Laura Geller Baked Marble Eyeshadow (Mint Licorice)

I fell in love with the color: the mint green, forest green and blackened green, all swirling and sparkling in the pan. I have the weirdest skin undertone known to men, and have caused confusion to makeup artists and SAs in three continents, but my reward is the ability to wear and rock green eye shadows. Which is how I ended up with Laura Geller's Baked Marble shadow in Mint Licorice among my possessions.

It's beautiful. I tend to swirl my brush over the pan and collect a little of each shade when applying to the lid, or using a thin damp brush over the darkest part for lining. The eye shadow stays put no matter what, doesn't crease, bleed or smudge (I always use a primer and never tested it without one. You should, too).

One word of caution: Mint Licorice is extremely pigmented. And then some. Unless I'm using it for lining, I'm blending it within an inch of its life with nude and taupe. The shimmer is a lot more obvious when wet, as you can see in the swatch.

Laura Geller Baked Marble Eyeshadow ($23) is available from Sephora, which is where I bought mine.

Photos by me.

Laura Geller Baked Marble Eyeshadow (Mint Licorice)

I fell in love with the color: the mint green, forest green and blackened green, all swirling and sparkling in the pan. I have the weirdest skin undertone known to men, and have caused confusion to makeup artists and SAs in three continents, but my reward is the ability to wear and rock green eye shadows. Which is how I ended up with Laura Geller's Baked Marble shadow in Mint Licorice among my possessions.

It's beautiful. I tend to swirl my brush over the pan and collect a little of each shade when applying to the lid, or using a thin damp brush over the darkest part for lining. The eye shadow stays put no matter what, doesn't crease, bleed or smudge (I always use a primer and never tested it without one. You should, too).

One word of caution: Mint Licorice is extremely pigmented. And then some. Unless I'm using it for lining, I'm blending it within an inch of its life with nude and taupe. The shimmer is a lot more obvious when wet, as you can see in the swatch.

Laura Geller Baked Marble Eyeshadow ($23) is available from Sephora, which is where I bought mine.

Photos by me.

Laura Geller Baked Marble Eyeshadow (Mint Licorice)

I fell in love with the color: the mint green, forest green and blackened green, all swirling and sparkling in the pan. I have the weirdest skin undertone known to men, and have caused confusion to makeup artists and SAs in three continents, but my reward is the ability to wear and rock green eye shadows. Which is how I ended up with Laura Geller's Baked Marble shadow in Mint Licorice among my possessions.

It's beautiful. I tend to swirl my brush over the pan and collect a little of each shade when applying to the lid, or using a thin damp brush over the darkest part for lining. The eye shadow stays put no matter what, doesn't crease, bleed or smudge (I always use a primer and never tested it without one. You should, too).

One word of caution: Mint Licorice is extremely pigmented. And then some. Unless I'm using it for lining, I'm blending it within an inch of its life with nude and taupe. The shimmer is a lot more obvious when wet, as you can see in the swatch.

Laura Geller Baked Marble Eyeshadow ($23) is available from Sephora, which is where I bought mine.

Photos by me.

More Halloween- Margaret Hamilton

Margaret Hamilton, the wickedest of them all.

More Halloween- Margaret Hamilton

Margaret Hamilton, the wickedest of them all.

More Halloween- Margaret Hamilton

Margaret Hamilton, the wickedest of them all.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Tsumori Chisato For Shu Uemura Mini Brush Set

I told you my favorite item from the Tsumori Chisato for Shu Uemura Holiday 2009 collection was the mini brush set. As you can see, it really is small enough to fit inside almost anything. The bag has enough room inside to store a makeup palette, thus saving space. I need to try and see if Bobbi Brown Mauve Palette fits inside, as it includes everything but brushes. Trish McEvoy's Beauty Emergency Card is another prime candidate for use with this set.

The brushes (face, concealer, eye shadow and lip/eyeliner), while small, feel sturdy and balanced in the hand, and they are thick enough. I have to complaints, though: the pockets aren't snug enough, so the brushes don't stay in place. Also, one cannot use the same brush for both eye lining and lip color. A fifth brush would have made this set much closer to perfection.

Tsumori Chisato for Shu Uemura mini brush set ($69) is available from Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom, which is where I got mine.

Photos by me with the help of Lizzy (for those who asked about the spelling of her name, she's named after Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, and that's the spelling Jane Austen used in the book).

Tsumori Chisato For Shu Uemura Mini Brush Set

I told you my favorite item from the Tsumori Chisato for Shu Uemura Holiday 2009 collection was the mini brush set. As you can see, it really is small enough to fit inside almost anything. The bag has enough room inside to store a makeup palette, thus saving space. I need to try and see if Bobbi Brown Mauve Palette fits inside, as it includes everything but brushes. Trish McEvoy's Beauty Emergency Card is another prime candidate for use with this set.

The brushes (face, concealer, eye shadow and lip/eyeliner), while small, feel sturdy and balanced in the hand, and they are thick enough. I have to complaints, though: the pockets aren't snug enough, so the brushes don't stay in place. Also, one cannot use the same brush for both eye lining and lip color. A fifth brush would have made this set much closer to perfection.

