A Really GOOD Goody Bag!

I went to a Space.NK Apothecary event at Bloomingdales, SF last night. It was a last minute thing and I got to hang out with a great friend that is also my ex-roommate.

HI LUCY!!

Well for $20 you get a your flat ironed and makeup done by the cosmetic lines that the Space.NK boutique carries: By Terry, Vincent Longo, Lime Crime, Lipstick Queen by Poppy, Jemma Kahn Makeup School and Ellis Faas (really curious about this one). Your $20 entrance fee becomes a gift card that gets applied to your final purchase.

Oh and if you spend $75....

YOU GET ALL THIS:

1. Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray - purse size (I bought the full size bottle of this - I am in love with the scent alone)
2. Cosmetofruit Total Body Booster Elixir (Green Coffee Extract and Spiruline Seaweed)
3. Tatacha - Japanese Blotting Papers (3)
4. Bumble and bumble Thickening shampoo/conditioner
5.Malin +Goetz vitamin 3 moisturizer
6. Eve Lom Cleanser with Muslin Gauze (I AM DYING TO TRY THIS THING)
7. Bumble and bumble Thickening Hairspray
8. Ren Frakincense And Boswellia Serrata Revitalising Night Cream (easily becoming my favorite night cream)
9. elemental herbology - Cell Plumping Facial Hydrator w/SPF 8
10. Jemma Kahn Makeup School Hi-Shine Hydrating Glossick w/SPF 15 - Hibiscus (full size)
11. Kate Somerville - ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment
12. Lipstick Queen - Invisible Lip Liner
13. dr. dennis gross - Hydra-Pure Oil-Free Moisture
14. NIA 24 - Niacin-Powered Skin Therapy
15. Sarah Chapman London - Skinesis 3 Skin Tone Perfecting Booster
16. WEI - Tibetan Chrysanthemum correcting eye treatment pads
17. Darphin Paris - Stimulskin Plus Eye Contour Cream

Crazy, right? I think this is the best gift bag I have ever received from any event. This totally beats all the Sephora VIP gifts I have received in the past! Also, I was short of the $75 minimum by a few bucks and I still scored this loot bag! That Space.NK crew is the best - I'll have to be sure to return to try out that Ellis Faas line and By Terry - that one scares me because that's the line with the $58 lip balm.
I can get use to that kind of luxury easily!

Caving in...Le Metier de Beaute Eye Shadow: Alexandrite

My fellow beauty bloggers have an overwhelming power over me and other like minded beauty obsessed freaks. If we see repetitive pictures of  simply gorgeous cosmetics we melt like the gooey Spongebob Square Pants popsicle all over my daughter's arm on a hot day.

This is how I felt seeing so many pictures and reviews for the brand, Le Metier de Beaute. I've seen so many gorgeous pictures and reviews from my fellow bloggers but I didn't know anything about this company. 

I am so thankful we live in the GOOGLE era...I did some digging and found it's origins....Founded in 2007 by a  daughter of a chemist, Joanna V. Austin and makeup artist Justin Henry. The rough translation of the brand name would something like craft/trade of beauty. It launched at Henri Bendel in NYC on May 1, 2007. I can't give a total store count but I do know it has made it's way to Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, (select) Nordstrom and if you aren't anywhere nearby those counters there's always the online site. 

I finally bit the bullet and decided to make my way to the Nordstrom - downtown, SF to plunk down some cash for LMdB loot, this also was my birthday gift. 

I like to say that Nordstorm is my favorite place to shop for makeup but this one time, I may have to retract that statement. Why was the LMdB counter empty? I had random makeup artists checking up on me and they didn't really know much about the line so all they could do was stock check. I remember asking Joey, via Twitter, about what shadow should be my first? And of course being the Taupe HOORS that she and Pink Sith are I went with Corinthian - but it was sold out. That's just my luck! My next choice was Jojo - sold out. How about Spicy? Also SOLD OUT!  I kept going back to this lovely reddish - plum with a bit of a golden sheen, Alexandrite. I could also be a bit biased as my real name is Alexandra (just saying). Luckily, it was available to come home with me.

And here it is swatched on my arm (NC 42 for reference):

This applies not entirely sheer but also doesn't pack a whole lot of pigment in the first layer. It is also based upon your skin tone. Since I'm on the tan side, I will apply up to 3 layers on my lid. I don't go heavy handed and I blend with a fluff brush so it doesn't look scary heavy. It goes on like a dream, a little sheer but it's beautiful, buildable and not at all patchy!

I get it now...I understand the hype.

The size of the pan is pretty decent, 0.18oz and the feel of the shadow compact is reminiscent of NARS packaging. Not at all a bad thing.

I'll come back with a FOTD shot because I also bought a lip gloss, La Belle (SURPRISE, SURPRISE) that I want to feature as well.

Final Assessment - I will not rest until I make Corinthian mine! I am not the biggest fan of Neiman Marcus but I may have to make my way to the LMdB counter just so I can have the proper guidance on the brand. Because of the high price, I'm only picking the shades that I just LOVE! That said, I am hoping that I don't fall in LOVE with the entire collection.

Alexandrite is part of their permanent collection of 32 shades. This was bought by yours truly - $30/USD at my local Nordstrom.

