Bobbi Brown Luxe Brush Kit

Bobbi Brown's Exclusive Lush Brush Collection ($650) features 10 brushes hand-crafted with 24-karat gold accents and ebony handles in a genuine leather collectors box. Includes: eye Shade brush, Eye Shadow brush, Ultra Fine Eye Liner brush, Eye Brow brush, Face Blender brush, Bronzer brush, Blush brush, Powder brush, Foundation brush and Concealer brush.

Only at Neiman Marcus.

Fresh Palettes

The 2 latest additions to the fresh makeup collection are the Satin Liner Palette and A Kiss Is Just A Kiss Palette.

The Satin Liner Palette ($45) is a palette of 3 highly pigmented, metallic cream eyeliners. It boasts a rich, creamy formula that is easier to apply than most liquid of gel liners. Shades included are: Sienna (metallic copper brown), Olive (metallic golden moss) and Coal (metallic pewter grey).

The A Kiss Is Just A Kiss Palette ($45) is a multi-functional face palette, inspired by the 1940's, for eyes, lips and cheeks. Custom blended by Alina Roytberg (Co-president and Creative Director of Fresh), palette includes: Stain Luster in Moonlight (weightless silver shimmer cream), Blush Cream in Love (cool pink) and Lip Shine in Glory (silver-spiked burgundy).

Cupid's Bow

Cupid's Bow ($28) is the ultimate lip shaper. The dual ended pencil has a shimmery pale pink for highlighting and a medium mauvey lip liner for defining at the other end. As if that wasn't enough, it comes with a blending brush/ lippie smudger.

And The Winner Is...

The winner of the Face Candy Smoky Eye Contest is... Mariya.

Here, she gives the lowdown on what she used to create this look. Congratulations Mariya, and thanks to everyone else who entered!
1. Applying with a sponge the L’oreal Infallible Foundation
2. With powder brush I put not much-not less of VOV powder on eyelids and around them
3. By creating smoky look I used the “Pencil technics”. I used black L’oreal Eye pencil for eyes and a a smll flat eyelid brush with a oblique ending. First in flatways I started to make small thin strokes begining from almost the beginning of the inner lower eyelid all the way along the eyelashes to the outside of the eyelid. As I move to the ouside the strokes become a little longer. Then I take take the brush and blush pencil ONLY beginning from the middle of each stroke. I do it all along the pencil line.
4. With the same technics I made up the second eye.
5. Then I come back to the first eye and work on the upper eyelid. I take the same black pencil and with litle strokes beginning with the outside of the eyelid, right from the befinning of eye socket. In the begining strokes are longer, because I try visually to “draw out” the eye, and as I moveto the inner side of the eye strokes become very short. The I blush the pencil just like doing it with the lower eyelid.
6. Do the same on another eye.
7. Then I come back to the first eye. With a pencil I make strokes along the upper eyelash line, stepping back 1/3 from the inner side of the eye. First-small strokes, as I move to the outside they become longer. I use the bluch for blushing the strokes. The end of this line and the line along the outside of the eye socket I connect together blushing them with a brush.
8. To make a more dramatic look also I used black Vitaskin Beauty eyeshadow. I applyed it with the same brush by repeating just the same moves as with the pencil.
9. Do the same with another eye.
10. Then take silver ART DECO creamy eye shadow and put it with a flat eyelid brush on upper eylid. The blush it with black pencil together making a “shade look”.
Then put a little of silver ART DECO eyeshadow along the bottom eyelash line blushing with the black pencil. Also put the silver eyeshadow on the edges of the black “blushed’’ strokes along the eye socket.

MAC Blue Storm

Blue Storm for eyes is a thunderclap of stratus blues and overcast greys, for lips its light filled bolts of silver, dusky pink and plum.

