Looks like Barbie (Mattel) and Stila will be partnering this spring. Stila will also sponsor Mattel’s Barbie runway during NYFW during February 2009. 50 designers have agreed to show Barbie-inspired fashion during the runway show. Charlotte Tilbury, makeup atist, is the show’s lead makeup artist. The limited edition line is slated to launch exclusively at Sephora in February, only at Sephora’s Fifth Avenue store in NY, international Sephora locations, and sephora.com. Expect a larger offering of Barbie-Stila branded products later, during fall 2009.
The collection includes 4 “Decades of Beauty” cans ($40 each) with a booklet inside describing the beauty and fashion wardrobes for each doll. The first, #1 Ponytail Doll, celebrates the first Barbie, launched in 1959. It includes a red lipstick called Ponytail, a liquid eyeliner and a three-pan paper-wrapped compact with two eye shadows and a cheek color. Malibu Barbie, which highlights the doll of the same name that launched in 1971, has a pale pink Lip Glaze called Malibu, a black mascara and a compact with two eye shadows and a bronzer. Foxy Doll, which depicts the African-American Barbie launched in 1980, includes a Lip Glaze called Foxy, mascara and a compact with two eye shadows and a cheek color. The final offering, Jewel Doll, is based on the 2000 Barbie of the same name and includes a bright pink Lip Glaze called Jewel, a Multi-Effect Mascara and a compact with two eye shadows and a cheek color.
“Stila is a brand which at the core is about fun and innovation,” said Richard Dickson, Mattel’s general manager and senior vice president for the Barbie brand, during a phone interview earlier this week from Shanghai, where he is readying the brand’s new House of Barbie flagship. “The combination of Barbie and Stila felt right.”
Ocean Currant Deep, sheer berry with pink and red shimmer
Pearl Kitten Universally flattering warm pink-champagne with shimmer
I was able to try out South Sea Coral, which is a soft, semi-sheer peachy shade with multi-colored shimmer; as well as Pearl Kitten, which is a frosty, shimmery beigey color. It almost looks brown in the tube, but the formula itself is pretty sheer so it ends up working out when applied to lips. I preferred South Sea Coral, because on my lips, it’s almost like a sheer, milky peach with subtle gold shimmer. Pearl Kitten is richer in shimmer and gives my lips a bronzy look.
Stila’s Precious Pearl Collection definitely got a lot of buzz from you guys–namely the stunning palette encased in a “mother of pearl” kind of case with six lovely shades of eyeshadow. Can I just say that the promo photos didn’t do the palette justice? The Precious Pearl Palette will be available this February for $40, and it features the following eyeshadow colors:
White Gold Soft creamy white with gold shimmer
Soft Pink Pristine light pink with pink and white shimmer
Mid-tone Pink Neutral pink with warm undertones and pink shimmer
Gold Deep gold with yellow and gold shimmer
Green Intense mermaid green with blue and green shimmer
Deep Blue Dark navy with black undertones and blue shimmer
Too often, promotional images tell one story while swatches/actual photos tell another story–one that’s disappointing. This is certainly not the case with Stila’s palette for spring. The palette itself is prettier in person than it is in the photos, especially because Deep Blue is so much bluer and brighter than the promo photo made it look. But you know what really makes this palette awesome? It swatches like a dream! The shadows are smooth, velvety to the touch, and each shade is well pigmented. There is no chalky mess here; no misleading colors. Colors are true to appearance, and I think this bunch of colors offers a nice palette for the spring season.
White Gold is a gorgeous creamy white shade with gold shimmer. I bet it would look stunning all over the lid or as a highlight (though darker skin tones may have to use a light hand so it doesn’t look OTT). Soft Pink is a frosty purple-pink shade; kind of reminds me of MAC’s Pink Opal, but deeper in color. Mid-tone Pink is really that: a medium pink; a little subdued and has less frosty shimmer and more of a nice sheen. Gold is a bronzy antique gold shade, very color-rich with the same soft sheen as Mid-tone Pink. Green is a soft greenish color with gold sheen and shimmer. Deep Blue is a rich navy blue with an almost purple-blue sheen, lightly shimmered.
All in all, Stila’s Precious Pearl Palette is a delightful surprise and a great way to kick off spring. I love the textures and color pay off of every shadow, and each color is one I can see myself using. They didn’t waste your dollars by throwing in a boring or unusable shade–and they didn’t make any of them chalky or poorly pigmented. Well-done, Stila! Color me impressed.
What do you think? Has the palette continued to live up to your expectations? Is this going on your to-buy list or are you passing?
Check out close-up photos and swatches of the palette! Continue reading →
The innovative formula, with a duo of easy-to-use brushes, deilvers twenty-four hours of long, strong, gorgeous lashes. The thermo-sensitive polymer formula wraps each lash, encasing it in a thin tube of jet black pigment. COat the top lashes using the large tapered brush, and then defer to the narrow brush to target hard-to-reach inner lashes and define the lower ones with exact precision. The formula also strengthens the lashes with each wear. It is smudge-proof, sweat-proof, and water-resistant. To remove, simply splash warm water on the eyes and gently wipe your lashes clean. Priced at $22.00.
The ingredient that health enthusiasts can’t stop talking about meets the products that Stila girls can’t bear to live without. This Spring, two of Stila’s bestsellers, the iconic Smudge Pot and the smash success Lip & Cheek Stain, get a pomegranate infusion that is both great for your skin and perfect for your style.
Define the eyes, pop the cheeks and perfect the pout with a deep plum hue that balances the light and airy looks of the season by giving the face a subtle richness and a natural flush.
Smudge Pot in Pomegranate ($20.00)
This limited edition deep plum shade defines and brightens the eyes. The long-wearing, highly pigmented Smudge Pot creates the precision of a liquid liner or wet shadow, with a soft, modern finish. A natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, pomegranate extract soothes the lids, and the comfortable light-weight gel is perfect for lining and blending.
Pomegranate Crush Lip & Cheek Stain ($24.00) (Sephora Exclusive)
Stila girls who have a crush on the multi-tasking Cherry Crush Lip & Cheek Stain will be thrilled to learn that their favorite spring fling has an equally as attractive friend coming to Sephora. Pomegranate Crush contains naturally staining pomegranate extracts that create the perfect hue of deep plum for both the lips and cheeks every time, using your personal pH level as its guide. And not only does this product have brains, but it endures. The formula moisturizes and protects the skin with antioxidants and Vitamins A, C and E and is perfectly pigmented for maximum staying power.
