Dolce & Gabbana Cosmetics

The much-hyped Dolce & Gabbana Cosmetics lined debuted this year at New York's City Saks 5th Avenue, and then subsequently made its way the Saks Beverly Hills store. I ran to Saks when the line was initially unveiled, intent on snapping up a number of items. I was a bit shocked to discover that nothing really appealed to me. The lipsticks seemed somewhat average, as did the blushes, bronzers, and shadows. I thought the shadow duos and quads either odd combinations or ones that had been done before.

A few weeks later I decided to go back and take another look. Part of the problem is that the lighting created for the D&G area on the cosmetics floor is very, very dim and yellow, making it difficult to tell what a color truly looks like. On the second occasion I had a good amount of time to kill and decided to swatch items and then head outside to get a more accurate sense of the colors. This made a big difference in my take on the line! I decided to purchase items I found unique yet wearable, and went with a Lipstick in Naked ($30) and Eye Liner in Stromboli ($29).

Naked is part of the Shine line of lipsticks designed to be semi sheer with high shine. Naked is a shimmery pink with warm beige undertones. The color can be layered to intensify the pigment. It's too pink to be a true "naked" neutral, but it is a lovely versatile color. The lipstick does have a strong rose scent which fades in time.


From left to right, the colors in this swatch comparison are: Bobbi Brown Rosebud Shimmer, Lancome Beauty's Eve, Paul & Joe Pain D'Epice (#27), Dolce & Gabbana Naked, Clinique Gingerfrost, Shiseido SL13, Julie Hewett Nude Noir.

The Crayon Intense Eye Liner in Stromboli is a black with very subtle gold sparkles. I find black to be harsh with my fair skin, but this is a softer black shade and the gold shimmer helps to keep the liner from being overwhelming. The liner is smudgable, the the pencil has a sponge tip on one end. Unfortunately, the liner fades throughout the day, the gold shimmer barely shows up, and the product seems to get a coating on it that necessitates sharpening between uses. Not grave issues, but for a $29 eye liner I expect more. I would not use this one on the waterline due to the glitter particles. Despite my lack of affection for Stromboli, I've heard multile raves about this product in the Coffee shade and may try that one.

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?

Manicure of the Week

Actually, this is my second manicure of the week. On Saturday I applied Paul & Joe 04 Provence and was so bored of the shimmery pink-beige-nude that today when I picked up L'Oreal Mango-Get-Em on the way home from the gym I couldn't wait to repolish! I love a bright color on short nails in the warm weather and this shade is summer in a bottle! It's a bright mango melon with no shimmer. The formula is stick and streaky and it has quite possibly one of the worst, most unweildy brushes I've ever used, but it dried fast and I love the shade. It's available for $4.99 on drugstore.com, and that's the same price I just paid at CVS.

Plummy Beige Lipstick

Too plummy to be a true neutral, too neutral to be a true plum hue, not as cool as mauve and yet not quite warm...I love plummy beige lipsticks! The shades are complex and interesting yet still flattering and wearable for everyday. Here are some of my favorite plummy beige lipsticks:
From left to right: MAC Sharp Beige, MAC Midimauve, Paul and Joe 17, Lancome Beauty's Eve, L'Oreal Aishwarya Beige, Benefit Make Nice, Laura Mercier Brown Sugar Stickgloss, Tarte Champagne Brunch

Up Close:


Swatches:
From left to right: MAC Sharp Beige, MAC Midimauve, Paul and Joe 17, Lancome Beauty's Eve, L'Oreal Aishwarya Beige, Benefit Make Nice, Laura Mercier Brown Sugar Stickgloss, Tarte Champagne Brunch

Stila Twilight Shadow (or My Small Sephora Haul)

I really wanted the new Josie Maran sunscreen from Sephora but it's not yet stocked in any stores in the city. This meant that if I wanted to take advantage of the VIB 15% off, I'd have to place an online order and needed to spend an additional $18 to receive free shipping. Spend $18 to save $6. I know, it's perverse.

