The Lancome Blog

Happy Birthday to the Lancôme Blog! (And Of Course, a B'Day Giveaway!)

2010-03-10T19:56:00.005-05:00

Wow! What a year it has been at The Lancôme Blog. In the past 12 months, we've learned how to blog and tweet, made lots of new friends and talked about tons of products, events and trends. There have been bittersweet moments, like when our fab interns finished their internships and returned to school. And even some sad moments, as we've said goodbye to a few beauty and fashion icons.

The best part has been getting to know many of you and sharing what's fun and special about our Lancôme world. I hope you feel that you've gotten a behind-the-scenes glimpse that you wouldn't have gotten otherwise and learned a thing or two about makeup, skincare and beauty in general.

I love logging on every day and seeing so many familiar names. (You know who you are!) The fact that many of you take the time to comment and share your thoughts--even when we don't have a giveaway!--is really wonderful.

Thank you for all the support. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Stay tuned, because the next 12 months are going to be very exciting. From Julia Roberts and Michelle Phan, to our newest mascaras, lip glosses, skincare and fragrance, we have a lot to share with you.

So for our birthday giveaway, I'll let you pick! Leave a birthday wish for the blog and we'll pick one comment at random. That person gets to pick whatever five Lancôme products he or she would like to try. Please post by end of day Thursday.

Tomorrow, more L.A. stories!

PHOTO FROM SPRINKLES.COM. IF SPRINKLES IS LOOKING FOR SPOKESPEOPLE, ERIN AND I WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER.

The Hollywood Report!

2010-03-09T17:57:00.005-05:00

So what did you think about the Oscars? I loved it. I usually find the show a bit dull, but there were so many uplifting moments this year. Gaby Sidibe's Cinderella story. Kathryn Bigelow's big win. Sandra Bullock's first statue. And for the most part, everyone looked gorgeous. Our friends at More Magazine and Fab Over 40 must have loved how great the 40+ crowd looked. Demi Moore, Tina Fey, Helen Mirren, Oprah, Michelle Pfeiffer, Meryl Streep, Kathryn Bigelow. They all looked amazing.

The younger set represented too. Zoe Saldana and Carey Mulligan looked so gorgeous and gamine-like when they presented together. I liked Zoe's daring dress choice (Givenchy), although some of you probably disagree.

Do you have a favorite for the night? My faves were Zoe and Maggie Gyllenhaal, whom I adore. I admire her fashion choices and her willingness to look like an individual on the red carpet. I never thought I'd see Dries Van Noten at the Oscars, but there it was!

If you follow the blogs, you probably know that we did the makeup for Kate Winslet (of course) and Demi Moore (gorgeous). Funnily enough, both wore L'Absolu Rouge lipstick in Rich Cashmere. (Demi's was topped with Juicy Tubes in Spring Fling, which Angelina wore to last year's Academy Awards!)I don't know what's up with that shade, but it's become our No. 1 makeup artist fave. Kate also wore it to the Golden Globes, Julia Roberts wore it to the "Duplicity" premiere last year and the models at Victoria Beckham and L'Wren Scott's shows last month wore it. And on and on. As for lashes, I think both wore Hypnose Drama mascara, which is getting an insane amount of blog lovin'. I'm still obsessed with Ôscillation, but I'm thinking about making the switch.

Tomorrow, Lancôme in L.A., Part Two. Or, How I Met My New Hollywood Crushes, Gerard Butler and Jon Hamm. (Sorry, Clive.)

And guess what else is tomorrow? The blog's birthday!!! We'll definitely have to do a giveaway.

Talk to you soon...

PHOTO FROM WIREIMAGE

Greetings from Hollywood!

2010-03-07T20:13:00.004-05:00

Hi, everyone. Lancome's in Los Angeles for Oscar weekend and we've been super busy. We sponsored the Night Before party last night and it was celeb central. We did Demi Moore and Kate Winslet's makeup tonight. And we did lots of things in between! We'll report next week on all of our L.A. activities. Look forward to catching up soon.

The L'Wren Scott Nail. Coming Soon?

2010-03-04T20:26:00.004-05:00

Here's a great backstage photo of the nail polish that designer L'Wren Scott and our artistic director for makeup Aaron De Mey created for L'Wren's beautiful Fall 2010 collection. L'Wren wore it that day, as did all the models in the show.

To say I am dying for this nail polish is an understatement.

Will it ever hit counters? I still don't have an answer. But the second I do...

P.S. Check out the groovy manicure on the manicurist. Usually manicurists have terrible nails (occupational hazard), so this is impressive.

P.S.S. I'm off to L.A. tomorrow for some Oscar-related festivities. We're doing Demi Moore's makeup for Sunday, so stay tuned!

Sneaky Peeky!

2010-03-03T13:42:00.003-05:00

Do you love mascara? This is coming to Europe this spring. I heard there's a waiting list at Harrod's already. The technology behind it is very exciting. And don't worry, the U.S. will have its own version. Stay tuned!

