So OPI brings out a bumper collection of 12 shades for Spring/Summer. Inspired by the cosmopolitian city of Hong Kong, they give us a lot of bold, bright cremes and sparkly, blinged-out shimmers.
I really liked this collection, there is a colour for everyone, cool toned, warmed toned and neutrals.
I only got two of the colours, so far, from Transdesign.com. I could have definately gone for a lot more. But….baby steps!! And transdesign had a great turnaround and great prices!! Note to my Trinis: Transdesign ships internationally, so check out their low prices!
Jade is the New Black, OPI
Jade is the New Black is the colour of the summer. Everyone has been talking about this one (as a matter fact, OPI has done a good job in hyping their recent collections). This colour is a continuation of last year’s hot green colour, but instead of the minty, pastely greens, this one is a bold, deep but bright, leafy green. I love green and this one definately does not disappoint. I think its more wearable than its paler cousins and would look good on all types of skin colours. In my opinion, this one is more sophisticated, would look great as a pop of colour with summer whites and beiges.
Hot & Spicy, OPI
The other colour is Hot & Spicy. This is a beautiful pedicure colour! Coral-orange creme, midtone colour. Like a cantaloupe. Very fresh, very beachy!!! This would look amazing with a tan, bronzey or dark skin. Another hit for OPI. This is photographing more orange than it really is. It’s definitely a dark cantaloupe colour.
I think I’ll next get Bling Dynasty, Meet Me On the Star Ferry and maybe Dim Sum Plum.
Check out this collection at OPI. Temptalia has some great swatches!
What are you going to get????
FTC Disclosure: These products were purchased by Noire Tropical Beauty. For more information, see my disclosure page.
M.A.C. continues to roll out collection after collection and Pret a Papier is one of its latest ones.
It’s actually a fairly subtle collection – nothing bright, bold nor too sparkly. This would be a collection for people who are afraid of a lot of colour. It’s mostly neutrals with small elements of summer i.e. peaches and corals. This would also work well for those with fair to tan skin tones.
One item that people might love is the nail lacquer in Originality. This is a bright bronze colour with shimmer and flakies. Flakies????? Yeah, flakies are becoming more and more popular in polishes. They look like flakes, not glitter,but irregular flakes that are suspended in the polish and often they are opalescent or prism-like in the way they look. Very cool! They just add another dimension to the polish. This has a foil-like finish as opposed to a glittery one.
This one did not speak to me. It’s a nice collection – but it’s just that, nice……
I love bolder, brighter, more vibesy colours. So great…..this allows me to save for the upcoming summer stuff. :-)!
Here are a few swatches……….
Pret-a-Papier: 1) Chromographic Pencil in NC15/NW20; 2) Chromographic Pencil in NW25/NC30; 3) Impeccable Brow Pencil in Taupe; 4) Impeccable Brow Pencil in Dirty Blonde; 5) Paintpot in Crepe Coral; 6) Pret-a-Papier Lipglass; 7) Kraft lipstick; 8) Made to Order lipstick
I was browsing my Lord & Taylor Passport To Beauty catalog and spied the new NARS Summer 2010 collection.
NARS Summer 2010
And I think know I love these hues !!! I love blues and they are great colours to wear during the summer. This collection is described by L&T as ‘Ocean and turquoise hues pair with sun-kissed bronze and champagne gold for cool summer color’. This collection looks very Women of Color friendly, with it’s intense blues and complimentary golds and corals. This just reminds of hot sun and cool waters at the beach. You can totally tell I’m a heat lover!!!!! I am not thrilled with using Amber Valletta as the spokesmodel this collection. NARS could have used someone else to truly bring out the warmth of collection….but this is what we have.
According to the NARS website,
The Summer 2010 Collection is a range of bold and bright hues and creamy textures.François Nars looked for inspiration from the character Sèverine, played by Catherine Deneuve in the iconic film Belle de Jour. “Her character is incredibly beautiful and elegant,” says François. “Her look is effortless –– she has an incredible inner sophistication.”
