilded Garden as can be--and I thought using something pretty might boost my mood. I used the powder over my blush and Stickgloss by itself, no liner or gloss.

Well wouldn't you know, I can't believe how many compliments I received today! How fresh I looked! How nice! how--dare I say--pretty!! Needless to say, both items will be joining my repertoire of regularly used products. And both are still available on lauramercier.com.

Loose Mineral Blushes

I used to have a very large Bare Escentuals collection (what can I say, the boutique offered free pastries on Sunday). I branched out into other mineral lines and had a lot of products on my hands at one point! I eventually realized that my insomniac, uncaffinated self + loose minerals + early morning=big, big mess and either gave away or tossed most of it. I kept a few key products and eventually acquired a few more, with the Laura Mercier Mineral Blush having arrived today.

Clockwise from top. Please click the picture to enlarge:

• Susan Posnick ColorMe in Camelia ($32)-This little pot features a puff on top and a mirror on the lid for easy travel. It is a bright but sheer coral pink with gold shimmer.
• Bare Escentuals Bare Radiance ($18)- A sheer pinky nude shimmer that I use over cream blush for a dewy glow.
• Bare Escentuals A Little Sun ($18)- A light warm pinky brown bronzer with shimmer. The color is warm without being orange.
• Laura Mercier Mineral Color Blush in Amberstone ($22)- a warm nude shimmer. More pigmented and definitely warmer than Bare Radiance.
• Bare Escentuals Golden Gate Blush ($18)- a neutral pink with a hint of coral. This blush isn't shimmery per se but has a radiance to it.

LM Amberstone and Susan Posnick Camelia


LM Amberstone, BE Bare Radiance, BE A Little Sun, BE Golden Gate, Susan Posnick Camelia

Nice New Laura Mercier Palette

This palette just made it's debut on Sephora.com. Perfect timing for Friends and Family! This Eye Book contains 2 eye shadow quads (one in a brown/gold scheme, the old charcoal/silver) paired with 2 of Laura Mercier's famous cake liners in Mahogany Brown and Black Ebony, along side a dual ended brush for shadow and liner. A $116 value, this palette is just $45 before the Friends and Family Discount, making it a great buy and a perfect way to try Laura Mercier or add to your existing collection.

My Sephora Friends and Family Wishlist

Sephora Friends and Family 2009 starts at Midnight PST (that's 3 AM for us East Coast folks) on October 19th and ends on November 2nd. Enter FF2009 in the promo code box. I've been compiling my wish list for a few weeks now, and here is what is currently on it. What do you plan to pick up during the sale?
Nars The Multiple Coffret ($40) contains mini Multiples in Orgasm, South Beach, and Copacabana.
Korres Deep Color Mascara in Black ($18) is a staple. My favorite mascara! Gives volume, length and is good for your lashes.
Philosophy the supernatural Superglossy SPF 15 Lip Gloss ($16.50) in Live in the Moment. This pink mocha shade promises to be non-sticky and protect lips from the sun.
Philosophy Turbo Booster C Powder ($35) can be mixed with any moisturizer or sunscreen for antioxidant protection and the repair of Vitamin C.
Tarte MultiplEYE ($65) Lash Enhancer. I certainly wouldn't mind if my short, stubby, thin lashes suddenly became lush and long!
Laura Mercier Eye Kohl ($19) in Black Navy is less harsh than black but provides more definition than straight navy. The best of both worlds!

Lots of New Products and GWPs Courtesy of the New Bloomingdales Makeover Catalog!

The flagship Bloomingdales on 59th and Lex has just completed a massive renovation of their beauty floor. To celebrate, Bloomingdales sent out a very nice catalog featuring new products and is offering extensive Gifts with Purchase October 15th-25th. The store will be offering new brands and has a full calendar of events throughout October including makeovers, facials, skincare classes, and opportunities to meet makeup artists such as Dick Page and Poppy King. You can call 212-705-2000 to get more information on the events and look below for some of the Gift with Purchase information and highlighted products.

