Cosmic Love: Florence Welch in Nars Beauty

NARS worked with makeup artist Tasha Brown to create the look for Florence Welch, of Florence & The Machine for both her red carpet and performance looks.

ON THE RED CARPET: “I was inspired by the thought of a beautiful English rose. With Florence’s lacy Valentino dress, we wanted to round out the look with warm shades,” said Tasha about the singer’s red carpet look. Below are the NARS products that Tasha used:

FACE
PRO-PRIME Pore Refining Primer (NEW for Spring 2011; exclusively available at Sephora)
Sheer Matte Foundation
Desire Blush

EYES
PRO-PRIME Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
Lovejoy Blush (as eyeshadow)
Larger Than Life Lengthening Mascara
LIPS
Tzigane Lipstick (NEW for Spring 2011!)

ON STAGE: “Florence has such flawless skin so I added a bold color to complement her copper dress,” said Tasha about Florence’s performance look, for which she added the following NARS products:


FACE
Gina Blush

LIPS
Heat Wave Lipstick

Credit: Getty Images and Nars PR

Mila "Sweet Lips" Kunis in Lancome

Celebrity makeup artist Tracey Levy took inspiration for Mila Kunis’ Oscar look directly from the star’s bold yet feminine lilac gown. The result—sultry and beautifully defined.

Face
Teint Miracle Lit-from-Within Foundation
Blush Subtil in Sheer Amourose

Eyes
Color Design 5 Pan Palette in Coral Crush
Color Design Eye Shadow in Impress
Le Crayon Khôl EyeLiner in Black
Hypnôse Waterproof Custom Volume Mascara in Black

Lips
Color Fever Gloss in Blazing Pink
La Laque Fever Lipshine in Lucent Nude

Credit: Getty Images and Lancome PR

Queen Cate: Robin Fredriksz for Lancome

Celebrity makeup artist Robin Fredriksz made up Cate Blanchett in icy cool tones that complemented her pale lavender gown. The focus: softly defined smoky eyes.

Face Breakdown:
SK-II skincare, including mask, under-eye pads and moisturizer, to prep skin Teint Lancome's Miracle Lit-from-Within Foundation
Lancome's Blush Subtil in Miel Glace

Eyes:
Color Design Eye Shadow in Latte (all over the eyes)
Color Design Eye Shadow in Volcano (in the crease)
Color Design Eye Shadow in Ciel du Soir (as liner on lid and lower lash line)
Définicils Precious Cells Mascara in Black

Lips:
Color Design Lipcolor in Pale Lip

Credit: Zimbio via TFS and Lancome PR

Pretty Padme in Dior Beauty

Natalie Portman in Rodarte

Beauty by Dior

Jewelry by Tiffany & Co

Hair by Frederic Fekkai's Didier Malige

Makeup artist Eileen Kastner-Delago created a glowing look for Natalie Portman, the face of Miss Dior Cherie.

"I was inspired by her dress so I went with more purple tones," said Kastner-Delago.

The Beauty Breakdown:

Skin: Dior Capture Totale One Essential, Diorskin Nude Natural GlowFoundation #020 and #030, Diorskin Nude Hydrating Concealer #002

Eyes: Dior 1-Colour Eyeshadow in #546 Gold Touch, Dior 2-Colour Eyeshadow in Purple Look #885, Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow in Extase Pinks #804, Diorshow Waterproof Mascara in Black, Diorshow Iconic Mascara in Navy Blue.

Lips: Dior Addict Lipstick #623 Infamous Pink, Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss in Apricot Cloche #436.

Cheeks: DiorBlush in Peechy Keen #553

Jewelry Breakdown: Tiffany rubellite tassel earrings with rose-cut diamonds, an Elsa Peretti Diamonds by the Yard bracelet, diamond earrings (worn as hair accessories) and diamond ring, both by Jean Schlumberger.