I've never worn a silver eye shadow in my life but all of a sudden I had a craving for one that I had to satisfy, kind of like when I pass Crumbs and I know that the last thing I need is a cupcake and yet I'm powerless to resist. After perusing Sephora for some time, I settled on Stila Twilight. [Just as an aside, when did Stila eye shadows become $18 for the pan with another $2 for the case? Back in my freshman year of college when my whole collection was Stila I think they were an extremely reasonable $14. I do not want to pay $20 for a shadow by a company that makes a talking lip palette, but maybe that's just my preference. The joke's on me though since I bought it anyway!]

This shadow has a really divine texture--smooth, creamy, and with enough pigment and shimmer to show up as silver and not grayish white, but not so much that my coworkers will think I've just come from a rave. (Do they have raves anymore? I have no idea. Man, I'm getting old). I did have some fading by the end of the day but I was using the primer that came in the Tarte 500 Point Perk Kit and not my usual lovely Laura Mercier Eye Basics so your mileage may vary. I wore it with a very, very thin line of black liner, black mascara, and soft peachy pink cheeks and lips (Paul and Joe 16 Face Color and 40 Lipstick) and it was a very nice look overall, and different for me.

I've only used it once so it's too early for a full review, but I really liked the Josie Maran sunscreen today. Look for a review in a week or so. I'm also kind of enamored of the Tarte 500 Point Perk Kit. If that's still available when you place your Sephora order, it's worth picking up.

New Paul and Joe Self Select Eye Color Compacts + Beautyhabit Offer

When Paul and Joe discontinued their single shadow line a few months ago, many of us wondered how and when they'd be brought back and it seems that Beautyhabit has the answer! The single shadows are now available in pan format and palettes can be purchased so that you can create your own customized look. Currently, with the purchase of any 3 shadows, Beautyhabit is offering the $12 palette FREE with code MYLOOK.

Here is the copy from Beautyhabit about the new shadows:
Available in twenty five shades with three different textures including satin, silk, and suede, Paul & Joe’s Self Select Eye Color conjures beauty in both color and texture. These three textures let you enjoy different finished looks to complement moods, makeup, and, moreover, more color.

The collection uses “fix oil” – included as an oil solution, it blends well with the pigment, generating stunning color. Self Select Eye Color also includes “clear plate powder” – a translucent powder that makes the color of the pigment stand out with real vibrancy. And to make it easy to soften, spread, and adjust color intensity, spherical and smooth powders are mixed in to afford easy slide across the skin.

Thanks to these carefully selected powders that keep color from sinking, Self Select Eye Color individual shadow inserts cling beautifully onto eyelids with a smooth, long-lasting finish. This vivid color assortment is blended using Paul & Joe’s signature Secret D’or formula, featuring shimmering champagne gold frost that produces an exquisite luster that radiates from within.

And the beauty of it all? Paul & Joe lets you be your own makeup artist, with the introduction of a convenient Eye Color Palette for creating customized color combinations!

Satine texture: Shades 01-09
Silk texture: Shades 10-17
Suede texture: Shades 18-25

My Dermstore.com Order Featuring Paul and Joe and Julie Hewett

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dermstore, the site is a beauty junkie's playground! It features a huge array of skincare, carrying the more clinical lines like VMV Hypoallergenics, the mainstream likes of Murad, spa lines like Elemis to natural brands such as Raw and Luzern Laboratories. They also stock some great makeup brands like Sue Devitt, Jane Iredale, LORAC, Becca, Paul and Joe, Laura Geller and more. I'm not affiliated with the site, just a happy customer thanks to free shipping on all orders and a 10% discount when you add an item to your Favorites list before purchasing.

