Shu Uemura Holiday 2008 Collection

After several days of deviations about nail polish and holiday scented lotions, I am now ready to get back to talking about the holiday makeup collections. This time I am going to hit on Shu Uemura, a line that I have a very hard time finding and therefore neither own nor have ever really seen any of it. I find this collection on the Nordstrom website and now I am beginning to wonder if the store closest to me has any of it and somehow I just missed the whole collection because I was blinded by the enormous Chanel and MAC counters and huge section of Philosophy products. I am feeling that a trip back to that store in coming up sometime soon…

Here is the description from the Nordstrom website. “Enjoy the world of Shu Uemura as designed through the eyes of acclaimed Japanese photographer Mika Ninagawa. Explosive vivid colors for the eyes, lips, and nails, combined with one-of-a-kind packaging bring distinctive looks and artistic beauty.” This collection is called Miki and unfortunately, I have no knowledge about the basis and inspiration for this line because I do not know anything about Mika Ninagawa. But the colors are still beautiful, so I’m not very upset about my lack of knowledge. Some of the pictures weren’t really doing it for me on the Nordstrom site, so I decided to head on over to the Shu Uemura site and see if they looked better.

Here are the products…

- Mika Holiday Collection Mini Gloss Trio in Delicious Rose - contains three juicy vivid lip gloss colors to create a dewy finish on the lips. Contains Candy Orange, Candy Pink, and Red. Housed in a soft vinyl case with one’s of Ninagawa’s photographs on.

- Rouge Unlimited Petal Brown Beige - Limited-edition shade in a beautiful beige, encased with the imagery of the enchanting peony flower

- Rouge Unlimited Petal Orange Beige - Limited-edition shade in a beautiful orange beige encased with the imagery of the enchanting peony flower

- Rouge Unlimited Petal Pink Beige - Limited-edition shade in a beautiful pinkish beige, encased with the imagery of the beautiful peony flower.

- Mika Portable Brush Set - Red on the outside with a special Mika red rose photograph lining on the inside. This case includes four limited-edition brushes that has been handmade in Japan to provide optimal application. This set includes Natural 27 Goat Brush for face, Natural 17 Pony and Squirrel Brush for cheeks, Natural 10 Sable and Kolinsky Brush for eyes and Natural 6M Sable Brush for lips.

- Mika Cosmetic Pouch - Limited-edition cosmetics pouch with Mika’s chrysanthemum photograph and the exterior and vivid pink on the inside.

- Drawing Pencil Mini Trio Set - Set of three limited-edition shades of mini sized drawing pencils in deep blue, burgundy brown, and full black shades

- Eye Color Palette in Secret Luscious Rose - The subtle combination of dusty rose shades expresses elegance and mystery. This palette includes seven pressed eye shadows and one easy to spread cream liner. A double ended applicator (sponge tip and eyeliner brush) is also included.
- Eye Color Palette in Midnight Winter Sakura - These deep, strong colors create a glamorous and feminine impression. This palette includes seven pressed eye shadows and one easy to spread cream liner. A double ended applicator (sponge tip and eyeliner brush) is also included.

- Eye Color Palette in Adorned Marguerite - These vivid colors create a sweet and innocent makeup look. This palette includes seven pressed eye shadows and one easy to spread cream liner. A double ended applicator (sponge tip and eyeliner brush) is also included.

- Mika Holiday Collection Slant Purple False Eyelashes - These limited-edition false lashes extend and flare outward with a chic black and purple gradation. Alternating lengths and delicate, wispy lashes adds a touch of subtlety for a voluminous and feminine finish.

- Mika Holiday Collection Mini Red False Eyelashes - These limited-edition lashes with alternating strips of red and black add a hint of flare to the outer corners of the eye. Lash line is extended for a flirty look.

- Mika Holiday Collection Smoky Layers False Eyelashes - Layers of thin black lashes add volume to your lash line, creating a sultry look reminiscent of old Hollywood glamour.

- Mika Holiday Collection Luxe Brown False Eyelashes - Inspired by the mink false eyelashes custom-ordered by celebrities, this synthetic version features criss-crossed design to provide the most voluminous lashes.

- Gloss Unlimited Mini Trio Set in Seductive Gerbera - Limited edition set of mini-sized Gloss Unlimited. The gloss set includes three classical and feminine colors of Gold, Pink, and Wine Red to dress up your lips. Complete with an exclusive portable soft cosmetic pouch decorated with Ninagawa photograph.

- Sparkling Garnet Aquarium Nail Enamel - An alluring red wine with subtle reflection.

- Tanzanite Aquarium Nail Enamel - A deep underwater shade with fine sliver glitter.

