Givenchy Rouge Interdit 39 Absolutely Irresistible Red Satin Lipstick Limited Edition

Because there can never be enough perfect red lipsticks.

Givenchy makeup deserves to have brand ambassadors that are better than the average bored Sephora SA. The luxurious formulas and rich colors are lost in the general chaos and tackiness of the stores. Rouge Interdit lipsticks are especially fabulous- an almost glossy-creamy texture with a beautiful satin finish and impressive tenacity (very little if any transfers to your glass and some of the pigment is still visible after dinner). The lipstick glides on effortlessly and applies like a dream with or without a brush (do use a brush if you're getting a dark shade). It glosses over any imperfection and feels comfortable and a little moisturizing.

Absolutely Irresistible Red (#39) is as classic as they come, all Hollywood in its golden age. It has a pink(ish) base that doesn't come across in the tube but can be noticed in the swatches- both on paper and on my arm. I find it incredibly flattering and sexy. And quite irresistible.

Bottom Line: bold and beautiful.

Givenchy Rouge Interdit 39 Absolutely Irresistible Red ($28) is a limited edition and exclusive to Sephora, in store and online.

All photos are mine (and let's keep it that way).

Givenchy Rouge Interdit 39 Absolutely Irresistible Red Satin Lipstick Limited Edition

Because there can never be enough perfect red lipsticks.

Givenchy makeup deserves to have brand ambassadors that are better than the average bored Sephora SA. The luxurious formulas and rich colors are lost in the general chaos and tackiness of the stores. Rouge Interdit lipsticks are especially fabulous- an almost glossy-creamy texture with a beautiful satin finish and impressive tenacity (very little if any transfers to your glass and some of the pigment is still visible after dinner). The lipstick glides on effortlessly and applies like a dream with or without a brush (do use a brush if you're getting a dark shade). It glosses over any imperfection and feels comfortable and a little moisturizing.

Absolutely Irresistible Red (#39) is as classic as they come, all Hollywood in its golden age. It has a pink(ish) base that doesn't come across in the tube but can be noticed in the swatches- both on paper and on my arm. I find it incredibly flattering and sexy. And quite irresistible.

Bottom Line: bold and beautiful.

Givenchy Rouge Interdit 39 Absolutely Irresistible Red ($28) is a limited edition and exclusive to Sephora, in store and online.

All photos are mine (and let's keep it that way).

Givenchy Rouge Interdit 39 Absolutely Irresistible Red Satin Lipstick Limited Edition

Because there can never be enough perfect red lipsticks.

Givenchy makeup deserves to have brand ambassadors that are better than the average bored Sephora SA. The luxurious formulas and rich colors are lost in the general chaos and tackiness of the stores. Rouge Interdit lipsticks are especially fabulous- an almost glossy-creamy texture with a beautiful satin finish and impressive tenacity (very little if any transfers to your glass and some of the pigment is still visible after dinner). The lipstick glides on effortlessly and applies like a dream with or without a brush (do use a brush if you're getting a dark shade). It glosses over any imperfection and feels comfortable and a little moisturizing.

Absolutely Irresistible Red (#39) is as classic as they come, all Hollywood in its golden age. It has a pink(ish) base that doesn't come across in the tube but can be noticed in the swatches- both on paper and on my arm. I find it incredibly flattering and sexy. And quite irresistible.

Bottom Line: bold and beautiful.

Givenchy Rouge Interdit 39 Absolutely Irresistible Red ($28) is a limited edition and exclusive to Sephora, in store and online.

All photos are mine (and let's keep it that way).

Guerlain B64 Bee Limited Edition Rouge G Le Brilliant

I honestly thought that I was done with the 2010 Holiday collections on all their sparkle. Then last month I took a young cousin to Bloomie's and somehow we found ourselves at the Guerlain Counter. I already had a couple of Guerlain's holiday items and loved them, but then I came face to face with the limited edition Rouge G Le Brilliant in B64, Bee. It had to come home with me.

Rouge G lipsticks are fabulous from their beautiful packaging to the way they wear- the right balance of shine and color. In Le Brilliant Bee everything got kicked up a notch (now try to erase the mental image of Emeril Lagasse in a purple lipstick). There's more pigment, more golden shimmer and it stays on longer than the other Rouge G lipsticks I own, which are already pretty tenacious for such a moisturizing lip color.

The color is rich purple. It looks more violet in certain lights but reflects some red undertones in others. It's quite complex, thus looks very rich and pretty on the lips and I find that it has quickly become a favorite evening lipstick. The texture and luminosity make this Rouge G pretty low maintenance- I can get away with quick touch ups that don't include a liner and a brush.

Botton line:  There's a very cute bee embossed on the inside mirror. Who could ask for anything more?

Guerlain B64 Bee Limited Edition Rouge G Le Brilliant ($46) is available from decent department stores.

All photos are mine.

Guerlain B64 Bee Limited Edition Rouge G Le Brilliant

I honestly thought that I was done with the 2010 Holiday collections on all their sparkle. Then last month I took a young cousin to Bloomie's and somehow we found ourselves at the Guerlain Counter. I already had a couple of Guerlain's holiday items and loved them, but then I came face to face with the limited edition Rouge G Le Brilliant in B64, Bee. It had to come home with me.

Rouge G lipsticks are fabulous from their beautiful packaging to the way they wear- the right balance of shine and color. In Le Brilliant Bee everything got kicked up a notch (now try to erase the mental image of Emeril Lagasse in a purple lipstick). There's more pigment, more golden shimmer and it stays on longer than the other Rouge G lipsticks I own, which are already pretty tenacious for such a moisturizing lip color.

