Le Metier de Beaute Femme Fatale Kaleidoscope

I didn't have to think too long before deciding to buy Le Metier de Beaute's latest kaleidoscope, Femme Fatale.  I thought that I may have some of the colors already, but I am intrigued by blue this season, so I jumped at it.

Oyster is similar to the the two top colors in my favorite kaleidoscope, Le Cirque.  The camera picked up the pink, but doesn't capture the gold and gray shimmer, which make it the perfect base, in my opinion, because it will skew warm or cool, depending upon the other colors you use.   It's one of my favorite Le Metier colors, more complex than the camera can capture and very versatile.  I wish it came in a single.

Sapphire has beautiful copper flecks in it! It is darker than the blue in the Melange set, which looks like the single shadow Midnight Sky.  Sapphire is just dark enough to keep it from looking too '60s, yet light enough to be noticeably blue.  It's the shade I've been looking for.

Autumn Rust is an warmish taupe with a subtle shimmer that when applied next to Oyster, looks very elegant.

Matte Plum is very close to the plum in Le Cirque, just a tad darker.

I have more experimenting to do, but in my favorite look so far I applied Oyster over the entire lid, Sapphire as thick liner to the top and bottom lids, Autumn Rust over the outer two thirds of the top lid,  finishing with Matte Plum in the outer corner.  It's going to be one of my favorite looks.

I'm really pleased with this kaleidoscope.  As I said earlier, Le Cirque is my favorite kaleidoscopes, especially the two top colors.  I've actually hit pan on one of them, so I'm happy to have the semi-dupe in Femme Fatale.  Sapphire is precisely what I've been looking for blue, and I can't have too many purple shadows!  Femme Fatale is limited edition, and only available on Le Metier's new site.

July Favorites

This summer has been far busier than I ever imagined it could be so I've relied on some old favorites with a couple of new additions.

Le Metier de Beaute "Echo" blush:  This is my second compact.  I've hardly used any other since I got the first last year (or year before last).  It's a lovely pink color with a golden shimmer that looks beautiful on a wide range of complexions. 

Le Metier de Beaute "Tamarack" Eye Pencil:  lining my eyes is faster than applying eyeshadow.  Tamarack is great for my NC 45 skin tone as it blends easily and just keeps my eyes from looking bare.

Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint:  As I've said before it's perfect for humid summers in Washington.  It’s oil-free, fragrance-free, buildable, and water resistant.  Reviewed here.

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch Mascara:  I love the way this mascara adds natural looking length.  It doesn't add the volume that I need so I use it as a second coat over the regular Eyes to Kill.

Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet "La Sensuelle:"  What an incredibly under-rated lipstick.  Though widely described as a matte lipstick, it has a bit of shine, giving the lips a moist look.  This color in particular has become a staple in my makeup collection.

Claudio Riaz Eye and Face Conceal 9:  This a pricey concealer at $58 for .01oz., but since finding a good color match in general, and a concealer that doesn't go on ashy in particular, are critical, I caved on this one.  This is perfect color for me this summer.  There's one shade darker.  It's a bit thick and opaque so a little bit completely covers.  I got mine at Barneys in San Francisco. 

Claudio Riaz Complexion Highlighter 2:  The Barneys SA applied this over the Eye and Face Conceal.  It looks glittery in the container, but it just brightened the area under my eyes.  It's a nice look!

What were your summer faves?

Edited for grammar.

Capitol Kaleidoscope, Le Metier de Beaute

I bought my Capitol Kaleidoscope after seeing on Best Things in Beauty.  There's a dearth of pink shadows in my collection and I can never resist purple!  The Capitol Kaleidoscope is exclusive to the Mazza Gallerie Neiman Marcus in Washington, DC.  

From top to bottom the colors are: 

Pink Tendre: matte pink

Peche Or:  rose with a hint of peach 

Taupe Satine:  taupe

Prune Veloure: semi-matte purple

I thought I would have little use for the matte pink, but it is much more subtle on the brow than in the swatches above.  Peche Or, which I thought was a dupe of LMdB blush Echo, is actually more pink than peach; it contains just enough peach to prevent that rabbit eye look.

Taupe Santine, which I thought was a dupe for the one of the taupes in Le Circe is actually much warmer, a nice complement for Pink Tendre and Peche Or, adding a subtle golden sheen.  The Le Circe taupes are gray.

Prune Veloure is warmer/redder than the purple in Le Cirque.  It is not completely matte, but doesn't have as much shimmer as that in Le Cirque or Taupe Satine. 

