Dior 'Vernis Les Violets Hypnotiques - Shadow Nail Lacquer - Nordstrom Anniversary Event

Tonight we will quickly finish up my coverage of the Nordstrom Anniversary Event, I was going to cover it all yesteryday however the weather was not on my side and very heavy thunderstorms halted my blogging right in its tracks.  So we will finish up tonight with the newest products from Dior!

As I stated in my last post, I am going to write up a few posts of my favorite pieces of the Nordstrom Anniversary Event.  I have been most excited about the new color products from this event, I use this event to stock up on large sizes of skin and body products but I really look forward to many of the new and exclusive color offerings that come with this Event.  So far, we have looked at a brand new collection from MAC and a great set from NARS.  We now come to some great new polish shades from Dior, I have been waiting all summer to start collecting new polishes for fall and this will be a fantastic way to start shopping!

The polish collection is named Vernis Les Violets Hypnotiques, it is a range of violet and plum hues.  I have been collecting pinks for the spring and summer and now I think that I will be adding to my violet collection for the fall, I think that I only own only one or two deep purple jewel toned hues.  To further compliment these polish hues, Dior has released an eye palette and a lip gloss to match.  I will start with the polishes and then go right into the other shades.  I have been checking out plum and violet hues for my lips and eyes and I think that I have some major makeup shopping to do!

Here are the exclusive violet hues from Dior!

Vernis Les Violets Hypnotiques Nail Lacquer - Les Violets Hypnotiques is Dior's exclusive collection of hypnotic, elegant, and captivating purple nail lacquers.  Never before has the color of the new Dior Vernis displayed such lacquered and vibrant shine!  A cocktail of Shine and Sparkle Amplifying active ingredients directs pigments and pearly particles to enhance light reflection tenfold.  Once again, the array of enchanting shades created by Tyen reflect the spirit of Dior fashion shows.  Application is even easier with the new brush.  Dior Vernis also features a new chip-resistant formula that protects and embellishes the nails, day after day.
- Poison - a deeply enchanting purple
- Orchid - a sensual luminous plum
- Shadow - an intense, shimmering purple

Dior Extase Mascara - Magnify your lashes in a flash!  This plumping mascara visibly improves your lashes and delivers high-impact drama in a single stroke!  Featuring an exclusive dual-fiber tiered brush to define lashes, and an instant-volume formula containing exclusive Metamorphosis Powders that increase the size of your lashes 50% upon application, Spherical Black Pearl Pigments that wrap around each lash for 3D volume and a patented SR38 active ingredient that plumps lashes day after day!
- Plum - deep rich plum
Purple Revolution Eye Shadow Palette - Create the perfect smoky eye with a trio of shadow in a glamorously smoky violet harmony.  The innovative sliding palette reveals a soft, powdery base that perfectly prepares and colors the eye lid.  The eye shadow duo offers versatile effects like a matte finish for a natural, ready-to-wear style or a shimmering shadow for a couture finish.
- pale shimmering lilac/medium shimmering amethyst/deep satin plum

Addict Purple Revolution Ultra Gloss - Dior Addict Ultra Gloss features a featherweight formula with a flash-plumping, spotlight-shine effect.  Hyaluronic spheres keep lips smoother and moisturized, while mirror-like micro-pearls reflect light in all directions for a dazzling finish.  a shimmering lilac shade complements the look.
I love this eye shadow palette, this product will be a great base to help create a bright or deep purple eye this fall.  I haven't really purchased many purple shades lately and this palette will fill a huge shade gap in my collection.  I can use the light and medium toned shades right now in the summer months since bright eyes are popular and then just add the plum shade on the lashline come fall.  I think that this is one of my favorite pieces from the whole event.  I can skip over the mascara, I would rather buy this great formula in the black shade.  I didn't like Benefit's BadGal Plum Mascara so I don't see the point in buying another plum mascara shade.  I think that I will skip over the lip gloss too, I can't see myself making the purple lip gloss work.  A look of all purple hues would be too much for me and I don't know how I would pair the gloss with other makeup hues.

The nail polishes are the other product in this release that get me really excited.  I like all three of the shades but I think that Shadow is my favorite shade.  It is a very shimmery plum hue that I own nothing like.  I will be adding this shade to my polish collection!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

NARS Love Rite Anniversary Set - Nordstrom Anniversary Event

After the letdown of the MAC Illustrated Collection, I have decided to check out every product in the Nordstrom Event.  I am going to write up posts about my absolute favorite products in the collection and almost any product from NARS will go right up to the top of my shopping list.  As of right now, I can confidently state that NARS is my favorite makeup brand and I have been collecting their products at a constant rate for the past few months.  A new palette or set from this company will always catch my eye and the Love Rite Anniversary Set has done just that.

