Let me show you the world in my eyes: Anna Sui Fall 2011 Makeup Collection

A preview by Jessica M

I’ve mentioned before, here and on Now Smell This, that I’m a devoted admirer of Anna Sui’s fashion and her overall style, including her fragrance and cosmetics lines. I attended a party at the flagship Anna Sui boutique during Fashion Week last month, and I promised Annie a post about it; my non-blogging life has been busier than usual this fall, so I’m a little late, but I’m finally ready to share what I saw and learned.

This party was planned to preview the Anna Sui cosmetics collection for Fall 2011, which definitely emphasizes the eyes. The collection includes four new color cosmetics products: Colored Lash Amplifying Mascara in three shades (black, hot pink, and bright blue, for $28), an Eyebrow Color Compact palette in a range of three browns ($28), Perfect Mascara in black ($28), and vivid and sparkly Eyeliner Pencils in five shades ($19). There are also three limited edition decorative compacts for powder foundations ($15).

All the packaging is typical rock-and-romance Anna Sui style, of course; I particularly like the bow-shaped compacts for the brow powder.

I ended up buying myself yet another Anna Sui dress that night, after browsing the cosmetics and eating cupcakes and saying hello to the ever-gracious Ms. Sui herself (that’s her with one of her fantastic boutique staff in the picture).

I’m planning a return visit to the boutique to pick up some of the cosmetics soon. I’d like to own one or two of the eyeliners, possibly the Neon Green (really more olive than neon) and Pearl Bronze shades, as well as one of the “Elegant” green-and-white powder compact.

I’ll also be keeping an eye out for the repackaged nail polish line. Its bottles are shaped like dressmaking forms wearing party dresses. So clever! The new shades will range from shimmery nudes to rich purple and glittery green, so there’s something for everyone.

Anna Sui’s cosmetics line is available at the Anna Sui boutique in New York (113 Greene Street, New York, NY 10013, phone 212-941-8406).

Title lyrics from Depeche Mode.
Party/boutique photos by Jessica M for Blogdorf Goodman
Review by Jessica Murphy

This girl is made of lipstick, powder, and paint

Glossy Lip Rouge from Anna Sui
A Review by Jessica M

If you’re an admirer of Anna Sui’s cosmetics, you may already know that the line’s Lip Rouges were redesigned and launched in Spring 2010. I’ve been meaning to write about them for a while, since I’ve been wearing them so often this summer.

The new Lip Rouge line-up is comprised of lipsticks in four different textures: G/Glossy (semi-sheer and shiny), V/Vivid (richly pigmented), D/Dazzle (sparkly!), and T/Tint (balm-like, with a hint of color). Overall, there are now thirty shades that range from pales to brights, and from neutrals to bolder tones. The lipsticks also have new packaging (which I happen to prefer to the previous look): Art Nouveau-inspired cases with embossed roses and heart-shaped cutouts.

Glossy, my favorite formula in the revamped Lip Rouge line, is packaged in a black-on-black tube. Shade #304 (“Coral Pink”) is a light peachy-canteloupe color, with fine silvery shimmer that gives a slightly frosty effect. It’s a nice option for a soft, natural look when you’re focusing more on your eye makeup. Shade #305 (“Passion Pink) appears almost fuchsia in the tube, but on the lips, it’s a sheer, buildable raspberry shade. I’ve been trying to wear more color this summer, and #305 is an easy, flattering way for me to intensify my look without overdoing it; this shade also coordinates perfectly with a dress I recently bought at the Anna Sui shop!

All the G/Glossy Lip Rouges have an emollient feel, since their formula combines state-of-the-art synthetic ingredients with a few natural oils and waxes. And, last but not least, they are delicately scented with a tea rose fragrance.

Have you tried the reformulated Lip Rouge line yet? Do you have any other favorites from this brand? Feel free to share in the comments!

Anna Sui G/Glossy Lip Rouges retail for $25 each. Anna Sui’s New York City boutique is located at 113 Greene Street; the phone number is 212-941-8406. Visit http://www.annasui.com/ for more information about the full cosmetics line.

Disclaimer: Lip Rouge #304 was provided as a press sample by Anna Sui; I purchased Lip Rouge #305 at the Anna Sui boutique.

Title: lyric from “Maid of Bond Street” by David Bowie
Images: Lipstick photos by Jessica M. Anna Sui runway photo from Style.com.

I’ll be your mirror, reflect what you are...

Anna Sui Holiday Cosmetics Collection 2009
By Jessica M

Anna Sui’s cosmetics are always so appealing, with their rock-romance design (rose-shaped gloss compacts!) and their range of colors from pastels to brights (with plenty of sparkle), and the limited edition products for the 2009 holiday season offer an extra dose of sweetness and shine.

