Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lip Gloss (809 Rubis Rose)

Guerlain Kiss Kiss lip gloss in Rubis Rose might be my favorite item from all of this year's holiday collection. Between the pretty tube with the black lace design and the absolutely perfect dark rose color, it was one of the best impulse purchases.

Rubis Rose is shimmery and very pigmented- what you see in the photo is what you get on your lips. It's a rose with a brown-mauve depth. The texture is smooth, not sticky and feels very moisturizing on the lips- it's the kind of gloss that makes your lips look and feel good- healthy and plump. It's a great after dark shade, but I admit to wearing it during the day lately. It's not over-the-top and is just so pretty against winter paleness.

Bottom line: Big, fat love.

Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lip Gloss in Rubis Rose ($29) is one of three limited edition items for Holiday 2010. It's available from top department stores and also online. I bought it at Bergdorf Goodman.

All photos are mine.

Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lip Gloss (809 Rubis Rose)

Guerlain Kiss Kiss lip gloss in Rubis Rose might be my favorite item from all of this year's holiday collection. Between the pretty tube with the black lace design and the absolutely perfect dark rose color, it was one of the best impulse purchases.

Rubis Rose is shimmery and very pigmented- what you see in the photo is what you get on your lips. It's a rose with a brown-mauve depth. The texture is smooth, not sticky and feels very moisturizing on the lips- it's the kind of gloss that makes your lips look and feel good- healthy and plump. It's a great after dark shade, but I admit to wearing it during the day lately. It's not over-the-top and is just so pretty against winter paleness.

Bottom line: Big, fat love.

Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lip Gloss in Rubis Rose ($29) is one of three limited edition items for Holiday 2010. It's available from top department stores and also online. I bought it at Bergdorf Goodman.

All photos are mine.

Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lip Gloss (809 Rubis Rose)

Guerlain Kiss Kiss lip gloss in Rubis Rose might be my favorite item from all of this year's holiday collection. Between the pretty tube with the black lace design and the absolutely perfect dark rose color, it was one of the best impulse purchases.

Rubis Rose is shimmery and very pigmented- what you see in the photo is what you get on your lips. It's a rose with a brown-mauve depth. The texture is smooth, not sticky and feels very moisturizing on the lips- it's the kind of gloss that makes your lips look and feel good- healthy and plump. It's a great after dark shade, but I admit to wearing it during the day lately. It's not over-the-top and is just so pretty against winter paleness.

Bottom line: Big, fat love.

Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lip Gloss in Rubis Rose ($29) is one of three limited edition items for Holiday 2010. It's available from top department stores and also online. I bought it at Bergdorf Goodman.

All photos are mine.

Nars Holiday Collection 2009 Taiga and Mousson

Better late than never.

Nars Holiday 2009 collection was very strong on the eye makeup front. I bought and loved the Soft Touch pencils, but couldn't skip some of the regular eye shadows: Taiga (the duo) and Mousson (single cream eye shadow).

Taiga combines a moderately shimmery dark (almost sooty) khaki/olive color with a very sheer, super shimmery golden ivory. I bought it for the khaki which was an instant love. The color is buildable, versatile (can be used on the entire lid or for lining) and looks very flattering against my skin and eyes. Blended with the right nude base it's daytime friendly, but can be easily used for an elegant evening look. The shimmery golden ivory is not something I would have picked had it come as a single. There's very little pigment there (see swatch, or rather- you can't see anything, which is the point) and so much shimmer and glimmer that it's an evening-only product for me. Furthermore, no eye primer I've tried managed to make it hold still and avoid that fairy dust look. However, when brushed over a matte nude shadow (I use Le Metier de Beaute) of excellent quality, it becomes a gorgeous brow bone highlighter and stays in place with no fallout. So it definitely has its use.

I'm not a big fan of cream eye shadows in a pan. I much prefer the excellent Laura Mercier ones that come in a little tube. But as I was playing with the collection at my local Bloomies, the metallic khaki color of Mousson was irresistible and as I tried on its own as well as over a powder shadow it was too pretty to pass. The website describes it as "silver sage", but the shiny finish is quite warm and I'd say it's more of a very pale gold than real silver. It's a lot more dominant compared to the khaki from Taiga, as you can see in the swatches, and they actually go well together for an evening look.