When I had my Paul and Joe mini makeover a few weeks ago, the makeup artist used Eye Color Palette CS Ingenue 001 on my eyes and I loved the look. I didn't buy the palette at the time thinking I could easily replicate the shades, but regretted the decision afterward. Not only did Doermstore have the palette, but I could get 10% off, making it slightly more, well, palatable!
Ingenue 001 ($38) features a shimmery ecru, shimmery taupe, and shimmery deep charcoal. All of the colors are smooth and pigmented. The palette is neutral and can be worn by all skin tones. It's just a good, versatile palette of high quality basics that would be great for travel or a quick eye in the morning that can easily be smoked out for nighttime. The charcoal shade is densely pigmented and would work well as a liner too.
Also, the case is just too darn cute! The flower pattern is so Spring-like and happy.Julie Hewett was on sale at the time I was placing the palette order, and so I had to throw in a couple of her items as well! I ordered the Shimmy in Goldie ($18 in palette form) and Camellia Balm in Rose ($18 in palette form).

The Shimmy is a cream-based highlighter that is incredibly luminescent. I've been on a highlighter kick lately for some reason and wanted a product that would work equally well on my cheeks and browbone and this definitely fits the bill. Goldie is a beigey champagne shade with twinkling shimmer--it's not glitter and it's not teenybopper, but it's definitely noticeable shimmer. Shimmys have a good amount of slip to them and a thin consistency. I have all of the shades now except the bronze!
I'd been wanting to try the Camellia Balm for a while now, and when I saw that it was released in two tints I was excited! I ordered the Rose, which according to Dermstore is a subtle, warm toned pink and is described by Julie as a bouquet of pink petals. Both descriptions are apt when looking at the balm in the pan, but applied, unfortunately, this is completely, 100% colorless, a big disappointment to me. I expected the balm to be sheer (it is a balm after all) but provide at least a hint of a tint. The texture is nice--very thin and not at all waxy. Some would find it too oily but I don't mind the added slip and it smells strongly of fresh oranges, which I like. I'm definitely not a big cosmetic returner but am considering sending this product back since it really is just an $18 clear balm, and not the pretty "bouquet" the descriptions imply. I guess the hunt goes on for the perfect sheer pink lip balm! I had such high hopes for this one!

A Mini Blush Adventure

Nothing tempts me quite like a new blush, and after seeing the gorgeous photos of the new Paul and Joe Creamy Cheek Powder on The Beauty Look Book, I made a beeline for Bergdorf Goodman this morning to try them for myself. I arrived just as the store opened and so I had the whole counter to myself and got to really play with all of the shades. Try as I might, I just couldn't bring myself to buy one! The texture and pigment of these are very nice, and I love the glowy shimmer, but I found the colors SO basic. The light pink is just plain light pink, the rose colored one straight up rose, the peachy one exactly like what you'd picture a peach blush to be. The bronze one was very dark and the orange one very orange. There's nothing wrong with that of course, but I guess lately I'm into more complex, nuanced shades lately. For $24 each I wanted something special that can't be easily duplicated. Plus, these have the signature Paul and Joe scent to which I'm sensitive, another small deterrent. I definitely won't say that I'm not going to pick one or two of these up (knowing me I'm sure I will eventually) but they just weren't doing it for me today. If I had to get one today I'd go with 02 Kitten, the pretty shimmery pink. 02 Kitten and 03 Peaches would be stunning blended together, by the way.

After work, still unsatisfied and debating picking up the Paul and Joe after all, I sauntered over to Henri Bendel and noticed that Jouer had a new Cheek Tint. I love the Jouer products that I have so far and when I saw the new shade, Whisper, I caved. Whisper is a soft muted peachy pink that goes on pretty sheer and with a serious gold glow. I know, yet another peachy pink. But the shimmery glow and the sheer color payoff make this shade unique. Whisper looks like it will be very versatile as it can be used as a base for powder blush to help it last and bring out the color, a subtle cream blush on its own, or as a highlighter layered over other blushes. The Tints are $20 and are available at Henri Bendel and Jouer Cosmetics.

