Coming Attraction: The Guerlain Shalimar Holiday 2016 Makeup Collection by Natalia Vodianova

This coming holiday season, Guerlain invites you on a unique journey into the heart of the East with an eight-piece makeup collection developed in partnership with supermodel Natalia Vodianova. The collection includes a new Shalimar iridescent spray for Body and Hair powder, plus Guerlain's must-have’s for achieving the perfect holiday party looks.

The collection includes these eight future superstars.

SOUFFLE D’OR DE SHALIMAR ($98). The famous Shalimar bottle is revisited in deeper blue with the Guerlain signature and a blue atomizer with metallic blue thread. Inside is an extra-fine pearly loose powder subtly perfumed with Shalimar Souffle de Parfum notes: bergamot, orange blossom, and vanilla. Apply to face, hair, body, and décolleté for a subtle golden highlight.

TERRACOTTA TERRA INDIA in 00 ($55). Packaged in lacquered Shalimar blue, Terracotta Terra India – whose pattern has been inspired by Indian drawings - is Guerlain’s classic Terracotta powder in shade 00. The powder, decorated with golden shimmer, offers a healthy glow.

MÉTÉORITES Perles de Légende ($65). This cult color-correcting formula, housed in a beautiful gold and sapphire limited-edition case inspired by India, creates a perfect, fresh, and radiant complexion thanks to a new and unique harmony of pearls.

L’OR EYELINER ($34). A long-lasting intense gold eyeliner that creates a stunning highlighted eye look. It comes in a silky texture for an easy and flawless application.

PRECIOUS LIGHT ($52). A light, pearly, and blendable texture to apply on light zones for an instant and subtle glow to illuminate the complexion in wintertime.

DUO EYESHADOW SHALIMAR in GOLD AND SAPPHIRE($46). Two vibrant colors inspired by precious stones: gold and sapphire with a creamy, metallic finish that will enhance the eyes for the holiday season.

ROUGE G Exceptional Complete Lip Color in #821 Rouge Saphir ($56). As unique as a jewel, a collector's edition of Rouge G lipstick with a precious blue stone on the case. The lipstick itself is an intense ruby red shade (in keeping with the red "color of the season).

KISSKISS in ROSE INDIEN ($37). Guerlain’s beloved KISSKISS formula in an intense fuchsia inspired by Indian pigments.

I saw a photo of the MÉTÉORITES Perles de Légende in the catalog Saks Fifth Avenue produced for its beauty event, which starts tomorrow. I was immediately smitten. Out of the eight pieces in this collection, I know I want at least six. I'm wondering where I will get the money. I need a new job soon!

Here are some lovely tips for using these new pieces from Supermodel Natalia Vodianova.

SOUFFLE D’OR DE SHALIMAR
“In addition to face and hair, I apply this powder on the back of my hands and on my wrists. So when I move them, a subtle scent emerges.”

MÉTÉORITES Perles de Légende
“I specifically chose these three colors of pearls because they remind me of the colors of the mosaics in the Indian palaces. The pink pearls revive the natural color of the cheeks and the freshness of the complexion; blue pearls correct irregularities of the skin and dark circles; and the gold pearls warm and illuminate cheekbones.”

TERRACOTTA TERRA INDIA in 00
“My application advice: use the three (3) gesture invented by Olivier Echaudemaison. Draw a three on each side of the face, from the forehead to the cheeks and then to the chin following the facial contour, and smoothing it down along the neck.”

L’OR EYELINER
“Do not hesitate to apply a fine line of the gold eyeliner over this collection’s eye shadows; it really makes my blue eyes stand out!”

PRECIOUS LIGHT
“To illuminate your features, apply this color on your cheeks, on the outside corner of your eyes, the bridge of your nose, or on your Cupid's bow.”

I'll be very happy if I can emulate her application techniques and end up with even a fraction of her blonde beauty.

The Guerlain Shalimar Holiday 2016 Makeup Collection by Natalia Vodianova will be available on October 1, 2016 at Guerlain Boutiques and select store and online location at Nordstrom, Sephora, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, and Dillard’s. See anything you must have?

Photos courtesy of Guerlain

Giorgio Armani Beauty Runway Fall/Winter 2016 Collection

Giorgio Armani is launching backstage makeup developed for his runway show - a look every woman can wear. Each new season for the past two years, the Armani Runway Lab has given Linda Cantello, Giorgio Armani International Makeup Artist, the tools to create the new colors imagined by Mr. Armani backstage. The following information came from the Armani press release.

