fall 2010

The fall items from Le Metier de Beaute Fall 2010 collection are at the counters starting today. While the star is naturally the Le Cirque Eye Kit Kaleidoscope, this little gem of a nail polish is just marvelous. I know that some scoff at these mini bottles at full price. But so far the quality of every Le Metier de Beate nail polish I've bought or received has been top notch, and as someone who keeps changing nail colors and hasn't finished a bottle since 2005, I prefer the smaller amount.

Dynamique is one of four Le Metier de Beaute Le Belle Epoque shades for fall. The other ones are Noble Passion (a blushing nude),  High Wire (platinum), Magic at Dusk (blue, described in the press materials as "sophisticated"). This one is dark blood red, a bit on the goth side and as perfect as they come. I find that the first coat goes on too streaky, since the formula is thinner than I'm used to, but the second coat applies impeccably and when I have time and patience for a third one I get the full effect. Dynamique is an evening shade, and I have every intention to wear it next week for a couple of events.

Bottom Line: Not just for vamps.

Le Metier de Beaute Dynamique Nail Polish ($15) is available at Bergdorf Goodman and other select department stores worldwide. I received a press sample from the company.

From the Chronicles of the Blue Mascara.

Giorgio Armani's Eye To Kill mascara has set a new standard for what a top mascara should be. It doesn't only deliver excellent volume and length, but it's also dreamily weightless. There's no goopy stickiness even when the tube nears the end of its life (and I know, since I'm on my second black one). I don't think I ever needed a lash comb after using Eyes To Kill.

The new color, Blue Grey Night (#5), is the fall 2010 exclusive shade, part of Giorgio Armani's Night Viper look. It's a muted steel blue that isn't too obvious- the shade is darker than Graphite (#3) which look too dusty on me. Blue Grey Night looks good on my almost-black lashes and delivers that subtle brightening effect one gets from a (good) blue mascara.

Performance-wise, Eyes To Kill is as good as it gets. While I keep wondering if #5 is quite as lengthening as the black version (or maybe it's just my imagination and the fact the mascara is not black, thus creating less contrast), I'm very happy with it.

Bottom Line: You can't go wrong with this one.

Giorgio Armani Fall 2010 Blue Grey Night Eyes To Kill Mascara ($30) is available from giorgioarmanibeauty.com, Saks and Barneys.

Photos are mine, cute nose is Sophie's.

Josephine, the kitten in the photos, is not the only one enjoying Midnight Look, the new Givenchy Le Prisme Eyeshadow Quartet. I'm completely enamored with the sheer colors and the silky smooth application. Givenchy Le Prisme eye shadows have a way of having enough pigment to give a beautiful veil of colors without ever looking painted or harsh. Blending is quick and easy, so even a novice can get a sophisticated look with minimal effort. 

The swatches on my arm don't do justice to the color or texture. They're prettier and look far smoother (with no debris on skin, though there is some crumbling in the compact) on the lid. The colors in Midnight Look are cool toned and shimmery. They include a soft not-quite white pearl (1), light silver (2), gray (3) and midnight blue (4). They are fabulous for evening but I've worn 3 and 4 during the day (light application, of course, over a non-shimmery nude base) and liked the look.

Bottom Line: I'm already considering adding a Le Prisme Quartet in Khaki Egerie to my collection. You can see it in Karen's review here.

Givenchy Midnight Look Le Prisme Eyeshadow Quartet ($56) is a new addition to the permanent line. Exclusive to Sephora.

Photos, arm and kitten are all mine.

The most exciting color on the current nail polish scene is...

beige.

But it's more than just beige, really. All Hail McQueen is part of Butter London fall 2010 collection and is a tribute to the late Alexander McQueen. I love how instead of going with some fad color that would be utterly unwearable in a couple of seasons, Butter London chose the most classic color, made it as pretty as possible and added an incredibly beautiful multicolored micro glitter. It's just glam enough to get noticed but so wearable you will get addicted in no time (speaking from experience here).

Application is smooth and easy, two coats get you the perfect finish and it dries quickly. My only complaint is that it's a typical glitter polish as far as removal goes: It takes a lot of work to get rid of it completely, which gives one another reason to reapply All Hail McQueen again and again.

Bottom Line: I need a backup bottle.

All Hail McQueen ($14) and the rest of the collection are available from butterlondon.com

All photos are mine.

It's pretty safe to say that Rajasthan, the midnight blue/metallic beige eye shadow duo, has proven to be the most irresistible item in the (very strong) Nars fall 2010 collection. Most brands have come up this season with a deep dark blue, but this one is unique enough to justify a purchase even if one already has a couple of the others.

At first I didn't think I'd wear both colors from this set at the same time. The beige looks darker in the compact than it is on skin, and while it's still not exactly a highlighter it's soft and neutral enough to be worn on the lid when I'm using the blue shade in the outer corners and along the lash line. My photos don't do justice to the depth and richness of the blackened midnight blue. It's absolutely gorgeous and can work both as a daytime eyeliner or for a super dramatic evening look. The shimmer is grownup, the texture satin-like, and while it's not as buttery as Guerlain or Shiseido, I think I prefer these Nars shadows to most Armani equivalents.

As with all Nars eye shadows, I find a primer necessary to keep the integrity and finish of the look. Used over my favorite base by Kanebo Sensai, Rajasthan stays put from morning to night and looks almost as fresh throughout the day.

Nars Rajasthan Duo Eye Shadow Fall 2010 ($32) is available from narscosmetics.com.

All photos are mine.

