Lancome
Lancome & Chris Benz Unveil Their Pout-A-Porter Lipstick
The biggest news on the lipstick front is the collaboration between Lancome and designer Chris Benz. It’s the fifth installment of the Pout-A-Porter series and I’ve got the scoop. Following in the footsteps of innovative designers like Thakoon, Peter Som, Benhaz Sarafpour and Proenza Schouler, Chris worked with makeup artist Daniel Martin to create a gorgeous shade that does total justice to the P-A-P series.
In a true stroke of genius, Lancome and Chris Benz involved their fans in the launch with a Facebook contest on Chris’s fan page to name the shade. The winner receives five of the lipsticks and a $500 Lancome gift card!
You may remember that I broke the news of this collaboration in my review of Declaring Indigo. Now, thanks to my friends at Lancome, I have the privilege of sharing the name and first look of this amazing lippie with all of you before its debut at New York Fashion Week.
Chris & Tell is the name Chris chose for the opaque peach color. Isn’t that adorable? Such a fun play on words. They used the color for the first time last week during the hair and makeup test as shown on model Elettra wearing one of Chris’s Spring 2010 dresses.
If you want your own tube of Lancome Chris & Tell, and why wouldn’t you, you better hop to it. The waiting list opened last Thursday during Fashion’s Night Out. Call the Lancome Boutique at 212-362-4858 to make sure you don’t miss out!
Lancome Declaring Indigo – Indigo Paris Le Vernis
 Lancôme’s fall collection, Declaring Indigo, includes three shades of their Le Vernis nail polish including a bold, electric blue. I got my first peek at the new colors backstage at the Chris Benz F/W 09 show during New York Fashion Week. Deborah Lippmann was working “undercover” tending to the models’ nails alongside Lancôme makeup artist Daniel Martin and Redken lead stylist John Ruidant.
Get your first look at Indigo Paris and some insider scoop on Lancôme’s Pout-à -Porter lipstick series after the jump! |
Daniel Martin referenced Danceteria circa 1982 in describing the makeup. The models’ skin was given a blown out, overexposed matte finish using a foundation two shades lighter than their skintone. The lip was a flat beige giving the perfect set-up for a dramatic eye. Three colors, a cream eyeliner and black eyeshadow (both from Declaring Indigo) and Piha Black lipgloss went into creating the look. Daniel used his fingers to apply the gloss on the lid to give texture. Because the hair was so intricate, Chris wanted the makeup to be like fingerpaints, very DIY. The expected launch is Spring 2010 so look for this new shade to pop up on the Spring runways come September. In asking for deets on the color Daniel stated, “[Chris's] whole theory is color and saturation so it will be a nice, fun lipstick.” Based on his use of primary colors I’m expecting something bold. Deb said this was Chris’s first time making a nail statement. That it was about finishing the look with the nails and she was so excited to see designers shying away from sheer pink and embracing color. She applied the three shades from the Declaring Indigo collection, a bright electric blue shimmer, a classic red creme and a metallic gold using her Ridge Filler base coat and Addicted To Speed top coat. She also mentioned nail shapes getting a little longer for Fall. That they’re Mad Men influenced, a little more almond shaped. That we no longer need to be strong women with a squared off nail, we need to be more feminine with a slight almond shape. A shape that elongates and flatters the hands. So let’s talk about this electric blue, shall we? Indigo Paris is a richly pigmented, shimmering jewel. The polish just flows on the nail and becomes perfectly opaque in two coats. The tonal shimmer gives it depth and brilliance like it’s lit from within. product image credit:British Beauty Blogger
The look at the show was that of a late 70s/early 80s uptown girl heading downtown to the clubs. The gorgeous hair creation is the brainchild of John Ruidant who is not only a genius but very 90s-Seattle-coffee-house chill every time I see him. Madness ensues all around and he’s just working the hair, doing his thing all the while intricately describing his masterpiece. I can’t even begin to go into what it took to create this style but it involved a 1 inch curling iron, Redken Fabricate and a whole mess of backcombing and pins. Definitely a do not try this at home type situation.
