Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Bobbi Brown Glitter Balm Palette - Holiday


Yes, holiday is rolling into the inbox. An early favorite- the Bobbi Brown Glitter Balm Palette. Last year these were individual balms and I loved them. They were even one of my Best of the Year picks.

They have some pigment, shine, sparkle and moisture. Missing in this palette is my beloved Copper shade, but all are nice. The Crystal Rose is looking really good in this.

One nice thing- it's very lightweight. So you could easily carry this in your bag without weighing it down too much.

All Bobbi Brown holiday is out October and I will have more items featured soon.

Glitter Balm Palette Colors:
Crystal Rose
Crystal Diamond
Pink Crystal
Crystal Gold

$ 40.00

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Cover Girl Outlast Lip Stains

When a makeup artist talks you listen. So thats what I did, when I met Quinn Murphy, friend of a friend in the beauty biz , a sweetheart of a guy and a makeup artist who has done up Mariah Carey , and Miranda Kerr among others.

We chatted about long wear products and he mentioned he really loved the Cover Girl Outlast lip stains. I'd seen the ads, was vaguely intrigued, now of course I had to get some.

Here's the deal. They really do last well. Maybe not all day , but I get a good 5 hours wear at least. These pack a lot of pigment, too. No sheer stain here. They look like real lipstick color. They work fine on their own or layered. I like to apply Chaptick True Shimmers over mine or a light cream/gloss and they still hold up really well.

Cover Girl had their celeb makeup artist Jake Bailey ( he did Kyra Sedgewick for the Emmys last week) at the CVS Reinventing Beauty Suite during Fashion week and although I didn't have time to talk to him, I heard from another blogger a tip- apply the stain with a brush. Now it's a felt tip marker , but I tried it and it works . You get more precision lining, but really the pen is super easy to use as is.




















image- www.covergirl.com and Jake Bailey at CVS Reinventing Beauty Suite by The Beauty Alchemist

Monday, September 28, 2009

Van Cleef & Arpels Feerie EDT ( Ondine)


The Feerie fragrance has been a big hit for Van Cleef and Arpels and they now have an EDT version. They call the EDT Ondine, but you won't actually see that name on the bottle. It will say EDT but Ondine is the fairy inspiration and a way to differentiate between thet two formulas. Ondine is the delicate fairy.

The EDT is naturally a bit lighter but still a pretty scent. There seems to be less violet here than the EDP ( although violet is listed as bot top and middle notes) and more aquatic, wet notes. As it dries down some fruit notes( rapsberry, lemon) come out and it becomes a bit sweeter and then the final drydown has a a musky, floral but soft scent.

Feerie EDT is $ 120.00 for 100ml, $ 85.00 for 50 ml and exclusively at Neimans, Bergdorfs, and Van Cleef and Arpels boutiques as of now.

Full note list:

Top Notes: A joyful blend of crispy green Violet Leaves interlaced with sparkling Italian Lemon and juicy wild Raspberry introduces the enchanting freshness of springtime.
Heart Notes: An airy floral bouquet combines the innocence of Parma Violets and the allure of Rose Absolute enhanced by a breeze of dewy Jasmine.
Base Notes: A soft and sensual combination of Musk, Benzoin and Sandalwood reveals a radiant and smiling trail.


Sunday, September 27, 2009

Matthew Williamson Spring 2010



London Fashion Week wrapped a few days ago and as always one of the highlights was Matthew Williamson.

Somewhere a saw a video of some highlights and this dress flew by and it was a wow. Stunning, with incredible detail which is hard to see in some of the images but the close up gives you an idea. It's tough but glam with great strong shoulders.

The shoes were pretty fab as well. They had these booties or an open toe style sandal with a bow at the ankle.





































images: elle.com

Friday, September 25, 2009

Smashbox Reign Fall 09

Ok, I know I'm really late on talking about how nice some of the Smashbox Reign collection is. But hey, if you like it, some is on sale for a good discount on the Smashbox website.

My absolute surprise is the Jet Set eyeliner palette . When I first saw the pics of the line I thought I would love the eyeshadow palette best. Well it is nice, but the eyeliner one is even better. It has 4 eyeliners in all. Black, Brown, Gold and Bronze. The Gold/Bronze I actually use as eyeshadow. They look great and last so long. Plus they come in a cute leatherette palette that weighs next to nothing and are in a plastic case with a cover to keep them fresh. Now the downside here is this was popular, so it's not too easy to find. If you do, grab it.


