Le Métier de Beauté Penny Lane Nail Lacquer from the Indian Summer 2012 Collection

Ken Downing's Indian Summer hues for Le Métier de Beauté evoke the warm, dreamy feel of summer. I has an opportunity to show you the Lip Crèmes recently. Today, I'll show you my choice from the nail lacquers, Penny Lane ($18).

Penny Lane is a bold, slightly burnt orange reminiscent of the dark, tanned women summering in Ibiza. It's companion, Wild Ginger, is a brighter than bright orange that will liven up your sleepy July afternoons.

I tried them both at Neiman Marcus Mazza Gallerie (applying little swatches) and gravitated  quickly to Penny Lane. With my fair coloring, it was a better shade for me than the flashy Wild Ginger. Michael Reinhardt and I had a fun conversation about the shades. He likes Wild Ginger the best, but he's a guy. I think Penny Lane is more wearable for us conservative types.

I swatched two coats (left and center) and three (on the right) and took my photos in full sun. With two coats, I felt the shade looked just a bit too sheer - although certainly acceptable. With three, I lost the sheerness of Penny Lane. One coat is out of the question. Even with my limited nail coloring skills, it was streaky.

This color is definitely hot - and right in style! The nice thing is that it's not a counter exclusive. It should be available at Le Métier de Beauté counters at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, and their online sites. Because it's a Ken Downing color, you won't find it at Nordstrom.

Photo at top courtesy of Le Métier de Beauté; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Le Métier de Beauté Indian Summer Collection Lip Crèmes by Ken Downing for Summer 2012

Indian Summer, when summer and fall meet for a brief, but gorgeous, moment is the inspiration for Ken Downing's Indian Summer Haute Hues Summer 2012 Collection for Le Métier de Beauté. OK - we're all thinking months ahead now. I want to show you the beautiful new Lip Crème shades - live and in person.

“There is just something about the seasons mingling, when the nights begin to cool and the dog days of summer have gone to rest – bronzed skin lingers, but the shades of fall make their debut,” explains Ken Downing, Neiman Marcus’ Fashion Director.  “It always brings me back to that Bianca Jagger, 1970’s Halston moment. It wasn’t just the clothing, it wasn’t just the makeup, it was how it all came together, so carefree, bohemian, and easy.  That is Indian Summer.”

This sultry mix was the inspiration for Ken Downing’s summer collection with Le Métier de Beauté, Indian Summer.  “A summer dress with tawny, coral makeup – it’s so simple and perfect,” says Mr. Downing.  “Shades of bronze, orange, gold, they look gorgeous on every woman and every skin tone.”

Ken Downing’s Indian Summer hues evoke the warm, dreamy feel of the end of the season. Ginger Snap Lip Crème (the lighter of the two shades) holds the perfect amount of shimmer to make lips glisten in the sun, and when layered with the deeper bronze tones of Copper Leaf Lip Crème (the darker shade), the effect is pure summer.

I was limited in photo time today, so I tried something new. There I was at a client site, a government installation that is so secure, I have to badge in four times before I can get to my desk. I decided to go out at lunchtime and take photos. I suspect they frown on photo taking because of the antennae installation located at the site for intelligence purposes. I tried to make it obvious, for anyone who might have seen me, that my camera was pointed at the grass and my arm, with a lovely Juniper in the background. I know someone saw me, and I can only guess what they were thinking. Poor dear finds her arm interesting. We're paying her what?

I'm sorry my photo of the glosses in their Haute Hues floral cardboard "nest" is a bit dark. The sun was partially obscured by clouds when I took it. If you would like to see the Le Métier de Beauté press photos, just hop over to my coming attraction feature.

Ginger Snap is extremely light and transparent - much lighter than I anticipated when I checked it out in the tube. It's shown at the top of my arm in the swatch photos. It's a beautiful shade - just not very pigmented. Hopefully, you can see in the photo above that it shimmers.

On the other hand, Copper Leaf is very pigmented, a burnt orange-copper hybrid. It offers a serious pop of color and will look stunning on anyone who can carry off its extremely warm shade. I'm not sure about me yet. I may layer the two to tone down the bright orange shade. I'll admit I haven't had enough time to play with it.

What do you think? Is this limited-edition set in your future?  You cannot purchase these shades individually. The set costs $65, a discount over the normal price of two Lip Crèmes.

The Ken Downing for Le Métier de Beauté "capsule collections" (this is the most recent) are available at exclusively at Neiman Marcus, neimanmarcus.com, Bergdorf Goodman, and bergdorfgoodman.com. I purchased mine at Neiman Marcus. If you would like to call a product specialist, try Lisa Corsino at (703) 761-1600. Ask for the counter. When I was in New York on Saturday, the collection had not arrived at the Le Métier de Beauté counter.

