New for Fall: Chanel Ombres Contraste Duo

Eyeshadow can sometimes be a tricky animal, with the which shade goes with what problem. Chanel has the solution with the new Ombres Contraste Duo/Eyeshadow duo. Each pairing houses two complementary shades in two unique textures.

The shimmery light shade is a creamy powder that can be worn alone for a radiant sparkly look, as a base to the deeper shade, or as a highlight around the inner corners and brow bones. The deeper shade is a richly pigmented matte meant to contour and create depth. 

Check out the shade pairings below:

• Khaki-Clair Hunter green / Ivory
  
• Taupe-Delicat Brown taupe / Soft peach
  
• Berry-Rose Plum rose / Soft pink
  
• Misty-Soft Plum brown / Lavender grey
  
• Bleu-Tendre Navy / Silver blue
  
• Gris-Subtil Grey / Silver

My favorite duo is Misty-Soft, which is top right in the pic. Something about the plummy brown and soft lavender grey has me excited for the upcoming fall season. 

Chanel Ombres Contraste Duo/Eyeshadow Duo $42

Available: now on Chanel site

Fall Preview: Bobbi Brown Denim Rose Palette

I know I know, I just wrote about Bobbi 30 seconds ago and I have the nerve to talk about fall when we've just barely settled into summer, but that's the beauty world for you - always a step ahead. It's no secret I love a good palette, especially when all of the colors are actually wearable and complement each other, which is exactly what's going on in Bobbi Brown's Denim Rose palette. 

I've said it before, Bobbi just gets it. She gets that we need wearable, everyday shades, but it's always nice to do something a little out of the box as well. Included in the palette is a blush, four eyeshadows and four lipsticks/glosses. Read on for the breakdown:

Eye shades:

- Navajo Eyeshadow (a creamy pinkish white)

- New Grey Denim Eyeshadow (a medium-cool grey)

- New Pink Granite Eyeshadow (a marble grey-pink)

- New Dark Rinse Wash Eyeshadow (a deep bright blue - LOVE this shade; it may scare some, but trust me this will make eyes pop)

Lip shades:
- New Iced Lilac Glitter Lip Gloss (a silver-pink marble)

- New Hot Rose Lip Gloss (a bright pink - my favorite of the bunch!)

- New Cool Rose Creamy Lip Color (a medium bright pink shimmer)

- New Indie Rose Creamy Lip Color (a medium neutral rose)

Cheek shade:
- New Pink Rose Blush (a medium pink rose)

 Love this promo ad

And let's not get started on the cute denim zip case that houses it all. Even though this is a fall collection item, you can play around with the intensity and certainly rock these shades now. Makeup is mostly season-less in my opinion. While it's true I wouldn't sport a matte gray eye with a plum lip at a 4th of July BBQ, there's a lot of room for seasonal adjustment in this collection. Plus isn't always nice when you're starting the trend instead of following it? 

And hot tip: grays, blues and smoky eyes were ALL over the fall runways, so let's all start a relationship with this eye look immediately.

Pick up now at the Nordstrom website for $60.

The Bright Lip: Don't Be Afraid

September is what I like to refer to as "The Fall Issue" month. Every magazine has this huge, bible-sized issue of what's cool, what's not, and what we should have never worn last year. And beauty, much like fashion, always has a new fall trend. I love scouring the mags for some new look inspiration, but every time the trend was bright lips I let out a huge groan. I was always more of an "emphasis on the eye and a pinky beige, peachy beige, champagne, nude, anything that looks like you're not actually wearing anything on your lips" kind of girl. I would always attempt to create this fabulous red or bright lip only to totally hate it and feel like it was way too much. 

And then when I opened up one of my September issues, there it was, staring me right in the face: 5 Hot New Beauty Trends and numero uno was Bright Lips. I thought this is it, this is my year. I started slow with a gloss (Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips in Kanani a glossy, vibrant pink with a tingly plumping effect), paired with a neutral eye and cheek. When I walked out of the bathroom my husband instantly said he liked my lip color (or more specifically "What's on your lips? I like it." Something he hasn't said in the seven years we've known each other). High on the compliment I pushed the envelope further next time and went for a full-fledged lipstick. M.A.C Lipstick in Impassioned (a warm-toned fuchsia, which works well no matter what your skin tone) was my Saturday night out test (applied with a lip brush for precision). I received rave reviews and just generally felt fabulous, but probably what I love most is a bold lip really cuts down the time on your "get ready to go out routine," without sacrificing a finished look. Think about it: it takes much less time to slick on lipstick than painstakingly creating a smoky eye. 

Just be sure to keep the rest of the face neutral and let the lips take center stage. I used NARS Orgasm blush with a very light hand, the peachy pink shade in the Smashbox Eyelights palette in Flash, drew a very thin line with black liner and swept on a few coats of Revlon 3-D Extreme mascara. The result? A polished look and a pout that begs to be noticed.

Green is the New Black

Fall will be upon us any minute (I always consider the 1st of September fall, but I think it officially starts on the 21st) and even though I have always considered summer to be my true soul mate, there's something about the fall that I absolutely adore. Fall just feels so luxe to me somehow. Whether it's the rich, jewel-tone color palette, delicious fabrics like tweed and corduroy, or the slight, refreshing chill in the air, come September I always get excited about revamping my look. And one of my favorite instant fall beauty updates is swapping my sheer, summery polish for something a little more dramatic.

Nail trends have been bigger and bolder in recent years; I like to refer to it as the black polish phenomenon. The deep, bold polish trend all started with Chanel Black Satin and has morphed from black, to chocolate brown, to deep purple, to navy and now....to green. That's right, green is the newest IT polish color for fall. Whether it's a lighter seafoam a la Chanel Jade (launching in October), or a deeper forest hue like M.A.C Nail Lacquer in Beyond Jealous (part of M.A.C's new collaboration with famed manicurist Jin Soon Choi) be a little daring and give green a go. Just remember that when using edgy shades like this, it's best to keep nails short, filed into a soft round or squared off oval. Long, dagger-like nails coated in green may work in Rihanna's world, but trust me, it doesn't translate well for the rest of us.

If you just can't see yourself trying this trend another hot color for fall, that's a little easier for day to day wear is magenta. Check out two of the best shades in OPI Ate Berries in the Canaries, part of the new Coleccion de Espana or Revlon Plum Seduction. Magenta's a great transition shade when you're not completely ready to toss your summer brights and go the whole dark green hog, but you want something that doesn't scream, "Hey, I'm wearing the Essie '09 summer collection in October."