Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lip Gloss (809 Rubis Rose)

Guerlain Kiss Kiss lip gloss in Rubis Rose might be my favorite item from all of this year's holiday collection. Between the pretty tube with the black lace design and the absolutely perfect dark rose color, it was one of the best impulse purchases.

Rubis Rose is shimmery and very pigmented- what you see in the photo is what you get on your lips. It's a rose with a brown-mauve depth. The texture is smooth, not sticky and feels very moisturizing on the lips- it's the kind of gloss that makes your lips look and feel good- healthy and plump. It's a great after dark shade, but I admit to wearing it during the day lately. It's not over-the-top and is just so pretty against winter paleness.

Bottom line: Big, fat love.

Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lip Gloss in Rubis Rose ($29) is one of three limited edition items for Holiday 2010. It's available from top department stores and also online. I bought it at Bergdorf Goodman.

All photos are mine.

Nars Holiday Collection 2009 Taiga and Mousson

Better late than never.

Nars Holiday 2009 collection was very strong on the eye makeup front. I bought and loved the Soft Touch pencils, but couldn't skip some of the regular eye shadows: Taiga (the duo) and Mousson (single cream eye shadow).

Taiga combines a moderately shimmery dark (almost sooty) khaki/olive color with a very sheer, super shimmery golden ivory. I bought it for the khaki which was an instant love. The color is buildable, versatile (can be used on the entire lid or for lining) and looks very flattering against my skin and eyes. Blended with the right nude base it's daytime friendly, but can be easily used for an elegant evening look. The shimmery golden ivory is not something I would have picked had it come as a single. There's very little pigment there (see swatch, or rather- you can't see anything, which is the point) and so much shimmer and glimmer that it's an evening-only product for me. Furthermore, no eye primer I've tried managed to make it hold still and avoid that fairy dust look. However, when brushed over a matte nude shadow (I use Le Metier de Beaute) of excellent quality, it becomes a gorgeous brow bone highlighter and stays in place with no fallout. So it definitely has its use.

I'm not a big fan of cream eye shadows in a pan. I much prefer the excellent Laura Mercier ones that come in a little tube. But as I was playing with the collection at my local Bloomies, the metallic khaki color of Mousson was irresistible and as I tried on its own as well as over a powder shadow it was too pretty to pass. The website describes it as "silver sage", but the shiny finish is quite warm and I'd say it's more of a very pale gold than real silver. It's a lot more dominant compared to the khaki from Taiga, as you can see in the swatches, and they actually go well together for an evening look.

Wearing Mousson over a powder shadow (and a primer) prevents creasing. Still, I wouldn't wear it for 16 hours straight if you don't have a chance to do some touch up, as the lovely finish tends to fade after about six hours. I've been playing with it as a wash, as a top layer for eyeliner and in the crease. It's a winner, for sure, even if I have to use my pinky to apply it- it works better than any of the brushes I have because the texture is quite dense.

Bottom line: Pretty.

Nars Taiga eye shadow duo ($32) and Mousson cream shadow ($21) are available from most department stores, Sephora and narscosmetics.com. I bought them at my local Bloomingdale's.

Photos by me.

Paul & Joe Eye Color Palette III Mesmerize (Holiday 2009)

I had no intention to buy either of the two Paul & Joe Holiday 2009 Eye Color Palettes. Don't get me wrong: Both are very pretty, but I knew I probably already own enough similar eye shadows to the ones in Spellbound (warm colors), and Mesmerize, while more intriguing, has that lavender shade, which I was certain I couldn't wear. But things changed when I visited the Paul & Joe counter at Bergdorf Goodman. While I wasn't too taken with the entire Holiday 2009 collection (the purple vanity box belongs in a child's room, not in mine), Caroline, the lovely SA, has done my makeup and showed me that not only can I wear a lavender eye shadow, the entire Mesmerize Palette needed to come home with me.

As you can see in the closeups, while the colors are a bit on the cool side, they can actually work as neutrals and accents. Even when all three are used together, the way Caroline applied them on me, the look is more subtle than I expected, when carefully blended. She used the middle one as the base color and incorporated just enough of the other two into it to create depth where needed. The lavender worked nicely and added a lighter touch when needed. To make it pop even more for evening, Caroline used a Paul & Joe eye gloss in Moonlight (03), which was another surprise love for me.

Bottom line: A lovely departure from my comfort zone.

Paul & Joe - Limited Edition - Eye Color Palette III ($40) is available from Bergdorf Goodman or online at BeautyHabit.com.

For a lot more about Paul & Joe beauty, including photos and swatches of the lighter colors they offer, please check Lina's Beauty Look Book blog, as she's the expert on this line.

All photos by me.

YSL Holiday 2009- Eye Shadow Duo 1 (Beige Celeste Brun Astral)

One of the most festive looks for the season (for better and for worse) comes from Yves Saint-Laurent. The model in the promotional photo was made up within an inch of her life and had an 80s thing going (bordering n Alexis Carrington, if you ask me). The individual items, though, can be worn a bit more subtly, and I was drawn to the eye shadow duo in Beige Celeste-Brun Astral.

The colors are neutral and very elegant. Beige Celeste is actually more shell than beige and has a cool undertone. The amount of shimmer in both colors makes them an evening-only eye shadows as far I'm concerned. Both must be worn over a primer, because the texture, while fine, is somewhat crumbly, and a primer ensures smooth application. There's also a bit of glittery fallout when used with wide brushes, so I'd suggest using slimmer ones.

YSL Ombre Duolumieres Eye Shadow Duo ($41, Beige Celeste/Brun Astral, is just one option, and there are two new color combinations, including one that looks very much like Nars Habanera with a dark plum and mint green shimmer) can be found at your local Yves Saint Laurent counter at most decent department stores, as well as online. If I remember correctly,I bought mine online from yslbeautyus.com).

