Fall 2009
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.
Lippmann Collection Fall 2009 Swatches and Review
 Let’s keep this Lippmann party going, shall we? Last March, I gave you an exclusive sneak preview of Deb’s 2nd designer collaboration, Marquee Moon. It’s the shade she created with CFDA Womenswear Designers of the Year, Kate and Laura Mulleavy; the sisters behind fashion label Rodarte.
Deb paired this unique sequined shade with a vampy teal for her Fall collection and I have your first look. Check it out, after the jump! |
As I mentioned in my review of the Celebrate set, the sequins in Marquee Moon apply sporadically so one nail might end up with ten sequins while another only has a few. This is what Deb intended; for each nail to have its own unique look. On the polar opposite of that we have Don’t Tell Mama, a shimmer that applies smooth, even and buttery. Each polish is shown with only two coats and no top coat. Don’t Tell Mama is a luscious deep blue-green shimmer that sent my little green loving heart a racin’. The depth on this jewel toned beauty is incredible.
Greens are having a quite a year, aren’t they? From the amazing MAC Peppermint Patti to the Nubar Going Green collection to the upcoming Chanel Jade, green polish lovers are being overloaded with options and I’m NOT going to complain. Well, now Lippmann is jumping on the green bandwagon with Don’t Tell Mama, named after the Cabaret tune.
Of course I was hoping maybe I’d discovered a dupe of beloved but long gone treasures, CND NFS or OPI Jasper Jade. Alas, the best I could do was Sleek UK’s Poison Ivy which is close but a little lighter in hue.
Marquee Moon‘s silver sequins are much larger and a bit more difficult to control than the Celebrate sequined polishes. However because they’re set in an opaque metallic silver base, you only need two coats to achieve bottle color. What I love is that after a glossy top coat, the particles sitting on the surface become tiny glittering mirrors, like pieces of a disco ball. When Deb said the look was futuristic, she wasn’t kidding!
These Lippmann Fall 2009 shades retail for $15/ea and launch in July. They will be available online at LippmannCollection.com and Beauty.com and on counters at Nordstrom.
Lippmann “Celebrate” 10th Anniversary Collection
 This year marks the 10th Anniversary of Deborah Lippmann‘s eponymous brand and to celebrate, she’s releasing a limited edition set of nail polishes to be sold during Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale. The set, appropriately named Celebrate, includes two brand new colors, Ruby Red Slippers and Funky Chunky, and brings back the sparkly hit from last year’s Holiday Collection, Superstar.I had the pleasure of meeting Deb backstage at New York Fashion Week last February where we discussed her uniquely gorgeous bottle design and excitement over her upcoming shades. Check out what she had to say and get a look at the colors, after the jump! |
One of the standout features of a Lippmann polish, besides the actual lacquer, is the elegant bottle design. It’s a distinctive showpiece. Given the chance to pick Deb’s brain, I of course had to ask her about the bottle’s background.
“We aren’t going to do nail care if it’s not sitting out. It’s something I learned working in fashion. I realized that even in the fashion world where every detail is so important, it was the last thing anybody thought of. It was the first detail to go.”
“I thought women aren’t taking care of their nails because we throw our bottles in a drawer, in a closet. I really wanted, particularly for the treatment bottles that are used more often, I wanted something you would be proud to put next to your fragrance bottles.”
She wanted it to look like a jewel. Something you want to touch and stare at with a very stable base and an easy to hold handle. It was a concept she had in her head that she searched and searched and searched for. With mentors and friends like Martha Stewart and Cher, their product and branding knowledge were invaluable in helping her choose the final bottle design.
For the Celebrate set, Deb wanted to go for all out glam as seen on the spring runways, creating two new sparkling shades to pair with the over-the-top glitz of Superstar. Each shade consists of a dark sheer base packed with glitter, sequins or a combo of both.
Due to the sheerness of the base, three coats were necessary to get them truly opaque and because we’re talking about particles suspended in polish, the dried surface does have texture until you apply a top coat.
Ruby Red Slippers has become popular amongst Deb’s celeb clientele. She applied it to Lady Gaga for a photo shoot last month and Oscar winner Marion Cottilard went crazy for it as well. Metallic red glitter and hexagonal sequins are floating in a sheer black creme giving the look of crushed jewels on the nail.
Funky Chunky is a black, jelly-like creme filled with black sequins. Three coats build up to an opaque, glossy finish and as the polish dries, the layers of sequins start to rise to the surface.
Making a return from last holiday, Superstar is a semi-sheer brown creme loaded with bronze glitter.
As with any glitter polish, removal is a chore. You end up finding random sequins on your hands. And due to the size of the sequins, they don’t apply evenly to the nail so don’t expect a uniform look.
The Lippmann Celebrate 10th Anniversary Set is available for pre-order now on Nordstrom.com for $35 and will launch online at LippmannCollection.com in August.
Zoya Dare Collection Review and Swatches
 Zoya Dare has landed and after much anticipation, I’ve got your first look at them on the nail. As you may remember, the Dare collection of Zoya’s Truth or Dare Fall lineup is a group of chic, dramatic shades with five cremes and one shimmer. Let’s get right to it and check out the colors, shall we? |
With the exception of Ibiza all the Dare collection polishes are cremes. They all glide on smooth and even in spite of the formula’s thickness. The shades are well pigmented requiring only two coats and dry with a high gloss shine.
Demi is a midtone reddish purple, you might call it a mauve. In the bottle it looked a bit Barney-ish but it’s a very pretty on the nail.
Ciara has a sundrenched raspberry look about it. Don’t get me wrong it’s vivid and rich, not at all dusty, those are just the first two words that came to mind when looking at it. 
Vanessa is a berry based cool red. It applies very close to bottle color on the first coat which is always a plus with reds.
Pinta is the definition of burple (bluish purple). It definitely leans way blue but you can see its purple roots in bright light. My issue is that it’s so dark that unless you’re in sunlight, you’re the only person who will know how truly stunning this shade is.
For that reason I decided to take a sunlight shot of it. You see I shy away from direct sunlight swatching because I find it to be SOOOO inaccurate and I don’t want you kids buying a color and being disappointed when it looks NOTHING like what I showed you. So for the purposes of displaying the base color only, I did this sunlight shot for you.
Envy is a mossy deep forest green that has an earthy, camouflage feel to it. What’s funny is that as I applied it, the first coat had a graininess that looks like watercolor which I originally mistook for shimmer. With the second coat it’s pure glossy creme. Though if you want the bottle color and not an “almost black” make sure you apply two thin coats. Three is way too much.
Ibiza is a shimmery deep sapphire blue. The color is so dark and the shimmer is so subtle that you barely notice it outside of direct sunlight. Honestly, I love Indigo, with its multi-colored micro-glitter, so much that Ibiza is just OK for me.
The Zoya Dare Collection polishes retail for $6/each and are available for PRE-ORDER now on Zoya.com with a ship date of July 15th.
So all my DARE girls out there, what do you think?
The Chanel Green Is Coming!!!
Since the Style.com Beauty Counter Blog has officially spilled the beans I guess it’s OK for me to say that YES, that gorgeous GREEN we saw on the Chanel Fall 2009 runways will become an actuality. Launching in October as part of an exclusive two polish collection called the Jade Nail Collection, Jade will be partnered with Jade Rose, a pale pink.
Can you even stand the excitement? I know there have been some amazing pale greens of late but you know Chanel putting one out will cause polish hysteria.
And FYI, they have some other amazing polishes on the horizon but that’s all I can say for now.
Lisa N.
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