Nordstrom is the only retailer that will carry this set so if you love NARS the way that I do, then you will want to order this set very soon.  I am so excited to see that this set contains two small lip glosses in shades that I currently don't own.  I would buy the set just for the lip glosses but there is an added bonus that the rest of the products in the set are great too.  I love the Trio Eye Shadow in this set also and therefore this might be my favorite offering from the whole Event.

"Prepare for shimmering sophistication that's both modern and timeless.  Beautiful bronzed and neutral hues for eyes pair perfectly with sheer and sparkling lip glosses as well as the coveted NARS Illuminator for a lit-from-within, radiant glow.  Set includes Trio Eye Shadow in Calanque, deluxe-size Illuminator in Orgasm, deluxe-size Lip Gloss in Turkish Delight, and deluxe-size Lip Gloss in Roman Holiday."

A few more product details from Nordstrom...

Trio Eye Shadow - Same long-wearing, crease-resistant formula as the Single and Duo Eye Shadows, in a series of uniquely grouped color combinations.  Worn together or alone, all eye shadows can be applied sheer or built up for more dramatic effect.  All powder eye shadows can be used wet to create a 'cake' eyeliner effect.
- Calanque - pale champagne/light warm tan/medium bronze

Illuminator - NARS Illuminators light the skin from within.  A collection of light-reflecting liquids that glides on to refresh and enhance the complexion to create a shimmering incandescence.  Go gorgeously nude with pinky-peach Orgasm or up the ante with Super Orgasm's extra-golden glow.  Highlight with pearlescent Copacabana and bring out the bronze with sun-kissed Laguna.  Wear them alone, pair them with makeup, or caress your decollete.  Deceptively sheer, decidedly luminous.  Magically transform your skin from ordinary to extraordinary.
- Orgasm - pinky-peach with gold shimmer

Lip Gloss - Serious shine and sexy color.  Extremely wearable and versatile color may be worn alone or over any other lip product for more drama.
- Turkish Delight - pink sorbet
- Roman Holiday - light pink

I love the lip gloss shades in this set, both of them are part of the permanent collection however I don't own either of them.  And I want both of them enough to buy them on their own at Sephora, I am so excited that I can purchase them together along with the rest of the great products in this set.  The Trio Eye Shadow will work very well for me all year long and this will become a staple of my makeup collection, I can make these shades work with so many others that I own.  I have never tried the Illuminators from this company but have been curious about how they work.  Being able to try the Illuminator is an added bonus with this set since I already would purchase it for the rest of the products and shades that are contained in it.

This set is my top choice from the Anniversary Event and will be the product that I order first!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

MAC Illustrated - Nordstrom Anniversary Event Collection

It is that time of the year again - the Nordstrom Anniversary Event has begun and it will only last until the sixth of August.  Every year, MAC comes out with a new collection that is exclusive for this event, this year the collection is named Illustrated, a series of sets and palettes.  Every year, I look at the new collection that MAC releases and I quickly begin my shopping list.  Starting with the MAC collection and then looking at everything, I can come up with a pretty long shopping list within a matter of moments.  I am really considering applying for a Nordstrom credit card just to shop the event this year, this might be against my better judgement but I can't wait to start shopping.  I don't think that I will have time to drive done to the store this year so I will do all my shopping on the website.

MAC Illustrated appears to be another collaboration between MAC and a famous artist.  Julie Verhoeven is an artist and fashion designer.  She has paired up with many famous fashion houses, including Versace, Mulberry, and Louis Vuitton.  She also has paired with H and M to design a brightly colored, high fashion line of home furnishings.  This time around, she is bringing her unique talents and style approach to creating the packaging for the newest MAC collection.  The palettes are covered with her unique designs and the makeup products in the sets are contained in small makeup bags with her designs.  I love the packaging on the palettes but I don't know that I would use the brightly painted makeup bags...
Here is the MAC collection for Nordstrom's Anniversary Event!

Smoky Eye Plum Kit - Get seductive plum eyes in a flash.  This palette contains three eye shadows,  a Technakohl Liner, a mini Zoom Lash Mascara, and all the tools needed to create a flawless smoky eye look.
- Eye Shadow in Creative Whim - pale lilac shimmer (Satin)
- Eye Shadow in Drawn to Drama - medium blue plum shimmer (Satin)
- Eye Shadow in Moody - deep black plum shimmer (Veluxe Pearl)
- Technakohl Eye Liner in Purple Dash - medium plum
- Zoom Lash Mascara in Zoomblack - black
- #275 Medium Angled Shading Brush and #212 Flat Definer Brush

