Le Métier de Beauté Sterling Beauty Dual Kaleidoscope

Yesterday, I showed you Golden Beauty, one of the two Le Métier de Beauté Dual Kaleidoscopes ($125) I purchased this month from the John Barrett Salon in New York City. Today's it's Sterling Beauty's turn, and its arrival here left me with a question. What was I thinking when I failed to purchase this limited-edition stunner at introduction?

I love the idea of Dual Kaleidoscopes, containing one lip color and three eye shadows. Add mascara, and there's no other color many gals need for beauty on the go (you can use the lip color as a cream blush). Sterling Beauty strikes me as perfect for platinum and grey lovers and gals with cool-toned skin. See what you think when you take a look at the swatch photos below.

My photos were taken in full sun, and I applied each shade with a sponge tipped applicator. I swatched from the top to bottom in the Kaleidoscope, with the lip color at the top of my arm.

The rosy-pink lip color is very gloss-like. It's sheer and shiny. I have to use the "gorgeous" word. Pink lovers will rejoice! The color packs enough punch to hold its own with a dramatic eye, but it doesn't shout. I just popped up the mirror in the Kaleidoscope, applied it again, and had one of those "Ahhh" reactions.

The three silver/grey shadows go together like "love and marriage" (yes, that song is running through my mind, and love and marriage seemed more appropriate than horse and carriage). The close-to-matte white is a perfect base for the shimmering silver. Like the shimmering gold in the Golden Beauty Kaleidoscope, the silver in Sterling Beauty is pigmented. It was easy to get a good swatch - on my arm and on my eyelid when I wore it the first time (imagine jumping for joy). Plus, there is no fallout - worth mega-points with a shimmering silver.

The grey is a great medium-toned shade. It's not so dark that it will be relegated to use as an eyeliner only. I swatched it heavily. When applied with a light hand, it's a fabulous crease or accent shade. Some dark grey eye shadows are too dark for my coloring, so they go unused. This shade will be used.

I envision many options for layering the shades in Sterling Beauty, beyond the confines of the Kaleidoscope kit siblings. I need some extra time to play. I will pull out the Crushed Ice True Color Eye Shadow I just bought as I work to achieve the perfect icy gaze.

Sterling Beauty was a purchase to remember! You can buy one too by calling Heather at the Le Métier de Beauté counter at the John Barrett Salon at (212) 872-2700, extension 2714. There are other "older" Kaleidoscopes available there, along with many gorgeous nail lacquers. Those who wanted a Kaleidoscope for the holidays can find one they may not have at the John Barrett Salon. The "beauties" seemed like buried treasure to me.

Photo at top courtesy of Neiman Marcus; other photos by Best Things in Beauty