Chunky Heels

Speaking of questionable heels (see previous post), a Bergdorf Goodman newsletter declared yesterday the return of chunky heels. It's not exactly a surprise: We've been seeing it on runways, and it can also be considered as part of the natural fashion cycle: The next logical step after the platform shoe.

Some of these are better than others (I'm quite fond of the ones by Kors, Fendi and the Yves Saint Laurent seen in the photo, but I could do without the duck beak toe.

Are you sending your stilettos to long term storage?

Countdown to October

Considering I've been wearing the fall collections' makeup since they came out in July, it's a good thing that October is just around the corner with the holiday collections (lots of gold flakes everywhere, who would have thought?). Another October launch is the Lancôme-Peter Som collaboration for the Pout-à-Porter series. The lipstick,“P.S. Kiss” is another limited edition (also known as "straight to eBay"), exclusive to Bergdorf, Nordstrom and Lancôme's website. It's right on the much darker lip trend. It's in the Color Fever range, a line which I love for the comfortable wear and beautiful, luminous look it gives the lips.

While I can't wear this gorgeous Peter Som sweater (hint: short women should not make their waist look bigger than their boobs, especially if they are quite nicely endowed in that department, thankyouverymuch), I can definitely do the makeup look.

Here's a short video clip in which Peter Som talks about the inspiration for his fall collection and the makeup look:



Photo from Shopbop.com

Velvet

This looks like a great season for makeup. There's a wonderful abundance of textures and colors, so when a product manages to shine and stand out among the bounty, it has to be a good one.

Bobbi Brown Velvet Plum Metallics, one of the four limited edition mini palettes, lives up to the promises. It's a sparkly, color-rich and smooth formula. Despite the metallic finish, it isn't too bold or shiny, and the colors are sophisticated and actually toned down enough to make them very wearable and elegant.

I was surprised to see that the Velvet Plum trio is more neutral and brown than purple, and somewhat lighter than the colors appear online. They are rich and nicely pigmented, even the light Champagne Quartz, and shouldn't give you the black eye effect that many purples have on darker skin tones. They blend seamlessly into each other and create a lovely look.

The texture is smooth, long wearing and the shine keeps on for hours. I wear it over the Urban Decay primer, which ensure it stays put with no creasing or fading. The primer is important here because metallic colors tend to cling to skin and highlight its surface, so you want said surface to be as smooth as possible. Thus, if you find yourself lately seriously considering Botox, I'd recommend giving the metallics a full day test before committing to buying it.

A little fashion exercise: Find the Fug

The other day I was going through the latest bunch of email newsletters and promotionals. Some are deleted with no second thought, others get a second of my time and select few have me act like a good little consumer by clicking them and giving them my undivided attention and consideration.

That was how I found myself browsing the modern and contemporary collections on Saks.com. There are quite a few items I really liked, a couple are going to end up in my closet, but the most interesting thing is the way the little photos of these coats and dresses highlight the biggest fashion problem we have at the moment: Some cuts and shapes are bad for you. Unless, of course, you really want everyone to believe that your waist is bigger than your boobs. If that's the case, I see Stacy and Clinton in your future.

I'd go out on a limb and say the models are most likely tall and skinny. You wouldn't know it from looking at some of the pictures. Also, notice the model who wears these three dresses. It's the same woman, and despite the sack she's wearing on the left, she actually has a beautiful figure:
All I can say is: Don't try this at home. Please.

Images are screen shots taken from Saks.com.

More Berry Lips

My favorite part of the fall makeup collections are the many options and variations of lip color. There are several nude and beige looks for those of us who go for a bold eye, but my thing is a more natural eye makeup with a plum or berry lip.

Just as I planned, I got the Enhancing Lip Gloss in Vixen (from the limited edition Decadence collection), and it was love from the moment I tested at the store. Don't let the color swatch to scare you. It is a deep berry, but very sheer and unless your coloring is very delicate and ultra-pale (including hair, eyebrows and skin), it won't give you a punch-mouth look. I got one for my sister whose complexion is several tones lighter than mine.