Smoky Eye Black Kit - Get seductive smoky eyes in a flash.  This palette contains three eye shadows, a Technakohl Liner, a mini Zoom Lash Mascara, and all the tools needed to create a flawless smoky eye look.
- Eye Shadow in Naked Lunch - medium champagne shimmer (Frost)
- Eye Shadow in Wedge - medium neutral tan (Matte)
- Eye Shadow in Carbon - deep black matte (Matte)
- Technakohl Eye Liner in Graphblack - deep black
- Zoom Lash Mascara in Zoomblack - black
- #275 Medium Angled Shading Brush and #212 Flat Definer Brush

Peach x 3 Lip Color and Bag - Frame the art of the lavish lip in a chic bag illustrated with graphic faces by Julie Verhoeven.  Three key pieces for perfect lips in a trio of peach-shade statements. 
- Cremesheen Lipstick in Ravishing - medium peach coral cream
- Dazzleglass Creme  in Sublime Shine - sheer peach with gold shimmer
- Cremestick Liner in Creme Kiss - medium peach
Nude x 3 Color and Bag - Frame the art of the lavish lip in a chic bag illustrated with graphic faces by Julie Verhoeven.  Three key pieces for the perfect lips come in a trio of nude-shade statements.
- Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme d'Nude - medium sheer nude cream
- Dazzleglass Creme in Natural Talent - sheer nude with gold and silver shimmer
- Cremestick Liner in Sublime Culture - neutral nude

Pink x 3 Color and Bag - Frame the art of the lavish lip in a chic bag illustrated with graphic faces by Julie Verhoeven.  Three key pieces for perfect lips come in a trio of pink-shade statements.
- Cremesheen Lipstick in Vivid Imagination - medium cool berry pink cream
- Dazzleglass Creme in Julia - medium pink with silver shimmer
- Cremestick Liner in Pink Treat - medium cool pink

Red x 3 Color and Bag - Frame the art of the lavish lip in a chic bag illustrated with graphic faces by Julie Verhoeven.  Three key pieces for the perfect lips come in a trio of red-shade statements.
- Cremesheen Lipstick in Must Be Red! - medium neutral red cream
- Dazzleglass Creme in Totally Fab - medium neutral red with gold and silver shimmer
- Cremestick Liner in Freehand - medium red

All Over Brush Kit - A modern portrait in detailing, blending, and shading.  A collection of professional brushes are featured in a colorful canvas roll bag illustrated with faces by Julie Verhoeven.  The five-piece brush set conatins a #129 Powder and Blush Brush, #227 Large Fluff Brush, #224 Tapered Blending Brush, #219 Pencil Brush, and #266 Small Angle Brush.

Face Canvas Brush Kit - MAC presents a collection of professional brushes in a colorful canvas roll bag illustrated with graphic faces by Julie Verhoeven.  The four-piece brush kit includes: #187 Duo Fibre Brush, #130 Short Duo Fibre Brush, #282 Duo Fibre Tapered Brush, and #286 Duo Fibre Blending Brush.

I don't really think that I need any of the pieces in this collection, I already own a full collection of MAC lip products and none of these really jump out at me.  The kits are nice but I can't say that any of them would fiull a hole in my MAC collection.  My favorite items are the two eye palettes, I want the Smoky Eye Kit in Plum the most.  I already own shades very close to the Black Kit, but the Plum Kit will help me create a whole new look for the fall.  I am interested in the Brush Kits but I want to look closer at each kit to make sure that I am really expanding my collection and not just adding more brushes that I might not use.

I'm not overly thrilled with this collection, the packaging kind of annoys me and there is nothing that I am all that excited about.  I want the Plum Kit but nothing else really speaks to me.  This might be one of the first time that I want products over than MAC at the Nordstrom Event.  I hope that some other brands have better products for me...

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

Most Wanted Nordstrom Anniversary Event 2012

The Nordstrom Anniversary Event started several days ago but with work and life being as crazy as it has been, this is the first day that I have been able to start checking out the products and shades that are exclusive to this Event.  I am mostly interested in the new MAC color collection and the rest of the color products.  I use this Event to find new color products and to stock up on huge sizes of skin and body care products.  I hardly even find new skincare products through this Event but love stocking up on the special offerings from Clinique.

Here is the initial shopping list from the Nordstrom Event!

- MAC Illustrated Smoky Eye Plum Kit
- NARS Love Rite Anniversary Set
- Dior Purple Revolution Eye Shadow Palette
- Dior 'Vernis Les Violets Hypnotiques' Nail Lacquer in Shadow
- Viktor and Rolf 'Flowerbomb' Anniversary Set
- Bobbi Brown 'City Twilight' Anniversary Set
- Clinique Moisture Surge Home and Away Duo
- Chloe Anniversary Fragrance Set
- Butter London 'Disco Biscuit Lippy and Lacquer' Anniversary Set
- Dior 'Vernis Les Violets Hypnotiques' Nail Lacquer in Poison

I am most excited for the MAC Illustrated collection, the NARS Love Rite Set, and the Dior Vernis shades.  I will be covering these three product offerings in further detail throughout this evening!

