Simply Vera Vera Wang Cosmetics Smoothing Lipcolour

My love affair with Vera Wang Cosmetics continues. I've already featured a couple of items from the gorgeous collection Vera Wang introduced at Kohl's. Today, I continue my series - and gush some more.

Available in seven shades, Vera Wang's Smoothing Lipcolour ($18.50) adds the finishing touch to our overall look, providing rich, long-wearing, stay-true color and moisture to the lips. The medium-coverage, lightweight formula offers spectacular color in three gorgeous finishes: cream, shimmer, and sparkle. These lip colors glide on effortlessly, feeling silky-smooth and providing extraordinary shine to leave lips looking soft and glossy. The shades stay true and wear evenly, lasting up to eight hours (not on me, but no lip color lasts that long on me).

The moisture-rich formula softens my lips nicely. Conditioners and moisturizers help smooth the lips, not only for eased application, but also for the reduction of fine lines. Antioxidants, lipid barriers, and vitamin E help protect the lips from environmental damage, while a blend of shea butter and soybean ester help condition and moisturize.

The descriptions of Vera Wang's Cosmetics on the Kohl's Web site are spare - but the photos are fabulous. Go there, click on a little swatch color that interests you, and the large photo of the product will change to your selected color. I love that. The three shades I've been trying, courtesy of Vera Wang, are, from left to right above, #707, #710, and #712. After wearing these, I want the other four! I can be greedy.

Here are some swatch photos to demonstrate how gorgeous these colors are. My swatch photos were taken in full sun, with #707 at the top of my arm, #710 in the middle, and #712 at the bottom. These shades run from light and pastel to rich and racy.

Shade #701 is a very warm rose. In person, it has a touch of coral in it. It's an amazing shade - one I can wear, even with my preferences for cool tones. Shade #710 is a shimmering pink that actually works, despite the fact that it's lighter than my lips. Instead of looking like a 70's throwback, as I often do in light, shimmery (some would say frosty) mauve pink lip colors, I look (in my humble opinion) pretty darn good in it. I'm wearing it as I write, and my lips feel fabulous. Shade #712 is a "me shade," a mauve-toned rose that's simply divine.

I am enormously impressed with these lipsticks. If you've been reading, you know that I'm stunned by the whole Vera Wang Cosmetics line. Get thee to a Kohl's! I plan to order numbers 702, 708, and 711 online. I adore the three shades Vera Wang sent me, and I am willing to put my money into this line big time. I am blown away by it, and I'm ready to say it's the best mass market line I've ever tried.

I still have more to show you. The Illuminating Concealer is totally amazing. Where can you find Vera Wang Cosmetics? Only at Kohl's.

Photo at top courtesy of Kohl's; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Simply Vera Vera Wang Cosmetics Illuminating Pressed Powder

I mentioned last week that I had receive a treasure trove of Vera Wang Cosmetics to try, and I have been delighted with each and every item I received. The Simply Vera Vera Wang Cosmetics Illuminating Pressed Powder ($32.50) is available in three shade quads. I would be #301, the lightest. I received the darkest, #303. It turned out to be a blessing because it a a stunning contouring and bronzing shade on my skin. Seriously stunning! I didn't really need another face powder, but I can always make room for a new bronzer.

Vera Wang suggests you blend all four shades for illuminating color. You can do that. Or you can use the shades individually. The quads are large enough to do that. If you swirl these four expertly coordinated shades together, you'll create an allover naturally radiant and glowing complexion. No sparkle, just lively color.

I wanted to show you the shades a few different ways. I applied all four shades mixed at the top of my arm, swatching heavily with a sponge-tipped applicator.  The stripe below that is the peach shade alone - the one at the top left quadrant in the compact. I wanted to see how that would look as a blush. The large swatch at the bottom of my arm shows all four shades mixed again. It was applied with a dense blush brush.

The powder in the compact is very powdery. Swirling a brush around loosened up the powder and left a little debris around the edges, but that soft quality makes it apply sheerly and perfectly for a finishing powder. There's no struggling to transfer the powder to a brush, shake, fluff, and go.

Vera Wang Cosmetics Illuminating Pressed Powder offers amazing quality at a very reasonable (even inexpensive) prices. I'm delighted to have had the opportunity to test this beautiful makeup. With the taste I've had, I'm becoming a devotee quickly. Vera Wang can do no wrong.

Kohl's is the exclusive source. I'm so glad I can order online. I can promise I'll be ordering at Kohl's when I see my next paycheck.

