Since moving back to Las Vegas I’ve been able to see & do a lot more than before! Today I’m going to share a very special experience- a behind-the-scenes brunch at Neiman Marcus celebrating the best in beauty! I had the opportunity to check out new launches, brand new products, & exclusive Neiman Marcus goodies that I’m going to gossip with you guys about today! Keep reading to check it all out!

This was a press brunch so ladies in the makeup, photography, & style industry were there. We actually were in a room I’d never been in overlooking the strip! It was gorgeous! & boy was I glad I applied a long-wearing lip lacquer that day because the eats were fab! Whoever thought of morning macaroons & Nutella french toast sure had my number! The room was set up a bit like beauty speed dating- every 10 or so minutes we’d switch to a new brand to get the scoop. That’s why you’ll see numbers on each table. I took a lot of notes- so let’s dive in!

The first stop I made was at Tom Ford. I didn’t get to chat with the rep much because she was otherwise engaged but I did take in what I could. & there was a lot! Here’s some items from the Winter/Holiday collection for 2015 above.

Tom Ford has also come out with cosmetic bags for the first time ever. They have a pretty bright golden tone to the hardware & lovely leather feel. They have several sizes to splurge from- see the size Small, Medium, & Large here. They’re definitely a splurge though!

Because I’m such a nail gal, I had to check out the polish of course! The is the Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Black Out. Lovely shade! Wish I had been able to swatch on the nail because, oddly enough, I don’t have any polishes from Tom Ford.

The big, exciting item is the Tom Ford Neiman Marcus Exclusive Lips and Boys 3 pc set. These lipsticks are divine- ultra creamy! From left to right we have the shades Flynn, Luciano, & Patrick. Isn’t the set pretty? The rep mentioned that the shade they sell the most of by far is Tom Ford Lips & Boys Lipstick in Drake (view it here) so I really want to check that out as well!

A brand that was completely new to me was CREED- an essential oil based fragrance brand for both men & women. The representative was really lovely & a total wealth of knowledge. The Creed line has the highest oil-based fragrance & also contains a vegetable enhancer. I started smelling each scent available & they were so different from anything else I’ve even tried. The #1 men’s scent is Aventus which has notes of black currant, Italian bergamot, Calville Blanc apples, and a burst of royal pineapple, roses, oak moss, & more. CREED Aventus is “made with ingredients hand-selected worldwide by Erwin CREED, the seventh generation of CREED and its future ahead.”

For a multi-sex scent, the most popular is CREED Millesime Imperial which was created for the Saudi royal family with notes of. For women, the most popular scent is CREED Love in White (orange zest from Spain, rice husk from Tonkin, white jasmine from Italy, daffodils from France, magnolia from Guatemala, Bulgarian rose, sandalwood from India and ambergris) while their newest fragrance is CREED Royal Princess (Bitter Sicilian Bergamot, Rose, sweet Violet, Jasmin, Vanilla Absolute essential oils, Patchouli, Iris from Tuscany, & sandalwood). My personal favorite is Aventus- the notes of pineapple totally sold me! I’d love a full-size bottle someday!

Want to talk about a classic? How about the oh-so-luxurious La Mer? Growing up all I hear about was the La Mer Creme de la Mer that started it all for so many of us. Definitely a splurge & the beginning of the Miracle Broth, this lovely cream spawned so many fans over the years. On the right is the new La Mer Genaissance de La Mer Serum that I’ll talk more about below. I received a sample of the La Mer Renewal Oil which is the dual-phase elixir blends of Miracle Broth™ & sea-sourced actives on the far right. My sample is very small so I’ve been using it to treat the driest part of my cheek. It is divine.

I also have a small sample of the La Mer Cleansing Foam…another gorgeous product with additional benefits like removing impurities while preserving the skin’s moisture barrier. My dry skin loves it an insane amount. Another product I want to touch on is the La Mer The Concentrate– a potent concentration of Miracle Broth™ which is supposed to be highly healing to the skin. It is an “ultra-potent elixir remarkably improves the appearance of scarring resulting from surgery and burns, and visibly diminishes irritation and redness caused by dermatological procedures.” If I could…I think this is the product I would buy for my scars especially.

This age-transcending serum essence was inspired when a scientist at the Max Huber Research Labs discovered crystals forming in a beaker of Miracle Broth™. Extraordinarily pure, the Crystal Miracle Broth is slow-crafted in extremely small batches to reach its ultimate potency. This advanced broth infuses skin with the life-generating energies of the sea, helping it visibly renew from within. In moments, genesis begins. Day after day, skin is infused with a new look of life. Rejuvenation becomes reality. Use twice a day after Treatment Lotion, apply a small amount onto fingertips and gently sweep over face and neck. Follow with appropriate form of La Mer moisturizer.