Clarins Nordstrom Exclusive Summer 2012 Collection - Enchanted Summer

We have already looked at the first Clarins summer collection, Instant Summer showed us some great, easy beauty products for the summer months.  That collection contained a bunch of primers and then few color products, which disappointed me a bit.  The color products and shades were quite nice, I just wished that the collection was larger and contained a more extensive range of products.  I was browsing around the Temptalia beauty blog the other day when I saw another Clarins collection for summer, I quickly went over to the Clarins website in hopes that I would find more products for the summer but the collection wasn't up yet.  Then I later learned that the collection was Nordstrom exclusive and I am very happy to see that it is up on their website.  This product is more much of a traditional color collection and offers a nice range of colors for the season.
This collection is called Enchanted Summer and it contains the eye palette that I had been seeing so much of in the beauty magazines and kept wondering why I could never find this product at the Clarins counter.  Turns out, I was looking at the wrong Clarin's counter!  I would trade in every department store near me to have a Nordstrom closer than an hour and a half away from me...  "An exotic voyage with Clarins, Paris.  Where face, eyes, and lips are lit with the enchanting splendor of gemstone greens, joyful reds, radiant oranges, and uplighting blues."  I am pretty excited to see some more color choices from Clarins since I get great results from their skincare and want to see how there color options perform.

Here is the Nordstrom Clarins collection for the summer...

Enchanted Summer Color Quartet and Liner Palette - The Clarins Enchanted Summer Palette features four luminous eye shadows in a powder motif inspired by exotic travels, plus a pearlized brown eyeliner for a truly intense look.
- medium warm gold/deep warm brown/medium powder blue/creamy off white

Enchanted Summer Color Quench Lip Balm - A rich, melting texture with glossy shine and intense color.  Skincare benefits moisturize and smooth the lips.
- Pink Jaipur - sheer warm peach pink
- Nude Delhi - sheer neutral beige

Enchated Summer Kohl Kajal Eyeliner - Pure, highly concentrated pigments line and define with long-lasting color intensity.
- Instant Black - deep pure black
- Deep Violet - medium blue violet
Wonder Waterproof Mascara - The must-have mascara for summer months that provides triple the result of thicker, more beautiful lashes, separated and curled to perfection.
- 01 Wonder Black - deep black

I have my eye on the lip glosses from this collection, this pink shade looks like it has the potential to be a peachy pink that I could pull off this summer, I want both of these new shades.  I really like the eye quartet too, the blue shade has enough purple in it that I will be able to pull it off when combined with the other shades, I am seeing it used as a crease shade with the creamy offwhite used as the highligher and the bronze or gold on the lid.  I am considering the black shade of the Kohl Eyeliner, I don't think that I will wear it much during the summer but I will during the fall.  However it isn't that important for me to have this exact formula and I would be more likely to buy both the lip glosses and the eye quartet first.

I am so glad that a second color collection came out from this company for the summer season!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

NARS Bright Lights, Big City Eye Palette for Nordstrom Event 2011

After the huge letdown of the MAC products from the Nordstrom Event, I decidedly to simply focus on my favorite piece made for the event.  After all, I can only buy and use so many products, so I should at least focus on my absolute favorites.  The NARS eye palette is amazing and contains six lovely shades that I will get lots of use from, starting with using the bronze for summer nights and the blacks for a smoky eye well into the fall season.  I can never turn down a NARS palette and I think that this may be one of my favorites so far.

"Urbane.  Chic.  Sophisticated.  Take to the city with this limited-edition color collection created by NARS exclusively for Nordstrom.  Day or night, this ultra-modern collection ups the dramatic flair of any urban sophisticate."  This palette contains six shades that are already found in the NARS Eye Shadow collection but have been brought today only for this special beauty event.  In this palette, there are a combination of Matte, Shimmer, and Night Series shades so that you get the best from all the NARS shadow formulas.  I have mostly used the Shimmer and Night Series of formulas from NARS and I can say that I have have very few misses with both shade and formulation.  I would recommend these eye shadows to anyone who wants a highly pigmented, long-lasting formulation.  In order to give someone who doesn't really use these shadows a bit of background, I turned to the NARS weebsite for a description on each formulation.

Matte Eye Shadow - Highly pigmented, velvety-matte, ultra-fine powders for shading, creating depth and lining eyes.  Long-wearing, crease-resistant colors glide on smoothly and evenly and blend effortlessly.  Can be applied sheer or layered for a more dramatic effect.  True color application.  Can be applied dry or with a dampened brush for heightened intensity.  Rich, vivid shade range, from neutrals to high-fashion hues.