Unfortunately I had to work when Erin Lockhart was in town to do makeovers, and I had little time for Michael Reinheart, Mazza NM's LMdB rep and the creator of Capitol Kaleidoscope, to apply the colors when I picked up the kaleidoscope this weekend, so I had to apply the shadows a Couche de Colours myself. The effect is a subtle, finished look that is perfect for the office.

Le Metier had a nice gift with this purchase, a generous sample of their eye makeup remover, which is coming soon, and a trio of eye shadows.

I believe the Capitol Kaleidoscope is sold out, but you can call Michael Reinhardt at 202-966-9700, ext. 2258, to see if there are plans to produce additional kits.

Favorite Things

Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint, SPF 20 in Deep Bronze.  The last impossibly humid weeks of September gave me a new appreciation for what workhorse this tinted moisturizer is!  It’s oil-free, fragrance-free, buildable, and water resistant.  It never budged, lasting at least 15 hours with no fading.

Rock and Republic Kabuki Brush.  Not only do I love the airbrushed look of foundation applied with a kabuki brush, I love the speed with which I can apply it, a real boon most mornings.  This brush came with a R&R bronzer and unfortunately is no longer available, but there are many good kabuki brushes out there. 

Chanel Kaska Beige is the shadow quad I automatically reach for when I have a rushed morning. The quad pictured here is my second. The shades in this warm colored quad are perfect neutrals for me.  Most days I apply them over powdered lids, and they last all day with little fading.

The reformulated version of Chanel’s eyebrow pencil applies much more smoothly than the old one.  And it’s waterproof, so didn’t dribble down my temples before I got to the office!  I use "Brun Naturel."

Lip products go on last and by that time I need to run at the door!  I throw on Chanel Chocolate lip pencil, and this month Le Metier de Beaute Colour Core Lipstick “Sydney” and “Peche Crème” spent the entire month in my handbag, ready for application on the bus.  They produce three beautiful looks, depending upon my wardrobe.  Sometimes I used Sydney alone for an up-to-date burnt orange look; Peche Crème layers beautifully over Sydney, lightening the color a bit, or sometimes I used Peche Crème alone.  If applied first, Sydney lasts through lunch with some color left after eating.    

Finally, I wore Chanel “Graphite” on my nails all month.  It’s a perfect neutral for me!

What are your favorite things?

Fashion Night Out with Le Metier de Beaute, Silk Road Kaleidoscope

I couldn't resist going to Neiman's for Fashion Night Out when I heard that Le Metier de Beaute's Lisa Lingis and Erin Lockard would be there to do makeovers.  I met Lisa when I won the Neiman Marcus' Beauty Shopping Spree in September.  She gave me a fantastic makeover and introduced me to Peau Vierge, which I've used every day since.   And I had read so many good things about Erin on the blogs that I couldn't resist making an appointment. 

Lisa cleaned my face, applied moisturizers from their new skin care line (heavenly), Peau Vierge, and finally Classic Flawless-Finish Liquid Foundation in color #10.  She applied the foundation with a kabuki brush, which gave me an airbrushed look that I have read so much about.  I was surprised at how soft the brush was - it didn't prick my skin or didn't shed - and at how evenly the foundation went on.  Then Erin did my eyes with the Silk Road Kaleidoscope.

Erin first applied Tamarack Dualistic Eye Pencil as a base, then using the 'Couche de Coleur' technique, layered one color over the other, using each of the four shadows from the top of the kaleidoscope to the bottom, then applied River Stone shadow in the crease and Revive Eyebrow and Setting Powder under the brow.  She created a winged eyeline, first using the point of a black Precision Liquid Liner to fill in the spaces between the lashes, then sketched the liner on, beginning at the outer corner of the eye, working in toward the center, finishing at the inner corner of the eye.  Erin is also a great teacher:  that was a new technique for me, which I will use from now on.  She then added purple Anamorphic Lash Mascara, and Brow Bound Eyebrow Pencil in Sequoia.

The photos don't do justice to the beautiful satiny finish of these layered shadows.  The colors don't become muddied as you layer them.  Rather, on my skin tone, they become a gleaming copper with tinges of gold and purple.

Erin finished with Classic Flawless Finish Concealer SPF 18 in shade 11 under my eyes, Radiance Powder Rouge in Rumor, and lip gloss from the Fall/Winter Kaleidoscope Lip Kit. 

