Le Métier de Beauté ‘Colour Core’ Moisture Stain Lipstick

I had yet to try the lipsticks from Le Métier de Beauté, but knowing their penchant for serious wow factor, I knew I was in for a treat.  I am wearing Madaket to warm me up for the fall, Bordeaux trend. I am so impressed with the depth of color.  Even more amazing is the richness of the product.  I didn’t know a lipstick with this much color could be so hydrating.  I put it to the test last night – through the ringer of lots of wine and sliders.  No yucky deposits on my wine glass.  And I still had color on my lips after the greasy (but tiny) burgers!

And I wouldn’t even mind some reapplication because the lipstick feels like lip balm – all sorts of goodies to hydrate and moisturize like jojoba, lanolin and shea butter.  For a powerful lip look, this lipstick will protect and improve the look of your lips and wear fantastically.  They’ve done it again!

NARS blush in Douceur

In this 100+ heat, I am not quite ready to embrace these wine colors for fall, but am ready to move past deep, summer bronzes and springy pink.  Insult to injury, it is like my complextion knows summer winding down and is returning to its pale state.

I need to step up a summer glow in the meantime, and my weapon is Douceur by NARS – the perfect soft pink-brown.  Orgasm is iconic and cult favorite – but blah blah blah – and that’s how it looks on me. “Blah”.  It is far too peach and shimmery.  I think Douceur deserves at least as much recognition for its sheer, natural look.

The shade provides a healthy glow without going overboard on the bronze or peach.  While it can be layered, I like it just for a wash of color.  It never looks heavy or artificial, but still makes an impact on the look of my complexion.  Both Allure and InStyle recognized it for outstanding powder blush.

Guerlain ‘Terracotta – Terra Inca’ Khôl Kajal

I love a tight, neat pen liner but sometimes you crave some smudge and ink.  And inky eyes are definitely “in” for the fall.  So heavy your hand and don’t look back. And might as well do it with a cult favorite.

The Khôl Kajal by Guerlain reminds me of a crayon, and I couldn’t fathom how I was going to get a precise application when I saw it.  But, trust. It delivers. Marcus, the absolute go-to artist, recommended applying it to the bottom lid and blinking to lift the liner to the top. Amazingly, this works!  The line is precise but thicker.  You can freely work with it on the eye to smudge and blend. If I want to go bolder, I apply it on top too.

What is so dreamy about the liner is its rich color. Don’t be intimidated about the packaging… just glide the tip of the marker along the lash line and you can’t go wrong.  It is creamy in application and then a champ in staying power.  I won’t let this gem out of my sight this fall, while rocking an inky eye with a nude lip.

Guerlain Four-Color Eye Shadow Palette

I am somewhat new to Guerlain cosmetics, but so far, they have impressed me completely.  I was sold on the new Four-Color Eye Shadow Palette for Fall 2011 because they are seriously mistake-proof, blendable, simple and a mix of finishes. For those who want a finished look with more dimension to their eyes without a lot of fuss, these are worth the lux price tag.

I tried both the Les Fumés and Les Noirs with smashing results.  For me, the Les Noirs (pictured below) was more sutable to a big look and a night on the town.  I layered the shades and got a bold smokey look.  The palette contained quite a bit of pigment.  The Le Fumés was more neutral and can easily be worn at work or during the day.  The matte base shade, top center, worked really well with the natural color of my lid. This quad is pictured bottom left in the second image.

The texture of the shadows is silky but you still get a powder effect so they are easy to work with and blend.  You can easily wear the shades separately, but I encourage trying all four layered because the effect is a total wow.  I applied the lightest shade on my lid to the brow. Second lightest to the crease, third in the crease and fourth over my liner.

If you are out and about at your Neiman’s this is worth checking out.

Hourglass Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara

Hourglass Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara // Belle Belle Beauty

I have been through IT chaos this week and needed something to cheer me up.  All it took was the receipt of Hourglass Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara.

The Film Noir’s hourglass-shaped brush is smaller than other mascaras, but this lends to more precise application and is great for bottom lashes.  The brush does a great job adding volume evenly and with good separation of the lashes.  The effect isn’t intense, but appropriately inky.

The mascara contains Pro-Vitamin B5 which really keeps lashes supple and not “crispy”.  Polymers provide staying power – I haven’t had any issues with it falling below my eyes.  This product was a collaboration with Hourglass Creative Director Gina Brooke, who is a well known celebrity make-up artist, so no surprise that the mascara photographs beautifully.

Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain and Balm

I haven’t ever really been a “lip stain girl”, but the claims of longevity sucked me right in.  I didn’t want to splurge and I had already heard good things about Revlon’s so I picked one up. The stain was easy to apply and not near as drying as I expected.  And man, does this stuff wear forever!  What a treat to not have your makeup coming off as you sip from a glass.

I found it pretty easy to use, as the pen is tapered and making minor adjustments comes easy. I do recommend a bold color for maximum effect.  Layering the pigment will keep the color from appearing splotchy after a couple hours. I find this to be less drying than the other brands I have tested – but it is a stain so the balm step is highly encouraged. My only beef is the cap on the balm always knocks the balm out! So I usually skip and use an alternative lipgloss.