Three words - LOVE, WANT, MUST HAVE. I will be stalking my Nordstrom for that eye palette even if I only end up loving the rose packaging. Oh my love of roses…

photo courtesy of Shu Uemura

A Very Bath and Body Works Christmas

In case anyone reading this is not aware, I have more bath and body products than anyone else known to mankind. I worked at Bath and Body Works for several years in college and even though I have moved on from that job, I still sometimes get the itch to go back in there and buy more stuff that I won’t have a chance to use for the next year or two. Lately, I haven’t really been a fan of many of their new scents (with the exceptions of Enchanted Orchid and the already discontinued Blushing Cherry Blossom) so I have been pretty good about walking out of the store empty handed. But it is now that time of the year when they put up the twinkling lights, play the crappy Christmas music, and they bring back my favorite holiday scents and products and I get the irrational urge to stock up on all of them, lest they sell out within a day or two of hitting the shelves. Yes, I know this fear is silly but I have seen in more than one year of being there that the shower gels sell before Thanksgiving and usually the only things left after Black Friday are hand soaps and Vanilla Bean Noel body lotion. So, of course I had to go in early to get all of my products before the masses hit the mall.

This year, the scents were all returning favorites and ones that I already had in my collection (except Winter Candy Apple, I finished that one up a couple years ago). The scents are Vanilla Bean Noel, Twisted Peppermint, and Winter Candy Apple. My favorite by far in Vanilla Bean Noel because as we all know, I love anything that makes me smell like dessert. Vanilla Bean Noel is a scent that blends fresh vanilla bean, warm caramel, and rich, comforting cream to create a deliciously sweet holiday indulgence. Twisted Peppermint blends cool, refreshing mint with white sugar and just a hint of rich vanilla to create an invigorating indulgence. Winter Candy Apple blends crisp apple, sweet orange and pineapple with cinnamon spice to create a joyous holiday indulgence. All of these scents come in assorted bath and body products, sprays and roll-ons, and some forms of home fragrance. The only downfall is that the shower gels are filled with glitter but at least it doesn’t stick to the skin after being rinsed off.

So far this year I have collected (on top of what I already had)

- Twisted Peppermint shower gel and body cream

- Winter Candy Apple shower gel, body lotion, body cream, and filled candle (makes my house smell like a candy store!!)

- Vanilla Bean Noel - two shower gels, two body lotion, and two body creams

So based on my irrational stock piling of these scents, I might actually open them up by next Labor Day… Honestly though, I now can’t imagine a holiday season where I don’t buy a massive stock of these scents so I have a feeling this tradition will continue.

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

Happy Thanksgiving with Stella McCartney Care

Well, Thanksgiving is upon today and it is officially one of my least favorite holidays. I don’t eat meat, so automatically the day sucks for me in that I can only eat about half of the meal that my mother makes. I really enjoy the slaughter of 3 million innocent birds so that Americans can celebrate a tradition. Oh yeah, and after the first Thanksgiving meal, the pilgrims gave their diseases to the Native Americans and then moved in to take all of their land over. I just love this holiday so much…

In honor of this tradition, I decided to look at some skincare and perfume from my favorite designer, Stella McCartney, daughter of the famed Beatle and a 100% vegan.

Her skincare line is called Stella McCartney Care, a unique high quality line that is 100% vegan. It is formulated with 100% organic ingredients and contains no petrochemicals or silicones. With this line, you can be an activist and look good at the same time, a major goal of mine.

Here are the products in the line…

- 5 Benefits Moisturizing Cream - Improves the skin’s moisture, nourishes , helps to protect the skin from exposure to the environment, and leaves skin firm, fresh, and radiant.

- Radiance + Youth Elixir - With a complex of red, pink, and green tea, this elixir stimulates, energizes, and protects against free radicals with polyphenols and Vitamin C.

- Nourishing Night and Day Cream - This rich and luxurious cream for night and day offers high protection against environmental conditions and micro-organisms, formulated with a blend of vegetable extracts to provide a natural protective layer and to repair damaged skin. Cupuacu butter and blackcurrant buds, rich in trace elements and vitamins, nourish and soothe the skin while Brazil Nut oil assists in anti-aging.

- 5 Benefits Moisturizing Fluid - Provides ultimate hydration, protection, nutrition, radiance, and firmness as it protects the skin from exposure to the environment, leaving it firm, fresh, and radiant.

- Gentle Cleansing Milk - Organic lemon balm and apricot, rich in carbohydrates and Vitamins E and A, protect and revitalize the skin. Sesame seed oil, which is rich in essential fatty acids helps rebuild the skin’s protective barrier.

