The FRAGRANCE: Prada Candy fragrance available at Neiman Marcus
the INTRO: After the summer months of trying my absolute very best to leave my face bare and sunkissed, my lips glossy, and my hair sea swept and beachy – I look forward to facing fall with bold color and trying out some of the beauty world’s newest and most promising products. I was so excited to attend a beauty breakfast at Neiman Marcus last month which exhibited some of the new finds from my favorite brands. I’ve spent the last month adding some new products and fragrances to my normal routine and wanted to share my favorites with you – the ones I certainly plan to replenish.
the FRAGRANCE: As far as fragrances go, I love the new scent from Prada: Candy. Prada Candy is light and sweet, it’s the perfect daytime fragrance to give you a bit of feminine sweetness throughout the day without being overpowering. The notes of the fragrance are caramel, vanilla, and powdery musks. And, for some reason, it wears even better with silk. There’s something about adorning yourself in a silk day dress and Prada Candy that is as sweet as can be! According to Neiman Marcus, “the perfume is named after this seductive and joyful girl who is running wild.” Now, if that doesn’t sound like a fun plan for fall, I’m not sure what does!
The LIPSTICK: Guerlain Rouge Automatique (left), The GLOSS: Chantecaille Brilliant Gloss (right)
the LIPSTICK: Now, I’m the girl that tries her hardest not to judge a book by its cover and I guess I could also apply that to lipsticks. However, the Guerlain Rouge Automatique had me at first glance – I didn’t even care what the color was. I was using it. There’s something so sleek, shiny, and striking about this lipstick applicator – you feel cool just pulling it out of your purse. Lucky for me, I love the color as well! It’s a beautiful neutral called “101″ and it looks great with everything! If you want a beauty accessory to give your shoes a run for their money, this is it. Long lasting and smooth- it’s everything you could want in a fall lipstick and then some!
the GLOSS: And, as for gloss, I am so picky about gloss. I am the grown up six year old girl who had a Kaboodle filled with every flavor and color of Lipsmacker known to grade schoolers. Luckily, years later, I have now matured to Chantecaille, but now a connoisseur of course- I am picky when it comes to texture, flavor, shine, and wearability. The Chantecaille Brilliant Gloss is as the name states: brilliant. It’s light, juicy, INCREDIBLY SHINY, and simply gorgeous. Want kissable lips? This is your gloss. Want a gloss that can look great over almost every lipstick and on its own? Again, this is your gloss. The color I have is called Glee, but they all look beautiful! Seriously, if you don’t believe me, go to Neiman Marcus and just hold the tube of gloss up to the light – you will behold an unimaginably shiny pigment that looks even better on than it does in the translucent container.
The PENCIL: Armani Beauty – Smooth Silk Eye Pencil (left), The MASCARA: Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara (right)
the PENCIL: In the past, I have been very loyal to Chanel and Laura Mercier when it comes to eye pencils. However, I ventured out and seemed to have found a new favorite duo when it comes to eye makeup. I have two new favorite products from Giorgio Armani Beauty that seem to make the perfect pair! I love the Smooth Silk Eye Pencil from Armani Beauty, the black #8 – sharpens with ease and the application is smooth and only smudges as much as you so desire. And, in fact, the pencil comes with a smudger on one side, which has made packing it on business trips a breeze!
the MASCARA: As for mascara, I haven’t worn anything but DiorShow mascara in years. And, I ended up resenting anyone who would have me try anything different as I still ended up preferring DiorShow over x, y, and z that claimed to be more advanced. However, this time around, I was surprised when a lovely sales lady at Neiman Marcus NorthPark in Dallas offered to apply Armani Eyes to Kill mascara on my lashes while I was in the store. I loved it then – and love it now. I’ve completely switched from DiorShow! If you want beautiful and long lush lashes – this is truly the perfect mascara. And, the best part is, it rarely if ever clumps. Don’t get me wrong, I still adore DiorShow, but it is now second runner-up to Armani’s Eyes to Kill!
The CLEANSER: La Prairie Cellular Cleansing Water for Eyes and Face (left), The BOLD: Le Métier de Beauté – Ken Downing’s I’m Worn This Way Duo (right)
the CLEANSER: Sometimes, you are just too tired for the five step skin care system (shh, don’t tell my facialist or dermatologist). Yet, you still want to feel refreshed when your face hits the pillow. The Cellular Cleansing Water for Eyes and Face from La Prairie is an absolute must for every busy woman with an affinity for beauty products. It’s soft, light, and silky. It removes all dirt and makeup from your skin without leaving that oily residue that makes you feel as if you need to wash your face – yet again. It’s a refreshing lotion that is gentle on the skin, but still removes daily dirt, oil, and impurities from your skin’s surface. Tried and true – it is perfect for traveling and a quick makeup change after work and before an event. I love stashing the bottle in my gym bag to take off my makeup before a workout and to clean my face afterward.
the BOLD: It’s fall, expand your horizons when it comes to color! I’ve worn red, pink, magenta, and coral – but never PLUM! Before this season, if one would talk to me about wine or cranberry colored lips, I’d run the other way. Not my colors – until I tried Ken Downing’s duo from Le Métier de Beauté “I’m Worn This Way.” It’s an absolutely gorgeous vintage bordeaux – a deep plum – that brought out my green eyes in a way that I never thought possible! I am now addicted to the color plum and I can thank this duo from Le Métier de Beauté for that. And, the polish? It’s equally gorgeous – there’s just something about typing with wine colored nails that gets you through the day….
the EVENT: Sip & Shop – Thursday, September 22 at Neiman Marcus Downtown – rsvpdowntown@neimanmarcus.com
the END: So, there you have it – my fall beauty roundup. And, if my Dallas readers need a bit of an excuse to browse the fall selections from Neiman Marcus, they do have an event this Thursday, September 22nd at the Neiman Marcus Downtown location. The Current Event is a “Sip and Shop” focusing on the latest fall trends in women’s contemporary. So grab a cocktail, some friends, and if you spend $350+ you will receive a Neiman Marcus Rachel Zoe clutch. I’d say that’s certainly a stylish way to tote your new fall 2011 beauty finds around the city.
