Recently in Eye Shadows Category

"Chrome is cool and icy- it's a very modern, but still pretty way to illuminate the skin." - Bobbi Brown

I flew home last night to a mound of mail and packages (24 days worth of mail and blogger packages is a sight to see!) I opened each and every one of the (10) boxes from cosmetic companies and when I saw what was inside the Bobbi Brown package I got a bit miffed.  Not to be ungrateful and all but hello-- I so could have used this CHROME palette during my trip to Asia! It's a tri-fold compact that has 10 eyeshadow shades, 4 lip shades, plus mini brushes to boot. It would have saved me a lot of room in my luggage! 

I played with the shadows after the hubby and boy went to bed and was surprised how subtle the shadows are on the lids (considering how dark they look in the palette).  I used the "Iron" matte shadow as a base and highlighted the brow bone with "White" matte shadow.  I then put "Charcoal Haze" along the lash line to smoke my liner (may be used as a liner itself) which made for a really pretty daytime look.  To test out an evening look, I lightly dusted "Cyber Grey" and "Storm Cloud" sparkle shadow over the entire the lid-- smokin' hot!  I love playing with make up and can do this all night long!
Bobbi Brown Chrome Palette ($75) here.
 
The collection also has three new limited edition lipsticks: Port Lip Color, Chrome Metallic Lip Color and Plum Pearl Metallic Lip Color.  I did not get any samples of these so will stop by Neiman Marcus later this week to test out.  

The collection also includes Bobbi's holiday Chrome Mini Brush Set- the perfect present for the beauty-junkie in your life (wait, that would be moi!). The set, which comes in a chrome zip-around cases features a Mini Face Blender, Bobbi's new Mini Angle Eye Shadow Brush and a Mini Eye Liner brush.

Also available at Nordstrom. Bobbi Brown Chrome Palette $75, Bobbi Brown Metallic Lip Color $22, Bobbi Brown Chrome Mini Brush Set $55.

Laura Mercier is a great line of cosmetics for a natural look. This Laura Mercier 'Renaissance' Collection is great because it is such a good value. And it's like they compacted everything as well as they can for traveling. They made the concealer brush double ended, so that it's two brushes in one. And they have their fabulous secret concealer in a pot, with the setting powder underneath. It also comes with their Flawless Skin Day Creme with an SPF 15 in a deluxe sample size, a mini Black Thickening and Building Mascara, Pink Champagne Lip Glacé, and an eye color duo, all in cute cosmetic bag. Of course, kits are always a great value, but what's even better is that it's also on sale. So for $167 worth of product you only pay $38.90 for all of it. I mean, when does Laura Mercier really go on sale anyways?

One of the first things I do when I'm in Asia is to cruise the cosmetic department at Mitsukoshi- (chain of department stores not unlike Neiman Marcus in the states). I love the vibe in that part of the store. Asian women take their beauty products very seriously so there is a lot of jostling and elbowing to get to the favorite brands! It was hectic in there as usual (imagine Christmas eve on a Saturday afternoon except it's everyday!) plus I was dragging my 5 year old with me but I finally made my way to RMK (my absolute favorite Japanese cosmetic brand) and snatched up all the latest and greatest!

First is the new Mystique Eyes shadow line, I can't tell you how amazing the texture of this shadow is-- it's velvety soft to the touch and stays on the eyes without creasing or flaking. I got very daring and bought the Green (04) collection (NT$1,200 is around $37USD)-- the SA put the dark moss green along my lash line and swept the powder brush across the lighter colors (to blend them together) and put that along my crease. I was kind of scared to look in the mirror but it turned out so gorgeous! I've decided I need to go back and get the silver/gray/blue combo, too. You must try this if you can get to RMK (sold only in Asia and at Selfridges in the UK). Rumiko is a famed make up artist in Japan (she's like the Bobbi of Asia!) and I have been obsessed with her products for 10 years. I also bought the creamy foundation-- will have that review later this week! More details here on the RMK website.

So I finally shopped at the Sephora at JCP the other day, I never really found them interesting because there is a regular Sephora just on the other side of the mall. They have probably 1/5th of what the regular one has-- but I guess since it is so much smaller that they change the lines often which means the old lines go on sale. They had a great deal of Stila products on sale from $4-$10! Some of the items I picked up was a Cobalt Smudge Pot, which I always wanted to try and I'm glad I did. This rich, but dark blue goes on so smoothly and dries to smudge resistant in a minute. I also picked up some Eye Shadow Pans. The only drawback of these is that you have to buy the refillable container for it, but for $4 it was still worth it. I also bought a Shine Lip Color like something between a sheer lipstick and a lip balm. At first I thought some of these were being discontinued, but looking on Sephora's site I see that they are still the retail price. So check out your local Sephora or Sephora JCP and see if you can find these great steals!

I am addicted to dark polish right now.  Have OPI's Black Cherry Chutney on today and I feel very vampire-ish-- really like how it makes my skin look pale and flawless.  Am very excited about the launch of CHANEL's "Noirs Obscurs" this month.  CHANEL does amazing dark polishes (remember Vamp!?!?) and shadow quads but I don't know about the black lipstick.  Ahead of her time as an arbiter of style and color authority, Mademoiselle Chanel recognized and revered the color black as a symbol of luxury, modernity, sophistication and seduction.

Today, Peter Philips creates a tribute to black with an avant-garde collection of trend-defining eye, lip and nail shades, uncovering the many nuances and undertones of this iconic shade. Not many of us can carry off an entire face of rouge noirs, so we suggest choosing one feature to focus on the face to go with the dark nails. All at CHANEL.com (Jump for colors and prices!)

Shiseido has partnered up with Cancer and Careers once again for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In support of this initiative, Shiseido will donate $5 for every unit of Shiseido Makeup Luminizing Satin Eye Color in Peony (PK305), sold throughout the month of October to Cancer and Careers, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting working women living with cancer. Shiseido Makeup Luminizing Satin Eye Color is the newest creation from Dick Page, Shiseido Artistic Director. Inspired by tile mosaics, Luminizing Satin Eye Color is versatile enough to layer with other colors for a brilliant blend or bold enough to wear alone. First previewed at Fall 2009 New York Fashion Week, Dick Page introduced his first eye color collection on the runways for leading designers including Michael Kors and Narciso Rodriguez. I just ordered mine, your turn :)

Get Luminizing Satin Eye Color in Peony ($25) here.

This season M·A·C celebrates the idea of the Artist in every shade and stripe...makeup as art form. M·A·C has selected three individuals who exemplify this idea through both the subjects they choose, and the wildly individual styles and colours used to convey them. Bold, heroic, big; giggly, playful, clever; dramatic, original, abstract: Fall '09 as seen by Richard Phillips, Maira Kalman, and Marilyn Minter.  (jump for the complete collections!)

M·A·C Make-Up Art Cosmetics will be available for a limited time starting August 20, 2009.  

Sylvie Chantecaille's personal pallette is a quad of gorgeous shades in golds, bronzes, and pinky roses-- so pretty against our slightly (fake) tanned skin!  I am bummed I'm missing Sylvie Chantecaille's PA at Neiman Marcus North Park on September 12th, if you are in Dallas, you must stop by and meet her!  This is one of the most luxurious cosmetic and skincare lines in the market, I love everything Chantecaille-- especially its Real Skin foundation, like its name, it just looks like real skin yet provides full coverage.  Real Skin is $62 at Neiman Marcus.com 
Jump for details of Sylvie's PA!