An exclusive and limited makeup collection, directly inspired by the fashion show, is being made available to women so they can make the latest runway makeup their own. This season, every woman will be able to wear the look from the Armani Runway.

Bohemian Chic and Timeless Velvet
The Giorgio Armani Fall/Winter 2016 collection features black velvet heightened with floral prints. This soft, delicate and durable fabric, matte and iridescent at once, captures the light like none other and offers a multitude of highly inspiring facets. New shapes combine precise lines with the bohemian feel of fabrics swarming with jacquard brushstrokes, splashes of color, gradations of tone, and stylized flowers.

Makeup as seen on the catwalk is naturally soft and luminous. The pure complexion enhances mysterious eyes accentuated by lids that cast endless reflections of light. Lips are subtly tinged with an irresistible lavender nude that complements the perfectly elegant fleshy beige color of nails.
The Armani Runway Fall/Winter 2016 collection is composed of three products: 1) a palette with a sheer powder and a trio of eye shadows; 2) an Eye Tint liquid eye shadow; and 3) a Rouge d’Armani lipstick.

The Runway Palette ($120)
Featuring fabric hot off the runway, this season's eye and face palette is wrapped in silk muslin with floral prints stylized in nude, lavender, and black, as shown above.

This precious collector's palette has two tiers. The first tier reveals a silky and luminous universal sheer powder to mattify the complexion and highlight facial features. The second tier contains a trio of eye shadows in deep, delicate shades, ranging from matte velvet black to shimmering champagne and satiny mauve greige. Applied on the lids and below the eyes, they brighten and bring out the eyes.

Eye Tint – A Source of Light ($40)
Layered with the eye shadows from the Runway Palette, Eye Tint leaves an illuminating veil of iridescent champagne on the eyes. It can also be applied beneath the brow arch and in the inner corner of the eye for a heightened illuminating effect.

Inspired by MAESTRO Fusion Makeup, Eye Tint blends onto the skin smoothly for a "no-makeup" feel. Its pure, intense, and indefinable color guarantees long wear (16 hours), while retaining a light, fresh "bare lid" effect. Its extra-thin "Smart Eye Color Film" ensures flawless adherence to the eyelid. Its highly workable texture is easy to blend before drying and provides a cream-like sensation of comfort.

Rouge d'Armani ($40)
Lips are given a sensual touch of mauve beige to enhance their natural color. Rouge d'Armani lipstick deposits just the right subtly delectable tone of lavender nude on the lips.

Used every day by makeup artists around the world, this couture lipstick is now a must-have for even the most demanding women. Its gentle, lightweight formula promises exceptional color hold and comfort for six hours straight.

A Fashionable Case
Strengthening the unique ties between fashion and this exclusive makeup line, the Armani Runway products slip into a precious and elegant pouch made with the fabric of the Giorgio Armani Fall/Winter 2016 collection. It's really pretty! The pouch for the palette is the same as those shown above with the lipstick and Eye Tint.

Linda Cantello, Giorgio Armani International Makeup Artist, said, "For this collection, I took the fabric and was inspired by the colors; there is a blend of grey, lavender colors. The advantage of having the Runway Lab backstage is that we created a very shiny wet-looking Eye Tint that we didn’t have before."

The Runway Collection should have been available at Armani Beauty counters and online in mid-August. I've been checking every week because I want it. I'll let you know when I find it.

Update 9/21: The collection is in-store at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria and Saks Fifth Avenue, Chevy Chase.

Photos courtesy of Giorgio Armani Beauty

Coming Soon: Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Matte Liquid Lip Color

Months ago, the day I sat in the Neiman Marcus Café taking photos of the upcoming introductions, I snapped this photo of five of the eight Rouge Allure Ink Matte Lip Colors ($37). This is certainly the year of the lipstick!

The mark of your allure. Smooth gloss meets intense lipstick in an innovative new formula from Rouge Allure.

Chanel calls Rouge Allure Ink Matte Liquid Lip Color perfection in just one stroke. A long-lasting liquid lipstick that glides on like a gloss and dries with a luminous, velvet-like finish. Polymers, waxes, and plant oils smooth and nourish the lips, while jojoba oil and a unique antioxidant complex offer hydration and protective benefits. A sponge-tip applicator allows for comfortable and easy application.

The Rouge Allure Inks are available in a "provocative" range of shades, from tart pink to brown noir. They look intense to me.

