Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Fall Beauty Trend Report

The thought of writing this article before summer had even really begun pained me to the core. However, it is now an appropriate time since the Fourth of July has passed and the other day I bought my first late summer into fall cardigan. So here is the Fall Trend Report and a preview of what we will be seeing the stores over the next few weeks. I pulled this from an issue of Allure since I have found their Runway Reports are usually very accurate. This fall will be bassed on practicality but the hair and makeup trends are leaning toward the stronger side and a heavier application. Pat McGarth was quoted as saying that this seaon will be one of extremes; makeup will be either bare or full-on with nothing in between.

Here we go!

Red Lips - A number of designers chose crimson lipstick to convey strength. "Red lips make you feel powerful," said makeup artist Tom Pecheux. At some shows the color was glossy and bright, but more often it was deep and velvety.

Crazy Shadow - Inspired by David Bowie and '80s club kids, the eye makeup was kooky at times. At Dior, McGarth appiled orange, violet, and yellow shades, while at Prada, she brushed red glitter on the lids. The pros often drew the shadow beyond the outer corners of the eyes to give them an elongated shape.

Hot Buns - With so many high collars on the runways, the hair was often swept into a chignon. Some were slick and masculine; others looked as if they had been gathered without a glance in the mirror.

Dark Eyes - The toughest makeup look for fall: eyes loaded with black shadow and liner, often with glittery blue, brown, or gunmetal on the lids. "The eyes here are a bit hard-core, " said makeup artist Dick Page at Michael Kors.

Rough Waves - When the hair was worn down, the pros employed a curling iron to create tousled, but not bed-head-y waves. "With the graphic eye makeup, casual waves help to keep the look young," said hairstylist Sam McKnight at Chanel.

Messy Ponytails - Offsetting fall's crisp clothes, loose ponytails looked sexy, not sloppy. Hairstylists finger-raked them back for a rumpled finish, sometimes teasing them, and let loose pieces of hair fall where they may. "Unbothered and carefree" was what hairstylist Orlando Pita called the result.

Defined Brows - Intense brows set off all kinds of makeup looks. At Yves Saint Laurent, Pecheux paired red lips with darkly penciled brows. At Vera Wang, Lucia Pieroni kept the makeup nude but emphasized the brow shape with powder for "strength without a lot of makeup."

Hair Decor - The hair accessories were far from sweet. Black leather strips toughened up the chignons at Yves Saint Laurent; at Lanvin, black feathers were cut into jagged shapes and pinned in the hair.

Rosy Cheeks - Since the foundation and powder were so throughly refined, the models' faces got an energy boost from pink blush. "With matte skin, you need a little blush to avoid looking so sallow," said Philips.

Pale Lips - Soft shades of lipstick such as beige and baby pink balanced the aggressive eye makeup; they actually seemed racy on a pared-down face. When topped with gloss, these pale hues made the models' mouths "look sexy and full," said McGarth. At Louis Vuitton, where the models' shiny beige lips were paired with neutral cheeks, "the overall look was monochromatic," she said.


Ummm...welll...SO EXCITED!! I have been test driving three different MAC red lipstick shades for several weeks now (details upcoming, I swear!) and I have fallen into the red lipstick lust. I was already plotting more shades that I was going to get and now that they are the top trend, I should be seeing tons of new choices in fall collections. I love the strong eye looks but the real question will be if I can pull them off. I that I will have to tone them down but this will be an experiment for this fall. I already love rosy cheeks so this season will be no change for me and now I want to try the nude lipsticks that were used to offset the eyes.

My hair is rough waves naturally so maybe for one day I will actually forego my iron and try this out. Maybe...

photo courtesy of Style.com and Marc Jacobs

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Shiseido Perfect Rouge Lipstick Collection

I have never used anything from the line Shiseido, I know little to nothing about their product lines and really anything about the brand. However, last spring, I kept hearing about their new lipstick collection called Perfect Rouge that was being designed by makeup artist Dick Page. At that time, I wasn't near as into lipstick as I am now so this collection went relatively unnoticed by myself until a bit ago. But since lipstick is my latest obsession, I am hoping that this collection will be right up my alley.

Shiseido states that, "Perfect Rouge gives moisture all day long, imporving dryness and roughness over time. The color in the tube is the color that appears on your lips, and the sophisticated finish in lustrous". These shades appear to be very high impact on first glance and have me hoping that I will find another red love in this collection.

