If you obsess over sleek, silver packaging, then Lancome’s got a few holiday products you can’t miss.
My favorite is Lancome’s Colour Focus Palette in Black Tie Affair ($40.00), a fantabulous purple eyeshadow quad.
If you’ve followed this blog for a while you know I sometimes feel too purple to function when working the shades o’ eggplant. But, alas, all four colors in Black Tie Affair are so creamy and buildable that even the clumsy (ahem, like yours truly) can easily use them to do a purple smoky eye.
Mad crazy big hearts for:
– Hot chrome packaging! Love it!
– Shadow texture. All four shadows are finely milled, smooth and soft. They also have *fantastic* color payoff. These shadows remind me of my beloved shadows from the Chanel Garden Party Quad.
– Blendability.
– Color Flexibility. The colors are matched well, giving you plenty o’ combination options. For a daytime work look, I’d apply the white color on my browbone, take the light purple from the lash line up into the crease, wet a MAC 266 brush and apply the black shadow on the top lash line. It would also work for a light smokey eye! I’d do the same browbone and lid colors and then apply black shadow on the lashline, fading the black into the darker purple color as I moved into the crease. Many looks await you in this quad, oy!
Itty bitty hearts for:
– Brushes. Honestly, why do cosmetics companies even bother? I feel like applying these shadows with lil’ plastic sponge brushes would be a travesty.
– Price. Oui, oui, it’s pricey but you do get a lot of eyeshadow for your money.
– Fingerprint factor. I know this is kind of knit-picky, but the cool silver packaging, unfortunately, picks up all of my fingerprints, which makes it look dirrrty.
Um, not that kind of dirty.
You might heart it if:
– You want to try more adventurous eye looks but need help coordinating colors (hey, I know I do!).
– You like Chanel quality shadows but not Chanel prices.
– You’ve been wanting to do a purple eye but have been too intimidated to try. The Black Tie Affair quad makes it really easy.
A girl’s best friend
Got a girlfriend obsessed with gloss? Get her Lancome’s Precious Carat Lip Gloss Jewel ($40.00). This cutie pie is cut like a precious diamond and made from Swavorski crystals. The color, Diamond Splendor, is a clear gloss with big glitter sparkles.
Mad crazy big hearts for:
– Packaging. The diamond packaging and crystal top give this gloss elegance. There’s also a very handy mirror on the inside of the cap, useful when you’re admiring your bad self glossing it up.
Itty bitty hearts for:
– Sparkle. I’m very particular about my glitter. Although I like the color of the glitter in this gloss — peach, pink, green and gold — I find the chunks of glitter too big for my taste.
You might heart it if:
– You like a “big glitter” look.
– You collect cute gloss.
– You want to hint to your significant other that you’re ready to get engaged!
Get the look: Purple smokey eye and neutral lips
Hallelujah! Finally, a purple eye that doesn’t make me feel like a drag queen. I used both the Black Tie quad and Precious Carat gloss to get this look.
Eyes
All the shadows I used are from the Black Tie Affair quad.
Browbone – white shadow
Lid and crease – light purple shadow
Outer crease – dark purple shadow
Lash line – black shadow
Lashes – three coats of MAC Plushlash
Lower waterline – MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
Cheeks and Lips
To keep the emphasis on the eyes I kept the cheeks and lips soft.
Cheeks – Neutrogena Soft Suede Blush
Lips – MAC Honey B. Cremestick Liner
Lipgloss – Lancome Precious Carat Lip Gloss Jewel in Diamond Splendor
Did I mention that this look is easy? Makeup newbies, you gotta try it!
Misery, all alone in the moonlight
Remember the MISERY GRIN from yesterday? Well, it was in full force today. At work our internet connection was out, and it took three hours and eight phone calls to a call center half way around the world to get it up and running. The entire experience was about as pleasurable as gouging my eye out with a blunt, rusty nail.
So glad tomorrow is Friday. I’m going into SF to peep MAC’s new Stylistics collection and attend a Chanel event. Yeah, my wallet’s throbbing.
I hope your day was technologically sound … and that your brows looked extra cute.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Beautiful… I think I might have to pick up that quad… the colors look great. I normally love lancome’s shadows anyway… hmmm… Should I buy something for myself this close to the holidays… i’ll have to think on that 🙂
Do it, girl! You already fell for the pink truffle quad! You know you can’t stop 🙂
All kidding aside, I think you’ll like it. You can totally tone the eye colors down!
Oh Karen! That looks gorgeous! It’s definitely your-kine-o-quad. And the gloss is sooo cute in it’s little diamond outfit. How big is it in reality? I need some ice on my finger that is THAT BIG! Lol. Btw, what do you use to apply fluidline to your waterline?
Happy Friday to ya’!
You look gorgeous! Karen, I must say that I
Looks like my comment somehow managed to get cut off. 🙁 As I was saying, your blog rocks!!!