- Toning Floral Water - Antioxidant green tea and linden blossom extract tones, soothes, and enhances the action of the 5 Benefits products, as active ingredients from cornflower help to revitalize the skin.

- Calming + Soothing Elixir - A complex of chamomile, arnica, and licorice, rich in polyphenols and compound lipids, gently soothe and cushion the skin.

- Nourishing Elixir - a complex of soybean, nigella sativa, and musk rose, rich in phytosterols, Omega 3, and essential fatty acids, work to firm and revitalize the skin.

- Discovery Set - contains 5 Benefits Moisturizing Cream, Calming + Soothing Elixir, Radiance + Youth Elixir, and Nourishing Elixir.

A look at any Stella McCartney facial care products would not be complete if I didn’t then check out what is new with perfume line. Stella is my favorite perfume ever and that is a huge accomplishment for this fragrance because I have many bottles of perfume and have tried almost every fragrance that is on the shelves at Sephora and even after 3 entire years, this one is still a head and shoulders above the rest. A couple day ago while in Sephora with a friend, I had her smell the perfume and she commented that is what I smell like all the time. Complete truth. But there is nothing new available for this scent at this time, next spring hopefully she will release more of the lighter versions of it so I can wear it all year round.

photo courtesy of Sephora

O.P.I. Holiday 2008 Collection

I have been talking about holiday makeup for the last few weeks here and now I need to break from it and cover something else that is holiday inspired. After seeing an ad for the new O.P.I. holiday nail polish colors, I knew that I had a new topic to write about. For nail polishes, I mostly use Lippmann Collection and Chanel. I also have a couple of old bottles of Essie, O.P.I., and Nicole but I haven’t really used them in ages and I may have thrown most of them away last time I cleaned out my traincase. So this collection is all new to me and I am ready to investigate some new colors from this company. This collection is called Holiday in Toyland and it is 12 new nail shades with 3 coordinating shades for lips.

Here are the colors…

- Girls Just Want to Play - A playfully pretty coral-red

- Red Hot Gift - A merry, must-have bright red

- Little Red Wagon - A classic holiday red

- Rosy Mistletoes-sies - A cozy magenta shimmer

- A Ruby for Rudolph - A glimmering jewel red to light up the night

- Don’t Toy With Me! - A burgundy day that’s seriously gorgeous

- “Sheer” Your Toys - But keep this pale gray for yourself!

- You’re a Doll! - You’re tutu sweet in this delicate hint of pink!

- Glamour Game - Play it in style with this champagne gold

- Brand New Skates - A dark silver that’s cutting edge

- Baby, It’s “Coal” Outside - Warm up with this rich, charcoal shimmer

- Play Til’ Midnight - In this elegant midnight blue

The matching lip shades that are available are Little Red Wagon, Rosy Mistletoes-sies, and Don’t Toy With Me. From this collection, I can already find some new colors that give me a reason to get back into shopping for O.P.I. I definitely want “Sheer” Your Toys, You’re a Doll, and Play Til’ Midnight. I also want to check out A Ruby for Rudolph and see how it compares to other reds that I have. I really want to see Baby, It’s “Coal” Outside and see if I can pull this color off in real life.

photo courtesy of O.P.I.

Givenchy Holiday 2008 Collection

I haven’t owned many products from Givenchy but since I really did love many of the products from their Fall 2008 Collection, I was quite excited to look at what they were coming out with for this Holiday. I was not disappointed by this collection. I am beginning to think that going forward, I will begin to regard Givenchy up there with NARS and Urban Decay in my personal favorite brands. The official description as found on the Sephora website is as follows, “Designed for women who like a little “sparkle” for a sophisticated evening look. Givenchy’s newest holiday collection offers a stunning complexion sculpted by touches of glowing light, shades of pink and purple shimmer on the lips, and bewitching deep shades for the eyes.” I love this collection! I am so excited to see pinks and purples instead of the traditional blacks and reds that are offered every single holiday. According to the Sephora website, this entire collection is exclusive to Sephora (however, I have heard that many times before and it often is not totally accurate).