Here are the shades...

- RS 701 Serenity - delicate, slightly greyish rose; calm, discreet
- BR 702 Almond Pink - natural, light pinky brown; tender, soft
- PK 303 Pink Mesa - medium brownish pink; warm, earthy
- RD 304 Sweet Pea - fresh, soft red; clear, sweet, and floral
- RD 305 Salon - chic, cool red; casual elegance
- RS 306 Titan - soft, greyish rose; romantic, charming
- PK 307 Tourmaline - clear, soft grey pink; freshness and clarity
- BE 208 Baby - gentle, warm beige; innocent, sweet
- BE 109 Spiced Cream - subtle, creamy beige; sexy, pale
- BE 310 Dune - deep, sandy beige; urban natural
- RS 711 Venetian Rose - deep, grey rose; sophisticated, discreet
- RS 612 Gilded Wine - rich burgundy; alluring, enigmatic
- RD 613 Mystery - intense, reddish chocolate; dark, reddish, provocative
- RD 514 Dragon - dramatic blood red; sexy and intense
- RD 415 Valentine - bright blue red; positively chic
- RD 516 Cerise - vivid cherry red; a dash of brightness
- PK 417 Bubblegum - bright, warm pink; fun, sweet
- OR 418 Day Lily - fresh, bright orange; vibrant, exciting
- PK 419 Ariel - fresh, cool pink; lively and energetic
- RS 320 Fuschia - brillant blue pink; punk or couture?

Wow, I am glad that I looked into this collection. I have found a bunch of new items that I want to try. I really want to get Dragon, I think this shade will be a bit deeper than many of the red shades that I already own. I feel like Valentine could be very close to MAC Red but I would need to do a side-by-side comparison to make a final purchase decision. Cerise appears as though it could be very similar to MAC's Russian Red so a side-by-side is again needed. I also want to add Salon to my red collection, it doesn't appear to resemble any shade that I currently own. I also want Almond Pink, Baby, and Spiced Cream to round out my list on this collection.

photo courtesy of Shiseido

Monday, July 6, 2009

Caudalie Pulpe Vitaminee

The last month or so I have been test driving this facial moisturizer. Caudalie has never let me down before so I was excited to find this product and start using it. This product is moisturizer designed as an anti-oxidant skin protectant for normal to combination skin types and it is part of the Energizing line of products. I love the easy to use squeeze tube that this product comes in. It is the perfect tube since the product is easy to get out but it isn't that hard to control the amount of the product that the container dispenses.

Here is the product description from the company, "This moisturizing cream is remarkably effective at preventing sagging of the skin, providing it with energy, smoothness, and a matte finish that lasts throughout the day. Wrinkles are visibly smoothed and your skin is radiant." This prpduct is recommended for women with normal to dry skin in search of a lifting effect.

I many not need the lifting effect yet but on all other counts, this is great product. I love the matte finish that it gives my skin. With all the rain and humidity that this are has been experiencing the past few weeks, I really need a product that deliver on the promises of a matte finish. After using this producgt, my skin is much softer and my cheek area is much less tighter than usual. I haven't broken out from this product. I am am very happy with this product so far and I think that it is a great choice for my skin in the warmer months.

This product is available in a cream form (which is the one that I am using) and a lighter fluid form. I think the fluid form would not be enough to hydrate my dry areas but someone with oiler skin than mine would greatly appreciate the lighter texture of the fluid product.

I still have yet to get a major miss from Caudalie and I feel that I have used at least 75% of their product line so far.

photo courtesy of Caudalie

Saturday, July 4, 2009

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

Friday, July 3, 2009

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

Thursday, July 2, 2009

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

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Most Wanted July 2009

A couple last summer purchases before the fall collections come out...

- Too Faced Blush in Pinch My Petals
- Sephora by O.P.I. Nail Colour in Mermaid to Order
- MAC Eye Shadow in Mythology
- Guerlain Le Rouge G Lipstick in Gala
- NARS Lipstick in Belle de Jour
- Benefit Cream Shadow Liner in Skinny Jeans
- Estee Lauder Pleasure Baie Rose Peony EDT
- Philosophy Beach Party Golden Girl Shower Gel
- Bathed and Infused Whipped Sugar Scrub in Strawberry Mojito
- L'Artisan Perfumer The Pour Un Ete EDT

The last month for summer beauty purchases...