YSL Holiday Look 2009 photo from ysl.com, other photos by me.

Tsumori Chisato For Shu Uemura Mini Brush Set

I told you my favorite item from the Tsumori Chisato for Shu Uemura Holiday 2009 collection was the mini brush set. As you can see, it really is small enough to fit inside almost anything. The bag has enough room inside to store a makeup palette, thus saving space. I need to try and see if Bobbi Brown Mauve Palette fits inside, as it includes everything but brushes. Trish McEvoy's Beauty Emergency Card is another prime candidate for use with this set.

The brushes (face, concealer, eye shadow and lip/eyeliner), while small, feel sturdy and balanced in the hand, and they are thick enough. I have to complaints, though: the pockets aren't snug enough, so the brushes don't stay in place. Also, one cannot use the same brush for both eye lining and lip color. A fifth brush would have made this set much closer to perfection.

Tsumori Chisato for Shu Uemura mini brush set ($69) is available from Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom, which is where I got mine.

Photos by me with the help of Lizzy (for those who asked about the spelling of her name, she's named after Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, and that's the spelling Jane Austen used in the book).

Paul & Joe For The Cat Ladies

I have no idea how I managed to miss these items when they were released over the summer, but Paul & Joe's Fall 2009 Collection had the cutest packaging, including these two items. Now, neither the lipstick (too light and sheer) nor the eye shadows (way too glittery) are something I need or would even use, so it doesn't really matter. But, oh my, aren't they lovely? Both are available from Beauty Habit (beautyhabit.com), and if these colors are your thing, use code INSTYLE for a 20% discount. The newly released Winter Collection is also available, in purple and gold packaging. I'm not too excited about any of the items.

Dior Vernis Nail Polish Silver Purple (782)

The most intriguing item in Dior Holiday 2009 collection is the nail polish, Silver Purple (782). It's maddening to look at the swatches on the retail websites (from Sephora to department stores) because they're way off in showing the true color. Sephora is especially bad, making the polish look a lot more purple than it actually is. My photos are not 100%, either, but they are much closer.



Purple Silver is a purple-gray-taupe with a metallic finish. It looks very dark indoors and in low light, while sunshine brings out more silver. I think it's stunning in a low key way and can even be office appropriate in certain workplaces.

The first time I tried it with Essie 3-Way Glaze, and it was an utter disaster- chips, cracks and peeling within a day. The second time I applied five different bases1 and a Nail Aid top coat which gave me much better results, though like most Dior Vernis, Silver Purple tends to chip unless you apply and renew the top coat religiously (as in every day). It's worth it, tough. The color is unique and very beautiful, and as long you do the maintenance, you can get about 5 days of a flawless look.

Dior Vernis nail polish in Silver Purple ($20) is a limited edition for Holiday 2009. Available from all Dior counters and Sephora, which is where I bought it.

All photos taken today by me, color is three day old, new top coat. Yes, it was raining. Heavily2. Now excuse me as I go and take a very hot shower and try to warm up.
1 proof that beauty bloggers are weird
2 proof that beauty bloggers are insane

Tsumori Chisato For Shu Uemura- The Cat Collection

Shu Uemura might have the cutest holiday collection this year. Fashion designer Tsumori Chisato created several compacts and a makeup brush set with several motives- ribbons, stars and my favorite- a cat. This isn't exactly Hello Kitty and the result managed to avoid the over precious cliche. All the items and palettes are interesting and as grown up as something that has a cat on it can be.


While the makeup colors aren't exactly what I'm looking for, my pick is the mini makeup brush set.

The Tsumori Chisato For Shu Uemura Holiday 2009 collection is available from Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.

Photos of the collection: nordstrom.com, Tsumori Chisato dress from the Spring 2009 RTW: WWD

Bobbi Brown Earth Metal Palette Holiday 2009 Collection

It feels like we're always rushing the seasons. Fall collections appear in July and often sell out before August 1st. Halloween is still 10 days away, but the makeup counters are already in full sparkly Holiday mode. I'm not sure I'm ready for any of that, but the Earth Metal lips & eyes palette from Bobbi Brown was too pretty to ignore until the right mood and weather arrive (and, let's face it- most chances it'd be gone by then).



The palette consists of six metallic eye shadows in some of the nicest colors of the season, including a golden green and a rich evergreen. There's a taupy plum and a couple of warmer shades. All have the familiar Bobbi Brown metallic finish which is both subtle and elegant. The colors are quite neutral and can easily be office-appropriate as long as you don't pile them up, while giving many options for a stunning evening look. Most of these eye shadows go beautifully with Bobbi's newest gel eyeliner color, Forest Shimmer Ink. I'm very happy with the pigment level in this palette. Then again, the metallic colors of the last couple of years have always been rich.

The lip colors pale a little in comparison. They are lower in pigment than they appear in the palette and are mostly nude washes. It took me a while to warm up to the texture, which isn't as creamy as I'd like (I've been spoiled by the gel-like consistency offered by several of the top brands like Chantecaille and Le Metier de Beaute). You absolutely need to use a lip brush (there's one in the palette) and work it thoroughly through the pan, almost like you're whipping it. Mixing and blending is also a good idea, as it allows you to customize the color to your exact preference. The final results are very pretty, but I won't deny it takes a bit of work, unlike the eye shadows that are am instant thrill.

I don't like the thin eye shadow brush. It's too flimsy for my liking. The lip brush is decent and I'm getting a good use out of it, though it also could have been thicker.

Bobbi Brown Earth Metal Palette ($60) is a Holiday 2009 limited edition, available right now at decent department stores and online. I ordered mine from bobbibrown.com.

All photos by me.