The color is just one of the things I love about this gloss. It's shiny, very moisturizing and comfortable, not sticky at all and makes my lips feel soft. While not a real plumping product, the moisturizing action is enough to keep the lips from drying up and wilting. This makes the enhancement promise a true one.

It's not as long lasting as the new Chanel glossimer I reviewed recently, but I'm willing to forgive that. Reapplying is a breeze and the brush is just flexible enough to coat the lips smoothly without yielding too much and causing smears when used in a haste.

Indulge

Is it wrong to constantly wear makeup from the fall collections in August (I actually started in July)? I can't help it. There are several great colors to play with. My early assessment regarding Smashbox' Decadence collection was right. The Indulgence eye shadow trio is fabulous. It has three neutral colors: a light beige sheen (light but still potent enough to make a difference on my skin), a shimmer taupe (probably the most versatile and useful color one can have) and a deep graphite shimmer (very pigmented and very high voltage).

The shadows are high quality, pretty, easy to apply and long lasting (even without primer). The two lighter colors go from day to night while the darkest one is evening-only, as far as I'm concerned. It's gorgeous, perfect for lining the lid and has a lot of oomph.

Since we're already on the subject of Smashbox, take a look at their Beauty Blowout sale. Scroll all the way down the page . The last two items, the Winter Whites red lipstick and the Wrap! On Set palette are both 50% off, beautiful and quite versatile. They are leftovers from previous collections, but very suitable for the coming season. Looks like a great bargain.

Rumors of Fall

I'm not sure what was it exactly about these shoes that made me fall in love with them. Might be the colors or the use of two different textures. Now they are mine, and I can almost smell fall (until I open the window, that is).

Glamor in a Bottle

Chanel has done it again. Remember the waiting list to get on the waiting list for the Black Satin nail polish (now widely available online and at every Chanel counter)?

Tulip Noir, one of the limited edition colors for fall 2007, is already sold out, at least online. This time, as far as I'm concerned, it's for a very good reason. I bought the bottle a couple of weeks ago as an afterthought when I got the Chanel new lip colors for fall. The bottle of metallic burgundy polish looked tempting after all the summer nudes and neutrals I've been wearing for weeks. As much as I love the Glossimer and the sheer lipstick, Tulip Noir is the big winner here.

The picture above doesn't do it justice. The color is rich and very pretty. It gets noticed and I got several compliments on it, from both men and women. How often do men notice your nail polish? And, I have to say, as much as some of those blue and navy polishes that are supposed to be all the rage look pretty in theory and in their bottles, in reality and on one's hands blue polish is not sexy. Red is.

One coat is opaque enough and looks great when you're in a hurry. Two coats bring out the depth. The polish surprised me in its lasting power. Just renew your top coat every other day and it stays on for a week with no chipping. My only complaint is and has always been about the brush in all Chanel polishes. I'm spoiled by OPI's wide brush which has a great handle and is very easy to use. Chanel brushes are tiny, thin and annoying. I have larger than average hands, but that's no excuse, especially for a nail polish in this price range.

As I said above, I can no longer find it online (outside of eBay, that is), but it's worth checking your local Chanel counter to see if they might still have a bottle.

More for Fall

Two more collections for fall are now available (at least online. For some reason, Sephora stores tend to be a little behind on these launches and I haven't checked my local department stores yet). Smashbox and Nars are offering fall looks that don't feel very fall-like, and frankly, while many of the colors are pretty, there's nothing too exciting in either collection.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't get the vision behind Nars' Modern Odyssey. It's supposedly "smolders with a moody palette of warm metallics for a look of mythic sophistication and strength.". Seriously? And how exactly does it manifest itself in the look of this model? She could just as well be cast as a victim in some b-movie. That wide-eyed, scared for her life (because her lashes has life of their own and they are about to eat her brain) is neither mythical, nor strong. And lifeless lips aren't that hot, either.

