Back in November I had an opportunity to stop in to the MAC headquarters in New York for a preview of the MAC Hello Kitty Collection.

In the MAC showroom, full of helium filled Hello Kitty balloons and live Hello Kitty models, James Gager, senior vice president and creative director at MAC Cosmetics, explained how the Hello Kitty collaboration came about saying “we feel MAC is a pop culture brand and a phenomena—as is Kitty.” The marriage made perfect sense, especially after the highly successful Barbie Loves MAC collection in 2007.

Jennifer Balbier, senior vice president of product development, told me that this collection is fun and young but it’s a makeup collection for grown ups. Her favorite products from the collection are On the Prowl (grey) Nail Lacquer and Mimmy Lip Glass.

According to Gordon Espinet, head of makeup artistry at MAC Cosmetics, gloss is the most important product on the face this season. In addition to the Mimmy Lip Glass that Jennifer loves, Gordon says the Lucky Tom palette is going to be a hit.

Here’s what you’ll find in the MAC Hello Kitty collection:

LIPSTICK

• Cute-ster Sheer peachy pink with pearl
• Big Bow Sheer bright intense blue pink
• Fresh Brew Creamed coffee
• Fashion Mews Sheer pale lavender
• Strayin’ Frosty midtone mint
• Most Popular Sheer deep berry

Suggested Retail Price $14.00 U.S./$16.50 CDN

LIPGLASS

• Sweet Strawberry Sheer berry with blue pearl
• Mimmy Light creamy pink with pink and gold pearl
• Nice to be Nice Sheer bright intense orange with pearl
• Nice Kitty Sheer neon pink with blue pearl
• She Loves Candy Pale blue pink with gold pearl
• Fast Friends Sheer bright intense purple with pearl

Suggested Retail Pric e $14.00 U.S./$16.50 CDN

TINTED LIP CONDITIONER

• Popster Lively Coral Pink
• Pink Fish Soft Neutral Pink

Suggested Retail Price $14.50 U.S./$17.50 CDN

EYE SHADOW x 4: LUCKY TOM

• Stylin’ Midtone violet blue with multi-dimensional pearl
• Lucky Tom Dark charcoal brown with gold pearl
• Crème Royale Yellow wheat gold
• Paradisco Soft bright pinky-coral with golden shimmer

EYE SHADOW x 4: TOO DOLLY

• Too Dolly Frosty midtone mint
• Stately Black Rich blue with silver sparkle
• Yogurt Soft pale pink
• Romping Rich magenta with pink pearl

Suggested Retail Price $38.00 U.S./$46.00 CDN

PIGMENT

• Milk Frosty pale silvery pink
• Deep Blue Green Rich, deep bluish green

Suggested Retail Price $19.50 U.S/$23.50 CDN

REFLECTS GLITTER

• Reflects Blue Sparkling blue
• Reflects Very Pink Sparkling fuchsia pink

Suggested Retail Price $19.50 U.S/$23.50 CDN

GLITTER EYE LINER

• Her Glitz Blackened gold with multi-dimensional glitter
• Glitterpuss Orangey bronze with multi-dimensional glitter
• Kitty Power Pink with multi-dimensional glitter
• Girl Groove Clear/white teal reflects and multi-dimensional glitter

Suggested Retail Pric e $16.50 U.S./$20.00 CDN

PLUSH LASH

• Plushblack Black

Suggested Retail Pric e $12.00 U.S./$14.00 CDN

BEAUTY POWDER BLUSH

• Fun & Games Soft orange peach
• Tippy Midtone blue pink

Suggest ed Retail Pric e $18.00 U.S./$22.00 CDN

BEAUTY POWDER

• Tahitian Sand Soft coral peach
• Pretty Baby Soft sunny pink with gold

Suggested Retail Price $22.00 U.S./$26.50 CDN

NAIL LACQUER

• Something About Pink Blue pink fuchsia
• On The Prowl Light creamy grey
• Vestral White Creamy white

Suggested Retail Price $11.00 U.S/$13.00 CDN

MAC Hello Kitty Collection will be available beginning February 12th at all North America MAC locations.

Left to right: Julia, Erika and Shannon at the MAC Hello Kitty launch in New York

What better to offset the spring runway’s preponderance of exotic prints, slinky jumpsuits, and bold patterns crammed with oversize blooms, than a beauty look that is both strong and sophisticated.

“My inspiration for spring was a very sexy woman,” explains François Nars, Founder and Creative Director of NARS Cosmetics. “I wanted a bit of a ‘70s feeling, somewhere between Guy Bourdin and Chris Von Wangenheim’s photographs—aggressive, but very sensual and fragile at the same time.”

NARS Spring 2009 Makeup Collection is surprisingly sweet and soft. I can’t wait to get my hands on the Hungry Heart Blush Duo (iridescent gold ivory and pink sand with golden sheen) and Shrinagar Lipstick (metallic raspberry!).

Here’s what else is in this collection:

NEW! NARS Duo Concealer

• Vanilla/Honey (fair complexions)
• Custard/Ginger (light to medium complexions)
• Praline/Toffee (medium to dark complexions)

NARS Duo Eyeshadow (New Shades)

• Egea (frosted sage and smoky lilac)
• Hula Hula (strawberry with gold particles and hazelnut with gold glitter particles)

NARS Single Eyeshadow (New Shades)

• Baby Girl  (cotton candy with golden undertones and gold particles)
• Grenadines  (matte garnet)
• Night Sun (bright marigold with gold particles)

NARS Multiple Duo (New Shade)

• Orgasm/South Beach (peachy pink and apricot with shimmer)

NARS Multiple Bronzer (New Shade)

• Cap Vert (medium to dark complexions with red undertones)

NARS Lip Gloss (New Shade)

• Sweet Revenge (sheer pink grapefruit)

NARS Lipstick (New Shade)

• Shrinagar (metallic raspberry)

NARS Spring 2009 Makeup Collection is currently available online at NARScosmetics.com.

