Since it began in 1994, The M.A.C Aids Fund has raised 200 million dollars. It's mission is to serve people of all ages, all races and all sexes affected by HIV and AIDS. Every single penny from the price of a Viva Glam lipstick or lipglass gets donated. For more information on Viva Glam and the M.A.C AIDS Fund see www.macaidsfund.org
Previous campaigns courtesy of the MAC AIDS fund website.
NARS says; The Spring 2011 Collection is the epitome of minimalism, reaching a sensual peak with fresh, forward colour. Jeweled earth tones for eyes and nails are infused with a metallic finish that lends a subtly sleek finish. Cool compliments of sheer and sparkling lips pair with unexpected accents of parrot green and vivid blue. It all adds up to a looks that's indisputably modern.
Duo eyeshadow in Bateau Ivre - An iridescent rich sky blue and a matte deep denim hue that can be applied wet or dry, alone or layered. I love the texture of these shadows they are soft, vibrant and blend beautifully.
Lip Gloss in Super Orgasm - Just like its blush counterpart. Shiny, peachy-pink and laced with gold glitter.
Velvet Gloss lip pencil in Frivolous - These combine the convenience of a pencil with the application of a lipstick in a jumbo-size crayon design. The Velvet Gloss Lip Pencils feature a lightweight formula that is enriched with Vitamin E. plus a blend of moisture-rich hyaluronic spheres for a lustrous look that’s exceptionally rich. NARS describe this colour as an iridescent seashell pink which is exactly what it looks like.
Other new products from NARS that I am loving;
Soft Touch Shadow Pencils - provide easy, portable, long-wearing application. These jumbo sized pencils have versatile functionality to shade the lid, line, or highlight the eye. Smooth, creamy texture delivers a smooth, velvety feel to the eye and make for easy blending and an ideal base for layering with a powder shadow for increased color intensity.
When spring arrives, pastel shades shortly follow but this year instead of your playful pinks and cheeky lilacs, Sleek MakeUp forecasts toasty peaches for a pretty spring 2011. Inspired by peaches from all over the world, the collection celebrates in a variety of hues, from soft coral to vibrant orange and with a few warm browns thrown in.
The Paraguaya i-Divine palette RRP: £6.49 Pan-Tao blush RRP: £4.29
Soleil Tan De Chanel - £32.50 Bronze Rosé suitable for fair skin tones Bronze Corail explores the warmth of olive and tanned skin
Les 4 Ombres - £37.00 Lilium Pink Champagne with golden sparkles Soft pale yellow/green Deep iridescent green Grey with bronze reflections
Levres Scintillantes - £20.00 Pink Peony - Perfect pink with soft lilac reflects Aurore - Tender peach with gold and pink reflects Pensée - Deep coral (not pictured)
Also available Stylo Yeux Waterproof (long-lasting eyeliner) in Rose Platine - £18.00 Ombres Contraste (Eyeshadow Duo Powder and Cream-powder) in Khaki-Discret - £30.00 and Le Vernis (Nail Colour) in Morning Rose, Beige Pétale and Mimosa - £17.50
Nic and I decided that we loved this palette the moment we saw it. We are both fans of creme products although perhaps this is the kind of product that is suited to the summer. Either way, the palette is brilliant and versatile.
You may be able to see the little black tabs above the mirror (see below) These tabs can be pulled out to reveal excellent instructions, tips and tricks on how to use this lovely palette.
The palette is inspired by Laura Mercier's work with celebrity clients, in particular Sarah Jessica Parker.
The Story goes that Sarah walks into a shoot ready for make-up and pulls out a homemade palette featuring a bunch of her favourite LM products crushed into one place... Cue Laura's brain ticking. Apparently, SJP received the first of these palettes ever made.
What they say
'This ultra-sheer, blendable palette was inspired by Laura’s work with celebrity clients, who wanted a universal compact that would “wake up” their skin and give them an immediate healthy glow. From bronzer, to cheek colour, to glow, it’s easy to customize any look. The palette provides a finished effect – skin has a natural “no-makeup” glow that looks soft and sun-kissed. The built-in mirror and step-by-step instruction tabs allow for easy portability.'
From Estee Lauder the quintessential holiday/christmas collection. Rich berry tones for lips are complemented by bronze shadows. As with most crimbo launches there is nothing mind blowing in this collection but it does what it says on the tin. The palettes would make beautiful and wearable gifts.