There are five limited edition items in this line, also called the “Crystal Angel” collection. The stars of the group are two palettes shaped like old-fashioned hand mirrors; they flip open to reveal mirrors and five-pan color selections inside. The lip color palette includes five shades, from delicate to bold: Wish Pink (translucent soft pink), Crystal Yellow (clear yellow with gold pearl and red shimmer), Angel Orange (neutral orange), Glossy Red (translucent red), and Cherry Pink (bright pink). A lip brush is also enclosed.

The eye color palette is a violet-purple range, which is typical Anna Sui but also very on-trend. One shadow is a cream shadow; it’s called Crystal Gold (pearlized gold highlighter). The four powder shades are Mysterious Purple (with blue shimmer), Milky Green (light green with gold shimmer), Cocoa Brown (deep brown with reddish shimmer), and Cupid Pink (light pink with red shimmer). An applicator is included. Each palette retails for $45.

For holiday nails, two kits are available. Each flowered pouch contains two nail colors, a patterned emery board, and a small container of rhinestones and tiny nail jewels. Set 01, in a purple theme, includes polishes in Aurora Purple (deep purple with “aurora” shimmer in red, pink, and silver) and Angel Pink (sheer pink with pink and silver shimmer). Set 02, in a red theme, includes polishes in Angel Rose (a creamy reddish pink) and Tiara Pink (light pink with pink sparkles) and Each set is priced at $40.

If you’re looking for something to hold your Anna Sui cosmetics, nail polishes, or jewelry, you just might love the flowered Antique Vanity Box. It’s made of lightweight metal, with a removable plastic tray inside. (Confession: I’ve already caved on one of these.) It sells for $25.

And, in case you want to share the holiday love, this collection even offers two heart-shaped cards, a red one and a purple one. They’re elaborate, layered “pop-ups” in Anna Sui’s typical neo-Victorian style. They cost $8 each.

In the United States, this collection is available exclusively at the Anna Sui boutique located at 113 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012. For more information, contact the boutique at (212) 941-8406. Stock is limited!

Cosmetics images courtesy of Anna Sui. Dress from Fall 2009 Ready collection, via Style.com. The title of this post is a song lyric from The Velvet Underground.

"I really wanted to bring magic and fun back to cosmetics. I mean that's always been my attraction with cosmetics: color, texture, sparkle, glitter and all the things that make you kind of different or special" Anna Sui

My latest finds at TJ Maxx:
http://www.annasuibeauty.com/site/welcome.htm

I picked up the Anna Sui lotions with no expectations. I puchased them for three reasons:
1. They were $7.99
2. They were Anna Sui
3. They looked adorable

Secret Wish is my favorite of the two. The notes are lemon, marigold, melon, pineapple, black currant buds, white cedarwood, amber and musk.

Dolly Girl Ooh La Love's notes are sweet currants, starfruit, sparkling bergamot, peony, amber and cedarwood.

The quality of lotion is above average. It keeps the skin well hydrated without that greasy feeling. They are both light fresh scents. Very easy to wear during the summer months.

It was a good TJ Maxx purchase.

40 Days and 40 Nights of Primers

photo from mybeauty.com.tw
review by cavewoman

Sometimes I have a hard time overcoming my visually-oriented brain, and I don't fight it anymore, since I am an artist. Pretty things just lure me right in. Packaging is as important to me as what is inside the package. Girly things will grab me faster than a toddler can grab a lollipop! So, at a Sephora store in NYC in December, my eyes led my feet to the Anna Sui display, where the pretty things come in black packaging with roses, boxes in pastels with beautiful lettering and gilded edges, and stylized butterflies in delicate silhouette.

I purchased the primer untested that day, along with many other beautiful things from the Sui line.
Anna Sui Foundation Primer comes in a one-ounce squeeze tube that is matte antique gold. The product itself is a highly (and I mean very highly) rose-scented, thin and milky liquid, so fragrance-sensitive people, just be warned. Application is easy and no product gets wasted due to the ability to control just how much you want from the tube.

At first I said to myself, well, I don't see much on my face other than this sheen. It's not sticky, and it does not fill in the lines and pores like the Smashbox PhotoFinish, but it does have great light-reflecting qualities. The milkiness disappears as you smooth it on the face.

It is a very moisturizing formula and I do not need any other moisturizing product when I use this primer. Over top, my La Prairie takes on even more dewiness. The Sui primer works well to help foundation last longer, my face looked as fresh and dewy at the end of the day as it did when I finished my makeup application in the morning.

I'd recommend this product for the driest skins only, because it is a very thin but oily-feeling texture. It's shiny. Not in a metallic or frosted shine, no opalescent effect, but an oily shine. If you prefer a matte finish or even just a subtle glow or a satin finish to your foundation, maybe this isn't the one to try.

But I continue to reach for the Sui Primer, because it's so girly and it smells so pretty. The primer sits in my Anna Sui Vanity Box, a black retro-style open container that matches all of her brushes and compacts, on a table in my very retro green, pink, and black bathroom. What a pleasure to wake up and smell AND see the roses!
Rating, 7.