Prescriptives Baked Eye Color Quad

This limited-edition Lustre Baked Eye Color Quad from Prescriptives ($40) is hot! Seriously in demand. Sold out at many stores.

The warm quad is shown to the left, and with its neutral, brown-toned shades, it's more popular than the cool quad shown below. You can find cool at many stores where warm is sold out.

It's really too bad that Prescriptives is about to be kaput. The company line at sales counters is that the brand's products will be "redistributed" across the many Estee Lauder brands. Sure. I know that you will be able to continue to purchase your custom-blend foundation, but how does one "redistribute" a color-based line that doesn't "fit" the model of the other brands? Does that simply mean that other Estee Lauder companies will continue to sell cosmetics? I listened politely, with a mental image of a phoenix, as a sales rep at Macy's gave me his optimistic account.

Back to the shadows. Each eye shade is “baked” on a terracotta plate for a creamier texture and pure pearl finish. You can wear the shades alone or blended together for a multidimensional jewel-toned eye look. I will be a witness to how nice the warm shades look - all of them!

You can still purchase these at Prescriptives online. The Nordstrom and Lord & Taylor stores I visited were wiped out of warm, but Lord & Taylor had cool. Macy's at Tysons Corner Center had both, but I bought the next to last warm one.

Go to this link to see the entire Prescriptives Lustre Holiday Color Collection. Both Lustre Shimmer Cheek Colors ($24) are nice. Actually, the whole collection is superb! I guess they are going out with a bang.

Photo courtesy of Prescriptives

YSL's Beauty Essentials Luxury Holiday Gift Set

YSL has a great Beauty Essentials Luxury Holiday Gift Set ($135). I succumbed to the temptation yesterday and bought one at Nordstrom. (A shout out to Nordstrom for their custom of putting up holiday decorations only after we have celebrated Thanksgiving.)

What's in the luxurious vanity case?

Four of YSL’s must-have products: A full-sized Top Secrets Flash Radiance Skincare Brush, a full-sized Volume Effet Faux Cils Luxurious Mascara in #1 Black, a full- sized Touche Éclat in #1 (the "universal" shade, and who can't use an extra one for her handbag?), and a full size Gloss Volupté in #1 Iced Lychee (these are still selling out at YSL counters).

This has to be one of the top five holiday sets available. You save $15 (no great shakes, actually), but the items are all terrific. No give-aways here!

Photo courtesy of YSL Beauty

Lancome Holiday Eye Shadow & Blush Palette

These darling little limited-edition Lancome Eye Shadow & Blush Palettes ($39.50) are a great value. Six coordinating shadows join a blusher and a mini shadow brush in a beautiful compact. What a nice way to try some new colors!

The palettes are available in four color families. I bought Alluringly Bronze, and I'm considering going back for Evening Splendor. Our friends in beauty at Saks in Chevy Chase, Maryland gave me the 411 on a discount offer that starts on Sunday the 22nd and rolls for a week. During that time, there are discounts tied to spending levels, and the lowest is easy to reach - $100.

The Plum Irresistible palette features Color Design Sensational Effect Eye Shadows in Rapturous, Seductive Gaze, Magnificent, Captivating, Diva Shimmer, and Entrancing, plus Blush Subtil Delicate Oil-Free Powder Blush in Violet Sunrise.

The Alluringly Bronze palette features Color Design Sensational Effect Eye Shadows in Fabric, Alluring Presence, The New Black, Enticing, Get It Now, and Daylight, plus Blush Subtil Delicate Oil-Free Powder Blush in Mocha Havana.

The Evening Splendor palette features Color Design Sensational Effect Eye Shadows in Honeymoon, Tempted, Impress, Mannequin, Model, and Lezard, plus Blush Subtil Delicate Oil-Free Powder Blush in Bronze Escapade.

The Nude Seduction palette features Color Design Sensational Effect Eye Shadows in Pink Zinc, Wear It Well, Erotique, Amorous, Kittenish, and Feline Strut, plus Blush Subtil Delicate Oil-Free Powder Blush in Aplum.

Essentially, there's a color family for everyone! These palettes are available online at Lancome.com (where there is free shipping on all gift sets) and at Saks, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and most Lancome counters. They will only be available for a limited time - until they sell out.

Want to see swatches? Visit The Next Best Thing to Going Shopping Yourself.

Update 11/24: Lancome is having a Friends & Family sale online. Just enter code HOLIDAYJOY2 at checkout to receive a 20% discount and free shipping through November 30.

