The feline-induced misfortune that sent my Lorac Moonstone eyeshadow aflying, ashuttering and asprinkled all over the bathroom has resulted in a few nice beauty discoveries. While I haven't replaced Moonstone, I did get another Lorac single shadow, Cocoa. It ended up being too dark for using as a highlighter, but the taupish color is very pretty and works surprisingly well in the crease and for contouring.

It's understated and neutral, the sheen is subtle, and like every Lorac Shadow I've come across so far, nicely pigmented, so brushing on a thin coat is all I need. The shadow stays in place without fading or flaking, and since I use an eye primer, it doesn't fade until I remove it. Cocoa has become one of my favorite daytime neutrals this summer, and I can see it being used just as much in the fall with a bold lip.

I haven't tried it wet, though it's a wet/dry formula. Someone with a pale skin can easily use it as a liner and create a very elegant smoky eye without the "morning after" effect. Just remember that the color is quite a bit darker than it looks both in the picture and in Sephora's store lighting.

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).

Green Goddess

I wasn't going to up on my quest for a springy light green eye shadow. I knew I could find something, and actually managed to get two. One for evening, and one that is daylight friendly.

I'm a big fan of Lorac eye shadows, and wasn't disappointed this time, either. Goddess is a warm, almost golden green. The color blends well with neutrals and the shimmer is very delicate and office friendly. Like all Lorac shadows, it's high quality, goes on smoothly and lasts for hours. I wear it as a highlighter, but if your skin is lighter, it can probably work as an all over color and maybe, if applied wet or with a transformer, as a liner. Either way, it's very pretty and flattering.

There's also a green option for high voltage nights. The mint green shadow in Nars' Habanera duo is very sparkly, amazingly pigmented and makes the eyes center of attention. Unlike Goddess, this is a cool tone, almost silvery. It's very bold and doesn't work for me as a highlighter. Applied under my brow bone it makes me look ghostly. But when carefully smoothed on my lower lid, it is very flattering and makes my very dark brown eyes pop. It's way too shiny for day wear, though. Also, I have no idea how anyone can wear both the green and the plum together at the same time. The plum is almost glittery, very dark and really gorgeous, but I only wear it with a very neutral light shadow (Lorac Moonstone, one of the light shadows from the Bobbi chocolate palette or the light beige in Dior's Beige Massai).

The quality is wonderful as far as application and staying power go, but there is some glitter migration that I could live without (I wear it over a primer. It's probably worse if you don't wear one).

Covering Some Ground

I had skin on my mind when I entered Sephora earlier this week. My original intention was to have a look at the Nars skin care line, and especially at their brightening serum that got rave reviews from several bloggers. Koneko wrote that it would work as a primer, as well as being an under foundation glow thingy, only with very little shimmer and some serious skin benefits. Sounds perfect, only problem that neither the store on 5th Ave/19th st. nor the one on Union Square had the skin care products. Also, they didn't have the new makeup collection for spring. I wanted to check the Corinthe lipstick and see what was all the fuss about the Habanera eye shadow duo. But it was not to be. Curiously enough, all these products are available on the Sephora web site, just not in the stores I visited.

But I was not leaving without some goodies. I wanted a serum and was thinking about brightening. I have a couple (as in two, actually) of freckles/spots that I could do without (note to self: get very serious about using a sun block), so I picked up Caudalie's Vinoperfect Radiance Serum. I figured that it was worth a chance before I try the really big guns like ReVive that require taking a mortgage. It'll be about a month before I can write a review (4-6 weeks until you're supposed to see results), but so far it feels nice under my moisturizing cream (still rocking Secret de Vie with excellent results).

The other thing I wanted was a new concealer. I'm nearly out of the discontinued Chanel one, and after nearly nine months it's time for replacement. The selection of concealers in every Sephora store (or at any department store, or even Target) is bordering on the overwhelming. There are so many brands and they all make concealer in every texture and consistency under the sun. Trying them on is way less fun than playing with lip gloss. The results aren't that striking and you're forced to pay careful attention to an area of your face you usually do your best to ignore: the under eye (cue horror movie music).

I knew that I prefer something on the creamy side, which ruled out a product or two. Then I decided to zero in on Lorac, just because I dearly love Carol Shaw's products. Everything I purchased so far has been a success, both in texture and color. The tiny pots of creamy Coverup concealer caught my eye and I tried it on. My initial guess that I needed the C3 proved to be wrong. My color was actually C2, light.

