Le Metier de Beaute at Neiman Marcus

There are a handful of legendary beauty products that have a cult-like status. Chances are you have a few of these products in your makeup bag right now. Think the YSL Touch Eclats and NARS Orgasms of the world. Their reputation precedes them. I’d extend that status to luxury brand Le Metier de Beaute. For years, I’ve heard nothing but raves, especially from the beauty blogging community. An emphatic “trust me, this is worth trying” from everyone. And not just a single product, but the entire line. Le Metier has been on my radar for this very reason, but on my radar it stayed.  Perhaps it was the luxury price point or uncertainty at what to try first, though neither usually inhibits me, I’ve always admired from afar. All that’s changed, folks. And now I’m kicking myself for having stood on the LMdB sidelines for so long.

About four years ago, I met a very knowledgeable and friendly sales associate at the Nordstrom Kiehl’s counter, Tess Iandola. Never pushy or generic, but inquisitive and honest. We became quick Facebook pals. After three years with Kiehl’s, a stint in San Francisco with Fresh, Tess is now back in Chicago at the Le Metier de Beaute counter at Neiman Marcus on Michigan Ave. She invited me down last week for an intro. I was all like, “obviously, I’m there. Let’s do this, girl.” I made sure to arrive makeup-free so Tess could have a clean canvas.  She specializes in skin care so I was excited for her to show me the Le Metier way. She first treated me to the CHEM60 Pro-Peel and GLOW10ai Mask, a very gentle duo for how powerful a treatment (a blend of glycolic and salicylic acids). Tess guided me through the steps, urging me to resist the urge to slather the Pro-Peel on as a little goes a long way. We covered a lot of ground during the masking portion (12 min. precisely). I was so excited…my flurry of questions went something like this:

• Do you LOVE the Kaleidoscopes? EVERYONE obsesses over them.  (Yes…and no surprise, she can’t keep them in stock)

• Tell me about the Peau Vierge Tinted Treatment? Am I saying that right?   (It is a phenomenal skincare product that happens to lend glowing coverage. Phonetic key: po-vi-urge)

• How often can you use peel and mask?  (She recommends twice a week for my skin)

• What are your favorites?  (The Ultra Hydration Eye Mask Duo, Night Crème—botox in a jar—Peau Vierge Treatment, Dubai Lip Gloss—she calls it universally flattering— and the Precision Liquid Liner in Noir)

From there, Tess created a full face. It was a Monday night, so by the time she was done, I was looking GOOD for a night at home watching The Bachelor. After peeling the GLOW10ai off (p.s. it’s so satisfying to physically peel vs. rinse!), Tess applied the Replenishing Daily Solution and a pump of the Revive Eye Concentrate followed by the Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Complexe Tinted Treatment in Shade 2. From the sleek silver canister it’s housed in to the weightless feeling on the skin, I fell in love with this stuff on the spot. It contains retinol so while it covers imperfections it also helps gets rid of them. At $125, I knew it was dangerous for me to be so fixated on a product! She blended the equally awesome Peau Vierge Concealer over a few stubborn blemishes and dusted the Blushing Bronzed Duet in Romeo & Juliet to give my cheeks some sculpt and color. I’m not sure if it was the peel/mask or Peau Vierge but my skin had an unrecognizable radiance.

Tess did an incredible neutral eye using a trio of True Color Eye Shadows layered on top of each other, a.k.a the Le Metier method. She selected exactly the same colors I would have. Jojo, a shimmery beige, followed by the chocolate Tamarack and Sugar as a highlight. I was eager to try the Indelible Inks Eyeliner, and the deep midnight blue Artemis totally made my blue eyes jump. Tess used her favorite Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss in Dubai on me, but first coated my lips with the Clearly Brilliant Lip Gloss to act as a primer.

If it was feasible for me to just buy EVERYTHING in that moment, I would have. But I opted for the Indelible Artemis Liner and pre-ordered the Peau Vierge for Neiman’s Beauty Week, which kicks off on February 21. For all of the splurges I’ve made, this one is especially exciting (albeit a little unnerving!) But Beauty Week is the time to indulge, no?

Chicago ladies, go see Tess and tell her I sent you! She’s there Thursday-Monday from 11-7. Sitting in her chair is such a treat and her customer-focused approach is refreshing. But be warned, you will want to splurge like you’ve never splurged before!