Photo courtesy of Nordstrom

Estee Lauder Limited-Edition Holiday Color Spectacular

Yesterday, I showed you the Lancome Holiday Beauty Box. Today, we turn to Estee Lauder's limited-edition Color Spectacular for the holidays, another annual favorite.

For $55 with any Estee Lauder fragrance purchase, you can buy this fabulous collection worth "over" $340. I like this set even more than this year's Lancome set. The rub is that you have to purchase an Estee Lauder fragrance to qualify. I wish it were simply any Estee Lauder product(s). I do wear Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia, but I don't really need any right now. Maybe I'll have to buy my mother some White Linen Light Breeze for Christmas!

Included this year?

• Deluxe Eyeshadow Compact with 15 coordinating shades (Sugar Cube, Ivory Box, Honey Drop, Lavender, Chocolate, Tea Biscuit, Copper Penny, Petal, Mulberry, Pale Moon, Cinnamon, Apricot, and Mocha Cup in Pure Color Eyeshadow, plus
• Sage Duo Estée Lauder Signature Eyeshadow
• Deluxe Face Compact (Estée Lauder Signature Silky Powder Blush in Rosewood and Nude Rose, and Bronze Goddess Soft Matte Bronzer)
• Four Pure Color Long Lasting Lipsticks (full-size, in Candy, Rose Tea, Fig, and Tiger Eye)
• Three Artist's Eye Pencils (great for smoky eyes, in SoftSmudge Black, SoftSmudge Brown, and Slate Writer)
• Projectionist High Definition Volume Mascara (10-day supply in Black)
• Lash Primer Plus (10-day supply)
• Gentle Eye Makeup Remover (full-size 3.4 oz.)
• Four Deluxe Makeup Brushes (Powder, Blush, Lip, and Eye)
• Look Book with tips on creating four fabulous looks
• Golden Stand-Up Mirror
• Cosmetic Traveler Case
• Companion Makeup Case (red at Macy's, Cream at Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, and Estee Lauder)
  

This set is an extraordinary value - really nice! I want one. It is available at EsteeLauder.com, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Nordstrom, and probably most Estee Lauder counters. There is also a free gift with any $39.50 Estee Lauder purchase at Bloomingdale's, doubling the value of your purchase.

Update 11/19: I ordered mine last night by calling my favorite Estee Lauder rep and having mine charged so it will be ready for me at Bloomingdale's. We were talking about what a great deal this is. And to think I just bought the new powder and blush brushes! Anyhow, Connie said that the eye makeup remover in this set is actually larger than the regular one - very nice!

Photo courtesy of Bloomingdale's

Lancome's Limited-Edition Holiday Beauty Box

Each holiday season, Lancome offers a Beauty Box, an incredible value collection of makeup and skin care products. This year the box is $52 with any $36 Lancome purchase. It's advertised as a $330 value.

For the last few years, I have purchased these limited-edition sets, and I have found them to be beautifully "edited." Last year's box, an oval, deep red, faux reptile, zippered box with a handle, serves me today as storage for makeup brushes. These boxes are so much nicer than see-through plastic from Target - or shoe boxes!

Included this year?

• Creme Radiance - clarifying cream-to-foam cleanser
• Renergie Microlift R.A.R.E. - lifting cream with SPF 15
• Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover - full-sized
• Cils Booster XL - super-enhancing mascara base
• Hypnose Custom Volume Mascara in Black - full-sized
• Color Palette - nine eye shadow shades and two best-selling Blush Subtil shades
• Color Design Sensational Effects Lip Colors - in All Done Up and Trendy Mauve
• Color Fever Lasting Radiance Sensual Lipcolor - in Prune Drama Girl
• Juicy Tubes Lip Glosses - in Magic Spell and Simmer

If the lipsticks and Juicy Tubes aren't full-sized, the are really close to it!

Just enter code BEAUTY09 at checkout at Lancome.com. The department stores have these boxes too. While Lancome.com and Bloomingdale's offer the box in black, I saw the box in white at Macy's. I like the black one best. The contents are the same.

Update 11/24: Lancome is having a Friends & Family sale online. Just enter code HOLIDAYJOY2 at checkout to receive a 20% discount and free shipping through November 30.

Photo courtesy of Lancome

Chanel Holiday 2009 Color - Collection Cage Dorée de Chanel

My first glance at Chanel's Holiday Collection, Cage Dorée de Chanel, which I had seen during what I call "drive-by" shopping, did not lure me to test. First glances are often misleading, so yesterday - with some weekend time on my hands - I did a bit of testing with Chris Coles at Nordstrom. I bought three fabulous pieces.