Wearing Mousson over a powder shadow (and a primer) prevents creasing. Still, I wouldn't wear it for 16 hours straight if you don't have a chance to do some touch up, as the lovely finish tends to fade after about six hours. I've been playing with it as a wash, as a top layer for eyeliner and in the crease. It's a winner, for sure, even if I have to use my pinky to apply it- it works better than any of the brushes I have because the texture is quite dense.

Bottom line: Pretty.

Nars Taiga eye shadow duo ($32) and Mousson cream shadow ($21) are available from most department stores, Sephora and narscosmetics.com. I bought them at my local Bloomingdale's.

Photos by me.

Nars Holiday Collection 2009 Taiga and Mousson

Better late than never.

Nars Holiday 2009 collection was very strong on the eye makeup front. I bought and loved the Soft Touch pencils, but couldn't skip some of the regular eye shadows: Taiga (the duo) and Mousson (single cream eye shadow).

Taiga combines a moderately shimmery dark (almost sooty) khaki/olive color with a very sheer, super shimmery golden ivory. I bought it for the khaki which was an instant love. The color is buildable, versatile (can be used on the entire lid or for lining) and looks very flattering against my skin and eyes. Blended with the right nude base it's daytime friendly, but can be easily used for an elegant evening look. The shimmery golden ivory is not something I would have picked had it come as a single. There's very little pigment there (see swatch, or rather- you can't see anything, which is the point) and so much shimmer and glimmer that it's an evening-only product for me. Furthermore, no eye primer I've tried managed to make it hold still and avoid that fairy dust look. However, when brushed over a matte nude shadow (I use Le Metier de Beaute) of excellent quality, it becomes a gorgeous brow bone highlighter and stays in place with no fallout. So it definitely has its use.

I'm not a big fan of cream eye shadows in a pan. I much prefer the excellent Laura Mercier ones that come in a little tube. But as I was playing with the collection at my local Bloomies, the metallic khaki color of Mousson was irresistible and as I tried on its own as well as over a powder shadow it was too pretty to pass. The website describes it as "silver sage", but the shiny finish is quite warm and I'd say it's more of a very pale gold than real silver. It's a lot more dominant compared to the khaki from Taiga, as you can see in the swatches, and they actually go well together for an evening look.

Wearing Mousson over a powder shadow (and a primer) prevents creasing. Still, I wouldn't wear it for 16 hours straight if you don't have a chance to do some touch up, as the lovely finish tends to fade after about six hours. I've been playing with it as a wash, as a top layer for eyeliner and in the crease. It's a winner, for sure, even if I have to use my pinky to apply it- it works better than any of the brushes I have because the texture is quite dense.

Bottom line: Pretty.

Nars Taiga eye shadow duo ($32) and Mousson cream shadow ($21) are available from most department stores, Sephora and narscosmetics.com. I bought them at my local Bloomingdale's.

Photos by me.

Nars Holiday Collection 2009 Taiga and Mousson

Better late than never.

Nars Holiday 2009 collection was very strong on the eye makeup front. I bought and loved the Soft Touch pencils, but couldn't skip some of the regular eye shadows: Taiga (the duo) and Mousson (single cream eye shadow).

Taiga combines a moderately shimmery dark (almost sooty) khaki/olive color with a very sheer, super shimmery golden ivory. I bought it for the khaki which was an instant love. The color is buildable, versatile (can be used on the entire lid or for lining) and looks very flattering against my skin and eyes. Blended with the right nude base it's daytime friendly, but can be easily used for an elegant evening look. The shimmery golden ivory is not something I would have picked had it come as a single. There's very little pigment there (see swatch, or rather- you can't see anything, which is the point) and so much shimmer and glimmer that it's an evening-only product for me. Furthermore, no eye primer I've tried managed to make it hold still and avoid that fairy dust look. However, when brushed over a matte nude shadow (I use Le Metier de Beaute) of excellent quality, it becomes a gorgeous brow bone highlighter and stays in place with no fallout. So it definitely has its use.