Once you look at the actual collection you find more color. The eye shadow trios are cute enough, but all over the place, and don't have anything that we haven't seen before (unlike last spring's Habanera). There's blue, there's gold, there's rose... take your pick. I like Kalahari, a combination of gold and frosted cocoa, but unless they've reinvented these colors, I don't think it's a must-have.

In the lip department, you don't actually need to look dead like their model. There's a sheer lipstick in candy apple red (Flamenco) and the Chantaco lip gloss is a very pretty reddish berry (they label it as rhubarb) that would flatter most and coordinate with most other fall colors.

The makeup on the Smashbox model, showing their Decadence collection is also heavy on the eyes on nude on the lips. It's less annoying, probably because she doesn't look as terrified as Nars Girl, which is a really good start. Out of the two eye shadow trios, I prefer the one called Indulgence, with the slate and graphite. It's an interesting alternative to the Bobbi Brown Stonewashed nudes, as long as it's lightly applied. The model seems to be wearing the other trio, Opulence, which is focused on warmer browns. Nothing we haven't seen (or don't own) before.

The gel eye liner is metallic black. I'm curious to see how different it is from last year's Lancome Starshower (it was a limited edition and is no longer available).

While the model is probably wearing the Socialite lipstick (didn't we have enough already with the "socialite" label? It's not that hot nowadays) in a sandwash pink (in other words: beiged within an inch of its life), there's a beautiful deep berry gloss under the original name "vixen".

Speaking of Smashbox: Nordstrom are offering an exclusive Smashbox set. It looks like one of the best deals in their big sale (starts tomorrow, you can already order online). It has some of their biggest bestsellers, and the eye shadow palette looks like the best collection of neutrals one could ask for. As with all Smashbox sets, the value is extraordinary (you pay $68 for a $192.50 worth of products).

Previously on The Non-Blonde:
I decided to pass on the Stonewashed Nudes eye palette from Bobbi Brown and get just the darkest color in the set, Espresso, to use with other nude colors that I already have.

And now-The Results :
Other than a couple of black eye shadows that I own (by Dior and Clinique), Espresso is the darkest color I've come across in a while. It's truly the shade of a very black coffee, while still technically brown. It's several tones darker than Bobbi's Chocolate, the darkest one in last year's palette, and very pigmented. It needs to be applied lightly, with a good fluffy brush, otherwise you find yourself having to clean up excess powder. I got the hang of it eventually and found it easy enough to use.

A reader has commented on my original post that she had problem blending this shadow. I'm guessing that it depends on the amount you use and on the brush. That's what made the difference for me. It's such a dark color that you have to blend carefully, but once you do, the effect is great. I tried it with several nudes and neutrals: the light colors from the chocolate palette, a delicate beige from Dior's Beige Massai and a few others from Lancome, Benefit and Chanel. It's nice and versatile, and the look created is sophisticated and classy (as long as you don't overdo it. Very little goes a very long way).

Espresso is also great as a liner, used wet or dry, with or without a sealing liquid (I use Paula Dorf's Transformer). I use a flat synthetic brush for lining, and managed to draw a nice just-thick-enough line, for an almost-cat-eye (that doesn't go the Amy Winehouse way).

All in all, this is a good choice to create several of the looks for the coming fall.

Chanel's Aqualumier in Catalina

More lip loveliness for fall: Chanel's Aqualumier in Catalina.

Like all Aqualumier lipsticks, it gives a sheer, weightless coverage that feels almost balmy without the stickiness. My sensitive lips have always loved this formula, and this is no exception. The vitamins and SPF 15 don't hurt, either, but I'm here to talk about the pretty color.

Like just about every Chanel lip color I've ever fallen in love with, Catalina is a limited edition (when I have a favorite that isn't designed for a short life span, they just discontinue it. It's a miracle that Giggle and Summer Plum glossimers are still available). The color is officially described as "deep plum", but since it's sheer it doesn't make my lips purple, and it's more of a reddish, shimmery plum. It would probably be more dramatic on pale face/lips, but on me it's very wearable and doesn't look overdone. It's very appropriate for daytime.

