Clé de Peau Beauté Cream Foundation SPF 26

Clé de Peau's Cream Foundation SPF 26 ($120) has attracted your attention. I know that from your comments and questions, and I promised to tell you about it. Like me, some of you are Clé de Peau fans. There was a "former" Clé de Peau Silky Cream Foundation. It came in a pot. You may know it. This one has replaced it.

The new foundation is said to adhere evenly to the nanostructure of the skin, offering lasting coverage, a flawless finish, and "unparalleled radiance." Maybe, maybe not. I have used generous samples of the new Cream Foundation (from Neiman Marcus), and I don't love it. That's not to say that you won't. It's just not the right foundation for me - from a color and feel perspective. That's why I dawdled before featuring it.

Let's start with color. My skin is somewhere between an I-10 (ivory) and and O-10 (ochre or yellow). Neither shade is absolutely perfect for me. The ivory is a smidgen too light, and the O-10 is a smidgen too yellow/dark. There is also a B-10 (kind of pink); it's not right for me either. I don't think I have to tell you that I won't be purchasing two $120 foundations to mix the shades. Even I'm not that extravagant.

The Cream Foundation is also a little bit drying on my very dry skin. Some might call it firming and like it. I don't. I don't like a taut feel. The finish is a bit matte on me too - even when I have on plenty of moisturizer underneath. I prefer a more glowing look.

My issues do not mean that you won't love it. I love Clé de Peau makeup, so I attribute my impressions to my peculiarities. I love the SPF 26, but fear it may have something to do with how chalky I look in this foundation. If you have a normal skin type, you may love it. It does leave a nice, smooth finish that is long-lasting and flattering. My recommendation? Don't purchase it online. Go to a counter, try it on, get a sample if you can, and wear it. You may find it's perfect for you.

Photo courtesy of Clé de Peau Beauté

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Clé de Peau La Beauté Éblouissante Collection for Spring 2011

Clé de Peau Beauté's La Beauté Éblouissante Collection for spring is compact, but rich. A loose translation of "éblouissante" is brilliant - a perfect description for the colors.

There are two new Eye Color Quads, three new shades of Touche de Rouge lipstick (see feature below), and four new shades of Rouge à Lèvres (Extra Rich Lipstick). Today, I will recap the new colors. I think I have better swatch photos of the Eye Color Quads than I grabbed earlier in the week.

The Eye Color Quads ($55) are #206, at top in the photo at left, and #207. The overlay with Clé de Peau's logo gives them a very classy look, but you will lose those logos as soon as you use the shadows. No matter, these sheer, shimmering shades are luscious.

My swatch photos were taken outdoors in full sun. The shadows were applied with sponge-tipped applicators. The first quad, 206, is swatched at right. The base color on the left side of the palette is shown at the top, and I swatched left to right (for both quads). The base shade is almost skin-toned, so I had a very hard time getting it to show up in the photos I snapped. In the pan, it appears (to me) to be slightly darker than my skin tone, but once it's applied, it's pretty close. I hope you can see that it has slightly more beige-pink in it than my skin has. The next shade is grey, although it appears taupe in the pan. On my skin, it translates to a gorgeous, shimmering, light grey. The copper shade offers punch to the palette. It coordinates perfectly with the narrow band of light, camel brown that's on the right of the palette and at the bottom of my photo. I will have many combinations to explore as I wear these shadows.

The equally gorgeous 207 is shown at left. The base shade, shown at the top of my arm is rose gold, and the next shade below is a much lighter version of it. These are two of the prettiest rose golds I have ever seen. The two grey shades have a hint of ice blue, making them very interesting. Don't these four shades coordinate beautifully?

There are four new Rouge à Lèvres ($60) shades. Extra Rich Lipstick, inspired by nature's temptress, the rose, creates a creamy, rich texture that intensely moisturizes the lips with every application. It's filled with ingredients to soothe the lips, including vitamin A acetate to help prevent and diminish lines and retain moisture (creating full, smooth-looking lips); and Clé de Peau's exclusive Transparent Red Powder, a special pigment with spherical powders that allows it to retain its vibrant, translucent color over time without dulling.

