Lemmings of the Week

* Cartoon borrowed from http://www.culturefeast.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/lemmings.gif

Ahem, allow me to announce my lemmings of the week:

Smashbox PhotoFinish Lid Primer

Do my eyes aspy a brand new product from Smashbox's ever popular Photo Finish Line? Known for their foundation primers, it looks like Smashbox is trying to break into the lid-primin' bizz. Wonder how this compares to Urban Decay Primer Potion. Momma needs a new eye primer as her UDPP is going to kick the bucket.


Beauty insiders can get it here

Nars Eyeshadow Duos:


I know, I know- more Nars. Surely you don't think I am done hauling?

Next on my list are:

Meditaranee, Grenadines, Persepolis, South Pacific and Balthazar.
Oh, and a little birdy is telling me I need Albatross Blush/Highlighter.
Get your Nars eyeshadow duos here and here

Make Up For Ever Travel Brush Set


As a self proclaimed brush ho, methinks its time for a bristley booty call. What can I say, I love me some variety. I always love brush sets for the value you get, and this set looks pretty awesome. For $65 you get 2 eyeshadow brushes, an eyeliner brush, powder brush, lip brush and a snazzy black case to put it all in. Plus, Make Up For Ever can do me no wrong.

You can get yours here

So what are you all lemming this week? ;) Comment box is open for bizness.

Nars Week Concludes: The Spring 2009 Collection

Now that my mini-series is over, its time for a pop quiz.
To this beauty blogger, Nars is
A. Amazingly versatile
B. Of exceptional quality & pigmented like woah
C. The ultimate temptation & the death of my wallet
D. Makes me squeal like a piggy
E. All of the above

Easy one right? The answer is E.

Haha, yep. I am definitely still in love with Nars and I am sure my collection will continue to grow (did I mention my birthday is in a month, get hopping people! )

Anyway, I figured the best way to go out with a bang would be to bring you complete swatches of the Spring 2009 collection.

This collection includes:

Eyeshadow duos in Egea (Shimmering minty seafoam and shimmery lilac) and Hula Hula (gilded pink and bronzey beige)
Eyeshadow Singles in Babygirl (A pastel baby pink with chunky sparkles) and Grenadines (a sumptuous matte shade of raspberry). Night Sun was also promoted, and is a golden yellow also with chunky glitter
Lipstick in Shrinagar (sorry, this one wasn't available for swatching but I have it on good authority its a frosty shade of raspberry)
Blush Duo in Hungry Heart- Perfect for highlighting the cheeks, these blushes have a matte base with lots of fine microglitter. One side is a warm gold, the other a cool pink.

The standouts in this collection for me? That would be Grenadines and Hungry Heart. I could totally picture grenadines with a warm golden beige (something like Cyprus) and Hungry Heart as a beautiful sparkling highlight on top of bronzer.

The other items were way too glittery for me. I have always been one to choose matte over glitters. However, I am not ashamed to admit, the Nars artist pointed out something very interesting. She said the chunky glitter is like jewelry for the eyes. Providing you press the shadow on instead of swiping it, I am pretty sure it would create some amazing glittering night looks for an evening out.

Ah well, enough talk. On to the pics:

Get NARS Spring 2009 Collection here
So now tell me, what sets your heart aflutter from Nars Spring 2009? Hit and misses? Go on, tell me!

The Nars Love Fest Continues- The Eyeshadows

Part 2 of my Nars spotlight, the eyeshadows.

In an eyeshadow I have 2 requirements:
1. It must be pigmented, I do not like wimpy colors.
2. It must be easy to work with. Fallout, fading, and unblendability (there, I made that word up) in my collection will be tolerated.

Thus far Make Up For Ever rules my eyeshadow world (more on that later), with Nars now coming up a fast second. What started with the Habanera duo has quickly grown into quite an impressive collection of 8 duos with more on the way. I am very impressed with these as they are silky, pigmented, wonderfully blendable, and long lasting. There hasn't been a duo that I have that I am unhappy with.