The cream went on easily (I used my finger), looked smooth and did magic for my undereye circles. It is as close to erasing them as I could hope for. The color blended nicely with my skin, didn't crease or sink into it, thus avoiding the bad effect that too thick concealer create on my face. It also evened out my skin where needed and brightened that suspicious side-of-the-nose area. It's actually a very light product. It glosses over the dark areas, but it doesn't cover those two dark freckles I have on my cheeks. So, if you need more than a moderate coverage this might not be the concealer for you. But, for a light-handed smoothing and brightening job it's perfect and I couldn't be happier.

Coverup has an excellent staying power (I do use primer most days, but it lasts even without it) and keeps in place through the day or a night out on the town. No fading/creasing/flaking. The first Sephora I went to was temporarily actually out of C2 (as is the website), but the one on Union Square still had several, and Beauty.com has it in stock.

Colors

Last week I spent some time playing At the Sephora store on Union Square. I needed a new bottle of Smashbox primer and wanted to try a few other things, like Becca's skin perfector that I've been very curious about. It comes in several colors, all pretty and shimmery. I tried both the opal and the gold. The latter is definitely too yellow for my skin and brings out the worst in it. The opal was almost okay, maybe a bit too pink. But I realized that even if the color had been perfect, I still wouldn't have much use for it. I love a little shimmer on my eyes or lips, but an all over the face thing would be way too much (and, haven't all the experts been talking about going back to a matte finish?).

The store didn't have any of the new spring collections, though they were already available at most department stores and online. I was left to play with the regular stuff and with what was left of the holiday collections.

I was looking for an everyday highlighting eye shadow that isn't over-the-top shimmery. I love Lorac's shadows and they didn't disappoint me. Their collection of neutrals and understated pretty colors is quite impressive and I was able to find a color that is light but still pigmented enough to show on my lids. Moonstone is labeled as "shimmery champagne", but it's not a party color and is very appropriate for daytime. It's not as pink as the color swatch from the website and is quite neutral- not a warm or a cool color. I've been using it mixed with a lot of other colors and it blends well into any look I try. It's very versatile, easy to apply and with the use of my Urban Decay eye potion doesn't fade until I remove it.

I also got a Lancome Artliner in the limited edition color, Socialite. I'll ignore the stupid name (who wants to think of the Hilton sisters or their posse while applying makeup?). I'm not including the color swatch, because it appears grey or taupish while in reality it's a very pretty metallic light brown. I usually don't go that light with my eyeliner, but this is very pigmented, defines the eye very well and adds some soft light. I wear it both evening and day, and it works beautifully. For a dressy look I add a little black liner just at the outer corner of the eye. Socialite is very light reflecting and gives a nice glow (I'm thinking of it as the anti smoky eye look. It's about defining the eye and drawing attention to it, not about looking scary).

My last purchase was another Lancome: Color Fever Gloss in a plum color called On Fire. Color Fever is the latest gloss Lancome has launched to replace their Star Gloss that seems to be getting discontinued (still available on their web site as a Last Call item). It's terrific. The texture is very pleasant, not sticky at all ( a great departure from their Juicy Tubes). It's packs quite a bit of shimmer but not metallic like Star Gloss and not gritty at all. The gloss doesn't have a distinct smell, which is just as well. The best part is the new applicator. It has a slanted handle and a very wide sponge that covers the lips quickly and efficiently. I wish every gloss maker would copy it, as it's the most comfortable applicator I came across. It's not as pampering or as long lasting as my beloved Besmae lip glaze, but they offer more colors.

On Fire is a lovely plum color (no idea why they chose this name, which is quite misleading). It looks like a darker and less sheer version of Chanel's Summer Plum glossimer. On fair skin and lips it would probably be very bold (though it's not as dark as this swatch from their site), but on me it looks natural, the whole "your lips, only better" cliche.

My Favorite Things for 2006

2006 has been full of beauty discoveries. Of course, I also started my blogging journey this year, which made the experience more interesting. My experiments with color and scent have an audience now, witnessing both Holy Grail discoveries, as well as what happens when I don't wash my hair for four days (in the name of science) or when I try on a fragrance that turns my stomach just before having one mojito too many.

