dolce & gabbana

When you look in the mirror, what are your lips saying to you?

Do they offer words of encouragement? Do they build you up or tear you down?

Do they tell you you’re beautiful and say, “you’re making a difference in the world”? Do they say you’re important, unique, special, and tell you that you’re loved?

I hope so.

Today my lips are whispering the quiet, hushed tones of Dolce & Gabbana’s upcoming holiday collection and saying, “hurry up and take these pictures, Karen, and let’s go to the movies, ha!” 🙂

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Oy, what a relief! My poor luggage found its way home last night, none the worse for wear, and when I busted it open, BAM! Tabs jumped inside. 🙂

Somehow he even knew which compartment held the Dolce & Gabbana Ethereal Beauty Collection products for holiday 2010.

I’ve been meaning to swatch these for you for days! Most of the colors in the 15-piece collection, a collaboration between makeup artist Pat McGrath and designers Dominico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, are totally new. Only two of them, Volumizing Lashes in Black ($29) and Intense Nail Lacquer in Pink 100 ($20), are re-promotes from the permanent line.

None of the products, which arrive at Saks Fifth Avenue stores in mid-October, are exactly bargains, unfortunately, but the prices are typical for a luxury line, ranging from $20 at the low end all the way up to $59 at the top.

The D&G dudes say that light, and the delicate, feminine chiffons, silks and laces from their 2010 runway collections, inspired Ethereal Beauty, and I think I can see their point of view in the makeup. Most of these are nude colors, airy, tender and ladylike. There’s still variety, however, in both texture and opacity, particularly among the lip products.

I think it’s an unusual holiday collection, and not as reddish, golden or dark plum as we usually see from releases around this same time of year.

These Ethereal Beauties — the soft nudes, warm honey browns, delicate pinks, subtle bronzes and solitary orchid — feel more like spring or summer products to me, and for that, I applaud! Simply put, I’m nowhere near ready for this summer to end.

The nuanced color palette might not make this a favorite collection for gals addicted to big, brash and bold. The warm brown, beige and bronze eye colors, here in a variety of shimmery and matte finishes, complement the matte pink cheeks, while the shimmery peach, pink, beige, brown and bronze lips fit well within the overarching theme of the look.

Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Desert, $59
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