The holiday party season is just around the corner and the Estee Lauder Holiday 2009 Ultimate Red Color Collection is here.  This collection contains an array of beautiful winter colors, shimmer powder, reds, purples, and lipsticks in  sexy deep colors.

Seeing the collection has gotten me excited for all of the upcoming holiday parties and weddings I will be attending this season.  It’s made me think I’ll need some sexy red satin peep toe pumps.

For the Face:

• Limited Edition Opulent Shimmer Powder

For Eyes:

• Limited Edition Gel Eyeliner in Black
• Limited Edition TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara in Gold
• Limited Edition Signature Eyeshadow Quad in Gold Opulence
• Limited Edition Signature Eyeshadow Quad in Lavish Plum

For Lips:

• Limited Edition Signature Lipstick in Gold
• Limited Edition Signature Lipstick in Simply Red
• Limited Edition Signature Lipstick in Cranberry
• Limited Edition Signature Lipstick in Blackberry
• Limited Edition Opulent Shimmer Gloss in Gold
• Limited Edition Opulent Shimmer Gloss in Cranberry

Nail Color:

• Limited Edition Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Burgundy
• Limited Edition Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Gold

The look in Ultimate Red:

The look in Lavish Plum:

I’ve already been playing with some colors from the collection.  I HAD to have the shimmer powder.  It works well on your face but also looks great with evening wear if you just brush it lightly on your shoulders and décolletage.

My favorite for eyes was the eyeshadow quad in Lavish Plum!  The colors had such a dramatic impact but were easy to apply and I got a great going-out look (lately I’ve been attending a ton of bachelorette parties!).
My husband loved the Simply Red lipstick.  I have full lips, so I tend to shy away from colors that aren’t neutral, but this was so fun for a nighttime look – perfect for ANY party!

Last Friday Purple Lab hosted an intimate Breast Cancer Awareness event at NYC’s members-only Norwood Club. The night was positively perfect; guests were treated to a scrumptious tea service (I love Harney and Sons tea – so classy!) and got to listen to Geralyn Lucas read passages from her amazing book: Why I Wore Lipstick: To My Mastectomy. It would be an understatement to say that Geralyn was inspiring. Her story is one that everyone should read and if you haven’t heard of it yet – go buy (or borrow) her book. Seriously.

Also, Purple Lab’s creatrix Karen Robinovitz presented one of the best products I’ve seen in years: SWAC (Sealed with a Cure) lip-gloss. Before I get into the amazing story behind this lip-gloss, lets’ talk about how great it feels to wear it. The lip-gloss goes on smooth and silky without being sticky. But don’t think its one of those non-sticky lipglosses that goes on like water and lasts about 20 minutes; this gloss stays on for hours. The color is a shimmering pale pink so you can literally wear it anytime, anywhere and it’s scented with a hint vanilla so it smells delicious.

Now to the great back-story: a portion of the proceeds from each SWAC lip-gloss sold goes to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation. “The Triple Negative what?” you ask yourself? Yeah, I had no idea what it was before last week either. Turns out it’s an extremely aggressive form of cancer that affects younger woman. Sounds like something you should be aware of right? The lip-gloss color itself is named ‘Nancy’, in honor of Nancy Block-Zenna who lost her fight with triple negative breast cancer two and a half years after her diagnosis.

Thank you Karen Robinovitz for creating such a great product with such an important cause!

For more information on triple negative breast cancer, please go to www.tnbcfoundation.org.

When the Autumn season rolls around, I always update my makeup.  Nail color is no exception.  With a fading tan and my wardrobe transitioning to deeper Fall colors, I find that my summer pinks start to lose their appeal.  I’m still sporting open-toed shoes, and I like a little variety, so I was so happy to see some deep Fall colors for nails from MAC, M.A.C. Cosmetics Nail Trend F/W/ ’09 by Jin Soon.

A pretty manicure is the easiest way to look polished and updated, and the new MAC colors do not disappoint.  M.A.C. has teamed up with New York manicurist Jin Soon Choi, a star behind the scenes at both fashion show and photo shoots.

The collection includes six cream colors:

• Cool Reserve
• Beyond Jealous
• For Fun
• Dance All Night
• Dry Martini
• Rich, Dark, Delicious

They all run about $12.00, but the color lasts a long time and they are very rich.   So far I’ve tried “Rich, Dark, Delicious,” and “Dry Martini.”  The first is a dark chocolately brown and the second is olive green.  The next one I’d like to try is “Beyond Jealous.”  It’s a deep dark teal and purple and teal are really hot for Fall 2009.

Also available are MAC’s Underlacquer and Overlacquer, which are great for protecting your nails and extending the life of your manicure and pedicure.  So let’s keep proudly rocking our pedicures with cute open-toed shoes until it’s time to pull out our boots and scarves and hibernate for winter!

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!