Tsumori Chisato for Shu Uemura mini brush set ($69) is available from Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom, which is where I got mine.

Photos by me with the help of Lizzy (for those who asked about the spelling of her name, she's named after Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, and that's the spelling Jane Austen used in the book).

Tsumori Chisato For Shu Uemura Mini Brush Set

I told you my favorite item from the Tsumori Chisato for Shu Uemura Holiday 2009 collection was the mini brush set. As you can see, it really is small enough to fit inside almost anything. The bag has enough room inside to store a makeup palette, thus saving space. I need to try and see if Bobbi Brown Mauve Palette fits inside, as it includes everything but brushes. Trish McEvoy's Beauty Emergency Card is another prime candidate for use with this set.

The brushes (face, concealer, eye shadow and lip/eyeliner), while small, feel sturdy and balanced in the hand, and they are thick enough. I have to complaints, though: the pockets aren't snug enough, so the brushes don't stay in place. Also, one cannot use the same brush for both eye lining and lip color. A fifth brush would have made this set much closer to perfection.

Tsumori Chisato for Shu Uemura mini brush set ($69) is available from Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom, which is where I got mine.

Photos by me with the help of Lizzy (for those who asked about the spelling of her name, she's named after Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, and that's the spelling Jane Austen used in the book).

Balenciaga Quadrille- Vintage Perfume

Finding this bottle of Balenciaga Quadrille parfum was another step in my vintage perfume quest. I wasn't familiar with the scent at first, yet lusted after it for a while, just because. A 1955 Balenciaga creation- if I couldn't have a hat or a dress, at least I should be able to get a bottle. Later I obtained a sample, which fed the obsession even more. I stalked eBay and several other sites, watched the auction, placed some bids, sniped but since I refused to engaged in bidding wars or go over a certain limit, it was nearly two years before the sealed pristine bottle arrived at my door.


Quadrille is everything you'd expect from a vintage Balenciaga. it's elegant and mysterious, dark but not weird. It smells like a spiced plum liqueur, rich and smooth, but not foody or too sweet. After all, this it was created before the yummy school of perfumery took over (compare to the fig-vanilla pudding of Cristobal). Instead, it's beautifully balanced, velvet-like, with a well-dressed floral heart and a somewhat dirty musk drydown that sits close to the skin and lingers between one and her cashmere sweater. It's a great scent for daydreaming about different times and places, picturing yourself wearing a Balenciaga hat and coat to a Paris cafe.


I'm not sure how old my bottle actually is. Quadrille has been around until a few years ago, though the parfum extrait was discontinued for ages. By the deterioration of the citrus top note I can tell it's quite old. There's also that seamless smoothness you find in well-kept vintage perfumes. In any case, I love it and have been savoring the perfume. Surprisingly, it doesn't last very long on my skin. I get about 2-3 hours of bliss before it fades to whisper.

Vintage Quadrille ads: okadi.com
Balenciaga fashion photos by Richard Avedon- model with the dog is Dovima (1955), the other one is Elise Daniels (1948). Both from myvintagevogue.com
Balenciaga Quadrille vintage bottle picture by me.

Balenciaga Quadrille- Vintage Perfume

Finding this bottle of Balenciaga Quadrille parfum was another step in my vintage perfume quest. I wasn't familiar with the scent at first, yet lusted after it for a while, just because. A 1955 Balenciaga creation- if I couldn't have a hat or a dress, at least I should be able to get a bottle. Later I obtained a sample, which fed the obsession even more. I stalked eBay and several other sites, watched the auction, placed some bids, sniped but since I refused to engaged in bidding wars or go over a certain limit, it was nearly two years before the sealed pristine bottle arrived at my door.


Quadrille is everything you'd expect from a vintage Balenciaga. it's elegant and mysterious, dark but not weird. It smells like a spiced plum liqueur, rich and smooth, but not foody or too sweet. After all, this it was created before the yummy school of perfumery took over (compare to the fig-vanilla pudding of Cristobal). Instead, it's beautifully balanced, velvet-like, with a well-dressed floral heart and a somewhat dirty musk drydown that sits close to the skin and lingers between one and her cashmere sweater. It's a great scent for daydreaming about different times and places, picturing yourself wearing a Balenciaga hat and coat to a Paris cafe.


I'm not sure how old my bottle actually is. Quadrille has been around until a few years ago, though the parfum extrait was discontinued for ages. By the deterioration of the citrus top note I can tell it's quite old. There's also that seamless smoothness you find in well-kept vintage perfumes. In any case, I love it and have been savoring the perfume. Surprisingly, it doesn't last very long on my skin. I get about 2-3 hours of bliss before it fades to whisper.

Vintage Quadrille ads: okadi.com
Balenciaga fashion photos by Richard Avedon- model with the dog is Dovima (1955), the other one is Elise Daniels (1948). Both from myvintagevogue.com
Balenciaga Quadrille vintage bottle picture by me.

