Lip Service: Tom Ford Lipstick (Ginger Fawn)

This is my first crack at the luxury makeup brand that is Tom Ford. And I must say, the Ginger Fawn Lipstick is QUITE the introduction!

Part of what has taken me so long is accesibility... like Dolce & Gabanna Makeup, Tom Ford lipsticks are distributed on a very small scale. There is little opportunity to test the products before purchase. Unless you spend your days browsing the aisles of Saks Fifth Avenue or Neiman Marcus (I don't), you have to kind of go by instinct.

So I finally pulled up the NM website... shut my eyes tight, clicked 'buy', and waited for my lippie to arrive...

The packaging is very 'Old Hollywood.' The lipstick comes in a white box with gold detailing, and the tube itself is similarly white (and quite rectangular) with gold detailing. Plus, it's got some weight to it, like a lovely piece of vintage jewelry.

You guys know that I rarely meet an orange lipstick that I don't LOVE. It was a bit of a no brainer to choose this color for my first dance with Mr. Ford. I have to say, I think I chose rather well...

This lipstick was definitely love at first swatch. The color grab is intense... and the formula is rich and creamy. I was a bit worried that the orange shade in the tube would translate more 'coral' on me, but that was not the case.

In all, I'm a happy girl. Like Guerlain, Tom Ford lipsticks are a bit of an investment. Same price ($45) in equally (okay, maybe not equally) fabulous packaging.

You can get Tom For Lipsticks here: http://www.neimanmarcus.com/

Eye Adore? Ultraflesh Black Magic

Some time ago, the Ultraflesh 'Black Magic' Eye Liner set caught my eye. I haven't been able to properly road test it until now. To be honest, the jury is still out. It's a genius idea: merging the best of all products meant to create the perfect eyeline. The set includes powder, gel liner, and pencils... and comes packaged in a compact case so you can use one, or two, or all products to create your perfect look.

The box is pretty awesome...

The case is pretty awesome too...

Slide back the top portion of the case, and you'll find the powder shadows... one matte and one shimmer:

The next level of the case holds a gel liner, and a small angled brush:

And the final level of the case holds two pencil eyeliners, one matte and one shimmer:

Here's why the jury is still out: I'm not completely sold on the quality of these items. It's a good value ($39 for the case) because of the amount of product provided and the versatility of the kit. But, none of the quality is enough to move me. The shadows are basic, the liner is mediocre, and I think that you can do better with the pencils by picking up any drug store variety.

It's a good idea if you're a massive fan of the kohl or heavily lined look and simply want the convenience of having all those products at your disposal at once. But if you're really interested in just using one (or two) items to achieve your look, then this is a pass.

You can try/purchase Ultraflesh Black Magic here: http://www.sephora.com/ and decide for yourself.

Chanel Nail Polish Giveaway: The Winner is...

Vanessa!

Congratulations! You won:

1 Chanel Nail Polish in Peridot

1 Chanel Nail Polish in Graphite

1 Chanel Nail Polish in Quartz

1 Patent Chanel Makeup Bag

Vanessa, you have 48 hours to respond to my email with your mailing address (send it to shahada@habibibody.com), and I'll get your prize right out to you! Congrats again!

Chanel Sophisticated Eye Collection: Lagons & Vanities

Choosing between the Lagons and Vanities quads from Chanel's 'Sophisticated Eye' collection proved to be an exercise in futility. I thought about it, swatched both, walked away, thought about it some more...

And ended up with both. They are, each in their own right, completely stunning. Both are flattering on a wide range of skin tones. Vanities is more universally wearable than Lagons, but the beauty of the latter simply cannot be denied.

Vanities

Vanities consists of two pinks and two purples, one cool and one shot through with a healthy dose of gold. The golden purple color reminds me a lot of MAC Trax... without the fallout. All of the colors are silky to the touch, and easy to apply.

Every single color shows up on me without going too cool or ashy. I'm particularly fond on the warmer colors, but I can't wait to mix them up and see what happens.

Lagons:

Lagons is a series of blues, each of which seems to be 'cooled down' with a healthy shot of grey. Despite it's cool nature, I think Lagons will look stunning on just about any skin tone... it just matters how you place and blend the color. I really tried to leave this quad behind, but simply could not. It's not the most practical, but it is quite beautiful.

This picture truly does not do the quad justice. I shot it in natural light, to try and pick up the 'sparkle' from the darkest color. It's there, trust me. Like Vanities, the formula of these shadows is silky and easy to blend.

