Laura Mercier Holiday 2011 Collection

Laura Mercier has recently released her Holiday 2011 collection. Rather than focusing on individual products, the collection instead includes six gift sets.

The Baked Eye Color Palette (above) retails for $48.00. It includes five shades: Sienna, a rich chocolate brown; Terracotta, a warm bronze; Ballet Pink, a soft peachy pink; Pink Petal, a pale baby pink; and Lilac, a smoky lavender violet.

The Eye Portfolio (below) retails for $98.00. It includes12 eye colors (Rich Sienna, Morning Dew, Black Coffee, Pink Crystal, Sable, Royal Gold, African Violet, Mica, Golden Cream, Fig, and Sparkling Night) and three travel brushes (Ponytail, Crease, and Smudge).

The Color Portfolio (below) retails for $98.00. It Includes six eye colors (Primrose, African Violet, Merlot, Truffle, Topaz, and Stellar), three Tightline Cake Eye Liners (Ground Espresso, Black Ebony, and Burgundy Wine), two Second Skin Cheek Colors (Rose Petal and City Pink), and three travel brushes (Ponytail, Crease, and Flat Eyeliner)

The Travel Brush Set (below) retails for $85.00. It includes five brushes : Double-Ended Secret Camouflage Powder Brush, Double-Ended Allover Eye Color Ponytail Brush, Double-Ended Flat Eyeliner/Smudge Brush, Double-Ended Brow Definer/Brow Grooming Brush, and Finishing Brush.

The Mini Kohl Eye Pencil Set retails for $32.00, and it is available exclusively at Sephora. It includes five mini eye pencils: Kohl Eye Pencil in Brown Copper, a coppery brown; Antique Jade, a metallic deep green; Black Turquoise, a black with turquoise pearl; Black Violet, a black purple charcoal; and Purple Sapphire, a bright eggplant.

The Nudes Mini Lip Glace Set retails for $38.00, and it is available exclusively at Sephora. It includes four Lip Glacés: Bare Blush, a deep champagne taupe; Bare Naked, a beige champagne; Bare Pink, a light pink; and Bare Beige, a light neutral brown.

MAC Giftable for Holiday 2011

I probably shouldn't be blogging about this, but I couldn't help it! There's a whole slew of information on MAC's Holiday 2011 Collections online all of a sudden, but unfortunately, there's not much of it. The positive side? I have the photographs!

The first MAC Holiday Collection I will be blogging about is the Giftable Collection. Its not necessarily a cosmetics-centric collection, but it is a MAC product. And -- that simple fact makes it undeniably awesome.

So, what exactly is in the MAC Giftable Collection? Well, its two silver bags in different sizes. Yes, that's all. And no, I'm not kidding.

Take a look at the bags. They're constructed with silver foil, with a white spiral design throughout. And, there is a large decorative, semi-functional ribbon on each, which is adorned with festive silver sparkles.

The bags are perfect for wrapping a gift in, obviously. But, if done correctly, they can also be made into semi-permanent clutches! I'm picturing an amazing DIY project:

1. Trace the shapes of the four sides and bottom onto a thin piece of cardboard.
2. Carefully cut out the five pieces of cardboard.
2. Secure the pieces in place inside the bag with a gluestick.

And voila! Now you've got an adorable new clutch to bring to any holiday parties this season! And the best part? No one else will have it, because its a Mallory in New York exclusive. ;)

Color Club Backstage Pass collection for Holiday 2011

During my morning coffee [Starbucks Caramel Mocha], I was browsing through Temptalia. Amid the newly listed cosmetic launches for the Holiday 2011 season, I spotted a nail polish line that I couldn't go another moment without blogging.

The line, called Backstage Pass, is the newest collection from Color Club, a brand that we all know and love. The small-but-sweet collection includes six sparkly colors with musically themed names, listed below. The sparkles are much larger than you'd find in the average glitter nail polish, and far richer in color as well!

As much as I love the awesome shades and the rockstar/VIP theme, the chemical makeup of the polish itself is definitely something that drew me to the line. As a proud vegetarian, I naturally admire any product that does not include any animal byproducts [even if I do not plan to eat it]. Backstage Pass is 100% vegan, which is sure to attract environmentally-friendly beauty addicts and PETA supporters alike. And, as we all know, many brands [ahem, OPI] include harsh chemicals that can lead to breast cancer and other diseases, Backstage Pass is completely free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP and paraben.