On the duos I have:
Caravaggio- This is a beautiful duo of a deep berry pink and a shimmering violet
Jolie Poupee- I love how Nars does matte, and this duo of matte violet and shimmering purple
Belly Dance- Deep sparkling emerald green with a matte eggplant purple.
Rated R- Sparling chartreuse and bright cobalt blue
Cleo- Shimmering seafoam green a deep silvery teal
Misfit- Neutral beige with the most stunning shade of sparkling emerald green to complement
Divine- A duo of mattes, bright pink and rich deep chocolate
Underworld- Smokey eyes personified, shimmering deep silver and blackened blue

I also have the holiday 2008 Sephora eyeshadow palette, which is a great way to start your collection. You can get it on sale here

Now it deserves to be mentioned, these aren't cheap. $32 will get you a duo, while $22 is the cost for a single. Are they worth it though, most definitely!

Enough talk, time to drool over the pics.
Above is with flash
Below is the palette on the right in the pic above.I will try to come up with some looks in the next couple of weeks. I need to know though if I am alone in the Nars love? Somebody? Anybody?

Love at First Kiss- Nars Matte Lip Pencils

In this first part of my Nars miniseries, I would like to introduce you to my current lip obsession:

Nars Matte Lip Pencils:
These chubby pencils are a lip liner and lipstick in one, effectively outlining and filling my lips without the hassle of multiple items. They apply super smooth and feel buttery on the lips, thanks to the emollients and Vitamin E they are enriched with. These are full coverage and matte, and can be work alone or with a shimmering gloss on top to sparkle it up.

Lasting power on application is phenomenal as I put these on in the morning with a little gloss on top, and still see the color some 12 hours later.

I have always been a fan of mattes, and these have truly captured my heart with their superior quality and ability to last all day.

I won't bore you with any more details though, here are some pics to drool over.
My current collection: Red Square (warm red), Cruella (neutral red), Bettina (pinkish beige), Cafe Con Leche (caramel with gold flecks), Roman Holiday (cool pastel pink), & Damned (deep berry)


Close up of Red Square, notice the tip is perfect for both lining and filling. It is about the width of my pinky.

Lip swatches: Apologies in advance for the quality of some of the lip swatches, sometimes the camera just doesn't want to behave!


Have any of you tried the lip pencils, I would love to hear if you are loving them as much as I am!

Night Clubbing- Francois Nars does Marc Jacobs at New York Fashion Week

This just arrived in my inbox, and I felt obliged to post on it.

So I hope you aren't all sick of Nars by now. My fountain of love has not stopped flowing yet, so here I am with another Nars-related post.

Something very exciting occurred during fashion week. For the first time in 10 years, Francois Nars himself was coaxed into creating the looks for some 65 models at the Marc Jacobs show. Inspired by the New York club scene in the 80's, Nars created high impact looks featuring intensely colorful smokey eyes featuring lots of black with minimal lips and sculpted cheeks.

I absolutely adore every look that I have seen this man do. I would rock any of these looks on a night out.

So my question is this: wearable or no? Does seeing these looks make you want to try them and the products used? I will definitely draw on these as inspiration.

Francois Nars, Oh How I Love Thee

Immersing oneself in the beauty world is tricky business indeed. On the one hand you have the means and tools to transform yourself, with your face as your easel and the makeup your paints. Endless variety awaits all those who look for it.

On the other hand, variety and innovation in the cosmetics industry can have detrimental affects on the beauty junkies psyche, often leading to what I call Pokemon syndrome. I know I have alluded to it before, but I will reiterate the point, Pokemon syndrome is the sudden urge to horde all of a particular product, and fast!

One brand that I am currently hot and heavy with is NARS.

Observe, a couple of weeks ago this was my Nars Collection
I know, you are amazed at my MS paint skills. My collection here consisted of the Sephora edition of the NARS artist palette (item 1), and the Habanera eyeshadow duo (item 2).

In the blink of an eye, my collection grew seemingly overnight, and here it is today. The need to incorporate this into my traincase spurred Saturdays organization fest

The items in the first picture were camera shy, but here we have 8 eyeshadow duos, 6 matte lip pencils (one was hiding), a multiple duo, the holiday eyeshadow palette, Orgasm lipgloss and polish, the Emotional Rescue Artist's palette, a lipstick, and a mini gloss set.