Balenciaga Quadrille- Vintage Perfume

Finding this bottle of Balenciaga Quadrille parfum was another step in my vintage perfume quest. I wasn't familiar with the scent at first, yet lusted after it for a while, just because. A 1955 Balenciaga creation- if I couldn't have a hat or a dress, at least I should be able to get a bottle. Later I obtained a sample, which fed the obsession even more. I stalked eBay and several other sites, watched the auction, placed some bids, sniped but since I refused to engaged in bidding wars or go over a certain limit, it was nearly two years before the sealed pristine bottle arrived at my door.


Quadrille is everything you'd expect from a vintage Balenciaga. it's elegant and mysterious, dark but not weird. It smells like a spiced plum liqueur, rich and smooth, but not foody or too sweet. After all, this it was created before the yummy school of perfumery took over (compare to the fig-vanilla pudding of Cristobal). Instead, it's beautifully balanced, velvet-like, with a well-dressed floral heart and a somewhat dirty musk drydown that sits close to the skin and lingers between one and her cashmere sweater. It's a great scent for daydreaming about different times and places, picturing yourself wearing a Balenciaga hat and coat to a Paris cafe.


I'm not sure how old my bottle actually is. Quadrille has been around until a few years ago, though the parfum extrait was discontinued for ages. By the deterioration of the citrus top note I can tell it's quite old. There's also that seamless smoothness you find in well-kept vintage perfumes. In any case, I love it and have been savoring the perfume. Surprisingly, it doesn't last very long on my skin. I get about 2-3 hours of bliss before it fades to whisper.

Vintage Quadrille ads: okadi.com
Balenciaga fashion photos by Richard Avedon- model with the dog is Dovima (1955), the other one is Elise Daniels (1948). Both from myvintagevogue.com
Balenciaga Quadrille vintage bottle picture by me.

Get Nina Garcia- For Free

Her latest book, that is.

Whenever someone gives away piles of free books it's usually a sign the book isn't doing too well on its own. In the case of Nina Garcia's latest book, The Style Strategy, I'm not surprised. The book was redundant and gave the feeling it was compiled from scraps and drafts for the previous two books (both were quite good), and it looks like people shopped smart and avoided buying it.

Now Nina Garcia (and her employer, Marie Claire magazine) has teamed up with Lancome for a joint promotional event at Saks 5th Avenue in NYC. If you RSVP to this event (November 12th at 5 PM) you will get The Style Strategy for free, as well as the latest Marie Claire issue and a couple of Lancome skin care samples. Ms. Garcia will be on hand to talk about whatever.

Maybe someone can ask her about the incestuous relationships between magazines and their advertisers and when if ever we'd get to see an honest review of beauty products in her magazine.

Get Nina Garcia- For Free

Her latest book, that is.

Whenever someone gives away piles of free books it's usually a sign the book isn't doing too well on its own. In the case of Nina Garcia's latest book, The Style Strategy, I'm not surprised. The book was redundant and gave the feeling it was compiled from scraps and drafts for the previous two books (both were quite good), and it looks like people shopped smart and avoided buying it.

Now Nina Garcia (and her employer, Marie Claire magazine) has teamed up with Lancome for a joint promotional event at Saks 5th Avenue in NYC. If you RSVP to this event (November 12th at 5 PM) you will get The Style Strategy for free, as well as the latest Marie Claire issue and a couple of Lancome skin care samples. Ms. Garcia will be on hand to talk about whatever.

Maybe someone can ask her about the incestuous relationships between magazines and their advertisers and when if ever we'd get to see an honest review of beauty products in her magazine.

Get Nina Garcia- For Free

Her latest book, that is.

Whenever someone gives away piles of free books it's usually a sign the book isn't doing too well on its own. In the case of Nina Garcia's latest book, The Style Strategy, I'm not surprised. The book was redundant and gave the feeling it was compiled from scraps and drafts for the previous two books (both were quite good), and it looks like people shopped smart and avoided buying it.

Now Nina Garcia (and her employer, Marie Claire magazine) has teamed up with Lancome for a joint promotional event at Saks 5th Avenue in NYC. If you RSVP to this event (November 12th at 5 PM) you will get The Style Strategy for free, as well as the latest Marie Claire issue and a couple of Lancome skin care samples. Ms. Garcia will be on hand to talk about whatever.

Maybe someone can ask her about the incestuous relationships between magazines and their advertisers and when if ever we'd get to see an honest review of beauty products in her magazine.

Paul & Joe For The Cat Ladies

I have no idea how I managed to miss these items when they were released over the summer, but Paul & Joe's Fall 2009 Collection had the cutest packaging, including these two items. Now, neither the lipstick (too light and sheer) nor the eye shadows (way too glittery) are something I need or would even use, so it doesn't really matter. But, oh my, aren't they lovely? Both are available from Beauty Habit (beautyhabit.com), and if these colors are your thing, use code INSTYLE for a 20% discount. The newly released Winter Collection is also available, in purple and gold packaging. I'm not too excited about any of the items.