The collection is designed to look striking on a wide range of skin tones and let women’s natural beauty shine through. “I designed the makeup to bring a natural-looking glow to the skin, while allowing women to have fun with color. After all, summer is a playful season, nothing should be too complicated!”
Séverine’s look was not complicated—this wasn’t a woman who wanted to do her makeup all day—but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t polished. Effortless looking makeup can often be the most elegant, allowing a woman’s natural beauty (and personality) to shine through—especially during the summertime.
The hues for this collection are sexy, sensual and compliment a broad range of skin tones. It brings a lovely glow to any and every complexion. I’ve avoided the cliché of making everything pink. For me, summertime makeup should be sheer, reflect the light and be easy to apply. But it should still have pops of color—like the Burn It Blue Duo Cream Eyeshadow.
Sheer formulas! They are more forgiving. They go on so translucently and require less precision—lips can be done quickly; lids require just a swipe or two (using fingertips, if that’s preferred). Of course, a more built up look is always possible—that’s the beauty of these formulas.
The Details:
Enchanted This soft-peach cream blush delivers a hint of shimmer and smooth, silky color for a luminous complexion. The vitamin-enriched formula is long-lasting and blends easily for a sheer flush and healthy, glowing summertime skin. It’s sure to attract, entrance and delight.
Burn It Blue An iridescent ocean-blue paired with turquoise creates a lively duo cream eyeshadow. The soft cream formula can be applied with the fingertips or a brush for more precision. Swipe one shade over the eyelid or layer one upon the other—the overlay is delicate, yet striking.
Cayenne This spicy, deep brown cream eyeshadow is even hotter than its namesake spice. The intensely rich shade is tempered by a weightless texture, making it a versatile summer option. Use it to line or swipe it across the entire lid. Apply it sheer or layered for more color, intensity and pop.
Love Devotion
This nourishing, long-lasting sheer guava lipstick delivers a subtle and glistening color. Lips will be soft and sumptuously in season.
Coup de Coeur Just like the French phrase it’s named after, this shiny, sheer apple-brandy tinted lip gloss is sure to yield love at first sight. The convenient wand application is perfect for adding gloss throughout the day for ultra-tempting fullness.
Lamu This multi-purpose tool is now available in a fresh, glazed-apricot shade. The multiple’s gold sparkles create shimmering accents and gives a glowing complexion. The lightweight, foolproof color is quick and easy, and takes the guesswork out of what goes where.
Versailles This regal, opalescent, champagne-gold nail hue shimmers, creating a light-catching tint. The durable formula creates a gilded sophistication and a majesty that’s very modern.
I am most interested in Lamu multiple (looks quite dark and bronzy), Burn It Blue (blues!!!), Love Devotion (is this the coral shade of the season?????)
This collection will be available from April 15 (today!) on NARS Cosmetics online, Sephora and Lord & Taylor stores nationwide.
Yeah, it’s spring and I’m excited!!!! I love warm weather!
So M.A.C. continues to spring forward with their summer collections and next up is Pret a Papier and the colour of the season, coral, appears again. This collection looks like a less intense version of the To The Beach collection, a good transition from spring to summer.
Craft Paper Couture – an inspired idea cut like a pattern and whipped up into a frisky little “funny face” frock. Then, strip it back to its essence for Summer 2010 for a Pret-a-Papier colour collection. It was a Project Runway challenge of sorts, with paper as the source, the instigator of ideas, the beginning of something simply, basically beautiful. Lipstick, LipGlass, Eye Shadow, Paint Pot, Chromografic Pencil, Studio Fix Lash, Impeccable Brow Pencil, Sheertone and Mineralize Blushes, and Nail Lacquer in a seamless spectrum of parchment-to-vellum beiges, with an occasional, clever colour spill, coral among the most au courant
The Products….
Chromagraphic Pencil – $14.50 U.S.