I have read that they are starting to appear at Chanel counters. Officially, they are supposed to be on counter and at Chanel.com in October. Keep your eyes open. They are, apparently, arriving early.

Everywhere I turn, there are new lipsticks - full collections of new lipsticks. The Dior display of Rouge Dior is almost too full of new colors in a new formula. Matte lipsticks are everywhere. I was struck this weekend as I perused the Saks Beauty catalog (in advance of their Beauty Event) by the full-face photos of models, all wearing perfectly applied matte lips. Did they strike me as pretty? No. Alluring? No. I really hope Chanel "did it better." I'm looking forward to seeing and playing with these new Rouge Allure Inks.

Photo by Best Things in Beauty

The Friday Forum - September 16

Do you like leather fragrances? Tom Ford's new Ombré Leather 16 Eau de Parfum ($225) is a nice one. It smells like a soft leather, the kind you'd like to wear next to your skin. I wore it one day and found it to be soft, long-lasting, and inviting.

It's described as textured, sleek, and enveloping. Tom Ford has unveiled a private blend Eau de Parfum directly inspired by the fashion he just showed on the runway. Ombré Leather 16 invites you into his complete Autumn/Winter 2016 with a definitive statement.

I read somewhere that it has patchouli in the ingredients, but I've worn this fragrance and cannot smell that offending note (offensive to me). The other notes are leather, violet leaf, cardamom, jasmine sambac, and oakmoss. The fragrance is soft and inviting - perfect for the fall season. If you don't have a Tom Ford counter near you, give Debbie O'Malley a call at (202) 966-9700. She would be glad to help you. I hear this one is flying off the shelves.

The Neiman Marcus Beauty Event has been extended a few days, until September 21. Then, on the 22, the Saks event starts. I have not received a peek at their GWPs yet, but when I get one, I'll share it.

Le Métier de Beauté has finally released new colors! There are new lip crèmes. I just purchased two, and when the sun shines consistently, I'll get photos. There are also new matte lipsticks, but I can't recommend them. The color doesn't last.

I am supposed to receive the Victoria Beckham pieces I ordered tomorrow. I am beyond excited. I was conservative. I think I ordered four, including the vintage Modern Mercury. There was a mob scene in New York this week when she unveiled the collection. You can order at Bergdorf Goodman's Web site and Beckham's own site.

It's time for the Friday Forum. The Friday Forum has always been an opportunity to share information. Are you using a fabulous product and want to sing its praises? Tell us about it! Did you find a beauty product disappointing? Tell us why! Do you have questions others might be able to answer? We can help! Want to talk about skin care? I'm game. Just use the comments. We have busy weekends and slow ones on the forum. I hope to see you in the comments.

Update: Ask and you shall receive. I asked the beautiful Anna Befanis if she had a photo of the Saks Beauty Event Bag. Here it is. I think it looks very nice.

Photos courtesy of Tom Ford and Saks Fifth Avenue/Anna

Rose Garden Melody - Coming Attraction at Rouge Bunny Rouge for Fall 2016

Rouge Bunny Rouge has enticing Enchanted Garden news for you. Today their Autumn Beauty Look, Rose Garden Melody, launches and presents the two latest novelties, Skin Perfector and an Eye Shadow Palette called Caliche, for the new season.

Celebrating 10 years in the service of beauty, Rouge Bunny Rouge's Neo-Victorian Festival honors what customers love most about the company: individuality, excellent quality, and extraordinary results achieved with great ease.

The new looks, euphony of lace, summer night symphony, rose garden melody, and rebel princess, were designed to be expressions of modern beauty. Rose Garden Melody presents the lush abundance of pinks from the softest pearlescent cream-rose to sheer hot pink to dusty mauve and anything in between that creates the flattering harmony of Rouge Bunny Rouge's Autumn Beauty Look. There is a short video that presents the collection.

Skin Perfector looks like a must-have to me. I think I have one on the way. Weightless and velvety-soft, this lightly tinted primer dramatically enhances the appearance of your complexion with innovative particles called Diamond Core Powder. The formula transforms invisible UV light into blue and green light, an effect natural to young and healthy skin. Discoloration, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and imperfections nearly disappear.

Its delicate, rosy tint further flatters one's skin tone, making the skin look more radiant and fresh without any visible coverage. It is packed with antioxidents and plant-derived actives, and the combined ingredients contribute to protecting the skin.

