Fight For Your Right To Party

Bobbi Brown's Extreme Party Mascara

This is a new mascara offering from Bobbi Brown. I am a tough critic when it comes to mascara. My lashes are pretty limp, short and resistant to all curl. They are the bane of my existence. The only mascaras that have successfully worked for me are Dior's Iconic, Prescriptives False Eyelashes, Exceptionnel de Chanel Intense Volume and Curl Mascara, Max Factor's Volume Couture, Lancome Definicils and Shu Uemura's Fiber Xtension.

Extreme Party is a good mascara. It provides great separation, extreme and exceptional layerablility and improved fringe action. Extreme Party dries quickly and leaves no mess. My lashes looked neat with no clumps, smudges or flakes. They also looked and felt soft to the touch. There was no crunch factor. This is a characteristic that sets it apart from my beloved Chanel and Shu mascara. The lengthening action was above average in comparison to every Bobbi Brown mascara. It also would stand up well to the competition listed above. Each lash was lengthened and thickened by the mascara. The curl properties is what comes into question. It did not add a spring to my lash. It did not weigh it down either. The lashes were poker straight. Like a lash visor. A very long lash visor.

My lashes did not inspire any gawking from my co-workers. My lashes were not having a party. However, they were not studying at the library either. Extreme Party is currently only available in black and is easily removed with eye makeup remover or soap and water. In fact, this is the only mascara, that did not leave any smudges or specks the morning after.

Extreme Party Mascara is priced at $22 and is available at your local Bobbi Brown counter. Visit http://www.bobbibrown.com/ for more details.

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by Bobbi Brown cosmetics

Desperately Seeking Serena

BLAKE LIVELY / Makeup Artist Angela Levin

Beauty Inspiration: "I was inspired by Blake's stunning Chanel diamond camelia brooch. I wanted her eyes to be dark and sexy, but the rest of herface to be light and fresh. She's young and sexy and wears a smoky eye so well!"

Beauty Tips: "I used Chanel Lift Lumiere Fluid Makeup in Beige all overher face, and set it with Chanel Poudre Cristalline Translucent Powder. On her cheeks I dusted on Chanel Blush Duo in Tweed Rose.

For her eyes I used the bronze and sand shades from the Chanel Quadra EyeShadow in Variations, and Chanel Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Magic Night, a deep plum shade, to add dimension in the crease. I lined the upper and lower lashes with Chanel Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Black Shimmer. I finished the eyes with three coats of Chanel Inimitable Mascara in Noir-Black.

Finally, I created a soft pink lip with Chanel Rouge Allure in Mythic, a perfect nude shade, topped with a bit of Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Ming."

Credit: Chanel Press Release

Image Credit: celebrityparadise via Fashionspot

Tom Tom Club

Tom Pecheux is the new Creative Makeup Director for Estee Lauder. Mr Pecheux has been responsible for some memorable runway looks over the years. He is a MA rock star and will add a level of hipness to the line.
His midas touch will start appearing in product and ads in 2010. His first Lauder offering will be "high impact color products".

I am looking forward to great color stories, improved pigment power and a general excitement over the brand.

Let us know what you think in the comments.
What would you like to see him do at Estee Lauder?

I Want To Be Forever Young

Forever 21's revamped cosmetic line is up on the website. I discovered it during my hourly stalking of their scarves department.
I have tried the LA nail polish and have determined that it is indeed fabulous. I have not tried the shadows, powders or lip glosses.
Let us know if you have seen the cosmetic line in your local Forever 21. Are there testers? Are the shadows shimmery? Will we lose our minds and wallets?

Please give us the beauty 411 in the comments.

Photo Credit: Forever 21

Get it while it’s hot!

Fired Up Lip Gloss from Lipstick Queen
By Jessica M

Just a reminder: Fired Up lip gloss is now available at the Lipstick Queen website (http://www.lipstickqueen.com/)! It’s a sheer, wearable candy-apple red, packaged in a tube with a brush applicator, and it sells for $14.

In addition to looking chic and modern, Fired Up is a beauty product with a mission: 100% of its profits will be donated to the organization Count Me In For Women’s Economic Independence and its Make Mine a Million program (see http://www.makemineamillion.org/ For more information)


Fired Up was officially launched one night last week at Castor & Pollux, a charmingly hip boutique in Manhattan’s West Village (check out their website and blog at http://www.castorandpolluxstore.com/ ). Poppy King, the Lipstick Queen herself, and Nell Merlino, the founder and CEO of Count Me In, spoke about their collaboration and offered some inspiring thoughts about being female entrepreneurs.

Buy it, wear it, feel stylish and confident, and know that you’re helping other women achieve their business goals.