The lip pencils are another fav. I love lip pencils and these are dual ended. One side is a liner and the other a creamy lipcolor. However, you can use the liner all over. It works. There are 2, light peach shades and deeper wine ones.


Go to http://www.smashbox.com/ and search Reign to find the sales .




Thursday, September 24, 2009

MAC Greasepaints from DSquared2


Here's the deal with the new MAC Greasepaint Sticks- THEY ROCK. Love, love. Every beauty peep who has tried them agrees.

Whats to love? Well first off, they last really long. Almost all day long. Now on me thats a minor miracle. To find anything that I don't melt. Next, they look great. There's a deep purple, a medium to deep blue and a black. I haven't tried the black but the others are fab. Not too dark but dark enough. They automatically have a smudged look.

You apply the color stick to your eye and then blend with fingers or a brush. Then you have that smudged , lived in look and they are meant to be this way. Dean and Dan Caten of DSquared2 wanted their Fall 09 show makeup to have that rock star , lived in look. Gordon Espinet, MAC VP of Makeup Artistry calls it makeup that gets better and better the more you wear it.


So there you have it. Greasepaints hit counters on Sept. 28 along with the rest of the DSquared2 line.

Colors are :

V=Bright Blue Violet
B= Bright Yellow Blue
Intense Black

Retail is $ $ 17.50


Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Bobbi Brown Feed 10 Pouch


Bobbi Brown has partnered with Lauren Bush and FEED to bring out a cute bag and great lipglosses for a good cause.

When you buy the FEED10 pouch, you provide ten disadvantaged women andtheir families with food and job training through the United Nations World FoodProgam. In partnership with FEED, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics has filled this canvasbag, crafted out of sustainable materials using fair trade labor, with three of herfavorite Lip Gloss shades: Petal, Rose Sugar and Aubergine.

“The basics that you and I may take for granted are luxuries for so many women who just want to be able to work and stand on their own two feet.” -Bobbi Brown
On counter in October at $ 50.00

Available at: Bloomingdale’s in North America, Harrods in the United Kingdom,
Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, and The Bobbi Brown Aoyama Studio in Japan.

For more information on FEED please visit: http://www.feedprojects.org/




Harajuku Lovers Snow Bunnies

Harajuku Lovers fragrance dolls were the fragrance hit of the year. A marketing dream, even hardcore niche perfume lovers like myself had to have one. There was just something about these cute little things that made you want one.

Now they girls are getting all new outfits for winter as Harajuku Lovers Snow Bunnies. Same scents, new clothes. Love even has boots by Vivienne Westwood.

They are limited and will be $ 30.00 at Sephora.com





Emma Watson at Burberry Spring 2010 Show


Burberry had their Spring show yesterday and ran a live feed as well. Waiting for the show to begin, all the commenters on the site wanted to know was " Where's Emma"?

Emma Watson, brand ambassador was the most anticipated part of this event. She sat in the front row, naturally and looked darling in a very sparkly Burberry dress.


photo:image.net






Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Chanel Rouge Allure Laque


I have been waiting to get my hands on this new Chanel lip product since February. I've read about it, seen a few images and at last, I have tried it.

It, being the new Rouge Allure Laque. It also being a luxe, elegant, creamy, shiny, wonderful lip lacquer.

You get intense pigment, creamy ( jojoba and mango seed oils) color, shine. There is slight shimmer, and it lasts quite well. It feels like silk on your lips, really. Worth the wait.

Available in eight shades: Santal (Nude), Ming (Nude Rose), Phoenix (Candy Pink), Mandarin (Coral), Dynastie (Pink), Coromandel (Red), Dragon (True Red), Imperial (Deep Rose)


Rouge Allure Laque Luminous Satin Lip Lacquer, $32.00

On counter: October

Monday, September 21, 2009

Burberry Spring 2010 Show Live Webcast


Another brand bringing us a live feed of their Spring 2010 runway show. Burberry will be broadcasting live at 6:30 PM London time. I think thats 1:30 EDT , but if any UK readers can clarify the time, I'd appreciate it.