Photos by Best Things in Beauty

Le Métier de Beauté Stoc-Ken Stuffers for Holiday 2011 (Update)

Go glam for the holidays with Stoc-Ken Stuffers, gift sets designed by Ken Downing for Le Métier de Beauté. This year, Ken is spreading a little holiday cheer with two sets of Le Métier de Beauté metallic mini-sized nail lacquers. Ken's Stocking Stuffers ($32 for a set of four) in Merry Metallics and All That Glitters offer a total of eight little lacquers designed to make you and your friends shine.

Simmer and shine are a passion of mine! I have taken my love for all that glitters and injected brilliant color to create a playful collection of holiday nail lacquers for my Stoc-Ken Stuffers Collection for Le Métier de Beauté. Perfect to give, even more fun to get. Move over Santa - style is coming to town. - Ken Downing

Ken's Stoc-Ken Stuffers inspire "beauty cheer" with gorgeous, one-of-a-kind leaf ornaments that sparkle with impeccable detail. Each leaf is picked at peak maturity, then dried and coated in 24K gold or fine silver with an electroplating process that uses electrical currents to retain the shape and vein patterns unique to each leaf. Made with real Aspen leaves hand-chosen for beauty, shape, and size, the dazzling ornaments make the perfect one-of-a-kind gift set for the holiday season - if you can bear to part with one.

If you keep them for yourself, hang the ornaments from your tree to spread a little holiday cheer. They will arrive in stores in November, definitely in time to stock up with superb gifts. My Christmas shopping theory has always been, "One for me, two for them."

The Merry Metallics are shown in the photo at the top of this feature.

• Plum Puddin' - rich plum spun with sheer silver
• Red-E and Waiting - sheer red with metallic gold undertones
• Tarnished Silver - moonlit platinum
• Lamé Entertain You - shimmering copper with silver undertones

All That Glitters is shown directly below.

• All That Glitters - sheer gold with metallic shine
• Spruce it Up - shimmering evergreen
• Hot to Trot - juicy, cherry red with glimmering silver undertones
• Midnight Heron - deep sapphire flecked with subtle shimmer

Each lacquer glides on effortlessly with a 220-bristle flat brush specially designed for smooth color and easy application. Specifically formulated without formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate (DPB, a commonly used plasticizer), Le Métier de Beauté Nail Lacquers provide long-lasting, chip-resistant, protective color and shine.

I think these sets are absolutely adorable. I hope to buy one of each for myself and then count up my friends who like to have dazzling nails. The $32 price puts Ken's Stocking Stuffers right in the sweet spot for holiday spending.

Ken's Stocking Stuffers will be available exclusively at Neiman Marcus. Get your name on the list early. I have a feeling they will literally blow out of the stores.

You may have noticed that I published a feature on these little darlings on October 13. Since I first received the information about "Ken's Stocking Stuffers," some of the marketing information and product names have changed. This is the latest and greatest scoop, but I'm sure you are already primed to buy! Right?

Photos courtesy of Le Métier de Beauté

Le Métier de Beauté Vintage Ken Nail Lacquer from Ken Downing's Bordeaux Collection

I wanted to get a professional application of Vintage Ken to show you the gorgeous color. Vintage Ken is the nail lacquer in the I'm Worn This Way/Vintage Ken set, one of the three sets in Le Métier de Beauté's The Bordeaux Collection by Ken Downing for Fall/Winter 2011. See my Quick Peek feature here.

For his second exclusive collection for Le Métier de Beauté, Downing took the essence of the fall runways and distilled it into a beauty collection that presents elegant, coordinated duos to transform you into Lady Chic. The gorgeous sets have catchy names.

1. Ken, Red My Lips (lips) and Gypsy Rose Me (nails) - subtle red with a blushing pinot undertone
2. Ken's Wine on the Vine (lips) and Ken's Bodacious Bordeaux (nails) - rich, crimson cabernet
3. I'm Worn This Way (lips) and Vintage Ken (nails) - Bold berry with a deep grape undertone, as you can see above.

All three sets arrived at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria last week. I decided to start with Vintage Ken. Because I like a professional application, but didn't have much time, I went to Yelp to look for a highly recommended nail salon near my house. The lesson learned here was, "Don't believe everything (anything?) you read on Yelp." You can read the rest of that story below.

I was able to get a few photos to introduce you to Vintage Ken, a gorgeous, deep purple shade. My photo at the top is the better of the portraits. The one below looks a little too blue. The shade will be a dramatic addition to my fall and winter wardrobe. Actually, it's really nice now! I adore purple and grape shades, and I can't wait to add a new Bordeaux handbag to my collection.

Each set in the Bordeaux Collection is priced at $49. The Bordeaux Collection is available at Neiman Marcus exclusively. I'll show you more soon in another feature.

Now for the rest of the story. The young lady who applied Vintage Ken was a total rookie. She couldn't paint a straight line near my cuticle, got nail lacquer all over my fingers (and under my nails), and thought her work looked just fine. She even dribbled top coat on my legs. She never used an orange stick to wipe away her mistakes; instead, she used her own fingernail. It was a fairly disgusting experience.

