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Archives for 2013

Sink Your Fangs Into the Metallics From the New MAC Nudes & Metallics Collection

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MAC Nudes & Metallics: Subverted Lipstick
MAC Subverted Lipstick…

Late last night, outside in a field under the light of the full moon (or was it the lamp on the nightstand by my bed?), I brought a frosted, deep plum lipstick from the MAC Nudes & Metallics collection up to my lips and thought, “On my list of favorite supernatural things…turning into a vampire ranks way down near the bottom.”

There’s the whole blood thing, the vampire politics, the aversions to garlic and ultraviolet light, the blood…

It just seems so very, very depressing.

But I guess if I weren’t given a choice in the matter and suddenly found myself turned into a vampire, I wouldn’t be taking my style cues from the squeaky clean Cullens up in Forks. Hell, no! I’d go the Underworld route (mostly because of the interesting makeup potential).

Picture it: dark eyes, dark lips and chiseled cheeks. Frosted deep reds, browns, berries and purples.

Seductive meets sumptuous meets scary, like the nine pieces from the MAC Metallics collection, one of two sub-collections from the limited edition Nudes & Metallics release, available now exclusively at MAC Pro stores.

Vampire Karen

Clad in any mix of Metallic’s four lipsticks, four eye shadows and its solitary blush, you’ll be so ready to pursue your prey. As you confronted him/her/them (whatevs, you’re hungry!) in a dark alley, they wouldn’t know whether they should attempt to run away, try to make out with you, or ask you what you’re wearing on your eyes, cheeks and lips.

Here’s a quick look at eight of the nine pieces…

MAC Nudes & Metallics: Brazenly Eye Shadow
Brazenly Eye Shadow, a deep metallic purple with a Veluxe Pearl finish ($15)

MAC Nudes & Metallics: Crimson Tryst Eye Shadow
Crimson Tryst Eye Shadow, a deep metallic dirty berry with a Veluxe Pearl Finish ($15)

MAC Nudes & Metallics: Deep Fixation Eye Shadow
Deep Fixation Eye Shadow, a metallic brown with a Veluxe Pearl finish ($15)

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These Meteors Shower Skin With Iridescent Pink and Gold: Guerlain’s Météorites Perles Les Ors Primer

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Guerlain Meteorites Perles Les Ors Primer Review
The new limited edition Guerlain Météorites Perles Les Ors Primer ($71)

Snow globes.

You know snow globes?

That’s what Guerlain’s new $71 Météorites Perles Les Ors Primer reminds me of — a snow globe. And meteoric pearls.

Guerlain Météorites Perles Les Ors Primer from the Terra Ora collection for summer 2013

Sometimes I just tip the bottle up and down, back and forth, to watch the shimmery pink, white and gold highlighting beads slink through the clear gel…

Fascinating.

Guerlain’s good about sumptuous details and design, aren’t they? I think it’s just neat, like makeup eye candy. Amazingly to me, the fragile little beads don’t break down in the gel. I guess they’re just waiting to be love loved.

Guerlain Météorites Perles Les Ors Primer from the Terra Ora collection for summer 2013

The limited edition face primer bursts through Earth’s atmosphere with the Terra Ora collection next month. They’re designed to extend the wear time of face makeup when worn underneath it (handy in hot weather!), or to be worn alone on bare skin to impart a pinkish golden iridescence while making pores appear to softly fade away into the background…

The bottle comes with a pump. Pressing it magically mixes the pearls with the clear base, and out comes an oil-controlling shimmery pinkish golden gel.

Guerlain Météorites Perles Les Ors Primer from the Terra Ora collection for summer 2013

I think it works okay as a primer — maybe as a “diet primer” or “primer light.” It feels nice and light on my skin, which I like, but it is awfully expensive.

You can definitely find other primers that soften the appearance of your pores and control oil more effectively for less, and I feel like it’s almost a shame to cover its iridescent pink and gold with foundation…

I prefer to use Météorites Perles Les Ors more to spotlight bare skin. The primer smooths and softens my pores and fine lines just enough — just shy of mannequin skin — and the pink and golden tones look breathtaking with just the faintest bit of bronzer dusted on top.

Guerlain Meteorites Perles Les Ors Primer Swatch
Guerlain Meteorites Perles Les Ors Primer unblended on the left and blended on the right (see the luminous hint of pink, yellow and gold?)

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Well, Khol Me Kajal! It’s Smooth Sailing When It Comes to Guerlain’s Latest Luxury Liner

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Guerlain Khol Me Kajal
Guerlain’s Khol Me Kajal

“May your hair reach the highest of heights, may your heart be filled with love and laughter, and may your eyes remain richly rimmed with black liner, forever and eternity.”

I’m seriously thinking about making that my new standard goodbye…like a makeup nerd’s version of “live long and prosper.”