The star of Armani's Night Viper collection for fall 2010 is this Maestro eye shadow quad. Like several other brands, the Giorgio Armani creative team chose a rich dark blue as the bait to catch our attention and tempt us with its subtle shimmer. What can I say? It works.

While this is no Guerlain, the much lighter weight of the compact and easier to digest price tag give Armani major points. The combination of of one stunning color and three accessible neutrals is very appealing. One can create several looks for day and evening, play and blend as desired. There's a little insert in the box with suggestions for four combinations. It's a great place to start, even if the one titles "smocky evening look" is most likely a misspelling.

 If you're familiar with these Maestro shadows you know how soft they are- any novice can blend them and enjoy working with these colors. As is the case with the other Maestro quads, they require a primer for best results (I didn't use one in the swatches) and a bit of brush maneuvering because the individual pans are very narrow. It's worth the hassle, though as the results are beautiful and the colors are so easy to wear.

Bottom Line: Poor Armani would have gotten a lot more attention if it weren't for Guerlain.

Giorgio Armani Fall 2010 Maestro Eye Shadow Quad ($59) is available from Saks, Nordstrom and Barneys and directly from giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com.

All photos are mine.

The limited edition Givenchy Le Prisme Blush Blooming Fuchsias arrived at Sephora just as I thought I was all covered when it comes to blush colors for the new season. But the pretty shade, nice packaging and overall loveliness won me over, so here it is. Givenchy makeup suffers from the Sephora syndrome. It's a great line with high quality products and gorgeous colors; yet many potential customers pass on it since it's a Sephora exclusive. Those of us who avoid the store because of its broken, missing or cootieful testers, horrible loud music and general atmosphere of a high school on the Jersey Shore can always order online, but in many cases (like with this Le Prisme Blush) the photos aren't accurate. I guess that's what beauty bloggers are for.

Blooming Fuchsias blush comes in the quilted Le Prisme format in a special compact that includes a mini brush in the bottom compartment. The brush is much better than those that usually come with blushes- it's wide enough to cover the skin without streaks, so it's usable if you're stuck without a real blush brush. The texture is sliky soft and has no shimmer. The pattern is this abstract splashes of colors, more peony pink than fuchsia, but I'm not complaining. It combines two shades of pink and two shades of beige/tan, so the final result  is a natural warm pink, quite sheer but buildable to the level you want- one side is darker than the other, so you can customize and balance the amount of pigment you pick.

I swatched with the brush that came in the compact, and only swiped it once before taking the picture, so you can see that the lightest application is still visible on my pale to medium olive skin. I think the color would look flattering on most because it is a very natural shade (seriously, ignore the photo on Sephora's website. It made me question both my eyesight and my sanity), but it's probably too sheer for very dark skin.

Givenchy Limited Edition Le Prisme Blush in Blooming Fuchsias for Fall 2010 ($48.50) is a Sephora exclusive. Thankfully it's available online.

Bottom Line: Lovely.

All photos are mine

Ever since last year when Nars released the Soft Touch Shadow Pencil I wanted more colors in this range. The three original pencils became frequently used items in my rotation and I've come to rely on them when looking for a quick and reliable look. So the release of Palladium, a turquoise loaded with silver shimmer, as part of the fall 2010 collection was very welcome. Not that I get why this bright turquoise is a fall color or how exactly it works with the rest of the collection, but that's Nars for you. The secret for using most of their seasonal items is by combining them with neutrals from the permanent line.

Palladium is bright and fun. I started using it right away, since I love turquoise in summer. I wear it as an eye shadow on the lid blended well into a beige base or as a pop of color on the lash line. I also experimented with applying it into my bottom lashes and smudging it a little. The result was pretty and worked even better than I expected.

I've heard complaints about the Soft Touch pencils' staying power from people with oily skin, but since I don't have this issue the color stays put on me until I go after it with Bi-Facil. I've actually found that Palladium requires even more effort to remove, so I do a second cleansing with Almay wipes.

Bottom Line: Probably not an essential color, but lots of fun.
Bottom Line 2: Dear Francois, can we get a navy and a taupe next?

NARS Palladium Soft Touch Shadow Pencil for Fall 2010 ($24) is available from Sephora, many department stores and narscosmetics.com.

All photos are mine.

Nars Fall 2010 collection is stunning. There's no arguing about that. The eye colors are bold and each one of them can and should be the focal point of a full makeup look. I passed on the lip colors despite their gorgeousness because Nars lipsticks are too dry for me. But I was most curious about the new limited edition blush, Douceur, because the texture is so soft and sheer, and it lacks the gold shimmer found in most Nars blushes.  The question was: would it be too light to show up on my skin?

Some bloggers recommended Douceur for light skin tones and they're mostly right- if you're very tan or dark there's a good chance this blush wouldn't work for you, even when layered heavily. But my medium-pale olive skin actually loves this color because it's visible but looks very natural. I don't need to build the intensity or use a super thick brush. One swipe is all it takes for an easy effortless look.


The swatches show you just how compatible Douceur and I are. I swatched with a regular Chanel blush brush and only swiped once, just as I would do on my face. You can see that awful mosquito bite I got the other day right on my wrist (it hurts like you wouldn't believe), and the blush color is just a natural extension of the shade I get when bitten. Not a recommended method for testing makeup, but it works. You can also see that the NARS imprint in the compact fades as soon you swipe your brush over it. I started using it right away, without taking pictures first, so by the time I got to photograph the blush it was almost gone.

Bottom Line: I hope they reconsider the limited edition thing. I want Douceur in the permanent line.

NARS Douceur Blush ($26) for Fall 2010 is available from most decent department stores, Sephora and narscosmetics.com.

Photos and swollen wrist are all mine.