I'm not a big fan of cream eye shadows in a pan. I much prefer the excellent Laura Mercier ones that come in a little tube. But as I was playing with the collection at my local Bloomies, the metallic khaki color of Mousson was irresistible and as I tried on its own as well as over a powder shadow it was too pretty to pass. The website describes it as "silver sage", but the shiny finish is quite warm and I'd say it's more of a very pale gold than real silver. It's a lot more dominant compared to the khaki from Taiga, as you can see in the swatches, and they actually go well together for an evening look.

Wearing Mousson over a powder shadow (and a primer) prevents creasing. Still, I wouldn't wear it for 16 hours straight if you don't have a chance to do some touch up, as the lovely finish tends to fade after about six hours. I've been playing with it as a wash, as a top layer for eyeliner and in the crease. It's a winner, for sure, even if I have to use my pinky to apply it- it works better than any of the brushes I have because the texture is quite dense.

Bottom line: Pretty.

Nars Taiga eye shadow duo ($32) and Mousson cream shadow ($21) are available from most department stores, Sephora and narscosmetics.com. I bought them at my local Bloomingdale's.

Photos by me.

Paul & Joe Eye Color Palette III Mesmerize (Holiday 2009)

I had no intention to buy either of the two Paul & Joe Holiday 2009 Eye Color Palettes. Don't get me wrong: Both are very pretty, but I knew I probably already own enough similar eye shadows to the ones in Spellbound (warm colors), and Mesmerize, while more intriguing, has that lavender shade, which I was certain I couldn't wear. But things changed when I visited the Paul & Joe counter at Bergdorf Goodman. While I wasn't too taken with the entire Holiday 2009 collection (the purple vanity box belongs in a child's room, not in mine), Caroline, the lovely SA, has done my makeup and showed me that not only can I wear a lavender eye shadow, the entire Mesmerize Palette needed to come home with me.

As you can see in the closeups, while the colors are a bit on the cool side, they can actually work as neutrals and accents. Even when all three are used together, the way Caroline applied them on me, the look is more subtle than I expected, when carefully blended. She used the middle one as the base color and incorporated just enough of the other two into it to create depth where needed. The lavender worked nicely and added a lighter touch when needed. To make it pop even more for evening, Caroline used a Paul & Joe eye gloss in Moonlight (03), which was another surprise love for me.

Bottom line: A lovely departure from my comfort zone.

Paul & Joe - Limited Edition - Eye Color Palette III ($40) is available from Bergdorf Goodman or online at BeautyHabit.com.

For a lot more about Paul & Joe beauty, including photos and swatches of the lighter colors they offer, please check Lina's Beauty Look Book blog, as she's the expert on this line.

All photos by me.

Paul & Joe Eye Color Palette III Mesmerize (Holiday 2009)

I had no intention to buy either of the two Paul & Joe Holiday 2009 Eye Color Palettes. Don't get me wrong: Both are very pretty, but I knew I probably already own enough similar eye shadows to the ones in Spellbound (warm colors), and Mesmerize, while more intriguing, has that lavender shade, which I was certain I couldn't wear. But things changed when I visited the Paul & Joe counter at Bergdorf Goodman. While I wasn't too taken with the entire Holiday 2009 collection (the purple vanity box belongs in a child's room, not in mine), Caroline, the lovely SA, has done my makeup and showed me that not only can I wear a lavender eye shadow, the entire Mesmerize Palette needed to come home with me.

As you can see in the closeups, while the colors are a bit on the cool side, they can actually work as neutrals and accents. Even when all three are used together, the way Caroline applied them on me, the look is more subtle than I expected, when carefully blended. She used the middle one as the base color and incorporated just enough of the other two into it to create depth where needed. The lavender worked nicely and added a lighter touch when needed. To make it pop even more for evening, Caroline used a Paul & Joe eye gloss in Moonlight (03), which was another surprise love for me.

Bottom line: A lovely departure from my comfort zone.

Paul & Joe - Limited Edition - Eye Color Palette III ($40) is available from Bergdorf Goodman or online at BeautyHabit.com.

For a lot more about Paul & Joe beauty, including photos and swatches of the lighter colors they offer, please check Lina's Beauty Look Book blog, as she's the expert on this line.