The latest collection…

Prisme Again! Blush Quartet - Glowing Rose

Prismissime Eyes 9-Colors Eye Shadow - Tempting Chocolate

Phenomen’Eyes Mascara - Phenomen’Black

Rouge Interdit Shine Lipstick
- 02 Nude Shine - shimmering beige pink
- 07 Rose Shine - shimmering raspberry

Pop Gloss Crystal
- Rose by Night - sheer light pink with micro glitter
- Plum by Night - berry plum with micro glitter

Vernis Please! Nail Lacquer - Purple by Night - deep violet

I am in love right now. I actually haven’t been this excited about a Holiday collection since I looked at NARS (that is saying something HUGE)! I want the 07 Rose Shine lip gloss and I will not be resting until I get this color. I am wondering how close this color is to the always out of stock MAC Dazzleglasses. I will admit that I have never used a lip gloss from Givenchy so I can’t comment on the texture and wear of the Givenchy gloss. This color is all the motivation that I need to try this line out. I also really love the new blush shades in this collection but I would need to see this product in real life to decided whether or not to purchase it because I can’t quite tell from the pictures exactly how shimmery this color is and I am not a fan of really shimmery blushes. I love the idea of pinks and violets for this Holiday and I can’t wait to head out to Sephora to see this shades.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Urban Decay Holiday Collection 2008 - Three Piece

Each season instead of creating a whole brand new limited edition collection, Urban Decay creates a couple new colors and products (usually adding them to their permanent line) and creates looks with these colors and products. But these looks aren’t just brand new colors, the company combines some of the older and better selling colors into the looks also. So instead of having to purchase a whole brand new set of makeup to match some of these looks, you might be able to get away with using the colors that you already have and buying only a couple new items. For myself who has a huge collection of Urban Decay, I do only have to buy one or two items in order to create each look but to be fair, someone who does not own a train case full of Urban Decay would most likely have to buy the whole look.

My favorite of the holiday looks is called Three Piece. However in this look, the makeup artists used blue and green eyeliners so I already know that I would have to try this same look with bronze and gold shades. The basis of this look is that it is a strong eye makeup based look, using 6 different eyeliners. Yes, you read that correct, 6 different eyeliners. The base liners are the 24/7 liners and liners on top are the Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliners. It appears that in the inner part of the eye, the liners form a greenish blue color, then in the middle, they appear bright blue, then the corner of the eye has a purplish hue on top. Then under the eye, Zero (with nothing on top of it) is used to finish up the look. With the use of the multiple liners, each hue is sparkly and iridescent and would most likely change colors with the lighting. I love this for evening.

What they used…

24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil
- Dime (very metallic silver)
- Covet (peacock green)
- Lust (plush purple)
- Zero (zealous black)

Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner
- Glam Rock (silver)
- Stage Dive (not sold on its own, looks like an aqua color)
- Metalhead (bright purple)

Afterglow Blush
- Score (peachy gold with shimmer)

XXX Shine Lip Gloss
- Ozone (pure, clear shine)

Big Fatty Mascara

As stated above, these colors are not for me, but I really want to try this look. I am hoping that this look is not totally out of my skill range but I think the hardest part will be the Heavy Metal liners because I don’t have much experience with glitter or liquid liner. However, I think this look would be worth practicing.

photo courtesy of Urban Decay

Chanel Holiday 2008 Collection

Now it is time for the revered House of Chanel’s latest offering for the holiday. I didn’t love their last collection for fall but I am still enamored with their Blue Satin nail polish from last spring so that keeps my love alive. As everyone must know by now, Chanel was my first beauty love back in the seventh grade and I will always have a place in my heart for this company. I would never hesitate to drop any amount of money for a Chanel product that I fall in love with. Those Cs are like my crack…

So here is the latest collection from my beloved Chanel…

- Gold Highlighting Powder with Brush - Sheer and sublime, gold highlighting powder gives a delicate golden glow to the face. LE.

- Highlighter Face Pen - reduces the appearance of fine lines and lightens dark undereye circles
- Beige Rose - new shade for those with pink undertones in their skin

- Quadra Eye Shadow - the perfect combination of four shades that contrast and complement.
- Beiges de Chanel - cream, taupe, gold and brown shades

- Fluid Iridescent Eye Shadow - from subtle to intense, Fluid Iridescent Eye Shadow gives a long lasting veil of shimmering color to the eye
- Source - pink gold
- Rivera - pale gold

- Precision Eye Definer - Precision Eye Definer offers demure to dramatic effects
- Noir Scintillant - rich black with a gold sparkle

- Professional Eye Liner Duo - offering the effect of liquid liner and kohl pencil, Professional Eye Liner Duo is the ultimate mistake proof, multi tasking eye liner
- Brun-Lame - dark brown and soft brown sparkle

- Luminous Satin Lip Colour- lustrous color and ultra-wearability define the iconic Luminous Lip Colour.
- Audace - true red
- Exaltation - coral red
- Ardent - rosewood
- Nude - soft buff

- Brush On Crème Lip Colour - a perfect hybrid of gloss and lipstick, Brush On Lip Crème offers lustrous colour and intense shade.
- Praline - pink bronze
- Canele -brilliant bronze
- Glossimer - Glossimer offers the must-have high shine of the Holiday season.
- Gold Shine - gleaming gold
- Red Shine - vivacious red