Who's New On Our Blog Roll? And Welcome to Our 1,000th Follower, 花歩歩!!

2010-03-02T17:55:00.007-05:00

We've added a few more beauty blogs to our blogroll. Welcome to:

Scandalous Beauty
Yummy 411
A Beautyful Sentiment

Please check out their work. Thanks to Miss Whoever You Are for always turning me on to the blogs I've somehow missed...

We've added two new fashion blogs as well. Did you read "Logged On," the big March American Vogue story by Mark Holgate about the top bloggers and vloggers? It features Michelle Phan, our new video makeup artist, as well as some other folks we already love (Todd Selby, Bryan Boy, Tommy Ton). But we were missing Catherine Kallon of the Red Carpet Fashion Awards and Hanneli Mustaparta of Hanneli.com. So welcome to them too!

One more housekeeping issues. Despite my New Year's resolution to get more organized about blog giveaways, I've failed for various reasons. :(

But I'm not giving up. If some of you haven't gotten your giveaway yet, please be patient. We were bombarded with intern resumes on our Gmail account, so I think we missed some giveaway winner emails. Speaking of interns, thank you to everyone who sent his or her resume to us. We truly appreciate your interest.

Lastly, thank you to our 1,000th follower, 花歩歩! The blog is almost one-year old, so I'm very excited about this milestone.

Are You Excited for "Alice in Wonderland"?

2010-03-01T22:18:00.006-05:00

I'm so happy the movie is finally opening in the U.S. this Friday. Are you planning to see it? It's a must-see if you love Tim Burton, movie makeup artistry or the story of Alice. I'm really thrilled Lancome ambassadress Anne Hathaway is one of the stars. (How great is that photo above? I can't help but think Le Crayon Poudre in Sable and L'Absolu Rouge in Berry Noir or one of our upcoming matte lipsticks!) Anne's done so many interesting movies for someone as young as she is. I love how she can move effortlessly between films as diverse as "Brokeback Mountain," "Bride Wars," "Rachel Getting Married" and "The Devil Wears Prada." She's a great talent and possibly the next Meryl Streep. Do you agree?

Speaking of Alice, did you ever see the amazing Vogue "Alice in Wonderland" spread from a few years back? Natalia V. starred as Alice and designers from Donatella Versace to Viktor+Rolf starred as the various characters she encounters in Wonderland. If you've never seen it, click here to view. Then there's the classic Disney animated feature, which I remember seeing as a child. Maybe Tim Burton's will surpass that as the classic "Alice."

I heard Michelle Phan's next video will be a Tim Burton tribute. I can't wait to see that either!

Snow Day Blog Housekeeping! And What Our Fave Blogs are Saying About Lancome...

2010-02-26T13:15:00.007-05:00

It's snowing...again! It has been snowing for more than 24 hours. It's crazy. That's the view from my apartment. I spent the whole day going through the blogs on our blog roll and cleaning it up a bit. A few folks have disappeared, but most of the beauty bloggers are still going strong, which is great to see.

Here's a little blog wrap, mostly Lancome-related things, of course. : )

--Afrobella is contributing to Vogue Black, the new website from Vogue Italia. Congrats, AB. Nice to see beauty bloggers recognized. Vogue Italy also launched Vogue Curvy. Thoughts?
--Our pal Mildred at Beauty Logic is loving Oscillation Powerfoundation. I need to learn how to make videos so I can demo this product. It's pretty amazing. Has anyone out there tried it?
--For the Love of Beauty reported on our makeup from The Row's Fall 2010 show. The story at the Olsen Twins' lovely show: brows brows brows...and a nude face.
--Christine at Temptalia reviewed our new Creme de Brilliance lipgloss/lipstick hybrid. She gave it a B+. She's a tough grader, so we'll take it! I've been wearing Exotic Orchid, but the Amande Sucre looks so amazing on her (see above) that I need to re-examine that shade. Thanks to Christine for letting us use her pictures above.
--The Beauty Alchemist filmed a quick video with the lovely MUA Daniel Martin backstage at Chris Benz. Do you know Daniel? He's one of the sweetest makeup artists around. And he's single-handedly trying to bring lip liner back.
--Makeup Girl is obsessed with Laque Fever. Us too. My fave shade: Lucent Nude. It's beyond. If you have a fave, let us know.
--Madeline, the Lancome intern, and Abby, the former Lancome intern, have both started blogging and we've added their blogs, Risk Takers and Love.City.Life.Beauty, to the blog roll. Good luck with your blogs! Welcome to the blogger world.
--A little shoutout to The Daily Obsession. It's such a lovely, quiet blog at a time when so many blogs are PACKED with stuff. It's like brain sorbet when you're blog surfing.

A big thanks to all the bloggers. We love what you do and I hope you all know that.

Have a great weekend.

Behind the Scenes at the Arlenis-Latina Party. And Happy B'Day, Fab Over 40!