Right to left:
- Eye Shadow in Cumulus (creamy grey with silver pearl)
- Eye Shadow in Blue Storm (cool royal blue with blue and silver pearl)
- Eye Shadow in Cloudburst (black with blue pearl)
- Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline (rich black)
- Eye Shadow in Stormwatch (deep teal)
- Eye Shadow in Thunder (rich blue with purple frost)
- Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Mystery (Rich black with green and teal pearl)
- Nail Lacquer in Rainy Day (metallic gunmetal grey with lilac pearl)
- Nail Lacquer in Whirlwind (metallic royal blue with green, blue and purple pearl)
- Lipglass in Lightning (white silver with silver sparkle)
- Lip glass in Lull (pink lilac)
- Lip glass in Atmospheric (rich grape with red and gold pearl)

Cargo Lip Glosses

The newest additions to the CARGO Lip Gloss Quad Family are: (right to left): Argentina (soft shimmering berry, deep rust, deep burgundy and golden copper), Naples (shimmering champagne, vibrant orange red, rose and muted berry), and Vancouver (shimmering champagne, vibrant apricot, sheer berry and golden rose).
All available at Sephora for $24 each.

CONTEST REMINDER

Okay people, just a reminder that The Smoky Eye contest has been extended until Thursday, August 23, 2007. I'll announce the winner on Friday, August 24, 2007- right before I go on vacation. :)


One very lucky gal will win all this loot:
- MAC C-Shock Eye Shadow in Going Bananas
- MAC C-Shock Lipgelee in Mega
- MAC C-Shock Lipstick in Out to Shock
- Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lipstick in Perfect Fig
- Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick in Plum
- Elizabeth Arden Smoky Eyes Eye Pencil in Smoky Black
- MAC Rushmetal Pigment in Off the Radar
- MAC Flashtronic Lipglass in Electro-Lush
- MAC Flashtronic Mineralize Eye Shadow in Ether
- MAC Flashtronic Mineralize Eye Shadow in Tectonic
- Primal Elements Pink Lemonade Lip Gloss (not shown)
- Soft Lips Vanilla Lip Balm (not shown)

How, you ask? Well, this is a makeup blog, so I'm putting you to the test. I will pick the person who can create the BEST smoky eye. Here's what you do:
1. Put on your makeup and take a picture.
2. Write me a note telling me what products you used, and how you applied them.
3. Send it to me @ specialkalle@aol.com. Title the Subject: CONTEST.
Entries should be around... 5x7 inches.

CONTEST ENDS ON AUGUST 23, 2007- I WILL PICK A WINNER ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2007. Good luck!!!

MAC Smoke Signals

Here's a sample of the collection: Right to left. Available August 23.

Lipstick- Brew (creamy beige) lustre
Lipstick- Barely Lit (pink sand with gold pearl) lustre
Lipglass
Lipglass
Powder Blush- Emote (grey brown) matte
Powder Blush- Ablaze (deep dirty coraly rose)
Eye Shadow Quad- Gentle Fume
-Rondelle (light silver with white pearl) matte
-Carbon (intense black) matte
-Gentle Fume (cool midtone grey with silver sparkle) velvet
-Waft (deep blue grey) matte
Eye Shadow Quad- Smoking Eyes
-Next to Nothing (creamy white with pink pearl) frost
-Smoking (black with gold) velvet
-Showstopper (light muted grey) matte
-Satin Taupe (taupe brown with silvery bronze shimmer) frost

Murval's Marvelous Makeup Bags

On a recent trip to the beach, I discovered Murval- and I simply adore their bags.

Murval is a French company, created in the 1990's by two sisters: Muriel and Valerie. Their goal was to create bags using fashionable materials and combine new styles with trend-setting colors at a reasonable price. They introduce two collections per year- Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer.

When it comes to makeup bags, I'm a little bit picky. I'm a cosmetic whore, so it's gotta be roomy- and easy to clean. Since my makeup bag is usually a focal point in my den, (cuz that's where all the face painting happens) it's gotta be fashionable. And while I don't mind dropping a large chunk of my cash on designer purses, I refuse to do the same for my makeup bags- so it's gotta be under $60.

I found this pink and green one and had to have it. Imagine my surprise when I saw the $20 price tag. (If there had been others, I would have probably bought them too.) This is by far the greatest makeup bag I've ever had. It's strong enough to carry the pounds and pounds of product I insist I need. The inside is waterproof and so easy to clean (wet a paper towel, spray on some 409 and wipe it down.) And I love the way it looks.

