When fresh purple shades burst on to our fashion radar last Fall, I was hoping it was here to stay – and not just because I look good in purple (tee hee). It’s just so pretty!

It looks like purple is going to be a very hot color this coming season, from blue violets to plum burgundies. In anticipation, I’ve picked a few of my favorite things.

1. Christian Louboutin’s Lady Page Velvet-Bow Pump is probably the sexiest burgundy shoe I have ever seen! Of course, Louboutin’s don’t need any introduction, but these are gorgeous.
2. To get your purple shoe fix in a lower price range, try Guess. Their Peacock pump in deep purple is so sexy and would be perfect with a little black dress!
3. Nicole Miller’s v-neck Techno Metal Dress in magenta is a perfect pick for parties or a great night out with the girls. Besides the gorgeous eye-catching color, the cut on this dress is so sexy!
4. For a work option, check out the Pleat Detail Dress from The Limited in bright plum. I just love the cut on this, and the smooth cotton. It also works well for day to night if you’re going out after a day at the office.
5. It’s no secret how much I love MAC, and the new shade of their Tinted Lipglass in On Display from MAC’s Fall ’09 Collection as seen by Richard Phillips. You can apply this shade lightly for a subtle hint of purple, or apply more for stand-out lips. Simply gorgeous!
6. The sexist nail polish shade this Fall comes from Estee Lauder’s Sensuous Gold collection for Fall 2009. Black Amethyst (I’m wearing it right now!) is a deep dark purple that shines for days! It’s a little darker than it is in the picture, and I feel like it’s going to sell out fast – so get it before Fall is in full swing!
7. Rounding out my purple favorites is the Velvet Eden blazer from J.Crew. Often my go-to for classic pieces, J.Crew has updated their popular velvet École jacket with a shirred waist, slim shall collar, and ruched pockets. And Iris is such a lovely color, isn’t it?

Just a little word of caution before I sign off: don’t wear all your beautiful burgundies and pretty purples all at the same time!

Is it possible to fall in love with a nail polish?  I might have said no, but that was before I got a look at Black Amethyst, by Estee Lauder.  It’s part of Estee’s Lauder‘s Sensuous Gold Collection, a limited edition collection of cosmetics for Fall 2009, available in stores this September.  With a palette of sparkly purples and rose golds, it’s on my go-to list for this coming season!

Inspired by the ease and sensuality of the season’s fashions, Estée Lauder has created Sensuous Gold – a uniquely feminine, luxurious new color collection for Fall 2009.  The collection uses soft nuances of color incorporating rich tints, tones, and washes.  Sensuous Gold gently brings out an inner radiance and reveals the softer side of every woman.  Skin is luminous, warm and radiant in a soft veil of golden tones.  Eyes are delicately defined in soft shades of golden amber and peach accented by rich, regal amethyst.  Lips are luxuriously dressed for the season in sateen finishes of coppery nudes and supple plums.

The distinctly modern and luxurious rose golden packaging is a complement to the sophisticated luxury and femininity of the collection.  The eyeshadow quads, shimmer powder, nail color, lipstick, and lip gloss all incorporate Fall 2009′s hottest metallics and shades of purple.

As my summer glow begins its inevitable fade, I love the shimmer powder.  It gives me just the right amount of glow without being overkill (a problem I sometimes have with bronzers).  The eyeshadows come in either the Rose Gold or Rose Amethyst quads.  I really like the Rose Amethyst for my complexion but I was happy to see that the Rose Gold looks great too!  I love the pattern on the eyeshadow when you open the compact, but its shape disappears with the shimmery top layer once you apply.  Not to worry though, it does not lessen the impact or intensity of the colors.

The Multi-Shimmer Lip Gloss blends three hues together to make a perfect shade in Rose Gold or Amethyst.  You can wear them alone or over the lipstick in this collection (or any of your favorite lipstick colors!).  The Rose Gold is a little lighter and golden, whereas the Amethyst has a darker, more pink hue.

The limited edition lipstick Hydra Lustre Lipstick with Gold Shimmer comes in Terracotta, Cinnamon, Rose Amethyst and Plum Amethyst.  As with most Estee Lauder Lipstick, it is creamy and luxurious, but it does have a taste and a smell.  It’s not overpowering, but if you’re sensitive to lipstick with a scent or a taste, definitely try before you buy.  The funny thing for me is that while I usually gravitate to purple in my eye makeup, I am loving the Terracotta and Cinnamon on my lips.  Good thing that collection works well enough that you can mix it up and find what works for you.  