Shimmer Eye Shadow - Luminous, light-reflecting shades for shading, highlighting and lining eyes.  Highly pigmented, long-wearing, crease-resistant colors that can be applied sheer or layered for more dramatic effects.  Color glides on smoothly, evenly, and blends effortlessly.  True color application.  Can be applied dry or with a dampened brush for stronger intensity.  Sophisticated, luminous shades.

Night Series Eye Shadow - High-pay off signature shades with tone on tone sparkling pearl that creates beautiful dimension for the eye.  Ultra pigmented, long-wearing, crease-resistant colors that can be worn for subtly shimmering or seriously smoky effects.  Color glides on smoothly, evenly, and blends effortlessly.  True color application.  Can be applied dry or with a dampened brush for stronger intensity.  Iconic shades.

The shades are...

- Cyprus - bronze with shimmer (Shimmer)
- Biarritz - perfect neutral cream-colored beige (Matte)
- Fathom - pink tulle with silver shimmer (Shimmer)
- Night Clubbing - black with gold pearls (Night Series)
- Coconut Grove - deep taupe brown infused with gold reflections (Matte)
- Night Breed - black with silver glitter (Night Series)

I love these shades, they are all lovely and will work so well together.  This is one of the best eye palettes that I have ever seen from NARS, it both a great introduction to the brand and an essential palette to own if you are already a huge fan.  This is my number one pick from everything that came out for their whole event!

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

MAC Cine-Matics Collection for Nordstrom Event 2011

The exclusive MAC collection that was released for the Nordstrom Event was the one area that I was most interested in when the event was fast approaching.  MAC hasn't been wowing me all that much lately though i still look forward to their new collections as a young child looks forward to Christmas morning.  Semi Precious contained two pieces that I really liked, which is a rare event for a huge MAC collection.  Cine-Matics is the latest collection from MAC; it releases this month just for the Nordstrom Event and will be released to the other counters next month (under the name Colourizations).  Today, we will look at the items that were made just for Nordstrom and next month, I will look at the Colourizations collection and see what the differences are in between the collections.

This collection contains the following product groups; two eye palettes that create smoky eyes, eye duos in contrasting shades, little cosmetics bag that contain lip products, and little cosmetic bags that contain special sizes of famed MAC brushes.  I can't say that I am seriously in love with any of the pieces of this collection...

The Nordstrom Exclusive MAC line...

Cine-Matics Smoky Black Makeup Lesson - Learn how to smolder!  Define the ultimate smoky eye with three sensational shadows - Carbon (M), Ambience (VP), and Bisque (M) - Zoom Lash Mascara in Zoomblack and Technakohl Liner in Graphblack, plus a 275 SE Brush to smudge, and a 212 SE to blend and step-by-step instructions.  Set the screen on fire!
- Carbon - intense black (Matte)
- Ambience - medium gray (Veluxe Pearl)
- Bisque - soft muted pinky-beige (Matte)

Cine-Matics Smoky Brown Makeup Lesson - Be a goddess of the cinema!  Tempt with three sizzling shadow shades - Showstopper (M), Sable (F), and Retrospeck (L) - Zoom Lash Mascara in Zoom Black, and Technakohl Liner in Photogravure, plus a 212 SE Brush to blend, and a 275 SE to smudge and step-by-step instructions.  Discover true drama!
- Showstopper - tawny (Matte)
- Sable - gold plum with bronze pearl (Frost)
- Retrospeck - beached blonde (Lustre)

Cine-Matics  On-Screen Pro Palette Eye Shadow Duo - Eyes are twice as tempting with on-screen duos - eight daring pairings that are doubly dramatic in an ultra-slim, stackable, easy-to-use palette.  Great for your makeup kit.
- Double Feature 1 - bright yellow gold (VP)/pink-up chrome purple (F)
- Double Feature 2 - bright lime (VP)/frosty deep gray (VP)
- Double Feature 3 - midtone teal (M)/deep chocolate (S)
- Double Feature 4 - deep forest green (VP)/midtone ochre brown (M)
- Double Feature 5 - pale frosty peach (F)/dark brown with green pearl (F)
- Double Feature 6 - light gray taupe (M)/midtone bronze (VP)
- Double Feature 7 - bright fuchsia (F)/cool black (S)
- Double Feature 8 - midtone orange (F)/deep navy (S)

Cine-Matics 'Overnight Sensation' Lip Bag - It's the classic Hollywood story - unknown one day, superstar the next.  The Overnight Sensation Lip Bag has three superstar shades for lips, including Pillow Talk Lipstick, Overnight Sensation Dazzleglass Creme Lipglass, and Creamola Cremestick Liner.
- Pillow Talk - deep spice cream
- Overnight Sensation - shimmering medium neutral tan
- Creamola - neutral tan