Gifts with Purchase:

• Lancome: Choice of 7 piece gift with any $35 Lancome purchase. 3 sets to choose from.
• Dior: 5 piece gift with $100 purchase
• Clarins: Choose 2 deluxe travel size treatments when you purchase any 2 skincare products
• Trish McEvoy: Must Have Lips 3 piece gift with any $75 purchase plus a Deluxe Makeup Planner with $250 purchase

• Shiseido: Skincare bonus with purchase of any 2 High Performance, Benefiance, white Lucent, The Skin Care or Pureness products plus a travel size The Skincare Instant Eye and Lip Makeup Remover and mini Perfect Rouge Lipstick with any foundation purchase
• Shu Uemura: Best-Of 6 piece gift with any $125 purchase
• SK-II: Full size Signs Uplifter with $325 purchase, plus a limited edition golden and Swarovski compact with $500 purchase
• Giorgio Armani: 6 piece Glamour Kit with exclusive full size Lip Shimmer shade with $95 purchase
• Benefit: Creaseless Crea Shadow in Bunny Hop and mini Bad Gal Lash with $65 purchase
• Laura Mercier: 5 piece Flawless gift with $85 purchase
• Estee Lauder: 7 piece gift with purchase of $29.50 or more. Large navy tote when you spend $55
• Prescriptives: Essential Makeup 5 piece kit when you spend $65. Full size Flawless Face Primer when you spend $95 as well as a pink tote and full size Intensive Rebuilding Cleanser when you spend $125
• Yves Saint Laurent: Must Haves 8 piece gift with $125 purchase
• Clarins: Eye Opening 5 iece gift with cosmetic bag with $200 purchase
• Bare Escentuals: 4 piece Radiance Gift with $35 purchase

New Products:

• Shu Uemura Planet Cat Palette ($65), Planet Ribbon Palette ($65), Rouge Unlimited Lipstick in Jupiter Brown ($25).
• Dior Serum de Rouge Lipstick ($32) contains 10 times more active skincare ingredients than other lipsticks. In 8 shades.
• Giorgio Armani 2009 Crustal Palette ($98) has matte and sparkling color for the eyes and a powder in a translucent golden shade. ArmaniSilk Lipstick in a limited edition shade ($38) is also available.
• Trish McEvoy Bejeweled Collection ($95) includes a Petite Makeup Planner in quilted white with black stitching, Petite refillable makeup bag, refillable makeup page, Dual Resort Bronzer, Easy Going Blush, Delicate Pink Eye Shadow, Sable Bronze Glaze Eye Shadow, Amethyst and Deep Aubergine Definers, Eye Base Essentials in Bare and Beauty Booster Lip Gloss in Brightening Pink.
• Laura Mercier Color Wardrobe ($98) is 2-tiered and contains 6 Eye Colours, 3 Cheek Colours, 6 Lip Stains, 2 Lip Glazes, a double ended Eye Colour brush, and a double ended lip brush.
• Lancome Oscillation Powerfoundation ($48) is a micro-vibrating, polishing mineral makeup.

There are a number of other Gifts with Purchase available in addition to more new products and fabulous-sounding events. I'm definitely checking out the new store tomorrow!

Images from the Bloomingdales catalog.

Some Products I'm NOT Loving Right Now

With all of the products I buy, of course I come across a product now and then that turns out to be a dud. Often I'll return them, but sometimes I end up stuck with them, either because they were not returnable or I kept them in a desperate attempt to make them work for me. Here are a few products I'm current not liking:

• Chantecaille Luminous Eye Liner in Pianissimo- this liquid eye liner is a stunning blue gray shimmer with a hint of violet. I'm a huge liquid liner fan and this color is extraordinary, but the formula is so thing that you have to draw over the line repeatedly to make the color show up uniformly and opaque. It's thin and streaky looking otherwise, and the line never looks sharp and precise when you have to draw over it so many times.
• Paul and Joe Pain D'Epice 27 Lipstick- this one breaks my heart. I adore this color. It's the most perfect shimmery beige pink and just looks so lovely on the lips. The problem is the smell! It smells like old crayons! I initially assumed that I purchased an old tube so I returned it and went through all of the remaining stock, only to find that all of them smelled this way. I've never heard commentary about the scent of Paul and Joe lipsticks before, I can only surmise that either this color has the horrible scent, or I encountered a bad batch. I keep trying to wear the lipstick despite the smell because I love the color so much, but after a while I can't take it anymore!
• Alba Mango Vanilla Moistuizing Shave Cream- I picked this up at Whole Foods recently because my goodness does this smell heavenly! Tropical and fruity with a mango vanilla coconut scent. This shave cream feels thick and rich when you spread it on, but it clogs the razor terribly and is difficult to rinse off.
• John Masters Organics SPF 30 Natural Mineral Sunscreen- this is an all-physical block that claims to be very light. I found it to be just the opposite--it sat on top of my skin, made me greasy, and clogged my pores. This is definitely a product when the description makes the product sound much better than it is!
• Laura Mercier Evolution of Color Lip Palettes in Pink Suede and Brown Suede-I spotted these on display in Bergdorfs last year and thought they were so lovely, I couldn't decide which to get. So I ended up with both. I have no idea why I decided to buy two since I never use lip palettes, as evidenced by the fact that these are virtually untouched over a year later. Now I have two lovely, albeit expensive, objet d'art taking up precious space among my makeup that will probably never be used.

