Scenes From The Mall

Unable to contain my curiosity and not entirely satisfied with the swatches I've seen online so far, I headed to Nordstrom to check out the new Burberry makeup collection. It meant going to the Garden State Plaza, a place I try to avoid at all costs, but the promise of fabulous lipsticks and gorgeous packaging was too much to resist. Since the Paramus store is one of the few locations that actually carry Burberry, I went there full of Jersey pride. Except that the launch date has been pushed back to August 10th. They're doing a pre-sale but there are no testers or any information about the makeup other than a handful of items in one of those display cubes you can't open.

Since the place was cheerful and abuzz with brand reps, makeup artists and the general anniversary sale fun I stayed for a while to see what's new and pretty. I'm glad to report that the Dior counter still has the Nordsrom exclusive palette, so if it's already sold out at your location you might want to give this store a call. At the Armani counter, a young SA whose misfortune was to have me as a customer tried to convince me the summer collection was actually the new stuff for fall. I didn't even bother to argue.

I decided to head towards Neiman Marcus. The place was eerily empty and silent. The fashion floor was in that limbo stage between seasons, when there's absolutely nothing interesting and/or in my size. The beauty department was equally ghostly (to be fair it was still early-ish, about 11:30 am), and most counters were empty of SAs. A couple of employees and the floor manager were running from counter to counter just behind the handful of customers who walked around.

The good news is that the Le Metier de Beaute counter already has a tester of  the fall Kaleidoscope eye Kit (no other fall testers, though, and the products only go on sale September 10th), so if you're in the area that alone is worth the visit. At the Guerlain counter I was assisted by the Lancome specialist who was awesome, helped me play with the testers and rang my purchase:

These are two of the gorgeous eye shadow palettes for fall. Review and swatches are coming as soon, of course.

The previous scene from Armani was repeated at the Nars counter. An overly made up SA tried to insist that the dirty and abused testers of the summer collection were of the newest items. I know that several locations, including some Sephora stores, already have all the fall items, but apparently Paramus isn't one of them (our Sephora didn't have them, either, but I wasn't surprised. This store is always behind).

A quick stroll through the mall made it clear it was time to run for my life. The crowd has thickened and the nasty aroma of the food court reminded me why I haven't set foot in the Plaza in the last 10 months or so. I went home and did some highly satisfying online shopping.

Top photo of the Garden State Plaza in its previous 1960s incarnation from mallsofamerica.blogspot.com
Guerlain palettes: photograph by me.

DVF For Fall 2010- Hits And Misses

There are some seriously gorgeous and tempting items in Diane Von Furstenberg's pre-fall collection . Unfortunately, neither the Long Wool-Cashmere Knit Cardigan ($385) nor the Beasley Anorak Jacket ($525) are among them. I have no idea why anyone thought these frumpy items were a good idea both for DVF and for Neiman Marcus, but there you have it. On the other hand, I've already started planning makeup looks (and different shoes) for this dress:

All photos: neimanmarcus.com

A Quick Shopping Tip- Neiman Marcus vs. Bergdorf

You probably got the email newsletters about the 40% sale going on at both Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. Since the Bergdorf one was at the top of my inbox, I clicked on it first to check what DVF items they had on sale. I found a top I really liked so I proceeded. During checkout, I realized they were about to charge me $16 for shipping and I couldn't find a free shipping coupon anywhere.

Now, Bergdorf and Neiman Marcus share not just the user interface but basically the entire site. As far as I could tell, the 40% sale is the same at both online stores, so I switched to Neiman, found the blouse- same sale price and used the current free shipping Coupon, SHOPNM.

So, if you're planning to indulge, do it at Neiman.

Le Metier de Beaute Eye Shadow

*Just a reminder: A giveaway of Andy Tauer's Un Rose Chypree samples (as well as a review) is one post back*

My first encounter with Le Metier de Beaute eye shadows was at Bergdorf, where I got to play with the Violaceous Splendor Kaleidoscope Eye Kit. I was quite impressed with the pigment saturation, the texture and the ease of blending, but the color themselves, black, orange, rich rose and a red violet were just too much for me. Lucky for me, I was later sent a couple of examples of Le Metier de Beaute's subtler side, so I could really test and enjoy the eye shadows.