- Nail Color - Nail color defines the season’s palette in chic shades.
- Perle Rosee - beige pink
- Dazzling - deep red
- Haute Chocolat - rich brown with a hint of gold pearl

I am in love with the new shade of the Highlighter Face Pen, most shades aren’t pink enough for my skin tone and usually end up looking fake. This will be a must get. I also really want the two newest shades of Fluid Iridescent Eye Shadow, I love both the gold shades and I can’t wait to pick those up.

photo courtesy of Chanel

Cargo Texas Lash

Before I start my purchasing and reviewing of the newest mascaras that came out this season, I was determined to use up the Cargo Texas Lash that I found in my collection at the end of the summer. I bought this mascara right when it came out last winter and somehow managed to forget about it for about 6 months, I’m not really sure how or why that happened but somehow it did. I originally bought this mascara because I hoped that it would give me Texas sized lashes; thick, huge, and unstoppable.

I began my foray into all thing huge later than I thought that I would. It was now time for me to venture into the world of the Dallas Cowboys, ranches, Ten gallon hats, and Tammy Faye Baker.
This mascara has an innovative elastic polymer formulation that forms small tubes around the lashes creating a smudge proof barrier that is removable with warm or makeup remover and gentle pressure. It should not flake, smudge, or run. So how well does it live up to these claims?

First of all, it does provide Texas sized lashes. I think this mascara got my lashes to be thicker and lusher than any one that I have tried before (a bit more than BadGal Lash). However, this mascara (unlike BadGal Lash) did clump during application of the second coat almost every time that I used it. I think it is thicker formula than many that I have tried because I have never had so many problems with clumping and have never had to use a lash comb every time I put on mascara. I didn’t have many problems with flaking, just couple flakes here and there, which I think is just normal wear for a mascara. No problems at all with running. The removal required eye makeup remover, water and gentle pressure do nothing to get this formula off at the end of the day.

What I didn’t love; the tube is basic black and boring. To some people this might not be a huge deal but I utterly love the Diorshow tube and found this one to be dull in comparison. If I were shopping for a new mascara and had no clue what to look for, I would not pick this one because there is no way that I would be drawn to this packaging. Also, this mascara has some kind of scent, while not offensive is still stronger than any other kind that I have tried. I looked through the reviews on Makeup Alley and many reviewers commented on the scent so at least I knew that I didn’t get a bad tube.

My final thoughts - this mascara is neck in neck with BadGal Lash. Volume was amazing, clumping and scent were not. Could this mascara help me attract Tony Romo? ::ponders buying a lifetime supply::

Some lyrics from the band Little Texas sum my thoughts up better than anything I could have ever expressed:

'Cause God blessed Texas

With His own hand.

Brought down angels

From the promised land.

He gave them a place

Where they could dance.

If you wanna see heaven,

brother,Here's your chance.

'Cause I've been sent

To spread the message:

God blessed Texas.

photo courtesy of Sephora
Lyrics courtesy of www.sing365.com

Clinique Holiday 2008 Collection

Clinique’s newest holiday offerings are focused on the color of blackberries and shimmer. This company seems to repackage the same few colors for every single collection and something in every collection always reminds me of the Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. This product is their best selling lip product ever and has been in the collection for as long as a I can remember reading fashion magazines (summer before middle school). So I understand that they want to go with something that they know will sell but I do wish that they would mix it up a little bit!

The new collection for holiday is called Blackberry Bloom. This the official description from the Nordstrom website (I am really enjoying this site, I don’t know why I didn’t look here before!): “Clinique’s deep shimmering holiday look. Let the festivities begin. Mysterious, shimmering and Oh! so wearable. Blackberry Bloom inspires this elegant collection.” First thought, the collection is pretty but compared to NARS or MAC, these colors venture nowhere near what I think up when I read the words “deep” or “mysterious”. On the plus side, anyone can carry this look off so I can see these colors really selling well.

The collection…

- Allover Color - Blackberry Bloom - mauve, berry colored blush (the focal point of the collection)

- Full Potential Plump and Shine - Sugar Full

- Color Surge Eye Shadow Super Shimmer
- Black Amethyst
- Black Coffee
- Black Smoke

- Kohl Shaper for Eyes
- Black Amethyst
- Black Denim
- Black Kohl
- Blackened Taupe
- Black Coffee
- Black Honey
- Blackened Pewter

-High Impact Mascara
- Black
- Black/Brown
- Black Honey

Nice collection but on the average side. I could take or leave this whole collection, nothing is life changing or earth shattering. I like the Black Coffee eye shadow but I’m sure that the company already has something similar or I can find something better from NARS.