What duds have you tried lately?

Face of the Day-10.5.09

• Bobbi Brown Shadow Basics Palette
• Laura Mercier Creme Cheek Pot
• Prescriptives False Eyelashes Mascara
• Guerlain KissKiss Baby Lipstick
  

Using It All Up

Every now and then, I look at my vast makeup collection and suddenly have the urge to start using products up! It generally stems from either being all-of-a-sudden overwhelmed by the sheer number of products that I have, or realizing that I've been using a product so frequently I'm making a dent in it. So far this year I've managed to use up 2 lipsticks (Clinique Buttershine in Adore U and Lorac Stylin), thanks to concentrated effort, and currently have a few products on my "use up" list. Since I'm convinced that product quantities multiply in my sleep :) using a product up can take a very long time (even forcing myself to use the product near daily) and I usually only manage to achieve the feat with cream products and pressed powder. I've never used up an eye shadow and can't imagine doing so! I'm currently trying to use up:

• Laura Mercier Praline Creme Cheek Color
  
• Lancome Rouge Attraction in Seismic, a color I've previously purchased (and subsequently sold) back ups of. This is why I no longer buy back ups! I ultimately get sick of a color or move on to a new favorite!
• Chantecaille Pegasus Super Lip Sheer
• Besame Champagne Lipstick

I'm slowly making progress! Granted I'll still have too many products after these are gone, but at least it's a temporary sense of accomplishment! Are you trying to use anything up?

Feature Focus: Unsung Heros

I wanted to highlight some unsung heroes--tried and true never-fail products that seem to fly under the radar. Products that you never see in magazines, rarely hear raved about. I'm sure that everyone has some of these unsung heroes in their arsenal--please post about them in the comments!
Darphin Blush Sensation in Soleil Sublime:

This is bar none the most beautiful, natural looking bronzer I've ever used. I'm quite fair and on the pinker side, and this has absolutely no orange in it. It features a gentle color gradation so you can customize your look depending on how much 'sun' you want that day! The shimmer is super-subtle and doesn't accentuate lines and wrinkles, just lends itself to a gentle glow. It costs $40 and is available at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.

MAC Lilicent Blushcreme:

This cream blush has a unique love it or hate it texture. It's almost akin to a potted lipstick in that it's somewhat thick and remains dewy on the cheeks. This helps you look 'fresh' all day but if you're used to a cream to powder formula, this may take a bit of getting used to. The color is a real face brightener, and never fails to brighten my complexion with its warm, peachy rose hue. It is $18.50 and available on maccosmetics.com and at MAC counters nationwide.

Lancome Artliners:

Colors left to right are: Socialite, Brown, IceBlack, IceCarob and Star Shower
In my opinion, these little wonders stand alone in the liquid liner category. They are the easiest liquid liner and you can easily create a thin line right at the base of the lashes or thicker cat eye due to the unique flexible applicator that allows you to control the product. Unlike felt tip dispensers where the product may flow through inconsistently or only with pressure, these unique wands dip into the product and just enough comes out to create a perfect line every single time. The shades are gorgeous, although many of the unique ones are available on a limited edition basis. These are $28.50 and available wherever Lancome is sold.

Eye Necessities:

-Bare Escentuals Eye Shadow in Soul- the perfect vanilla base, this shadow is shimmer free (you can see the faintest glimmer in the pot which prevents lids from looking crepey but doesn't add a sparkle).
-Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Linen- the palest pink that brightens lids, creates the perfect base so your shadow lasts and the pigment appears true, and even works on its own for a natural eye look.
-Laura Mercier Baked Cakes Eye Liner in Key Lime/Dark Green Apple with Brush- gorgeous, baked, shimmery greens and a perfect brush for application. Use these wet or dry for a look less harsh than black but still achieve ample definition. I use the dark shadow on my upper lid and the light shadow to line underneath.
-Benefit Kohl Pencil Eye Liner in Sable- the only product I use on my inner rim. It lasts and lasts without iritation and glides on smoothly. The shade of brown is spot on--not too light or too dark.