Layering Catalina with Hibiscus glossimer (see yesterday's review) makes for a fabulous, sexy evening look. They give each other more depth than the colors offer separately and are just meant for each other. Also, just as I thought, these two are perfect with the neutral Bobbi Brown eye makeup for fall. I wore them with Espresso, the darkest shadow in the collection (review to come) and loved it.

Chanel Fall 2007

When I first saw Hibiscus, the new Glossimer from Chanel Fall 2007 collection, I thought it was almost identical to Force, which I already have. They look practically the same in the tube, and I was a bit disappointed, since I wanted something plummier.

However, once you apply Hibiscus, the color is actually quite different. It is, indeed, more purple/pink. It's not as dark and looks more sheer on the lips. Force is redder, darker and is much more diva. It's an evening color, and even then I often blend it with a lighter color.

Hibiscus is more wearable and would look just as fabulous on a fall day as it's lovely at night. I even tested them side by side on my lips (that was an amusing "things I do for my blog" moment) just to see the difference, and I like Hibiscus much better. Since it has less pigment, applying and coating the lips evenly is easier.

Hibiscus is shimmery, but unlike earlier glossimers it isn't gritty at all. On the contrary: The formula is smooth, comfortable and long-lasting (for a gloss) without being sticky. You can find it at your local Nordstrom and Saks and, of course, online.

Tomorrow: A review of Chanel's Sheer Fantasy lipstick.

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.

On Color- Part 1

My post on MAC's C-Shock collection has earned a bunch of comments and many more emails. Apparently, this love-child of Boy George and a parrot managed to seriously annoy people. Still, there are a few fans of these colors, and like Toya has mentioned in her comment, a woman who has dark enough skin can pull some of it off. I know what she means. I own several green and blue eye shadows and wear them often (separately, of course, and blended with neutrals so they only give a little pop of color). However, this collection is too much for me, so I leave it to those who know what they're doing with fuchsia. And to the teenagers who need something to play with while wearing 80s-inspired clothes and dream about being Lindsay Lohan. After all, like another commenter has said, they should be able to do that and learn the hard way. I agree. There's something wrong with a teen who only experiments with Bobbi Brown nudes.

Speaking of which, the complete opposite of the MAC collection is Bobbi Brown's Stonewashed Nudes for fall. The centerpiece of this look is the Stonewashed palette, which is expected to be the new sensation, like its predecessor, the Chocolate palette from last year that was sold out everywhere before July was over, has reappeared on eBay, bringing out insane bid wars and prices. The palette is another brilliant idea: A collection of wearable neutrals in stone, taupe and grey. These muted colors are flattering to almost everyone and create a sophisticated look. The undertones here are cool and instantly transform you away from the warm, bronzed summer hues into a crisp, fall look.

There's no doubt that both this palette and the entire collection are very pretty. The question is, should I (and you) hurry up and buy it before it's gone?
With the exception of the darkest shadow, Espresso (which is my favorite one here), all the other colors are only available as a limited edition in this palette. Out of these special six, the lightest one, Navajo, is too pale to even show up on my skin (just like last year's Bone). Bobbi's shadows are beautiful, but not very pigmented, which makes many of them useless for me. The one other shade in this collection that I would have bought as a single is Rock Shimmer. The other are nice, but I wondered: How exceptional are they?

Surprisingly enough, not all major brands have a selection of taupe and grey washes. There a few here and there, and you may own them. I'd suggest taking a look at your stash to see if you already have what it takes to create the look. If you don't, consider buying this palette. Taking into account that a single Bobbi Brown shadow is priced at $19, a 7-color collection for $50 is a good offer. I decided to only get the Espresso shadow, knowing from experience that this is the one I'll be reaching for the most. I already have a good cream liner that goes with it and several light colors for the lid, so I'm all set.

Coming Next: Lip Color. Glosses and lipsticks that go with the Stonewashed look and the best fall colors.