Way better than a boring old “see ya!” or “peace out,” right? 🙂

Speaking for myself, I’d love to get a greeting like that. I mean, black liner well wishes? I’ll take that.

Black liner’s one of those things that I hope never goes out of style. If it’s good enough for cats and Cleopatra, then hell! — it’s good enough for me. And it deserves a spot in my makeup bag.

Guerlain Khol Me Kajal Packaging
The pretty packaging

These days, Guerlain’s new deep, rich matte black $37 Khol Me Kajal pencil in Noir Volcanique (“Black Volcano”), from the brand’s Terra Ora summer collection, has been keeping me company, both as a liner and an eye shadow (it doubles as both).

The crayon-shaped tip is fixed — doesn’t twist up or down — so you just use it down to a nub.

You probably could try sharpening the tip, but I wouldn’t recommend it (I actually tried and mangled the tip).

The pencil formula itself feels hard to me, and yet, surprisingly, the liner glides along my skin, almost like a gel.

Guerlain Khol Me Kajal Swatch
Guerlain Khol Me Kajal Swatch

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Guerlain’s New Terra Nerolia Face and Body Bronzer Stuns with Striking Design and Tantalizing Tiare Flower Scent

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Guerlain Terra Nerolia
It’s a bronzed, bronzed world with the new Guerlain Terra Nerolia bronzer

And the ref counts, “…seven…eight…nine…10!” Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!

That’s it, folks. It’s over. The new $69 Guerlain Terra Nerolia is a knockout!

Guerlain Terra Nerolia

But seriously, in what world is $69 reasonable for a bronzer? My accountant mother certainly wouldn’t approve. She likes to walk places because of the stray coins she finds along the way (love you, Mom!).

Of course, she isn’t obsessed with bronzer, either, so there’s also that…

To even consider Guerlain’s new Terra Nerolia, you should probably love bronzer (like, you wear it every single day and feel naked without it) and have a debilitating weakness for luxe brands.

Because sh*t’s really, really expensive…so you’re going to want to love it on every single level.

And that’s exactly what Guerlain wants.

They started with the presentation and Terra Nerolia’s sunburst pattern. The first time I opened the over-sized 0.67-ounce pan and saw that gold, peach and bronze, I thought two words: Ancient Mayans.

Guerlain Terra Nerolia swatch
Guerlain Terra Nerolia from the left: both shades blended and applied with a blush brush, the tan powder, and then the peach powder on the right

Then I caught a whiff of the tiare flower scent and thought, “Hawaiian vacation.” 🙂

Guerlain Terra Nerolia
Guerlain’s Terra Nerolia on my cheeks, below my cheekbones and around the edges of my face

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Now You See It, Now You Don’t: The Peek-a-Boo Shimmer in Guerlain’s $72 Terra Ora Could Make This Face and Body Bronzer Worthy of a Splurge

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Guerlain Terra Ora Bronzer
Guerlain Terra Ora Bronzer

What they don’t tell you — and they should! — at the makeup counter the day you pick up that first burnished pan is that bronzer will ruin you for life.

They could post a sign or offer a quick verbal warning, at least. A quick aside before they let you swipe that deliciously sun-kissed powder on your skin, something akin to, “I must warn you now, and this is a federal regulation, from this day forward, you won’t feel quite right unless you’re wearing bronzer.”

Seriously, I can’t even remember the last time I left the house without bronzer.

And what about options?? Imagine only having one bronzer to choose from…

Banish the thought.

I want options, options, options! — like the new $72 (GASP!) limited edition Terra Ora face and body bronzer from Guerlain.

Guerlain Terra Ora

As you can probably tell, I’ve got a thang for bronzer, and if you do too, you probably already know about Guerlain’s reputation for producing pricey, well-regarded luxury bronzers.

There’s no getting around it: their stuff costs an arm and a leg. Good thing it’s usually great.

Every single Guerlain bronzer I’ve ever tried has melted into my skin like butter on warm popcorn and never, ever looks heavy, muddy or forced.

Guerlain Terra Ora Bronzer Swatches
Guerlain Terra Ora Bronzer from the left: Matte tan beige, pearly white gold and a mix of both shades

Terra Ora follows the lead set by its bronzed Guerlain predecessors. When I swirl its mix of matte tan beige and pearly white gold together and dust that on my face, neck and decollete, I think I definitely do look more like the girl next door than the housemates on the Jersey Shore.

Most of all, I love this bronzer’s “secret shimmer.”

You know how some Chanel polishes look like basic creams, but then when you get them in direct sunlight, they sparkle, seemingly out of nowhere? Terra Ora does that, too.

Guerlain Terra Ora Bronzer
The 0.56-ounce pan of Guerlain Terra Ora Bronzer has a wooden case with gold lettering and a magnetic closure

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