2010-02-25T18:10:00.011-05:00

So Monday night we had a party to celebrate that Arlenis is this month's Latina cover girl. It's a gorgeous cover and I'm so happy it's a makeup-y cover rather than a fashion-y cover, if you know what I mean. The party was held at our boutique on the Upper West Side of New York (many people are surprised to learn we have a boutique there! It's at 69th and Columbus. Visit!) and dozens of people dropped by to say hi and congratulate Arlenis.

Among those in attendance were Latina editor in chief Mimi Valdes (rocking a great haircut and cool lace stockings), Latina beauty director Angelique Serrano, photographer Marc Baptiste, MTV's Julissa Bermudez, singer Kat DeLuna and Beauty Logic blogger Mildred Almodovar. (Several of Arlenis's fellow Domincanas, if you're keeping track!) The music, the Champagne and the little truffled grilled cheese sandwiches were great and the guests were gorgeous and fun.

We had some all-star makeup artists there too. Lancome's Beauty at Every Age Expert Sandy Linter, Ross Burton, Scott Barnes and Renee Garnes, who did Arlenis's makeup for the cover. Ewa Szwed, one of the best makeup artists at our boutique, did Arlenis's makeup and used the following products:

--Color Fever Shine lipstick in Bronze Heat
--Le Lipstique Sheer Plum lip liner
--Color Fever Plumper in Puckered
--Hypnose Drama mascara (everyone's favorite these days)
--Blush Subtil in Shimmer Violet Sunrise for contour
--Blush Subtil in Rouge Glow on the apples of the cheeks
--Color Design Cream Blush in Model Mocha as highlight
--Le Vernis in Untamed Plum on nails

Ewa also mentioned that two of Arlenis's favorite products are La Base Pro primer and Nutrix Royal body lotion. I'll ask Arlenis why next time I see her.

Arlenis's dress was by Alexander Wang!

For more pictures, check out the Lancome Paris Facebook page. If you're not a Facebook fan, please become one!

As for birthday wishes, today is the second-year anniversary of one of our favorite blogs, Fabulous Over Forty. Congratulations to Kari on all her hard work and for doing so many great posts. Well done, Kari!

It's snowing out--again--so time to bundle up and head home!

I Need Your Help with a Top Secret Project!! Also, Who Won Our Final Chris Benz Lipstick Giveaway?

2010-02-24T16:05:00.009-05:00

I need your help. I'm working on a very cool project and I need great pictures of girls and guys wearing makeup. If you want to be a model or a makeup artist, or both, here's your chance. The makeup can be extreme or natural, or somewhere in between. It just has to be a good quality photo of one person's face. Nothing blurry or shadowy or taken from far away. If you have a friend who always applies her (or his!) makeup in a beautiful or interesting way and looks great wearing it, forward this to them!

Send any pictures to thelancomeblog@gmail.com. If we'd like to use your picture, I'll send you an email. And we certainly won't use without your permission!

Sorry to be secretive, but I'll tell you more about this in the weeks ahead!

Lastly, the winner of the final Chris Benz Chris & Tell giveaway is...Janet Cao! Janet, please email me at thelancomeblog@gmail.com. Congratulations. If you'd like Chris to autograph your Chris & Tell, let me know!

Check back tomorrow for a post on the party we hosted for supermodel Arlenis Sosa at the NYC Lancome boutique in celebration of her Latina cover. (See above!)

Who Named the Chris Benz Chris & Tell Lipstick? Introducing Kessa Thea!

2010-02-23T22:16:00.007-05:00

So the Chris Benz lipstick is pretty much sold out (although I did hear the NYC boutique might be getting the last few pieces...) so it's time to say farewell to the project. I wanted to thank everyone who made this so much fun over the past several months, including Chris and his team, makeup artist Daniel Martin, Gracemarie and Mollie on the marketing and product development teams, and all of you who cheered us on. Maybe it's crazy to get so excited over a lipstick, but there's something nice about wearing a product and knowing the whole story behind it.

Speaking of which, a few facts about the lipstick. Chris & Tell was almost a nude shade. It took our labs four tries to get the shade to match the exact color and texture Chris wanted. And the name came about through a Facebook contest we did last summer. The winner was a lovely woman from the Philippines named Kessa Thea, who is now an honorary member of the Chris lipstick team. "It is so heartwarming to know that I have in my own little way contributed to the beauty world," Kessa told us. We sent her a few questions because I thought it would be nice to know more about Kessa and officially recognize her.

How did you come up with the name Chris & Tell?
It was a play on the phrase "Kiss and Tell." I just thought anyone who wears the shade would be telling everyone about it if not being asked upfront by people who would admire/like/adore the shade. It is a very catchy name that I felt would readily register into any beauty junkie's mind. I suggested nine other names (Chris and Tell, Sweep Me Over, Benz-aholic, Lip Crave, Insatiable Desire, Divine Hue, Stolen Kiss, Hello Rouge, and Le Benz Affair).

Did you ever think you would win?
I never thought I would win this contest. It still feels surreal right now.

