Camper Shoes for Fall 2013

Camper has lots of cute shoes for the Fall 2013-Winter 2014 season. Their Agatha collection includes a fun printed suede option in a houndstooth pattern. Totally adorable and wearable for early autumn! The heels are also low enough so you can run around town in comfort. 

I love these Arlet booties. Simple and chic, the platform rubber sole is super sturdy yet retains a feminine silhouette. This style comes in black and light khaki.

To see more designs head over to www.camper.com. 

Dior Vernis for Fall 2013

As part of the Mystic Metallics fall 2013 makeup collection, Dior released two great nail polish shades to complete the look. Destin 382 is a gorgeous light taupe with a metallic finish. Very slight brush strokes are apparent, but it's not too obvious to be a deal breaker. I can totally see myself wearing this shade regularly for the next six months. 

Galaxie 992 is a dark plum with a slight shimmer. In fact, the shimmer isn't that noticeable when you look at it in darker lighting. Both colors are mostly opaque after one coat, but two light coats won't make it seem too thick. 

Available at Dior.com and all Dior counters. 

For editorial consideration, review samples were provided by the brand's PR representative.

Clarins Crayon Khol Eye Pencils

I always enjoy multi-usage makeup products and the new Crayon Khôl Long-Lasting Eye Pencil With Brush from Clarins are soft enough to use as an eyeshadow. Its primary function and value as an eyeliner pencil also tripled with the built-in makeup brush. You can use it as a traditional khôl or eyeliner, or smudge and layer 2-3 colors for an easy eyeshadow look. With these babies there's no need to drag along a heavy palette in your purse. Just toss a couple of pencils in your bag and you're done. Super duper convenient. 

Eight classic shades are available: 01 Intense Black (this one comes with a pencil sharpener), 02 Intense Brown, 03 Intense Blue, 04 Platinum, 05 Intense Violet, 06 Bronze, 07 Smoky Plum, and 08 Taupe. My favorites are 04 Platinum and 08 Taupe. You can use both for a soft cat eye or a smoky lid with no problem. 07 Smoky Plum is also a great option but the name is a misnomer – it's more of a dark charcoal with a tiny silver glimmer. They last about 5-7 hours without too much fading and glide on easily. I do hope they'll release a deep gold shade or a pretty green one in the near future as that would be fun to layer with the other existing colors. 

$25 each. Available now at www.clarinsusa.com. For more tips and ideas, you can watch a Clarins how-to video here. 

For editorial consideration, review samples were provided by the brand's PR representative.

Clarins Graphic Expression Fall 2013 Makeup

Clarins is offering Graphic Expression, one of their largest makeup collections for the fall 2013 season. There's a huge emphasis on your pretty peepers as there are new eyeliners, mascara, and the return of the popular 3-Dot Liner. 

The Graphic Expression Face & Blush Powder contains three colors to illuminate (light beige), even out (dark beige) and sculpt (coral pink) the face. There's also a layer of golden shimmer to add more radiance. I love how subtle and natural it is. The coral pink shade won't overwhelm the cheeks at all and you can also swirl the shades together for a warm finish.

The Ombre Minerale 4 Couleurs Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in No. 11 Forest consists of khaki, taupe, pale shimmering gold and intense bronze shades. Used with a dry brush, the satiny khaki and taupe give enough pigmentation, which I like a lot. The pale gold doesn't give too much shimmer so it's a subtle accent. I know we've seen this color combo before but this one's user-friendly and a good investment if you don't have this particular color scheme. 

Three new shades of Joli Rouge lipsticks are available: 736 Pink Camellia, 737 Spicy Cinnamon, and 738 Royal Plum. Pink Camellia is a deep raspberry with a slight cool undertone. Spicy Cinnamon is a warm orange brown, the perfect fall shade. The formula is very hydrating and the color is opaque without being heavy at all. Truthfully, I've been very pleased with all their lipstick formulas and colors.  

Joli Rouge in 736 Pink Camellia.

Joli Rouge in 737 Spicy Cinnamon.

I'll be reviewing their new Crayon Khol Eye Pencils and the Be Long Mascara in the next week or two. Also, the famous 3-Dot Liner is back. Stay tuned! 

Available at www.clarinsusa.com and all Clarins counters. 

For editorial consideration, review samples were provided by the brand's PR representative.