On top of that, the baguette diamond shape allows you to achieve a precise and beautiful finish - as if the lipstick were applied with a lip brush. The corners of the baguette shape are designed to draw smooth, natural lines and fill in the corners and edges of the lips.

The four new shades are R7 and R8 and T6 and T7. T6 and T7 were perfect for my coloring, so they live at my house now. They are shown on my arm, with T6 at the top and T7 below. My photo was taken indoors in sunlight. Beyond being gorgeous, these shades are saturated (without being opaque), shiny, and, in my opinion, gorgeous. The two I didn't purchase are in the red family. I'm partial to the Ts. They suit me nicely.

I told you about the new Touche de Rouge ($52) shades yesterday, so there is no sense in my gushing again. Just scroll down to read that feature or click here.

I am unequivocally smitten with Clé de Peau's La Beauté Éblouissante Collection for Spring 2011. I feel like I stumbled into a gold mine. Make sure to look for the new colors when you go shopping at Nieman Marcus, Saks, Nordstrom, or wherever you purchase Clé de Peau.

Photo of Amanda Seyfried by Clé de Peau Beauté

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Clé de Peau Touche de Rouge for Spring 2011

I had hoped to write a comprehensive review of the Clé de Peau Spring 2011 Collection today, but events, including physical therapy, conspired against me. Stay tuned for that feature tomorrow morning. I got some good photos today.

I did want to show you more of the collection, so I decided to write a quick feature on the three new Touche de Rouge ($52) shades. Touche de Rouge is a superbly soft and gentle lip color that melts onto the lips to give you sheer, elegant, and silky color. If you've been reading Best Things in Beauty for any length of time, you know I prefer sheer lipsticks. I've been using Touche de Rouge, with its classy slim line tube since the moment I was introduced to it. Love it!

There are three new shades for spring. Shade #129, a gorgeous, warm rosy pink that's shown on my arm at right. The other two shades didn't suit me as well. Shade #130 is a pure peach - without a trace of pink to my eye, at least in the swatch photo Kathy Shoreman sent me from Neiman Marcus. Shade #131 is coral through and through - very trendy for this season.

Kathy's iPhone photo at left shows #129 at top, #130 in the middle, and #131 at the bottom of her hand. The moment she sent me the photo, I reserved #129. It's pink (a perfect, easy-to-wear shade - sheer, shiny, and flattering.

The key ingredients of this wonderful lip color include moisture-wrapping oil to create a moist, luxurious-looking luster; Clé de Peau Beauté's exclusive, advanced moisturizing Hydro-Wrap Complex; and argan tree oil for smooth application and wear (one of our favorites!).

I realize it's a little pricey, but if you can handle the price, you will find a Touche de Rouge shade that will addict you. They are that nice. You can purchase Clé de Peau Beauté color at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks, and other fine department stores.

Photo at top courtesy of Clé de Peau Beauté

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Clé de Peau for Spring 2011 Preview and Swatches

Makeup for Spring 2011 has been an embarrassment of riches. What seemed to be "as good as it gets" just got better. The new Clé de Peau eye and lip colors just arrived at stores, and there are must-have eye color quads among them.

I am writing this preview to show you the Eye Color Quads ($55) and swatches quickly. I will do a more thorough job when I have more time. I was so blown away by the pretty eye shadows, I couldn't wait to show you.

The palettes in my photo at left are #206, at top, and #207. The overlay with Clé de Peau's logo gives them a very classy look, but you will lose those logos as soon as you use the shadows.

Here are two swatch photos. I swatched from left to right in the palettes as shown above. I used a sponge-tipped applicator to apply the shadows, and I took the photos indoors in sunlight. Eye shadow quad #206 is shown at right. I think these shades are luscious. Quad #207 is shown below left. Again, the shades are lust-worthy. In a spring with lots of greys, the two in #207 are gorgeous. If you are a Clé de Peau fan, how could you resist buying both?

These palettes in my photo above look a bit strange because Clé de Peau sells the case for their quads separately, and I won't pay for it. I can deal with plastic just fine, and I don't plan to take them anywhere. I would rather have more makeup than pay for the compacts.

I will show you more swatches of these lovely eye shadows, along with my new lip colors, tomorrow.

Photo at top courtesy of Clé de Peau

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