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Like Fairies, Nixies, Pixies and Sprites, the New Chanel Holiday 2012 Collection Is a Spellbinding Creature

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chanel eclats du soir de chanel holiday 2012 makeup collection
The new Chanel Eclats du Soir de Chanel Holiday 2012 Makeup Collection

What gilded sorcery is this that seduces my senses with quilted eyeshadows in gold, bronze, violet and pink? — that piques my interest and enchants my cheeks, face, lips and nails with deep reds, pinks and beige?

It is Chanel, you say? A conjurer named Coco? And her spell is called Eclats du Soir?

This spell you speak of and its 10 pieces of prettifying power, they hath possessed me! I am now at the mercy of the new Chanel Eclats du Soir de Chanel Collection for Holiday 2012!

BEWARE! For soon, when the spell spreads to Chanel counters and chanel.com next month, you might be, too… 🙂

Here’s a look at six of the 10 upcoming pieces from the release (reviews coming soon)

the chanel eclats du soir de chanel holiday 2012 makeup collection
Clockwise from the gloss at the lower left: Glossimer in Mystery, Quadra Eye Shadow in Harmonie du Soir, Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Apparence, Rouge Allure Velvet in L’Impatiente, Le Vernis Nail Colour in Malice and Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Star Dust

chanel harmonie du soir quad
Harmonie du Soir Quadra Eye Shadow ($65)

chanel harmonie du soir quad closeup
Harmonie Du Soir eyeshadows in Violet-Plum and Pink

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Smokey Eyes and Nude Lips: A MAC Carine Roitfeld Face of the Day

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mac carine roitfeld
Wearing the MAC Carine Roitlfeld Full Face Kit in Jungle Camouflage ($44) on my eyes and cheeks, and Lipstick in Tropical Mist ($16.50) on my lips

TABS: Woman. Woooo-man. WOMAN!

KAREN: Um, yes, Tabs?

TABS: I need you to stop whatever you’re doing because I have an urgent task for you.

KAREN: Well, I’m in the middle of alphabetizing your cans of gravy right now, which earlier today you called the “highest priority” in the office, and if I stop now to do something else, I’ll be here all night long.

TABS: And…?

KAREN: [Sigh] What is it?

TABS: Listen, I’m gonna need you to try on these two new pieces from the MAC Carine Roitfeld collection — the Full Face Kit in Jungle Camouflage and the Lipstick in Tropical Mist.

KAREN: Sure, but does it have to be now? Can’t it wait ’til tomorrow?

TABS: Oh, I’m sorry. Did the terms of your employment suddenly change? — because I don’t remember paying you to ask questions.

KAREN: It’s funny you should mention that, because I don’t remember you paying me at all.

TABS: Well excuuuuuse me, miss thing! If you don’t want the job, I can get someone else. I know at least 50 girls who would jump at the chance to assist me.

KAREN: Okay, okay. Don’t get your tail in a knot. Is there a particular look you want me to try?

TABS: That’s better. Yes, how about something smokey? You know I lurves me some smokey eyes.

Full Face Kit in Jungle Camouflage on the left and Lipstick in Tropical Mist on the right

mac carine roitfeld swatches
Full Face Kit in Jungle Camouflage swatches from the left: Cremeblend Blush in Bootcamp Bronze, and Eyeshadows in Dew, Camo, Bad Lieutenant and Carbon; Lipstick in Tropical Mist on the right

mac carine roitfeld
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The MAC Face and Body Collection Dives Into a New Dimension of Skin Sculpting and Defining

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mac face and body collection

“Almost done! Be down in five minutes!”

I wonder if boys are born knowing that that phrase up their actually means that they’re gonna be waiting at least another 30 minutes, or if it’s knowledge they acquire over the years.

Poor El Hub… Sometimes I think I can actually hear his eyes rolling when I yell to him from upstairs, “Almost done! Be down in five minutes!”

It’s all the little bits, ya know? Those are the things that can really add up to take so much time — the things like shading, contouring, highlighting and texturizing we do to give our makeup extra bamf!

You know how it goes… Like J. Renner told Ellen, you start with the basics. “Brows, lashes, lips — frame the face!” (at about 3:34 in the video). But then somewhere along the way, the makeup train derails. Next thing you know, you’re holding five brushes in one hand and two palettes in the other, and the sink is covered in fallout.