Trying to Wish Away the Weather Face of the Day

It's been bitter cold in NYC this week and what was once the pretty snow (for all of 5 minutes) has turned into black piles of slush and puddles of murky water. I am so ready for spring weather and so I decided to do a springy face in the hopes of changing the seasons through sheer will and makeup alone! I wore my beloved Rock & Republic eye shadows along with pinky-peachy-bronzey cheeks and lips.

Eye Shadows:
Rock & Republic Diffused, Affair and Veil

Cheeks:
Paul and Joe 16 Canyon

Lips:
Chanel Aqualumiere in Como (this was limited edition but if you can find it, grab it! It's gorgeous) with Hourglass gloss in Lush. The gloss sheers out very nicely and both adds depth to the lipstick and moisture (without stickiness) to my lips.
Swatches from lef tot right:
Rock & Republic Veil, Affair, Diffused, Paul and Joe 16 Canyon, Chanel Como, Hourglass Lush

Face of the Day (well, er, yesterday)

Today is a snow day here in New York City so no makeup! Yesterday I was determined to dig up some items I hadn't worn in a while, and I opted for Chanel eyes, Lancome cheeks and Paul and Joe for lips.

Eyes were Chanel Ombre Essentielle Ivory lash to brow, Cinnamon in crease (with my beloved Chanel Brush #3), and Le Crayon Kohl in Graphite. Ivory has a beautiful golden shimmer, and Cinnamon is warm without being so red that it gives that "rabbit eyed" look. Graphite may seem like an odd choice with the shadows but the color is subtle and it works beautifully. I love this liner formula and am sad that it has been discontinued. If your local store still carries them, I recommend picking up a few!

I adore my Lancome Blush Magique Cream Blushes and frequently layer Cinnamon Glaze and Subtle Fluff for a pink-tinged bronze with shimmer.

The lips are the first Paul and Joe lipstick I purchased and one of my overall favorite lip shades, 40 Pomme Au Four. I'd wear it more often if it didn't have that (in my opinion) horrible Paul and Joe signature scent associated with it. Every time I do wear it I fall in love with the color all over again.

With Flash (Ivory, Cinnamon, Graphite, 40 Pomme Au Four, Cinnamon Glaze, Subtle Fluff):
Without Flash (Ivory, Cinnamon, Graphite, 40 Pomme Au Four, Cinnamon Glaze, Subtle Fluff):

Travel Beauty

It's SO nice to finally be back in NYC after my week of traveling for work, even if it is freezing here!

For me, traveling always presents a number of beauty issues, especially when flying is involved. First, I don't like traveling with any makeup or skincare that would be extremely costly or impossible to replace should something get lost or confiscated by a TSA agent having a bad day. I was initially going to pack my new Ellis Faas products but given how closely the items resemble weapons and how expensive they are, I quickly thought better of it. I'm still recovering from the time a male TSA agent went through my carry-on with a fine-tooth comb because he just couldn't understand what my eyelash curler was, and whether it posed an in-flight threat! I tried explaining it to him (to no avail) the purpose of an eyelash curler and he just looked at me, half dumbfounded, half thinking I was crazy. He wouldn't let me through until a female agent who clearly understood that the only danger posed by the curler was to my eyelid saw what was happening and waived me through!

I also left my beloved Rock and Republic at home because it's darn near impossible to find now (not to mention heavy), and poor Lancome Erika F never gets to leave the house!