I love them both. I tried to pick a favorite... and that didn't work out too well for me. If you MUST choose just one, I think you'll probably get a lot more use out of Vanities.

You can get  both Holiday 2011 quads from the Chanel website: www.chanel.com

Lip Service: Guerlain Autumn 2011

There has been much in the way of reviews, hauls, and swatches of the new Guerlain Autumn 2011 makeup collection. I have to say, most of the collection left me flat. I was not moved by the eyeshadow quads at all. What DID impress me were the new lipsticks:

I think the formulations of these new lippies are even better than the originals (which are pretty darned good, by the way). The texture is richer, and the color really 'grabs' your lips.

I ended up with the lipstick in #70, which is a rich berry color:

 This is one of those times to blame the flash; the color is actually even deeper than that in person. It does take a little effort to put it on (much drier than, say, YSL Rouge Volupte), but the color payoff and staying power is totally worth it:

At $45 a pop, these lipsticks are NOT cheap. There's a lovely selection of colors though... one to complement every skin tone. I really like it... but I'm going to have to re-evaluate my budget if  I intend to make a habit of purchasing them.

Chanel Sophisticated Eye Collection: Tools and Twilight

So  here are my first two loves from the new Chanel 'Sophisticated Eye' collection...

I'm admitting to a 'frivolous' purchase -- for I broke down and got the eyelash curler.

Why? I have no sane reason. I just wanted it. That's it and that's all. I LOVE the way it comes packaged... only Chanel. lol

I also got the single eyeshadow in Twilight, which I feel is the sleeper hit among the singles. It's pink, but it's got a warm dimension that I absolutely love. It really complements my warm skin tone... which can sometimes be a challenge with pink.

I really love this shadow. I'm so glad I tried it at the counter, because in the pot it just looks... pedestrian. But it really warmed up on my skin, and I was totally impressed by that.

Lashing Out: Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes Mascara

Okay... I needed to see what was up with this mascara:

 The promo pic will have you thinking that this mascara will give you the look of falsies... like a doll. So I bought one to see for myself.

And the test...

It doesn't do much for me in terms of volume, but I LOVE that the formula is so clean. No clumping... and it really does add length to your lashes. You won't look like a 'doll' -- but you can get pretty dolled up using this lovely little tube of mascara.


I like it. Keeper.


You can get Lancome Doll Lashes mascara here: www.lancome-usa.com/

C'mon... VOGUE!

I got called to do a Vogue 'request' recently (which means that the magazine is interested/has asked for it/will consider it... but may not use it). Naturally, I said yes! I can't show any actual photos of the shoot itself (Grace Coddington gets first crack)... but I can leak a little background and some of the makeup specifics:

 The designer asked for strong smoky eyes and a strong lip.

Heading out to the 'set.'

The incomparable Kevin Kidder (photographer)

I had to crop the hell out of this picture. Sorry guys... but rules are rules.

That's it for now! If something happens (or nothing happens), I'm sure I'll get cleared to show you the actual set up and 'fashion story' behind this shoot. I had a blast doing it... even in the hot Southern California sun!

Here's hoping that Vogue loves it and decides to use it!

FOTD: Sheer Coral

It's hot as Hades outside... and I just wanted to work 'with' my skin. Any kind of fancy makeup would end up just sliding off me. So I'm not fighting nature today...

FACE

Illamasqua Skin Base (sheered out) in #15

Armani Blushing Fabric in #1

EYES

Louise Young Eyeshadow in Maowi (brows)

MAC Paint Pot in Coral Crepe (all over)

MAC Pigment in Electric Coral (on lids/under waterline)

Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil in Underground

Smoke & Mirrors New York City Lash

MAC Opulash (bottom lashes)

LIPS

YSL Gloss Pur in #8

Lip Service: NARS Afghan Red

It's not a new color, but I really wanted to try the NARS Afghan Red lipstick because... well... it's not red. Such simple things shouldn't fascinate me so, but on occasion they do. lol

It's more of a rich reddish-rose color. I love the formula too... not super shiny but not matte either. Just really rich and creamy.

It's a lovely full coverage color. It reminds me of Kat Von D's Prayer lipstick, with more of a reddish hue. Really nice. Now I just have to figure out what to pair it with...

You can get this color (and a bunch of other colors/formulas) at http://www.narscosmetics.com/