Naked is exactly what it sounds like. A matte skin tone that works as a base shadow and gives some highlighting under the brow bone. Unlike many similar colors from other brands (I have a long gripe with Bobbi Brown's Bone for this very reason), it actually shows up on my skin just enough to provide both a little highlighting (minimal. It's very natural looking) and an excellent base that blends with other eye shadow colors for a flawless look. I've used it with several favorite eye shadows from Chanel, Dior and Laura Mercier, all with excellent results.

Thunder is a gorgeous shimmer charcoal with quite a bit of black undertones and silvery flecks. It's as pigmented as it gets and created a super-glam evening look. With or without a primer, it lasts the whole night without creasing or flaking, works well for lining and if you're into the smoky eye look, it would do the work beautifully.




These Le Metier de Beaute eye shadows have a very fine, luxurious texture which I absolutely love. Wishing for a daytime look, I bought Sequoia, a neutral matte brown that works with many other colors I already own and looks very sleek without any drama. I'm now eyeing one of the green Kaleidoscope kits, because they are so exquisite and if one is going to do a green eye shadow, she might as well go for the best...

Le Metier de Beaute eye shadows ($30 for a single pan, the four shadows Kaleidoscope is $95) are only available from Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, in store and online. The color swatches on the websites (including the company's) are utterly useless. They do not reflect the color and you can't tell if something is matte, satin or shimmer. Very annoying. I purchased one shadow online from Neiman's after I got two as a PR freebie.

The Shape Issue

Someone at Neiman Marcus thought this Fendi jacket was worth an email newsletter. I agree, but for another reason altogether: it shows all that's wrong with this shape.

Have a look- What part of the model's body appears the smallest? Which part is the widest?

See what I mean?

In what universe do women aspire to have a midsection that's twice the size of their breasts?

In Search of the perfect red lipstick- 29 Cosmetics

I'm after the perfect true red lipstick for my weird skin tone, and even Paris Hilton and the lipstick on her teeth can't stop me. I got comments on the above post that show how hard this quest can be. Not only do you need to be careful about a match to your natural coloring and complexion, but there's also the issue of certain blue-based shades making your teeth look yellow. Not exactly the picture of glamor. One reader suggested going for coral-based reds. This might work for some, but I can't do corals at all. It clashes horribly with my skin and my natural plummish lips. Still, searching is fun and is taking me places...

29 Cosmetics is a California-based company, owned by wine makers, the Mondavi family from Napa Valley. Their products supposedly contain grape seed oil, which we all know is good for you because of the antioxidants and moisturizing qualities. That's a good starting point for a lipstick.

The quality of the lipsticks I tested was exceptional and on the same level as my favorite Chanels and Diors. The formula is rich, glides easily, wears comfortably and lasts fairly well without flaking or bleeding (extremely important if you want to avoid the punch mouth look). If you're lucky enough to find the right color for you, it will serve you well and it's definitely worth paying Neiman Marcus a visit (29 Cosmetics is only sold at Neiman's and through their own web site). However, despite the pretty color swatches on the 29 site, don't be tempted to buy untested. The colors of all the lip products I've seen are very different than what they appear, and you get no indication on the finish (metallic,cream, shimmer).

Fine Whine is a metallic red with a pink copper undertone, if that makes any sense. It's probably more suitable for summer months, as the look it creates is more fun and light than the dramatic passionate red of the season. While the texture is rich and luxurious, I'm not sure the final appearance does my lips any favors: the natural lines of the skin seem to pop out a bit too much.
Reserved Red is a classic medium red with a cool pink base. It's not too blueish to give one the dreaded yellow teeth, but it's still not for everyone (including some who insist on wearing similar shades). It's a color I often choose for clothes, but it's a bit more difficult for me in makeup, and definitely not for daytime. It's pretty, but just not the one I'm looking for.

Art: Red Lips by Harold Haydon.

Pore Talk

I was doing some research about Natura Bissé skin care products before using some samples (a good practice for everyone, especially those of us with sensitive skin), when I happened upon the product description for their Oxygen Cream. Here's the screen shot from Neiman Marcus' website. I just enlarged it and underlined the eyebrow raising part:

Everything I know all the info I managed to dig up are saying the same thing: Blemishes occur when your pores get clogged up with gunk, trapping bacteria inside, which leads to inflammation. If a cream causes blemishes it's because it clogs pores. As simple as that.

I'm not buying it.

Has any of you tried this cream or another product that claims that blemishes are a sign it's working?