While talking to Daniel, he revealed for the first time (yay scoop!) that he is working with Chris to create the next shade in Lancôme’s Pout-à -Porter series. Daniel and Chris were introduced through a mutual friend from their hometown of Seattle and formed a fast friendship and working relationship over the past four years that will now spawn a lipstick.
Of course the ultimate treat of the day was when Lancôme VP of PR Kerry Diamond pulled me aside to introduce me to the one and only Deborah Lippmann! Talk about an unexpected thrill.
The color really comes alive in the sun, even more so in person.
Declaring Indigo launches in August and the Le Vernis lacquers retail for $18. You can buy them online at Lancome-USA.com or at Lancôme counters nationwide.
The Lancome Blog & Giveaway
Have you visited The Lancome Blog yet? What are you waiting for? Take a peek and you’ll find VP of Public Relations, Kerry Diamond, sharing the latest on Lancome product launches, behind the scenes info from photo shoots and tips from Lancome artist Aaron De May in addition to scoop on brand spokespeople Kate Winslet, Anne Hathaway and Clive Owen. It’s a fun insider look at the brand.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Kerry at the Lancome boutique in Manhattan and backstage at NYFW and she’s a delight to be around. As a former beauty director at Harpers Bazaar and WWD and the author of Kevyn Aucoin a beautiful life, she knows beauty so having her ask me for nail tips is more than flattering.
Recently, Kerry got my take on black nail polish for a blog article, Black Nails: Trendy or Timeless, and as a thank you she’s offering up a fun giveaway to the ALU readers. You remember that gorgeous Piha Black lacquer Lancome released for spring? Well one of you can win a bottle of the limited edition shade by entering my contest below.
EDITED: The Twitter widget wasn’t very user friendly so I switched to a simple email based entry.
Lancome is giving away a bottle to their blog readers as well so head on over, leave a comment and good luck!
Lancome Pink Irreverence – Sassiness & Piha Black
 For Spring 2009, Lancome’s Artistic Director for Makeup, Aaron De Mey, played with the idea of mixing safe and edgy by pairing girly pinks with gothic blacks. Bringing back the sellout black sparkly lipgloss from Fall, Piha Black, he added a matching nail lacquer for the Pink Irreverence collection; both shades inspired by his New Zealand homeland’s black Piha beach. I waited month’s on a list at Bloomie’s for my tube of Piha Black gloss and it’s definitely a beauty junkie collector’s items, very fun for layering. |
 Twisting the traditional codes of elegance, Aaron has created an impertinent color statement that pairs Spring pinks against rebellious blacks and potent shine against pure matte textures. The pinks are reminiscent of Lancôme’s iconic rose, while the deep black shades are evocative of the Piha volcanic black beaches of Aaron’s native homeland of New Zealand. Products are meant to be layered to create an array of stunning looks. |
Of course in my world where all things revert back to Grease, I see pink and black and instantly think Pink Ladies. I mean, can you think of anyone who rocked the pink and black better than Rizzo? Don’t you DARE say Michelle Pfeiffer in Grease 2 or we just can’t be friends anymore. CAN’T. I love me some Grease 2 but it’s so NOT the same thing.
So getting back to the polish. The new Le Vernis lacquers in this collection play up on Aaron’s whole contradictory theme with a delicate sheer pink and inky black sparkler. When I say inky, I’m not kidding. When Piha Black was created, Lancome was not playing. Holy pigmentation, batman! That color is no joke. The formula is aces as well. For a milky sheer, Sassiness has the no streaks thing down. Oh and the flat brush is a winner as well.
Sassiness is meant to be worn sheer but you know me, I have to try and make anything as opaque as possible. With detached nail beds like mine, can you blame me? Unfortunately, even after three coats, we’re still at level sheerness. Perfect for you sheer lovers, not so much for moi.
