Shu Uemura Supreme Shine Lipstick

When I first saw this Shu Uemura picture I gasped! Both the model and the makeup are absolutely stunning, and the lips had me mesmerized. I HAD to own that lipcolor! The Shu site says that the model is wearing Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine Lipstick ($30) in BG935 with OR520 in the center. Despite the torrential downpour today, I had to detour to Bergdorfs to see these lipsticks! They are all lovely in person but at over $32 a pop here (with NYC taxes), I realized I'd have to make do with just one.

Shu describes the Supreme Shines as a "fusion of breakthrough watery dewy shine and rich color payoff. Revolutionary film keeping capsule, ultra shine oil and shu uemura's signature hybrid pigment create a smooth, thick veil on the lips that glides on easily to deliver unforeseen shine and vibrant pure color payoff."

Hyperbolic though that may be, this is one fine lipstick! It's ultraglossy but not at all tacky or gooey, and smooth and moisturizing but isn't nearly as thick in texture as Clinique Buttershines or Stila Shine Lipsticks. This formula really feels unique.

I can't speak for all of the colors, but BG935 is definitely on the sheer side. It's a pretty neutral beige pink with almost holographic microshimmer. It doesn't exactly make my lips look like those of the model's (that would require Photoshop and surgery!), but the color is actually pretty close. Sometimes I'll see a lipstick advertised or credited in a magazine and it appears a completely different shade in person. In this case I actually believe that the color stated is the one used. The OR520 was much more vibrant--a coraly orange--than I'd anticipated based on the image but I can see how tapping it lightly over top would create the exact shade represented.

Compared to Bobbi Brown Baby (which is on the left):

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.

Designer Fragrance and Cosmetic Company Outlet

Tucked away in some outlet malls and in the Loreal Building in New York City you might find true gems--Designer Fragrance and Cosmetic Company Outlets. The Estee Lauder owned Cosmetic Company Outlets receive a good deal of attention on various message boards for the 30% off retail, limited edition and discontinued products and undistributed gifts with purchase available for sale, but I always make sure to check out the Designer Fragrance and Cosmetic Company Outlets (DF&CCOs) for some amazing deals. DF&CCOs carry high end Loreal brand products (from Lancome to Giorgio Armani to Kiehls) and while the typical discount makes the shops worth a trip, their frequent blow outs draw me in. I picked up the following during one of their "4 for $40 sales."
They also frequently have prepackaged kits at unbelievable deals. I scored all of these brand new, perfect condition Shu Uemura products (4 shadows and 2 blushes) plus the palette for under $40. At retail, these would have cost me nearly $150!
You can Google for outlets in other areas of the country, but for NYCers, you'll find one at 575 5th.

Click images to enlarge.

What's In my Makeup Bag

Every morning when I pick up my purse and head out to the subway I wonder why on earth it's SO heavy. I then I take out my makeup bag and it all makes sense--I schlepp a lot around in this thing!

My current makeup bag is a limited edition Shu Uemura Mika pouch that I saw and absolutely had to have.
I switch the cases I use around from time to time the same way I do with my handbags. This is definitely the largest "everyday" makeup case that I own. For lighter days I love this one from Touch of Ivy.


Here is what I'm currently toting around:
Tweezerman FileMate Nail File
Sephora by OPI Cuticle Oil
Aromatherapy Personals Anxiety Relief
Origins Lip Balm
Estee Lauder BCA Lucidity Powder COmpact
Pill Case
Mini hair brush
Sonia Kashuk Concealer
Mini Prescriptives Custom Lip Gloss
Contact Rewetting Drops
Colgate Wisps
Jigsaw Hand Cream mini
A few Truvia packets (places only seem to have sugar or Splenda)
Lint Remover Sheets
Migraine medicine
Chanel mini Inimitable Mascara
Sephora Mini Eye Liner
And my Lip of the Day, which today happens to be Edward Bess Pure Impulse

What makeup bag are you using and what's in it?