Next, I have such a vast collection that narrowing down what to bring, especially when going away for a full week, is hard! I wear something different just about every day and love having option from which to choose! Anticipating what I'll want to have at my disposal while still keeping the quantity manageable is downright daunting! I normally end up selecting too much but given that I would be schlepping to several cities this trip I was determined to scale back and I have to admit, I was very pleased with what I chose! The real workhorse of this trip was my Kevyn Aucoin Essential Eye Shadow Palette Set #1. I wasn't all that thrilled with it when I first received it in the mail but I wore it nearly every day I was away and found it flattering and extremely versatile. I used it to create soft day looks for shopping, more polished looks for meetings and smokier, more dramatic eyes for going out at night. I did also bring a MAC quad with Grain, Sunday Best, French Grey and The Body Shop Conker but I found myself wearing the Kevyn Aucoin almost every day. (FYI, I just received an email that Kevyn Aucoin will be on Hautelook Monday with all items under $7! I certainly paid more for mine and am seriously considering another palette given how much I've grown to really love this one. I'd like to try the other color combinations offered). I typically wore the shimmery ivory lash to brow, the taupe next to it in the crease, and the shimmery charcoal used wet to line and smoked into the crease and outer corner with my Chanel brush #3, one of my favorites. The brush is worth every cent of the (pretty reasonable) $28.50.
Despite having packed half a dozen lipsticks, I wore Bobbi Brown Creamy Lipcolor in Baby almost every day as well. It not only works with the palette but it just always looks great on, no matter what. I never thought that I'd find a Holy Grail lipstick, but this one is very close! If the formula wasn't so thick it would be perfection as far as I'm concerned. Bobbi Brown Metallic Lipstick in Gilded Pink is supposedly very similar, which is why it's been on my wishlist for a long time now. I can't believe it, but I've almost finished Baby! Honorable mention goes to Paul and Joe 17 Bunch of Grapes which I used quite a bit as well just to break up the monotony.
For cheeks I mainly stuck with a Julie Hewett Cheekie topped with Paul and Joe Face Color in 16 Canyon. I almost always layer a powder with a cream and not only did this combination last through all day meetings in dry, recycled, conference room air, but it kept me looking alive as well! I have 3 of the Julie Hewett Cheekies in mini sample sizes which are perfect for travel and varied between (left to right) Natural, Destiny, and Jami (the lilac pot all the way to the left is the Shimmy highlighter in Pixie) depending on whether I wanted a warm, cool, or neutral look.
Finally, I always find it difficult trying to decide what makeup to wear on a flight, especially long, cross-country ones. I really have no idea if it makes a difference, but I try to wear more "natural" products when flying since I feel like it all gets sucked into your pores with that cabin air. I also opt for a simpler, "my face but better" look, which leaves less room for smudges should the unlikely scenario of my actually falling asleep arise! This time I wore Bare Escentuals Blush in Golden Gate on my cheeks, a pretty peachy pinky that I really should use more often. I also had on my usual Korres mascara, MAC Technakohl in Phtograuvre, and Origins Smileage Plus Liptint in Eco Pink. I love these guys--they're 95% organic, super-moisturizing, full of healing butters and oils, and the shades are sheer and pretty.
What are your beauty challenges when traveling? Do you have any secrets of solutions for packing or getting through a flight looking fabulous? Do you tend to over pack or do you have a set group of products you typically bring when going away? Please share!

Paul and Joe Manicure of the Week

I've been trying to let my nails "breathe" for the last week or so because they're in pretty bad shape--breaking, peeling and brittle. I have no science to back me up but for some reason I really think that's the damage was cause by all of the glitter-laden polishes I've been wearing lately. After a week of bare nails and judicious applications of cuticle oil, I think they're on the mend.

Paul and Joe Nail Enamel 04 (Provence) is a super pretty, very sheer, iridescent shimmery nude pink with a hint of mauve. It has the same perfumey smell as the Lipstick mixed with the characteristic nail polish scent. (Since I've never heard anyone mention the odor of the nail polish or lipstick before, I'm beginning to wonder if the ability to detect the signature Paul and Joe scent is a recessive trait similar to the ability of one to smell the bitter almond of cyanide. But I digress...)

This is 3 coats as the shade is sheer, but builds nicely. It went on smoothly and evenly. At $14 it isn't the most cost-effective polish, but it if wears well I'd definitely consider purchasing additional shades, especially since the bottle is so gosh darn cute! Overall, this is a nice, natural look.