I have a few more treasures to show you this week. Stay tuned.

Photo at top courtesy of Kohl's; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Simply Vera Vera Wang Cosmetics Illuminating Powder Blush

Simply Vera Vera Wang Cosmetics Illuminating Powder Blush ($19.50) is available in six shades that provide a soft, radiant glow with sheer yet buildable color. I received #316 to try, and I'm enormously impressed. If you didn't read my introduction to Vera Wang Cosmetics, scroll up or click here.

 The blush in shade #316 is a beautiful light rose. Had I been selecting it online, it's the shade I would have chosen. The Kohl's online site provides beautiful photos of each shade when you click on the little color representation. The shades range from beige to mauve. All of them look very natural. The compact is halved, with one half providing the blush powder and the other housing a little angled blush brush.

I swatched #316 at the top of my arm (very heavily) with a sponge-tipped applicator and below with a dense blush brush. It's hard to swatch blushes naturally, so I swatched heavily even with the brush.

I hope you can see the the shade is unique. It is a light rose, but there's something about it that takes it from rose to a natural color on the face. That something is hard to define. The finish is not matte, which can be a little dull. There's life to #316, so I assume that's the case with the other shades too - no shimmer, but definitely life.

As with the eye shadow duos I featured this morning, I want more of Vera Wang's blushes! It's likely I'll order online this weekend. I absolutely must see #314. With the taste of Vera Wang Cosmetics I've had (still playing with other items), I'm becoming a devotee quickly.

Photo at top courtesy of Kohl's; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Simply Vera Vera Wang Cosmetics Transforming Shadow Duos

Who hasn't heard of Vera Wang? Her high-profile fashion empire produces some of the most beautiful and desirable bridal gowns in the world. She has had a relationship with Kohl's since 2007, one of the first high-end designers to partner with a mass market retailer to make available women's apparel sporting her name.

In April, Kohl's launched Vera Wang color cosmetics under the Simply Vera brand, along with the BeautyBank division of the Estée Lauder Cos. Inc. I've been curious ever since, but had not been able to make my way to Kohl's. I have a good reason.

We inside-the-Beltway types, often derided by people outside the Washington area because we pay more attention to the halls of Congress and the White House than the average American, don't often venture outside the Beltway - not because there's anything wrong with shopping outside the Beltway. As long as you don't mind spending over an hour to travel 8-10 miles, there's no problem crossing the great divide. I don't have that kind of time lately. I can't even get to the "roads to Kohl's" during outbound rush hour because of HOV restrictions.

The Simply Vera folks saved me, sending me some of the products to try. When the colors arrived, I felt like I'd won the lottery.  Every blue box I opened showed me something gorgeous - something I loved at first sight. This feature will be the first in a series showing you the gorgeous Vera Wang cosmetics available at Kohl's.

“Vera Wang brings legitimacy to color cosmetics first and foremost because she is a woman,” said Veronique Gabai-Pinsky, global brand president of Aramis and Designer Fragrances, BeautyBank, and Idea Bank at Lauder. “She is a woman designing for women - and very often on their wedding day, a day when they want to feel their most beautiful. Vera’s approach to beauty is very much in line with her approach and aesthetics in fashion. It’s about enhancing a woman’s natural beauty by creating a perfect skin canvas, and then allowing the woman to express her personality and embellish through color. The Simply Vera Vera Wang Cosmetics collection gives her the platform and the opportunity to connect with them even further by completing the full Simply Vera Vera Wang lifestyle experience for them at Kohl’s.” [from WWD]

Many of the Simply Vera products, which range in price from $16.50 to $39.50, straddle the line between color and treatment, a necessity for Wang, who is religious about protecting her skin to “create the perfect canvas” for colors to follow. Eye shadow duos retail for $19.50 apiece, while smoothing lip colors are $18.50. “Kohl’s has brands that are broken down into good, better, and best,” said Julie Howard, senior vice president of global marketing and new brand development for BeautyBank. “This brand is in their best range.”

Forget price for a few moments and focus on colors! Everything I have here from Simply Vera is drop-dead gorgeous. This is better than Missoni for Target. Simply Vera offers the luxury and quality of high-end cosmetics for a fraction of the price.

Today, I'll show you two (of 14) Simply Vera Vera Wang Cosmetics Transforming Shadow Duos ($19.50): #402 and #407. I couldn't believe it when I opened the beautiful black compacts. The colors looked exquisite, the compacts had all the quality of duos twice the price, and they came with the requisite sponge-tipped applicator and mirrored snap-down lid.