They also have an awesome christmas offer. If you are planning to buy any Estee Lauder fragrance you can get this collection of goodies for rrp £49.00. Having seen the collection in the flesh we were shocked by the size of it. All products are full sized products. This will undoubtably sell out to desperate partners on the last minute gift hunt.
Look what landed on the desk at Pixiwoo Towers yesterday, we have the Les Tentation De Chanel 2010 Christmas Collection.
Chanel say it's 'A palette with warm tones, dashed with joyful pink, compliments coppers, and bronzes swept over eyelids. On cheeks, lips and fingertips, the radiance of ultra-feminine fuchsia is a playful weapon of seduction'
We say 'Oh it's another collection of browns' Then we say 'Oh my god, this palette is divine'
Yes, this is an incredibly wearable collection. Infact I will wear every single item in it but don't be fooled into thinking it's boring. The Tweed Fuchsia blush is a wonderful amalgam of matte pinks and shimmering gold, which gives a subtle glow to the cheeks but can be applied with more intensity if desired. The Les 4 Ombres shadow palette is a collaboration of warm iridescent pinks and browns. It follows in the footsteps of the Enigma palette in that the colour payoff is immense. The dark brown (Rouge Noir Cuivré) is an absolute dream to work with. It is the colour of the deepest rich mahogany with shimmer, the colour is so rich that it looks like it would taste nice... does that make sense?
Other products that I love in this collection are the fuchsia nail polish in Pulsion and the fluid iridescent eyeshadow Ombres D'eau in Splash which is another highly pigmented deep and luminous bronze.
These are great for a make-up artists kit as like the Yaby e/s palette they are incredibly compact. There's a choice of 19 colours, the palette holds 8 and also features a large mirror in the lid so quite handy for showing clients how they look once you have applied one of these lovely blushers.
The blushers are very pigmented and the pans are tightly pressed so I doubt they would crumble easily which is always a concern when carting palettes from shoot to shoot.
Available from 1st October 2010 Chanel - Pure Shine Intense Colour Long Wear Lip Gloss - £22.50 These glosses come in 9 shades of which I have 7 (shown below).
In the past month I have been swapping between Insolence and Imaginaire because I can never get enough of pink gloss. These glosses feel absolutely lovely on the lips and because they are Chanel the packaging is typically simple and stylish. They come in a weighty opaque black square glass tube with a unusual 'V' shaped wand which makes application easy and somehow luxurious. I wanted to keep applying it but there was no need because the product itself is very long wearing. Totally recommend.
Note: I was wearing Imaginaire in the Waterproof Mascara video. Posted by Sam
Launching in store and online from 29th September. 3 new shades from Sleek Make-up's shimmer blush collection RRP: £3.99 (seriously) > Rose Gold: A golden shimmer blush with pink undertones (possible dupe for Nars Orgasm and already in make-up bag) > Sunshine: A shimmer blush with brown/red undertones (left) > Pomegranate: A shimmer blush with burgundy undertones (not pictured)
Illamasqua's Art of Darkness collection is full of intense, rich, dark, autumnal colours just as the name would suggest. There is a real buzz about this collection and future collections as Illamasqua have appointed David Horne (previously of Jemma Kidd and MAC) as Director of Product Development. With Alex Box's creativity and David's attention to detail this may mark a new period for the company.
I chatted to David about what the future holds for PD at Illamasqua.
"Illamasqua has always been cultivated with professional quality pigmented make-up product at the core of the brand, and now as the company moves forward with our exciting first UK flagship store and School of Make-Up Art the creative and technical challenges are as ever continuous and vast.
Product efficacy is at the heart of Professional Make-Up Artistry and to the Illamasqua brand, and the process is underway to deliver even more continuous improvements to product being developed as we endeavor to respond to product feedback, listen to our customers, and communicate with our suppliers to push our creative vision and expand their capacity to achieve colour results we strive for.
We are a brand that is responsive, not complacent like other cosmetic industry brands. We have a responsibility to position and offer the unusual.
Never colour cautious.
We acknowledge we have not always got everything 'pigment perfect' in our evolution, not always possible in a business driven by pigments that can become variable. However when we are not able to be satisfied with a product we go back to supplier production and strive further to mutually get the result we initiated.
Our product development direction has quality assurance at the forefront of its agenda and we are assessing our products item by item and shade by shade to respond with an dynamic inspirational range to inspire the artists which make professional make-up art so creative. This is not an overnight process but one, which will position us to offer you exciting kit pieces for your delectation.
Thank you everyone for your continued support, it is that candid product passion which drives us to deliver the results team by team as we move forward and evolve as a brand". David Horne, Director Product Development & School of Make-Up Art