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

NARS Holiday 2008 Collection

No discussion on new makeup collections would be complete without my favorite brand in the entire world. What brand would this be? Why NARS, of course! NARS Fall 2008 Collection was great so Holiday 2008 holds the potential to be outstanding and the best of the best. In an interview with Francois NARS that is up on the NARS website, he talks about how his icon for this line and the Fall 2008 line had blue eyes and how he put his love of the color gold into these lines. LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

Here’s the collection…

- Blush - Super Orgasm (peachy pink with gold glitter)

- Single Eye Shadow
- Night Life - silver with silver particles
- Silent Night - metallic with gold particles

- Duo Eye Shadow - Jolie Poupee (vibrant violet/pearlescent purple)

- Lipstick - Canaille (shimmering mahogany)

- Lip Gloss - All Night Long (dusty raspberry)

- Nail Polish - Orgasm (peachy pink with shimmer)

I see three standouts already. The lip gloss and the two single eye shadows are absolutely wonderful. When I first opened up the page to the collection on the NARS website, all I could think was that I wanted those two eye shadows like I have never wanted anything else before. I have a special place in my heart for NARS Night collection eye shadows. My first foray into the world of dark eye makeup involved the NARS Night Clubbing shade (a favorite to this day) and the purple shade Santorini. The look that was given to me by the makeup artist was over the top and stagy but I still bought Night Clubbing and the brushes to go along with it. Obviously, I learned to use it in a much more toned down fashion. The All night Long Lip Gloss looks like a deeper version of my beloved Chihuahua and could be worn with these eye shadows for a party look or alone for a natural look during the day. I will be visiting Sephora and their NARS counter VERY soon.

photo courtesy of NARS

Dior Holiday 2008 Collection

Oh Christian Dior and your beautiful navy blue compacts. I just love to look at the packaging of these products but I haven’t always had the greatest admiration for the product inside. I’ve never disliked a Dior eye shadow but I have felt that some of them are rather generic and the pigmentation is not always what I would except from something with the Dior logo on it. Mascara is another story, they are tops for that product. Keeping this in mind, I looked at the Holiday 2008 Collection expecting to love it on first sight then be somewhat disappointed with some of the choices. Let’s see how I fared…

So trying to write this article took me a bit longer than it normally does. The Sephora site only lists the Fall 2008 collection for Dior and nothing about the Holiday collection and the Dior site is not working with my computer today for some reason. I went onto the Nordstrom site and spent a decent amount of time trying to pick through what was listed in order to find the newest products and shades. So I am warning everyone right now, this may not be completely correct as to only having brand new shades in or I may have inadvertently left something out. I will try to get onto the Dior site again but it hasn’t worked twice already so I really don’t think it will work a third time.

That all being said, the collection that is up on the Nordstrom website is called “Black and White Ball”. That sounds like holiday to me!! The description from the Nordstrom site is as follows, “Dior’s new look is every woman’s top secret evening weapon for glamorous couture allure. Centered around dazzling intense eyes, delicate luminous face and lip colors offer a soft backdrop. Nails shine with jewel-like brilliance.”

The products…

- Dior Night Diamond Compact - Beige Diamond, described as an iridescent veil laced with shimmer to give an allover glow

- Dior Deluxe Travel Palette - contains a color powder blush, sun powder, six eye shadows, a deluxe travel size Diorshow mascara, and a Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect

- Dior Holiday Eye Palette - a set of four shadows, comes in Cool or Warm

- Dior 5-Colour Eye Shadow- Night Dust

- Dior Waterproof Crayon Eyeliner - Trinidad Black

- Diorshow Blackout Mascara - Dior’s deepest kohl black mascara shade

- Dior Blush - English Rose, two colors in one palette that can be worn separately or mixed to create different looks

- Dior Holiday Lip Palette - a set of four lip colors, comes in Cool or Warm

- Dior Rouge Dior Lipstick - Eternal Beige (BORING!)

- Dior Crème de Gloss - Honey Delight (ALMOST AS BORING!)

The eye shadow colors are the best part of this collection. I know that the collection is focused around strong eyes but Dior could have offered a bit more of choice with the lip shades. Beige lip tones don’t work for everyone and a mauve or two work have been a workable choice for those with cooler skin tones. I love the Night Diamond Compact and of course, ALL THE PACKAGING!!!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

Less Intense Version of Urban Decay's Gash

The other day I was looking through some past entries when I came across one that I have written about two months ago on the new Fall 2008 Collection from Urban Decay. The look that I am referring to in that entry and in this one is the look called Gash, strong red lips and golden eyes. This look is beautiful but might be too bold for someone who does not wear much makeup.

