Beauty411

Beauty411 Favorite Beauty Products of 2009

Is it really the end of 2009?  To a beauty blogger, that just means "on to bigger and better" in terms of beauty products. After testing hundreds of products this year, I've done the work for you to find the best of the best. 

Looking back, it's been a great year in beauty.  Innovative products, creative packaging and exciting technology, particularly in skincare.  Expect those trends to continue in the upcoming year as brands try to edge each other out for the consumer's attention (and dollars!).

Here are some of my favorite beauty products of 2009:

Holiday Gift Guide for the Fragrance Lover

Fragrances make really special gifts for the holidays or any occasion. When you're down to the wire, a gift of fragrance is still very personal and doesn't disappoint. Consider these holiday gifts for the fragrance lover in your life...

Limited-edition DKNY Delicious Art Coffret is a set of the entire DKNY Delicious family of fragrances.  Includes DKNY Be Delicious, DKNY Red Delicious, DKNY Delicious Night and DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom. Packaged in a DKNY Delicious Art designed carton.  This coffret is a nice way to try each individual scent.  Available at select department stores, DKNY Boutiques and ULTA Beauty, $38.

Introducing Beauty411 Weekend Digest™!

Beauty411 is introducing a new feature--the Beauty411 Weekend Digest™.  It's a new weekend column that will highlight beauty or fashion news, sales or events, or posts from other bloggers that I'd like to share.  I hope you'll enjoy this feature and make sure to leave a comment!

Here's what made my radar this week:

Get the Look: Rachel Weisz at The Lovely Bones Premiere

CHANEL Celebrity Makeup Artist Kara Yoshimoto Bua created a classic Hollywood look for Rachel Weisz for the premiere of The Lovely Bones on Monday, December 7, 2009.  Kara went for a red lip using  Rouge Allure Laque, which is a perfect choice for the Red Carpet, because the formula is densely pigmented and photographs well.  Kara also utilized the Murano Quadra Eye Shadow from the Fall Venice Makeup Collection.

"I was inspired by the colour of Rachel's dress which was calling out for a perfectly red lip! I chose the semi-matte CHANEL Rouge Allure Laque in Dragon. I love this shade because it is a very pigmented blue true red, perfect with Rachel's fair skin, and can be worn very sheer yet give vivid colour.

I wanted shimmery soft eyes to be tonal with the colour of the dress so a not to compete with the lips. CHANEL Quadra Eye Shadow in Murano has the most beautiful greenish-grey shimmers that accent Rachel's dark hair and brown eyes. CHANEL Blush Duo Tweed Effect in Tweed Rose gives her a soft hint of colour in the apples of her cheeks. Finally, CHANEL Inimitable Mascara in Noir-Black opens up her  eyes by lengthening and separating her already thick lashes without any clumps!"

Photo credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Beauty411 Holiday Gift Guide 2009

How's your holiday shopping coming?  Need some inspiration?  Then pull up close to your monitor and check out the Beauty411 Holiday Gift Guide 2009.  A little eye candy and lot of good suggestions to get you one step closer to finishing your holiday gift shopping.

Who are you shopping for?

For the makeup artist:  I love the idea of giving makeup brushes and I've personally gifted the MAC brush sets on many occasions. This year, three brush sets are available as part of the Magic, Mirth & Mischief Holiday Collection.  Choose from the Do-the-Trick Buff and Line Brushes, Wave Of A Wand Sweep and Define Brushes and Morning, Noon & Knight Everything Eye Brushes.  Each set comes in it's own bag, retails at $49.50 and is available at www.maccosmetics.com.

CHANEL Holiday 2009 Makeup Collection: Bird of Paradise

Inspired by Gabrielle Chanel’s fascination with the brilliant plumage of exotic birds, the Chanel Holiday 2009 Makeup Collection by Peter Phillips captivates in it's elegance. The beauty of the gilded cage in Mademoiselle Chanel's apartment is reinterpreted and captured in an enchanting holiday collection with shades of flamingo pink and peacock blue — accented with shimmering tones of green-gold, copper, and teal.

The CHANEL Holiday 2009 Makeup Collection includes:

3 ways to wear the new CHANEL Noirs Obscurs Makeup Collection

The new limited-edition Chanel Noirs Obscurs Collection could be considered avant-garde; it's definitely a bold makeup collection.  The colors are strong, but beautiful. So how to wear the Chanel Noirs Obscurs Collection whilst not looking overdone or goth? 

