Beauty

Beauty News: Pastel Eyes

pastel eyes

For a change of pace this summer, embrace the pastel eye shadows that are popping up everywhere. Don’t worry; this isn’t a return of the Eighties. Think of it as a way to summerize the smokey eye. Play with the palettes to create soft, sophisticated gradations. If you haven’t worn it in a while, a little color will make a big difference.

Dior Beauty Five-Color Eye Shadow, Croisette Summer

Looking like a splash in the swimming pool, this palette is actually inspired by the sophisticated pleating technique used on the fabric of Dior dresses. These Mediterranean colors aren’t meant to be opaque, but just for a wash on the lids and perhaps just a bit below the lash line.

Dior Beauty Summer Croisette Collection

Dior Beauty Summer Croisette Collection

Categories: Beauty » Makeup, Beauty » Styles & Color | Tagged , , , ,

Lifestyle

Happy Hour: Deconstructed Sangria


Deconstructed Sangria

Deconstructed Sangria

Good news, party people. NM Cafe in Las Vegas is now keeping its patio open late on Thursday and Friday nights, for the summer. It’s the perfect place to survey the Strip before heading out to conquer the night. There are food and drink specials 6-9 pm. Try the Deconstructed Sangria in red or white! The red one is Risata il Rosso with a fruit skewer; the white is Risata Moscato d’Asti with a skewer. Both are Italian sparkling wines. Typically sangria is made by steeping fruit in red wine, then adding soda. Here we’ve combined the elements in a new way, with a wink.

Las vegas strip

Feeling lucky?

las vegas NM cafe

NM Cafe by day

Las vegas NM cafe

NM Cafe by night

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Beauty

Artist in Residence: Lily Apardian for Guerlain

In this new series we ask one of our talented makeup artists from across the country to interpret the NM beauty look of the season. The Spring Face is focused on defined brows and pink pouts. For our first installment, we meet artist Lily Apardian, a Guerlain artist from NM Bellevue (Seattle) with 15 years of experience.

Guerlain artist Lily Apardian from NM Bellevue interprets the Spring face.

Lily Apardian prescribes the Spring face.

When did you start loving makeup? I always loved it, even as a teenager. But now when I look back I  sometimes wonder, what was I thinking? I had a moment where I had blue eye shadow all over my entire eye. It wasn’t a good look.

What attracts you to this industry? Beauty is exciting. Every time we open a box or have a new collection you can’t help but be excited to try it, and to share what’s new and amazing with your customers.

What is the best part about your job? When people tell me they’ve never worn makeup or that they are intimidated by makeup. It gives me the opportunity to help and show them how easy it is! The beauty about makeup is that if you don’t like how your makeup is applied you can just wash it off. There are no consequences.

Apardian works with a customer in the cosmetics department at NM Bellevue.

Apardian works with a customer in the cosmetics department at NM Bellevue.

Describe your daily beauty routine. My look begins with skin care, then primer, then a concealer – I use the Illuminator which can also be used as foundation, eye liner, most of the time a nude eye, eye brows, mascara, blush and or bronzer, lipstick and lipgloss. For me it’s all about the natural look. So you can have a lot of makeup on, but you don’t look like you have a lot on.

Do you have an all-time favorite product that you can’t live without? Blush. You could be stranded on an island and if you have blush you could use it as an eye shadow, as your blush and as your lip color! The blush I use is the new Guerlain Terracotta liquid blush in #7.

Shop Guerlain at Neiman Marcus stores and on NeimanMarcus.com. To book an appointment with Lily in Bellevue call 425.452.3300 x2128.

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Lifestyle // Women's

Styling the Maillot With Lisa Marie Fernandez


Lisa Marie Fernandez

Lisa Marie Fernandez on holiday at Il Pellicano, Tuscany.

New York fashion stylist and swimwear designer Lisa Marie Fernandez is the quintessential chic traveler.  She’s often found in St. Tropez, Capri, Positano, Bali or Montauk; great hotels dictate her destination. “Usually a great hotel means a wonderful experience, plus it’s the perfect research for the bathing suits,” says Fernandez.

Inspired by the sleek athleticism of scuba gear, the suits are crafted from either a luxe version of neoprene or a new sleek gloss fabrication, never before used in swim. Each style is named after “women who are interesting characters, have jobs and lead intriguing lives. And, they are all my friends.” The ready-to-wear detailing (zig zag seams, taught silhouettes and zipper detailing) allow the pieces to transition beautifully throughout the day, creating versatility without compromising style.

Last season, Fernandez collaborated with Peter Pilotto, the London-based ready-to-wear label. Her suits were shown on the Pilotto runway as bodysuits, paired with trousers. “I’ve evolved into this body suit girl. I wear a lot of Alaia and Céline. It’s funny! I’m making body suit bathing suits.  Through osmosis the customer picked up on it,” she laughs.

