M·A·C A Tartan Tale Face Kits for Holiday 2010

I'm still on a M·A·C A Tartan Tale roll. A Tartan Tale is, without a doubt, my favorite-ever M·A·C collection. I suppose that doesn't say much, since I'm not a M·A·C groupie (the term used with love), but I do appreciate certain items from M·A·C, and I have fallen hard for A Tartan Tale. Yes, the packaging is beyond "appealing," explaining my enchantment (see the compact photo below), but the makeup inside is enticing too. What I particularly love about these Face Kits is the range of shades in one color family. I suspect they will become reach-for compacts.

I bought two limited-edition Face Kits. I had to get them from M·A·C online because Nordstrom had sold out. My favorite of the two is Hark the Heraldry ($38). The red plaid, tartan double-decker compact with its M∙A∙C crest speaks of the regal lineage of this fabulous face trio! Highlight, contour, perfect, and shimmer, with a heraldic mix of Oh So Fair Beauty Powder, Plum Foolery Sheertone Shimmer Blush, and Dame Powder Blush (shown left to right in the palette photo above).

That's the order in which I swatched them. They were applied to my arm with a large sponge-tipped applicator intended for eye shadows. I took my photo in full sun. The Face Kits provide a range of blushers with a color theme. Simply put, the theme of Hark the Heraldry is pink. The other day, I wore a red jacket to work. You may know that pinky-pink blush looks garish with a red jacket; I need something with more brown in it. Dame worked perfectly. As you can see on my arm, it's very neutral. It looked great!

Yes, I am one of those women who ensures that her makeup doesn't clash with her outfit. I have read that I'm not supposed to do that, but the fashion gods will just have to nash their teeth. I can't imagine wearing bright pink blush with a red jacket, looking like Betty Boop, that sweet and seductive baby-doll, but without the looks (or cleavage) of Cara Bow to distract the eye from the mismatch.

I also ordered A Triumphant Blush ($38). It was one of those situations in which I couldn't make up my mind and didn't want to miss out. This kit includes the warm, peach tones of Smooth Harmony Beauty Powder, Peachtwist Sheertone Shimmer Blush, and Melba Powder Blush. Just click on the link to see it. They also work nicely on me, but will be best saved for next summer. On the other hand, they look darn good with brown, one of my winter wardrobe staples!

You can find these at MAC's Web site. At this point, I'm not sure about the list of M·A·C stores, or Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's stores, that still have them in stock. Call ahead.

Photos courtesy of M·A·C, except for my arm

Giorgio Armani Beauty Friends & Family Wednesday and Cyber Monday Offer

The special offers keep rolling in, and this one's irresistible! Wednesday, November 24 - one day only - Giorgio Armani Beauty is having a Friends & Family event. Use code FRIENDS, and you will receive a 20% discount on your purchase, along with complimentary shipping if you spend $75 or more. The offer is valid only on the Armani Beauty U.S. Web Site.

If you miss that, Armani has you covered! On Cyber Monday, there's a special "step-up offer." Spend $75 and receive 20% off and complimentary shipping. Use code FRIENDS.

Or, spend $125 and receive the 20% discount, complimentary shipping, and an exclusive six-piece gift in a deluxe Armani cosmetics bag. The set includes deluxe samples: Rouge d'Armani Lip Card, mini Eyes to Kill mascara, Luminous Silk foundation in shade 5.5, Light Master Primer, Fluid Sheer #3, Armani Code for Women, and the bag. Use offer code FRIENDS2.

Even though this Cyber Monday offer says "one day only," both of the Cyber Monday specials will be valid until November 30 at the Armani Beauty U.S. Web site. I have confirmed that. Shop early, though, to get your first choices!

Tempted? I am!

Photos courtesy of Armani Beauty

Le Métier de Beauté True Color Eye Shadow

Every time I go to a Le Métier de Beauté counter, I buy more True Color Eye Shadow ($30). During the recent Holiday Beauty Soiree at Neiman Marcus at Mazza Gallerie, I continued my newest habit, picking up two more: Spicy and Mulberry. Pretty soon, I'll have them all! Each time I hang out at the Le Métier de Beauté counter, I buy a few and add a few more to my wish list.