Lavender Shortbread

I was in the mood for afternoon tea so I made some lavender shortbread. I used the recipe from Gale Gand, which turned out perfectly. I used cake flour instead and rolled the dough into 2-inch round cookies. Right before baking I sprinkled sugar and ground lavender on top, threw them into the oven for 15 min, et voilà...the most delicate, fragrant shortbread to share with friends. 

If you don't live near a lavender farm or have an herb garden, the certified organic ground culinary lavender from Lavender Wind farm (in Whidbey Island, WA) is the next best thing. You can get it at www.lavenderwind.com. 

Dior Diorshow Fusion Mono Eyeshadows

The Diorshow Fusion Mono eyeshadows are some of my favorite products from the Dior fall 2013 makeup lineup. The squishy mousse-gel texture is definitely fun to play with in a tactile sense, but the finish is more of a cream eyeshadow.

281 Cosmos is a stunning navy blue with an iridescent sparkle. It goes so beautifully with 021 Etoile, a somewhat sheer and sparkly pale silver. This combination will really illuminate your eyes all night without much effort. 881 Hypnotique is a warm dark plum with a semi-metallic sheen while 821 Chimere is a cool pink with a slight gold frost. They're all very alluring but I think Cosmos is my absolute favorite. There is some minor fallout but again, it's not a big issue at all when you see how gorgeous they are in person.

Diorshow Fusion Mono in Cosmos 281.

$30 each. Available at www.dior.com. 

For editorial consideration, review samples were provided by the brand's PR representative.

NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation

I'm quite surprised at how lightweight the NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation is. Whenever I see the word "cream" I expect something on the heavier side but this formula gave me a natural, comfortable semi-sheer finish when I used a dry sponge. It won't hide any major acne scars but it will give a luminous complexion. A wet sponge will let you build up to a medium finish. 

I tried three shades: Gobi (light with yellow undertone), Fiji (light with golden peachy undertone), and Ceylan (light-medium with yellow undertone). Both Gobi and Ceylan were developed for Asian skin tones. To match my summer tan Ceylan worked perfectly on me, but Fiji would also be a good choice if I had less color. Gobi would be absolutely spot on for my paler winter skin; it's just a tad too light right now. My skin is on the dry side so this lasted on me all day with no problem. The refillable compact shell comes separately for $10, but it can take up precious real estate if you're carrying a small purse. 

NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation in Ceylan.

Available for $38 each at www.narscosmetics.com. 

For editorial consideration, review samples were provided by the brand's PR representative.

Dior Diorshow Mono Eyeshadow

Four new fall shades of Diorshow Mono Wet & Dry Backstage Eyeshadow are available at Nordstrom. I love the option of building things up with a wet brush application, but if you use a dry brush or your fingers you can totally get a natural look from these colors. 

Diorshow Mono in Tweed.Moredore 653

Click to read more ...

Dior Mystic Metallics Fall 2013 Makeup

Quintessential fall colors shimmer and sparkle in Dior's Mystic Metallics fall 2013 makeup collection. Warm gold, green, beige and purple are the featured shades for the upcoming season. 

The 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in Bonne Etoile 384 is embossed with a playful star motif. The adorable constellation makes it hard to resist the palette, even if you already have a nice stash blue and green eyeshadows. If you don't like iridescent or shimmery textures, this palette may not be for you. 

For the purple lovers, the Constellation 864 palette is here to tempt you...this one's a Nordstrom exclusive.

Two new Dior Addict Extreme lipsticks are part of this collection. Bonne Aventure 986 is a semi-sheer plum that leaves a nice berry stain when it wears off. The high-shine formula is moisturizing and non-drying, which will be a major plus in cooler weather.

For those who love natural lip colors, the Dior Addict Gloss in 364 Charm is a winner. Non-sticky and semi-sheer, it's the perfect pink nude gloss to match any dramatic eyeshadow. 

Available at www.dior.com and all department store counters. 

For editorial consideration, review samples were provided by the brand's PR representative.

Colleen Quen French Couture Retrospective 8/18/13

If you love French couture, there's still time to get tickets to Colleen Quen's retrospective at the 9th annual Fashion on the Square next weekend (August 18). Colleen will showcase her illustrious designs from the last decade, so if you've never had a chance to view her runway shows, this is a wonderful opportunity to view her exquisite work. 

Colleen Quen Birds of Paradise evening gown.

Other highlights from her previous couture collections: 

The Empress' New Coat

Click to read more ...