Showing posts with label spring 2010. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring 2010. Show all posts
Devotion Kaleidoscope Eye Kit is the star of the Le Metier de Beaute spring collection. It's built on the same principal of the other kaleidoscopes- layering the colors and blending them together until you get the desired effect. The shades featured in Devotion are quite bold and might look scary the first time you see them- mostly because of the contrast between the blue and the two warm ones. But the silky texture allows you to manipulate the pigments and create a very soft effect, which is the key to Le Metier de Beaute sophisticated look.
This video was posted on Le Metier de Beaute's Facebook page and shows how to use two of the colors together:
It might seem weird at first to layer intense colors- we usually blend a stronger shade into a soft neutral- but this is my third Kaleidoscope Eye Kit and it works every time. The result brings out the undertones in your skin and natural color flecks in your eyes and is a lot more flattering than splashes of paint across the lid.
These eye shadows have a very subtle shimmer. It can be intensified if you're piling up, but the palette's strength is in its ability to look understated with just a hint of the color you choose as the center of your look (I tend to go with the blue). Speaking of the blue, I used quite a bit for the swatch so you see just how rich it can be. But in normal application the pigment has a more navy-to-slate appearance because of my skin tone (my lid is significantly darker than my wrist).
I wear the eye shadows over a primer and it holds and looks fresh all day long. The texture is soft but fallout during application is minimal (more from the top two, none from the blue).
Devotion ($95) seems to be sold out online, but some Neiman Marcus stores still have them in stock, so I suggest giving them a call if you're interested. Your local store. I ordered mine online several weeks ago.
All photos by me.
As I promised yesterday, here's my chosen Le Petit Poudrier Eye Creme Kit from Le Metier de Beaute's limited edition Spring 2010 items. These palettes include cream eye shadows and a cream liner ready to create multiple looks.
The one you see here is Mediterranean Madness 03. The liner is an almost matte black-blue (it looks almost black on my skin) while the eye shadows have a shimmery finish. The neutral colors- a rich bronze and champagne- work beautifully with the bolder colors- a grayish aqua blue and an olive green. It's a perfect summery combination that can be applied with a light hand or layered dramatically.
The kit doesn't come with an applicator because part of the concept of these palettes is that they are tiny and super slim. The eyeliner works best with a narrow sponge applicator, so make sure to put one in your makeup bag. The eye shadows can be applied with anything from a synthetic brush to your finger, but use a sponge if you want more intensity.
The best part is the texture- it's silky smooth and holds onto your eyelid better than any cream eye shadow I currently own. They stay put with no creasing or fading and even resist rubbing (so once they're set and dry you can't really smudge them). At first I attributed it to using a primer, but it turned out these shadows work the same way without it. I tested it further after swatching on my wrist and the lines remained solid and vibrant for hours until I removed them. Unlike the lip kits, where you're likely to use it up fairly quickly, I'm guessing the eye palette would last a lot longer. There's no need to reapply throughout the day and you'd probably need a little less product for each application.
Le Metier de Beaute Le Petit Poudrier Eye Creme Kits ($36) are exclusive to Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman and at this time unavailable outside the US. They are a limited edition items and sell quickly, so some colors are already sold out online (local stores might still have them in stock). I bought mine from Neiman.
All photos are mine. Model: Lizzy (though the wrist is obviously mine).
The limited edition spring 2010 items from Le Metier de Beaute are not limited to new Kaleidoscope kits. Le Petit Poudrier are 10 palettes the size of credit card: there are 4 sets of cream eye shadows, four lip sets and two that are face kits with shades that can also be used on the lips. The colors are runway-inspired, fashion forward, and are meant to be layered and blended for a customized personal look. This is a regular concept in Le Metier de Beaute's palettes- the Kaleidoscopes are built on the same idea, only in a much larger size (and a hefty price tag).
Le Petit Poudriers are so tiny and thin they fit the smallest evening clutch and are very travel-friendly. The pigments are beautiful but sheer enough to blend easily. In the case of the 02 lip kit you get an intense red base color that you can tone down and make to look warmer or cooler by layering on or more of the other colors.
The red base is like the one from the Red Rapture Kaleidoscope (pictured. I'm on my second one by now), but the other colors are different and generally lighter, so it's a little more versatile. While the Petits are significantly more affordable, you should be aware they contain far less product.
Le Metier de Beaute Le Petit Poudrier Lip Creme Kits ($36) are exclusive to Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman and at this time unavailable outside the US. They are a limited edition items and sell like hot cakes, so some colors are already sold out online (call a local store and see what they can do for you). I bought mine from Neiman.
Later this week: An Eye Creme Kit
All photos are mine.
As promised yesterday, here's the Pop 'n Green Color Design eye shadow quad, which is one of two Lancome limited edition palettes for Spring 2010. It's definitely one of the more interesting items we've seen this season. No traditional pinks or other Easter colors, which is perfectly fine with me. I consider each color in the set a true winner and can think of multiple ways to combine them, though I prefer to pair them with neutrals and not wear them together, since this quad is very cool toned and my skin is somewhere in the middle.