Santa, how about just dropping them all off for Christmas? Can you even imagine? A Le Métier de Beauté holiday courtesy of a savvy Santa. He could slide down my chimney with one of everything from the line. That would be the best Christmas gift of my life.

True Color Eye Shadow provides outstanding color payoff with weightless, true-to-color pigments. The shadows are sheer, providing adjustable coverage, with transparency or intensity, depending on the shade you select. The shadows are available in a range of finishes - matte, shimmer, and satin.

• Matte: A smooth, velvety texture offering full coverage without sheen
• Satin: A rich, silk-like consistency offering sheer coverage with a subtle sheen
• Shimmer: A refined, pearl-like texture offering full coverage with maximum sheen

The powder eye shadows are creamy, offering a luxurious finish and smooth coverage. Each elegant, black compact has a mirror. I can add these two to my beloved Corinthian to create my much-loved neutral-toned looks.

Spicy, shown at left in my photo above, has a gorgeous shimmer finish. It is much more intense than Mulberry, shown above at right. Mulberry has a satin finish, and it's very sheer. I consider it the perfect everyday neutral.

To show you the huge difference in these two "brown-toned" shadows, I swatched them with a sponge-tipped applicator and took my photo in full sun. Spicy, shown at the top of the swatches, applies quickly with one swipe, giving me a bright, shimmering copper look. Love it! Mulberry is a very cool brown with just a slight hint of pink. The shade looks nothing like it looks on the Web on those little swatches, which make it look lavender. Dustin Lujan, Le Métier de Beauté national makeup artist and representative, says that Mulberry is too cool for many women. He said it's a difficult shade for women with warm-toned skin to wear; they have better choices from the many shades available in this fabulous eye shadow collection.

I thought Mulberry was perfect for me, and he (and Lisa Lingis) concurred that it would work nicely on my cool-toned, fair skin. I didn't even try it on my eyelids at the store; I knew I would love it from a quick swatch. To get the color intensity for this photo, I swiped the applicator across my arm four times. The color built with each swipe, and I finally stopped, knowing when it was time for its photo op. It's that light and sheer!

Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman show 32 shades of True Color Eye Shadow available on their Web sites. Nordstrom shows 33. There's a shade for every taste, look, and skin tone. I need to show you the other Le Métier de Beauté True Color Eye Shadow treasures I purchased in October. I promise I will do that soon.

Le Métier de Beauté is available at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and Nordstrom (online only). It appears that Le Métier de Beauté will soon have its own Web site. It has been under construction for the few months since I started checking.

You might want to consider these luxurious shadows at Neiman Marcus this week, when you will receive a nice clutch bag with fragrances samples with an $85 purchase in the beauty department - or during In Circle in December, when there will be gifts with purchase galore.

Photos by BTiB

Smashbox Friends & Family Sale

Now through November 29, you can spend less at Smashbox! Use the code FFSB20 at checkout, and your order will be discounted by 20%. Unfortunately, you can't combine the offer with Let's Do Lunch. Spread the word.

This is the perfect time to buy the holiday Wish Collection. You may need to join to become an insider. Have fun!

Photo courtesy of Smashbox

Chantecaille Papillon Violet Eye Shade Compact

Chantecaille has fabulous special offers at its Web site! The current offer, like most, is incredibly generous. Spend $200 or more, and you will find this makeup museum-worthy, hand-designed Papillon Violet Eye Shade Compact ($39) in your box.

The Papillon Eye Shades are available for purchase in two color combinations: Papillon Blue and Papillon Violet. Both are gorgeous. Each provides a trio of superfine holiday shades inspired by the graceful butterfly. There are two principal colors complemented by two detail colors in each compact. The detail colors have to be "picked up" with a very fine brush or applicator, but they are worth the extra effort.

I took a swatch photo for you. I got a pure, unblended swatch of the golden base shade outside the butterfly imprint and a swatch moving the applicator across the full wing of the butterfly, top to bottom. I used a sponge-tipped applicator and took my photo in full, mid-day sun.