Murval makes lots of other bags too- check 'em out at Beetle-Bugs Inc.

Bobbi Brown's Rose Gold Collection

Okay, the pink quartz-colored faux leather of Bobbi Brown's Rose Gold Collection Beauty Kit is enough to sell me on the entire set. It's beautiful, girly and chic, and the black interior is simply begging to be filled! This $125 set includes one lip gloss (I'm assuming in Rose Gold), one lipstick, one blush (looks like Rose), one long-wear cream shadow (either Bellini or Sandy Gold) and one long-wear gel eyeliner (looks like Espresso Ink.)
This collection is only available at Neiman Marcus.

New Clarins

Clarins Gloss Appeal ($19)- Formulated with perhydrosqualene from olive, this ultra-shiny, ultra-smoothing gloss provides a sheer wash of color and illuminates lips thanks to gold and silver pigments. Comes with a wide, slanted foam-tip applicator. Available in 7 shades. (I want Hibiscus (peachy melon.)

Clarins Eye Liner ($22.50)- This tapered pen eye liner ensures a perfect line, every time. I'm intrigued by this, and at $22.50 it's one of the more reasonably priced liquid lining pens on the market. Available in Black and Plum.

Beauty Insider Exclusive

LORAC's Sneak Preview Beauty Insider Palette ($155 value for $37) contains everything you need for fall (or any time really.) Five eye shadows (white, yellow, moss, brown and black), two bestselling blushes (apricot and rose) and one red lip gloss sit in a pretty faux, red snake skin book. Carol Shaw created this exclusive palette specifically for Sephora's Beauty Insiders. (Are you an Insider? If not sign up now!) Available while supplies last!

Stila - Fall Fantasy

Stila's Fall Fantasy includes 3 limited-edition palettes ($32) inspired by the forest, they consist of 3 eye shadows and one blush. An agate stone necklace/ bracelet adorns the soft floral suede packaging.

• Madagascar- Eye shadow in sheer peach bronze (base), rich coppery bronze (crease) and warm, dark brown (liner); blush in rose gold.
• Moss- Eye shadow in sheer champagne (base), shimmering khaki green (crease), and dark green shimmer (liner); blush in coppery brown.
• Laguna- Eye shadow in sheer silver blue (base), electric blue-green shimmer (crease) and gunmetal silver (liner); blush in rosy pink.

Visit the Stila website for FREE standard shipping on an order of $65 or more.

Borghese Best Bets

Borghese is a brand that combines classic Italian beauty and modern sensibility for women of all ages and shapes. The Italian company uses old, time-tested botanical formulas with some of the newest, most innovative products available. This is the first part of my Borghese review.

• B Gloss Lip Gloss ($17.50) A thick, but not goopy or sticky, high-shine lip gloss. Avocado oil, Jojoba oil and Aloe vera soothes lips while vitamins A and E provide moisture. These glosses are highly pigmented and stay on forever. I've got 2 in my purse as we speak!
• Shampoo Purificante ($16.50) A gentle, clarifying shampoo that restores vitality to tired, over-styled hair. This shampoo smells kind of... piny-woodsy-salty. I can't describe it. It removes any product build up, leaving hair clean and smooth. I have normal to dry hair, so I only use it one or two times a week.
• Fango Active Mud for Face and Body ($57.50 for 17.6 oz.) Fango is a mineral-enriched, Italian volcanic mud with nourishing and energizing natural extract. It's also 3 treatments in 1- a deep pore cleanser, an exfoliator and a hydrating firmer. You're supposed to slather on about 1/4 inch of this dark green mud over your face and leave it for 5-10 minutes. This stuff burns! It burned so badly that I was convinced that there was something wrong with my tube. I half expected my face to be bright red when I took it off, it was so painful. Note: This stuff stains, so watch out. Once my face stopped burning, I noticed my pores appeared smaller (non-existent, even), my skin was super-smooth and I think there was even less redness than I began with. Truly a wonder mask- but not if you can't stand a little pain for your beauty :) There's also a version for sensitive skin.
  