After I made sure my photos were OK, I removed the utterly gorgeous Vintage Ken because I couldn't repair it myself. It was hard to remove because she had painted it into my nail bed and under my nails. I'll get a real pro to apply the next one, Bodacious Bordeaux. I like a precise application, particularly with a dark shade. Hey, I'm a Virgo!

Photo at top courtesy of Le Métier de Beauté; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Quick Peek: Le Métier de Beauté - The Bordeaux Collection by Ken Downing for Fall/Winter 2011

They arrived! All three sets of The Bordeaux Collection by Ken Downing for Fall/Winter 2011 for Le Métier de Beauté arrived at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria today. It was exciting! I wasn't expecting to see them this early in the season. They are drop-dead gorgeous!

For his second exclusive collection for Le Métier de Beauté, Downing took the essence of the fall runways and distilled it into a beauty collection that presents elegant, coordinated duos to transform you into Lady Chic.

I will devote a full feature to the collection soon, with my nails done. For now, I wanted to show you the two sets I purchased: I'm Worn This Way/Vintage Ken and Wine On The Vine/Bodacious Bordeaux.

Wine On The Vine/Bodacious Bordeaux is shown at the top of this feature, and I'm Worn This Way/Vintage Ken is shown at right. Each set is $49. There is a third set, Ken Red My Lips/Gypsy Rose Me that I didn't buy. I struggled to get decent photos of the duos as Irene's clouds started to blanket our area. The moment I put the duos away in their boxes, the sun came out again. I'll get brighter photos for my next feature.


I was able to get swatch photos of the two Moisture Stain Lipsticks in direct and indirect light. I don't normally wear dark lipsticks, so I had wondered if I would like the lip colors in the Bordeaux Collection. I love them. I needed two sets!

My first swatch photo of the lipsticks at left, taken in full sun, shows Wine On The Vine at the top of my arm and I'm Worn This Way below. You can see that neither is pure red. Wine On The Vine is a stunning, deep grape, and I'm Worn This Way appears to be a saturated rose on my arm, but it's red. The photo at right shows the shades when the sun ducked behind clouds. I'm Worn This Way is particularly interesting because the lipstick looks red in the tube, and it is red (not rose as it appears on my arm). On my lips, it's a cool-toned cherry red - one I can wear, which delights me. I think it's the most flattering red lipstick I have ever tried. Your own lip pigmentation will define the shade of these lipsticks (which is normal).

The "lip-matching" Nail Lacquers are exquisite. Vintage Ken is shown at left and Bodacious Bordeaux is shown at right. Both shades will give us the Bordeaux look that will be the "in color" this fall and winter. Bordeaux provides a beautiful accent for so many colors, and it will add a fashionable flair to your little black dress.

The packaging of the sets is unique, with a black, deep red, and fuchsia leopard print removable insert in an elegant black box. The insert cradles the nail lacquer and lipstick. The boxes have a printed Kenneth Downing signature. If you could stand to give one away, it would be a very classy gift. Sorry about the glare from the sun on the window of one of the boxes shown just above right. Isn't the box enticing?

I always warn you when I think something new is going to sell out. Consider yourself warned about the Bordeaux Collection. Call your local Neiman Marcus now. If you would like to order one from my friend Kathy Shoreman at Neiman Marcus Tysons, give her a call on her cell phone at 571-212-8399. Do it today if you can. She's off tomorrow (nursing her broken and bandaged hand), but will be back at work Sunday.

I will be back with a full feature later. I was so excited, I wanted to show you my selections from the collection as quickly as possible. I keep looking at my Wine On The Vine red lips in a mirror. I'm a happy gal.

Photos by Best Things in Beauty

Le Métier de Beauté Ken's Korals - Exclusive to Neiman Marcus

They've arrived - Ken's Korals were delivered just in time for Camp Gorgeous, Neiman Marcus' summer beauty event! Neiman Marcus Fashion Director Ken Downing, the definitive taste maker for Neiman Marcus, collaborated with Le Métier de Beauté to create two limited-edition products inspired by the bold, uplifting colors seen on runways. The result was Ken’s Korals. The coral-red lip and nail shades were chosen to be universally flattering.

Colour Core Moisture Stain Lipstick in Ken’s Kissable Koral ($32) is an innovative lip stain and moisturizer in one. Jojoba, lanolin, and shea butter will keep your lips soft, while a shot of rich coral on the lips will adds some drama to the classic sun-soaked summer look. The Nail Lacquer in Ken’s Kontagious Koral ($18) is available in a new, larger size, .40 ounces.

Both items are available exclusively at Neiman Marcus and neimanmarcus.com. If you are interested, you should reserve or purchase them soon. They are bound to sell out.

These swatch photos taken by Kathy Shoreman. As you can see, they are intense colors. Kathy took the photos in the store, I think, with her iPhone. Pretty good for iPhone photos! Isn't she the best?

I'm such a Le Métier de Beauté devotee, I wanted to show you the shades as soon as possible so that you red and coral fans can make sure to get these beauties while they are available. The hot colors are already hot tickets.

Photos by Kathy Shoreman for Best Things in Beauty