As a sidebar, I would have checked out the colors on Saturday, after the Beauty Trends Show at Nordstrom's Tysons Corner store, but I was afraid I would be trampled by the 500 attendees who were so anxious to buy beauty products you would have thought they were all headed to a desert isle with one last chance to get spruced up. To her credit, the lovely and lively stage mistress Julianne De'Chaump whipped the audience into a frenzy.

Les Tissages Lamés de Chanel ($60) is a beautiful highlighter in Chanel's signature tweed design - three delicately woven shades of shimmering golden color for cheeks, décolleté, or anyplace you want to give a golden glow. Gold, bronze, and copper tones cast a natural luminous glow on the skin. To its credit, Chanel skipped the glitter, so you can wear this highlighter during the day or for your evening festivities. I love highlighters, so this one jumped right into the little pile of purchases Chris was toting around. It provides a nice warm touch to my fair skin, and I think it will work for every skin tone.

The limited-edition Bird of Paradise LES 4 OMBRES Quadra Eye Shadow ($56) puts the focus on eyes with a tropical-bright quartet of aqua, yellow, green-gold, and copper shades, which can be toned down or played up, depending on your mood. In the case, these colors looked a little too bright for me. Once on the eyelids, though, they are gorgeous. The aqua is the brightest shade, and I will tone it down a bit by mixing it with one of the other colors. The model for the collection, wearing these shades, looks like she is ready for spring. Don't let that stop you from playing with them.

I thought the limited-edition "sleeper" of the collection might be the dual eye liner, La Ligne de Chanel ($45), shown above in Celadon Lamé. This dual eye liner is sold out on Chanel's Web site, so I'm glad I bought it. You have to try it to see the gorgeous, dark richness of the colors. The mistake-proof, powder eye liner duo can provide either the precision of a liquid eyeliner or the smudged look of a kohl pencil. The deep, dark black-green look, created by two different shades, is very flattering. These colors can be worn as liners or, with a light application, as shadows - much like Chanel's dramatic Collection Noirs Obscurs.

There are other items in this collection, including new Aqualumière Lipstick (28.50) and Lip Gloss ($27) shades. Aqualumière Lipstick is always with me. I live in it. I love the formula and beautiful transparent colors. The sheer colors in the holiday collection balance the exotic eye shades. The lipsticks on display are Galapagos, a lustrous coral; Tasmania, an exquisite pink; Grenada, a soft, subdued fuchsia; and the limited-edition Maldives, a warm, ultra-wearable peach. In the gloss department, the new shades of this water-light gloss are Colibri, a shimmering pearl; Hirondelle, a vibrant pink; and Canari, a bright, citrusy coral. The glosses wear comfortably while delivering a sheer wash of shiny color. I plan to go back when my bank account refreshes and try a few of these shades. All of them will take you safely into spring and summer, when pinks and corals promise to be among the hottest shades.

New limited-edition Les Vernis ($23) nail colors round out the collection in Trapèze, a radiant silver-beige; Mica Rose, a tender pink; and Orange Fizz, a vivid coral.

You can see the collection at Chanel's Web site, or at any department store with a Chanel Cosmetics counter, including Nordstrom, Saks, and Neiman Marcus. Spend a little time and "get to know" these new colors. You may like them as much as I do!

Photos courtesy of Chanel

Armani Beauty ArmaniSilk Lipstick for Holiday 2009

At long last - a professional photo to show you the beautiful presentation of Giorgio Armani Beauty's new limited-edition ArmaniSilk Lipstick ($38) for the holiday season.

This special lipstick is dressed in a refined Art Deco black lacquered case decorated with Swarovski crystals, like the holiday eye and cheek palette. It is protected by a velvet-like slip case with "Giorgio Armani" on it. So classy!

Available in two shades in this fancy-dress case, the lipstick is a highly pigmented cream lipstick. If you are familiar with ArmaniSilk lipstick, then you know that it's an exceptional blend of Armani's Micro Silk Powders that creates a creamy feel on the lips as it leaves sensational color. ArmaniSilk is available in about 22 stock colors.

The limited-edition bright red shade shown here (#95) is the color of the holiday season. I purchased the other shade (#94). I am not comfortable in red lipstick, and Thursday, even Fran agreed that red is not my shade. Makeup artists love red lipstick, so you can be sure red is not my color. However, if you wear red lipstick, this should be on your must-have list because it's such a pure red. The #94 I purchased is better for my coloring. A beige-toned nude, #94 has a bit of shine and is the perfect complement to a dramatic eye for evening. It's also a great everyday lip color.

