Edward Bess Berry Chic Palette

My Edward Bess order finally arrived! I've been anxiously awaiting it for a couple of weeks. There was one hiccup, but that was resolved. Now, I can relax and enjoy my new treasures, knowing they are really mine. That's how I get when Edward Bess color is at stake.

I ordered both new palettes, Back to Basics and Berry Chic, but decided to show you Berry Chic ($75) first. It surprised me - delightfully - and I think it may surprise you. Here's a slightly modified version of the description.

So berry, so chic. Touch up on-the-go with this collection of must-have mauves. Hand-picked cheek and lip stain, allover highlighter, an eyeshadow quad, and a lip gloss duo come complete with a dual-ended brush for expert application. Look your berry best.

When I first saw Berry Chic online, I fretted that it might be too purple, possibly having too many shades I couldn't wear. Purple can be my friend or my enemy, depending on the shade and where it lands on my face. Once I saw Berry Chic in person, my fears were allayed. It's much more beautiful - and wearable - than I had concluded from its online photo, shown at the top of this feature.

Here's Berry Chic at my house, outdoors on a beautiful autumn afternoon. It looks much less challenging, wouldn't you agree? The swatches below will show you these colors in their sheer, gorgeous glory, and some of them will unlock secret rooms of color.

I couldn't "paint" thick swatches and get all of them on my arm at once, so I'll apologize for the thin stripes of color. I did try to apply them relatively heavily, using a sponge-tipped applicator for all, creams and powders. Remember you can click on the photos to enlarge them.

I swatched "generally left to right" in the palette, except for the eye shadows. I grouped the eye shadows on my arm, swatching them in clockwise order. My photos were taken in late afternoon sunshine.

There is one cream Cheek and Lip Color at the left of the palette. The stunning berry rose is shown at the top of my arm. Below it on my arm is a creamy, light fleshy pink Highlighter. It's a glorious shade.

The four Eyeshadows are shown next, and you can barely see the the yellow-toned ivory on my arm. It blends right in, meaning it will be a fabulous base shade, one that takes any red out of my eyelids and prepares my lids for whatever colors I choose to use. The berry/plum shadow is the only shade in the palette that may be hard for me to use on my eyelids. I know I can blend it with other shades to warm them. I learned that from Dustin Lujan. I also know that if I want to work to get enough color on my brush and to my cheeks, it will be an exquisite blush shade.

The brown eye shadow is a lovely shade that coordinates well with all of the other shades in the palette. The pink is a medium blue-pink. I haven't had enough time to play with it to determine exactly how I'll use it. All four eye shadow shades play well together.

There are two Lip Glosses on the right side of the palette: one a warm pink and the other a complete surprise. It looks grape in the palette. Look at Edward's online photo; look at mine. Grape, right? Now look at the shade at the bottom of my arm. It's certainly not grape. It's a gorgeous, shimmering, complex peach with touches of pink and plum. It may be one of the prettiest glosses I've seen lately - even if it is a complete mystery to me that it transforms from grape to peach on my arm.

I'm just looked at it again on my fingertip. Here's a close-up of the shade on my arm. I'm wasting it trying to characterize it. It's peach, with shine and a medium intensity. On my lips? Add the light rose pigment in my lips, and it looks like a warm berry. Either way, it's a perfect, warming complement to the looks you can create with Berry Chic. The magic of color!

I think this is an exciting palette from a buzz-worthy line. I've gushed about Edward Bess makeup many times, and I'll be gushing again over the coming days as I show you my other new treasures. I love them all.

You can purchase Edward Bess from EdwardBess.com, Bergdorf Goodman, and two Neiman Marcus stores. I used the code OPRAH to save $15, making Berry Chic a steal!

Photo at top courtesy of Edward Bess; other photos by Best Things in Beauty