Now Nars is not a cheap brand, and fortunately a lot of these were either gifts, gifts with purchases, or purchased with a gift card. Nevertheless, I am smitten kitten and have indulged big time.

I will review and swatch these all shortly.

In the meantime you tell me, what is your current beauty brand obsession?

Les Noirs De Chanel Revisited

As promised, I stalked my local Chanel counter for the Les Noirs de Chanel Collection.

Fortunately, I was happy to find this collection sitting rather inconspicuously among other items at my Chanel Counter during my weekly exploratory journey through my local Saks Fifth Avenue.

My jubilation has waned however, and I am sad to report that 2 words can describe this collection- ho hum. Unfortunately, I feel like Chanel just copied off of MAC's Cult of Cherry mattenes, and the dark lip trends of fall 2008.

To give a bit of a background, MAC's Cult of Cherry marketed on the black lips trend of 2008 in releasing 3 almost black matte lipsticks (mattenes) called Kirsch, Bing, & Chockful. These mattenes were gorgeous, rich, and dead on with the trends.

Fast forward to today's Chanel collection. While the lipsticks themselves are amazingly rich, creamy and pigmented (as are all of the Chanel Rouge Allures); the colors just don't strike me as particularly exciting. If this collection had been released last fall, they would have definitely been fresh and avant garde, but seeing these released now just feels a bit stale to me.

Maniac is Kirsch Mattene. This one is a deep dark burgundy red

Hysteria is Bing Mattene. This one is a deep dark red bordering on purple

Obscure is Chockful Mattene. This one is straight up darkest brown.

Unfortunately, the big bad Chanel MA (who probably stood at a whopping 5') did not let me whip out my camera to take pics of these puppies. As soon as I reached into my purse she started giving me the evil eye. Regardless, here is the one pic I could get of me wearing Maniac.


And for reference, here are the Cult of Cherry mattenes:

The nail polishes are meant to compliment the lipsticks. Vendetta is the stand out and was part of the spring 2009 Bohemian Fantasy Collection. The other 2, Madness and Rouge Noir were pretty but nothing to write home about. I already have more dark nailpolishes than I know what to do with.

In conclusion (this is beginning to read a lot like an essay), while these colors in and of themselves are rich and gorgeous, I feel that they are overpriced for what they are(a color you will only be brave enough to wear only once in a while). Also, as a Spring collection, these colors are misplaced.

While this collection happened to be a dud, I am still looking forward to seeing whether the dark lips trend will rage on for the summer, or quietly drift away. What do you all think, yay or nay?

Badgley Mischka Couture, The Fragrance

"Our new fragrance, Badgley Mischka Couture, embodies our passion for making women feel beautiful."

- Mark Badgley & James Mischka

On the dawn of their 20th anniversary, Mark Badgley & James Mischka have partnered with Elizabeth Arden to bring to the masses a brand new fragrance- Badgley Mischka Couture. The styling duo known for their haute couture gowns have taken sophistication and elegance to a whole new level with this luxurious scent. The perfume is the result of a collaboration between the 2 innovative designers and Caroline Sabas of Givaudan Fragrances.

The unveiling event took place in the posh Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa in the heart of Manhattan's East Side. Beauty Bloggers and press alike were gathered in a chic private cafe at the center of the Red Door Spa, and were treated to champagne, fruit, sandwich platters, and plenty of eye candy in the form of little gold bottles of fragrance. Amidst the hustle and bustle of fashion week, Badgley and Mischka were kind enough to share their time with us, along with their thoughts on their newest creation.

*Left to right- Mark Badgley, James Mischka, & Caroline Sabas. Photo by Adina Z.

Inspired by the line's signature gowns, this perfume is meant to be admired, adored, and slipped on like a lush gown. The bottle itself is a modern twist on the classic crystal, with slits on the side likened to the alluring decollete of a fine gown. It is definitely a bottle worthy of a scent that is at once mysterious, beguiling, enchanting, and one of a kind.