The texture is among the best I've seen from Lancome. Their eye shadows can be a hit or miss, but in this case the quality is very good, except maybe Green Spark which is very beautiful but not as smooth as I would have liked. The color payoff is excellent, though, and there's no crumbling or shimmer fallout. The lasting power and color integrity are good when used over a strong primer (6-8 hours with Urban Decay, 10-12 hours with Kanebo Sensai).
Bottom line: Probably the biggest surprise of the season.
Lancome Color Design Pop 'n Green eye shadow quad ($42) is available from every semi decent department store as well as online. I bought mine from lancome.com that currently lists it as out of stock.
All photos by me.
All things considered, it's actually surprising I didn't have a teal eyeliner in my stash until this season. I had teal eye shadows in every texture and finish, but no real liner. So when Lancome came out with their Spring 2010 Collection that included the Ink Artliner in Teal Delight I had to have it.
Ink Artliner is a relatively new format for Lancome (launched last season with Indigo Charm), as the company didn't have a gel eyeliner until now. Teal Delight is actually softer than Indigo Charm and you can actually see it in the swatch photo. I really like this texture and find that it works with most eyeliner brushes I have. I prefer to use it with wider ones (like Lancome's or the classic Bobbi Brown) that are a bit stiff, but that might just be me and my unsteady hand.
When I opened the pot I was surprised that the color looked dark and not very teal. On skin, however, it has a lot more green and looks exactly right. I've tested this liner as part of several makeup looks. It's a personal preference, of course, but I'd rather not pair it with other colors from the same family (like the Lancome Pop n Green quad I'll talk about tomorrow) because it's just too much. Muted neutrals look better on me when I'm wearing a bright liner, but as always, your mileage may vary.
Lancome Ink artliner ($23.50) is available from just about any department store and online. I bought it from lancome.com.
Photos by me.
The Spring 2010 collection from Le Metier de Beaute is being released slowly- while several items (including the much-anticipated Magic Lustre Creme* and two colors of a cream blush) will not be available until March 15th, the counter at Bergdorf Goodman already has the testers for the eye and lip Kaleidoscope kits and both are as beautiful as Le Metier fans would expect. Inspired by the Jardins de Villandry in the French Loire Valley, the colors are rich and vibrant with an exceptional depth. The Eye Kaleidoscope Kit is simply stunning- I immediately fell in love with the midnight blue eye shadow (perfect for lining). The colors have a very delicate sheen you can't see in the photo, but it's there in person.
The shadows in every Kaleidoscope Kit are meant to be layered, not just blended. By doing this you create the full effect that is beyond wearing a specific color- it adds dimension without looking painted. Dustin Lujan, Le Metier de Beaute's brilliant makeup artist described the texture of the Kaleidoscope as a luxurious lamé fabric. He showed me how these four colors work together. He used all of them on my eyes but you'd never know that I was wearing the scary copper and magenta. With a few light brush strokes he created a serene depth that actually looked like part of my face and was more natural than the neutral Les Regards de Chanel I had put on earlier that morning.
To complete the look Dustin layered the black and bright blue Precision liquid eyeliners which created a soft, muted line (you can achieve a similar result with your favorite navy or blue ink eyeliner) and the Anamorphic Mascara in Midnight, which is probably the best blue mascara I've tried so far- since my lashes are a very (very) dark brown, most blue mascaras either disappear or create a weird and somewhat harsh look. Not this one, though. I should have bought it on the spot, considering I spent the rest of the day admiring my eye lashes (I'm already on my second tube of the Jade mascara, so no surprises here, really).
Bottom line: March 15th can't be here soon enough.
* Magic Lustre Creme has first appeared as a component in the Roopal Patel Collection. It's a gel-like glaze you mix with any makeup pigment in powder form- eye shadow, powder blush, etc. and transform it into a sheer stain or gloss you can use on eyes, cheeks or lips. I'd buy it by the pint.
Photo of the Jardins de Villandry- chateauvillandry.com
Images of the Lip & Eye Kaleidoscope Kits- Le Metier de Beaute
Aside from the cute packaging, the two face/complexion Y-Mail palettes in the Yves Saint Laurent Spring 2010 collection are very low-key. The face highlighter didn't entice me at all in its pink glory, and the blush is nothing we haven't seen before, except that it's actually very pretty and has a luxurious low-shimmer and very silky finish. The palette is made of three colors and with a little practice you can control how much your brush collects from each one of them.
The colors are on the lighter side and my complexion in all its winter pallor is probably the darkest one that can wear them (I suspect this holds true for the entire YSL spring collection). If I were tan the Y-Mail blush probably would have been impossible to detect on my face. I tested several brushes and found that such a light blush- both in color and in texture- benefits from using as dense a brush as you can find, be it angled or even a kabuki-style. A fanned brush is utterly useless here. The silky finish is pretty and the very low shimmer makes it office friendly and very natural looking.
Bottom line: Nice but too pricey for what it is.
YSL Y-Mail Palette Blush Harmony Silky Finish ($65) is available from most decent department stores and online. I bought it directly from the company's website.
All photos by me.
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