Blue eyeliner is all the rage right now but don't be scared, we have come a long long way from the electric blue rimmed eyes of the 80s (I was guilty of it myself at age 13). The new blue is dark as night with just a hint of color. I have gotten no less than 10 different midnight blue eyeliners in the last year but love the presentation of the Luxe Eye Definer from La Prairie best (for $50 you get a super fancy pencil sharpener and pretty box). But how does it perform? The color is fantastic, the best I've tried but the pencil is not soft enough (when I was in 4th grade, my friend's older sister used a lighter to heat up her Maybelline liner, she'd then apply the hot melting liner to the inner rims of her eyes. Visions of her doing it still frighten me to this day). I made it slightly better by rubbing it along a tissue before applying and hoping it will soften with time. Anyone else tried this?
La Prairie Midnight Blue Luxe Eye Definer for $50
Recently in Lips Category
M·A·C Viva Glam Lipglass in Viva Glam Gaga and Cyndi Wham up the GLAM will be at MAC Cosmetic counters and website starting tomorrow!
I have one of each of the textures and all are lightweight, long-lasting, and non-sticky. If I had to choose a favorite, I'd say the "Glazed," because I like me some high-shine! But as you can see if you check-out the Ellis Faas website, no matter what texture you opt for you're getting rich, highly pigmented, gorgeous hues.
If you're planning on becoming a regular Ellis Faas shopper (and I think you will...), you might want to buy the lightweight Ellis Holder, which is a portable makeup holder that lets you slide in all your "pens" (with the exception of the powder, all of the brand's products are pen-shaped), and pop in your powder; there's also a mirror. I'm still all about mixing and matching of brands, so I don't think I'll be splurging on this, but when it hits Space NK I'm going to play around with it and see if it can accommodate some of my other handbag makeup essentials.
As we head toward the end of summer (boo!) the big casualty from all the sun and elements is my lips. I find myself chewing on my lips which is not only unattractive but eventually painful. But all that dry skin just drives me crazy! I picked up the Lip Scrub by Sara Happ
Two of these lipsticks were sent to me for review and at first I didn't know what the odd shaped cases were... lighters? Tic tacs? Turned out to be the newest products from L'Oreal (cuz they think I'm worth it?!), the Infallible Never Fail lipsticks. While I appreciate modern technology, this packaging is just too cumbersome to keep in my make up bag. And though the lipstick did stay on as promised, it left my lips feeling kind of dry which I guess is the reason they included the balm. However, I'm spoiled by lipsticks that have the conditioning agent in them already so not sure I would bother to do this two step. I do like this color though. Very pretty on the lips. Have you tried this yet?
Loreal Infallible Never Fail Lipstick in Orchid
Following in the footsteps of its sell-out Viva Glam lipsticks featuring such luscious flavors as Light Coral Red and Light Blue Pink for its new spokeswomen Cyndi Lauper and Lady Gaga, respectively, M.A.C is rolling out--you guessed it--a pair of two new lipglass shades starring the music icons as well. But get yours sooner than later as they'll only be for sale for six months. In addition to the must-have lipglass, M.A.C is also introducing a perfect holiday stocking stuffer: Viva Glam bags that can easily double as clutches for a truly youthful look.
$14.50 for Lipglass & $28 for the Glam Bag, available at M.A.C counters worldwide (September in the U.S., worldwide October)
Chanel's highly-anticipated Peter Marino-redesigned Soho store on Spring Street is scheduled to make its big debut on September 10 (aka Fashion's Night Out). To commemorate the occasion, Peter Philips, Chanel's global creative director of makeup, has designed the "Soho Story Collection," an assortment of exclusive Pop Art-influenced beauty products that echo the spirit of the store's downtown location. "For me, Soho is a place where Bohemian ideals meet the toughness of the city," he says. "I love the tension and energy this creates."
Available only at the Soho store, the collection is a study in extreme contrasts, partnering feminine pinks and roses with strong, industrial metallics. From pretty cheekbones to anthracite nails, tender creams and flashes of metal simultaneously reflect and contradict each other. "I had a specific girl in mind who is both hard and soft. A girl who discovers a new city, a new life," Philips adds. "This is a very special kind of New York woman. She is innocent, but she has a steely determination that fuels the city."
In what will undoubtedly be the most sought after piece in the collection is a compact with the four letters of Soho stamped on silky powder in a palette of soft shades. The other pieces in the exclusive Soho lineup include: Rouge Coco lipstick in "Stunning" (beige pink); Quadra Eye Shadow in "Stupendous" range of beige, brown, prune and steel shadows; Rouge Allure Laque in "Stunt" soft mauve; Glossimer in "Star" (subtle shimmery pink) and two nail lacquer colors--a "Steel" grayish blue glitter and "Strong" blackberry glitter.
Prices are as follows:
Soho de Chanel Palette: $65
Quadra Eyeshadow in Stupendous: $56
Rouge Coco Lip Colour in Stunning: $30
Glossimer in Star: $27
Rouge Allure Laque in Stunt: $32
Nail Colour in Strong and Steel: $23
Available exclusively at Chanel Soho, 139 Spring St., 212-334-0055
Matte Lipstick is one of the biggest trends in lips this Fall and at first I cringed-- I am just not a flat girl. I like everything to be shiny (sparkly even better!) but the new matte is not the matte of the past. NARS Pure Matte Lipstick gives the look of elegant matte without being cakey or dry- you get a true and deep color. I like the drama and depth of this lipstick and it will bring richness to my winter palette of make up. What about you, do you matte?
Also worth mentioning is POPBeauty's Petal Jams ($14). The "lip jams" come packaged in super cute mini jam jars and are formulated with avocado and jojoba oils to moisturize lips. While they look like they would impart color, they apply sheer and actually taste good in a not super-artificial way. The only downfall to the packaging is that you have to stick your finger in the jar to apply it and maybe it's just me, but every time I use this I get a massive craving for gummy bears!
It's NARS: take two. The beauty brand has tapped heiress Daphne Guinness for a second role--this time as makeup muse. Guinness, a longtime friend of François Nars, first collaborated on his 15x15 photography project last fall, but this time she'll appear in the brand's fall campaign. As part of the perks, she's the inspiration behind a new eye shadow named for her. The campaign and products launch on nars.com on July 15 before rolling out to the brand's retail distribution in August. The collaboration marks the first time Guinness has appeared in a beauty campaign.
The eye shadow shade named for Guinness is a rich, royal purple. Guinness wears it in the campaign along with Mangrove, a new eye shadow in an yellow-green hue; Douceur blush, a soft pink-brown, and Rouge Basque Lipstick, a "quintessential red" inspired by the French Basque region. The eye shadows will each retail for $23, the lipstick for $24 and the blush for $26.
More exciting NARS news: in November, plans have the brand opening its first freestanding store, possibly next to longtime friend Marc Jacobs' Bleecker Street outpost. Nars said he wants the store to be interactive, chock full of special items which will only be available in the store--palettes, perhaps a nail polish called Bleecker Street and even DVDs of his favorite movies. He also added that Jacobs may do accessories! Two books are also in the works: one on makeovers of 64 real women and one on Tahiti, where he owns his own island.