A big fan of golden eyelids, I use the gold shade all over my lower lid and smudge some of the violet as an accent only on the outer lid. It works, despite the plummy color that's hard for me to wear. Blended with the golden shade, it's very pretty. If you are a plum lover, you are going to be smitten.
Chantecaille's sales of the Papillon Eye Shades have benefited the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation to help protect the fragile ecosystem of the Monarch Butterfly’s winter habitat. Chantecaille's Les Papillons Collection is of particular relevance right now; the American butterfly is currently under greater attack than at any time in its existence. The Monarch Butterfly, a national symbol, is now on the endangered species list. Every year, what has been known as the "miracle migration" of the Western Monarch Butterfly has signaled its arrival with magnificent blazes of orange against the autumn sky. Flying from as far north as Canada to find a winter home in the eight to ten last remaining Monarch habitats in California and Mexico, the Monarch mates at the end of winter, before starting the journey back north in the spring.

The fragile ecosystem of the butterfly's winter home has been disrupted over recent years by logging and deforestation due to the drive for increased coastal development. The subsequent effect of global warming has led to early butterfly desiccation and death. The milkweed, where the female Monarch lays her eggs during the winter, is seen as a weed and killed with herbicides.

Chantecaille's Les Papillons Collection seeks to help protect the Monarch Butterfly's winter habitat by donating 5% of all sales to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation, established in 1997 by scientists and educators seeking to replace and revive the winter butterfly habitats. Thus far Chantecaille has donated over $20,000, which has gone towards replanting trees in Michoacán, Mexico, a natural winter home for the butterflies.

This is the kind of makeup that makes me feel good about overspending! It's one of my favorite things about Chantecaille. As an avid environmentalist and animal lover, I appreciate companies that make a meaningful difference to save endangered animals and their habitats.

If you want this compact, don't waste any time. I missed the last special offer, and I'm still kicking myself over it. Head over to Chantecaille's Web site.

Photos courtesy of Chanteaille

Stila Holiday Blockbuster Set Giveaway Contest

Congratulations to Dlori, the winner of this incredible set!There were supposed to be only 50 of these available. Naturally, I ordered one for a giveaway contest! When I got the e-mail from Stila, I posted the set immediately. Later that day, when I saw it was sold out, I removed my announcement from the blog. Today, I found the Holiday Blockbuster Set at Costco for $20, $8 less than Stila charged for it. Nice deal! I'm not a big fan of exclusivity or deprivation, so I'm pleased that more women can get their hands on it. This set was pegged at a $450 value by Stila. I'm not sure about that, but it's certainly worth well over $100.

The eye shadows in this set remind me of the Bobbi Brights Eye Palette because of the small circles of color on the top level, along with circles of lip color. You need to know that the colors are not half as bright as they appear in this Stila photo. They are all attractive, and I am glad I purchased one of these for myself today at Costco. There's literally an eye shadow and lip color for every occasion.

Here's what comes in the multi-level set.

• 30 eye shadows
• 15 lip colors
• 3 cheek colors
• 1 highlighter
• 1 bronzer
• 1 mini eyeliner
• 1 mini lip liner
• 1 sponge-tipped applicators
• 1 mini lip brush
• 1 mini blush brush

I have one of these beauties to give away - the one I purchased from Stila. The Costco set is housed in one of those deadly plastic clamshells that I can never open without cutting myself, so I won't wish that on you.

To enter to win this week's giveaway contest, just leave a comment here once. After you comment, feel free to e-mail bestthingsinbeautycontests@gmail.com and identify your comment. You can never be too careful about sharing your e-mail address on a blog, so I would follow this second step if I were you (an alternative is to code your e-mail, e.g., myname at gmail dot com, in your comment). That's what most of you do.

You can "earn" a second entry by tweeting this contest. Just make sure to include "@BTiBeauty" (without the quotes) in your tweet. I will tweet the contest soon, and you can simply retweet it to earn that second entry. You can earn a third entry by following the blog - either here or on Twitter (any entrant who is already a follower will automatically earn the follower point).

The deadline for entries will be Saturday, November 27, at midnight. The next morning, I will use a random number generator (random.org) to select the winner. I will e-mail the winner at that time. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to my message and provide a shipping address. After 48 hours, the prize will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected.