I was so pleased with the look Erin gave me!  The look was subtle and sophisticated.  The winged eyeliner gave it even more interest.  The black eyeliner may be a little much for the office, but I can totally see wearing brown winged liner for professional day look.  Lisa created a cheat sheet for me, so that I can recreate the look later. 

I bought the Kaleidoscope, Rumor blush, and concealer.   I'll probably buy the kabuki brush later.   I own one but it sheds when used to apply foundation.  Ugh!  I think I spent 5 minutes picking bristles off my face this morning when I used it.

I have to add that it was a treat to be made over by two really nice, engaging women.  They have such positive energy, which lightened and brightened my day.  There are photos of Erin and Lisa at Best Things in Beauty, with Lisa Corsina, the Le Métier de Beauté representative at Neiman Marcus Tysons, who's sweety too.

If you live in the Washington, DC Metro Area, Erin will be at Neiman Marcus Mazza Gallerie Saturday, September 10th for the NM Fall Beauty Event.

To Powder or Not to Powder

During a makeover earlier this year, a friend asked me which powder I use. I have oily skin but counter to instinct, I use as little powder as possible, because I don't like the flat, heavy, matte look most powders give you.  After applying foundation and before eye shadow, I dust my face with T. LeClerc loose powder, using a powder brush. Whenever I develop a shine during the day, I use blotting papers to absorb excess oil. Since I started using Le Metier de Beaute Peau Vierge and Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint, I rarely use powder after blotting. Both have great staying power, even in DC's hot, humid weather. They never run.

T. LeClerc loose powder is the only one I’ve used that is truly translucent. It comes in a 25g hand-sealed metal tin, and has a little sifter inside. A little goes a long, long way. I’ve only used a third of the product in two years. The last tin I bought lasted 5 years or so, which, at $50 per tin, is $10 a year.

Of the range of colors, I use Chair Ambree, described on the T.LeClerc website as rosy beige. It may look very pink on the site, but because it is so translucent, it just adds a flattering glow. It’s available at Barney’s, which is now selling a travel box for $45, and Blue Mercury, both online and in store.

My current favorite blotter is made by Tatcha.  Because they are bigger than most I can blot my entire face with one sheet.

They have the kind of texture that reminds me of the Habu linen paper yarn I love so much.  The sheets are porous enough to absorb the oil from my face, yet not so fragile that they begin to crumble as the others do.  I've experimented with other blotting papers that have a bit of powder on them including Shiseido and other smaller papers, but they sometimes leave traces of that powder evident on the face. With Tatcha, I can blot without looking, confident that I look OK. I've seen the Tatcha papers online (free shipping), Beauty Habit, Bendels, and SpaceNK online and at their store in New York.

My aunt told me this summer that she cuts up shoe box tissue to use as blotters.  I thought that was genius!

Updated with new photos.

Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscope Flawless Face Kit

I love this kaleidoscope.  Its shape doesn't immediately seem travel-friendly - whenever I think of travel-sized makeup products, I think small and flat, with smaller amounts of product - but the barrel-shaped Kaleidoscope is perfect.

The kaleidoscope comes with four products:  Classic Flawless Face Finish Translucent Compact Powder; Highlighter in Whisper, Rouge Radiance Powder in Echo; and a Bronzer.  The powder was too light for me so Lisa, Mazza Neiman Marcus' Le Metier Rep, replaced it with the Eye Brightening and Setting Powder.  After applying the Peau Vierge and concealer,  I apply the Brighening and Setting Powder on my entire eyelid, the bronzer as contour in the cheek hollow, the Echo Powder Rouge on the center of the cheek bone, the Whisper highlighter on top of the cheek bone, all with the same brush, then set it all with T. LeClerc loose powder.  Having four products in one palette that swing out easily and are big enough to drip the same brush into is perfect and fast.

From left the right:

The Bronzer

"Echo" Blush

"Whisper" Highlighter

Brightening and Setting Powder

 I use loose powder on my lids to create a smooth and oil absorbing for eye shadow.  It's my version of primer and works for most eye shadows.  The Eye Brightening and Setting Powder does this well, provides a good highlighting color for eye shadows that one might use, but the real the bonus is that though it's supposed to set under eye concealer, which it does well, it's also a great under eye concealer by itself if your under eye circles aren't too dark.  I brushed it on quickly before I ran out to do errands last weekend and did a double take after application.  My under eye circles looked less dark, and face generally brighter.  It does not settle into the small lines around my eyes.  This is a great multiple-use product.  It is also sold in a compact by itself.

