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I’ll Take A Blended NARS Vent Glacé Duo Eyeshadow To Go, Thanks

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nars vent glace eyeshadow

What if Starbucks started selling makeup?

“Good morning! What can I get you?”
“Hi! Oh, uh…could I please get one of those Artisan veggie sandwiches, a lemon scone and a NARS Vent Glacé?”
“Blended with room for whip cream?”
“Does a cat snore in his sleep?!”
“…”
“Yes, please.”

Some of the nuances differentiating the cool-toned platinum and silver shades in the NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Vent Glacé ($34; it’s French for “icy wind,” who knew?), are probably lost on my NC 42 skin tone, but man! — I sure do love how they look blended together on top of black eyeliner.

That’s how I’m wearing them here (also with the NARS High Society Trio, from the very same fall 2012 collection, on my lids), smudged on top of black liner along my lower lash line.

They merge to form a silvery greenish gray gradient that’s all kinds of awesome.

nars vent glace eyeshadow product shot

nars vent glace eyeshadow swatch
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Are You Cool Enough for High Society? The New NARS Eyeshadow Trio in High Society

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nars high society trio eyeshadow

I think I just saw a glimpse of my future this fall, and in it I was wearing purple smokey eyes.

The new NARS Eyeshadow Trio in High Society ($45) has been one of the coolest things I’ve come across in a while — cool because of the color temp of its shadows, and cool because it’s a quick-change artist able to go from demure to diva in seconds with a little help from a black pencil liner.

High Society hails from the new NARS fall 2012 collection, a nine-piece release that couples cool jewel-toned eyes with pink or rose cheeks; warm brandy, auburn, burgundy or red lips; and moody gray nails.

Flexibility without fallout — that’s the deal here. I don’t detect a speck of fallout and hardly any creasing, even after wearing these lavender, greenish gray and amethyst powder eyeshadows for a full eight hours. They range from sheer to medium opacity and blend like a good smoothie.

Say I’m in the mood for a soft purple look. I might (and probably would) start with NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, followed by the trio’s lavender shade swept on my lids with a domed shadow brush. Then, I’d push one of the darker colors along my lash lines with a small angle brush.

Abracadabra! A soft and smokey purple eye. 🙂

To crank up the smokey effect and give more depth to the look, I used a black eyeliner as a base, which I think also brings out the richness of the colors.

nars high society trio eyeshadow product shot

nars high society trio eyeshadow swatch

nars high society trio eyeshadow
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The Effortlessly Beautiful Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Lip Glosses

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bobbi brown honeysuckle
Wearing Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Lip Gloss in Honeysuckle

The cool-toned rose, plum and bronze Lip Glosses in the new Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight collection ($23 each; available in six shades) convey effortless beauty almost as well as Channing Tatum does dancing to Pony in Magic Mike.

But in the absence of a Channing Tatum dance solo this morning, here are four of the six non-sticky glosses, which have a faint, almost imperceptible mint flavor and scent, in action…

bobbi brown desert twilight gloss
From the left: Bronzed Heather, Honeysuckle, Twilight and Evening Rose

bobbi brown desert twilight gloss swatches
Swatches the left: Bronzed Heather, Honeysuckle, Twilight and Evening Rose

bobbi brown evening rose
Evening Rose
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To the Chanel 51 Montaigne Ombres Matelassées Palette I Say, “You’re Golden”

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chanel 51 montiagne

I guess if I were being completely honest with myself, I could probably dupe the gorgeous golden shades in the characteristically expensive new $80 Chanel Ombre Matelassées Eyeshadow Palette in 51 Montaigne with colors already in my makeup drawer, but that wouldn’t be fair to my eyes.

Few dupes could also duplicate the thrill I feel clutching the black-and-white compact in my claw, its surface catching the light like a polished black pearl, its quilted colors luxuriating in their little slots as I breathe a single word, “Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaanel…”

What kind of witchcraft makes seemingly sane women drop $80 on a palette of five eyeshadows?

Oh, yeah, I remember. The kind from Coco.

Chanel cooked up this limited edition cutie to celebrate the opening of their newest boutique in Paris, not coincidentally named 51 Montaigne, after the street on which it lives. The palette comes with five profoundly smooth powder eyeshadows ranging in pigment from sheer to medium.