If you want a dazzling lipstick for your holiday evening bag or vanity, or a stunner to pull out of your purse for touch-ups, this is it! You can find it as Saks Fifth Avenue stores with Armani counters, Nordstrom.com, or wherever you purchase Armani Beauty.

Photo courtesy of Nordstrom

Giorgio Armani Beauty Event at Saks with Fran Zacarias

Fran started his Armani career (although not his beauty industry career) with Armani fans at Saks in Chevy Chase, Maryland. This week, he returned home for a special event. While I was there, I think he spent more time greeting old friends, who were thrilled to see him, than actually doing consultations! Everyone has missed Fran (actually it's Francisco, but to his friends, it's Fran).

Fran is now a member of Giorgio Armani's national face designer team. He travels nationally, often with Tim Quinn, hosting special events for Giorgio Armani Beauty, working on Armani fashion-related events, training, and promoting the line as well as experimenting and evaluating new products.

Fran was "off doing a face" as Loyd Cassler and I played with colors. Fran and I had already caught up on his latest travels and Armani products - the new ones and those to come. It was so nice to see our hometown guy! Here's what the two selected for me: the Armani lover with fair skin, blue eyes with a touch of green, and fairly light blond hair. I was glowing when I left the store. Looking good makes me feel good!

I was already wearing foundation, specifically Armani's Hydra Glow foundation, so we didn't bother with a "base coat." However, Loyd did take some Face Fabric ($45) to touch up my nose area, the first place my makeup melts away. Could be the Kleenex that's always with me? One really nice thing about Face Fabric is that it can be applied over existing makeup seamlessly. Although it's a fabulous foundation, it's also a great touch-up product. (Just in case you are wondering, Hydra Glow has been discontinued, but I ordered 10 when I heard the product was about to disappear. If you love something, you don't want to let go, right? You can still get one shade of Hydra Glow at Nordstrom.)

Loyd decided to apply the new holiday Beauty Crystal Palette (or Black Lace Palette) ($98), which I had bought the moment it arrived at the store (see Best Things in Beauty story). Of course, his application took a twist I hadn't tried. He wrapped the teal shade around my eyes, using a light touch directly under my lashes. Instead of looking teal green, it looked lightly smokey and played to my eye color. He finished with a very thin line of Liquid Silk Eyeliner ($30) in matte charcoal at the base of my lashes - to match my grey leather jacket.

Then, he applied the highlighting powder from the palette on the high points of my skin. Nice!

He put the new mascara top coat over my Eyes to Kill Mascara ($28). Instead of looking bronze, which you expect from mascaras with color, the top coat gave my lashes some punch. It was just the right finishing touch. But...we weren't finished. The next stage was an all-over application of the new light pink highlighting or finishing powder, also part of the holiday collection. By then, I was glowing. I love it when everyone starts to gather and comment on how great the makeup looks. Some women might think, "Harrumph, I'm supposed to look good, not the makeup." But really, friends, we were at a makeup event!

Being the director that I am, I surveyed the finished product and decided that I had an end-of-day need for some concealer under my eyes. After a funny exchange between Loyd and Fran ("Concealer...no, Corrector...Concealer...no Corrector"), Loyd used High Precision Retouch ($35) concealer, and I was "done" except for my own lipstick and gloss, which I applied because I'm a germ phobe and won't use lip testers.

I said my goodbyes to the guys and the rest of the Armani team and headed off into the rush-hour traffic, wishing I had a party to attend. I didn't want to simply go home and wash off my new look. Now that's a good makeup session!

Photos courtesy of Giorgio Armani Beauty and Nordstrom

Shu Uemura's Tsumori Chisato Collection for Holiday 2009

This one's hot off my e-mail!

Shu Uemura partnered with Japanese fashion designer Tsumori Chisato to create the limited-edition "Wish upon a Star" holiday collection. Tsumori’s favorite Japanese icons "twinkle star" and "lucky cat" add a playful spirit and tidings of luck throughout the collection. You know I would be intrigued by makeup with a cat motif, right?

The Planet Cat Couture Palette ($65), shown here, contains three pressed eye shadows in Black Glitz, Shiny Silver, and Copper (nice colors!), one cream eyeliner in Black Purple, one cream highlighter in Gold Iridescent, one blush in Apricot Pink, and two dual-ended applicators. I think I have to have this! For the makeup, of course. I really don't collect cutesy cat things, even though I love our feline friends. These are great colors.

