Edward Bess Threads of Silk Multi-Use Powder

Perhaps you missed it too. Edward Bess's Threads of Silk Multi-Use Powder ($45) was introduced when my mother was very ill. I was not on top of my game this spring. Fortunately, Edward Bess introduces makeup with staying power. If it's great, he doesn't leave it online for a month and then yank it, like some beauty companies do to give the illusion of exclusivity.

This skin-perfecting marvel is available in two shades, Bellissima (shown above) and Ciao (shown immediately below). I purchased Bellissima. It is a finely milled complexion enhancer, blush, or highlighter - however you want to use it - with silk fibers to infuse the skin with a luster, leaving it radiant and glowing.

Exquisitely crafted in the northern region of Italy, this satiny-smooth powder is as soft and luxurious as silk, one of the finest fabrics we wear. Woven with actual silk fibers, this multitasking powder adds warmth and dimension to the face and eyes, allowing our features to exhibit a new vitality.

Optical light reflectors mimicking those found in silk threads deflect light to blur imperfections and bestow a silk-like luster on the skin.

I took my photos of Bellissima in full, early afternoon sunshine. I ran a sponge-tipped applicator across all of the patchwork shades, yielding a surprising golden, bronze sheen. Would you have anticipated that after looking at the pink, ivory, and taupe shades in the compact?

I think the blended shade is gorgeous, and I'm so happy I purchased it. Now, despite the fact that it's not brand new (only a few months old), I want Ciao! I'll bet the blended shade is nowhere near as peachy as what I expect from its photo. I saw swatch photos at The Beauty Look Book, but Sabrina's skin tone is so different from mine, I was startled by the difference in our swatches. She takes great photos.

You can wear these powders if you choose as eye shadows, either by blending the colors and applying them as a wash over the entire lid, or by individually selecting shades with a small brush and applying them individually.

I remember that you told me a few months ago that you wanted to see makeup that wasn't brand new as long as it is available. The good news is that you can find Edward's beautiful Threads of Silk Multi-Use Powders at the Edward Bess Web site, Bergdorf Goodman, and a few Neiman Marcus Stores. I have about 50 pounds of makeup I haven't featured yet, so I wanted to show you this beauty before I move on to holiday collections.

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