If there is one thing we know about Betty Draper, the troubled housewife on AMC’s Mad Men, it is that she would never leave the house without looking perfectly perfect. So, when we learned that Estee Lauder had created a Mad Men-inspired collection just in time for the debut of the show’s fifth season, we were definitely intrigued. The retro collection features two products: a Signature Lipstick in Cherry, a pretty red hue; and a Crème Rouge blush in Evening Rose, a gorgeous rosy pink hue. Both products are packaged in gilded gold cases and will arrive in boxes decorated in a vintage floral print. The limited edition Mad Men collection will be available at EsteeLauder.com and Bloomingdales.com on March 18, just in time for you to create your best Betty Draper look before the season premiere on March 25.
Last month, Chanel celebrated its Chanel “Numeros Prives” exhibition in Las Vegas with a major party, and this month, Chanel is launching a brand new collection—named Las Vegas de Chanel—inspired by the bright lights and party atmosphere of Las Vegas. The collection features four products: an iridescent eye and cheek powder in Lucky Stripes, a palette of gold and peach shades; a Le Vernis nail polish in Gold Fingers, a metallic gold hue; a Le Crayn Lèvres lip pencil in Vegas Gold, a metallic gold hue; and a Rouge Coco Shine lipstick in Brilliant, a creamy gold hue. To check out this limited edition collection, head to your nearest Chanel counter, or shop online at Chanel.com. Prices start at $28.
Christian Dior’s first collection was presented to a room of editors and buyers in Paris in 1947, and was so mesmerizing that the room erupted in excitement and the collection was quickly named the “New Look” by editor Carmel Snow. Now, many years later, Dior is launching the DiorShow New Look Mascara, a beauty product that is said to be just as revolutionary as its namesake. The mascara was created using the innovative Lash Multiplier serum formula, which aims to multiply lash volume in combination with the brand new two-part nano brush. The overall result? A row of lashes that is thicker and more plentiful than you have ever seen! The DiorShow New Look Mascara will be available later this season at Dior.com. It will retail for $28.50.
Kim Kardashian graces the cover of Allure magazine’s March 2012 issue, sporting an “almost natural” makeup look. Inside, she discusses having kids, being on a reality show, and being a private person.
On kids: “Do I want kids of my own? Absolutely. But I don’t know if that’s what’s meant for me. Maybe I’ll just work, work, work, and not think about it.”
On being a private person: “When I saw Khloé and Lamar get married—and they had their wedding on TV—I thought, Oh, my gosh, that’s so exciting! That’s what I want! If you were to ask me now, that’s not what I want. Will I be more private of a person? Am I more guarded? Absolutely,” she says. “But, also, I’m a firm believer that my show is who I am.”
On being on a reality show: “Is it tough to watch [the show]? Yeah. Tough to see an unhappy time in your life. Do I think there are more haters than before? Not really. But I think this has given them a platform to have a louder voice.”
Also inside the March 2012 issue: a report on beauty tips from the experts and a guide to the best new makeup. For more, pick up the issue when it arrives on newsstands on February 21, or head to Allure.com.
Earlier this week, it was announced that designer Betsey Johnson had teamed up with nail brand OPI on a polish collection—and announcement that seemed inevitable, given the designer’s colorful personality. Happily, today we have a first look at the collection! The line features seven different hues: Alley Cat, a purple-fuchsia hue; Cartwheels on the Catwalk, a seafoam green hue; XOX Betsey, a sandy nude hue; It’s My Pink!, a hot pink hue; Forever Wild, a black-grape hue; Sparkling Personality, a silver glitter; and Pushing Your Luck, a deep red hue. Bonus: It’s My Pink!, the hot pink color, is also a scented polish—hardly surprising, since Betsey does nothing by halves! The Betsey Johnson for OPI collection will be available exclusively at Sephora stores, as well as online at Sephora.com, in March. Each color will retail for $9.50.
Just in time for a spate of summer weddings, OPI has unveiled its newest bridal collection, a six-piece lineup of colors inspired by the New York City Ballet. The line includes (from left to right): My Pointe Exactly, a soft gray hue; Care to Dance?, a pastel purple hue; You Callin’ Me A Lyre?, a pinkish-orange hue; Bare My Soul, a pink-grey hue; Don’t Touch My Tute!, an off-white hue; and Pirouette My Whistle, a glittery silver hue. According to Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI’s artistic director, the colors are inspired by classic ballet slippers, tutus, and leotards. The NYC Ballet collection will be available at select salons, as well as Sephora stores, in March.
Just in time for a last-minute Valentine’s Day haul, Chanel has launched Roses Ultimes de Chanel, a bright and brand new makeup collection. The line features six new Lèvres Scintillantes Glossimer shades, ranging in color from Surprise, a shimmering almost-translucent hue, through to Jalousie, a deep cherry red hue. The line also includes four new Le Vernis nail color hues, which we are just crazy about: Attraction, a pearly white hue; Frisson, a pale pink hue; Distraction, a bright orange hue; and Temptation, a rosy fuchsia hue. All of these products are limited edition, so you have just enough time to snap up a set for yourself before they are gone again. Head to Chanel.com to purchase; prices start at $26.
If you are still looking for a Valentine’s Day gift—for you, your bestie, or a significant other—make sure you check out the new collection of charm pencils by Dolce & Gabbana. The collection features four eye crayon pencils—one in Stromboli, one in Coffee, one in Black, and one in Platinum. You will also find four charm-adorned lip liner pencils—one in Nude, one in Dahlia, one in Fire, and one in Soft. As for the charms, they have been carefully selected by the Dolce & Gabbana team, with each charm representing something special. For instance, for the fashion lover, there is a pair of tiny platform heels, while for the romantic, there is a miniature heart charm. The full charm pencil collection is available now exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue stores, as well as online at SaksFifthAvenue.com. Each pencil retails for $33.
Given that we all have different needs when it comes to beauty, samples are often the way forward when you are looking for a new beauty product. On that note, we were pretty thrilled to discover that beauty retailer Beauty Bar has teamed up with Allure magazine on a beauty sampling concept called Sample Society. Sample Society is a members-only subscription service through which you will receive exclusive samples of hair care, makeup, skin care, and fragrance products each month. Each sample is large enough to be used multiple times, which means you can give it a true test before deciding if it is right for you. Membership is $15 a month, but each box of samples comes with a $15 discount code that you can use towards a full-size product, so the box essentially pays for itself. Intrigued? Check it out at BeautyBar.com.
If you want to create a downtown-cool look in an instant, look no further than the new limited edition 413 BLKR collection by NARS Cosmetics. The collection features three essential products: a highly pigment violet-gray eyeshadow, a matte lipstick in warm rose-brown, and a high-impact lip gloss in ruby red. Each piece in this mini-collection is inspired by and named after the NARS Cosmetics flagship boutique on Bleecker Street in Manhattan, and you can bet that with a location like that, the NARS Cosmetics team had plenty of eye-candy to work with when coming up with these products. The collection is available exclusively at the Bleecker Street boutique and NARSCosmetics.com. Prices start at $24.