Cine-Matics 'Nude Scene' Lip Bag - Pucker up provocatively with three hedonistic hues.  Amp up your au naturel allure with Nude Scene Lipstick, Lightly Prancing Dazzleglass Creme Lipglass, and Sublime Culture Cremestick Liner.
- Nude Scene - creamy pale nude
- Lightly Prancing - shimmering nude with neutral undertones
- Sublime Culture - pale nude

Cine-Matics 'It's a Girl' Lip Bag - Ingenues of all ages have everything necessary for big-screen kisses with a tantalizing trio of pinks including Innocence Beware Lipstick, It's a Girl Dazzleglass Creme Lipglass, and a Creme o' Spice Cremestick Liner.
- Innocence Beware - medium cool pink cream
- It's a Girl - shimmering cool pale pink
- Creme o' Spice - pale pink

Cine-Matics All Over Brushes - Go from nominee to winner with a star-quality set of short-handled brushes for eyes and face.  Packed in a chic zip bag, these five Technicolor talents are musts on red carpets and runways everywhere.  Contains the following brushes:
- 129 SE - Powder/Blush Brush
- 227 SE - Large Fluff Brush
- 224 SE - Tapered Blending Brush
- 219 SE - Pencil Brush
- 266 SE - Small Angle Brush

Cine-Matics Face Brushes - Touch up your look with a fabulous foursome of short-handled face brushes packed in a stylish gray MAC bag with red trim.  With Technicolor bristles, these are sure to take your close-ups to the next level.
- 187 SE - Duo Fiber Face Brush
- 190 SE - Foundation Brush
- 168 SE - Large Angled Contour Brush
- 194 SE - Concealer Brush

What a let down!  I have no interest in this collection at all!  What is happening with MAC, none of the recent collections have grabbed me recently.  Looks like I will still be waiting for that next collection that I will purchase half of.  The only item that I like in this exclusive collection is the It's a Girl bag that is full of pink lip shades.  Otherwise, nothing else is all that unique and I either own shades like it or can find shades just like it in any color collection.

I will be fair to MAC and will relook at their website when they officially release Colourizations.  I am hoping that somehow their release will contain an element that is missing from the Nordstrom release.

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

Most Wanted Nordstrom Event 2011

Nordstrom's big beauty event just began at the end of last week.  I rarely get down to my Nordstrom (I have to drive over an hour and a half to get there so I have to plan an entire day around it) but this type of event is worth spending a day at the store.  I have made a Most Wanted list to direct my shopping.  MAC has created a new collection for this event and many other companies have created special products just for the event.  The MAC collection is the first area of interest for me so I will look at it in much more detail in the post following this one.

My Nordstrom Event shopping list...

- MAC Cine-Matics 'It's a Girl' Lip Bag
- Bobbi Brown 'Tortoise Shell" Beauty Kit
- Viktor & Rolf 'Flowerbomb' Anniversary Set
- Philosophy 'Amazing Grace' 3-Piece Super Set
- Trish McEvoy 'Sexy 9' Blackberry & Vanilla Musk EDP Rollerball
- NARS 'Bright Lights, Big City' Eye Shadow Palette
- NARS Nail Polish in Koh Lanta
- Butter London 3-Free Nail Lacquer in Wallis
- MOR Sugar Rose Tiger Lily Hand & Body Lotion
- Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Face Lotion (Large Size)

I am most excited about three things in the event collection; two fun items and one more practical item.  I have just tried a sample of Flowerbomb for the first time and I fell in love with it, so I must have the Anniversary Set in this fragrance.  I also love the NARS eye palette.  The practical item that I want from this collection is the very large bottle of the Clinique Face Lotion since that has been serving me very well this summer.

Time to find a day to devote to the Nordstrom counters!

MAC Look in a Box

The MAC Look in a Box collection is one that comes out every year for the Nordstrom Beauty Event. It consists of three separate "looks" and smaller versions of the MAC products that would be needed to create it. I find that this isn't really a collection that appeals to the MAC junkie, instead this is a collection that appeals to those who don't have tons of experience with this company and don't already own half of the products that they offer. My favorite part of this collection is the mini-sized Lipglasses since I usually end up wearing Lipglass when I go out and these would fit well into my little clutch.

"MAC Look in a Box offers one perfect, complete makeup look. Fancy yourself a fabulous Frisky Girl, a vehement Miss Violet, or a totally Tawny One. Simply follow the how-to guide therein, et voila! Simplicity without duplicity - three personalities any girl who want to try on. A gift for all those wanting to make a great look, easy. This stylish box set features a face chart and the key products needed to create the look".