Tools:

-MAC 208 brush- a very thin synthetic angle brush for precise gel eye liner application.
-Chanel Brush 3- a great brush for applying shadow to the outer corner. The bristles are densely packed and the thicker handle is weighted for easy application.
-Fresh Eye Definer Brush 20- the BEST crease brush, this is soft and perfectly shaped for the perfect placement and depth of color.
-Sephora Brand Professionnel Flat Blush Brush #42- perfect for small faces and the tapered point places the blush exactly where you want it to go.
-Tarte Eyelash Curler- this has never pinched my lids the way other highly-touted brands have and the lilac is so cute!

MAC Cremesheen Glass

As a general rule I'm not a big fan of MAC lip products--I find the lipsticks drying and the glosses incredibly, unwearable sticky. Nonetheless, after seeing a picture of someone wearing Cremesheen Glass in Over Indulgence on another board, I knew I had to have it and make the trek to MAC.

Pleasantly, Cremesheen Glasses are not nearly as goopy and sticky as MAC Lipglasses (which I did use once in a pinch at college to adhere a note to a wall, albeit temporarily). The glide on smoothly and while they have more body than my beloved Hourglass glosses and some of my other favorites, they are not overly thick or goopy.

Over Indulgence is described by MAC as a "neutral brown," but it has definite peach and deep pink tones. It's a very wearable, natural shade that I think would suit many skin tones. It's very similar to Laura Mercier Nude Lips Gloss. It pairs nicely with Boldly Bare lip liner.

Cremesheen Glasses cost $18 (while regular Lip Glasses cost just $14) and apply with a doe foot applicator.


Laura Mercier Nude Lip Gloss (top), MAC Over Indulgence (bottom):

On Lips:

Face of the Day

I haven't posted a Face of the Day in a while, but I received so many compliments on my look today that I thought it was worth sharing, especially given how simple it was.

I used Bobbi Brown Champagne Quartz Metallic Shadow lash to brow, Rock and Republic Diffused Shadow in the crease and lined with Sephora Nano Liner in Glitter Brown. Cheeks were MAC Lilicent topped with the last dregs of the Chantecaille Lumiere de Rose Highligher I dropped and destroyed a few weeks ago and I wore Bobbi Brown Berry Shimmer (decidedly not berry colored) and MAC Gingerroot to line. Usual underpinnings of Jouer concealer, True Cosmetics mineral pressed powder, Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Linen and Korres black mascara.

Stunning Laura Mercier Exclusive Spring Picks Collection at Neiman Marcus

Neiman Marcus has an exclusive Laura Mercier set just in time for Spring! This collection ($65) retails for $176 and includes
• Mini Eye Colour Quads in Warm and Cool - mix and match shadow for endless looks.
• Full size Lip Glace in Opal - using the wand applicator, apply gloss to the lips alone or wear with your favorite lipstick.
• Foundation Primer, 1 oz. - apply on clean skin after moisturizing and before foundation application.
• Mini Long Lash Mascara in Black - using the wand applicator, apply mascara to eyelashes.
• Dual Eye Colour/Eye Crease Brush

According to Neiman Marcus, "Laura handpicked five of her must-have products for Spring that offer countless options for the woman on the go. The collection includes her iconic Foundation Primer which leaves makeup looking fresh and colour-true the entire day. Eight warm and cool mix & match eye shadows in one convenient palette and matching shade of Lip Glace. For a flawless application, Laura chose her professional double ended Eye Colour Brush and Eye Crease Brush along with lash lengthening Long Lash Mascara for the final touch. All packaged in the season's bold, bright must have fashion accessory, a chic metallic woven bag perfect to take anywhere!"

Super pretty and just in time for the Neiman Marcus Beauty Event!

New at Nordstrom

Nordstrom.com has some interesting new cosmetic items up on their site (in addition to the new huge MAC Spring Collection). Anything look interesting to you?

Trish McEvoy Allover Face Highlighter ($35) in Capri (bronze) and London (champagne)
Laura Mercier Zen Face Palette ($60) has 4 shadows, 4 Lip Glazes and a plum blush.
Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Bronzer ($39) uses the same technology as the Halo foundation and highlighter and makes some pretty interest claims.