Invisible Brows No More!

As a Korean girl, with barely there eyebrows, I've always felt the need to fill them in. In high school, I used a Wet 'n Wild brown pencil (which made me look crazy!). Since college I've used Benefit's Brow Zings and never strayed. Well, I truthfully think that the brow wax is annoying and hard to apply, although it may provide staying power. I generally reach for the powder because it takes 5 seconds and is very natural looking. After 8 and 1/2 hours of work, I'm back to invisible brows. I'm ready for a change. Prescriptives Groom Stick for Brows ($18.50) is a super skinny, non-smudging, long-wearing, dual-ended brow tool. The pencil side shapes and accentuates brows and never needs sharpening. Sweat, humidity and water-resistant. The brush side grooms and blends the color. NEVER FORGET TO BLEND! Available in 4 colors: Cocoa (medium brown), Hazelnut (pale brown), Clove (medium brownish gray) and Espresso (deepest brown).

Marc Jacobs gets Simpsonized

That's right ladies, the designer of this gorgeous Super K Turn-Lock Shoulder Bag that sells for $478 is also the same person who had the Simpson's version of himself tattooed on his left bicep... What a completely NON- Marc Jacobs thing to do... It however doesn't lessen my wanton lust and desire for this fashionably fall purse.

The Beauty of the Bargain Bin

I was in Barnes and Noble last night, browsing the sale section, when I found this: The Beauty of Color by Iman, regularly $29.95 for $4.99! This purchase was a no-brainer.

This book is awesome. Iman addresses the cosmetic needs of black, Hispanic, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Asian women. Rather than categorizing women by ethnicity, the book offers advice based on exact skin tone and type. I love that! The book has lots of great pictures along with skin care and makeup tips, makeovers and photo profiles on women of color. My favorites were Liya Kebede, Eva Mendes, Padma Lakshmi, Iman- of course, and Asian supermodel Ling.

Bonus: This book was co-written with Tia Williams, of the Shake Your Beauty blog and author of "The Accidental Diva."

CONTEST EXTENDED

The Smoky Eye contest has been extended until Thursday, August 23, 2007. I'll announce the winner on Friday, August 24, 2007.


One very lucky gal will win all this loot:
- MAC C-Shock Eye Shadow in Going Bananas
- MAC C-Shock Lipgelee in Mega
- MAC C-Shock Lipstick in Out to Shock
- Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lipstick in Perfect Fig
- Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick in Plum
- Elizabeth Arden Smoky Eyes Eye Pencil in Smoky Black
- MAC Rushmetal Pigment in Off the Radar
- MAC Flashtronic Lipglass in Electro-Lush
- MAC Flashtronic Mineralize Eye Shadow in Ether
- MAC Flashtronic Mineralize Eye Shadow in Tectonic
- Primal Elements Pink Lemonade Lip Gloss (not shown)
- Soft Lips Vanilla Lip Balm (not shown)

How, you ask? Well, this is a makeup blog, so I'm putting you to the test. I will pick the person who can create the BEST smoky eye. Here's what you do:
1. Put on your makeup and take a picture.
2. Write me a note telling me what products you used, and how you applied them.
3. Send it to me @ specialkalle@aol.com. Title the Subject: CONTEST.
Entries should be around... 5x7 inches.

CONTEST ENDS ON AUGUST 23, 2007- I WILL PICK A WINNER ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2007. Good luck!!!

A Daisy for August

If you don't all ready know, I'm a little bit obsessed with Marc Jacobs. I love his fragrances, covet his purses and drool over his shoes. The newest obsession: Daisy. Daisy was inspired by freshness and freedom of youth. Notes: Wild strawberry, violet leaves, red grapefruit, gardenia, violet, jasmine, musk, vanilla and white woods. I'm not sure about the plastic daisies on the top, but who cares? 1.7 oz. is $55 and 3.4 oz. is $70 at Bloomingdales.com.