I have both the Honey eye shadow and the eye liner and gets tons compliments of both. Looking at this look, I was thinking that it could be redone in two ways. The first way using only the Honey eyeliner for a natural look and the second using both the eye shadow and the liner for a little bit more drama and pigment. The look for the lips could either be a lip stain such as Benetint or the Gash lipstick suggested by the company.

Some people try to make looks more dramatic, I tend to try and make them more wearable for everyday. So far, I tried the Honey eyeliner only with my Benetint lip stain and I loved the look for daytime but I think that it needs the Gash lipstick for nighttime.

photo courtesy of Urban Decay

MAC Red She Said

Time for yet another MAC attack, this time in the form of the newest collection for the Holiday Season entitled “Red, She Said”. This collection looks to me like it a follow up to the insane popularity of Cult of Cherry and that the red lip trend is not dying anytime soon this season. But that’s ok because I don’t want it to yet!

This is the official description from MAC, “The retro-starlet allure of Hollywood glamour, with a modern twist. A season where lips connive, then confess in shades of bright holiday reds. Party season and passions flare! “Red” She Said and no one could resist her…”

The products…

Mineralize Eye Shadow (Trio)
- Persuasive - frosty light blue, silver pearl stripe, frosty indigo
- Word-of-Mouth - frosty pearl beige, copper pearl stripe, frosty blue grey
- Outspoken - frosty plum, silver pearl stripe, frosty violet
- Danger Zone - frosty true red, silver pearl stripe, frosty black
- Threesome - frosty burnt red, copper pearl stripe, frosty mid-tone pink
- Inter-view - frosty deep navy, copper pearl stripe, frosty bronzy brown

Fluidline
- Blacktrack - solid flat black
- Silverstroke - richly metallic platinum

Eye Brows
- Lingering - Soft taupe brown
- Stud - a deep rich blackened brown
- Spiked - bottle brunette

Fibre Rich Lash
- All Black - black

Lipstick
- Red She Said - mid-tone blue red (the star of this collection!)
- Crazeee - frosty mid-tone coral red with pearl
- Pomposity - frosty mid-tone blue pink with pearl
- Soft Pause - sheer dark brownish berry
- Quiet, Please - sheer, frosty pale beige

Dazzleglass
- Date Night - deep plum with blue and gold pearl
- Baby Sparks - pale pink with violet pearl
- Miss Dynamite - sheer orangey-copper with pearl
- Love Alert - raspberry red with red pearl
- Sugarrimmed - milky pale pink with red, teal, and white pearl

Beauty Powder Blush
- Stark Naked - shimmery mid-tone mauve with gold pearl
- Enough Said - shimmery light bronze with gold pearl

Nail Lacquer
- Rougemarie - immodestly sexy red blue
- Beiged Bliss - silken beige brown

Well, overall, I like most of the colors in this collection but I’m really not feeling that there is any extraordinary colors or anything really unique. I know that red is huge trend right now, but this collection is just coming off the heels of Cult of Cherry. I have heard really positive feedback about the Red She Said lipstick and how it is one of the most perfect red pigments every created but I haven’t heard much else. The Dazzleglasses are one product that I am really lemming but the colors don’t fit in very well with the Red She Said theme, they really could have been there own release. That being said, I will be trying Red She Said out on myself to see how good of a red hue it really is and I will continuing to stalk my local MAC counter for constantly out of stock Dazzleglasses.

photo courtesy of MAC

Harajuku Lovers

One trend that I have never jumped on the bandwagon of celeb perfume scents. I once read an article about how one who chooses one of these scents is one who is desperate to be this celeb. Hmmm… Paris Hilton, need I say much more? Since I have never been a fan of this trend, I have never even bothered to smell the perfumes from celebs that I really do like, such as Gwen Stefani. I know many ladies who are big fans of L.A.M.B. but I just never was able to get into anything celeb endorsed. Until I saw the Harajuku Lovers fragrances from Gwen Stefani.

The doll packaging first drew me into these fragrances and then the fact that I could pick from five different fragrances brought me in even more. This allows me to pick the ones that work the best for me and still let me have the Harajuku perfumes. One day at Macy*s, I tried all five of the fragrances and even though I determined that Love was my favorite of the bunch, I actually liked and wanted every single one of them.

The fragrances are …

- G - This fragrance was inspired by Gwen herself and the doll bottle looks almost exactly like her. The official description, “Never one to get lost in the crowd, G leads her crew in a white corseted top and a blue mini-skirt, a la Alice in Wonderland. Quirky, unique and undeniably cool, G is the leader of the pack. Her scent is an oriental, fruity, gourmand fragrance with notes of fresh coconut, jasmine, and cotton woods.”