What did you think when you found out that Chris picked your name?
I was ecstatic, a bit in shock. My mouth was open for quite a long time, not knowing if I should scream or not. I stood there in front of my work computer, staring at my name and the name of the lipstick shade. I thought it was awesome and yes, I blogged about it as soon as I got home. [Click here for Kessa's blog post.]

How much of a beauty junkie are you?
I am a late bloomer when it comes to makeup and stuff. I grew up just using the essentials and going to the salon and having someone do my makeup on special occasions. I had the basics in my makeup kit, nothing special, nothing expensive not until June of last year when I started reading fashion and beauty blogs and getting hooked on tutorials. I decided that I needed to up the ante in terms of me taking care of myself and enhancing my features and learning the basics of "painting" my own face. I joined theme contests in the blogging world and never once won but that didn't dampen my spirits.

I now have a treasure trove of makeup, high end to local brands, and I am now a go-to person in my circle of friends when it comes to makeup. My friends now come to me and ask me what product to buy that will suit their complexion and the like. It feels good to be able to help other ladies/women like me. I don't think I consider myself a beauty junkie though, I think I am still starting to be one.

What is your favorite Lancome product?
My super favorite Lancome product is the Bi-Facil makeup remover. I swear by it and it is my HG among makeup removers. It thoroughly removes makeup in the littlest amount of time. I say it's worth what I've paid for.

What is your favorite piece of beauty advice that you can share with us?
It's not something that I only know, it is something that everyone knows already. This advice is for everyone to always smile. Smiling makes you feel happier and when you are happy everyone around you is happy. But then again, if you didn't have a good night's sleep, it sure will be a hard task to smile let alone plaster it on your face the whole day. So the best beauty secret is to not deprive yourself of beauty rest and before you rest remove that makeup!

Tell us about your new workout blog. What's that all about?
My new workout blog is dedicated to the burning motivation that drives me to attain the healthiest and fittest me ever. Just last October, I decided that I need to change my lifestyle and start a healthy one. The blog aims to chronicle my exercise regime and the food I eat (I sometimes cook) and the results. I thought it would be fun and a little challenging if other people read my thoughts and the things I have done to attain my goal. I told myself that I am accountable to my reading public. Sure it was, as I have started to influence other people and in fact because of this blog, I am not running alone anymore. I have organized a running club at work and we are starting to grow in numbers. I am now running with at least 10 other people who have embraced the call to start a healthy and fit lifestyle. I will continue to update my blog as often as I can in attempt to win and inspire other people and at the same time lose some little extra pounds.

Please join me in congratulating Kessa! Thank you again for such a great name. I hope you enjoy your prize as soon as it arrives and that you wear your Chris & Tell lipstick with much health and happiness.

What a Week! And...Are You The Winner of the "Valentine's Day" Celeb Lip Giveaway?

2010-02-19T18:26:00.004-05:00

As promised, the winner of the "Valentine's Day" lip giveaway is...Maranda, whose last lippie purchase was, well, not a Lancome product. That's okay. We like you anyway, Maranda! Check your inbox for a message from us.

I'm afraid I am totally wiped out and won't be writing about fashion week as promised. But I will next week! (A little taste of L'Wren Scott backstage above.) So much to share with you because it was a great fashion week. We had a very fun P.A. with Chris Benz last night and sold all the lipsticks we had on hand. It was terrific to see so many women wearing Chris & Tell and it looked beautiful on everyone. Kessa, your package is all bundled up and will ship out on Monday! Be on the lookout. Thank you again for giving us such a great name for Chris & Tell. I just saw that seven of the lipsticks are on eBay and the bidding is as high as $85.01. Crazy.

I hope everyone has a peaceful, restful weekend if possible! Look forward to talking to you next week.

Running to the Chris Benz Personal Appearance...and Sorry MNK!

2010-02-18T17:08:00.003-05:00

MNK was right. There was another Valentine's Day giveaway and we haven't announced that person's name yet. So we will tomorrow, along with backstage reports from The Row and L'Wren Scott. Both shows were completely different and completely gorgeous. I'm running to the Chris Benz personal appearance at Saks to see Chris and mua Daniel Martin. I need to get my Chris & Tell signed!! If you're in town, stop by! It's from 5 to 7 p.m.

Come Meet Chris Benz on Thursday! Plus, Who Won the Michelle Phan Giveaway?

2010-02-17T18:25:00.010-05:00

Thank goodness for Chris Benz. The boy loves color! And that extends to the makeup for his fashion shows as well. He and the brilliant MUA Daniel Martin cooked up a look for his Fall 2010 presentation that was as fierce as it was glamorous. They called it Gothic Chic and that's spot on. The models above look gorgeous, don't they?

Everyone backstage was really blown away by Daniel's artistry. First off, he used Le Crayon Poudre in Sable as lip liner. (We've said it before, we'll say it again. Lip liner is back.) He did this gorgeous, gradated lip inspired by a picture of Kate Moss from the 90s. The lip liner was topped with our new Color Design Matte lipstick in Bronze Show. (Wait until you see the matte line. I'm playing with it right now and it's beyond. It's launching at Macy's in mid-March.) Then some shine was added to the center of the bottom lip ONLY with Juicy Tubes in Hallucination.