Without further ado, here's my list of Favorite Things for 2006 (in no particular order):

1. Secret de Vie by Lancome

The magic orb holds a cream that is officially targeting an audience older than me (you'll find it on their site under solutions for wrinkles and dermo-creases). I'll go out on a limb here and say that it probably doesn't erase wrinkles. However, it's an amazing active cream that really restores and nourishes the skin. It promises instant, visible results and in the case of my 30-something skin it is delivering just that. I've been using it since early fall, from the first sign that my skin gave about being unhappy with the change of weather. That first sign was also the last, because SdV has done wonders. No redness, flakiness or any other kind of irritation. It feels great, smells wonderfully, doesn't clog pores and actually seems to be helping with healing if the occasional breakout appears. It costs a pretty penny and is well worth it.
My original post about SdV is here.

2. Besame Cosmetics makeup in general and lip glaze in particular

Pretty is as pretty does, and in the case of this small and relatively unknown California-based company, it's not just the gorgeous, retro-glam packaging of the products. Inside the gold and red vials, tubes and compacts there is some serious beauty and exceptional quality. The latest product that was launched is the lip glaze, which for me takes the cake. The combination of pretty colors, delicious smell, impressive staying power and, most important, pampering and soothing my sensitive lips, is the best one I came across so far. It can only improve if it came in more colors.
My reviews of Besame products are here.

3. Shea Butter and Dead Sea Salt Scrub from Maryam's Soap Nook

The fact that a body scrub is even on my list of favorites should be telling. After all, this is "just" the stuff that you rub on your body to remove dead skin flakes and wash it away. Some scrubs are better than others, some smell really nice, but how much notice do you really take of them? This product makes a big difference in the way my skin looks and feels. It does the work and then some. The salt is packed into a rich cream of shea butter and several oils. The result is that my skin is not only smoother but also softer and never dry. It's a homespun product in a humble packaging that is far superior to the expensive stuff that's sold in fancy stores and spas.
The original review is here.

4. Gris Clair by Serge Lutens

It took me a while (and a change in weather) to fall in love with this scent, and I still like it much better on my husband than on myself, so I'm listing it as my favorite men fragrance for 2006. What's in it? Mostly lavender with a touch of iris, smoke sweetened with maybe a hint of vanilla. It's understated and sophisticated in its quiet way, and the somewhat earthy drydown is heartbreakingly beautiful. Or, is it handsome? The only problem is the staying power, or lack of it. It's lovely, but gone too soon.

5. Urban Decay eye shadow primer potion

It's my most recent discovery and it makes a lot of difference in the way my eye makeup behaves. I'm not entirely sure that it was only launched in 2006, but since primers of all kinds have become a mainstream essential this year, I'll regard it as such. An extra 30 seconds of applying makeup resulting in eye shadows that not only last and last (and last), but also look brighter and better.
Here's my original review.

6. Lorac Snake Charmer palette

This seems to be the year of palettes, especially the limited edition ones. People were doing crazy things to score Bobbi Brown's Chocolate palette (so much hype over brown eye shadow, albeit pretty), Chanel charged an arm, a leg and your firstborn for their Coromandels compact that looks like a work of art, but isn't the most practical thing ever. The Snake Charmer palette is the one I reach for most often. The blush gives a healthy glow (though it requires a very light hand, as it's quite bright and very pigmented) that I love when wearing warm colors. The four eye shadows also pack a lot of color and quite a bit of non-glittery shimmer. The colors are neutral but they give a beautiful evening look. They never flaked or creased on me, even before I started using a primer underneath them, and their texture is excellent and easy to apply.
Here's what I wrote about this palette months ago.

7. Niche Perfumes

Yes, I know that this is sort of a cop out. But, my main fragrance discovery this year has been the world beyond Calvin, Ralph and even Cartier. I don't think I can pick just one scent or even one perfume house. I wish I'd have discovered Serge Lutens a few months before I did, when I was in Paris and could have picked a bell jar or two (or three). In the mean time, I'm falling in love with every (export line) Serge I manage to come across, as well with the creations from L' Artisan, Andy Tauer, Regina Harris, Bond no. 9, Mazzolari (a post coming soon. There's more to them than Alessandro), Lea St. Barth, Sage Machado, Keiko Mecheri and many others. But most notable this year was the nearly religious experience I had at the JAR boutique of Bergdorf. You don't look at fragrance the same way after you smell and try on these unique scents.

