Inspired by the creative reflections found in modern architecture, Estee Lauder‘s Tom Pecheux brings us Modern Mercury, a gorgeous fall color collection with metallic shades of gray and black for the eyes and matte lips on a soft, shimmering canvas.

The first to catch my eye was the Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelée ($40). It comes in Estee Lauder’s signature gold compact with a round sponge applicator and is made from a combo of liquid, powder and gel. The color is a beautiful rosy tan that will work on all skin tones and you can use it all over, as an eyeshadow or a highlighter to make your cheekbones pop. It also creates a soft glow on the skin when applied dry and an intense flush of color when applied wet.

Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelée

The new Pure Color Eye Shadow Duos ($30) are available in accentuating and contouring shades of gray and black. Modern Mercury pairs a shimmery silvery white with shimmery light gray while Black Chrome is a duo of satin black and shimmery pewter.

The limited-edition Pure Color Liquid Eyeliners ($21) come with a felt-tip applicator just like the Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner and Stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner that came out this summer. There are three highly pearlized shades to choose from and Graphite is a beautiful gray with fine shimmer. I love that it applies smoothly and easily with great color pay-off while managing to stay on the whole day without smudging or moving the slightest, even in this 90F weather.

Finally, there are the new Pure Color Velvet Lipsticks ($24). Unlike the Pure Color Long Lasting Lipsticks and Pure Color Gloss Sticks I love, they come in a new, soft matte formula. Yet the texture is super creamy and apply semi-opaque and non-drying on my lips. Nude Velvet, my favorite, is a gorgeous pink beige and Fuchsia Velvet is a beautiful magenta. Both colors go perfectly with the duos and I will definitely see myself reaching for them a lot.

Nude Velvet and Fuchsia Velvet

Check back for a FOTD using these products!

The Estee Lauder Modern Mercury Fall 2011 Collection is now available at www.esteelauder.com and Estee Lauder counters nationwide.

Disclosure: The products in this entry were provided by the manufacturer for consideration. Please see my Disclaimer for more information on my posting policy.

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I haven’t heard much about the makeup line Beauty is Life. I know it’s sold at Barney’s and well, not much else. I’ve been asked a few times about the line and when my new Barney’s beauty book came out a few weeks ago the the Multi-Touch Powder was featured and I had to find out more. 

I called Barney’s and asked about Beauty is Life. It’s a German line that has vibrant shadows, intense pigments, beautiful textures, great tools and more. When I went online and checked it out further, it reminded me of a high class MAC makeup line. MAC before it got cheesy with things like Barbie and Wonder Woman Collections – well, maybe that’s just not my thing.

Created by Beatrix Isabel Lied, who has been in the business for nearly 40 years, created the 9-scale color typology. What is that?

This chart covers all values of tone, light, medium, dark; colo,r temperature of warm, warm-cold, cold; and with these combinations nine different types are created. According to Beatrix everyone best fits into one of these nine images with hair, brow, eye, skin tone and therefore makeup shopping is made easy – you choose the colors within the correct color type for you. 

When I spoke with the sa at Barneys I asked about the Multi-Touch Powders as they looked so beautiful in the booklet and I wanted to own! They are really multi-purpose as depending on the shade, they can be a highlighter, a blush or a bronzer or a little mixture of all those things. Since I’ve only “met” the sa on the phone she asked about my coloring – which I described and she suggested I try the shades Balina and Saave

 Saave

Balina

These powders are simply gorgeous! In a large compact, they feel like the finest silk, and impart a beautiful glow. They are described as shimmer powders, but that isn’t the exact description I would give them – that would mean that they have highly reflective particles, which they don’t. They are definitely more glow than shimmer, not a shine, but a soft glowy warmth. Saave is a light soft bronze with golden undertones. Balina is a rose brown tone that is just as gorgeous. The sa picked perfectly. The purchase of these makes me want to see more of the line. I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. 

Images: Beauty Is Life and Fab Over 40

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