Dolce & Gabbana Cosmetics

The much-hyped Dolce & Gabbana Cosmetics lined debuted this year at New York's City Saks 5th Avenue, and then subsequently made its way the Saks Beverly Hills store. I ran to Saks when the line was initially unveiled, intent on snapping up a number of items. I was a bit shocked to discover that nothing really appealed to me. The lipsticks seemed somewhat average, as did the blushes, bronzers, and shadows. I thought the shadow duos and quads either odd combinations or ones that had been done before.

A few weeks later I decided to go back and take another look. Part of the problem is that the lighting created for the D&G area on the cosmetics floor is very, very dim and yellow, making it difficult to tell what a color truly looks like. On the second occasion I had a good amount of time to kill and decided to swatch items and then head outside to get a more accurate sense of the colors. This made a big difference in my take on the line! I decided to purchase items I found unique yet wearable, and went with a Lipstick in Naked ($30) and Eye Liner in Stromboli ($29).

Naked is part of the Shine line of lipsticks designed to be semi sheer with high shine. Naked is a shimmery pink with warm beige undertones. The color can be layered to intensify the pigment. It's too pink to be a true "naked" neutral, but it is a lovely versatile color. The lipstick does have a strong rose scent which fades in time.


From left to right, the colors in this swatch comparison are: Bobbi Brown Rosebud Shimmer, Lancome Beauty's Eve, Paul & Joe Pain D'Epice (#27), Dolce & Gabbana Naked, Clinique Gingerfrost, Shiseido SL13, Julie Hewett Nude Noir.

The Crayon Intense Eye Liner in Stromboli is a black with very subtle gold sparkles. I find black to be harsh with my fair skin, but this is a softer black shade and the gold shimmer helps to keep the liner from being overwhelming. The liner is smudgable, the the pencil has a sponge tip on one end. Unfortunately, the liner fades throughout the day, the gold shimmer barely shows up, and the product seems to get a coating on it that necessitates sharpening between uses. Not grave issues, but for a $29 eye liner I expect more. I would not use this one on the waterline due to the glitter particles. Despite my lack of affection for Stromboli, I've heard multile raves about this product in the Coffee shade and may try that one.