Here's the address :http://live.burberry.com/

You can watch a great vid of them setting up on the Facebook page-http://www.facebook.com/burberry#/video/video.php?v=562581689991

Oh how I wish I were in London, and not just for Burberry.
London Fashion Week, someday.

Urban Decay Ink For Eyes

Ink for Eyes is new this fall from Urban Decay. It's a perfect cream eyeliner. I say perfect, because it's so darn easy to use.

First of all you get a long thin strip of eyeliner in a case with it's own brush, and here's the thing- it's a great brush. That brush applies the eyeliner so well and fast. One simple line across my eyelid and I had perfect eyeliner and done. I can't even manage that with pencils sometimes. Of course thats due in part to the fact that I hate to take the time to sharpen my pencils.

Anyway, Ink for Eyes having a fab brush is a bonus. Yes, I have some excellent eyeliner brushes, but isn't it just simpler when one is right there? And a mirror.

The pigment here is rich, the cream very fluid . Shown is the brown( Demolition), but I also love the purple ( Empire).


There are 6 colors.
$ 22.00

Sunday, September 20, 2009

L'Oreal Everpure UV Protect Spray


OK in many places summer is pretty much over, but hey the sun still shines right ? And if you're in the Southwesyt or just South , well it's very much there. So you still need UV protection.

Hair is often not thought of when you think UV, but colored hair especially can be prone to fading and more with exposure to harsh rays. If this is you, then maybe the L'Oreal Everpure UV spray is for you.


Made to protect color treated locks from sun damage, it's easy enough to spray on and go. It has UVA & UVB filters and can be used wet or dry.


This feels moisturizing when you first spray it, but it dries, well, dry. Didn't make much difference with or without as far as conditioning went.

Available at all mass market outlets at approx. $ 8.99

Fashion Week Spring 2010 Wrap Up


Another fashion season's shows wrapped and there's still a few things left to show and tell.

1. Trends in makeup- It's about peach for Spring. Peach lips and peach cheeks. The new Lancome Pout a Porter in Chris and Tell is just one pretty possibility along with a new peach blush. Both are coming in Spring line. Deeper, matted pink lips were big as well.

2. Robert Verdi is a nice guy with a cute dog( Winky) He and his team are always so welcoming and host an awesome spot for the fashion ladies ( and men) to take a break .

3. I had to share this picture of the hair at Rebecca Taylor. A bow, so lovely and origami like. Love. ( Style was done by Cutler salon for Redken).

4. Maybelline was the new makeup sponsor at Bryant Park and did plenty of shows. I loved this new nail polish one of their artists posted called Mocha Bling. Speaking of nails, dark is still in.

5. Stephane Marais did the makeup at Zac Posen. That was a wow. The makeup wasn't earth shattering, but it was pretty. And it's not too often you see Marais doing shows, at least not on this side of the Atlantic.

6. If not for Pop Chips, everyone would have starved. They were luckily almost everywhere and people were inhaling them . Sometimes thats all you had for hours and with usually only a half minute to eat, they are user friendly.

7. MAC ruled at Milk Studios. Great space , nice people. I hope they do it again.

























































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Saturday, September 19, 2009

Kim Ovitz Spring 2010 Presentation


Kim Ovitz had a small but cohesive presentation this past fashion week. She has said in the past that one of her inspirations is the equestrian world. You can see that most in the long dress that was the show centerpiece. High necked and flowy, there are horse prints on the fabric. It's hard to see in my photo, but it is a striking piece.

I can very much see someone like Angelina Jolie wearing this. It has that slight goth edge and fluidity in fabric that she seems to gravitate towards.


The collection is very downtown chic and edgy but not so much that it's unwearable. The silver mini dress is perfect.



Again, there were amazing shoes. This time by Britt Bardo for You & Me makes We. These kick it, and they would hurt whoever you did kick.

The makeup was by Luc Bouchard/MAC and was spare on most models, but some got one black eye. Quite the look. It was very feathered around the eye.

Kim Ovitz current line can be seen/bought online at http://www.net-a-porter.com/ , http://www.shopbop.com/ and http://www.intermixonline.com/ as well as boutiques.





















http://www.kimberlyovitz.com/ for more information







all photos:the beauty alchemist














Friday, September 18, 2009

Tom Pecheux for MAC Video

Here's my first ever video on youtube. It's just a minute long, a quick peek at Tom Pecheux doing a model's lips at Peter Som. Hopefully I will get more next Fashion Week and work on my video skills.