All photos by me.

Paul & Joe Eye Color Palette III Mesmerize (Holiday 2009)

I had no intention to buy either of the two Paul & Joe Holiday 2009 Eye Color Palettes. Don't get me wrong: Both are very pretty, but I knew I probably already own enough similar eye shadows to the ones in Spellbound (warm colors), and Mesmerize, while more intriguing, has that lavender shade, which I was certain I couldn't wear. But things changed when I visited the Paul & Joe counter at Bergdorf Goodman. While I wasn't too taken with the entire Holiday 2009 collection (the purple vanity box belongs in a child's room, not in mine), Caroline, the lovely SA, has done my makeup and showed me that not only can I wear a lavender eye shadow, the entire Mesmerize Palette needed to come home with me.

As you can see in the closeups, while the colors are a bit on the cool side, they can actually work as neutrals and accents. Even when all three are used together, the way Caroline applied them on me, the look is more subtle than I expected, when carefully blended. She used the middle one as the base color and incorporated just enough of the other two into it to create depth where needed. The lavender worked nicely and added a lighter touch when needed. To make it pop even more for evening, Caroline used a Paul & Joe eye gloss in Moonlight (03), which was another surprise love for me.

Bottom line: A lovely departure from my comfort zone.

Paul & Joe - Limited Edition - Eye Color Palette III ($40) is available from Bergdorf Goodman or online at BeautyHabit.com.

For a lot more about Paul & Joe beauty, including photos and swatches of the lighter colors they offer, please check Lina's Beauty Look Book blog, as she's the expert on this line.

All photos by me.

YSL Holiday 2009- Eye Shadow Duo 1 (Beige Celeste Brun Astral)

One of the most festive looks for the season (for better and for worse) comes from Yves Saint-Laurent. The model in the promotional photo was made up within an inch of her life and had an 80s thing going (bordering n Alexis Carrington, if you ask me). The individual items, though, can be worn a bit more subtly, and I was drawn to the eye shadow duo in Beige Celeste-Brun Astral.

The colors are neutral and very elegant. Beige Celeste is actually more shell than beige and has a cool undertone. The amount of shimmer in both colors makes them an evening-only eye shadows as far I'm concerned. Both must be worn over a primer, because the texture, while fine, is somewhat crumbly, and a primer ensures smooth application. There's also a bit of glittery fallout when used with wide brushes, so I'd suggest using slimmer ones.

YSL Ombre Duolumieres Eye Shadow Duo ($41, Beige Celeste/Brun Astral, is just one option, and there are two new color combinations, including one that looks very much like Nars Habanera with a dark plum and mint green shimmer) can be found at your local Yves Saint Laurent counter at most decent department stores, as well as online. If I remember correctly,I bought mine online from yslbeautyus.com).

YSL Holiday Look 2009 photo from ysl.com, other photos by me.

YSL Holiday 2009- Eye Shadow Duo 1 (Beige Celeste Brun Astral)

One of the most festive looks for the season (for better and for worse) comes from Yves Saint-Laurent. The model in the promotional photo was made up within an inch of her life and had an 80s thing going (bordering n Alexis Carrington, if you ask me). The individual items, though, can be worn a bit more subtly, and I was drawn to the eye shadow duo in Beige Celeste-Brun Astral.

The colors are neutral and very elegant. Beige Celeste is actually more shell than beige and has a cool undertone. The amount of shimmer in both colors makes them an evening-only eye shadows as far I'm concerned. Both must be worn over a primer, because the texture, while fine, is somewhat crumbly, and a primer ensures smooth application. There's also a bit of glittery fallout when used with wide brushes, so I'd suggest using slimmer ones.

YSL Ombre Duolumieres Eye Shadow Duo ($41, Beige Celeste/Brun Astral, is just one option, and there are two new color combinations, including one that looks very much like Nars Habanera with a dark plum and mint green shimmer) can be found at your local Yves Saint Laurent counter at most decent department stores, as well as online. If I remember correctly,I bought mine online from yslbeautyus.com).

YSL Holiday Look 2009 photo from ysl.com, other photos by me.