Hair Breakdown from Frederic Fekkai's Didier Malige

Inspiration: A glamorous bohemian style that’s soft, romantic, and feminine

The Instructions

1) Apply an anti-frizz product and volumizer before blow-drying the hair smooth using a round brush.
2) Then curl the hair using a 1” curling iron to create soft and feminine waves.
3) Next, create a foundation for the style by backcombing the bottom layers of the hair.
4) Sweep the hair to the left side of her face, securing with bobby pins.
5) For a finishing touch Didier used one of Natalie’s earrings as a shimmery accent piece.

Secure the look with a sheer hairspray

Credits: Zimbio, Dior PR, Frederic Fekkai PR, and Tiffany & Co PR

Blue Valentine: Michelle Williams in Chanel

Michelle Williams in Chanel 2011 Spring/Summer Haute Couture

Makeup Artist Jeanine Lobell

Beauty Inspiration: "My inspiration was Michelle’s stunning CHANEL 2011 Spring/Summer Haute Couture gown. The dress represented Michelle’s personality - ethereal and sparkling.”

Jeanine Lobell----“Michelle’s skin is so fresh and beautiful. I applied CHANEL Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra Light Skin Perfecting Makeup in B10, which allows her skin to shine though the makeup, creating a fresh look. I set the makeup with CHANEL Natural Finished Press Pressed Powder in Translucent 1.

For eyes, we went for a light, ethereal smoky look mixing the shades in the CHANEL Quadra Eyeshadow in Smoky Eyes. I used the silvery shade as a base, and then used the pewter shade, taking it from the lash line up into the crease, adding shape to the eye. I then smudged the same shade in the lower lash line. I used the black shade, blended into the pewter, as a liner. I applied a few individual lashes in the center, and a lot of CHANEL Inimitable Waterproof Mascara in Noir on the top and bottom. I used the CHANEL Precision Brow Definer in Blond Claire to define the brow.

To create a glowing pink cheek, I applied CHANEL Blush Duo Tweed Effect in Pink Tweed. I mixed her lip colour, CHANEL Rouge Coco Lip Colour in Rose Dentelle, with a bit of the Vitalumiere Aqua foundation, which creates the effect of the lips blending into the face.”

Credit: Chanel PR and TFS

A women who doesn't wear perfume has no future

The Secret Of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History Of The World's Most Famous Perfume
by Tilar J. Mazzeo

Book Review by MUA's Cavewoman

Mystery, intrigue, royalty, politics, art, fashion, world history, smuggling, illicit love affairs, science, secrecy, and one young woman's personal history and vision are poured into a simple glass bottle almost 90 years ago. The remarkable story of that young woman, and the perfume she envisioned at the dawn of modern 20th century, are intertwined in this fascinating book which is partly a biography of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, and partly a biography of the famous fragrance she created, Chanel No. 5. The two cannot be separated. This story is as much about the survival of an abandoned child and her struggle to find love and respectability as it is about the survival of her life's enduring masterpiece, the fragrance she spent years in creating. What we buy today in the Chanel No. 5 bottle is as close to the original formula as it could possibly be, according to Mazzeo and her sources. What happens between the idea of a revolutionary
new kind of fragrance, in the mind of Chanel, and your brand-new bottle of Chanel No. 5, is the Secret told in Mazzeo's book.

Coco Chanel set out from the orphanage where she was raised, at the age of 17, to take a position as a seamstress in a tailor's shop in pre-war France. She was pretty and attracted many men, who took her to the cabaret clubs where she eventually became a performer and chanteuse. She became a mistress to several wealthy men, but fell in love with the one who could never marry her, because of her risque past. This is Arthur "Boy" Capel, the love of her life, who eventually married a "respectable" woman, and died in a car crash shortly after that. It appears from the book that Chanel never recovered from this loss. She never married, and she never had children. She threw herself into the creation of what she wanted to be a modern perfume, unlike the soliflores that were worn by the socialites. She wanted it to smell clean, like Boy smelled to her. She was intrigued by the scents of the demi-mondaines, the young cabaret performers and less-respected women who wore sweet, heavy jasmine scents. Her perfume would bridge the two worlds of the risque and the respectable. After Boy's death, she took another lover, an exiled Russian prince, who helped her in her mission by telling her of a magical scent that he remembered from his younger days in the royal court. He introduced Chanel to the perfumer. And the creation began. The perfumer was Ernest Beaux.

