Here are the top five navy blue eyeshadows that I’ve tried and tested–they happen to be more shimmery than not–so perhaps next time around, I’ll start adding finish into the mix

1. Le Metier de Beaute Midnight Sky (A+)
2. Make Up For Ever I220 (A)
3. ColourPop Etiquette (A)
4. Giorgio Armani Minuit (A)
5. MAC Lunar (A-)

>> See side-by-side swatches! <<

The enduring Le Métier de Beaué and Ken Downing relationship has yet again created an exquisite kaleidoscope collection. Distilled from the trends, tones and textures presented at the Fall 15 fashion week shows in London and Paris, each collection includes four limited-edition and specially curated eye shadows, with whimsical illustrations depicting iconic images of each city on each kaleidoscope. Shades can be worn alone or blended together for an incomparable result.

Eye Kaleidoscope ($125.00) (Limited Edition)

• London Faded Foxglove, Naughty Nottingham, Penny Lane, Burnt Orchid
• Paris Violet Femme, Champagne Elysees, Eiffel Power, Cunning Carine

Availability: Exclusively at Neiman Marcus

See more photos!

Le Metier de Beaute London Eye Kaleidoscope

Le Metier de Beaute London Eye Kaleidoscope

Le Metier de Beaute Obsidian Odyssey Eye Kaleidoscope ($95.00 for 0.49 oz.) includes five shades for eyes in shades of black, navy blue, warm pink, copper, and golden brown. The True Color Eyeshadow is a wet/dry formulation (at least, this is what it used to be touted as; current descriptions are less helpful), including the mattes (they don’t harden if you use water with them). According to the brand, matte and shimmer finishes are supposed to have full coverage, while satin finishes are supposed to have sheer coverage (but no specificity regarding wet/dry). There are a lot of Le Metier’s eyeshadows that I love, and I often like how they pair colors in their Kaleidoscopes, but unless every single shade knocks it out of the park, the price is difficult to justify, which is the case here. Two of the five shades are excellent, while two are middling, and one is particularly disappointing.

Onyx is a medium black with neutral undertones and a matte finish. It had mostly opaque coverage, though the texture is so silky and soft that it is prone to kicking up excess product, so it is best patted on gently to maintain intensity. It was fairly blendable on the skin and lasted for eight hours. As you might expect, there are lots of matte blacks on the marketplace, so there are plenty of dupes. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

Sapphire is a medium-dark, navy blue with a pearly sheen that leans slightly purple. It had decent pigmentation, but it was certainly lacking oomph and needed to be layered two or three times to get really good, even coverage out of it. The texture was slightly dry, which made it a little harder to blend out. This was previously included in another Kaleidoscope, but it was much better that time, as it had a richer, denser texture that was less dry. It lasted for seven hours and had some fall out. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

Smoky Quartz is a muted, medium pink with warm undertones and a frosted sheen. The texture was soft and smooth, but it was a smidgen dry, which gave it a powdery look when applied dry. It was easier to work with and had better, truer color payoff when applied damp. It wore well for eight hours before fading.
See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

Carnelian Opal is a brightened, medium-dark copper with warm orange undertones and a frosted golden sheen. It was intensely pigmented both wet and dry, with the damp application yielding a slightly deeper color and more metallic finish. It wore well for nine hours on me. This is the type of quality I associate with Le Metier de Beaute, but it doesn’t make up for the first three. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

Dark Citrine is a subdued, medium-dark brown with warm, yellow undertones and a gold shimmer-sheen finish. It had opaque coverage both wet and dry, though dry coverage gave it a smoother result. The texture was soft, smooth, and blendable, while the color wore well for eight and a half hours on me before fading. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

See more photos & swatches!

Le Metier de Beaute Obsidian Odyssey Eye Kaleidoscope

Le Metier de Beaute Obsidian Odyssey Eye Kaleidoscope

Le Metier de Beaute Obsidian Odyssey Eye Kaleidoscope

Le Metier de Beaute Obsidian Odyssey Eye Kaleidoscope

Le Metier de Beaute Onyx True Color Eyeshadow

Le Metier de Beaute Onyx True Color Eyeshadow

Le Metier de Beaute Sapphire True Color Eyeshadow

Le Metier de Beaute Sapphire True Color Eyeshadow

Le Metier de Beaute Smoky Quartz True Color Eyeshadow

Le Metier de Beaute Smoky Quartz True Color Eyeshadow

Le Metier de Beaute Carnelian Opal True Color Eyeshadow

Le Metier de Beaute Carnelian Opal True Color Eyeshadow

Le Metier de Beaute Dark Citrine True Color Eyeshadow

Le Metier de Beaute Dark Citrine True Color Eyeshadow

Le Metier de Beaute Obsidian Odyssey Eye Kaleidoscope,
Sephora My Boyfriend’s Jeans & Baby Blue Eyeliner

Le Metier de Beaute Obsidian Odyssey Eye Kaleidoscope,
Sephora My Boyfriend’s Jeans & Baby Blue Eyeliner

Whether you’re looking for shimmery, dewy, luminous, or matte, this round-up of my current top picks for peach blushes to try this summer has you covered!