The direct link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It7nAydXzkA




Peter Som Part 2- Backstage Hair and Makeup


Going backstage at Peter Som I got to see the amazing Tom Pecheux in action . It's not everyday you get to see one of the best and revered in the business do their thing. On the hair end , the delightful Jimmy Paul from Bumble & bumble was in charge. I've seen him work before, and note his name in many fashion editorials in the big magazines.

The makeup was inspired by the 70s' nods to the 30's and pictures from Helmut Newton of that era. Pecheux said he wanted the girls to look girly , light, getting made up, but not yet doing the grown up black lines (eyeliner).
An interesting part was that he heavily powdered the lip after painting. He used a large brush fan powder over the lip for extra muted matteness. The C shape of the blush seems to be a bit of trend as well. This type of exagerrated blush showed up in many shows.

The hair was was first rolled into a softer version of braids Paul said. He then wanted a hard shine to the hair and got a wet look by using a lot of thickening spray. Thickening spray he said, actually dries down to a very stiff set but is easily brushed out. A tight bun then finished the look, which was set to be holding up wonderful headpieces from Albertus Swanepoel ( see them in my previous post ). Paul called the look " Street but sweet", his favorite quote from a co -worker.

Here's the products used by Tom Pecheux at Peter Som:

EYE: PRO Red Violet Eye Shadow – applied to lid, from lash line
up to brow and underneath the eye.
Fascinating Eye Kohl – added to inner corners of the eye to brighten.
Emphasize Sculpt and Shape Powder – layered on top of the Fascinating.
Blackdazzle Dazzlelash Mascara – layered through the top
and bottom lashes



FACE: Studio Sculpt Foundation – to prep the skin.
Pro Bright Coral Blush – swept generously from side of face,
over temple, down around to cheek bones.
Emphasize Sculpt and Shape Powder – brushed onto the tops of
cheekbones and down the nose to highlight.
Invisible Set Powder – dusted over skin to create a soft, matte finish.



LIP: Pink Burst Lipstick – brushed onto the lips for a fuchsia lip.
Invisible Set Powder – tapped over lips for a soft, matte look.





all photos:the beauty alchemist











Thursday, September 17, 2009

Peter Som Part 1- The Show




Peter Som always does elegant, tailored clothes and Spring 2010 was no exception. The detail is there so much more up close, but you can get an idea in the photos. Jacquard, tissue thin eyelet ruffles on a dress bodice. The yellow faille dress was a favorite.






The jewelry was amazing and then there was the shoes. Oh, the shoes. Done for Som by Manolo Blahnik, they were oh so pretty.

Albertus Swanepoel provided darling headpieces that evoked a bit of 40's glamour.

The retro look was also apparent in some of the outfits incl. the cute as can be shorts set on the model with sunglasses. All she needed was a beach backdrop .




Graey Video Presentation


Here's another video presentation fresh from Fashion Week, from Graey designed by Emily Kim.

The new Graey music video follows the line's fictional heroine beyond the world of her online webisodes (www.graeyny.com/episodes.html) as she dances along the streets of New York.

Rachel Geiman brings Graey to life, dressed in the new collection's must-have essentials, as she takes Gotham by storm. The collection inspired by Kim's recent trips through the Greek Islands.
Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da3UKe_2hrY


Featuring the new song "First Dance #2" by the Chicago Manual of Style.
View photos of the collection at http://cts.vresp.com/c/?Graey/d9d37c0b5a/cbbc6bdfe6/4136b51c20

PS- this adorable flask purse is available now at the website ( $ 99.00)








Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Marc Bouwer Spring 2010 Video Presentation

Marc Bouwer brings his Spring 2010 show to everyone by going virtual. He is known for gorgeous evening gowns, so the collection is often a highlight.

The show will officially launch on http://www.marcbouwer.com/ on Wednesday, September 16th at 9.00 AM.

The model for the show is Lydia Hearst, makeup by Mally Roncal, hair by George Ortiz.


*Dress shown is current season from Neiman Marcus