The Radiant Ribbon Couture Palette ($65), wrapped with a pretty bow, looks like a perfect spring look. It has three pressed eye shadows in Rose Pink, Shiny Gold, and Pale Purple, one cream eyeliner in Dark Brown, one cream highlighter in Diamond, one blush in Salmon Pink, and two dual-ended applicators.

For the face, Shu Uemura offers a darling Duo Color Highlighter in Duo Snow shimmering powders (yep, a cat in the powder) for $45. For your lips, the Gloss Unlimited Mini Trio Set with a pretty pink pouch is $45, and includes Gloss Unlimited shades Venus Peach, Moon Gold, and Scorpion Red. There's also a new Rouge Unlimited shade in Jupiter Brown ($25).

Completed with a mini brush set ($69) and a makeup bag ($29), which can be seen at this link, the collection has some pizazz.

Until November 4, you can get free shipping from the Shu Uemura Web site on any of these holiday products.

Photos courtesy of Shu Uemura

Clinique's Black Tie Violets Holiday Collection

There are some gorgeous new and re-introduced colors in Clinique's Black Tie Violets Holiday 2009 Collection. The Shimmering Stripes Powder Blusher in Tuxedo Plums ($29.50) grabbed my attention when I saw the new display at Saks. There's something about multi-colored blushers I really like. Maybe it's the complex color they impart when the colors are mixed or the choice of the darker or lighter side, depending on the look I'd like to achieve. There is also a limited-edition Powder Brush ($30) that is perfect for applying this beauty.

The Colour Surge Eye Shadow Quad ($25) in Black Tie Violets spans the full range of violet shades, from pink to deep plum. While I can't wear these shades, Loyd Cassler suggested they would be gorgeous on women with dark skin.

The collection features two lip colors, and one of them, A Different Grape ($14), is one of my all-time favorites. There are three Full Potential Lips Plum & Shine Glosses ($17.50). The colors featured are the limited-edition Bloomberry, Double Plum, and Luscious Lilac. I was "shopping for charity," so naturally I bought two!

The display also features Starry Plum Cream Shaper for Eyes ($14.50) and other items to complete your plummy look.

While you are Clinique shopping, make sure to check out all of the value and gift sets available. The Black Tie Violet items are in store at Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom and should be available at Clinique.com and other department stores very soon, if they aren't already.

Photos courtesy of Nordstrom

Les Deux Levres Scintillantes Gift Set

I love holiday gift sets. They usually offer popular products at a bit of a discount, making them "value sets." Chanel has a beauty!

Les Deux Levres Scintillantes Gift Set ($50), which I saw at Bloomingdale's Tysons today during a fabulous Beauty Department event, is a Chanel lover's delight. Gorgeous shimmer and a high-shine glow make the perfect gift for lips. The best-selling lip gloss in two new inspired shades: Spark, a golden berry, and Praline, a beige rose exclusive to the set. Also included? A mini LE CRAYON LÈVRES Precision Lip Definer in Nude, and a chic signature makeup bag. The gals at work line up for my makeup bag bounty, which I always share.

These lip glosses are among my favorites in the lip gloss world! High shine, no tackiness, no fragrance drama - just your own lips made better.

Until October 25, Chanel.com has free shipping, so you can order this bag using code 1009FREESHIP at checkout. Or, you could visit a Chanel counter in your favorite department store. This one's worth a look! If you purchase, let us know: Will you use it as a holiday gift or hoard it? I'm hoarding mine!

Photo courtesy of Chanel

The Stila 2009 Holiday Gift Collection

Stila has assembled an irresistible collection of holiday gifts. You can see the collection at Stila or Sephora. Each item is specially priced, and those items available at Sephora come with a 20% discount during Friends & Family.

The limited-edition Gift of Appreciation ($38), shown here, is a makeup powerhouse. I particularly love the Rose Gold Illuminating Finishing Powder and the Eye Shadow Trio in Gold Glow - both included. Just click on the link to see all of the items included. Stila calls this gift a thank you for your love and loyalty.

The 24K Luxe Lip Gloss Collection ($30) is on my Christmas list. Doesn't some uninspired person always ask you what you want for Christmas? You just have to make a list! I think these lip glosses are gorgeous. They are the bomb, as my younger friends say!