The shades and descriptions are listed below:

1. Take the Stage Gold - glitter with silver flakes
2. Wish Upon a Rock-Star - Multi-colored glitter with purple
3. Backstage Pass -Silver and purple hex glitter
4. Platinum Record - Silver glitter
5. It’s a Hit - Purple big glitter
6. Fame & Fortune - Red base with silver flakes

Illamasqua Freak Eau de Parfum

British brand Illamasqua, commonly noted for imaginative themes and eccentric colour palettes, is launching its first ever perfume! The scent, very fittingly name "Freak", has hints of Black Davana, Opium Flower, Belladonna, Poison Hemlock, Datura, and Queen of the Night blossom. The base scent contains intense aromas of Frankincense, Oud, and Myrrh.

In addition to the otherworldly theme and photography, the perfume bottle is also of note. The bottle [pictured below] is a square-shaped glass. A drastic change from conventional perfume bottles, Freak is missing a corner, so it stands at a sharp ankle, perfectly balanced. The bottle is of dark purple colour, with black swirls throughout. There is also a silver snail crawling up the upward most side of the bottle. According to the press release, the design symbolizes "an addictive passionate path of desire that is both distinctive and unusually provocative."

In addition to Freak, Illamasqua is also launching three limited addition products: Nail Varnish in Hemlock (pale opal green iridescent), Pure Pigment in Queen of the Night (blackened plum), and a Sheer Lipgloss in Datura (neutral mauve). Each build on the similar theme of an alternate reality.

The collection is now available to pre-order on Illamasqua.com. Freak will officially launch on October 20th, 2011, and will be priced at $59 for a 75 ml bottle. It will become available at Sephora and Space NK in November 2011.

Maximal Trends for Fall 2012

I might be getting a bit ahed of myself, as its only the beginning to Fall 2011, but I'm already getting excited for the trends of Fall 2012! [This could be because this Fall's trends are immensely tiring. Preppy? Been there, rocked that.] On Donegar Groups Fall / Winter 2012 / 2013 Presentation, four general trends are explored: Backwoods, Artisan, Film Noir, and Maximal.

Film Noir Editorial in Vogue July 2011.

Backwoods seems a bit too woodsy / tribal-esque for my taste, and its hard to get excited about Artisan when we just finished a neverending Spring / Summer season of boho-chic hell. Film noir definitely seems interesting, but I couldn't imagine going out in public like that on a daily basis. The luxe look [right] involves wayyy too many pieces to be considered attainable for the average NYC gal.

Now Maximal -- That's what I'm interested in. With my obsessive, all-or-nothing personality, the maximal trend illustrates the extremes of all fashion trends: Neo-expressionism, new Retro, Play, Chroma Scope, and Girlish Charm. Rather than a wide range of on-trend accessories needed [Film Noir], Maximalism depends on a few standout pieces. And of course, the more, the better.

Now, love her or hate her, Katy Perry is probably the best representation of the Maximal trend. She loves to go all out with her outfits and accessories, which is really the only way to essentially capture the trend.

Here are a few of Katy's Looks that accurately represent each variation of maximalism:

NEO-EXPRESSIONISM: Katy Perry performs with Nicki Minaj and Keri Hilson.

"Neo-expressionism emerged in the late 70s and 80s as a reaction to minimal precedents. Bored with the work or their predecessors, artists filled their work with color, patterns, and symbols that reflected the mayhem and vibrancy of the downtown New York they called home."

NEW RETRO: Katy Perry wears a 50s-inspired silhouette.

"Campaigns, ads, and packaging are swinging toward a retro innocence and adding modern digital technology into recreated analog designs."

PLAY: Katy Perry adds playfulness to her performance with a Manish Arora merry-go-round dress.

"Photographer Yusuke Suzuki has created a bed to look like an oversized book. At night it is opened for sleepy heads and during the day it is closed to create space. This incorporates play into a necessary task, like sleep."

GIRLISH CHARM: Katy Perry's girlish charm shines through with her pastels, classic silhouettes, and youthful umbrella.

CHROMA-SCOPE: Everything from Katy's outfit is larger than life -- her hair,  the bold cut of the dress, and the glitter.