From the launch of the finished formula for Chanel No. 5 to the present, this story carries the reader through two world wars, through two continents, and anchors itself in the most important geographical location that is essential to the fragrance itself, the jasmine fields of Grasse, France. It is astonishing that Chanel No. 5 survived through the years. Mlle Chanel signed away most of the rights to her fragrance, and spent over fifty years fighting to get it back. During World War II, the primary owners of the company fled to the United States, where they set up anufacturing Chanel No. 5 with jasmine concrete that they smuggled out of Grasse. In essence, they protected the fragrance, preserving it thoughout the most difficult of circumstances, until the end of the war, when manufacturing was restored to France.

As I began reading this book, I could not help but run upstairs to my perfume cabinet and take out my small bottle of Chanel No. 5 parfum.
I put it on the table in front of me as I was reading. I kept looking at it. I dabbed the fragrance on my wrists. I inhaled it as eagerly as I was inhaling page after page of this amazing history. I wanted to understand what Mlle Chanel was trying to convey with this liquid. I wanted to understand what she wanted and what she achieved. I've loved Chanel No. 5 ever since I borrowed a spray or two of it from my sister's bottle, when I was 14 years old. Back then, to me it was just a pretty scent, unusual, a bit metallic, and much more grown-up than the L'Air Du Temps that I was wearing at the time. I knew there was something incredibly special about it. I had no idea what I was smelling. And now, I do. To wear Chanel No. 5 is to experience the passion and emotion of its creation and its sparkling and enduring beauty. It is at once a true classic and utterly modern.

Pick up this book and go find your bottle or vial of Chanel No. 5, and read and smell the essence of a legend, both woman and scent, truly the world's most famous perfume.


Credit: Review was written by Patti aka Cavewoman
Photo Credit: Patti
Disclosure: This book was purchased by the reviewer.

Agent Provocateur L'Agent Review

Agent Provocateur L'Agent Fragrance
Review by MUA's Cavewoman

Lately, I've been doing lots of emailing back and forth with my friend Angie. We're constantly talking fashion and style,
we're glued to shows like Project Runway (we love Tim! We don't love Nina!) and What Not To Wear (we both love Stacy and Clinton!) and anything fashion related, especially the monthly magazines. We're both in transition right now
in our personal styles. We ponder about what really looks best on us, what suits our lives and our body types and
our age, and we both keep style books, scrapbook albums with clippings of things we love. We discuss purging our closets and then we actually do it.
It's a work in progress.
She's minimalist, she loves structure and shapes and angles, art deco jewelry, and strong powerful solid colors. I like flowy
dresses, feminine jewelry, soft fabrics, a defined waist, and blue nail polish.
Neither one of us is a femme fatale. We never were. We don't want to be. I've never even tried on an Herve Leger dress.
I have to ask Angie if she has one. I bet she's never tried one on, either. Too sexy for us.
There, I said the word. Sexy.

But in fragrances, give me some hot heady florals and rich, deep woodsy notes, and I'm captivated. They seem very "me"
and most of the scents I own are just like this. Roses as rich as they come, sensuous woods and deep incensey notes,
these are my scent preferences. They do not correspond very well to my fashion style, but they just feel right somehow.
I want to smell like a woman, not a teenage boy. Unisex is not a word in my style vocabulary.

I once visited an unabashedly sexy lingerie store in SoHo, NYC. The store is called Agent Provocateur. My shopping companion that day shall remain anonymous. Unless she decides to disclose her identity. This beautiful pink and black boudoir is full of the most exquisite lingerie I've ever seen. I felt like an alien on another planet. This store makes no apologies for its purpose. It's all about seduction.
And they do it perfectly. Lovely young women in red lipstick, pink shirtdress "uniforms" and stiletto heels shuttle you into the heavily-draperied fitting rooms, and before you know it, you're being laced into a black jeweled bustier. Men sit patiently on the tufted banquettes and wait
for their ladies to choose their pretty things. And there are fragrances. Agent Provocateur has its own brand of
fragrances, and as I was waiting for my shopping companion to have her purchases wrapped, I started sniffing the tester bottles
at the desk. The scents of Agent Provocateur fulfill everything you experience in this store. They're sultry, exciting,
womanly, self-assured, and sexy. I'm now the proud owner of all of them. I love the way wearing these scents makes me feel.
All of them are unusual, well-blended, and exude that sense of quality that is unmistakeable. These are fine scents from a fine company.

