On Color- Part 2

Part 1 discussed Bobbi Brown's Stonewashed Nudes look for fall 2007 and focused on the eye shadow palette. Now, let's move to lip color.

Last fall we saw the start of the berry lip trend. However, the other makeup craze of smoking up and raccooning our eyes was even hotter, most lips remained nude. The new looks of more neutral colors for eyes calls for amping up the lips, and as someone whose natural lip color is quite strong and would never pull of a beige lip, I couldn't be happier. The new lip colors in Bobbi's fall collection are nice. Especially the three variations on the cocoa team. However, these lipsticks are semi matte and full coverage, while my preference is for a lighter formula.

Next, I looked at Chanel's fall collection. I'm smitten. Completely, totally in love with it. It's balanced, beautiful and has an interesting and mysterious air to it, without ever being over-the-top or clownish. Not that it should surprise any of us. Chanel can do bold colors like blue or green eye shadows and keep the look classy and refined.

There are several options for lip color, including a compact of three glosses that look too pretty to even use. The shades in the Orchidee trio are quite interesting and are meant to be blended and worn together. The plum one looks very dark, but with a neutral eye and blended with the lightest shade in the compact it should look stunning.

There are more traditional offerings in the new fall collection, some additions to the regular line and a few limited editions. I have a serious weakness for Chanel's LEs, so I made my choice from those: I got the sheer lipstick in Catalina (a deep plum) and a Glossimer in Hibiscus (shimmery plum). Look for the full review next week (there will also be a review of a limited edition Chanel nail color).

The eye shadows offered in this collection are equally lovely. The theme here is an autumn garden, which is featured in a variety of green shadow. The stunning four color compact in the Le Quarte Ombre de Chanel series (a wet-dry formula) is a limited edition called Garden Party (the other limited edition, Sequoia, is more neutral). There's also a duo in cactus green and soft pink and even a single named Jungle which is a dark forest green, all are very pretty and they make this color a must-have for fall. The many green variations promise that there's a green for everyone.

Another similar green option was offered a few months ago by Bourjois, which is owned by Chanel. I reviewed their cute eye shadow duo, Petite Guide de Style in Miss Spirit, a dark green/light peach combination that would look equally pretty in the fall as it did last spring.

Ask the Non-Blonde 1: Purple Eye Shadow

I love getting questions from readers, both through the blog's comments and by email. I email back when applicable, but this one was left as a comment and would probably be of interest to others. I was asked to recommend a rich purple/plum eye shadow for a green-eyed reader in her 30s.

My reply: The exact color that is right for you depends on your skin tone even more than on your eye color. There are many beautiful purples, and plum is a great option, because as a warmer color than violet it's more flattering on most. The ones I'm listing here are my personal favorites:

Dior 2 Color Eyeshadow. You can't go wrong with Dior. The shadows are very pigmented, easy to apply, blend beautifully and last without fading and creasing. Diorart is a combination of a soft plum and medium/fair pink that complements it beautifully. For more drama, there are the new. They are bolder and more shimmery. Amber Plum has a golden sheen and would look lovely if you're looking for a warmer tone.


I've written before about Bourjois Petite Guide de Style. The tiny booklets are among my favorite makeup items of the season, and I find all the colors to be very wearable. Excellent quality and long wear make them a very attractive option. Coquette Rosette is a violet/pink combo. From my experience, the shimmer is very delicate and is office appropriate.

Lorac single shadows (as well as their palettes) are among the best around. They are never too shimmery, but the colors are true to to what you see in the little pots. Garnet is a rich plum, one that I would have bought for myself if I didn't own several others already (Diors and a couple of sadly discontinued Elizabeth Ardens).

Spring in Paris

Let's take a break from ridiculous looking makeup and enjoy spring products done right. Bourjois Paris (a Chanel-owned company) has just introduced Petite Guide de Style, adorable eye shadow pairs. The packaging looks like a tiny booklet, and I love it for practical reasons: It takes minimal space (can even fit in your pocket), and unlike the usual plastic compact isn't prone to breaking (important when a certain kitten gets into my cabinet and starts tossing things out. I wish I were kidding).