Trish McEvoy #37 Bronzer Brush ($68) and M44 Precision Concealer Brush ($25)- how gorgeous is this bronzer brush? The size and shape look perfect and you can tell from the picture it must be soft and luscious! But oy the price!

Five Recent Rediscoveries

When you frequently buy new makeup products, often old favorites tend to fall by the wayside. Over the last few days I was determined to get back to using some items I hadn't worn in a while. Here of some products I rediscovered in my collection and was really pleased with this week:

• Lancome Miel Glace Blush Subtil- this soft shimmery pinky bronzy beige hadn't been used in quite a while and now that I've rediscovered it, I remember why it's such a highly praised blush among makeup aficionados. It's a great everyday blush whether you're pale or simply want a subtle look (I guess it's obvious that I don't use those little in-compact applicators!).
• Laura Mercier Black Violet Kohl Eye Pencil- black is too harsh with my fair skin and light eyes, but plums and purples don't always provide enough contrast or drama. Black Violet is absolutely the best of both worlds--a deep dark violet shimmer married to a sooty black--with an unbeatable formula. This liner glides on and wears well on me. Amazing on the waterline as well!
• MAC Grain Eye Shadow-I am not the biggest MAC fan, but I spotted Grain in a Company Store (the invite-only version of the Cosmetic Company Outlet) and had to have it. It's a pretty peachy beige shimmer with a hint of taupe in the pan, but is even more flattering when applied than you'd expect. It really brightens up my whole eye and is perfect for a quick, polished look.
• Laura Mercier Stickgloss in Brown Sugar- this is a soft beigey brown mauve in a sheer, moisturizing base. A perfect go-to for work and works very well with Miel Glace.
• Kiehls Vanilla Essence- this tiny vial holds an ultra-concentrated perfume oil. Many vanillas give me a migraine but this doesn't. Kiehls' Vanilla is not a complex fragrance. To me it's vanilla blended with a tiny hint of cherry and almond that I find warm, simple and comforting.

Bloomingdales Spring Beauty Guide

Bloomingdales wants you to you to get happy (with bright new pops of color), get glowing (with soft shades that shimmer) and get ready (with the freshest skincare solutions) and January 28th through February 7th the store at 59th and Lex is having a beauty event! It seems that almost all of the lines are offering some sort of gift with purchase or incentive to stop by. NYCers can call 212-705-2000 for more information! For everyone else, ring 1-877-485-8462. Here are some of the most intriguing products from the new catalog I received:

• Laura Mercier Radiant Creme Color ($35), Eye Color Duos ($22), Satin Lip Color ($22) in Barely Nude, Pink Cocoa and Maple Brown and Lip Shine in Crystal Pink ($22). That Radiant Creme Color is absolutely calling my name!
• Bobbi Brown is all about coral for spring as indicated by the stunning Nectar Shimmer Brick ($38), Cabo Coral Pot Rouge ($22), Cabo Coral Lip Color ($22) and Sunset Beach Lip Shimmer ($20). The lip products are all limited edition. They are pairing the Shimmer Brick with the Face Blender Brush ($45) which I have and really like!
• Dior's vinage lace collection looks stunning, but I'd be too scared to mar the beautiful imprints! For those of you braver than me, the new 5 Color Eye Shadow in Coquette ($57), Lace Highlighting Powder ($55) and Addict Ultra-Gloss Reflect Lip Color in Beige Veil ($26.50) are your options!
• I am a big Lancome fan (even though it may not be what the cool kids play with anymore) because their products are top-notch. The new Color Design Quad ($42), Teal Ink Artliner Delight ($23.50), Coral Flight Pop'N Cheeks ($29) and La Laque Fever Gloss ($26) scream spring. Personally, I'm partial to the liquid liner version of the Artliners and wish they'd release new shades in that formulation.
• YSL is offering new Ombre 5 Lumieres #9 Palette in Parisian Sky ($56), Palette Y-Mail ($65) in 3 colors to choose from and for lips, Rouge Volupte #29 Opera Rose ($34) and Gloss Volupte #2 Chilled Rapberry ($30).
• Shiseido is all about bold color for Spring with Luminizing Satin Eye Color ($25) in 5 new shades including Peach and Sky, Perfect Rouge Glowing Matte blush ($30) in 6 new colors and Perfect Rouge Tender Sheer Pout ($25). there are 8 new shades in this range.

Has anything caught your eye? What do you intended to check out for Spring?