My advice is to not try to wear all the makeup in the collection at once.  Pick one feature to highlight--whether it's eyes or lips.  Play up that feature and maintain balance by keeping the rest of the makeup muted. Less can be more with these intense colors. 

Here are 3 ways to wear the new Chanel Noirs Obscurs Collection:

 

The Quatour Boutons de Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow in Les Folies Noir can be used in a variety of  ways.  Apply one of the deep eyeshadow colors on your lid for an intense, smokey look.  Blend well, then apply only a subtle highlighter under the browbone.  Add Inimitable Noir Obscur Mascara in Extreme Black to finish eyes. To balance out the look and keep the focus on the eyes, I would keep the rest of the face neutral and finish lips with the Aqualumiere Gloss in Furious.

CHANEL Vamps It Up with new Noirs Obscurs Collection!

 

 

The CHANEL Noirs Obscurs Collection is an elegant tribute in makeup to the color black.  Mademoiselle Chanel revered the colour black as a symbol of luxury, modernity, sophistication and seduction.  As with all things Chanel, that concept of black still holds true today.

The CHANEL Noirs Obscurs Collection includes:

• Quadra Eye Shadow:  Les Folies Noir shades include deep green, mahogany, midnight blue and dark violet. $60

• Rouge Allure Satin Lip Colour:  Limited-edition lipstick shades include Maniac (deep black-red), Hysteria (eggplant black) and Obscure (brown black). $ 30

• Le Crayon Yeux Precision Eye Definer in Demoniac.  $28
  

• Aqualumiere Gloss High Shine Sheer Concentrate in Furious.  $27

• Le Vernis Nail Colour: Two new nail colours include Diabolic (deep black burgundy--I ADORE!), Forbidden (deep black brown) and Vendetta (deep violet) which was released earlier this year.  $23

• Mascara - Two formulas, including Inimitable Noir Obscur and Exceptionnel de Chanel Noir Obscur in Extreme Black.  $30
  

The CHANEL Noirs Obscurs Collection is available at Chanel counters in department and specialty stores and at www.chanel.com.  Check back tomorrow...I'll suggest three ways to wear the Noirs Obscurs Collection!

CHANEL introduces the Symphonie Blanche de Chanel Collection

The Symphonie Blanche de Chanel makeup collection was inspired by "the ultimate nude" at the Spring/Summer 2009 Haute Couture fashion show.  Peter Philips, Global Creative Makeup Director for CHANEL created colors that represent a moment of pure white magic.  A breeze of pink over the cheeks, a bouquet of celestial flowers on the face, a white petal on the nails.

The Symphonie Blanche de Chanel Collection includes:

Fleur Celeste, "Flowers of the Sky" highlighting powder is embossed with the white flowers that filled the runway.  This is a gorgeous highlighting powder that adds brightness and luminosity to the face and decollete.  The white flowers look like lace on the surface of the powder.  Beautiful!

Quadra Eyeshadow in White Whisper:  A combination of silver pink, pearly white, dark silver and light gold that radiate with various shades of pigment on a white base tone.  These colors can really be worn year around, as they're neutrals. 

Le Vernis in Blanc Petal is a sheer white nail lacquer that was all over the runways and has become a chic alternative to pink.

The Symphonie Blanche de Chanel collection is so pretty. If you're getting married soon, how gorgeous would this makeup be for a wedding? The colors are really seasonless and classic; the hallmarks of Chanel.

Symphonie Blanche de Chanel is available for limited time at www.chanel.com, Chanel Makeup Studios and select Chanel boutiques.

CHANEL Introduces Rouge Allure Laque Lip and Nail Color Collection

 

CHANEL has introduced new Rouge Allure Laque Lip and Nail Color Collection.  Rouge Allure Laque Luminous Satin Lip Lacquer was inspired by the legendary lacquered Coromandel screens in Mademoiselle’s rue Cambon apartment.   It's a liquid lip colour with the ease of application and shine of a lip gloss, yet has the rich pigmentation of a lipstick. The temptingly creamy texture and fuller coverage feel deeply indulgent from the very first touch.

Rouge Allure Laque comes in eight shades and retails for $32:

Santal (Nude), Ming (Nude Rose), Phoenix (Candy Pink), Mandarin (Coral), Dynastie (Pink), Coromandel (Red), Dragon (True Red), Imperial (Deep Rose).