Le Metier de Beaute and Kim Hicks Fall 2012

**edit: photo taken with flash so you can see the shimmer

This afternoon I stopped on by to Bergdorf Goodman to say hello to Dustin, who I haven't seen in a couple of weeks...followed up on how Fashion Week went...which lead to the discussion of the makeup that was used on the gorgeous models. He pulled out his little face chart and basically gave me a break down of what was used. Of course the question on my mind was "what lip color was THAT"!?!

Face:

Skin was prepped with Replenishing Daily Solution to keep the models faces hydrated, plus it gave them glowy skin. 

Dustin then applied Peau Vierge Treatment for that luminous skin in conjuction with the moisturizer, and afterwards used Peau Vierge Corrector on blemishes and the under eye areas. What is interesting to note, is that powder was used in just on the area between the brows and down the bridge of the nose. 

Cheeks:

Whisper blush was used all over the cheeks for a subtle glow. 

Magic Lustre creme was only applied on the high points of the cheeks.

Lips:

Rose lipliner, followed by applying China Beach lipstick. Then, Fraise lip creme was mixed with In the Know Bordeaux and was applied on top of China Beach. To highlight the lips and make them seem even fuller, Crushed Ice eyeshadow was used on the cupids bow.

Eyes:

Prep the eyes with Refresh eye base

Noir liquid liner was used to create the winged eye. Rose Champagne eyeshadow was applied all over the lid, next Corinthian eyeshadow layered into the crease. Then, Thunder eyeshadow was used in the outer corner and to blend out the lash line. For the extra smoldering effect, Noir eyeshadow was added.

Lining the eyes, Sequoia pencil in the inner rim of the eye, then Corinthian eyeshadow was applied in the lower lash line. Rose Champagne was added into the inner tear duct to highlight the inner corners of the eyes. Of course, my favorite part with any complete eye, half false eyelashes were used on the outer corners of the eyes. Then to top off the eyes, Le Metier's Brownish Black mascara was on both top and bottom lashes

Large, heavy brows were also an important feature to the look as well, so use your appropriate eyebrow pencil/powder. 

Dustin had mentioned that the influence of the overall look is a Modern Classic Beauty, something along the lines of a mix between 1920s and 1960s woman.

All photos provided courtesy of Dustin Lujan (including the face chart) :D

 

*edited to add a photo of Dustin and Miss Kim Hicks herself*

Dustin working his magic on a model for the show (he's in the grey suit).

Chikuhodo Z-2 Highlighter Brush

I've been wanting to discuss this brush for some time...it's a bit ironic because the designated purpose of this brush is to use it for highlighting. I own a lot of highlighters, but I generally use liquid ones. I do have a couple of powder ones, but it's an area of my makeup stash that I'd like to expand on. 

If you're new to my blog, Chikuhodo are the manafacturers of Suqqu brushes and they create their own brushes, which are only available in Japan. I've reviewed the Z-5 and the Z-8 (if you're interested in reading about the Z series).

So a little more about the Z-2:

Hair: it's made from 100% grey squirrel hair. Of course it's soft and the bristles feel so divine against your face.

Density: It's pretty dense, but the shape of the actual head, it's very tapered, so the effect of applying the powder is very light, but it can pack on the color. The shape of the brush is definitely unique in terms of what I have in my stash, the only other face brush that's pointed is the Becca 53, which is synthetic and used for liquid foundation.

Ferrule and handle: it's black, long and it's very sturdy. It's in line with the other Chikuhodo brushes I own such as the Z-5 and the Z-8.

Why is this so amazing?: I think the best way to describe it is to apply highlighter, whether it's on your cheeks, bridge of your nose, or wherever, it's important to have a precise application. I've felt in the past with cheek/blush brushes I tended to overapply or the placement of the highlighter was more spread out, in part due to the shape of the brush I've used in the past. I can either use the tip of the brush for narrow areas, or use it on its side for slightly larger areas. Due to the softness of the hair, it's pretty difficult to over-apply, but u can definitely easily get the perfect application if you ask me.   

Total price: $105. (price which is approx: $85 + tax + shipping + fees). 

