Today was all about good news. If you remember the stunning Roopal Patel Collection (a Bergdorf Goodman exclusive) from Le Metier de Beaute (the woman not only has the best job in the universe, she also got a palette named after her), the most coveted part of it was Magic, a cream glaze that transforms any color, including powder shadows, into sheer stains and glosses for the cheeks, lips or eyes. Apparently, I wasn't the only Magic-obsessed soul, so the company is about to release it as a stand-alone product. I'll take a pint or two, thank you very much.
My second surprise of the morning came from Henri Bendel. No, they have not invested in a fabulous e-commerce system (they are on Twitter and Facebook, though, so at least they acknowledge that new Internet thing), but there is something new in the striped halls. Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics isn't a really new line- it was actually launched in 1996. But this is a first time they venture out of spas and clinics and into a department store setting. Youngblood is going to be Bendel's only mineral makeup line, and that's a very wise decision for a store that clearly doesn't want to compete with Macy's.
I was never a fan of mineral makeup, mostly because of the weird finish most products took on my face, but Youngblood products seem to be free of any shine and shimmer where you don't want it and there's a wide range of colors and textures, including a liquid foundation and pressed version of all the powder-based products (try applying a loose powder-anything when a cat or two are rubbing against you. Fun times). The Bendel launch was two weeks ago, an event that brought Philip Luque, Senior Educator and Makeup Artist to NYC. Today, just before he left back to Los Angeles, Philip did my makeup and showed me a couple of things outside of my normal comfort zone (details soon). It was a wonderful, relaxing experience and I loved the final results.
So there you have it- a fabulous beauty day. And I was floating on a cloud of vintage Mitsouko which definitely added to the fun.
Photo of the Youngblood Mineral Mineral Cosmetics counter at Henri Bendel from the company's Facebook page.
Gaia, after the crummy (but funny) visits to Saks and Sephora, this sounds truly fun.
ReplyDeletePlease give us more details on the "Magic" glaze (this sounds fantastic), and on the Youngblood line whenever you can. Thank you for posting!
Gaia - how is the coverage on the YB powder foundation? Also, is it drying in anyway? I have truly combination skin (sometimes oily, sometimes flakey, acne prone, sensitive to harsh things).
ReplyDeleteI was on the Bare Minerals train during high school and have been using Prescriptives minerals for the past year and it's just okay, nothing great...now that Prescriptives is going away I need a replacement and am hoping for something even better.
Anon, this was, indeed, a very welcome experience after the recent fiascos. I will review everything after I've given the products sufficient testing (and after I get my hands on Magic. It's not out yet).
ReplyDeleteGretchen, the foundation Philip used on me was actually the liquid. It's still a mineral product, but works better with my dry skin. The coverage was much more serious than my regular Chanel Vitalumiere. It was closer to the Cover FX, but less drying. The mineral powder (rice-based) was quite impressive with its silky finish.
ReplyDeleteYou might also want to try another high end mineral line- La Bella Donna. I haven't tried their face products yet, just the eye and lip colors, but it looks very nice.
Thanks, Gaia!! I find that foundation, while the most basic of necessities, is the hardest one to get right!
ReplyDeleteI was thrilled to hear that Magic is going to be sold as a separate product. I'm sure that everyone who bought the original palette will be, too. We can all use a bit more Magic in our lives :-)
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