On my way out I passed the La Mer counter. I snapped a quick shot of the La Mer Genaissance de La Mer Serum display because I thought it was so pretty! They also have Miracle Broth Facials…& the way he made it sound…wow would I love to have one someday!

Want to talk about a brand I’ve been dying to dive into more for ages? That’s definitely Kevyn Aucoin. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing a few products in person at events but never had a local counter. I was DYING over some of these products guys! I’ve been wanting the Celestial Skin Liquid Lighting for ages & seeing it in person again certainly didn’t help. I need it. But some new items I’m now lusting after are rather unexpected- a primer & a concealer? The Sensual Skin Enhancer is a SUPER pigmented concealer & just a tiny dot really covered. & it had so much product! The primer is The Primed Skin Developer for Normal to Dry which is brightening & moisturizing.

As far as holiday sets go- The Essential Brush Collection is a collection of luxe, professional tools I think anyone would love. The jaw-dropper, however, is definitely the Neiman Marcus Exclusive Essential Collection that includes the palette with 10 Legacy Eyeshadow shades, 4 lipglosses in Lillium, Beaugonia, Tammabelle, & Bloodroses, & his award-winning mascara. The product I’ve absolutely got to get my hands on after trying in person is a tie between the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer & the Kevin Aucoin The Celestial Skin Liquid Lighting. I need them both in my life ASAP.

Jo Malone is one of my favorite fragrance brands so I was super excited to see their products on a table! One of my absolute favorite fragrances of all time is Jo Malone London Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne– it has fruity notes of nectarine & peach blended with plum & warm honey. It is gorgeous. So what immediately happened when I sat down?

She lured me to the dark side & I now have another must-have to add to my holiday wishlist- Jo Malone Mimosa & Cardamom. This fragrance is intoxicating with mimosa, crushed cardamom, & a gorgeous underlying sandalwood. You NEED to smell this!

I could go on & on about other scents but I think I’ll just let you know that Neiman Marcus currently has the Jo Malone London Cologne Intense Collection which includes the colognes in Tuberose Angelica Cologne Intense, Velvet Rose & Oud Cologne Intense, Amber & Patchouli Cologne Intense, Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Cologne Intense, & Oud & Bergamot Cologne Intense. Also adding it to my wishlist for holidays!

Gucci is one of those brands that I was surprised didn’t have a makeup line yet- so I was happy when they released it recently. I’ll admit- I’ve been a slacker learning more so I’m happy they were waiting at a table for me to play with! The rep was SO nice & we got to chat for quite awhile. I even applied some bronzer because I’m a boss like that! I really liked the Gucci Golden Glow Bronzer in the lightest tone for my skin. It applied smoothly & wasn’t so soft that it over-applied. Their makeup brushes were also really lovely which for some reason I wasn’t expecting! I didn’t get to see any of the eyeshadows in person but now I know I definitely want to look into the Gucci Magnetic Color Shadow Duo in Sunset & the Gucci Magnetic Color Shadow Mono in Iconic Copper because…I’m a copper fiend. A surprising product that totally caught my eye is the Gucci Opulent Volume Mascara– the packaging is divine! I actually received a deluxe sample as well so…I’ll update you on application & wear!

& last but not least is one of my absolute favorite brands- FRESH! I’m wild about their lip products & own a ton of them because of that! One of my absolute favorite products is the Fresh Sugar Lip Advanced Therapy– my savior for dry lips. They have a bunch of sets out for holiday as well- & I highly suggest checking them out! The balms aren’t just super comfortable & moisturizing…but the tinted shades are incredibly gorgeous too. I especially love the shades Coral & Plum…in case you were wondering!

Probably my favorite product she showed that I’ve never tried before is the Fresh Cocoa Body Exfoliant. This is THE most scrumptious smelling chocolate product I’ve ever tried- seriously dark & rich. I can’t believe how edible this smells & I can understand why they describe it as a “euphoric experience” in the description! The crushed cocoa & coconut shells are naturally sourced exfoliants- great for sloughing off dead skin cells. The rep also let us know FRESH will be releasing a life-changing serum soon…& I’ll be keeping an eye out for that!

A huge thanks to Christie over at icanstyleu who invited me & of course the LV Fashion Show Neiman Marcus for hosting such a fun event! I definitely hope to get the scoop again soon!

What releases most caught your eye? Any favorite Neiman Marcus beauty counters you’re drawn too? Any other top-notch holiday releases I need to seek out?