Here are this year's looks...

Miss Violet - This gift contains the following products: Rose Beauty Powder, Desert Rose Powder Blush, Lovestone Mineralize Eye Shadow, Lovechild Lipglass, and Zoom Fast Black Lash.

Tawny One - This gift contains the following products: Refined Gold Bronzing Powder, Coppertone Powder Blush, By Jupiter Mineralize Eye Shadow, Love Nectar Lipglass, and Zoom Fast Black Lash.

Frisky Girl - This gift contains the following products: Pretty Baby Beauty Powder, Well Dressed Powder Blush, Mercurial Mineralizer Eye Shadow, Nymphette Lipglass, and Zoom Fast Black Lash.

Of this three kits, there is only one that I would purcahse for myself and that is Frisky Girl (the photo shown here). I only like pieces of the Miss Violet look, namely the Eye Shadow and I already own the violet shade from A Rose Romance so I have no reason to purchase this. I think that Tawny One will be too warm for my skin and few, if any, of the shades will work out. Frisky Girl is all pink prettiness and this looks like something that I can pull off easily with my skintone. And I already own nothing from the Frisky Girl set so I won't be buying repeats.

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

Most Wanted Nordstrom Event 2010

The yearly Nordstrom Beauty Event starts at the end of next week but you are able to pre-order pieces on their website right now. After looking at the exclusive products that are available, I highly recommend pre-ordering as this is one of the best events that I have seen in the past few years. I made a list of the products that I want the most and those that I recommend that you guys all check out.

- Chanel Quatuor Boutons de Chanel

- La Mer 'The Signature' Collection

- Philosophy 'Celebrate Life' Lime Blossom High - Foaming Shower & Bath Gel

- Dior 'Ready-to-Wear' Palette

- Laura Mercier Portable Beauty Collection

- Philosophy 'Amazing Grace' Gift Set

- Kate Spade 'Twirl' Eau de Parfum Rollerball

- Leaf & Rusher Rejuvenating Cleansing Kit

- Shu Uemura Eye & Cheek Palette

- Kate Somerville Ultimate Exfoliate Kit

- Lippmann Collection Nail Polish in Bad Romance

Normally I try to choose my ten favorite products but I did have to pick eleven products this time. I had to add on the polish in Bad Romance...of course! My recommendation is to pre-order your top picks, I doubt that many of these special products will last very long.

MAC Opulash

Opulash is the newest mascara formulation from MAC. No, I haven't gotten my hands on it yet, it is Nordstrom exclusive and the closest Nordstrom to me is over an hour away. But I will get some when I take a few vacation days from work this month. Also, I have heard that this product is limited edition so I better high tail it down to Nordstrom as soon as I get some free time before this product is all sold out for good. This mascara is called Opulash for good reason, it is promoted as helping to create superthick, dramatic lashes. Otherwise known as the kind that I am obsessed with. Can this mascara stand up against BadGal Lash and Diorshow Iconic? I must find out!

Nordstrom describes the product as following, "Big, fat, full, bouffant lashes! Dramatic density and curl achieved with a giant brush! Fibers go in all directions for thick, rich, even application with no clumping. Long-wearing formula - up to 15 hours - quickly thickens lashes from root to tip". This mascara contains beeswax to help fatten the lashes.

This mascara is available in only one shade which is named Bad, Bad, Black and appears from the swatch on the website to be a rich, deep, inky black. This shade is ideal for me since this is what I would pick out even if the product was available in a full range of colors.

I must take some time to get down to Nordstrom before this product is totally sold out. However, it might be another tragedy for me if a limited edition mascara ended up being the best one that I have ever tried. Though, knowing MAC, if this product sells really well, we will see it resurface somewhere else in the near future.

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

Nordstrom Event Sale Most Wanted

After looking over the offerings from the Nordstrom Event, I decided that I need to come up with another Most Wanted list for this list. A bunch of lemmings were created just by one visit to the website. The picture is of the Lancome brush set which is my number one coveted item from this event.

- Lancome Declaring Indigo Brush Set

- Rock & Republic Drama Queen Collection

- Dior Jazz Club Eye Palette

- La Mer The Signature Collection Set

- Philosophy Celebrate Life High Foaming Bath and Shower Gel

- L'Occitane Amande Cleansing and Soothing Shower Oil Set

- Jo Malone Anniversary Colonge Set

- Bobbi Brown Best of Bobbi Set

- Chanel Radiant Eye and Lip Palette

- Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Rouge Noir

Thoughts? The Lancome set is radiant and one of the most beautiful items that I have ever seen. Also the Dior eye palette falls into that same category. I don't own anything from Rock & Republic and very little from Bobbi Brown so this even gives me the ability to try several things out from these collection. And the Chanel palette and polish? I can never resist the Cs.