Here is more "fine print." This contest is open to anyone anywhere. Here are the terms. I will carefully pack and ship the prize (as I always do). I cannot insure the palette for overseas shipment - it's amazingly expensive to do so. If it's lost or stolen in transit, I won't be able to replace it with another palette for an overseas winner. We'll see how this works. My shipping issues have occurred when I've shipped overseas - the packages to the U.S. and Canada always arrive without incident. I'll do my best on this end; let's see if your mail services do right by you on the other end if we have an overseas winner.

Good Luck!

Photo courtesy of Stila

Mass Market Holiday Beauty Promotions

Hang on! The beauty promotions for the holidays are starting, and this year they will extend to mass market retailers. Determined to cut into department stores' holiday sales, drugstores and other mass merchants will be offering gifts with purchase and value sets. Some already are, but the full-court press will start the day after Thanksgiving (called Black Friday in the U.S.).

WWD provided a summary of the mass market foray into the holiday market. I couldn't resist adding my own comments to the news.

Beauty 360, an upscale boutique connected to select CVS Pharmacy locations, has a host of gift-with-purchase promotions planned. Shoppers who spend $25 on any Bloom cosmetics product will receive a Make Up Essentials Bag, a $29.95 value. Those who buy $30 worth of Warren Tricomi hair care products will receive a Blow Dry Lotion, a $15 value. A purchase of any Cargo cosmetics item will be rewarded with a choice of a free Boogie Nights Silver Eye Pencil or a Shimmer Pen, a $25 value. The beauty boutique will also be giving away a $25 Beauty 360 gift certificate with any purchase of $100 or more through January 31. Holiday-themed open houses are planned in every Beauty 360 store on November 26th and each Thursday in December, from 2:00 pm. to 7:00 pm.

Inside the traditional CVS beauty departments, the retailer has special offers, but they aren't nearly as exciting. CVS will offer proprietary sets, including the Essence of Beauty All Occasion Tote, complete with a matching cosmetics bag, mini-sized hand cream, and body mist for $14.99, a so-called $75 value, as well as the Essence of Beauty Luxury Slipper Set, which includes a foot scrub and lotion for $9.99, a $14 value. I think this shows that the focus of CVS has slipped away from the prestige brands, such as Vichy, that it had started to promote at select stores, to the lower end of the scale.

CVS did collaborate with brands to create promotional items that are slightly more interesting than its in-house label. A sampling of what will be offered includes the Wet 'n Wild Festive Flirt Nail Kit, which has eight nail colors and a nail file for $4.99, a $17 value; the Burt’s Bees Tin Ornament with Beeswax Lip Balms for $9.99, a $15 value; and $19.99 fragrance sampler boxes available in classics for her, celebrity for her, and celebrity for him, with a $20 coupon for a full scent inside. I'm unimpressed with the fragrances. I don't think they are a good fit with middle-class neighborhoods like mine, where residents have money to spend on non-essential holiday gifts. Duane Reade, Walgreens, Rite Aid, ShopRite, and Target all have similar promotions planned. I've got my eye on this Dripping in Diamonds brush set from Sonia Kashuk for Target.
Online retailers are getting in on the act too. One of my favorites, Beauty.com, will be offering an assortment of Laura Geller cosmetics gift sets for up to 75% off. Beauty.com is also working with beauty brands to create value sets for the holidays, including Stila's Color Wheel Eye Shadow Palette for $38. Beauty.com has already had to reorder this popular Stila set.

Right now, there is a special offer at Beauty.com. Get a free Lolita makeup bag filled with 13 beauty samples with any $100 purchase.

Beauty.com (and its sister Drugstore.com) will be offering free shipping on all non-prescription orders of $25 or more through December 20. Beauty.com also launched its first-ever printed gift guide, which will offer free shipping on any item featured within its pages. The guide will be tucked into shipping boxes.

According to the National Retail Federation by BIGresearch, up to 138 million people plan to shop Black Friday weekend (Friday through Sunday), up from the 134 million people who planned to do so last year. Non-mall retailers want a piece of that action. There will be some good deals out there. Shop early!

Photo and information courtesy of WWD