Are you a Lip Glaze gal? Check out this set of eight minis for $25. It includes four new shades: Marmalade (sheer peach with pink and while pearl), Pinkle Twinkle (sheer pink with pink and multicolor sparkle), Plum Fairy (sheer plum with pink pearl), and Candy (sheer pink-coral with rainbow sparkle).

There's so much more to love. Just go to Stila or Sephora to see these incredible value sets. They are a Stila lover's delight.

Photos courtesy of Sephora and Stila

Dior Holiday 2009 Palettes, Sets, and Pendant

It's Dior Holiday Love!

Dior has introduced some beautiful sets and palettes for Holiday 2009. My two favorites are shown here. The limited-edition Dior Deluxe Travel Palette ($75 and shown to the left) was my first choice, even though I stopped traveling long ago. Had to have it! This beauty has six smashing eye shadows that, mixed and matched, give you many gorgeous combinations. In fact, I have already tried two of the eye shadow rows on my cheeks, and they are stunning there too. The palette also has a "real" DiorBlush in a pretty pink shade, an allover highlighter, a lip gloss in #257 Organdi Pink, and a mini Black Iconic Mascara.

The limited-edition Dior Holiday Collection Makeup Palette for the Eyes ($42 and shown to the right) is a divine neutral palette - a great buy! Dior makes such high-quality eye shadow, anyone would love the eye palette as a gift - if you could part with it! The iridescent shadows are shades #682, #542, #519, and #929. Formulated to blend seamlessly, these silky, highly pigmented eye shadows were created with Dior's new Wet Reflect technology. Like the shadows in the travel palette, they can be applied on their own or mixed for endless combinations.

These two sets come in darling black patent zip-up cases with a silver-toned "D" charm that is removable. You could "Diorize" your key chain!

There's more! In a red patent case at Sephora, Dior has a limited-edition Holiday Collection Makeup Palette for the Lips ($40 and shown above) in shades of pink and red. What's interesting is that there appears to be a different lip palette at the department stores - darker lip colors in a black patent case. Check out the difference at this Nordstrom link.

A Mini Brush Set, also a limited edition, is available for $60. There's even a luxurious crystal pendant, the Aurore Boréale Crystal Lip Balm Pendant ($80), inspired by a Swarovski crystal created exclusively for Christian Dior in 1955. The Crystal contains a petal-pink lip balm with a hint of shimmer.

There are some opportunities this week to save money on these little wonders! Sephora is having Friends & Family until November 2. Just use the code FF2009 at checkout. Additionally, Saks has a Buy Some Get Some event on Thursday, October 22. Spend $250 that day and get a gift card for $25. Spend $500 and get a gift card for $50. It gets better as you spend more, so it's a good time for holiday shopping.

Photos courtesy of Nordstrom and Sephora

Giorgio Armani Beauty Crystal Palette for Holiday 2009

The Giorgio Armani Beauty Crystal Palette for Holiday 2009 ($98) arrived last week at Saks in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Thinking that professional photographs of it would show up online within days, I waited to tell you about it.

Wait no longer - I couldn't contain my excitement, so I took my own photos - in less than ideal conditions, given that I always get my best shots outdoors, but it's pouring. Here's are photos of this bejewled beauty taken in the best light I could find inside.

The sleek black case is ornamented with black and "diamond" crystals, making the presentation of this compact elegant. Of course, it comes in its own little black pouch. What's even more impressive to me, though, is the top layer of this two-level compact. The gorgeous shiny highlighting powder is "similarly attired," but with powder crystals. This powder is a stunner - in the case or on the skin! It leaves a holiday sparkle.

It gets better! The eye shadows in the bottom level are four of the prettiest shades I have ever seen combined - simply perfect. Arrayed just like the Armani eye shadow quads, the subtly shiny colors (top to bottom) are - to my eye - a taupe, silver-grey, light teal, and dark chocolate. The darkest color, what I'm calling dark chocolate, can be used as an accent color, a liner, or a regular shadow (you can build this shade from light to dark). The teal is a greyed-teal, perfect for your lid color or as an accent, depending on the look you are trying to create. The taupe is so versatile, I know I'll wear it out. The silver-grey is a perfect highlighter for your eyes. It's love.

Look out, Loyd, I think I'm coming back for another one of these palettes. I am feeling the urge to hoard!

Saks Chevy Chase has the Crystal Palette for Holiday in store; I suspect other Saks stores do too. Remember that it's Friends & Family as Saks this weekend. I'm sure that the Armani Web site and other stores carrying Armani Beauty will have this stunning palette soon.

Pitiful photos by BTiB