Possessed! That’s how you look, but you feel like the queen of the world! 🙂

If those little beauty bits — the things like sculpting, defining and adding texture to your skin — light your fire like they light mine, don’t miss the new MAC Face and Body collection, a 27-piece release.

It includes 13 travel-sized bottles of MAC Face and Body Foundation (1.7 ounces for $27 each, versus $35 for the regular 4-ounce bottles), six Pro Scultping Creams ($20 each), six shimmery Pressed Pigments ($21 each) and two brushes ($25 for the MAC 215, and $35 for the MAC 163).

Here’s a quick look at four pieces from the collection and a few first impressions…

mac accentuate
Peachy beige Pro Sculpting Cream in Accentuate

mac coffee walnut
Deep, dirty cool brown Pro Sculpting Cream in Coffee Walnut
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For Corporate Climbers and Business Beauties, the MAC Office Hours Collection Puts in the Overtime

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mac office hours collection
Eyes: Pro Longwear Eyeshadows in Linger Softly and Bloom On; Cheeks: Pro Longwear Blushes in Eternal Sun and Baby Don’t Go; Lips: Pro Longwear Lipglass in Boundlessly Beige

Cubicle crusaders, overworked assistants and every other late-night office dweller logging in extra office hours every week, say it with me now!

We’re not gonna take it!

NO, we ain’t gonna take it!

We’re not gonna take it…ANYMORE!

We’re saying “No!” to wimpy wear time and makeup that malfunctions while we’re working overtime (which reminds me, anyone who says that working for a plus-size kitty supermodel is an easy gig obviously hasn’t done it before).

“No!” to the naysayers who say that it’s wrong to wear anything but bone or brown in the workplace.

“NO!” We demand delicious pops of pink, coral, plum and red to go with our office neutrals.

It’s time for our blushes, eyeshadows and glosses to work as hard as we do! Time for long-lasting makeup capable of keeping up with our busy schedules! Time for makeup able to log in just as much overtime as we do while still looking stylish!

Yes, the time has come for all of those tired, played-out pieces with weak wear time to step aside, and make room for the new 25-piece MAC Office Hours collection.

mac office hours collection

Starting with that first sip of coffee in the morning, all the way until your after-hours snack (don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about your secret chocolate stash), the MAC Office Hours Collection never goes home early. When it comes to wear time, this limited edition collection of MAC Pro Longwear products for lips, cheeks and eyes just plain shreds!

The MAC Pro Longwear products are still relatively new, but I feel like I’ve loved them forever. I mean, finding MAC Pro Longwear Concealer was almost a life-changing experience. Remember Styledriven from last fall? — with the Pro Longwear products for lips and eyes? Office Hours feels like an extension of that collection to me.

It’s office makeup, MAC-style. Okay, sure, the overall look has “super-wearable” stamped all over it, but MAC included just enough color to hint at the rebel that resides behind most button-down shirts, pinstriped suits and sensible shoes.

The color palette includes shades of nude, pink, peach, beige, red and rose for lips; ivory, rose, brown, camel, red, mauve, gray and blue for eyes; and coral, beige, pink, rose, brown and plum for cheeks.

Here’s a quick look at six of the pieces…

mac linger softly
Pro Longwear Eyeshadow in Linger Softly

mac linger softly
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In a Land of Giants, the NARS Andy Warhol Larger Than Life Lip Glosses Take Me to My Safe Place

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nars international velvet
Wearing NARS Larger Than Life Lip Gloss in International Velvet

Look out for shorty!

I gotta get that printed on a t-shirt…

No, seriously. Have I ever told you about my weird knack for crossing paths with swarms of really, really tall people?

I’m like a giant magnet! — and by that I mean a magnet for giants.

Happens all the time. Pretty much every time I’m out walking in a crowded place, and it doesn’t matter if I spot the giants coming from a mile away. Some how, some way, I always end up in their path, darting back and forth between their long legs like a cat in a giraffe stampede!

It’s the weirdest thing…

Happened last Friday in Tahoe, as a matter of fact. There I was, making my way across the casino toward the Kitty Glitter machine the restroom when a pack of really tall dudes suddenly appeared!

Gah! I tried to cut left but was blocked by a line of craps tables, then right but was blocked by a slow-moving couple.