 

A Look at Bond No. 9 2011 Holiday Collection

I am an evil shopping enabler....here are just a few of my picks from Bond No. 9 upcoming Holiday Collection:

A Look at Bond No. 9 2011 Holiday Collection

Dolce and Gabbana Passion Duo

I am a huge HOOR for glosses. This should not be late breaking news to anyone. However, what is news is that I started paying attention to lipsticks again. Especially, with Fall waiting for us this weekend I am craving something with more bite and staying power. Also, I just did some inventory on my current gloss supply - I really don't need another for a couple of years.

Lucky for me Dolce and Gabbana has introduced the Passion Duo, a gloss fusion lipstick. It's a multi-tasking product that contains gloss in the middle of the lipstick. This is like the Estee Lauder gloss/lipstick duo, Sensuous Rouge, I reviewed last week. But I think I like the D&G version a little better.

I chose the shade, Poetic, a warm toned magenta. It's very subtle, but you can see bits of fine glitter in the gloss portion. I will be wearing this with a nude eye and lots of layers of black mascara. I would guess the lipstick portion is the classic cream formula. It has a great amount of pigment - it's very creamy. I actually tested and this before going to the gym. I blotted this just to tone down the intensity. Even as a stain, I still felt moisture on my lips endure through an intense treadmill walk until an hour session of pilates. This stays moist on my lips longer than the Estee Lauder version.

I had to hold back and put down the nudes and soft pinks. I decided to go with the bold statement color.

And here it is again but this time with flash:

Here it is compared to the other bright pink and fuchsia in my current collection:

MAC Lickable, Cremesheen Formula is a cool blue toned hot pink and NYX Chloe is a red-violet fuchsia (sorry, was that redundant?).

It's a great color and but what really does it for me is the formula. As you know, I have super sensitive lips and this feels great on my lips. Sorry, but if I have to choose I'm going to have to go with this version - even though it's $6 more than EL's ($28). Plus, I love the rose scent of this lipstick - not the generic packaged rose scent you are use to but it's more like the faded scent of your Nana's sweater rubbed off on you after  spending the entire day with her.

As far as packaging - the Passion Duo tube is a bit longer and slender: I love hearing that "CLICK" when you close the lid. A sickness, I know but only the truly mad beauty addicts know what I'm talking about!

A quick note - there are a bit more ounces in the regular lipstick (.13oz) vs. 0.10oz in the Passion Duo lipstick. I will probably only pick out one more tube, because of the high price tag.

I don't think this is a limited edition - if I am wrong please correct me! There is also a total of 10 shades - I'm sure there is something for everyone!!

Purchased by yours truly at my local Saks Fifth Avenue, SF. You can also find it online if you are not anywhere near a Saks counter.

$34 USD/.10oz

Happy Birthday to Me...

Today I turn 37 and I'm still trying to get use to saying that because I think 36 sounds much better than saying, "I'm 37" then again saying "I'm 35" sounds even better than that. But I'm a good sport, I will play along and age just like everyone else. For the past year I have been really diligent with wearing sunscreen, applying under eye cream at all times and applying firming lotions to my neck and I've been doing this daily. At the moment, I am trying to find the best anti-wrinkling serums for under $100 and it's a challenge.

Now I just need to remember to take that daily multi-vitamin!

I like to buy birthday treats for myself and of course it's in the form of makeup. Last year I was in NYC so I blew $200 at the Edward Bess counter at Bergdorf Goodman but the best part was Edward did my makeup personally for my birthday dinner that night at Balthazar. It was truly an awesome birthday. Edward taught me how to use his products properly - I love using his Daydream bronzer as an everyday powder - right on top of my tinted moisturizer.

(Edward is SERVIN it up!)

This year I opted for a STAY-CATION because it's been a tough year and our pockets are a bit thin. Plus,  not being at work for a week is like a great birthday gift from my work! We'll have lunch today, somewhere outdoors to celebrate the arrival of Indian Summer here in SF - the best time here, in my opinion. I'll try to fit in a manicure/pedicure today. Tonight will be drinks with my husband, sister and our good friend - expect pics!

On to my birthday treats:

My first LMdB products - an eye shadow and lip gloss. The Nordstrom counter was a bit slim in the Lip Cream department but I will be back for that! Yes, another glossimer because they are awesome and I am an extremely weak, WEAK girl when it comes to Chanel.

Shadow - Alexandrite (Joey - Corinthian and JoJo were both sold out! BOO!!!), Gloss - La Belle, Glossimer - Pagoda

I cannot wait to play with these babies!

I  look forward to this day - as a little girl, I knew it meant new Barbie dolls and as an adult it means celebrating with my girls and my husband with a fabulous dinner and cocktails. The greatest gifts have been my daughter, my husband, my family and friends. I try to wake-up everyday with a smile on my face honoring these people. It's hard to do most days but once I am up and think about them, I know everything will be okay.

And I am wonderfully blessed by you, the readers, for just stopping by and reading my thoughts, looking at my not so greatly lit photos and leaving wonderful comments.

Thank you for making it my birthday everyday!

However, I think if my husband surprised me with this BARBIE doll I would squeal with delight like a 5yr. old!

She would also need a collection of shoes since my biggest pet peeve was losing a shoe!

Images courteousy of Barbiecollector.com