8. Tom Ford Black Orchid

Back to the world of mainstream (albeit luxury) perfumes. I know that some bloggers were disappointed with this one, as they expected something very edgy. I didn't have many expectations, as I've always been a bit suspicious of Ford, who is more than a little misogynistic. It took me a few tries to really learn to appreciate this scent, to make it mine and to enjoy it as much as I do now. It's not a Serge Lutens, but it's almost Lutenic (did I just coin a phrase?) in the experience and complexity. I love its elegance and Old World charm. It might not be the mystery lady in a black cape, vanishing into the night. But it is a black dress (not necessarily a little one) and silk stockings scent. How many of those are created these days?
More can be found here.

9. Dallas blush/bronzer by Benefit

This was the color that made my summer. A plummish bronze or a brownish plum was the best and easiest fake tan I came across. It takes a much lighter hand in the winter, but it still works beautifully.
Here's my first rave about it.

10. Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion

Another recent discovery that has become an important part of my routine. It can be used in several ways, but to me it works best as a super moisturizing but completely non-greasy hand cream. It's the one I keep on my desk and use while typing, without leaving any sticky residue in my wake.
Here's my original post.

Worth mentioning are my perennial favorites. Most of those I've been using for years and still reach for them on a nearly daily basis. Here they are.

Please visit my fellow bloggers who are also taking part in this end of the year tradition and listing their own favorites:

Afrobella

All About The Pretty

Aromascope

Beauty Addict

Beauty Blogging Junkie

Beauty by Nadine

Beautiful Makeup Search & Beauty Blog

Beauty Hatchery

Beauty Jones

Blogdorf Goodman

Bois de Jasmin

BonBons in the Bath

Brain Trapped in Girl's Body

Capital Hill Barbie

C'est Chic

Coquette

Crazy Jay Blue

eBeautyDaily

Girl's Handbook

Hautemommastuff

Koneko's *Mostly* Beauty Diary!

Legerdenez

Makeup Bag

Monkeyposh

My Muse

No one knows why the wolf laughs

Now Smell This

Perfume Smellin' Things

Peppermint Patty's Perfume Posse

Platinum Blonde Life

Product Girl

Scentzilla!

She'll Be Feverish After So Much Thinking

Slap of the Day

The Customer Is Always Right

The Daily Obsession

The Great She Elephant

The Life of a Ladybug

Urbane Girl

Victoria's Own

A special thank you to Annie from Blogdorf Goodman who organized this project.
Happy New Year!

You Know You Need It

This is making my hand twitch. It's not every day that one can get 20% off at Sephora, and there are several items that I've been eyeing for some time. I was considering a Lorac palette, but the gloss and all the shimmery stuff might be too pale and too much. There's also the lovely eye palettes from DuWop, and I think I need the grey one, though the green looks very appealing as well. An Urban Decay lipgloss is also on my list (I already have it in Hustle, so I'll get one in Deep).

But, the best part for me is the restocking on Philosophy bath and body stuff (why don't they make an Amazing Grace body souffle?) , and some Bliss foot creams. In my opinion, this is one of the best deals, because Bliss products are always full price everywhere you can get them. Same for L'Occitane. They don't have the full range of products, but with winter coming and drying up my skin, I need the shea butter cream. And I'm almost out of the Korres body butter (I love the guava scent that, thankfully, smells nothing like real guavas).

Happy shopping! (and don't forget to actually use the code FF2006 at checkout)

Shades of Shadows

The infamous GWP incident I had with my most recent Lancome order has given me the opportunity to test a bunch of their eye shadows. I received two compacts- one of 4 Color Focus shadows and the other had two Color Focus and two Color Design. The colors were mostly neutrals, all very wearable and the quality pretty satisfactory. The shadows were easy to apply whatever method I used: brush, finger and even the sponge applicator worked. Still, I prefer to use bushes for the darker colors and apply the highlighters with my finger. It gives the most even coverage without the powdery effect.
All shadows had pretty decent staying power even without a primer and didn't migrate to places they didn't belong.

Honeymoon (Color Focus): This one appeared in both compacts and is a very versatile highlighter. It's a cool toned, very soft shimmer ivory. I wasn't expecting much from a color so light, but while indeed not very pigmented, it has enough presence to actually do some highlighting of my darker-than-average skin. The shimmer is light and subtle, suitable for day, and the color works well as a base. It's much better than Bobbi Brown's invisible Bone.

