Chantecaille Brilliant Gloss Plus Pétales Perfume Preview

Chantecaille's Brilliant Gloss ($28) lives up to its name. The look and feel are brilliant. Combine lip gloss with a romantic fragrance, and you could be ready to leave home to dazzle your world!

Brilliant Gloss is made from a hydrating and enriching formula that imparts long-lasting color and brilliant shine. An exclusive "jellified" system creates long-lasting wear; it almost has the look of jelly, with its sheer, colorful movement. Microspheres of organic wheat protein-linked sugars create soft, supple, and plumped lips (without any tingling feeling) for a perfect pout. Among the ingredients, Brilliant Gloss lists green tea extract and vegetal-linked polysaccharides to protect the delicate skin on our lips. Like other Chantecaille makeup, it's fabulous.

Brilliant Gloss is available in 15 shades. In a recent order from Chantecaille's Web site, I ordered three new-to-me shades (I wanted that tiger!). They are listed here in the order shown on my arm, top to bottom (photo taken in light shade).

• Classic, new for everyone - a warm and brown-leaning rose
• Glaze, drop-dead, absolutely stunning on the lips watermelon
• Sweet, a light, sheer pink

All three of my new shades are divine. They are beautifully glossy, with a mirror-like shine, on my lips - the plumping shine I love. For some reason I can't explain, Glaze is extremely long-lasting. Since all of the shades last for hours, I assume it's the darker pigment. Whatever causes the wonderful wear, I'm impressed.

I can feel Chantecaille Brilliant Gloss on my lips. It's not heavy or annoying, just substantive. I know when it's time to refresh because I can feel the need for renewed moisture. Like the rest of my face, my lips absorb whatever I apply. It's nice to know that Chantecaille cares about the ingredients they put on my skin. I think Love and/or Elation are next on my list. They look so pretty!

Switching subjects, Chantecaille has a new fragrance arriving in stores soon. The testers arrived at Neiman Marcus at Mazza Gallerie about 10 days ago, and Pétales Perfume is expected to arrive this week. I have reserved it. It's a must-have for white flower lovers!

Deliciously fresh, pretty, classic, and romantic, Pétales is a party at the botanical gardens on a warm summer's evening. It's an all-night dance on a yacht off the Riviera. Its essence is the white-floral elegance of a thousand gardenias.

The story behind Pétales can be told by mentioning Sylvie Chantecaille's deep love of gardenias (and my mother's - I mentioned last week that Mom's wedding bouquet was made with gardenias). A central ingredient in this complex white flower fragrance, the tropical, classic gardenia has been a favorite of Sylvie's since she was a little girl.

"Gardenias' unmistakable perfume always reminds me of growing up in France and long, relaxed summer evenings," Chantecaille says. In order to create a truly unique and modern interpretation of this timeless scent, Chantecaille blended gardenia with a fragrant bouquet of other signature white flowers, including jasmine and tuberose, yielding a beautifully fresh and wearable scent that evokes pure glamour. The spirit of Pétales calls to mind warm and breezy summer parties, enchanted gardens, and the pleasures of couture dressing. "It's both completely heady and yet deliciously fresh," Chantecaille says.

The top note is all gardenia. Balsam, jasmine, and tuberose form the heart and character of Pétales. Beautifully warm, soft, and sensual cedar, sandalwood, and the whisper of musk deepen this velvety soft, fresh fragrance, giving it a refined essence that is ultimately classic and unforgettable. I can't forget it! Every time I walk into Neiman Marcus, I spray it on myself, and my fabulous friend Rachel gives me a progress report on its arrival - before I can ask. I expect to be wearing Pétales later this week.

Even the bottle is gorgeous. I can't wait. Pétales will be available exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Harrods, Holt Renfrew, Seibu, and Lane Crawford.

For a few days, Chantecaille fans, content yourselves with a lip gloss! Is there a shade in your future?

Head over to Chantecaille's Web site or Neiman Marcus to find a shade that catches your fancy. Both companies have specials. You could spend $225 at Chantecaille and earn that gorgeous white tiger compact, or you could receive a trio of complimentary deluxe samples of Pétales, Kalimantan, and Vetyver fragrances with any Chantecaille purchase at the Neiman Marcus Web site. Beauty Week is coming up at Neiman Marcus.

Update early morning 9/1: The tiger special offer has been replaced at Chantecaille with a deluxe sample of Retinol Intense with a $200 purchase.

Photos courtesy of Chantecaille