Exclusive Sneak Peek: Le Metier de Beaute Fall/Winter 2011 Silk Road Collection, Part 1

**Updated Saturday, July 16: Click here for Part 2: how it looks on the eye.

Life can be such a surreal little adventure sometimes. One day you were this tiny little girl approaching this beautiful man at a makeup counter, wanting to know so much about him and the brand yet so scared because you were well, just that little girl. But the next thing you know, he's smiling and waving at you when you come by, and depositing things like, I don't know, THE NEW FALL KALEIDOSCOPE in your hands.

If you were in Bergdorf's today, you would have seen a manic, squealing, bunny-hopping girl at the Le Metier de Beaute counter.

Behold the beautiful plummy splendor of fall:

This Fall, Le Metier de Beaute pays tribute to the ancient channel of transport that connected the East to the West. It draws inspiration from the exchange of ideas and knowledge that took place as the Silk Road evolved. In the press release, there are specific mentions of the silks, satin, spices, and jewels that made the journey, and this is when the colors really hit me. I could see these purples woven into the finest of silks and draped on the carriages of the mightiest of kings. And look! See how the gold fits into the story? 

Poetic waxing aside, here are close-ups of the aptly named "Silk Road" Kaleidoscope Eye Kit ($95).

Tapestry - a shimmering, translucent plum

Damask - a polished brass

Ikat - a silk-matte pinot noir

Brocade - a deep chocolate with sequined copper effervescence

Dustin was gracious enough to let me share this with you. As you can see, this is brand new. He hasn't even swatched it yet! I'm going back this Friday to see if I can wheedle him into applying it on me. 

Other Le Metier de Beaute Fall offerings are: 

The "Empress" Kaleidoscope Lip Kit ($95)

Imperial Silk - a pale pink for a nude base

Plum Satin - a creamy plum for rich contrast

Empress - a delicate mauve mixed with soft champagne

Silk Road - a shimmering red for sheer highlight

and the "East Meets West" Nail Lacquer Collection ($10 each). Since they have not arrived at the counter, I wasn't able to photograph these items, but I was allowed a peek at the colored images of the new nail polishes. The entire collection comprises of shimmery metallics in hues of red, bronze, and luscious copper, featuring:

Dynasty - a deep, shimmering fuchsia

Anatolia - a rich plum illuminated with bronzy, golden shimmer

Silk Road - a metallic, bronzed copper

Urban Dweller - a rich chocolate plum with golden effervescence

Dustin and I agreed that Silk Road will be the star among the nail collection. I'd liken it to molten copper dripping on the finger tips - pure decadence. The entire collection exudes such a rich, royal air that I feel like I could be transformed to a veiled Arabic princess by use of the eye kaleidoscope alone. But we all already know with that baby on, I'll feel exactly like one.

The Silk Road collection will be available in extremely limited quantities at Bergdorf Goodman this September. It will reach Neiman Marcus, select Nordstrom stores, and their respective online counterparts later in October. For those anxious (like me) to get their hands on it, call Dustin at 212-872-8612 to pre-order today.