Like It, Like It Not

• I liked the Italian Cypress-Pear soap from Caldrea's Holiday Collection, but the Cognac-Vanilla-Limon is not my cup of tea. Cloyingly sweet and with a piña colada note, this feels anything but festive. How exactly do you scrub off a soap that turns into a scrubber?
  
• The new L'Occitane website is a huge improvment after the horrible and impossible to navigate former version. Now you can actually find the product you're looking for. Imagine that!
  
• Diane von Furstenberg wrap dresses are wonderful. I love the drape, the fabric and the vintage prints. In theory, you're supposed to be able to find them at Neiman's. In real life, you'll have better luck shopping online. My local store had absolutely none in my size or in any of the prints I liked, while the website offered several.
  
• Why can't I find the perfect black handbag this season? I've given up on something that can hold my laptop. I just want something stylish, big enough for a sweater and the normal essentials and in proprtion to my petite frame. I might as well ask for the moon.
  
• I think I'm over those limited edition palettes that combine a few beautiful colors with a couple that would never work for me. Case in point: The new one from Chanel (available from Nordstrom). Both of them are gorgerous, but each has several colors I can't wear. Call me when you have a mix'n'match option. In the meantime, I just saved myself $85!
  

Catch-Up

Many thanks for the anniversary wishes. We had a great time playing in the city, had some excellent food (Café Boulud offers several vegetarian options), visited CB I Hate Perfume and added a few items to the ever-growing bottle collection. Now it's catch-up time. I'm still behind on email and beauty-related reading, but I'm getting there.

Speaking of email, here are a few of the highlights from my inbox. There are many offers, sales and events going on now that summer is officially over. Some more worthy than others:

• The Neiman Marcus Beauty Event: Any beauty or fragrance purchase over $100 would award you with a metallic tote and seven generous size samples. There are a couple of skin care items (from Orlane and ReVive. I wish the latter was not the eye cream but their amazing C serum, which is worth its weight in gold and costs as much), a sample of Infusion d'Iris, the new Prada perfume (not exactly the way to my heart, but what can you do?), a Molton Brown shampoo (you can't go wrong with that, but I wish it was a shower gel) and three makeup items (Laura Mercier and Clinique lip color, Estee Lauder mascara). I've seen better offers in the past, but this isn't a bad haul and can sweeten the deal if you're already in the market for a Serge Lutens fragrance.
  
  What's even better are the specific brand offers you'll find there, which will give you an additional GWP. There are several worthy deals in the list, especially if you're already planning on doing some damage. The best offer must be the one from Dior: If you spend your $100 on their products, you'll get a five shadow palette (that one alone is worth the hassle and the money), a mini lipstick and a mini brush set. The Emilio Pucci offer is worth mentioning not so much for the fragrance and body cream samples as much as for the adorable cosmetics case. Like every Pucci print, this is a collectible item. I've sniffed the new fragrance, Vivara, and quite liked it. I have yet to actually test it, though.
  The most ridiculous offer comes from YSL Beauty: You need to spend $200 in order to get a tiny eye cream sample and a mini mascara. I'd skip that one.



• This picture was part from a Sephora Beauty Insider newsletter. It must be the ugliest manicure I've seen since Fergie's bumblebee nails. I almost didn't notice the lashes. Does it make you want to buy anything from her?

An immarture giggle on a Sunday morning

I was just pursuing Neiman's online beauty department to see what's new when I came across an interesting almost-new brand (launched just five months ago, in February), 29 Cosmetics. They have a nice concept: All their makeup is made with anti-oxidant grape seed extract to protects the skin from environmental pollutants and free radicals.

I liked what I saw, from the elegant, wearable colors to the sleek packaging. Then, I came across the mascaras and couldn't help but giggle at the name of one of the colors:


The Blond had no idea what I was talking about, seeing as his brain isn't embarrassingly clogged with the most useless details of pop culture from the last two decades, so I had to give him a hint:



It feels terribly wrong to have those photos in a post about a classy makeup collection. It's just the unfortunate name.

Still, I'm intrigued by many of their products, especially the eye quads and the lip treatments, so a stop at their counter is necessary. This line is sold exclusively at Neiman Marcus and through the company's web site, which is quite lovely, although the information architecture is a bit flawed and they have music played on their homepage (one of my biggest web pet peeves, which is why I'm linking you directly to the collection page). Their online color swatches are infinitely better than what you see on Neiman's site, which is a real disgrace and stuck in 1998.

I Think I may Have a Problem

I was actually looking for something blue or green when I spotted this bag. It has my name written all over it.