Gaze (Color Design, Shimmer): Warmer than Honeymoon, it's a light champagne color. I think it's more pearl than shimmer. Very pretty and blends well with browns and bronze. The shimmer effect is still not over the top and can definitely be used during the day.

Suntouched (Color Focus): A light, bronze-touched gold. A warm tone that's probably more suitable for the warmer, tanner months. It has the same kind of light shimmer as Honeymoon, but with this darker color, its presence is more pronounced and I'd advice a lighter hand in applying it. I'd probably avoid it altogether unless I was going for a very bronzed, mid-summer look. But someone with a warmer skin tone might find it more wearable.


Mocacchino (Color Focus): The color swatch from Lancome's website is a bit misleading here. Mocacchino is actually a cool shade, very neutral, and probably more taupe than brown. It's comparable in color to the taupish one from Bobbi Brown's Chocolate Palette, though I much prefer Bobbi's creamier texture and darker pigment.

Dill (Color Focus): This one is probably my favorite. It's a cool, slightly heathered khaki, with just enough green to bring my eyes to life, but it's muted enough to be perfectly suitable for casual day wearing. It also works great as an eyeliner: I used it with Paula Dorf's Transformer and liked the result (though the green was less pronounced this way).

Lezard (Color Focus): A deep, dark brown color. Very pigmented, works great for darker skin tones. It's good for lining, contouring and adding some drama to the crease. It has some very tiny glitter flecks, that aren't over-the-top, but I'd still advise a light hand, especially if you have a lighter skin tone. This shadow reminds me a little of the darkest one on my Snake Charmer Lorac palette. But Lezard is a tamer one reptile.

Couture (Color Design, Intense); This is a dark, matte chocolate brown, very pigmented and intense. It's very much like the darkest shadow from Bobbi's palette, and since most Color Design shadows have a better texture than Color Focus, it's trully comparable . It's great for a smoky eye look, perfect for lining, and applied sparingly, also very wearable for day.

Charmed

Over a month of using Bobbi Brown's infamous chocolate palette has taught me three things:
1. I really like the almost neutral look for eyes. Most of the time.
2. If you start wearing the new fall look in July, you'll be tired of it come September.
3. Brown is nice and all, but a night out on the town requires a bit more than that.

Which means that I was more than ready for something new. Enter Sephora (or rather- enter me entering Sephora). At first I was about to buy Smashbox' Electric eye shadow quad that I've been eyeing for some time. I'm still coveting a teal shadow, but the gold and the bronze were just a bit off. The gold had too much yellow in it, and the bronze a bit too light and too similar to other things I already have.

Instead, I found Lorac's Snake Charmer face palette. When I saw it online (the picture I'm using here) I wasn't impressed, but I can tell you that the colors in this photo are a bit off. In reality they are deeper and browner, the gold has no greenish undertones and the other colors aren't pinkish. I even liked the blush. It is peachy, but for once not too coraly to make me look like a tropical fruit (I'm not a fan of Nars' Orgasm). It actually looks fresh and flattering.

The shadows have a lot of shimmer without tackiness, the light colors are, indeed, highlighting (my brow bone rejoices) and the royal brown is a perfect evening shadow. It's dark, deep and shimmery and looks absolutely gorgeous. It gave me exactly the look I wanted.

I also have to add that the compact itself is adorable. The snakeskin and little red jewel are cute and different. Much better than the usual black plastic cases you see everywhere.

So there I was, with an almost done face: subtle but festive eyes (I added liquid black liner- my trusted Lancome Artliner), fresh faced, but what about the lips? I needed something different there.


My choice was another Lorac (I was at their stand, after all), Lip Intensity gloss in Daring. It was, indeed, a very daring color. In this case, the sample picture is really true to life. It's a deep wine color that looks bold and intense as promised and is not for the faint of heart or the pale of skin. The texture of this gloss is more like a liquid lipstick. It's thick (needs a bit of practice to get it right), opaque and covers well. I absolutely love it.

Both the gloss and the palette are exceptional in quality. Highly pigmented, applies well and stays put for hours. I'm pretty sure that it's the first time I bought anything Lorac, but it looks like I'll be coming back for more. They have an extensive selection of lip colors and several interesting eye shadows. Sadly, none of them was teal.