Getting back to the Sensuous Gold nail colors, you can choose from Rose Gold or Black Amethyst.  The colors are rich and cover well.  I did a manicure last week using Black Amethyst (I know it isn’t Fall, but I was in love and I couldn’t wait), and it lasted an entire week.  I chip most nail polish by day three, so this was a nice surprise.  If you love these colors, hurry up and get to your Estee Lauder counter.  They are Limited Edition and the Rose Gold nail color is already sold out online!

Is anyone else super excited for Fall now?  I can’t wait to break out my boots and sweaters and rock my Black Amethyst manicure.

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Who’s in love with the Mad Men series? I am! I am! Who’s in love with M·A·C Cosmetics? I AM! Well if you love both like I do, you’ll enjoy the Q&A with Mad Men’s lead makeup artist, Lana Horochowski, that our friends at M·A·C sent along.  Get a peek into how Lana achieves the Mad Men looks!

Q&A with Lana Horochowski

Mad Men, Makeup Department Head

Q: You’re the new department head at Mad Men for Season 3, will you be making any changes to any characters makeup?

A: Since we are moving a little forward into the future, we have changed up the color palette for each character to go along with the time period.

Q: When you were preparing for this season, did you do any research for inspiration? If so, what most inspired you?

A: Weeks and weeks of meetings and research. I love looking through the old magazines. They are a great reference and a huge source of inspiration; however, we do try to keep the characters looking like real people that do their own makeup and not like movie stars with a makeup artist standing by. Magazines and old movies are a great guideline for a basic look and color selection.

Q: How would you describe the looks of each one of the characters? How do they differ?

A: Joan Holloway- always put together, very sassy and sexy

Betty Draper- although she is a housewife she is an ex model, so her makeup is clean but very current for the period

Peggy Olson- Peggy is a young and fresh faced business woman of that period, she is a very clean natural makeup

Q: What are your key products for creating the makeup looks for the main female characters?

A: Joan Holloway- We do a heavier eye on Christina, so the key products would be eyeliner and strip lashes.

Betty Draper- Betty has 2 distinct looks, her at home look and her going out/evening look. For home she is very natural, basically a sheer foundation, think black eyeliner and mascara. Evening Betty goes a little thicker on the liner and a brighter lipstick, but aalways coordinated with her clothing.

Peggy Olson- Since the key to Peggy’s look is to appear as though she is wearing no makeup, a great foundation is super important. Also, a natural cheek and lip stain is applied to give her a little color.

Q: What are your favorite M·A·C products for each character?

A: Joan Holloway- Cream Colour Base in Virgin Isle, Fluidline in Blacktrack and Rich Ground, brown and black, and Eye Shadow in Soft Brown.

Betty Draper- Cream Colour Base in Virgin Isle, Blushcreme in Posey, and Lipsticks in Vegas Volt, Lip Pencil in Redd and Cherry

Peggy Olson- Eye Shadow in Orb, Vanilla, and Soft Brown and Blot Powder

Q: Everyone always notices the lips on the show, but brows seem to play a very important part to the look. Can you talk about the brows on the show?

A: Women of the 60′s had a stricter code of style and etiquette, so people tended to follow the trends closer to the book. Nowadays, women have a variety of different brow styles so we are constantly tweezing, shaping, and filling the brows to recreate the look of the period.

Q: Each character has the most perfect lashes framing her eyes. What are your favorite lashes to use to get that perfectly plump line of lashes?

A: We love the M·A·C individual lashes as well as the traditional strip lashes.

Q: Do you collaborate with the hair and costume departments when coming up with a look?

A: Absolutely! We have at least 3 meetings per episode to create the look as a unit. I could not do this show without Lucia Mace (hair), Janie Bryant (costumes), and my fabulous key Ron Pipes!

Q: There seems to be a lot of making out on the show, how many times do you have to redo those red lips? Does it get messy?

A: We do what we can to seal the lip color, but we still have to go in every take to perform a minor clean up.

Q: What can real women take away from the show’s look and incorporate into their everyday look?

A: Well, a great start would be lining the top lash line only with a gel liner like M·A·C Fluidline. We love this product for recreating the perfect 60′s eye. Also, replacing gloss and sheer or shimmer lipsticks with matte reds, bright pinks, and corals help create a more retro look. Lastly, instead of a powder blush try using creme in pinks and corals to create a flushed looking cheek. For evening, strip lashes are always a bonus.