The colors are gorgeous and wearable, the combinations make sense, and the quality is great. The shadows are nicely pigmented, easy to apply and last without flaking or creasing (I use them over a primer). I could probably wear them all, with the notable exception of Coquette Rosette, a too rosy/too violet duo that doesn't agree with my coloring. The one I finally chose is the very springy Miss Spirit, that you can see in this picture. The lighter shadow has just enough peach in the beige to warm up the skin, the dark green is pretty, works well to define and complement my eyes. It's shimmery, but not overdone. Just what a (good) spring look should be.

Two Mascaras

Just before leaving for my vacation I ran out of my brown mascara. Since it was May, the month of the Great Mascara Hunt, I was feeling adventurous. Instead of running to the nearest Clinique counter I headed to Sephora to look at the more interesting brands.

As I said, what I needed was a brown mascara, which I like to use for a softer daytime look. But I was also interested in green/khaki colors, because one of my favorite eye liner pencils is a beautiful sage green that works great with my skin and eyes. Since I'm also very much in love with Bourjois iridescence khaki eye shadow, I was glad to discover that they make their Pump Up the Volume mascara in a color named Kaki Bomb, that looked very pretty. With all the hype around Smashbox, I also chose their "That's a wrap" brown mascara.

As I've written here before, my lashes are full, dark brown and above average in length. What I'm looking for in mascaras is a good color (definition), a little length and a lot of curling. I don't wear primer (seriously, how many products can one load on one's face?) and I don't use a curler (for neurotic reasons).
Here are the results:

Color
Smashbox: Almost invisible. Definitely too light/not pigmented enough for my dark brown lashes.
Bourjois: It's khaki, alright. A little lighter when applied than what it seems on the brush (or on the tube). It will probably stand out more on someone with fair skin/lashes, but was visible enough on me.

Brush
Smashbox: Nothing special, just a regular brush that makes it hard for me to reach the corners, but coats evenly otherwise.
Bourjois: The same thing. No innovations there.

Texture
Smashbox: Good and even, just the right thickness.
Bourjois: On the thick side. Required combing to separate the lashes.

What it does/ How it looks
Smashbox: Even though it didn't add any color, so my lashes didn't pop out, this mascara did some serious lengthening and defining. The look is soft enough and my lashes do look pretty.
Bourjois: It promises volume and it delivers. Probably a little too much for my needs. It does a fine job in curling and adds some length. The problem is the color- it's too light and looks a bit dusty on me.

Lower lashes
Smashbox: Perfect. I need very little color on my very long lower lashes, and this barely-there brown is exactly right.
Bourjois: What looks weird on the upper lashes looks worse on the lower ones.

Clumping/Smearing/Dotting
Smashbox: None
Bourjois: A little clumping. This is thick stuff.

How it holds
Smashbox: Pretty well, though the curling not so much.
Bourjois: Extremely well, hours later the curling is still there.

Final thoughts
Smashbox: Though this isn't the best brown mascara (both my High Impact Clinique and Chanel's mascara are better color-wise), this is still a very good one and I might want to try it in black.
Bourjois:It goes well with my sage green liner, and I discovered that if I use the brown Smashbox first and then apply this one only to the tips of my lashes, I get the right effect- nice soft, long lashes with a hint of green and a curl that holds.

Lip Service III: The Shining

I'm trying to look back to about ten years ago, did anyone over 16 use lip gloss? I certainly didn't, and I don't remember any respectable cosmetic company offering a full range of gooey, shiny substances in tubes. But somehow these things have become essential, and I suspect that at this very moment I own as many glosses as lipsticks. And that's a scary thought.

Over the last few weeks I've been testing a few new (to me) ones. I'm always looking for the perfect gloss- an ultimate mixture of color, moisture and shine. I have several favorites that I've mentioned here before- the Alison Raffaele (best colors for me are Polished and Elegant), Chanel's Glossimer (they are constantly discontinuing whichever color that works for me. I used to love Blush and Barely Fig that are no longer available. This spring I fell in love with their limited edition Summer Plum*. And if they discontinue Giggle I'll be very unhappy, as that's the last color that works for me). I also keep a Juicy Tube (Lancôme) or two in every purse. Most of them are just for shine, as they are not pigmented enough, but Beach Plum is a good color that's visible even on my darker than average lips. I still have a tube of their discontinued Desert, that while smelling like a medicine was a gorgeous brownish color.

