Elegance. Sophistication. Chic. There are so many words to describe Vera Wang and her sense of style. These are just three that came to mind when I entered the Hotel Americano to take part in the launch of her new cosmetic line, SimplyVera for Kohl’s. I must say I felt a little intimidated when I first walked in. Everyone who works for Vera is the epitome of chic! However, as I went to the first station for skincare I was immediately struck by how friendly and kind everyone was. Seems fitting, as Kohl’s is such a wonderful store for merging style and accessibility for the everyday woman.
If you are a regular reader of my articles, you know how packaging is important to me: I want to be able to pull out a product, love to touch it, look at it, and of course WEAR IT! I do shop at Kohl’s myself, and have bought Vera’s clothing and shoes. Her cosmetic line goes above and beyond — not only in the packaging, but the texture and wearability. We may not all be able to afford a Vera Wang gown, but her cosmetics makes me feel as if I can live the Vera lifestyle.
This line was created to bring “Vera’s makeup bag come to life.” Skincare and color are very important to Vera and her esthetic. Good skin is the ultimate canvas and color is meant to embellish the skin; the line reflects “modern sophistication, the key to effortless beauty.”
Her line of course starts with good skin, and that means good skincare products. They include, a Skin Brightening Primer, which blurs the look of wrinkles and also preps the skin for makeup. In clinical tests, there was a 71% immediate improvement in clarity, and after eight weeks of use, measurable improvements were seen in both skin tone and reduction of wrinkles.
The Soothing Balm was one of my favorites. A quick fix for dry eyes, cuticles, elbows, knees everywhere. Think a more luxurious Smith’s Rosebud Salve. Also good if you don’t like the rose scent!
Next is the Lash Enhancing Serum. This is a patent pending treatment to help boost the look of lashes. After 12 weeks of use, women reported more luxurious, full lashes when applied twice daily. This growth complex is comprised of carnitine, AMP amino acids and NADH to promote natural growth; creatine to strengthen, and panthenol to condition and shine. This product is fragrance-free and good for sensitive eyes. I was also told there are no side effects like some other major lash enhancers.
The Smoothing Lip Primer is another favorite of mine. Not only does it provide a silky texture for you to apply your lip color, it helps in reducing feathering and bleeding! My lips were immediately smooth, and looked more like my four-year-old niece’s lips instead of my thirty-eight-year old lips. Okay…well, maybe not four-years-old, but I definitely looked younger!!
On to the color!!! Her Illuminating Concealer is nice and thick and easy to find in your makeup bag! A click-pen to chase shadows and imperfections from the face is available in four skin tone-correcting shades. A nice smooth texture; a nice alternative to Touche Éclat from YSL, as my budget doesn’t always allow me to get that product.
Next is the Illuminating Pressed Powder which has four shades that can be swirled together to set makeup — again, blur imperfections and set makeup. If you have the Illuminating Powder, you need the coordinating Illuminating Powder Blush. The texture was like silky butter. You can layer the shades to get the depth of color you desire. These products made me feel more luxurious!
As anyone who is familiar with Vera’s design palette, you know that she likes to pair different textures. A silk and tweed, or a velvet and jersey? Her eyeshadows are designed the same way. The shadow duos are packaged in coordinating colors in different textures to create your own luxe look! Her eyeliners are also easy to use, as they glide on effortlessly. They are an automatic pencil, so no need for sharpening. Also in the line that I thought was a nice addition are the Volumizing and Lengthening Mascaras (pictured above) to bring out those peepers.
Last but not least, LIPS! Her smoothing lip colors caught my eye due to the bullet on the bottom of the lipstick, so no more wondering which shade is swimming in the bottom of your makeup bag, all you have to do is look and you know! The lip colors are silky and wore really nicely all day! Her Smooth Shine Lip gloss isn’t sticky, and again, is designed to coordinate with the lip colors and pencils.
Bravo, Vera! I think she did an amazing job of bringing affordable luxury to the masses! Kohl’s clients are definitely going to appreciate the time and research you did to bring such a nice line to the masses.
The line retails from $14-$40 dollars. Affordable for everyone, so save your Kohl’s cash and check this out!
Available this month exclusively at Kohl’s stores everywhere!
So tell me…do you want to feel luxurious?
– Erin Sutera, senior writer and makeup artist
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