By then, it was too late…

The giants descended upon me like…giants! Instinctively, I brought my hands up to protect my face, as I was carried along the casino floor like a tiny leaf in a rushing river of striped shirts and strong cologne. The creatures barked, too, shouting “Yo, bro!” at each other and slapping high-fives.

I told myself, “stay calm,” and retreated to my mental safe place. For strength, I tried to think of something larger than life…

…like the five new NARS Larger Than Life Lip Glosses from the Andy Warhol Pop Holiday 2012 collection ($26 each). 🙂

nars andy warhol larger than life lip gloss all
From the left: International Velvet, Viva, Candy Says, Penny Arcade and Hollywoodlawn

nars andy warhol larger than life lip gloss all closeup

nars andy warhol larger than life lip gloss swatches
Swatches from the left: International Velvet, Viva, Candy Says, Penny Arcade and Hollywoodlawn
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Bucking Holiday Trends, NARS Introduces Nails to Andy: The New NARS Andy Warhol Nail Polishes Pop On Fingers and Toes

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nars andy warhol nail polish
NARS Andy Warhol Pop Collection Holiday 2012 Nail Polishes from the left: 15 Minutes, TV Party, Superstar, New York Dolls and Back Room

When people ask you what you did over the holidays, you say, “I don’t do reindeer sweaters, Santa hats or candy canes.”

And one year, when you won a 10-pound Costco fruitcake at the company Christmas party, instead of having it for dessert, you hurled it through a window (who no one was watching, of course).

If traditional holiday fare doesn’t light your fire, cheer up, my little emo buttercup! NARS may have a cure for your inner grinch.

nars andy warhol nail polish
From the left: Back Room, New York Dolls, Superstar, TV Pary and 15 Minutes

The new nail polishes in the NARS Andy Warhol Pop Holiday 2012 collection ($18 each) might not restore your faith in Rudolph and Frosty, but they may make you say “hrmpf!” a little less often than you do when you see super traditional holiday nail polishes in shades of red, green, silver and gold.

The five creamy, limited edition shades arrive on Sephora shelves and sephora.com next month, along with the rest of the new 22-piece (!) holiday collection for eyes, cheeks, lips and nails.

Black Back Room, purple New York Dolls, teal Superstar, lemon yellow 15 Minutes and vivid orange TV Party take a detour from the usual holiday nail polish route and look more like something you might see a cocky rocker chick wearing in a smoke-filled club.

nars andy warhol tv party
TV Party

nars andy warhol 15 minutes
15 Minutes
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You Can’t Go Wrong With the Classics: The Artdeco Dita Von Teese Classics Collection

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artdeco dita von teese classics collection

What makeup does Dita wear?

Well, that’s an excellent question. 🙂 We could try to track down the answer online and let our fingers do the walking. Google might even turn up an interview in which the burlesque dancer/diva/costume designer dishes the deets on her signature pinup girl look (here’s a hint: sometimes it involves lots of MAC), but why stop there when Artdeco has an entire makeup collection designed by the glamorous gal herself?

The new limited edition Artdeco Dita Von Teese Classics Collection of fall makeup for faces, eyes, lips, cheeks and nails was designed by Dita and inspired by her classic approach to cat eyes, matte cheeks, and rich, colorful lips and nails.

artdeco dita von teese classics collection
Clockwise from the lipstick in the lower left: Art Couture Lipstick in Parlez-Vous 620, Lip Liner in Dame 10, Nail Lacquer in Dragon Lady Red, Magnetic Beauty Box with Eyeshadows in 200, 582, 578, 371 and 369, and the Blusher in Ivresse 20; and Gel Eyeliner in Nocturnelle

While sold around the world, the Artdeco brand can be a little tough to find in stores here in the States, but that’s what the Internet is for. 🙂 tenderlovingskincare.co.uk (among other places online) currently carries the entire collection and ships pretty much worldwide.

I started dancing with the collection last weekend, and boy does it cut a rug! Granted, I’ve seen similar colors from other lines, but here you also get great presentation. The beautiful black packaging is decorated with fine details, like pinstripes and a silhouette of Dita, complete with her signature mole.

Even though the holidays are still months away (but approaching fast), I’m making a note to remind myself to come back to these when I start looking for gifts for the Dita fans in my life.