My mother gave me Lancôme's Star Gloss. Unlike Juicy Tubes, this one is a brush-on color. The one I have is Princess (number 221 if you're in Europe). It looks pretty dark in the tube- a metallic brownish red. When brushed on my lips it's a lot lighter, not very pigmented but gives a nice shimmer. Surprisingly, the color and shimmer are on the cool side rather than bronze. It's pretty enough, and someone with lighter coloring can probably wear it on its own. For me, it works better over a real lip color.

The texture is smooth and pleasant. Less sticky that JT, for which I'm thankful. Between my own hair sticking to it and the scary amount of cat that usually accompanies me, things can get uncomfortable. Another advantage of the Star Gloss is that it lasts for several hours. No need for constant reapplying. I can't detetct any smell, which is very good, as Lancôme are not exactly famous for the good scent of their products.

Over all, it's a decent gloss, and Princess is a nice enough color (if you're darker than me, it will probably not do much for you color-wise, though the shine is still good). But it's not my Holy Grail.

The other new gloss I bought just before my vacation was Bourjois's Effet 3D. I chose number 2, Brun Galactic and got the same one for my mom. She is also a non-blonde, though her skin and hair are a bit lighter than mine- her hair has a lot more reddish bronze. Also, her undertone is different than mine- it's more pinkish than my green. She has to stay away from many yellow-based colors, while purples look great on her. But we have enough in common and many colors suit us both.

Once again, in the tube the color looks darker than it really is. I hoped for more brown pigment and in the store it seemed to have it. But on my lips in natural light it was once again more of a metallic shimmer. The color was a bit more detectable on my mom, and looked very pretty. Despite the tube, it's not bronze at all, but just as the Sephora site describes it: beige shimmer. I'm not sure about the 3D thing, but it does reflect light beautifully and mkes the lips stand out.

My mother, who is not a lipstick person, can wear this color on its own. I prefer to mix it with some color. I just discovered that it helps make a beautiful but scorching brown Shiseido lipstick wearable again. They go very well together and the gloss doesn't dilute the lovely soft brown of the lipstick. It just prevents it from drying my lips (I put a little gloss, than lipstic than some more of the gloss. Easy on the lips and holds for hours).



*ETA: Chanel has added Summer Plum to their regular line, and I'm very happy about it. Of course, we can't tell how long it's going to stay there as they are notorious about discontinuing colors. But for now, it's there.

Moonlight Shadow

I go through cycles with eye shadows. I can avoid using them for months (like last summer, when I was all about a basic, natural look), and then go on a spree, get some new stuff and play with it to my little heart's content.

I don't like a very painted eye look, especially not for day time. Teaching fifth grade math demands many things, but not a lot of pink shimmer on my eye lids. That said, lately I do feel a need to apply something light and eye opening for day, and I'm back to experimenting with different evening looks.

I wrote about my recent Chanel purchase and will review my new daytime look soon. But this post is about two Bourjois shadows that are definitely for evening. I got the Kaki Etonnant #70 and Argent #25. The first is described as "iridescent brown with green", which is exactly how it looks, especially when applied with a damp brush.

It was one of the most beautiful shadows I've ever seen, and is very flattering to my skin tone. I used it with dark sage liner (a cheapy from L'Oreal, bought in my local target. I love the color and texture- most pencils are not soft and creamy enough for my sensitive eye area)and a nude highlighting shadow under my brows, so the Kaki Etonnant could claim the spotlight. And it did. Pretty and sexy without being overpowering. The irridisent quality makes it interesting without being in-your-face shimmer.

I'm not sure how it would look on someone who is pale. The green might look too garish. But if you have greenish eyes it might be worth looking into, as it might be good for bringing out the color.

The second night I used the #25, which is a silver sparkle. Encouraged by my earlier success, I damped my brush and applied it as a highlighter. Big mistake. This color does not need wet application, as the result could be described as campy sci-fi, or tin man or whatever you want to call Cher on a bad day. I wiped it out and started again, dry, this time. Bourjois' desription didn't lie. It is silver sparkle, but when applied dry and with a light hand it does look pretty.

I combined it with a smoke colored liner (again, L'Oreal) and Lancôme shadow in Volcano (a muted charcoal) on the crease. Again, this is an evening look, and a very pretty one. If silver looks good on you, it's worth checking out. The shadow's quality is great, no creasing or smudging. The very light sparkle looks classy and stays in place. It makes curious about their other colors. There's quite a selection of them.