When I heard that Agent Provocateur was launching a new scent this month, I couldn't wait to try it. I wear all three of the other AP scents
and after reading the list of notes on the Agent website, I asked Angie to stop in at the SoHo store and take a sniff for me.
Her verdict: spicy! I sent her some money the very next day. Within three days, the bottle was at my doorstep.

L'Agent by Agent Provocateur is a lush, dark, mysterious rose-based scent with jasmine and tuberose, woods and amber, incense and musk.
It has the slight powdery quality of the rest of the Agent perfumes, but with more depth and a big attitude. You won't find any
whimsical fruits or lighthearted greenery in this one. L'Agent gets right down to business with the first spray, the first whiff.
L'Agent offers the entire Agent Provocateur philosophy and experience in its pink-fade-to-black teardrop bottle, and has succeeded once again
in capturing in scent the attitude of the company. They know who their customer is. She is a woman, not a girl. She is confident, worldly, smart, and
comfortable in her own skin. She isn't afraid to be totally feminine. She embraces her sexuality and yes, she likes pretty things!

Come to think of it, I might just be that woman.

Credit: Review and photo by Cavewoman
Disclosure: This product was purchased by the reviewer

The Real Orange County: Nars Illuminators

Following the success of the Orgasm Illuminator, NARS introduces three new iconic shades to the Illuminator category. This collection of light-reflecting liquids glides on to refresh the skin, enhance the complexion and create a shimmering incandescence. The Illuminators can be used to highlight bare skin or to light up your makeup as it lights the skin from within.

COPACABANA - Like its namesake Multiple, Copacabana Illuminator will impart a pearlescent sheen and can be applied all over the face, mixed with foundation, and used to highlight the neck, shoulders and décolleté.


SUPER ORGASM – Infused, like the blush, with golden shimmer and a peachy-gold hue that can be applied all over the face, mixed with foundation, and used to highlight the neck, shoulders and décolleté.

LAGUNA - A golden-bronze hue, just as in Laguna Bronzer, that will give a sun-kissed glow and can be applied to the face or mixed with foundation.

Key ingredients include Polar Berries, known for their antioxidant properties; Bisabolol, known as an anti-inflammatory (obtained from the Chamomile plant) and Indian Frankincense, known for its soothing and comforting properties. Non-comedogenic. Dermatologist-tested.

PRICE: $29 each
AVAILABILITY: www.narscosmetics.com
CREDITS: Nars PR

Tinted Love

A review of five tinted lip balms
By Jessica M

There’s a new generation of tinted lip balms showing up in stores these days, and they have wearable colors, soothing moisture, and more natural ingredients than we’ve seen before. To mention just a few: Korres and Burt’s Bees have added new products to their already-adored lip offerings, Tarte has introduced new shades and improved its packaging, LUSH is just getting started with color cosmetics, and Clark’s Botanicals maintains its status as a beauty editors’ favorite.

Here’s how these lip tints stacked up in my own late-winter testing. (I tried to choose colors that work with my own fair, cool/neutral skintone.)