The new Eye Shadow Palette Caliche is a nuanced harmony of muted silky purples (rosy ecru, dusky and earthy aubergine, rosewood, and mauve). This fall, you can step up your eye shadow game with this new Eye Shadow Palette color quartet. With encapsulated hyaluronic acid and argan oil added to the formula, the texture is even more silky and luxurious, while deeply hydrating to the skin. Argan oil nourishes and regenerates, too.

Rouge Bunny Rouge is quintessentially British. The company's makeup and skin care embody efficient and ground-breaking formulas, active ingredients, rich and complex colors, and unmatched signature textures with a lightweight second-skin feel. Rouge Bunny Rouge is constantly scouring the latest state-of-the-art solutions from the best international manufacturers. Rouge Bunny Rouge is also renowned (for good reason) for its fantastic world of storytelling. Elements of magic, whimsy, and mystery are playfully reflected in the names of their products, endearingly romantic or charming and mischievous.

As a counterbalance to massively trend-driven or conceptual, ritual-based cosmetics, Rouge Bunny Rouge stands for quality and effortless results - beauty that is quick and easy to achieve, with no complicated techniques that must be mastered. How perfect for modern, busy women!

Caliche will be available in the U.S. in October (you can purchase online or from Beautyhabit) and in Rouge Bunny Rouge's international and German Web Boutique at the end of this week. Check out the company's Web site.

Photos courtesy of Rouge Bunny Rouge

Prevage City Smart Broad Spectrum SPF50 Hydrating Shield

Years ago, I started using Prevage MD, a product that is no longer on the market. I was stunned by how well it improved everything about my skin. Prevage MD was, as I understood it, the super version of regular Prevage, and who wouldn't want to use the best?

Then I was disappointed in 2009 to learn that the maker had decided to improve the formula. Unrelated story: I'll never forget a certain improvement that was made to a face cream I had used for a few years (Paula's Choice). It was for seriously dry and sensitive skin, and it worked really well. Paula decided to put retinol in it. I called the company and complained. "Don't you, the experts, know that retinol can do serious damage to sensitive skin?" The representative basically told me I was "misinformed." I guess that meant my dermatologist was misinformed about my skin too. After suffering through losing a skin treatment that had really worked for me, I was petrified when I learned that Prevage MD would be "improved," meaning replaced with regular Prevage with a lesser percentage of its active ingredient. I stopped using it. If you want to read about that story, go here.

Anyhow, Elizabeth Arden, the maker of Prevage (although not its original maker), has released a new version of Prevage that caught my eye: Prevage City Smart Broad Spectrum SPF50 Hydrating Shield ($68), a multipurpose product that really appealed to me. Before I tell you more about it, I'll share some of Elizabeth Arden's press about Prevage skin care.

Reverse the face of time, now! Scientists have proven that environmental threats are the leading cause of aging skin. Exposure to smoke, pollution, and sun can cause free radicals, leaving skin dry and uneven in tone, and increasing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. That's why the scientists at Elizabeth Arden developed Prevage, the leading solution to the #1 cause of signs of aging.

These groundbreaking treatments leverage the brand’s scientific research and over a decade of leading innovation within the environmental protection category. The power of Prevage comes from Idebenone, the single most powerful antioxidant. By protecting the skin from oxidative stress, Idebenone not only shields the skin from future environmental effects, but also helps support the skin’s natural repair process and restore a youthful appearance. The look of lines, wrinkles, age spots, and sun damage are diminished as the look of firmness is improved with continuous use of Prevage.

The brand’s exclusive Idebenone Ester Technology is an advanced delivery system that fuses Idebenone with a skin compatible ester to provide a time-release reservoir of Idebenone, targeted where and when it’s most needed. This delivery system allows for a more effective and gentle use of Idebenone, even on those with sensitive skin. Idebenone has been tested under the rigorous Environmental Protection Factor TM 3 protocol, which uses a multifaceted approach to measure the power of an ingredient’s topical antioxidant performance.

EPF assesses how much protection you'll get against environmental aggressors such as stress, pollution, and smoking (God forbid) — all of which accelerate the signs of aging. When tested, Idebenone scores an EPF rating of 95 out of 100. In fact, Idebenone was proven to be more effective than the six other leading antioxidants.

The Prevage portfolio of products is large. I don't have time here to tell you about all of them, and I don't have or use all of them. I'm smitten with the newest City Smart Broad Spectrum SPF50 Hydrating Shield. I purchased mine from Nordstrom.