NC 15 / NW 20
NW 25 / NC 30
Note: These are brand new pencils, that appeared at the most recent Fashion Weeks, and they are supposed to be flesh-toned and used on the waterline. I guess it’s supposed to be better than using a white pencil to make the eyes appear brighter and more awake. It has peeked my interest! 🙂
Impeccable Brow Pencil – $15.00 U.S.
Dirty Blonde: Blackened Dark Neutral-Brown
Taupe: Mid-Tone Dirty-Taupe
Studio Fix Lash – $13.00 U.S.
Black Fix: Black
SheerTone Blush – $18.50 U.S.
Instant Chic: Mid-Tone Muted Coral
Garb: Light Golden SunTan
Mineralize Blush – $23.00 U.S.
Light Over Dark: Light Yellow Brown/ Dark Peach (Frost)
Made To Order: Creamy Mid-Tone Dirty Coral (Lustre)
Kraft: Creamy Mid-Tone Warm Brown (Amplified)
LipGlass – $14.00 U.S.
C-ThRU: Peachy – Beige With Shimmer
Fold and Tuck: Mid-Tone Bright Coral W/ Soft Pearl
Pret-a-Papier: Dark Reddened Bronze W/ Pearl
Eye Shadow – $14.50 U.S.
TissueWeight: Frosted Pale Peach (Frost)
Bamboo: Light Beige with Peach (Matte)
Cut To Fit: Frosted Red-Bronze (Frost)
Gazette Grey: Dark Green-Grey With Gold-Pearl (Velvet)
Memorabilia: Dirty Purple (Matte)
Nail Lacquer – $12.00 U.S.
Brown Bag: Mid-Tone Warm Dirty Beige (Cream)
Originality: Sparkly Copper Bronze (Frost)
This collection makes its appearance on April 22nd in US stores and in May 2010 internationally, and no, the packaging is not LE, it’s the regular M.A.C. packaging. It’ll appear online a few days before for purchase.
I LOVE warm hot weather! I am a true Caribbean chile. Can’t say that I’m missing Snowmaggedon in the Big Apple!!!
M.A.C. usually brings out some of their best collections during the summer with stunning colours and limited edition packaging and I am certainly going bananas over the packaging for the ‘To The Beach’ collection being released in May.
Here are the details….
Eye Shadow $14.50 U.S.
Sand & Sun – Light Peach (Matte)
Firecraker – Frosted Mid-Tone Red Orange (Veluxe Pearl)
Sweet & Punchy – Bright Yellow Green (Veluxe Pearl)
Shimmermoss – Green with Green Pearl (Veluxe Pearl)
Humid – Intense Green with Shimmer (Frost)
Lipstick $14.00 U.S.
BeachBound – Sheer Frosted Pale Peach (Glaze)
Lazy Day – Light Dirty Blue Pink (Lustre)
Thrills – Rosy Copper with Gold Pearl (Frost)
FunBathing – Mid-Tone Bronzed Plum (CremeSheen)
Lipglass $14.00 U.S.
Easy Lounger – Light Baby Pink with Multi-Dimensional Pear
Flurry of Fun – Sheer Sparkly Peach
Splashing – Mid-Tone Blue Pink with Soft Gold Pearl
Lip Pencil $13.00 U.S.
Life’s a Breeze – Soft Pink
Temperature Rising – Loudmouth Orange
Eye Kohl $14.50 U.S.
Float on By – Dark Green Turquoise
Rosemary & Thyme – Mid-Tone Olive Gold with Shimmer
Powder Blush $18.50 U.S.
Hipness – Intense Coral with Soft White Pearl (Frost)
Get-Away Bronze – Mid-Tone SunTan (Frost)
Highlight Powder $26.00 U.S.
Marine Life – Multicolour Pressed Powder
Nail Lacquer $12.00 U.S.
In the Buff – Muted Taupe Avocado (Cream)
Scorcher – Creamy Bright Coral Red (Cream) <—-Ah gettin’ this!!
Doesn’t this collection make you want to head to the beach!!!! I’m going to be all over the pastel, pearlescent green packaging and the orange lipgloss is calling my name!!!!