Photo Credits: Jessica M

Bat For Lashes

You know I am a sucker for any of the wild and insane Shu lashes.

At the Ace Wards, Makeup Artist Frances Hathaway, gave model Agyness Deyn some fierce lashes. She applied shu uemura’s Black Velvet Feather False Eyelashes to the bottom of the Miss Deyn's eyes. “Agyness is a cutting edge girl,” said Hathaway. “I needed a fashion forward lash with an architectural influence.”

What’s Hathaway’s tip for pulling off such a look? “When making such a big statement, keep it simple; just make one lash.”

You can purchase the Black Velvet Feather False Eyelashes for $25 at http://www.shuuemura-usa.com/_us/_en/accessories/false-eyelashes/fantasy/black-velvet-feather-false-eyelashes.htm

This puts me in the mind of Miss Peggy Moffitt. What is everyone's thoughts?

And that means I need to post a scene from Blow Up.


Photo Credit:fotoglif.com, myspace and youtube(Blow Up)
Info from Shu

Mischief Makers

MAC's Magic, Mirth and Mischief! Collection

I love the name for this latest MAC collection. It makes me think of the television series Bewitched. You can just see Elizabeth Montgomery riding a broom at midnight with MAC pigment particles trailing and twinkling behind her.
The collection is all about twinkles and shimmer. The standouts are my beloved dazzleglasses. Those glimmer tubes of greatness bring me so much joy in my life.

She-Zam is a sheer murky silver with pink shimmer. It goes on sheer and instantly tones down pigmented lips. I have worn it successfully alone and layered over nude and pink lip shades. I love it layered over MAC's Lavender Whip.


Phiff is an aged,yellowed pink with high wattage shimmer that reflects gold and sapphire. It is thoroughly odd and wonderfully flattering.


These dazzleglasses along with a gem named Jingle Jangle(a sheer yellow peach shade) are available at your local MAC counter. Also visit www.maccosmetics.com
for ordering or more details.


Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by MAC Cosmetics.

Joanie is a Nars Girl

My favorite character on AMC's Mad Men series is Joan. Can I say that I cheered when she broke the vase over her husband's head? It was about flipping time.
I love everything about Joan. I love her clever wit and sex appeal. I love her choices of accessories. I love her perfect skin and bold red lip.

Lana Horochowski, Department Head of Makeup for Mad Men, loves using NARS on the cast-members. She states that the Velvet Matte lip pencils help give an authentic lippie look for the female cast. For Joan's bold lips, she uses NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils in Dolce Vita, Red Square, Sex Machine, and Forbidden Red.

She also uses NARS Heat Wave Lipstick and NARS Jungle Red Lipstick.

For Joan's eyes, she uses NARS Madrague Duo Eyeshadow and NARS Fez and Bali Single Eyeshadows. “With Christina's peaches and cream complexion” Lana explains, “she looks great in NARS Gueule de Nuit Cream Blush, as well as NARS Dolce Vita, Gilda, and Gina Powder Blush.”

Credits: Press Release from Nars

The Forbidden Fruit

Tempted by The Fig: Lisa Hoffman's Tuscan Fig

The Lisa Hoffman 'Variations' Fragrance Collection is a fragrance concept that takes one note and creates a series of scents based on the time of day. The morning version is usually a subtle take on the scent. It is light and refreshing. The daytime version is richer and the sillage is more potent. The evening version is more sensual with a "close to the skin" sillage. The bedtime/night version is softer and geared toward a powdery drydown. The Variations collection are 4 oils contained in glass roller-ball vials in a buttery leather pouch.

The scents range from orchid to neroli. I am smitten with her Japanese Agarwood series. These fragrances are well crafted and so damn lovely.

Tuscan Fig is a fragrance based on the fig fruit. The fig note smells herbaceous, slightly woody and mossy. In this series the fig is accompanied by French jasmine, honeysuckle, osmanthus, Madagascar vanilla bean, Madagascar gardenia, Tahitian tiare flower, amber and woods.

The morning version is a honeyed fig with a wafting appearance from a low wattage jasmine.
The day version is warmer and sweeter with honeysuckle. It is also the fragrance with the strongest fig note. The fig is not dry like l'eau de Figue by Mathias Paris. It is more juicy and less mossy. The drydown is a vanilla pudding cloud with wafts of osmanthus.
Tuscan Evening is a mixture of tropical flowers scenting the night air with a drydown of figs and woods.
My favorite of the Tuscan series is the night version. It is heavy on the osmanthus with just a peppering of fig, tiare flower and vanilla. It is so comforting and lovely. Like a scent lullaby.

The set retails for $95 and is available at Bergdorf Goodman and http://www.lisahoffmanskincare.com/

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by Lisa Hoffman