City Smart provides all of the wonderful features of other Prevage products, but also protects the skin with an SPF of 50. It is lightweight; you'd never know that it's so laden with sunblock.

It offers superior anti-aging technology. It’s in our DNA. Every day, in cities all over the world, the environment - from UV rays to pollution and smoke - is visibly aging your skin; in fact, 80% of all signs of skin aging are due to the environment. I'd guess genetics comes in second.

City Smart is a DNA Enzyme Complex, an anti-ollution protective agent, and an antioxidant broad spectrum SPF 50 Hydrating Shield - all in one. It's the first-of-its-kind skin shield to combine pollution and UV protection with Arden's DNA Enzyme Complex to strengthen the skin. It provides sheer, hydrating, invisible protection to help the skin look younger, longer. Truth!

• City Smart screens out skin-dulling pollutants and 98% of UVB rays.
• It visibly improves the skin’s condition in many ways.
• Plus it's formulated with a powerful antioxidant blend to maintain optimal skin health even in the most heavily polluted environments.

Although new, it has already won a "Best Face Sunscreen 2016 award from Health.

You can find the ingredients here. Key among them are Idebenone (When compared to antioxidants in face products, Idebenone in Prevage surpasses alpha lipoic acid, kinetin, vitamin C, vitamin E, and ubiquinone in environmental protection against oxidative stress), Green Tea, Thiotaine, Ferulic Acid, and L-Carnosine, all included to neutralize free radical damage.

Enough of that scientific stuff for now. City Smart is a lovely product. It is yellow, as its predecessors were, but it does not leave the skin yellow. I could swear, though, that the pigment in the product evens out my skin tone just a tad. That's a superb "side effect." It applies easily, quickly, and evenly, and it absorbs quickly, leaving my skin look radiant and even-toned. I really can't tell it's there after I apply it. As a rule, I apply my moisturizer over it, although I believe those with oily skin will not need additional moisture. I'm just so dry!

I love the fact that my skin treatment provides a high level of sun protection, without any of the usual effects of sunscreen: tackiness, whitewash, heaviness, and other undesirable qualities. It does this through zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. If you don't react well to those physical sunblocks, this may not be the sunscreen for you.

Otherwise, I highly recommend you try it. Give it a test of a few months, and I'll bet that your skin will improve in tone, texture, hydration, and appearance. One nice thing? It's relatively inexpensive. You won't have to lay out a fortune to find out whether it works for you.

I'm excited again about Prevage. It's nice to find skin care that meets its promises. You can find Prevage City Smart and its sister products at Elizabeth Arden's Web site and Elizabeth Arden counters. There's a special promotion this week at Elizabeth Arden counters (Macy's) and the Web site. Good time to try.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Arden

Clé de Peau Radiant Liquid Rouge

Several of you have spoken in comments about Clé de Peau's Radiant Liquid Rouge ($48). I was dying to try it and gleeful when a gratis box arrived from Clé de Peau with three shades, #12, #14, and #17. There are seven shades in all. My photo above shows #12 at left, #14 at the top, and #17 at the lower right.

This luxurious, dermatologist-tested, glossy stain delivers long-wearing color that melts into the lips for a shiny, vinyl look. It provides these benefits.

• Unique Tri-laminar technology separates color and shine into three layers for an unparalleled level of color saturation and captivating texture.
• Brilliant Color Powder creates bright rich color that appears to melt into lips.
• Crystal Coat Polymer reveals a jewel-like luster and radiance.
• Illuminating Hydro-Wrap Complex and premium Argan Tree Oil deliver rich moisture that lasts for four hours.

On my lips, Radiant Liquid Rouge feels extremely creamy and hydrating. The colors pop with a shine and brilliance that I love. The color is extremely long lasting.

I took my photos in full, mid-afternoon sun. My arm shows them in numerical order, with #12 at the top, #14 in the middle, and the red #17 at the bottom.

You can probably guess that my favorite of the three is #12, the mauve rose. It's my kind of color. I'm wearing #14 now. It's a warm day, and it's a beautiful peachy-pink that's perfect for warm weather. The red #17 will have to be a night shade for me. I'm a bit of a red phobe. Nevertheless, the shade is magnificent.

I know some of you have been wearing these lip colors. I'd love to hear about your experiences.

You can purchase these fabulous lip colors at Clé de Peau's Web site and Clé de Peau counters. It would be a good time to go to the counter at Neiman Marcus, where there is a GWP.

Photos by Best Things in Beauty