I'm Back...With Some Things I'm Loving Right Now!

I had a doozy of a week! Between moving and a raging bout of insomnia, but DVR capacity managed to reach 92% and my poor blog went a bit untended. For those of you who noticed, thanks (yay! It means you're reading!)! Well now I'm back, my new apartment is almost together and I got a whopping 6 hours of sleep last night which is remarkable for me! So here is what earned MVP status this week:

1. Rock and Republic Imitate Mousse Blush in Rumor- the mousse blushes and eye shadows were absolutely the stars of the Rock and Republic line. The texture is fabulous, it blends effortlessly even on parched skin, and the color can perk up even the most pallid complexions. If you ever bump into these, I can't recommend them highly enough!

2. Carol's Daughter Lemon and Jojoba Cuticle Oil- Between schlepping boxes, cleaning like crazy and washing my hands over and over, my nails, cuticles, and hands have just been ravaged. This cuticle oil smells just like a lemon dessert and moisturizes and protects. It does leave your nail beds greasy initially but in sinks in, leaving your cuticles better looking in the morning.

3. Dermstore.com- I had posted that I was disappointed in the Julie Hewett pink Camellia lip balm I ordered since it was completely colorless despite being described as providing a tint, and Dermstore.com took it back with no hassle, and even emailed me when they had processed my return. I will absolutely be ordering from them again. Fabulous selection and customer service.

4. Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine Lipstick in BG935- this is a great, ultra-hydrating, swipe on and go beigey pink. A very my-lips-but-better shade that's proved to be a workhorse all week.

5. Rapidlash- I was the biggest skeptic when it came to this, but I really truly have seen a difference. I have always had the thinnest, puniest, blondest lashes and a makeup artist asked me last weekend if I was wearing false eyelashes they were so long and lush. Rapidlash (plus my beloved Korres mascara) really has changed my lashes.

6. Julie Hewett Goldie Shimmy- I've been swiping this iridized champagne cream on browbones, cheekbones, above the brows, the cupid's bow...anywhere I want to bring luminosity and glimmer. It also makes skin look luminous and alive.

7. The Container Store- I could spend hours and thousands in this store! I used to think that Bergdorf Goodman was a black hole for time meaning meaning that I'd walk in and then realize it was hours later when I left, but The Container Store may have eclipsed it! There is definitely something a bit perverse about having to buy more things because you already have too much to store, but it's addictive nonetheless. I never realized that I needed so many drawer organizers, mason jars, fole folders, and boot boxes, but I'm happy to have them!

8. Ellis Faas Milky Eyes E209- I hate hate hate the mechanism on this. I'm not sure if I got a bad one or if all of the products work this way, but I twist the applicator...nothing happens. I do it again and wait 30 seconds. Nothing. Again. And again. All of a sudden, 4 minutes have elapsed and on the 7th click, 7 clicks worth of product shoot out! It's incredibly time consuming and wasteful, but I LOVE this color! The formula needs to be layered for the pigment to really show up, but when it does it's just the most beautiful, natural peachy beige color that reads "oh no, I just wake up looking this fabulous" and not "nice eye shadow."

9. My new Closetmaid 25 Cube Organizer- I love shoes but living in NYC apartments, storage has always been a huge issue. I picked up 2 of these for my new apartment and am very happy with them so far! They were not difficult to put together (no cursing was involved) and are a decently efficient use of space. Some cubes fit a full pair (of heels), others fit 2 pairs of shoes (flip flops, thin sandals), and with bulkier items like sneakers, only one shoe will slot into a cubbie. Overall, they were worth the $100 and are the best way I've discovered thus far for apartment shoe storage.
10. West Elm Scent Diffusers in Lapsang Tea and Cinnamon Cedar- They are beautiful to look at, have great throw and the scents are clean and comforting with no hint of that nauseating, fake, potpourri smell.
So what did I miss? And I'd love to hear what you're all loving this week!