Korres Lip Butter Glaze
Shade: Raspberry
Pigmentation: medium
Texture: smooth and glossy
Flavor: berry-vanilla
Packaging: tube with slant-tip
Price: $14 at Korres.com and Sephora.com
Verdict: feels lush and almost curative on lips, delivers good color pay-off in a health-conscious formulation

Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm
Shade: Pink Blossom
Pigmentation: sheer
Texture: very emollient
Flavor: fruit gum
Packaging: swivel-up stick in cardboard case
Price: $7 at drugstores and Burtsbees.com
Verdict: the most traditionally balm-like of the group, gives a dewy look with fresh, subtle color

Tarte Cosmetics 24.7 Natural Lip Sheer SPF 15
Shade: Tea Time
Pigmentation: semi-opaque
Texture: almost matte
Flavor: light mint
Packaging: swivel-up stick (with metal tube)
Price: $16 at Tartecosmetics.com and Sephora.com
Verdict: a pretty, polished effect, like a lightweight lipstick with the added benefits of moisture and sunscreen

Clarks’ Botanicals Ultra Rich Lip TintShade: Rachel Red
Pigmentation: medium
Texture: shiny
Flavor: vanilla ice cream
Packaging: tube with slant-tip
Price: $19 at Clarksbotanicals.com
Verdict: a bit streaky in its application, looks like a vibrant gloss but fades and slips away quickly; works best as a top coat over lipstick

LUSH It Started with a Kiss
Shade: one color available
Pigmentation: medium and buildable
Texture: semi-stain
Flavor: apple spice cake with buttercream frosting
Packaging: pot with screw-top lid
Price: $6.95 at Lush.com
Verdict: looks scarily bright in the pot, but applies as a flattering (and on-trend) coral-red... and lasts through a coffee break or an actual kiss!


Review by Jessica M
Disclaimer: The Tarte, Korres, and Clark’s balms were purchased by the author. The Burt’s Bees and Lush products were provided as press samples.
Review title is a homage to Soft Cell.
Images: Jessica M for Blogdorf Goodman

Alice's Adventures: Revlon's Gucci Westman for Temperley

Who: Revlon’s Global Artistic Director, Gucci Westman, backstage at Temperley

What: Revlon’s Global Artistic Director, Gucci Westman, created a beautiful look inspired by the designer herself, pairing a beautiful bright red lip with a smoky purple eye for a powerful but chic look. “Alice Temperley is a stylish, successful woman. She was the perfect inspiration and loves a red lip. I also wanted to compliment the beautiful muted palette of the collection and the Venetian theme, so I created a confident bright red lip using Just Bitten Lip Stain + Balm and a strong purple smoky eye. I love the combination of red and purple for a look that is chic, expensive and powerful”

Revlon Product Breakdown

Lips:
'Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm' in Flame, $8.99
Matte Lipstick in Really Red, $7.99

Eye:
Customeyes Mascara in Blackest Black, $8.99
ColorStay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black, $7.39
ColorStay 12H Eye Shadow Quad in Sunrise Sunset, $6.99
ColorStay 12H Eye Shadow Quad in Steel Impressions, $6.99
Luxourious Color Eyeliner in Black, $9.99

Face:
PhotoReady Concealer, $10.99
PhotoReady Powder, $12.99
PhotoReady Foundation, $13.99
Revlon Matte Blush in Berry Rich, $9.79

PRODUCT AVAILABILITY: http://www.revlon.com/
Credit: Revlon PR
Photo Credit: Style
http://www.style.com/

American Gothic: Lancome & Chris Benz Fall 2011

Chris Benz had a Southern Gothic sensibility on his mind when creating his Fall 2011 collection. Indeed, it was his recent travels to Savannah, Georgia, for his role as a mentor at The University for Creative Careers (SCAD), which sparked a collection brimming with dark beauty. To counter this lady-like look, lead makeup artist Daniel Martin went colorful, with a look that was “a little off,” said Daniel, starring a “slept-in” eye, matte skin and bitten lips.

Daniel created two different looks using Lancôme’s new Color Design 5 Shadow and Liner Palette and L’Absolu Nu Lipstick (out in March). Some of the models wore a mix of blue-toned shadows paired with a rose stained lip while others donned aubergine eyes with a muted berry pout. Skin was matte with just a hint of color on the cheeks. Two nail colors were used, Noir 29 (black with a pinch of gold shimmer) and Bang Bang Red (a classic orange-red).

Assisting Daniel Martin was the Lancôme National Makeup Artist team. This is the first time that this talented group of artists has joined forces during Fashion Week. You’ll be hearing more about the team, which includes Tarek Abbas, Darais, Manuel Villegas, Alex Sanchez, Ricardo Costales, Jason Leong and Robert Cook, very soon.