Is it necessary?: Probably not if you have a pointed brush, or own a slanted face brush for bronzing, but I like it since it makes it pretty easy to apply powder highlighter. In my case, this brush is motivating me to buy a couple more powder highlighters. 

 

a closeup of the brush head

Becca 53, Chikuhodo Z-2

L to R: Becca 53, Shu Goat 18, Chikuhodo Z-2, Shu 20H, and Chikuhodo Z-8

By Terry Gloss Terrybly Shine -- Spring 2012:

So I finally got to see some pretties last night...those pretties being the By Terry Spring 2012 collection. Spring collections in general don't strike my fancy because I'm not one for light, or warm colors.

Of course I go to SpaceNK and I see the prettiness that is By Terry Spring:

From left to right:

#1: Diamond Dream: This is the most interesting out of the batch. When I see opalescent/light pinks, they tend to look like chalk on my lips or it looks like some white random funk that just sits there on my lips. This one even on my pigmented lips gives a gorgeous opalescence. My MA who is a NC35-40 it just makes her lips glow. It's not a color that you need lipliner for at all. When I saw it on her I literally snatched it.

#2: Honeymoon Kiss: This is a pretty peachy pink. I'm sure most people don't find it interesting since I'm sure many people probably have a similar color in their stashes...but I like it since the awesome wet shine effect it has on my lips. People literally stopped and stared and asked what I was wearing. I wore this one last night, and definitely a color I see myself wearing more often in the summer due to the effect it has on my lips.

#3: Gold Digger: I find the name almost offensive, but this one is a mid-tone rose with gold shimmer. It's probably the safest color to wear out of the entire line, and it enhances my lip color with the wet shine look. I think I'll be getting a backup of this one. I tried it in store and loved it at first sight.

#4: Pink Lover: This one is not as bright/vibrant as I had hoped it to be. On my lips, it just makes my lips a cooler pink. It's slightly milkier in texture than #1-3 and the shimmer isn't as apparent. Again, you may have a similar color in your stash, but I don't have a similar color myself (oddly enough).

#5: Wine Lust: This one is the one I'd probably wear the least since it's such a cool-based purple. It's not as red based as I had hoped, but it is a neat shade of purple. This is a color I'd be mixing with quite a bit to darken a color, but is it a color I'd wear alone? Not really. It's slightly too cool based in undertone for me to wear it alone. It's milky and less shimmery like #4.

Packaging: it comes in a silver top with the signature By Terry Terrybly diamond shape etching of her name. It has a standard doe foot applicator. 

Scent: There is a definite scent powdery/rose scent. Shade #1 smells more baby powder like in comparison to the rest. My nose is a bit stuffed so I can't really tell any major differences between the gloss scents, aside from shade 1.

Texture: Shades #1-3 are a bit thicker in texture than the Lacque de Rose, but not as thick as the Gloss Delectation. They're slightly thicker in texture than the discontinued Armani lip shimmers, but not as thick as Mac lipglasses. Shades 4 and 5 are more like the discontinued Armani lip shimmers when it comes to thickness. 

Longetivity: What's really cool about these is that they really are long lasting. So I wore #2 last night with no lipliner to see how it would fare. My biggest concern is that thicker lipgloss formulas tend to leave a white ring on my lips in a short amount of time. So I wore it from 7pm to around midnight and no reapplying. The color faded slightly, but there was definitely color, shine, and shimmer on my lips. Definitely impressed since during that time I did have a meal, and talked during the entire time from 7p-midnight. No white ring either. 

In terms of it's overall purpose: It's supposed to be an "anti-aging, firming and volumizing gloss, enriched with the exclusive Lumilip® Technology, to rejuvenate and sculpt the lips in ultra-shiny colors". (quoted from the By Terry website seen here). I can't speak for what it does since these aren't really areas I need assistance with (yet), but I can say that the gloss definitely gave my lips the apprearance of fuller, glossier pout. 

Price and Size: $44, 0.23 fl. oz.

L to R: Shade 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

L to R: Shade 1, 2, 3, 4, 5