1. Le Metier de Beaute Whisper — a soft, shimmery peach
2. Becca Fig/Opal — a luminous, peachy-beige
3. Make Up For Ever #225 — a warm, pop of peach in a cream format
4. Hourglass Dim Infusion — a muted peach with a soft sheen
5. NARS Sex Appeal — a light peach with a matte finish

>> See them all side-by-side! <<

What are your favorites?

Le Metier de Beaute Sun Drenched Bronzer ($55.00 for 0.49 oz.) is a deepened, orange-toned brown with subtle gold sparkle. Guerlain Moyen Brunettes (05) (LE, $75.00) is less warm-toned, matte. Too Faced Sun Bunny #1 (P) is more shimmery, lighter. Wet ‘n’ Wild Bikini Contest (P, $3.99) is lighter, more muted. Clarins Splendours (LE, $35.00) is less shimmery, a little lighter. See comparison swatches.

According to the brand, the bronzer is described as a “sheer, silky-light powder.” If by sheer, they mean, intensely pigmented with the merest flick of the wrist, sure, we’re on the same page, but since that’s not at all what sheer means, their description is far off. The powder is so, so pigmented–a little goes such a long way–but the texture is incredibly soft, silky, and finely-milled, so at least part of what they say is true. It’s just slightly powdery, though. It’s absolutely possible to get a softer, sheerer application out of the bronzer, but you’ll want to use a stippling or less-dense brush and a lighter hand to do so. Otherwise, the application is easy, as the powder is very blendable, and it wears for a full eight hours before gradually fading.

See more photos & swatches!

Le Metier de Beaute Sun Drenched Bronzer

Le Metier de Beaute Sun Drenched Bronzer

Le Metier de Beaute Sun Drenched Bronzer

Le Metier de Beaute Sun Drenched Bronzer

Le Metier de Beaute Sun Drenched Bronzer

Le Metier de Beaute Sun Drenched Bronzer

Le Metier de Beaute Sun Drenched Bronzer

Choosing my top ten favorite palettes from the ones I tested and reviewed in 2013 was a lot more difficult than I anticipated! To give you an idea on how stiff the competition was, there were 128 reviews filed under “makeup palettes,” so you can see there were plenty to choose from! (And if you were curious, I have 1,261 posts filed under “reviews,” and the majority of those posts feature more than one shade, for the past year.) I considered which ones gave me warm, fuzzy feelings, that were high quality, and that I could really reach for over and over again. With those things in mind, here are my favorites…

• Urban Decay Naked3 Eyeshadow Palette — nicely pigmented, rosy-themed palette that I loved and will definitely be traveling with in the future
• Laura Mercier Artist’s Palette for Eyes — it’s no surprise that this was a favorite, given how difficult it was to track it down, but I loved the plummy vibe and mixture of mattes and satins
• Sleek Makeup Sunset i-Divine Palette — this palette was incredibly pigmented; not only is it incredibly affordable, it was fantastic in quality
• Dior Bonne Etoile Eyeshadow Palette — a gorgeous palette featuring five shimmering, earthy shades–wish Dior made this their regular formula
• Too Faced Pretty Rebel Eyeshadow Palette — it’s no surprise that this makes the list as it was bright, colorful, intensely pigmented, and a cinch to use
• Le Metier de Beaute Femme Fatale — an interesting color combination and filled with more unique shades than not–if only LMdB was more accessible and wasn’t so limited
• bareMinerals The Wild Thing Eyeshadow Quad — mint, chartreuse, and blue? shades that speak to my heart, so thank goodness they were of quality!
• Sugarpill Cold Chemistry Eyeshadow Palette — a cool-toned, four-pan palette that’s nearly irresistible
• LORAC Pro Palette — it’s a great option for someone who likes warm-toned eyeshadows and can’t decide between matte and frost
• Guerlain Coup de Foudre Eyeshadow Quad — I loved the unusual color combination

What were your favorite palettes that you tried this past year?

Le Metier de Beaute has several products/shades that have been marked down 50% off at Saks.  It has certainly raised my curiosity about the brand’s future, though some color products are not discounted at all, and some shades within formulas aren’t discounted either.  I noticed skincare isn’t discounted at all.  Well, if you ever were curious, my top picks would be eyeshadow, blush, and Lip Cremes.

As someone with a warmer complexion, I always go gold during the holidays, but I would be remiss if I didn’t consider the opposite–silver–which can work well to brighten and reflect just as nicely as gold!

1. Le Metier de Beaute Platinum — a bright, metallic silver
2. NARS Interstellar — a frosted, metallic silver cream
3. Urban Decay Cuff — a brightened silver eyeliner–perfect for brightening up a smoky eye
4. Inglot #447 — an extremely bright silver with a highly metallic finish in powder form
5. Zoya Electra — silver tinsel with a holographic finish to make any nail color festive

What’s your favorite silver-hued beauty product?