Every time the models rubbed their lips together, Daniel's masterpiece was smooshed a bit. Oh well. We all know makeup is precious, albeit temporarily. I'll talk about the eyes, cheeks and nails in another post because I don't want this to get too long, but they were amazing too.

Backstage at Chris's show is always a lot of fun. All our blogger friends stop by and plenty of our favorite beauty editors too. It's buzzy but calm because Chris is so organized. Same as Daniel. Our video makeup artist Michelle Phan worked on Daniel's team and did an amazing job. (That's Michelle and Daniel above.) Michelle's used to working on herself, so it's always a treat for her to do models. And Danny Roberts, the amazing illustrator behind the Igor & Andre blog, stopped by as well. Let's hope he was inspired to do some Chris illustrations for future blog posts.

Speaking of Chris, if you live in or near New York City, stop by our Chris Benz personal appearance tomorrow (Thursday) from 5 to 7 p.m. at Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. It's on Fifth Avenue between 49th and 50th. If you're looking for the Chris & Tell lipstick (that's it above), it's probably your last chance to buy one as it's almost sold out everywhere. If you bought one already, stop by and have Chris sign it! The Lancome PR team will be there along with Daniel Martin and maybe even Sandy Linter, so make sure you say hi.

We're running low on Chris & Tell lipsticks, but let's give one away. Tell us which designer's fall collection you are or were dying to see and we'll pick one post at random. Please post by Friday night.

And the winner of the AMAZING Michelle Phan giveaway? Congrats to JT (June Tam). Please email us at thelancomeblog@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Lancome @ New York City Fashion Week! The Makeup for the Victoria Beckham Presentation

2010-02-15T13:03:00.011-05:00

We're about to run to the hair and makeup test for The Row and then to the Chris Benz show, but first a quick report about yesterday's Victoria Beckham presentation. The show was held at a beautiful private residence on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, which just happened to be the location for the scene from "Sex and the City" the movie in which Big shows Carrie the apartment he bought for her. Remember the closet scene? Well, the fashionista dream closet is gone, but the place is still amazing.

Victoria did several presentations throughout the morning that she personally narrated, explaining the work and inspiration for each dress. She greeted all the guests one by one, then the music began and the models entered the room. (The soundtrack featured French songs, like Serge Gainsbourg's "Bonnie and Clyde.") The clothes could not have been more gorgeous. Everything featured her signature zippers and the shades included blacks, nudes, metallics, paprika, emerald and sapphire. Victoria received rave reviews today from the likes of WWD and Style.com and they could not have been more well deserved.

The makeup was done by an amazing makeup artist we've never worked with before named Francelle. For the look, Francelle did a modern take on 1930's Hollywood glamour (in keeping with Victoria's "Dick Tracy" inspiration for the clothes) so she paired a metallic eye with a pale, nude lip. First, Francelle swept Color Design Eyeshadow in Optic on the entire lid to the brow bone and added Color Design Eyeshadow in Crème Lustré to the lower lid. Ombre Magnetique in Silver (coming this fall!) was used in the crease for a shiny, metallic finish. The new Hypnôse Drama Mascara coated the top lashes only. The skin was dusted with Ageless Minérale Powder in Translucent for a luminous complexion. Blush Subtil in Miel Glace was applied lightly to the cheekbones for an added touch of color. For the lips, Francelle first dotted them with concealer (a great trick for ensuring you get a super nude pout with staying power) then applied L'Absolu Rouge Lipstick in Rich Cashmere. The nails were short and groomed with just clear nail polish and the hair, by Didier Malige, was pulled back in messy version of a French twist.

The models came out wearing Victoria's sunglasses, covering up the gorgeous eye makeup, but then--thank goodness--took them off for the finale!!

Check out Victoria's collection on STYLE.COM.

Michelle Phan's First Lancôme How-To Video! Win All the Products Featured!!

2010-02-13T14:13:00.005-05:00

Happy Saturday everyone. Just finished up at the Victoria Beckham hair and makeup test. We're doing the makeup for the show tomorrow and working with a new makeup artist, Francelle. She's so cool and talented, it's been a pleasure getting to know her. Everything about the show looks gorgeous. And Victoria is SOOO nice. I probably won't blog again until Monday-Tuesday, so be sure to follow us on Twitter for the deets about VB and Chris Benz (which we're doing on Monday!). We're doing The Row and L'Wren Scott later in the week. And check out all the clothes on Style.com.

In the meantime, I hope you all heard the news that YouTube makeup artist Michelle Phan has joined the Lancôme team as our first video makeup artist. Michelle posted her announcement video on Wednesday, then on Thursday, she posted her first official Lancôme tutorial. The video is above and we hope you enjoy it. The comments on YouTube have been very interesting to say the least. Everyone seems to be intrigued by Oscillation Powerfoundation, which I've been using every day. Once you get the hang of it, it's really zip-zip-out-the-door. Nice and quick with a pretty, glowy finish.

To celebrate our partnership with Michelle, we're giving away EVERY product featured in the video. Consider it a little Valentine from Lancôme! To enter, post a suggestion for a future video or a makeup question for Michelle. Please post by Monday night. We'll pick one post at random. Good luck, as Michelle likes to say.

And just a reminder, if you live in the U.S., there's a special offer for Michelle's viewers at lancome-usa.com. If you were planning on doing a little Lancôme shopping, make sure to use the special code!

Have a great weekend.

Goodbye to Alexander McQueen

2010-02-11T20:01:00.003-05:00

The Lancome team was completely saddened this morning to learn about the death of Alexander McQueen. This is so heartbreakingly awful and I can't imagine what his friends and family are experiencing right now. I've always been an admirer of McQueen's creativity and candor, not to mention that talent that went into producing such beautiful clothes and such original fashion shows.

I never had the privilege of attending one of his shows, but many of my friends did and shared stories about his amazing presentations. Three stand out in my mind. The one where a hologram of Kate Moss appeared in the middle of the runway. Editors I know who attended the show said they wept it was so beautiful. The second was the time a machine spray-painted Shalom Harlow's dress. Shalom, who we had the privilege of working with on a fragrance project once, is one of the best models in the world and brought such a loveliness to the man versus machine scenario. The third was last season's otherworldy collection with those incredible armadillo shoes, the amphibian makeup and those amazing dresses.

Our sympathies go out to all who loved and admired Alexander.

Our BIG News! Welcome, Michelle Phan!!

2010-02-10T21:51:00.003-05:00

Well, we can finally talk about our big news. YouTube superstar Michelle Phan has joined the Lancome family as our video makeup artist. It's a really thrilling moment for so many reasons. We love the whole vlogger community and how they bring beauty products, tips and techniques to life with such enthusiasm. Then there's Michelle, who is as lovely as she is talented. It's been a pleasure working with her and getting to know her better. She has a genuine love for Lancome and she's even helped us discover a few hidden gems within our own product lineup.

These are really uncharted waters for all of us as I think we're the first brand to have an official video makeup artist! But I hope the projects we do with Michelle in the months ahead will both entertain you and educate you.

Please join me in welcoming Michelle.

(If you're a big fan of Michelle's, click here for a special offer from lancome-usa.com.)

Lip Lip Hooray! The Julia & Anne "Valentine's Day" Premiere Lippie Giveaway!

2010-02-09T23:49:00.005-05:00

Last night, in L.A., an insane amount of star power walked the red carpet for the premiere of "Valentine's Day." If you haven't heard of this movie, it's a romantic comedy featuring a dozen major celebrities, including two of our spokespeople, Anne Hathaway and Julia Roberts. The E! videos above are great because you can see the makeup and the clothes and the gals in action. Watch carefully and you'll see Julia's super dark nail polish, which looks great with her outfit. I think Anne's doing a nude nail with hers. Don't you love those blue feathers? And don't you love how she's not afraid to rock her super pale skin? (I think one of her male colleagues overdid it with the spray tan. He could learn a thing or two from Annie!)

The actresses went in totally different directions with their lip looks. Anne's makeup artist chose L'Absolu Rouge in Perfect Fig, a pinkish brown opaque lipstick. A lot of mua's love this color. Julia's artist went with a layered lip, which is a great move when you need the lipstick to last ALL NIGHT. She used Fraichelle lip liner (my new fave liner. Lip liner is making a comeback. You read it here first.) under Color Design Matte lipstick in Pink Preview (coming in March!) and topped everything with Juicy Tubes in Tickled Pink. (For a better look at the actual lip colors, click here for Anne and here for Julia.)

As an early Valentine's Day present from The Lancome Blog, we'll give away all the lip products mentioned above. Just post the last lip product you purchased and we'll pick one post at random. Please post by Wednesday night. Check back tomorrow because we have BIG NEWS. It just started snowing in New York, so I'm off to dig out my snow boots. Talk to you soon!!

Arlenis Sosa in Harper's Bazaar! LOVE. IT.

2010-02-08T19:48:00.005-05:00

I've been meaning to post these pictures for ages. I put them on Facebook the other day, so if you've seen them there already or in the actual pages of Harper's Bazaar, sorry! But they are so cute, I just have to post them again. On top of that, Arlenis is the nicest thing in the world. All that sweetness she radiates in the pictures is genuine.

(Plus, it's ZERO degrees outside, so the idea of riding a bike past palm trees is very enticing right now...)

Patricia and Erin from the PR team went to our labs in New Jersey recently for a tour with Arlenis and everyone had a great time. We have funny pictures of Arlenis in a hair net and safety glasses that I WON'T be posting because she'd kill me. Not that they would ruin her career. Amazingly, she still manages to look like a supermodel while wearing them. Go figure.

Tyron Machhausen did the makeup. I don't know Tyron, but he's clearly genius! I just looked at his agency portfolio. If you love makeup, you seriously need to scroll through this. There's some fab stuff going on. I'll try to interview him for the blog soon.

Stay warm!

Aaron De Mey Answers Rebecca's Eye Makeup Question! & Who Won Our Rachel Zoe Giveaway?

2010-02-05T19:06:00.009-05:00

Today we answer a reader's question!

Rebecca bought the Pop Petrol Le Khol Gloss pencil (not available in the U.S. Ugh.) from the O My Rose spring collection and is finding that it smudges too much. So she asked for advice on how to use it. I contacted Aaron De Mey, our artistic director for makeup who created the collection, and asked him. You don't have to be Daria to benefit from Aaron's makeup genius! He had such a great answer, I've included the whole thing (This advice, btw, can apply to any glossy/creamy eye product):

"Apply a fine layer of concealer and a light dusting of powder to the under eye area and in dark corners closest to the bridge of the nose. Then apply the pencil in and around the lash line and blend with a soft, small, fluffy brush or the fingertips. Set the edges of the pencil with a lighter/neutral powder shade such as taupe or gray for a graduated/sophisticated look and this will prevent the edges from bleeding/smudging. Alternately, use a powder shadow in a similar or slightly lighter shade of your gloss pencil and apply it around the edges and/or lightly dusted over the pencil to give extra hold and intensity. Or use the Khol Gloss only on lids and use powder shadow under the eyes to shape and design them. This gives a glossy lidded effect whilst looking sophisticated and holding perfectly under the eye."

Aaron noted that "the nature of a gloss/cream eye shade product is that it will slightly move/crease/smudge. It follows the movement of the lids and settles into corners or lines so using gentle/small amounts of the product also decreases this. The creamy/glossy texture of eye color creams gives a more realistic, sexy, 'slept in’ effect. It is purely personal preference, ease of use and desired makeup result that leads women to either a powder shadow or cream/gloss eye shade."

Aaron says the gloss pencil is an "ideal product during Spring/Summer as the texture literally melts into summer-textured skin, which is humid, moist and sheeny. Using similar textures in Spring/Summer makeup makes it easier to apply, more comfortable to wear and easier to touch-up as you are not continuously fighting to keep the textures matte and dry. Instead, you are wearing makeup that’s appropriate to the environment/ situation."

So there you go, Rebecca. I hope that's useful. I never thought of using eyeshadow or powder lightly to control the smuding. Le Khol Gloss, by the way, also comes in a gorgeous pale gold and a vivid copper color. If anyone has tried them, let us know what you think.

The winner of our Rachel Zoe/Absolue Mask giveaway is Jamie Lynn, who v-logs under the name No Rules Just Beauty. Jamie Lynn, we need you to do some Lancome videos! Let's talk. Email me at thelancomeblog@gmail.com so we can get your prize to you.

Have a great weekend. If the big snow storm is headed your way, stay safe, warm and dry. Check in next week for more giveaways, a belated Golden Globes recap and a Fashion Week preview!

Where to Find and How to Apply The Chris & Tell Lipstick...There Are a Few Left!

2010-02-04T18:36:00.007-05:00

A lot of people are asking me where they can find Chris & Tell, our Chris Benz L'Absolu Rouge lipstick, especially since J. Crew just featured it as one of Jenna's spring must-haves in the current catalog. The lipstick is a U.S. and a Saks Fifth Avenue exclusive, as most of you know. It sold out on lancome-usa.com and the Lancome boutiques sold out too, although I heard a rumor they might be getting more. It's sold out at several Saks counters, but Madeline the Intern (who just launched her own blog!) found a few locations that still have pieces in case you don't have time to search for yourself:

--The Stamford Town Center Mall in Connecticut--203-323-3100 x327
--The Dallas Galleria in Texas--972-716-5190
--The Palm Beach Esplanade Mall in Florida--561-833-2551 x365
--The South Orange County Mall in Mission Viejo, California--949-347-5100 x364

If you'd like us to post more locations where Chris & Tell is available, let us know. I know it's a drag for some of you that it's so hard to find, but at least we mean it when we tell you something is limited edition. Not like other companies that tell you it's limited, whip up a frenzy, then produce thousands more. Ahem.

Oh, if you live in or near New York City, we're having a personal appearance with Chris at the Saks Fifth Avenue in midtown on Feb. 18th from 5 to 7 p.m. We were able to secure a few dozen lipsticks for sale for that day. If you're around, please stop by and say hi. The whole PR team will be there. If you've already bought a Chris & Tell, bring it and have Chris sign the box. A big thanks to our friend Marta from Talking Makeup (Marta, I hope we see you during Fashion Week!) who posted the video above, which features the insanely talented mua Daniel Martin, who helped create Chris & Tell. You can see how he applies, blots with tissue, dusts with transluscent powder over the tissue and applies again. You can wear it that way, apply it straight from the tube, or smudge on lightly with your finger. It's a very versatile shade for a bright peachy coral!