The Velvet Body Butter (4.9 oz. for $35) is a luxurious, concentrated body butter infused with the Daisy signature scent. I love the oversize jar, it's candy for the top of my dresser- AND my skin. I'm dying to get a whiff of this stuff, aren't you?

There's a special INVITE ONLY Marc Jacobs website, www.daisymarcjacobs.com. There's games, wall papers, and other cute stuff. To get the code to access the site, email chloe.bee@mac.com

Catching Up With MAC

Rush Metal
Clockwise from right
Pigments:
Rushmetal (Rich copper sparkle)
Copperized (Olive green with gold pearl)
Mauvement (Cool taupe with gold pearl)
Gold Mode (Tan gold)
Revved-up (Icy rose with reflects)
Quick Frost (Creaymy white with soft green pearl)
Cocomotion (Dirty gold with olive undertone and gold sparkle)
Off The Radar (Warm orange with gold sparkle)

Lipsticks:
Soft Lust (Tan with white pearl)
Thrills (Rosy copper with gold pearl)
Frenzy (Soft muted pinky-peach beige with golden shimmer)
Fast Lane (Mauve with silver pearl)
These all look kind of orange-y in the picture, but they go on somewhat sheer and all give a different gold- toned look. I like Thrills a lot, the pink copper adds just the right amount of color.

Brushes:
#249 Large Shader
#239 Eye Shader

IN 3D
3D Glass ($14)- A combination of Xirona pearls and extreme glass shine gives lips a 3D look. Contains vitamins A, C and E for moisture, aloe helps soothe lips. Provides translucent high shine color.
Racy- Sheer cherry red with pink and red pearl
IN 3D- Sheer peachy pink with blue pearl
Optical- Warm caramel brown with pink pearl
Synched Up- Creamy tan with pink and white pearl
Energy- Sheer baby pink with white and pink pearl
Algorithm- Sheer dusty rose with light pink pearl
Touchpoint- Sheer blue mid-tone pink with blue pearl
Lightswitch- Sheer metallic pink with white pearl
Backlit- Soft white gold with yellow and white pearl
Wondershine- Warm tangerine with gold and red pearl
Apex- Sheer orange with green pearl
Boundless- Intense pinky red with soft blue pearl

Lipglass Pencil ($13.50)- A sheer lip pencil with luminous transparency and a hint of pigment. Contains filming polymers for adherence, superior wearability and luminosity.
Red Stroke- Sheer cherry red
Pink Edge- Sheer soft mid-tone pink with white pearl
Fuchsia Lining- Sheer pink berry
Brickmate- Rich bronze brown with gold pearl
Part Nude- Sheer dirty plum-brown
Neutralzone- Warm caramel with gold pearl
Coral Craze- Sheer mid-tone orange
Plum Mate- Sheer plum
Rosebound- Sheer soft neutral pink with gold pearl



Painterly
Paint Pot ($16.50)- Carnuba Butter and Thixcin wax combine to create a vibrant cream eye shadow that doesn't cake, crease or transfer. Medical patch polymer and its second skin-like adhesion keeps moisture in for comfort and allows you to build seamless coverage without any heaviness.
Greenstroke- Frosted mint green with gold pearl (Frost)
Blackground- Frosted smoky black grey with multi-coloured pearl (Frost)
Moss Scape- Green with gold pearl (Frost)
Bare Study- Champagne with gold and white pearl (Frost)
Groundwork- Mid-tone neutral taupe (Satin)
Rubenesque- Mid-tone frosted golden peach with gold and pink pearl (Frost)
Indianwood- Metallic antique bronze (Frost)
Constructivist- Metallic dark brown with subtle red pearl (Frost)
Artifact- Dark burgundy with red pearl (Frost)
Fesco Rose- Mid-tone pink with matching pearl (Frost)
Delft- Deep teal with gold pearl (Frost)
Painterly- Nude beige (Cream)

Technakohl Liner ($14.50)
Photogravure- Soft black with brown undertone
Plank Milk- chocolate brown with brown pearl
Antiquity- Rich olive green with green pearl
Archival- Faded royal blue
Foxtail- Metallic plum with red pearl
Steelpoint- Charcoal with silver pearl