[This is blog post number 2 from my Creative Fashion Presentations class at FIT. If you're not from FIT, feel free to comment anyways! All quotes from Donneger.]

Are Lita's on their way out?

Lita in 'Stars and Stripes' ($159)

[Blog post #1]

Throughout the past year, we've seen the Jeffrey Campbell Lita on every "real" fashion blog. And, even if it has become a bit predictable, the design is still considered cool. Plus, its undoubtedly an easy way get noticed in the blogosphere.

Popular LookBooker Rachel-Marie Jones in Lita's.

So, how has the Lita maintained its popularity for so long? There are two main reasons -- the first is because of the fans, most notably those with blogs. No matter how much promotion a company does, it will never compare to peer-to-peer communication.

So, if a notable fashion blogger [or even a stylish / attractive one] posts photographs of her/himself wearing Lita's, it will indirectly inspire readers to consider trying the trend, and ultimately buying a pair themselves. With the rise of websites like Lookbook, shoppers and aspiring bloggers can view hundreds of popular fashion bloggers all in one place, being exposed to countless trends at once.

Lita Stud ($264.95)

The second cause for the Lita's continued popularity is the wide range of designs. There are over fifty deviations of the original Lita, as well as the Lita Fur, Lita Shag, Lita Fab, Lita Spike, Lita Harness, and Studded Lita. With so many options, its hard to tire of a winning trend.

But, in an industry where trends change quickly, how long can the Lita really stay on top? A year is a long time, and while the popularity of the JC creation hasn't faltered, there's only a limited amount of time left for the Lita to stay on top, especially with all the other amazing Jeffrey Campbell designs on the market!

Here's a look at a few JC designs that can easily become the 'new'
Lita:

Jeffrey Campbell Pixie in Black Gold Zebra (194.95)

Jeffrey Campbell Vreeland in Red ($169.95)

Jeffrey Campbell Nightwalk in Black ($169.95)

Jeffrey Campbell Tick in Black ($169.95)

Jeffrey Campbell Skate in White ($189.95)

Jeffrey Campbell Tardy in Blue ($199.95)

[Disclaimer: All photos and prices from Solestruck.com. This post is an assignment for my Creative Fashion Presentations class at FIT. If you're not an FIT student, please feel free to comment anyways!]

I'm baaaaaaaack!

Tavi's been busy, but so have I.

If you've been following my infrequent, career-obsessed posting this summer, I'd like to thank you. Seriously. I know I can get boring when I go into internship mode, but in an attempt to keep this blog relative to my life, I felt my internship and job search were the best topics to blog about. After all, its called Mallory in New York, and as Mallory, living / working / interning in New York, this has been my main focus all summer -- even more than makeup (gasp!).

After finding a job and internship, I assumed I'd be back to normal (i.e. blogging 3-5 times a day about beauty, fashion, and Bebe Zeva!). Well, I was wrong.

During the summer, I was literally doing nothing but job hunting 5 days a week, and interning at Life & Style the other two days. Now, let's just say I'm a little busier.

Monday: Clinique [6PM-9:45PM]
Tuesday: FIT [9AM-9:30PM, with breaks]
Wednesday: Nicole Miller [9AM-5PM] and Clinique [6PM-9:45PM]
Thursday: FIT [9AM-6PM, with break]
Friday: Nicole Miller [9AM-5PM] and Clinique [6PM-9:45PM]
Saturday: Clinique [9AM-6PM]
Sunday: Clinique [9AM-6PM]

That's pretty much my weekly schedule. Now, throw in 3 online classes, homework, and time with friends, I don't have much time to blog. And, that doesn't mean I don't miss blogging and MINY, because I do. A LOT.

Now, it may be hard to believe, but last semester [when I was interning at JoonBug and working at Starbucks] my schedule was far worse. And, I still managed to find time to blog up to 8 times a day!

So, as I settle into my new schedule, please be patient with me. It's going to take some time, but I'd like to be back to blogging [at least] once a day by the end of September. Until then, enjoy watching my crazed, MAC-obsessed posts become more and more frequent as October grows closer. And, if you really miss my sarcastic ramblings, follow me on Twitter [@MalloryinNYC]!

---Mallory in NEW YORK