Have another look in hi-res - isn't the bottle sexy? It is meant to be displayed on a vanity for all to see.
The fragrance itself is described as a "floriental woodsy scent" with top notes of purple plum, blackberry and pear nectar; middle notes of Jasmine, Gardenia & Violet; and base notes of musk and woods. The scent itself lends an air of opulence and style, while not being overpowering. It is just right in every way- elegance and sophistication embodied. The perfume starts out sweet and playful but develops into something all at once seductive and inviting.

The collection is available in...

'Love it' sized: 1.7 fl. oz eau de parfum spray
'Take my bottle away and I'll hurt you' sized : 3.4 fl oz eau de parfum spray
Dreamy: Body Moisturizer
Creamy: Body Cream
Teeny and travel friendly: .5 fl oz parfum Elixir

It is available here

The family portrait:
My favorite item from the collection would definitely be the travel sized parfum elixir. It comes housed in a beautiful gold cylinder with the brand's iconic logo done in metallic print.What makes this so cool is that it is actually a gel, delivered in a pump wherever you would like it. Why a gel and not a spray or roller? James said it best when he point out that "a roller ball is too much like...well...deodorant." There is no mistaking this treasure with something so mundane, and with vitamin E and other emollients, this gel feels silky and smooth, and of course it smells decadent. At a travel friendly .5 oz, you can't go wrong.

At the event, one woman asks: "In today's uncertain economic climate, why a new product?" Mark Badgley's response was that "perfume is an affordable luxury," and I couldn't agree more. Perfume is an inexpensive way to bring the aesthetic and exceptional quality of the brand into the home.

Of course you know a scent is good when the makeup artists at your local NARS counter are asking you what fragrance you are wearing. Despite the harsh department store lighting and feeling frazzled after a very hectic day, this perfume lifted me up and made me feel every bit as glamorous as Sharon Stone in the Badgley Mischka campaign. As I happily offered up my wrist to everyone who asked, I thought I could definitely get used to the attention. Celebrity, here I come. As a matter of fact, I will be signing autographs all week.

*The photo above is yours truly in a Badgley Mischka sandwich. Aren't they handsome?

Quiet Saturdays

So the boyfriend blew out his back with a sneeze, leaving me to my own devices on this fine Saturday.

Now a normal person would spend the day relaxing and be content. But I am not your average person, and I had makeup to organize. Behold my handiwork and be amazed.

This is what I was working with:
Now a couple of hours and a 20 oz of Diet Coke later and et voila: The final product:
Go ahead, tell me how obsessed/bored I must be. I am rather proud of my handiwork :-D The Make Up for Ever Palettes were feeling camera shy, but they are still there.

Notice anything else thats different about the contents?

Anywhozel, inquiring minds want to know, what did you do this weekend? While you do that, I will go clean my makeup brushes.

Lemmings of the Week

Here is my weekly list of things that have caught my eye. More likely than not, I will get my greedy hands on these very soon ;)



OPI South Beach Collection- OPI is by far my favorite nail polish brand. The finish and staying power cannot be beat. When layering this with my base and top coat my pro manicures (on my own natural nails) last for over a week while looking great.
Colors in this collection that I am about to hit submit on my virtual shopping cart are: Party In My Cabana, Overexposed in South Beach, Feelin' Hot Hot Hot, Done Out in Deco, Miami Beet, and OPI on Collins Ave (not a shabby list)
*image borrowed from beautyanonymous.blogspot.com

Urban Decay Cream Eyeshadows in Radium, Delinquent, Grass, Sphynx, Whipped, Mushroom


NARS Matte Lip Pencils, And Eyeshadow in Grenadines- I definitely adore the Matte Lip Pencils (I am rocking Cruella in my Valentines Day FOTD). I am experiencing Pokemon syndrome and feel I need to collect em all. Detailed product review is in the works. As for Grenadines, I find it to be that beautiful matte deep raspberry shade that my arsenal just NEEDS ;)

How about you? Would love to know what your heart's desires are. Leave me a comment and let me know ;)