Here’s a look at a few eye-catching pieces from the collection…

Art Couture Lipstick in 620 Parlez-Vous (£18.5, or about $29 USD)

So, how many layers of lipstick does it take to get Dita’s classic lip look? Answer: with 620 Parlez-Vous, just one! This creamy, pigmented neutral red has a satiny finish that delivers Dita’s lip look quicker than you can say “burlesque.” It’s far and away my favorite piece in the collection!
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

Blusher in Ivresse 20 (£10.25, or $16 USD)

Like a lighter, pinker, softer version of the beautiful MAC Blushbaby with a name much more difficult to pronounce, Ivresse’s soft texture kinda reminds me of Shu Uemura blush. It takes three layers to really see it on my skin.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

Lip Liner in Dame 10 (£9.75, or $15.40 USD)

A long-wearing, highly pigmented reddish magenta pencil loaded with antioxidants and vitamine E, Dame goes on smoothly, despite its hard texture. The sheen finish? Super pretty! And it even lasts through a meal.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A-

Gel Eyeliner in Nocturnelle (£19.50, or $30 USD)

Nocturnelle reminds me of MAC Blacktrack but has more gray in it, and a slightly fluffier texture. Great for oily lids, and really easy to use. Plus, it’s waterproof, too!
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

Eyeliner Brush (£9.50, or $15 USD)

The Eyeliner Brush isn’t in the pictures here, but it’s not my favorite piece. Skinny, with soft, synthetic bristles, it’s lightweight, which I like, but it’s slightly bent/angled in a way that makes it a little difficult for me to use… I wager it’s a matter of personal preference. I do like the quality of the brush, but for some reason the shape makes it easier for me to do my right eye, but harder to do my left. Weird.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B-

Nail Lacquer in Dragon Lady Red (£10, or $15.60 USD)

I only need one layer of Dragon Lady Red for full opacity — awesome! Unfortunately, the chubby wand feels a little awkward in my paws…
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

Magnetic Beauty Box (£14, or $22 USD)

How cute is that Beauty Box up top?! Since it comes empty (boo!), you build your own palette by filling the case with Artdeco eyeshadows or blushes (yay!). As a design lover/nerd, I dig the details on the cover, but I wish the case was a little easier to open. I really need to press down on the latch to get it to open, gah!
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A-

Glamour Eyeshadows (£6, or $9.50 USD each)

Super soft and easy to blend, the Glamour Eyeshadows do exhibit quite a bit of fallout, so be sure to tap your brush before applying.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

artdeco dita von teese classics collection lipstick

artdeco dita von teese classics collection liner
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Urban Decay Holiday 2012 Pics and Swatches

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urban decay holiday 2012

Yup, HOLIDAY!

A few quick pics and swatches from Urban Decay Holiday 2012.

Urban Decay Ocho Loco 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set, $59

Urban Decay Ocho Loco 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set
Available online only at sephora.com, ulta.com, macys.com, beauty.com and urbandecay.com

Urban Decay Ocho Loco 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set
From the left: Stash (a deep green with gold shimmer), Junkie (a dark teal pearl with golden shimmer), LSD (new and exclusive shade; a navy with bright turquoise shimmer), Perversion (a blackest black matte), Psychedelic Sister (new and exclusive shade; a bright eggplant), Rockstar (a dark purple metallic), Hustle (new and exclusive shade; a medium metallic brown) and Mushroom (new and exclusive shade; a grey taupe/brown metallic)

The Feminine Palette, $36

Urban Decay Feminine Palette
Available at Sephora, ULTA and select Macy’s; online at Sephora.com, ulta.com, macys.com, beauty.com and urbandecay.com

Urban Decay Feminine Palette
Bordello (a pale mauve with gold micro-glitter), Skimp (new shade; a light peachy pearl), AC/DC (a smoky greyish purple), Gunmetal (a dark metallic grey with silver micro-glitter), Hijack (a metallic teal), Lost (a medium metallic brown) and Wallflower Lip Junkie Lip Gloss (a nude creamy pink)

The Dangerous Palette, $36

Urban Decay Dangerous Palette
Available at Sephora, ULTA and select Macy’s; online at Sephora.com, ulta.com, macys.com, beauty.com and urbandecay.com
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