“Across the board, though, I’m really into the one-piece swimsuit. And I’ve been a bikini girl my whole life, but I’ve transformed,”  says Fernandez.

Lisa Marie Fernandez

'Dree' Maillot

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Lifestyle // Women's

Out of Office: Saguaro Hotel, Scottsdale’s Hottest

Saguaro Hotel

Checking out Scottsdale's new hot spot.

From pink to yellow to neon green, the Saguaro Hotel matches the fashions seen on the Spring/Summer runways. Trend-inspired or simply a coincidence, the swanky spot in Scottsdale, Arizona has been vibrantly renovated in the beloved brights of the season. A pink pool complements yellow chaise lounges, and color blocked orange and red rooms bring runway looks to life.  An electrifying atmosphere matches the vivid tones. Guests put their best sandal forward, both poolside and at the property’s renowned restaurant Distrito.

Saguaro Hotel

Saguaro Hotel

Saguaro Hotel

Saguaro Hotel

Categories: Women's » Contemporary Fashion, Lifestyle » Culture, Leisure & Travel, Lifestyle » Home Design, Women's | Tagged ,

Beauty

Beauty Review: Tom Ford Brow Sculptor

Tom Ford Brow Sculptor

Tom Ford Brow Sculptor

Put those tweezers down. Bold brows are not only on trend this Spring; they naturally define and enhance the structure of the face. The full brow can make even a clean face more polished. The adored designer, Tom Ford, has said that brows are the only part of the face you can dramatically change without surgery. And he has created what I think is the best tool for grooming and filling in the hairs: Tom Ford Brow Sculptor.

First, use the spooly (grooming brush) on one end to direct and straighten the hairs. On the other end, the flat “calligraphy” tip of the crayon allows for precise but thick strokes. It is like nothing I have ever seen before. Fill in with your matching color, applying the color on top of your brow hairs. Brush through the hairs again to blend. To keep the chiseled shape sharp, you just twist the cap counterclockwise to reveal the sharpener.

Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty

The Sculptor ($42) is available in four shades (darkest to lightest): EspressoChestnutTaupeBlonde.

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Beauty // Lifestyle

Stylish Space: Victoria Christian’s Dressing Room

Victoria Christian

Christian sets a vase of lilies on her dressing table.

In 1999 Clive Christian took the reins of one of the oldest British Perfume Houses, The Crown Perfumery, first made famous 135 years ago when Queen Victoria honored the house by giving her crown as a symbol of British excellence.  Later that year, Christian’s daughter Victoria joined the company and launched the Clive Christian Perfume Collection. Today, the London-based father and daughter continue to ensure the highest quality by maintaining their original philosophy, “design first, then cost.”

Victoria Christian

A box of jewelry and a Clive Christian perfume sit on Christian's bathroom counter.

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Lifestyle // Women's

Conversation With: Hervé van der Straeten

Herve van der Straeten

Parisian jewelry designer Hervé van der Straeten‘s sculptural designs and exacting perfectionism reflect his previous occupation as an engineer. Van der Straeten began designing jewelry while still an art student at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris. He made a name for himself as early as 1985 with his jewelry collections, which were an immediate success.  Today, Van der Straeten’s designs include furniture, lighting and mirrors, which have all brought him international recognition.

“I try to make my work have a dialogue. Sometimes a material or shape of furniture allows me to create a jewel, and sometimes it is the opposite. There is no rule,” says Van der Straeten.

Herve van der Straeten

Herve van der Straeten furniture and lighting at his gallery in Paris.

Herve van der Straeten

Cuffs from his Fall 2012 collection.

Elegance and minimalism are the key elements of his approach. Each collection is designed in his own bronze and cabinetmaking workshops and then presented in his gallery in the Marais, which opened in 1999. Van der Straeten is currently presenting his 9th exhibition, Dissonances, with a selection of furniture, mirrors, lamps and objects on display at his gallery until September 30, 2012. 

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Lifestyle // Beauty // Women's

Mother’s Day, the Honors Class

Mom is so wise. This Mother’s Day is the perfect chance to show her that we take her advice to heart. We’ve picked our favorite gifts (or self-gifts) that aren’t just guaranteed to treat, but might hold a valuable lesson.

Treat your mom at NeimanMarcus.com. Oh look, that rhymes. 

 

Categories: Women's » Accessories, Lifestyle » Food, Beauty » Fragrances, Women's » Handbags, Women's » Jewelry, Beauty » Makeup, Beauty » Styles & Color | Tagged , , ,