The color is rich purple. It looks more violet in certain lights but reflects some red undertones in others. It's quite complex, thus looks very rich and pretty on the lips and I find that it has quickly become a favorite evening lipstick. The texture and luminosity make this Rouge G pretty low maintenance- I can get away with quick touch ups that don't include a liner and a brush.

Botton line:  There's a very cute bee embossed on the inside mirror. Who could ask for anything more?

Guerlain B64 Bee Limited Edition Rouge G Le Brilliant ($46) is available from decent department stores.

All photos are mine.

Guerlain B64 Bee Limited Edition Rouge G Le Brilliant

I honestly thought that I was done with the 2010 Holiday collections on all their sparkle. Then last month I took a young cousin to Bloomie's and somehow we found ourselves at the Guerlain Counter. I already had a couple of Guerlain's holiday items and loved them, but then I came face to face with the limited edition Rouge G Le Brilliant in B64, Bee. It had to come home with me.

Rouge G lipsticks are fabulous from their beautiful packaging to the way they wear- the right balance of shine and color. In Le Brilliant Bee everything got kicked up a notch (now try to erase the mental image of Emeril Lagasse in a purple lipstick). There's more pigment, more golden shimmer and it stays on longer than the other Rouge G lipsticks I own, which are already pretty tenacious for such a moisturizing lip color.

The color is rich purple. It looks more violet in certain lights but reflects some red undertones in others. It's quite complex, thus looks very rich and pretty on the lips and I find that it has quickly become a favorite evening lipstick. The texture and luminosity make this Rouge G pretty low maintenance- I can get away with quick touch ups that don't include a liner and a brush.

Botton line:  There's a very cute bee embossed on the inside mirror. Who could ask for anything more?

Guerlain B64 Bee Limited Edition Rouge G Le Brilliant ($46) is available from decent department stores.

All photos are mine.

Collection Essentielle de Chanel Paris-L.A. Palette

As promised, here are photos and full descriptions of the colors in the Collection Essentielle de Chanel Paris-L.A. Palette. You will have to forgive me for the lack of swatches-I just haven't had the time (I'm trying to keep several balls in the air as we speak and I still owe several of you emails and replies. I'll get to it as soon as I post this).  I did my best to give as detailed a description as possible.

The palette contains:
3 eye shadows
3 lip colors- 1 is a liquid lipstick, two glosses
2 cream concealers
1 cream blush

General observations:
1. Collection Essentielle de Chanel is quite neutral in coloring and mellow in pigments. The eye shadows lean a little cool (just a little, though), the lip colors are on the warm pink side and a little shimmery, the blush is warm  apricot beige and both concealers are yellow toned.
2. The overall look you will get from the palette is almost-nude. It's office-appropriate and is perfect for a French-inspired face. All you need to add is a black eyeliner and mascara.
3. The color intensity could have been better. The shades are very low-drama and I haven't been able to build them. At all.
4. The applicators are crap. I don't even like the lip brush because it has a blunt end.

Eye Shadows:
What you see in the pan is exactly what you get. All three shadows are matte, which I love- very different from the Holiday Quad and its baked glitter texture. They are reasonably smooth but lack something to feel truly luxurious. The ivory one does not show on my skin at all. It's comparable to Bobbi Brown's Navajo and I guess would work in a similar manner if you subscribe to Bobbi's way of doing eye makeup of starting with a layer of invisible base color. I don't and this annoys me to no end. I would have liked a delicate non-shimmery highlighter that opens up the area under the brow bone.
As for the two mauve-plums, they are nice and create a natural almost-naked-but-not-quite look. The lighter shade is nearly the natural color of my lid. The darker one is not dark enough to be a real liner on me. At first I hoped these colors would make an elegant and subtle smoky eye, but they're simply not smoky enough.

Lip Colors:
The lip colors are best described as warm reddish pink. The dark(ish) liquid lipstick loses the very little shimmer it has in the pan when applied and is a very pretty light berry color- dense but not completely opaque. It's flattering and easy to wear alone or topped with a gloss.
The ligher gloss is a sheer shimmery pink. My natural lips are too dark for it to show, so I only wear it atop a lipstick. The texture is lovely- Chanel really knows how to make a lip gloss. The middle color is a red berry with golden shimmer. It's pretty and can be lightened by mixing with the light gloss or used to give the cream lipstick some extra punch.

Blush:
We don't get many cream blushes from Chanel, at least not as singles, so this is exciting, especially since it's a great product. My skin tone is probably the darkest that can work with this specific color. If you have a tan or are naturally darker than my pale olive skin (NC 30-35ish, but not quite) it's probably too light for you. The blush is sheer and shimmery- on a darker skin it might actually be a very nice highlighter. I can wear it alone but think it's prettier over a powder blush- it tones down the more aggressive Nars Dolce Vita, for example. I apply it with Julie Hewett Cheeky blush brush.

Concealers:
Chanel makes excellent face products and these concealers are no different. They are on the yellow side and I wear the lighter one better but mix a little of the darker concealer in it for custom color where needed. They give excellent coverage and blend perfectly.

Bottom Line: Collection Essentielle de Chanel is nice but a little underwhelming and is definitely not for those with darker skin tones. If you're trying to decide between this one and the other limited edition, Les Regards de Chanel eye palette (back in stock for now), I'd recommend the latter, unless you're utterly in love with the blush.

Collection Essentielle de Chanel Paris-L.A. Palette ($85) is available now from chanel.com.

All photos are mine, including these two bonus ones starring Lizzy and Sophie: