SPRING 2012 BEAUTY COLLECTIONS

Spring is indeed here even if the weather doesn't seem to know (at least not here in New York...it's cold & windy). During this time of year the makeup counters have all the latest spring beauty collections to bring your makeup to life with new colors and formulas.  Unfortunately most of these collections are Limited Edition so if you see something you love definitely BUY IT or you'll be hunting it down on Ebay and paying double. Trust me, I've been there and done that. Happy shopping all!!!!

DIOR – "Garden Party"The brand pays homage to Mr. Dior's passion for flowers and gardens with its Spring Collection Garden Party. A fresh spring bouquet of delicate pinks, soft greens & sweet violets. 

ESTEE LAUDER – "Bronze Goddess Capri"
A new collection of sunlit color and fragrance inspired by the seductive beauty of the Isle of Capri.

LANCÔME – "Roseraie des Delices"

For Spring 2012, Lancome is delighted to invite you to a makeup garden party! Inspired by a sumptuous garden party, this collection melts macaroons and sweets with nail polish and lipsticks. This collection was created by Aaron de Mey and inspired by the rose garden at the family home of Lancome founder, Armand Petitjean.

LAURA MERCIER – "Lingerie Collection"
This season, Laura Mercier's inspiration comes from the soft romantic hues and fabrics of the Victorian Age. This modern interpretation showcases a color palette inspired by vintage boudoir lingerie.  The look is ultra-feminine with lips and cheeks done in shades of warm corals and modern peaches while eyes are alluring in neutral browns and taupe grays.

SHU UEMURA  – "Celestial Gardens"
The inspiration for this collection is "the world above the clouds, surrounded by overflowing positive energy, full of colors and full of light.  The same scenery, the same world can look so different, if seen with all your senses full open.  Unchain yourself, play with the colors, enjoy make-up, and above all enjoy precious moments that exist in your life".

YSL – "Spring 2012 Collection"
An effervescent look of fresh colors, melting textures and transparent effects: a manifest of sweet, springtime shades created by Lloyd Simmonds for Yves Saint Laurent.

* Note - 1st photo in Blog post is of NARS 2012 Spring Collection but it hasn't launched yet...you can sign up to be emailed once products go "live" on their website by clicking here.

PRODUCT REVIEW: butter LONDON

I'll admit it...I'm a bit of an Anglophile with a fondness for most things British. One of my beauty obsessions from "across the pond" is butter LONDON.  I first fell in love with butter LONDON  when I ordered some of their nail polish (or nail varnish as they say in the UK) from one of my favorite online shopping sites - HauteLook.  The colors were incredible bright and bold, the wear was great and the polish went on like a dream...I didn't even need a top coat! Needless to say it was love at first sight.

Nonie Creme is the Founding Creative Director for butter LONDON and it's her creative genius that has lead to them being a cult phenomenon in the nail industry. Butter LONDON has worked with designers like Alexander Wang, Betsey Johnson, Vena Cava, Calvin Klein, Issa, Rachel Zoe, and many more. They have a passionate following in the U.S. thanks to their 3 Free (non-toxic) nail lacquers which are formulated without the use of harmful ingredients like Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP or Parabens. 

Now onto the good stuff my lovelies! I've swatched below my recent haul of butter LONDON goodies including not only nail polish but a few other of their products. Enjoy!!!

Dressing Table Duo #1 (Limited Edition) - ($25)
This duo includes the following two nail polish shades:

"The Black Knight" - A dark dazzler from butter LONDON, this glitter fusion contains black, pink, blue, and silver suspended in a black base.
Absolutely in love with this color....be still my beating heart! It's no wonder that it's currently sold out on the Butter LONDON website.

"Tart With A Heart" - Who says pink glitter can’t be girly AND sexy?! This pale pink parade of glitter carries a dash of grey to tone down the sugar and ramp up the spice.

I love girlie glitter polish and this is super glittery and pretty. Can be worn alone or layered over a variety of light or dark colored polish...oh the possibilities!

"HRH" - ($14)
Proper purple. Even the Queen would agree, and she never agrees with us. (P.S. - for you non Angophiles H.R.H. stands for Her Royal Highness - in other words, the Queen!)

This is my new FAVORITE purple nail polish - so sorry Illamasqua (another British cosmetic brand I like) but you are now bumped!

"The Black Knight" looks super gorgeous layered over "HRH".  Together they are the perfect dark duo for your winter mani/pedi. Even with my short stubby nails I can't stop staring at my hands!

"The Full Monty" - ($14)

Does what it says on the bottle. Full-on molten gold. A beautiful colour that is always classy, never brassy.

This nail polish looks like a burnished, antique gold color...it reminds me of an old M.A.C. pigment "Old Gold".  It makes me happy just looking at this color.

Layering "Tart With A Heart" over "The Full Monty" makes me think of glittery fun things like shiny disco balls...it's quite lovely.

Quick Change Artist  Duo -  ($15)

Go naked if you must, but never on your nails! This kit contains nail polish remover and "Yummy Mummy" nail lacquer. 

One of the worst things about nail polish remover is the awful smell...Butter LONDON's smells like baby powder.

"Yummy Mummy" - Our ‘magic’ lacquer. This medium beige colour is simply stunning on EVERY skin colour. If you can’t decide on a lacquer, then we will for you. It’s this.

They don't lie...I can image this color looking gorgeous on any and everyone. I like it as a cool-toned neutral for winter when I don't want too strong a color.

 "Master" Luxury Lotion - ($10)

 A unisex lotion for exceptionally soft skin with a Black Tea scent – sophisticated, smoky – just what you are craving.

 I love drinking different types of black tea (Earl Grey, Lady Grey, etc) so I decided to give this a try and I'm so glad I did. The fragrance is great for winter...alittle smoky, sultry and sexy. It also left my hands feeling soft and supple but not a bit greasy.

As an added treat I'm also including picture of butter LONDON's new 2012 Spring/Summer Collection:

My favs from the new collection are "Knackered" - A sheer, twinkling oyster shade flecked with micro glitter particles and "Slapper" - A truly teal lacquer, bold and very bright.


I hope you all enjoyed this blog post - it's the first time I've written a Product Review covering nail polish so curious to know what you all think. Please feel free to share your feedback on butter LONDON (or any other beauty blog post) by leaving a comment below. Thanks again for being a "Karen's World of Beauty" Reader!