Piha Black totally has that black sand glittering in the sun thing going on without all the grittiness. It’s glassy smooth with evenly dispersed silver speckles. 
I put this one head to head against my fave black of 2008, Dior Black Sequins. As you can see, the micro-glitter in Black Sequins is more random and prominent while Piha Black’s shimmer is more even and subtle. Though the color intensity is pretty dead on even.
Lancome’s Pink Irreverence collection is available now at Lancome.com and your local Lancome counter. Le Vernis nail lacquers retail for $18/ea.
images: flickr.com, leavemethewhite.com, Lancome and All Lacquered Up
ALU In NYC – A Visit To The Lancome Boutique
A couple weeks ago, I went on a trip to NYC with a few of my beauty blogging pals to meet with some of our favorite beauty brands. I also spent some time interviewing a few nail and beauty industry pros (more to come on that) and saw my first Broadway show (Avenue Q). It was a packed five days but a total blast. I’ll be sharing some of the highlights of the trip with you over the next couple weeks.
One of the stops on our mini beauty tour was the Lancome Boutique on Columbus Ave (at 69th). The boutique is the ultimate Lancome playground with huge testing stations filled with every product Lancome makes. There are skilled and helpful makeup artists on hand to recommend and apply products and a spa room in back where you can receive facials, waxing and body treatments (men too!).
The day of our visit was a day after the Oscillation launch and everyone was buzzing about it and the major waiting list (21,000 people) to snag a tube. Of course finding willing volunteers to test out the mascara wasn’t hard. Connie and Janice (Specktra) jumped at the chance and all I can say is WOW. I could literally see their lashes growing before my eyes. Read all about Connie’s Oscillation Obsession on The Daily Obsession.
Now given the chance to bend the ear of Lancome’s VP of Public Relations, Kerry Diamond, I had to tell her how the fascination over last summer’s Le Magnetique magnetic nail lacquer still rages on and how we all hope for a return with new colors. *fingers crossed that our plea will be heard*
I originally thought this year’s holiday collection, C’est Magnifique (above), included a magnetic polish but I was mistaken due to some international promo images I saw online. Though I have seen images of an international L’oreal (Lancome’s parent company) magnet polish so perhaps it will return stateside in another form.
Though even without the return of Le Magnetique, the holiday collection includes a few items that immediately drew my eye and managed to jump into my bag. The nail colors, natch, the Hollywood Seductive Color Design Quad (below) and the LE Icon of Stage Juicy Tube (a rich crimson).
During playtime, I mentioned how much I loved the LE Pout-A-Porter series lipstick shade P.S. Kiss and my regret over not pre-ordering a tube so I was delighted to hear of a close dupe, Brick House (left). The lovely Lancome Makeup Artist, Lena Lekaj, grabbed a tube along with a matching liner and gloss to give me the perfect berry stained lip. While applying, she complimented the fullness and overall shape of my lips which was way flattering. I’ve always hated the unevenness of my bow.
And since all of us were drooling over the gorgeous Hollywood Seductive shadow quad, that had to come home with me as well. The picture really doesn’t justify the luminescence of the colors or how amazing they look together.
My only disappointment was that our visit didn’t last longer. I could have played for hours swatching the holiday palettes, sniffing the fragrances and testing the various skincare lotions and potions but I’ll just have to wait for my next trip to the city. And when I do, I’m totally making time to run across the street and grab a cupcake from the famous Magnolia Bakery. After being introduced to Sprinkles and Yummy Cupcakes (thanks Connie!) in LA, I just HAVE to compare them to the ones made famous by Sex And The City.
The C’est Magnifique collection is at Lancome counters now and online at Lancome-USA.com. And if you have the chance, I highly recommend you stop by one of the five US Lancome Boutiques for a little playtime of your own.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
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