I was little skeptical about the Highlighter, because it seemed too light and too pink, but it worked for me too. Since it's a highlighter, I use it sparingly, just on top of the brow bone, blending into the rouge. It looks a little pale and light at first, but settles in to highlight imperceptibly. I'm going to try it as a highlighter under the brow bone the next time my makeup color palette is pink or purple. "Too light" seems to be one of my recurring first impressions, which has turned out to be wrong many times. I should press on past it from now on.

The Echo Powder rouge is a perfect blush. I can't imagine that it wouldn't look good on everyone. I fell in love with the tester, and was very pleased to find that it was included in the palette. It's a peachy pink - the peach or the pink will dominate depending upon the other colors in your makeup palette on a given day. For example if your eyeshadow and lip color are in the pink family, the pink in the blush would stand out; the peach would stand out with a brownish palette.

The Bronzer is golden brown, making it a great universal bronzer, but not too golden that it can't be used for contouring.  Contouring doesn't seem to be a standard practice any longer, but I find it useful to apply a little just under the cheek bone to accentuate the hollow, and a little in a straight line along the jaw line to deflect some jowly areas that are developing there.  Done with a subtle hand, it tricks the eye into seeing a slimmer face.  I have also used it as standard bronzer on my cheeks and it was perfect.  Another multiple use!  The Bronzer is sparsely infused with silvery flecks, but they're not evident on the skin. 

Used altogether, these products create a subtly chiseled face.  These colors would complement many complexions.  I'm not sure that Le Metier intended the palette to be customizable - it's not advertised as such - but if one of the Kaleidoscope's standard products doesn't work for you, ask your Le Metier rep if she's willing to swap it out for a product that does.  There's a little pin hole on the underside in which you could insert a pin or the end of a paper clip to push the pan out.  Or you could do it yourself if you already own other products you'd rather have in the palette.

Le Metier de Beaute Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Complexe and Foundation Brush

I took many of my new cosmetic items with me to San Francisco, including Le Metier Beaute Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Complexe and the foundation brush.

Photo from Neiman Marcus

I got lots of complements on my complexion, including one from a Nordstrom beauty sales associate who stopped me as I walked by to ask what I used on my skin because it was so beautifully luminescent!  That's a first.  I love the way Peau Vierge makes my skin look too.   It banishes the shadows that my office lighting casts on my face, and reduces the need to use under eye concealer (sleep would help too, but in the meantime...). It is expensive, but a little goes a very long way.  I took about a teaspoon in this tiny little container, and barely made a dint in it over four days of daily use.

I did not use foundation, just Peau Vierge, blush, eye makeup and finished with loose powder and lip color.  Here's Le Metier's description of its product:
 
Peau Vierge "Contains anti-aging powerhouse retinol, known for its ability to smooth and plump wrinkles from deep below the skin's surface, stimulating collagen cell rejuvenation and bringing elasticity back to skin. Retinol is delivered through a patented and proprietary delivery technology called Syntoc Actif, which encapsulates the retinol and allows it to safely and effectively penetrate the skin. Syntoc Actif provides 20 times more retinoic acid than traditional over-the-counter products and is absorbed into the deeper skin layers, making it the most effective cosmetic retinoid treatment on the market."

It is also talc-, fragrance-, and dye-free. 

Peau Vierge is tinted, coming in two shades: Light to Medium, and Medium to Dark.  I use the latter.  Though I thought it might be too light to me at first, it is not, going on very sheer.  Lisa Lingis, the Mazza Gallery Neiman Marcus Le Metier representative, told me that many of her customers with daker complexions use it too. 

It's possible to apply foundation atop Peau Vierge and maintain that fabulous glow. It has as SPF 20 factor, so there was no need to apply a separate SPF product, a bonus since I've read that retinol products renders one's skin sun sensitive.   I haven't been using it long enough to attest to its claims to even out skin tone, but my complexion looks more even while I'm wearing the product. I've joined the cult.

I love the way the nylon foundation brush applies product.  I've never seen another angled, flat one. 

Perhaps this shape is why it doesn't seem to hold on to as much product as the oval-shaped foumndation brush I already owned, but releases it on my skin instead.  It also leaves a superior application of concealer, better than my finger or concealer brush.  I dot a bit of concealer on first, tap it out with the end of the bristles, then smooth it as necessary with a sweep of the brush.

I'm not associated with Le Metier de Beaute;  I won the products reviewed above in a Neiman Marcus drawing.