Sunday, November 28, 2010

I Want This: Fred Farrugia Cosmetics



Occasionally I check out Sephora.fr to see what the Sephora in the US is missing when it comes to makeup that packs a punch. I've enjoyed seeing Fred Farrugia's line and its prevalence in such publications as Paris Vogue and French Elle.
So of course I'm wondering, how can we get these colorful pigment rich colors in the US? I love the concept of the DIY color palettes and the different textures of the lip products that are in line with the makeup trends and classics alike. But what gets me amped is how the palette is collapsible- more room in my makeup bag , which is by the way clocking in at almost a pound in my purse.

Can anyone tell me when or if this will be available in the US?
For now, I'll just have to add this to my list of items to buy when I get to a Sephora in France, which could be in a few years.. le sigh.

photos: Sephora.fr

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Apologies for the delay...

Comments are up for the Birthday Giveaway !
Only a few days left

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Giveway: Birthday Goodies for you!


It's my Birthday, and you can win a bag full 'o goodies for FREE from Lacroix the Beauty Blog.

Just leave an answer to the following question below. Good Luck!

What is your favorite under $10 beauty item for 2010?

One (1) winner will be chosen at random from the answers in the comments section of the post or from an email to Lacroixthebeautyblog (at) gmail.com to win one (1) Chanel’s Khaki Vert Nail Vernis, one (1) Exceptionnel de Chanel Mini Mascara and one (1) Mini Sublimage Eye cream.
One entry per person please, duplicate entries will be disqualified. Contest is open to all countries per your state and or country's law.
Winner will be notified by tweet and e-mail no later than December 1st and posted here on Lacroix the Beauty blog!
Giveaway Starts: Saturday, November 20, 2010 , Now
Giveaway Ends: Saturday, November 28th at 3:00pm PST
xoxo L

disclaimer: giveaway items were purchased by me with the sole intent of giving away to readers.

Lanvin x H&M : The Madness, The Lipstick!





I'm a little upside down from my camera phone!

At 5:30 am this morning, I got in line at the 59th and Lex H&M for the Lanvin Collection and was part of the 8:25am crew to get my 15 minutes of shopping in.
Despite the furvor and sheer madness of past collections, I have to say that this one was a job well done by H&M, security, etc!
at 7:00am we got hot coffee and croissants along with a Lanvin x H&M tote bag and scarf. We were allowed to go in the store at 8am but there was a barracade to get to the Lanvin section, where security checked your wristband time and let you know when to come back ( if your time was not next). Given that me and the girls time was 8:25, we were next and had 15 minutes to get the stuff we wanted, and thank goodness there was replenishment every 5 minutes!
Too bad I had no video camera on me so that you could see the 8amers in action. I wanted to ask this women who had 25 dresses in her hand " What's your ebay store?" because there was no way she was a size 2 and 10..
Anyway, overall I ended up with everything I wanted! The faux fur vest, the chain belt, tights, the most coveted item- the sunglassses and... Lanvin Lipsticks!!

There are 4 in the collection but I bought 2, Hot Pink and Bordeaux. Both has a slight rosey scent and I haven't swatched them as of yet, so I don't know what their texture is like.
Anyway, If you can withstand the craziness check out an H&M that is carrying the line but if not, there is ebay.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Chanel Cruise Beauty 2011: Chanel Riva Nail Color Swatches





Yes! Chanel's soon to be It polish is here Riva from the Cruise 2011 beauty collection! The color is a soft Robin's egg baby blue and I'm definitely loving how the color complements my tone.
I picked it up today at a Chanel Boutique in the city and the SA let me know I would need 2-3 coats- she was right. I have on about 3-4. I was so excited to test the color, I almost burnt my dinner! Hense the messy middle finger after trying to scramble and find my fan to blow out the smoke in the kitchen... see nothing comes between me and some hot new nails..almost literally.