Oh Karen you never seize to amaze me and leave me with a huge belly laugh every day lol…
“I hope your day was technologically sound … and that your brows looked extra cute.”
That was so funny!!
thank you for always giving me something to look forward to when i get to work 🙂
~Crystal
Neutrogena blush, huh? How’s the staying power on the Neutrogena blushes? I could really use a new blush as I’ve lost any bit of color I had from the summer (I usually use BlushBaby or Nars Orgasm). I thought I may try a cheaper brand, considring the mucho buckos MAC received from me in the last week.
Let me know if you have any suggestions. Happy Friday!
Ooohhh, Chanel event (here are the biiig, sparkly eyes)! I wanna know all the details!
That Black tie set is beautiful! I actually love purple shadows! I have fair skin and dark hair so I think it looks pretty good on me! I’m heading out to Walnut Creek tomorrow for the Nordstrom fragrance event, so I think I’ll check it out in person! Thanks for the (always) hot tips from the (always) hot Karen! 🙂
Hi Mrs. Lynne, Happy Friday to you too!
The gloss is pretty big! You can hold it in your palm and wrap your fingers around it easily. It’s more for show, rather than portability.
I’ve been using a SE 209 to apply Fluidline to the waterline. It’s not my ideal brush but it works for now! What do you use?
Thanks Adina! You rock too! 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend!
Crystal! Nice to see you again. 🙂 I’m so glad the blog can be part of your workday. Have a great weekend and I hope you have lots of fun!
Hi Tuprnut,
I *love* Neutrogena blushes. They are great for their price point and they have a very nice, natural flush (no sparkle). Soft Suede is warm and very easy to wear, and it’s my favorite vacation blush! (I also have Sunny Spice and Divine Wine, too.)
Hey Glosslizard,
Miraculously, I managed to exercise self restraint at the Chanel event. I ended up just hanging out with the artists and debating on whether I need *both* Coco Mademoiselle and Allure Sensual. I know, I know.
Have fun at your Nordstrom fragrance party! Hey, maybe they’ll have those dark chocolate stars (I just had a few with my afternoon tea.)
Good for you! Sometimes just hanging out with people in know and dishing on products can be as satisfying as taking them home… which is why I post so many comments here! 😀
And, hey, Coco Mademoiselle AND Allure Sensuelle are two big reasons I’ve been coveting the Chanel fragrance wardrobe!
Mmmmm, dark chocolate stars……
Have a terrific weekend!
Yeah, it’s always hard to exercise Chanel self-restraint! I always like talking to the artists and finding out what the can’t live without. It seems like now I’ve got to get my hands on some Chanel concealer, too, in addition to the foundation compact. Damn, I’m cursed!
I am secretly hoping you get that fragrance wardove so I can vicariously live through you, Glosslizard!You will need some hot perfume for your hot date night, ya know. 🙂
Uh-oh, concealer, eh?
I know, right? I *am* running out of MAC Selectmoisture and need a new tube (never you mind that I’ve got three other tubes of concealer!)
Can’t wait to hear about the fragrance event. 🙂
I’ll give you a report tomorrow! 🙂
So tell about the concealer, what about it makes a must-have? What did the artists say about it? I have yet to find the ultimate concealer and I’m not even sure what to look for!
Hi Glosslizard,
One of the artists was raving about the concealer that comes in a pen form, the Professional Finish concealer. She said that she like both the coverage and the finish.
I’ve been on a long term concealer hunt and the few things that you have to consider are how much coverage you need, where you plan on using it (under eye circles versus zits), what kind of skin you have, what formula you prefer, etc. etc. Right now I’ve been using MAC Select Moisture Cover concealer in NW 25. I like the coverage, and it doesn’t dry out my skin. I’ve also used Biotherm and Make Up For Ever Lift concealer, too. All of these are liquid forms which come in a tube. Lemme know if you have any other questions! 🙂
Thanks! I’ll try some of those out!
Cool! Def. pick up the MAC! It’ll probably be the easiest to find. I think that only a few Macy’s stores carry Biotherm now in the Bay Area, and Make Up For Ever is at select Sephoras. 🙂
Does it last well? I definitely like the sound of MOISTURE cover!
Great makeup website! I think this look would be utterly fantastic had you lined your lower lid (not the inner eye though, but just below that on your skin since you’ve already lined that with black liner) with the lightest color of eyeshadow. It would make your eyes just pop!
P.S. Cute sweater!
Glosslizard, I think it does. I wear it to dance class (and I sweat like crazy) and it stays put if I don’t rub. Plus, it’s got great coverage.
Hi Miss Anthrope!
It’s great to meet you. (And thanks for your complements on the blog and the sweater!)
I love your idea suggestion for lining the lower lashline with shadow. I’ll definitely try that when I do this look again.
Hope you’re having a great day. 🙂