Laura Mercier's Scarlet Passion Collection

I used my Sunday to cruise through Nordstrom to see the latest in makeup (and buy a fabulous handbag reduced from $400 to $129). Christopher Coles, my favorite Nordstrom makeup artist, showed me the latest Scarlet Passion Collection from Laura Mercier. Two of the pieces sang to me, and a third beckoned.

I really loved the Cheek Color Duo in Whisper ($24). The colors are light, subtle, and perfect for my pale face. If I got this right, the warm, golden nude on the right is a color that was discontinued as a single, so all of you who have missed it can now get more. The left-hand color is a soft, pearly petal pink. Beautiful when used alone, and perfect when mixed together.

Laura Mercier's Web site has the following description of this pretty duo.

• Oil-free with a light-as-air texture
• Natural, buildable and never cakey formula
• Infused with vitamins and natural botanicals to condition and nourish the skin
• Long-wearing, remains colour-true all day
• Vitamins C and E and coffee fruit provide antioxidant protection
• Chamomile soothes, and aloe leaves skin feeling silky and maintains moisture balance
• Light-diffusing qualities allow for a mistake-proof and flawless application

Sounds perfect? It's really nice.

I also loved the two Luster Eye Colours ($22) and had to buy at least one for now: Gilded Gold. The color is a peach gold with a subtle shimmer that will be perfect alone or as a neutral shade to use as a foil for a more dramatic contouring shadow. I was very tempted by Bronze Copper and may end up with it yet. The shadows are described on the Laura Mercier Web site this way.

• Long-wearing and crease-resistant
• Micronized pigments deliver deep color in the release of one stroke
• Offers true color and brilliance
• Ultra-refined for a soft, luxurious feel

As Allure said, gold and chocolate are two hot eye colors for Fall. Laura Mercier brought us beautiful versions with Gilded Gold and Bronze Copper.

Another trend for Fall? Bold red and bordeaux lips. Available in the collection are four matte Satin Lip Colour ($22) lipsticks that are all cherry and red tones; a Lip Pencil ($19) in Redwood; and two new Lip Velvet ($22) shades. Lip Velvet, like Chanel's new Lip Lacquer, is a highly pigmented, creamy, and long-wearing liquid lipstick. It is described as "demi-matte."

The lip colors were not "for me." I need a bit of shine to make my lips look a little larger, and the colors, while in style for Fall, are not my favorites. If you like matte and semi-matte lipsticks, though, or you want to see the latest bold lips, you should check out these new colors.

The Scarlet Passion Collection is already available at Nordstrom, Saks, Neiman Marcus, and Laura Mercier's Web site.

Photo courtesy of Laura Mercier.