SKIN:
Teint Idole Foundation and Blush Subtil in Mauve Coquette

EYES:
Color Design 5 Pan Palette in Teal Fury (blue eye) and Color Design 5 Pan Palette in Mauve Cherie (aubergine eye)
Le Stylo eyeliner in Noir
Hypnôse Mascara in Black

LIPS:
L’Absolu Nu in Evening Lace (paired with blue eye) and L’Absolu Nu in Satin Toffee (paired with aubergine eye)

NAILS:
Le Vernis in Bang Bang Red and Noir 29 (coming Fall 2011)


Credit: Lancome PR
Photo Credit:Cameron Krone

Drugstore Deals and Steals

For February 20th through Saturday February 26th 2011

Rite Aid

Maybelline: Buy 1, get 1 50% off on cosmetics with Rite Aid Wellness Card
$5+UP Reward when you purchase $20 with Rite Aid Wellness card
Almay: Foundation, Powder, or Blush is priced at $8.99 with Rite Aid Wellness card
$3+UP Reward when you purchase two Almay foundation, powder or blush with Rite Aid Wellness card
Physicians Formula: Buy 1, get 1 50% off on cosmetics with Rite Aid Wellness Card
$5+UP Reward when you purchase $20 with Rite Aid Wellness card
Revlon: Single Check Rebate for $2.00 off on Revlon foundation with Rite Aid Wellness Card
Prestige: Buy 1, get 1 50% off on cosmetics with Rite Aid Wellness Card
$3+UP Reward when you purchase $10 of Prestige with Rite Aid Wellness card
CoverGirl: Buy 1, get 1 50% off on cosmetics with Rite Aid Wellness Card
$1+UP Reward when you purchase 2 CoverGirl products with Rite Aid Wellness card
L'Oreal: Buy 1, get 1 50% off on Face and Eye cosmetics with Rite Aid Wellness Card
$3 on 2 Single Check Rebate available on select L'Oreal products. Check store for details.
$2 off Manufacturer's coupon on L'Oreal Face Primer available in most Sunday papers
$5 Check Rebate available for L'Oreal Youth Code Skin Care. Check store for details.
L'Oreal Facial Moisturizers are priced at $11.99 with Rite Aid Wellness card
Garnier: Skin Renew or Ultra Lift Skin Care is priced at $9.99 with Rite Aid Wellness card
Olay: Facial Cleansers are 30% off with Rite Aid Wellness card
Regenerist or Definity Skin Care is priced at $21.99 with Rite Aid Wellness card

Target

Herbal Essences: 2 for $5 on 12 oz Shampoo or conditioner
Maybelline: Volum' Express One by One mascara is priced at $6.49
10% off other selected Maybelline mascara
L'Oreal: Youth Code Serum is priced at $21.99

Walgreens

Neutrogena: Buy 1, get 1 50% off on cosmetics
Maybelline: Buy 1, get 1 50% off on FITme!cosmetics or Volum'Express One by One mascara
L'Oreal: Youth Code Kit is priced at $29.99
Selected Youth Code skin care is priced at $21.99
Garnier: Buy 1, get 1 off skin care
Revlon: Buy 1, get 1 50% off on cosmetics
CoverGirl: Buy 1, get 1 50% off on cosmetics

CVS

Maybelline: Buy 1, get 1 50% off on cosmetics with CVS card
Rimmel: Buy 1, get 1 50% off on cosmetics with CVS card
Revlon: Get $8 extra CVS bucks when you purchase any 2 Revlon Foundation, Powder, Blush or Concealer with CVS card
CoverGirl: Spend $10 and get $3 extra CVS bucks when you purchase any CoverGirl cosmetics with CVS card
L'Oreal: 25% off L'Oreal Skin or Sun care with CVS card
RoC: Save $4 on all RoC skin care with CVS card

Gaga 2: MAC Viva Glam's Lipstick and Lipglass

My mama told me when I was young
We are all born superstars
She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on
In the glass of her boudoir

