Le Métier de Beauté Blue Polishes

Consider this fair warning: you will be hearing about Le Métier de Beauté very often in the next week. I hope you don't get sick of them (and me!) by the end of it. 

Anyway, the treasure trove at the John Barrett salon wasn't solely limited to vintage kaleidoscopes. It turns out the company also designed 34 exclusive (but permanent) large-sized nail polishes for sale only at the salon. I know how you feel about exclusives, and I feel the same, but I understand this one since the salon offers manicure services and Le Métier has the monopoly on beauty up there.

Unfortunately, I only had my iPhone with me during my visit, so these are not terribly color accurate, and some of them are a little hazy. However, let's still salute my brazen lack of self-consciousness when I took these pictures! There were scores of posh women going in and out of the salon but I just plopped myself at the counter and snapped the pictures without a care in the world. Shout out to Heather for being so accommodating to my crazy blogger tendencies!

Today we begin with the blues (and a stray forest green):

L-R: Mint Bliss, Bon Voyage, Je N'ai Se Quoi, Gilded Lily, Hope Diamond Blue

L-R: Mint Bliss, Bon Voyage, Je N'ai Se Quoi, Gilded Lily, Hope Diamond Blue

Each of these retail for $18 and are only available at the John Barrett Salon. Stay tuned for the next few days and I'll show you the pinks/purples, oranges/reds, browns, metallics/sparklies, and nudes! If you absolutely cannot wait, you can give Heather a call at 212-872-2700 x2714.

Le Métier de Beauté Lip Kaleidoscopes

More pretty things! This second edition features my (relatively) measly lip kaleidoscope collection. I don't use these as much because I wake up too late every morning and dipping a lip brush through four colors is an additional two minutes I cannot spare (woe the night owl in me).

Les Artistes, details here

Ecumes d'or

Empress, details here

Red Rapture

For those interested in acquiring some vintage kaleidoscopes (and missed out on the ones from John Barrett), I recall seeing a tester of Sterling Beauty, Les Artistes, and Autumn Embers at the Neiman Marcus Boston counter, though I don't know if they still have them in stock. Doesn't hurt to try! You can contact my lovely SA Traci Dastou or the Le Métier artist Shawn Kelly at 617-536-3660 x2111 and inquire about the availability. Do tell them I sent you!

Every time I meet a Le Métier artist I joke that I own half the counter. Turns out I wasn't exaggerating. That's equal parts awesome and awful (oh dear imaginary pursestrings)!

Click here to visit my eye kaleidoscope collection.

China Glaze Colors From The Capitol Collection

I rarely post up press releases on Messy Wands but this shall be a fine exception. I am beyond excited for this Hunger Games-inspired collection by China Glaze available early next year (exact date unknown but you bet I'll let you know as soon as I find out). I see great potential in Riveting, Harvest Moon, Electrify, but if I had to choose one it will be the moss green Agro.

SO. Any Hunger Games fans on Messy Wands? Let's chatter about your favorites from this collection, or about the books, or Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss (which I heartily approve), or that Movie Peeta is blonde (which I disapprove)!

Beauty PSA: Vintage Le Métier Kaleidoscopes Available

Oh you girls are going to love this. I was up at the John Barrett salon at Bergdorf's and found a treasure trove of vintage treats. They have eye kaleidoscopes in Penelope, Splendid Frost, Aphrodite (!), Violaceous Splendor (!!), and Le Cirque, as well as lip kaleidoscopes in Les Artistes, Autumn Embers, and Red Rapture. Also available are the dual kaleidoscopes Sterling Beauty and Golden Beauty.

Everything is in severely limited quantities so if you see anything you want you should call immediately! The number is 212-872-2700 x2714. Ask for Heather and tell her Xiao from Messy Wands sent you.

*Update: In case you aren't the comment reading sort, dear reader Megan and Passion4Art alerted us to more available Splendid Frosts (I swear this is like a treasure hunt)! The person to call is Alex from Neiman Marcus Las Vegas at 702-731-3636, or you can text her at 702-722-7400. I know I haven't featured Splendid Frost on Messy Wands but it's my all-time favorite kaleidoscope (yes I said it).

Also, can I say how much I love being able to text an SA to order stuff? Absolutely amazing.

Le Métier de Beauté Eye Kaleidoscopes

A reader gave me a fantastic idea earlier today. Since I can't photograph myself right now, why not photograph some of the prettiest things I have in my makeup drawer? By the way, have we ever discussed my dream to own a beauty closet? I think that's what I need to store these things in a way that makes sense, unlike the haphazard mess taking over half of my study table right now.

While I regret that I don't have the space in my room nor the photography skills to do my Le Métier de Beauté eye kaleidoscope collection justice (if you haven't already, you must read this post where Sabrina showcased her stupendous collection of Chanel quads), I hope you still enjoy the photos below.

this is actually called Aphrodite. It was a gift from my beauty editor at a previous internship

Violaceous Splendor, more details here

Smoldering Embarkment

this one was not for sale. Dustin made a few prototypes and gave me one but it never went to production. I call it "the green kaleidoscope"

Capitol

The elusive Oscar de la Renta kaleidoscope

Not individually pictured are Silk Road (worn on the eyes in this post), Splendid Frost, Penelope, and of course, Antiquité Poupée.

I'm pretty happy with what I have, but I so fervently wish I was around early enough to purchase Devotion and the amazing Roopal Patel palette. Those are my only two Le Métier de Beauté regrets.

Nude Lip Combo: Guerlain Rouge Automatique #103 and Le Métier de Beauté Bondi Beach Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss

These pictures make me want to cry. My skin does not look like that anymore. Especially now, just emerging out of the cave I lived in to write my final papers, a quick inspection shows new acne scars, enlarged pores, ingrown brow hairs (!!), a pimple or three around my face. It's the beauty blogger equivalent of falling from grace. Perhaps skincare posts should ensue?

Anyway, while I fix up my face, I thought I would share my favorite fool-proof nude lip combo: Guerlain Rouge Automatique #103 topped with Le Métier de Beauté Bondi Beach Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss. While many cite daring reds as their go-to special occasion lip, I prefer mine to be non fuss and impossible to screw up. I worry too much while wearing reds to really have a good time!

An oversight: I just realized I don't have any photos of Rouge Automatique #103 in my folder. If anyone wants a swatch, let me know and I'll try to do it soon.

Le Metier de Beaute Bondi Beach Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss

Rouge Automatique #103

Bondi Beach Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss

Bondi Beach Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss

Rouge Automatique #103 and Bondi Beach Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss

Rouge Automatique #103 and Bondi Beach Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss

There aren't many makeup items I will repurchase if I lose or finish them, but RA #103 and Bondi Beach are two that I will run out and buy as soon as I don't have one in my reach. You cannot imagine how grateful I am that they're both permanent items.

If memory serves me, I packed Burberry Taupe Brown eyeshadow on my eyes, then dabbed a little of  Armani Eyes To Kill Intense #14 at the center of the lid. Cheeks are courtesy of Chanel Tempting Beige, one of my all time favorite blushes!

Not Beauty-Related But...

Spotted these fantastic things on DKNY PR Girl's tumblr.

Photo Source: style.com

Pretty much what I want to wear every day for the rest of my life. I'm huge on billowy circle skirts and hourglass silhouettes. Pass me any well-tailored white shirt and I will have a mini gushing fit.

Then there's also this pair of platforms from the DKNY Summer/Pre-fall show.

Photo Source: style.com

All I'm saying is they better sell them because I've been looking for platforms like that since April.