My photos were taken in full sun, and for some reason, the compact on the left above, #402, looks more pink in my photo than it appears "in real life." Both duos are lust-worthy. I was stunned - they were way more exciting than I had anticipated.

I swatched each shadow with a sponge-tipped applicator, applying them heavily to ensure adequate color representations. I started with #402, swatching the left shade first and the right shade below on my arm. The third and fourth swatches on my arm are #407 - equally desirable.

From #402, the base shade is an ivory that almost matches me. I'm sure it's hard to see at the top of my arm. It is paired with a taupe with a hint of mauve. Neither shade is too pink or too red, and they both look lovely on my eyelids. The base has a satin finish, and the mauve taupe has a subtle shimmer. No glitter, no little pieces of anything, just a sheen that's stunning.

I started to drool when I applied #407. Look at the shades! A hybrid between gold and taupe is paired with a medium-toned brown with a hint of copper. Exquisite! Both have that sheen that makes my eyes pop.

Matte and shimmering tones in the line provide options for you to pick your favorites. I've got to get to Khol's - maybe on a weekend. There are other duos I must see. I've always got the option to go online, and I may do that, particularly since these eye shadows are gorgeous and the store will be sold out of most of them if I go. It's Murphy's Law. Anyhow, Khol's has great online photos, which show every compact when you select it from the little squares. They make shopping online easy.

I've got a lot more to show you. The blush is next. Stay tuned. Have you tried these beauties? If so, do you have favorites? I've got a lot of catching up to do, and I'm excited about it.

Photo at top courtesy of Simply Vera; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Vera Wang Anniversary Giveaway Contest Winner

Congratulations to Vickie (vrtish55)! She will be joining the many women who have fallen in love with Vera Wang's Anniversary fragrance. This morning, random.org called her number. Yea!

Elvira at Pink Sith loves it; I love it. This is a sophisticated floral that's perfect for the woman who loves the elegance of Vera Wang's gowns, ready-to-wear, contemporary sportswear, intimate apparel, footwear, fragrance, flowers, mattresses, china, crystal and silver, fine paper, and fine jewelry. We are celebrating Wang's 20-year anniversary with her!

Vera Wang Anniversary is a luscious floral bouquet, described as a sensuous woody floral - bright and lush. It opens with radiant Sicilian bergamot, red apple leaves, mandarin oil, and a sprinkle of cool dew drops. The heart is a rich bouquet of white gardenia, rose absolute, and orange flowers. The dry-down is said to envelope the skin with touches with silky musks, creamy orris, golden amber crystals, and warm cedarwood. If you like woody florals, look for Vera Wang Anniversary the next time you go shopping. It stands out from the crowd.

Thank you for reading Best Things in Beauty - and for entering my giveaway contests week after week! I know that sooner or later, random.org will call your number. I'd love to win the lottery and be able to send something to each and every one of you. Odds of that happening are unfortunately slim, so we'll just have to keep doing the weekly giveaways to thank you for being the best readers on earth!

My thanks also to Attention USA, which sponsored this contest. They represent some of the finest beauty companies around, and I'm grateful for their support. They have a super team too!

Next giveaway starts later today. Come back, please! I think you're going to like it.

Photo courtesy of Vera Wang

Vera Wang Anniversary Review and Giveaway Contest

For 20 years, Vera Wang has created a unique aspirational world filled with modern elegance and luxurious sophistication. Her designs reflect a profound understanding of tradition and beauty mixed with contemporary edge. Her technique is disciplined. Every piece reflects her unique eye for couture. Vera Wang, a native New Yorker, understands women who embrace fashion, and her wedding gowns are the epitome of an elegance that pays homage to the past, while still being contemporary.

Let's reflect for a moment on her history, which explains her practiced eye and exquisite taste. As a child, she accompanied her mother as she shopped Parisian and American couture. Wang studied at Chapin, Sarah Lawrence, and The Sorbonne. By age 23, she was the youngest ever Vogue fashion editor and stylist. She worked at Vogue for 16 years before moving to Ralph Lauren as a design director.

In 1990, Vera Wang opened her flagship store on Manhattan’s Madison Avenue, introducing fashion to the bridal industry, with revolutionary designs and refined detailing. Since then, she has expanded her collections to include ready-to-wear, contemporary sportswear, evening wear, intimate apparel, footwear, fragrance, flowers, mattresses, china, crystal and silver, fine paper, and fine jewelry. She's a "name." She also published her first book, Vera Wang on Weddings.