There aren't any Chris & Tells on eBay at the moment, although two sold last night for some ridiculous price. But there is a cute bright pink Chris Benz cardigan on sale for the "buy it now" price of $30. Somebody should snatch that up before I do. And Kim Kardashian has a gorgeous purple Chris Benz dress there as part of a Red Cross charity auction. Bidding starts at $59.

Happy hunting.

Daria's on the Cover of French Vogue Again! And Who Won the Erika F. Giveaway?

2010-02-03T21:07:00.004-05:00

I love French Vogue. They still put models on the cover and they love our spokesmodel Daria Werbowy. The top one is the current issue on newsstands. Which is your favorite?

Thank you for all the great Erika F. posts. I'm glad so many of you have favorite Lancome eyeshadows. And a big merci to Kate for the info on the 2003 Urban Eve collection where Erika F. originated. Fred Farrugia was our artistic director and lead makeup artist back then, but I sadly don't know Fred. If anyone does, please ask him who Erika F. is.

A few shoutouts. Hi to Robby Raynebow. We haven't heard from you in a while! Lexi920, welcome back to the brand. Obsessed Makeup Addict, I sent an email to the Lancome Canada team, so stay tuned. Muireann, in case you return to Paris, the Erika F. number is G40. Sorry that didn't work out for you. Bree, I'll try to get one our MUAs to answer your question about green eyes and green eyeshadow. Karen K, do not hit yourself with a hammer.

Instead of having to pay so much money on eBay, why don't a few of you organize swaps? You can trade Chris Benz lipstick (did you see it in the new J. Crew catalog?) for Erika F. Why not?

Okay, without further ado, the winner of our Pop N' Green palette is Awesome! (Awesome, please send an email with your name and address to thelancomeblog@gmail.com) And guess what? I can't say what it is, but our Paris office (hint, hint) is going to be sending you a little something.

Thanks again, everyone.

Erika F: The Real Story About a Cult Eyeshadow (Plus an Eyeshadow Giveaway!)

2010-02-01T19:11:00.008-05:00

Annie from Blogdorf Goodman checked in with us the other day because her eagle eyes had spotted a silvery greenish-grey eyeshadow in one of the Ô My Rose spring palettes that looked suspiciously like the famous Erika F.

What is Erika F., you ask? If you read the beauty blogs, you certainly know that it's a cult eyeshadow available everywhere except the U.S. You also know that it's one of the most amazing eyeshadows ever made, according to certain bloggers. But sadly for those who live in the U.S., what makes it so amazing is the silver paillette pearl that we aren't allowed to use in products here.

I bought one last year at the Lancôme boutique in Paris and I hesistate to say this, but it's not my color. (I seem to be in the minority.) I hated to break the bad news to Annie, but the shade in the Pop N' Green Color Design shadow spring quad is very very very close, but it's not Erika F. It even looks like Erika F. in certain lights, but the shimmer and the color are a teensy bit different. (See Cafe Makeup's great swatches above and read her report.)

One thing I have yet to discover about Erika F. is the namesake. Who is this mysterious Erika F.? Does anyone out there know?

If you've tried Erika F., let us know what you think. If not, let us know what your favorite eyeshadow is. We'll pick one post at random and that person will win a Pop N' Green palette. (Maybe I'll even throw in my Erika F...) Please post by Tuesday night.

THANKS TO BLOGDORF GOODMAN , PINK SITH AND CAFE MAKEUP FOR THE PHOTOS.

Rachel Zoe Likes Our Absolue Face Masks! You Will Too, So Let's Do a Giveaway

2010-01-28T17:55:00.007-05:00

Does everyone read The Zoe Report? The Zoe Report is Rachel Zoe's daily post on all things fabulous--fashion, beauty, accessories and more. Rachel, I'm happy to report, is a Lancôme fan. I remember the first time we met her and she had three Juicy Tubes in her bag, all used almost to the bottom.

Well, today's Zoe Report is about our Absolue Premium Bx Cloth Masks. Thank you, Rachel!

The cloth mask is one of my favorite Lancôme products. If you and/or your skin are feeling blah, you take one of these out of the packaging, arrange on your face and relax for 10 minutes. You and your face will feel much better. You can massage the leftover product into your skin. (Just a warning. You will scare whoever is in the immediate area when you wear these. The look is ghost/scary hockey player. There's no way to make this pretty. I've actually worn my glasses over the masks so I could read or watch TV--definitely not a pretty look.)

So many people are fans. Joanna, the editor in chief of Marie Claire, got hooked after a model sat next to her on a flight to Europe and wore one through part of the flight! A major celebrity makeup artist (I can't mention her name because she works for another beauty brand) uses them on her clients before doing their makeup.

Let's give away a box of them so one of you can see for yourselves. Just post a comment and tell us your facial philosophy. Do you always get facials? Never? Do you give yourself one every Sunday? And what products do you use? Please post by Friday night and we'll pick one post at random. Good luck!