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

MAC Graphic Garden

Graphic Garden is the second collection that has been released for the Nordstrom Event. i had been seeing photos of this collection on the Specktra website for several weeks and now it is finally available for pre-order. I don't know is this collection will be released to any other outlets after the event, though I assume that it will if it sells well enough.

Here is the description from Nordstrom, "A modern graphic garden grows like a haute hologram in black-and-white chic. Sleek metal compacts with lenticular op-art plaques and kits that trick the eye - all to delight the senses. Glossy black-and-white cosmetics bags and indispensible brush sets complete the experience".

Here are the products...

MAC Brushes (Set of 5)

- Define and Blend - A black-and-white patent finish twill bag featuring Graphic Garden's signature rose pattern. Contains a separate zip-up brush holder with five brushes to help shade and define your look: the 129 SE, 190 SE, 209 SE, 219 SE, and 252 SE.

- Shape and Perfect - A black-and-white patent finish twill bag featuring Graphic Garden's signature poppy pattern. Contains a separate zip-up brush holder with five brushes specially selected to help shape and perfect your look: the 168 SE, 187 SE, 194 SE, 212 SE, and 275 SE.

MAC Lip Bag

- Baby Blooms - A small make up bag in the signature black-and-white poppy pattern of the MAC Graphic Garden collection. Features Soft Illusion and Spiceflower Lipsticks and Baby Bloom Lip Glass. These shades appear to be either pinks or neutrals.

- Summer Crop - A small make up in the signature black-and-white rose pattern of the MAC Graphic Garden collection. Features Semi-Annual and Garden Bed Lipsticks and Summer Crop Lip Glass. These shades appear to be warmer and more on the gold side.

MAC Eye Shadow x 6 Palette

- Fresh Cut - Six limited-edition eye shadows in a metal compact featuring the black-and-white MAC logo/floral rose lenticular pattern of the Graphic Garden collection. Features Floral Inc., Sun-Shy, Fresh Cut, Poppy Noir, Bloomcycle, and Part Peony. These shades are plums, lavenders, and pinks.

- Graphic Garden - Six limited-edition eye shadows in a metal compact featuring the black-and-white MAC logo/floral poppy pattern lenticular pattern of the Graphic Garden collection. Features Social Climber, Botanical Blue, Straight Hedge, Wild Wisteria, Linear Lilac, and Graphic Garden. These shades are blues, greens, and lilacs.

This collection is fair. Like with Look in a Box, I am really not a fan of the mini collections since I would rather purchase single shades. I like the Baby Blooms set of the lip products and the Fresh Cut palette but those are the only two products that I would purchase from the collection. I wouldn't mind getting these items but they are not must-haves for me. I am really looking forward to Colour Craft and getting items from that collection.

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

MAC Look in a Box

MAC Look in a Box was created exclusively for the July Nordstrom Sale Event. As of right now, it won't start up for another two weeks but since many of the items are available for pre-order, I want to being looking at them. From what I have seen already, I very much doubt that many of these items will even be available after the very beginning of the sale becuase there are some fantastic options available. With my recent of discovery of a major MAC weakness, I had to look at their two new collections before I even opened up the pages on anyone else.

Look in a Box is great option for a gift or for a women who is just starting to get interested in makeup and may not have a full collection yet. MAC has put together three "looks" and has included in each set, the five essential products that are needed to achieve the desired look.

The first look is called Seductress. It is five essential products packaged together to achieve a modern, seductive look. It features Belightful Irisdescent Powder/Pressed, Knight Divine and Naked Lunch Eye Shadows, Bare Slimshine Lipstick, 181 SE Buffer Brush, and a promo sized Zoom Lash.

The second look is called Sun Siren. This package contains the five essential products that are needed to achieve a luxurious. It features Bronze Bronzing Powder, Shroom and Amber Lights Eye Shadows, Get Rich Quick Dazzleglass, Buffer Brush 181 SE, and a promo sized Zoom Lash.

The last look is called Sweet Tease and it is my favorite of the group. This box is put together to create a minimalist, lightly sexy look. It features Shell Pearl Beauty Powder, Mulch and Gleam Eye Shadows, Love Nectar Lustreglass, a promo sized Zoom Lash and a 181 SE Buffer Brush.

Am I pumped about these collections? Honestly...not especially. I would like to get the Sweet Tease box but I'm not all about the others. I like that these collections feature many of MAC top-rated shades and are a great introduction for someone just beginning with the brand. However, many people already own at least one or two of the shades and then buying the whole box would be a bit of a waste. I want the Sweet Tease box but this is not really the collection for me.

photo courtesy of Nordstrom