"There's nothin' wrong with lovin' who you are"
She said, "'Cause He made you perfect, babe"
"So hold your head up, girl and you you'll go far,
Listen to me when I say" (Lyrics from Born This Way)


The latest addition to the Viva Glam lineup was launched yesterday. Lady Gaga has reprised her role as the Viva Glam spokeswoman. This time Viva Glam is all about the nude. This goes with her whole new album/Grammy's performance "rebirth" theme. There are no eggs or rubber pancake hats. This collection is about holy grail nude lippies. The amplified lipstick shade is a light warm beige. The lipglass is a gorgeous pinked beige with just a hint of shimmer.
Warm or pinked nudes are the only ones I can carry off!

Viva Glam Gaga 2 lipstick is priced at $14.50
Viva Glam Gaga 2 lipglass is priced at $14.50
The collection is available at your local MAC counter and www.maccosmetics.com
These shades will be available for a full 12 months. Each cent of these lippies goes to the amazing MAC Aids Fund.

Disclosure: A press sample was provided by MAC Cosmetics
Credit: MAC PR and Blogdorf Goodman

Zoya Intimate Collection

Zoya's Intimate collection was designed to "recreate the custom looks developed for and inspired by the runways of New York Fashion Week - Spring 2011."

The collection is my kind of take on spring. It is moody and whispery pale. It is all kinds of Heathcliff and moors.

Zoya is available at http://www.zoya.com/ and the bottles retail for $7 each.

Marley is a slightly murky lavender pink. Very delicate and pretty.
Dove is a delicate, pale gray cream. This is my current manicure color.
Caitlin is a misty, moody, gray violet cream. This is my personal favorite from the collection. It is romantic and twisted like a Bronte sister's novel.
Dannii is shimmering,slightly metallic orchid purple. It is the perkiest shade in the Intimate collection. This shade also had the best staying power. Not one ounce of wear and tear after one week.
Jules is metallic, muted taupe with flashes of gold.
Gemma is an army green with flashes of periwinkle. The cast is very subtle.

Disclosure: Zoya provided a press sample of the Intimate collection
Credits: Zoya PR and Blogdorf Goodman

Lipstick Love Affair

Lancome is having a lippie moment!
Spend $35 on Lancome-usa.com, enter code XOXO and get three full-size lipsticks free! Offer ends on 2/16/2011 (today)!
You have until 11:59am EST.

Happy shopping!

Credit:Lancome PR

Nars Bento Box: A Gush and Review

I purchased the NARS Bento Box Set during a Saks beauty event. It was a mixture of destiny, a discount and a saks gift card.

It is a limited edition (but I still see it online!) set of "two Kabuki cups that were hand-poured with a new exclusive-to-NARS lipstick formula in highly pigmented shades".
The cups are engineered to fit perfectly in your hand. It triggers a crazy tactile response. You just enjoy handling them. Now some of you beauty addicts...with your thoughts in the gutter...might be giggling. The cups are just a glamorous addition to your makeup ritual. Your inner geisha girl is released!

The cups are "coated" with the lip product.
There will be a moment's panic that you paid $125 for very little product.
This feeling will pass.
The red lip shade is called Maiko. It is a vibrant geisha red. Maiko has no blue cast and is more warm blooded.
Sakura is a bright, yet cool fuchsia pink. My local Nars girl suggested pairing the lippies together. That was a magnificent combination. It was traffic stopping!

The texture is a lipstick-like formula.
Nothing revolutionary.
I expected something thicker with more pigment power. I was pleased that it did not create any lip issues. There was no dryness or flakes.

The handmade bento box houses a Kabuki lip brush, "designed for precise application by dipping the brush into the cup and blending until desired coverage is achieved". This was a tricky endeavor for my thumbs. The tip is pretty stiff. It took a lot of swishes and applications to get sufficient pigment. The brush is so lovely to look at. It is hand wrapped like the other Nars Kabuki brushes.

It retails for $125 and is available www.narscosmetics.com, Saks, and Neiman Marcus

Disclosure: I bought this!
Photo Credit: Blogdorf Goodman