Yes, 51 Montaigne is on the pricey side of the street, but once its shadows set up shop on my lids, they absolutely do not move!

When I’m wearing these shades, I almost feel like hot stuff, all smokey and whatnot, like I’m getting ready to go shopping for Choos, as opposed to Fancy Feast and butternut squash.

chanel 51 montaigne

chanel 51 montaigne swatches

chanel 51 montaigne
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NARS Fall 2012 Pics and Swatches

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nars Rouge Tribal Larger Than Life Lip Gloss
Wearing NARS Fall 2012 Larger Than Life Lip Gloss in Rouge Tribal, $26

Pics and swatches of the NARS fall 2012 collection, available July 15 at narscosmetics.com, in action! Reviews to come. 🙂

nars High Society Trio Eyeshadow
Trio Eyeshadow in High Society (Limited Edition), $45

nars Vent Glace Duo Eyeshadow
Duo Eyeshadow in Vent Glacé, $34

nars Outlaw Blush
Blush in Outlaw, $28
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Eye Have a Crush on Hue, Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Twilight Night Shimmer Ink

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bobbi brown twilight night long wear gel eyeliner

The dress code recently changed here at work — mandatory cat eyes every Tuesday and Thursday — and the edict came straight from the top (in other words, per Tabs).

I’ve been doing my best to comply with the new policy, but there are only SO MANY TIMES I can wear a basic black cat liner before I start craving something new and different.

And I think I may have found it. 🙂

It’s a sassy new user-friendly liner with a finish more thrilling than a James Bond movie! It’s called Bobbi Brown’s new Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Twilight Night Shimmer Ink, and it sells for $22.

Remember L’Oréal’s Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner 24H in Blackest Black? That glossy finish?

Well, Twilight Night’s finish just might have it beat.

A deep purplish black with microscopic glitter, it’s almost like looking up on a clear night at a sky filled with stars. Breathtaking, and better yet, the color should complement a galaxy of skin tones.

Whether you’re seeking soft, smudgy lines or crisper edges, Bobbi’s gel formula delivers, and it skates across my lids without skipping or dragging.

bobbi brown twilight night long wear gel eyeliner

bobbi brown twilight night long wear gel eyeliner swatch
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Twilight Night Shimmer Ink on the left (also from the Desert Twilight collection) and the Bronzer/Blush Duo in Bahama Brown and Pink Peony on the right

bobbi brown twilight night long wear gel eyeliner
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It Takes Two to Text, and a Duo Like Bobbi Brown’s New Bronzer/Blush Duo in Bahama Brown and Pink Peony to Shine With a Faint Glint of Shimmer

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bobbi brown bronzer blush duo bahama brown pink peony

Every once in a while, like today, I want to raise my hands up and yell to the heavens above, “Thank you, universe, for inventing text messaging!”

Waiting in line at the [INSERT ANNOYING PLACE WITH LONG, EXCRUCIATINGLY SLOW-MOVING LINES HERE] wouldn’t be anywhere near as much fun without the random texts about boys and makeup that find their way to my phone. Par exemple, as our high school French teacher used to say, here’s one from my friend Jen yesterday…

And here’s the one I’d text you about Bobbi Brown’s new Bronzer/Blush Duo…

LOL! You might remember it from a few weeks ago when we looked at swatches of the Desert Twilight fall collection.

I just started wearing the limited edition $36 duo, which features Bobbi’s Bahama Brown Shimmer Blush and Pink Peony Illuminating Bronzer, and the compliments have been rolling in!

Sort of. Yesterday the mailman said, “You look less tired than usual,” and this morning El Hub asked if I’d been doing pushups because my cheeks looked “all pink and flushed.”

Not sure if either one qualifies as a compliment, but I’ll take ’em both. 🙂

bobbi brown bronzer blush duo bahama brown pink peony

bobbi brown bahama brown pink peony bronzer blush duo swatch
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Twilight Night Shimmer Ink on the left (also from the Desert Twilight collection), and the Bronzer/Blush Duo in Bahama Brown and Pink Peony on the right
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