Timed to its 50th Anniversary – and a year-long celebration of events and partners – Barbie® announces Stila as the Official Prestige Makeup Partner for 2009.  Stila will be celebrating all things Barbie®, bringing the doll’s signature beauty looks to life with innovative and whimsical products that are signature Stila.  A limited edition spring collection of beauty cans and a talking palette will precede a larger collection and Barbie™ beauty program slated for Fall 2009.

“As much as Barbie is known for her place in fashion, she is also famous for her beauty, and we are thrilled to bring the Barbie beauty experience to girls of all ages with Stila as our partner.  Like Barbie, it’s a brand loved by both the girly girl and the sophisticated fashionista,” said Richard Dickson, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Barbie®.

Deanna Kangas, CEO of Stila, added, “Stila is so honored and thrilled to be the official prestige makeup
sponsor for Barbie in 2009.  The partnership between Barbie and Stila is ideal as both brands represent the perfect blend of sophistication, fun and innovation.  I am so pleased that Stila will be such an integral part of Barbie’s special year.”

In February, the collaboration kicks off with limited edition Barbie™ Loves Stila offerings that will launch just in time for Barbie’s anniversary celebrations.

The inaugural collection features four colorful “Decades of Beauty™ Cans” filled with Stila favorites that will help Barbie™ girls recreate Barbie™ beauty looks that are iconic of the past five decades.  Each unique palette has two eye shadows and a cheek color or bronzer, as well as a lip product, and a mascara or liner.  A booklet inside describes the beauty and fashion wardrobes for each doll.  Decades of Beauty™ Cans include:
• #1 Ponytail Doll (1959) – Lip Color named Ponytail (red), Liquid Eye Liner, a 3-pan paper-wrapped
compact with 2 eye shadows and a cheek color, and a Look Book
• Malibu Doll (1971) – Lip Glaze named Malibu (pale pink), Lash Visor Mascara in Black, a 3-pan paper-
wrapped compact with 2 eye shadows and a bronzer, and a Look Book
• Foxy Doll (1980) – Lip Glaze named Foxy, Lash Visor Mascara, a paper-wrapped compact with 2 eye
shadows and a cheek color, and a Look Book
• Jewel Doll (2000) – Lip Glaze named Jewel (bright pink), Multi-Effect Mascara, 2-pan paper-wrapped
compact with 2 eye shadows and a cheek color, and a Look Book

The four Barbie™ Loves Stila beauty cans will be available exclusively at Sephora’s 5th Avenue store in New York, international Sephora locations, and at Sephora.com.

Additionally, Stila will launch a new version of its breakthrough, patent-pending talking palette with the tips and the tools to get the Barbie™ look.  A Stila Pro-Artist will help aspiring Barbie™ beauties achieve an iconic look, with the press of a button. This palette will be available exclusively at Sephora and Sephora.com.

Finally, Stila will help celebrate Barbie™ doll’s first-ever runway show, held at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in February, as the show’s backstage beauty makeup sponsor.

More spring! More spring!

As the cold, dark evenings of late winter turn to the warm, light days of spring and your social
calendar begins to fill with the promise of enchanted evenings spent outdoors, express your
growing optimism for the season by infusing warm, captivating colors into your wardrobe. As
seen on numerous runways for spring, muted, neutral tones combine with vibrant fuchsia and
bold berry shades in geometric patterns and graphically stylized florals. A sultry use of sheer
fabrics and soft, billowy silhouettes help temper the chic, hot shades of spring, for a look that is casually elegant, yet sophisticated.

Taking cues from the spring runways, Estée Lauder’s new, limited edition Fuchsia Now Color
Collection is a feminine, flirty and fun color collection that encapsulates the trend of wearing
bold color combined with soft neutrals. Fuschia Now contrasts light and bright, pairing warm
honey and tender peach shades with vibrant fuchsia for a look that is flattering for every skin
tone. Cheeks bloom with a hint of fresh color, while eyes allure in shades of deep indigo and
rich earth tones. Lips are full, soft and lustrous and are enhanced by perfectly polished nails in
complementary shades. Soft petal designs, featured in the collection’s powder compact and eye shadow palettes, highlight the vibrant fuchsia touches and reinforce the season’s upbeat and lighthearted mood.

Here’s what we’ll find in this collection:

New Limited Edition Fleur de Lys Shimmer Powder

A modern fleur de lys designed palette that combines fresh pink shades with soft muted neutrals. The powder’s luxurious, silky formula delivers a beautiful radiance and sheer hint of color for skin that appears fresh and glowing.

Signature Satin Creme Blush

Lightweight and easy to apply, this hydrating blush delivers a naturally radiant look that never streaks, fades in color or settles into pores or fine lines.

• Berry Light
• Nude Light

Signature Silky Eye Shadow Duo

New, limited edition shades:

• Indigo
• Aubergine

Also in this collection is the Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Fuchsia that I fell head over heels for last spring.

The Estée Lauder Spring 2009 Fuchsia Now collection is available beginning February 2009 at all Estée Lauder counters and online at esteelauder.com.

Click here to see other spring makeup collections debuting this season.