To be quite honest, I didn't think I would like the light blue as Jade turned out to be a little loud for me. But, I'm wearing Riva for the moment and think that I can definitely pull it off in an office setting and also get away from the delicious deep colors for the fall by breaking out with this Spring tone early.

The price for the polish is $27 and its official launch is December 1st. I strongly suggest that you call your local boutique to see if they have it - that's what I did. Chanel Soho has major stock and the SA's are nice and friendly, though I don't know their shipping policy.

disclaimer: I bought and enjoyed this product from Chanel for the purposes of review and an upcoming birthday.


Sunday, November 14, 2010

Allure and Barneys Present: Red Lipstick Panel





On a chilly day last week, I attended the Allure+Barney's " What is the meaning of Lipstick?" panel that featured Poppy King, Founder and CEO of Lipstick Queen, Sue Devitt, Founder and President of Sue Devitt, Carisa Janes, Founder and CEO of Hourglass and Terry De Gunzburg, Owner and Creator of By Terry. The panel was moderated by Allure's Editor in Chief, Linda Wells and the subject was nothing short of AMAZING!
So What is the meaning of lipstick? The subject brought out so many different contexts that aligned from how women felt in different eras in the US, the powerful 80's, statement lips of the 40's to the global social impact of women wearing red, in Asia at one time, it was forbidden.
The panel took us through why there has been a boom in the nude or natural lip color and also why we women have a hard time finding the right red.

Overall, the panel was great- hearing Linda Wells speak was fantastic. The highlight for me was hearing the passion of Poppy King! She is the red lipstick guru and she has this unsurmountable knowledge of lipsticks and their social implications. Terry De Gunzberg spoke about the technology of products, why some brands ( her's included ) are luxury- the technology put into the product! Afterall, this is coming from the women who helped invent YSL's Touche Eclat after working for YSL beaute for over 30 years! Sue Devitt spoke to how different markets appeal to different consumers and how the US is a huge color cosmetic market but Asia is focused on skincare.

I was blown away by all the knowledge and will have a special surprise for you all this week stemming from this event so stay tuned!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Halloween 2010: My Tron Legacy Costume

My Tron Legacy Makeup look

Products used to achieve look:
Face:
YSL Perfect Touch Foundation in #13
MAC Harmony Blush

Eyes:
MAC Haunting Eyeshadow
MAC Nile Eyeshadow ( in the crease)
Chanel Bois Bleu single Eyeshadow ( in the crease)
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
MAC Khol liner in Smolder ( on the waterline)

Lips:
NARS Triple X lipgloss


The final product!



The prep: I knew that I wanted to be a character from Tron legacy but didn't know how to approach how to put my costume together. First, I knew that I didn't want to invest upwards of $500 into a costume I'm using once.
For the framework, luckly I had some leggings from winter. Then I went to Uniqlo and bought a cheap fleece turtleneck that I turned inside out.
The net pieces acquired were the source of the "glow". Again, with limited resources, my costume couldn't be as slick as this guy's costume here, so I researched buying glow sticks in bulk- this turned out to be a success!
I ordered 50 necklaces and 50 bracelets in blue and a hot glue gun and got to work on a Thursday night, making sure not to snap the bracelets so that they don't start glowing because the glow is only for 24hrs.
After about a calculated method of not snapping the glowsticks, I glued them onto the sides of my black leggings (please note, I didn't plan on using the leggings post costume so gluing was an option). After gluing the glowsticks onto the sides of my leggings, I continued on with gluing the glowsticks onto my turtleneck.
The next day (Friday) , I snapped the glowsticks when putting on my costume and was pleasantly surprised with the results.

The framework.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Lanvin for H&M Pics are here

Vogue.uk has all of the Lanvin for H&M pics plus prices!
Click here to see and get ready for November 20th ( and November 23rd).
http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/favourites-of-vogue/101102-lanvin-for-h-and-m/gallery.aspx?Page=1#
I'm loving the shoes and of course, want the lipstick!