July 8, 2011
As usual, Dolce & Gabbana has a stellar summer 2011 makeup lineup. Their dreamy Italian Summertime collection is about shimmery nude lips, softly smoky eyes and bright cheeks. The ad campaign below with Scarlett Johansson looks so beautiful.
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The eyes get a lovely wash of purples and bronze with the Vulcano 135 Smooth Eye Colour Quad. Even though there are four shades, it's just easier to use the purples together and the other two separately for another occasion. It's way too much to mix all four together. However, they all go with the new blush shade.
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The two new eyeliners, Bronzo 15 and Agave 16, are a light taupe and a grey green respectively. They match the Vulcano eye quad perfectly, but there are many similar shades from other luxe brands. The formula is really easy to blend for smoky lids and you get a smudging tip on the other end. Dolce & Gabbana also released a deep purple mascara (Dahlia 3).
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There are two shiny and two cream lipsticks - most are on the light side (Luna 68 and Perla 180), but Venere 236 is a vibrant orange red to match the Sole 15 blush. I love the pink rose Mandorla 54, which gives a light, smooth finish but it doesn't attract too much attention.
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To enhance the lippies we've got two lip glosses. The deeply pigmented Canella 180 is a bronzy chocolate, which will go nicely with the Sole 15 Blush.
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Now, don't be fooled by the bright burnt orange shade on the Sole 15 Blush. It goes on lighter than what it appears so just do a couple swipes across the cheeks and you should have a beautiful, warm pop of color that's very wearable. You can of course, layer more on for added drama.
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For something really awesome check out this limited edition Animalier leopard print bronzing powder. Is that totally rockin' or what? Just brilliant packaging. The pattern has a light shimmer with a slight metalic finish, but once it goes away you get a universally flattering bronzer shade.
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Last but not least, get your pretty toes all dolled up with the beautiful and long-lasting Passione 121 Nail Lacquer. You might not want or like all the colors but there's definitely something for every gal in this season's collection.
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The entire collection is available exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks.com.
For editorial consideration, review samples were provided for this post.
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Dolce & Gabbana - Italian Summertime: First picks and a few product photos

Hi everyone! I took advantage of Saks Friends & Family discount to splurge on some of the items from Dolce & Gabbana’s Summer 2011 “Italian Summertime” collection. Read on for a short description of the entire collection or skip ahead for photos of the products I chose.

This collection has an interesting variety of shades. I think the stars of the collection may turn out to be the brilliant, coral-red blush Sole and the coordinating lipstick Venere. To balance things out, there are also three more subdued lipstick shades available: Mandorla: a dulce-de-leche/flesh-toned nude cream; Perla: a very pale, frosty pink, and Luna, a pale, warm nude/champagne with shimmer. There are two new Ultra-Shine Lip Glosses: Acqua (clear), and Cannella, a brown-toned shimmer (I haven’t seen this one and don’t have a good description of the color), and The Precision Lipliner in Caramello.

There is a new (quite warm-toned) eyeshadow quad: Vulcano (softly shimmering yellow-gold, rust-brown matte, cranberry-rose shimmer, and a blackened plum with subtle burgundy shimmer); two eyeliners: Bronzo, a soft metallic taupe, and Agave, a dark cypress green. The aubergine mascara, Dahlia, is another addition to the growing number of items by the same name (available in the permanent range is a Dahlia lipstick, lip gloss, eyeliner, and nail polish). There is also a new nail polish, Passione, an eye-catching and glossy, deep magenta -- love it!

Hope to post some swatches and a few comparisons tomorrow. Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have a nice weekend!


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So, do these shades call to mind a fiery
magenta Mediterranean sunset? Beautiful!



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Left to right: Perla and Mandorla

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