From the cover of Vogue to the Oscars and Olympics, the style of Vera Wang is embraced by many of the world’s most influential and fashionable women. These women continue to look to her for their most important events and public appearances. The celebrity quotient is an important mark of her business, repeatedly drawing the well-deserved attention and praise of the press. For Vera Wang, the red carpet is one of her most important “runways.”

There wasn't much "fashion" in bridal until Vera Wang. Now, Vera Wang and fashion are synonymous, and the most famous brides wear Vera Wang.

Just look at the radiant Chelsea Clinton in her Vera Wang dress. Has she ever looked better? Chelsea was a beautiful bride in her modern, but classic, and elegant ivory strapless gown, featuring a silk tulle diagonally draped bodice with a raw edged laser-cut swirling silk organza ball skirt and train. It was magnificent.

To commemorate her 20-year anniversary, Vera Wang introduced Vera Wang Anniversary, "a celebration of love, happiness and modern femininity." Vera Wang Anniversary is a luscious floral bouquet, described as a sensuous woody floral - bright and lush. It opens with radiant Sicilian bergamot, red apple leaves, mandarin oil, and a sprinkle of cool dew drops. The heart is a rich bouquet of white gardenia, rose absolute, and orange flowers. The dry-down is said to envelope the skin with touches with silky musks, creamy orris, golden amber crystals, and warm cedarwood.

Even the bottle was designed to pays homage to the classic Vera Wang look, redefining it with a touch of lavender color and texture. It's pretty, polished, and fresh - beautifully faceted and decorated with lavender petals revealing the lavender fragrance within. It is topped with a clear glass cap and shiny platinum collar, two signature elements of the Vera Wang fragrances.

I was sent a bottle to try by Attention USA. I eagerly sprayed it on the moment it arrived. Actually, they sent me two bottles; FedEx lost the first one. There is probably a very happy thief out there enjoying my fragrance as I write! My first impression of the scent was: floral, fruity, soft, gardenia, orange blossom, and floral through its six hours (or so) of wear. I found the dry-down to be more floral than I expected, and that pleased me. I did make the mistake of asking my mother how she liked it. Mom is a huge gardenia fan (her wedding bouquet was made with gardenias), and she loved it. That means my bottle will have to be decanted to share with Mom. How could anyone deny her wonderful mother something she loves? I'll keep some for myself - not to worry.

I've read that some fragrance snobs consider Vera Wang Anniversary matronly. Isn't that the case with fragrances that appeal to those of us who love gardenias, roses, jasmine, and white flower scents? Perhaps their century-old appeal makes them timeless, but they are not matronly! I will warn, however, that anyone who wishes to smell like a raccoon in heat or a hippie den from the '60s will not like this fragrance - just like those who would wear the latest cutting-edge fashion to their wedding. This fragrance is meant for those who appreciate "pretty"! If you like looking pretty, and you want to smell pretty, you're going to love it.

Attention USA is giving one of you lucky gals an opportunity to win this fragrance. To enter to win this week's giveaway contest, just leave a comment here once. I'd love it if you would share your go-to fragrance - if you have one - in your comment, but you don't have to do that. Just make sure to comment.

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 20, 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 only to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Given the issues of shipping fragrance by air, we can't ship this overseas. It's considered a hazardous substance. Sorry! Such is the state of shipping today.

Good Luck!

Update 11/15: I love what Elvira wrote about Vera Wang Anniversary at Pink Sith! Here's an excerpt, but pop over to Pink Sith to see her whole review.

I have read other reviews for this scent, and I get a distinct "Old Lady Vibe" from the reviewers. I read comments like "Mother Of The Bride," "Grown Up," "Old Fashioned," "Woman Of a Certain Age," and "Adult." I think it is the strong gardenia scent to this fragrance that must evoke these characterizations. The gardenia scent always seems to evoke that "Old Lady" term from a lot of reviewers. I don't find gardenia to be old lady at all. Maybe that's because most of the old ladies around me when I was growing up wore scents like Halston, Estee Lauder Youth Dew, Caron Bellodgia, and the vintage German Cologne Kölnisch Wasser 4711 (YUK). Perhaps if all the geriatrics in your life wore Gardenia and Rose and Jasmine then you might smell the same geriatric scent as other reviewers. Either way I find this gardenia scent to be crisper (the addition of the bergamot and the orange flower helps this) than most and not as heady as others I have sniffed.

Photos courtesy of Vera Wang and Getty Images