The notes - mandarin, coconut, apple skin, jasmine sambac, freesia, magnolia, coconut cream, white sandalwood, and cotton woods.

- Love - The official description, “Sweet, caring, and free spirited, Love is always off in her own little world. Stepping out in a cute, striped mini dress and fashionable red kicks, Love wears her heart in her sleeve, or rather in her hair! Her scent is reminiscent of a floral bouquet, with notes of pink pomelo, rose and creamy vanilla orchid.”

The notes - bergamot, pink pomelo, peach, bamboo leaf, watery peony, living hydroponic lace rose, jasmine sambac, nectarine blossom, creamy paper whites, Egyptian jasmine, ylang-ylang, vanilla musk, and blond wood.

- Lil’ Angel - The official description, “Lil’ Angel is woman who is compassionate and caring towards other, but is no saint. She sports a classy, yet sexy, schoolgirl outfit compete with plaid pleated miniskirt, white knee highs, and shiny black Mary Janes. Her scent is citrus floral with notes of pineapple, candied violet, and lollipop accord.”

The notes - raspberry, cranberry, blackberry, pineapple, pear blossom, violet, rose, lollipop accord, Hinoki wood, and crystal amber.

- Music - The official description, “Always looking to make someone laugh, charismatic Music has no qualms telling it like it is! Stylin’ in a smocked sailor outfit and black lace up boxing boots, Music marches to the beat of her own drum. Her scent is a fruity floral with notes of pear, sweet pea, and sleek wood.”

The notes - clementine, pear, jasmine sambac, sweet pea, honeysuckle, vanilla, skin musk, and sleek woods.

- Baby - The official description, “One bat of her lashes and Baby has all the boys in the palm of her hand! Pretty in pink, Baby steps out in a short baby doll dress and sweet Mary Janes. Her scent is a powdery floral with notes of white rose, orange flower, and white musk.”
The notes - freesia, bergamot, white rose, orange flower, tiare, jasmine, white musk, soft woods, heliotrope, vanilla, and violet.

So what ones did I buy? I couldn’t make a decision so I actually ended up buying all of them. Macy*s had a coffert of the five scents in solid form so I decided to buy that along with the small EDT in Love. So far, I really like Love, G, and Baby and I think that after I have finished up the solid perfumes, I will be buying more bottles of these three.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Urban Decay Book of shadows

One of the limited edition holiday products that I am most excited about is from Urban Decay and is called the Book of Shadows. Upon hearing the name of this product for the first time, I was immediately transported back to college, watching episodes of Charmed after class with an obsessed friend. The book that the witches consult is called the Book of Shadows and it has all the answers to every problem that they face.

Well this product contains the solution to every makeup crisis that could possibly come up. I have loved Urban Decay shadows for a while now so this collection solves all my beauty dilemmas. It contains sixteen eye shadows in total, eight of which are some of the company’s best selling shades and the other eight are exclusive to this palette. The kit also contains two of the company’s vegan brushes and a small size of Primer Potion, one of the company’s best selling products.

The colors are as follows…
- Perversion - matte black
- Last Call - plum punch
- Grifter - sheer lavender with lots of silver micro glitter
- Mayhem - deep purple
- Baked - rich bronze
- Smog -deep coppery bronze
- Sidecar - bronze sparkle
- Gridlock - medium brown
- Shakedown - shimmering taupe
- Roach - deep brown with reddish shimmer
- Scandal - peachy pink
- Midnight Cowboy - golden beige with gold glitter
- Goddess - midnight blue with lots of electric blue micro glitter
- Shattered - bright green/blue shift
- Absinthe - electric green
- Protest - dark green

I am so excited to get this set. It seems like something sent from heaven, its almost too good to be true for an Urban Decay eye makeup lover. I already have and love both Baked and Midnight Cowboy but this set will allow me to have a back up for when I run out of them This will be mine next time that I get to hit up Sephora.

photo courtesy of Sephora

November 2008 Most Wanted

It’s time for the Holiday season to begin! The best thing about it?! Fantastic new fragrances and makeup of course! Based on that, here is my Most Wanted List for November…

- Urban Decay Book of Shadows
- NARS Flame Lipstick
- Isle of Eden Sugar Plum Milkshake Sugar Scrub
- Dior 5-Colour Eye Shadow in Iridescent Leather
- Bobbi Brown Lip Crayon in Red Plum
- Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder
- Jeanne Lavin Eau de Parfum
- Clinique Color Surge Eye Shadow in Black Smoke
- MAC Dazzlegloss in Sugarrimmed
- Dylan’s Candy Bar Chocolate Cupcake Candy Butter Cream

It’s time to look and good and smell great while decorating, shopping, and attending all of those fabulous holiday parties.