Sitting down with a man whom is known as one of my favorite Makeup Artist's proteges was like sitting next to my biggest beauty idols ever. Troy Surratt recently launched 106 products in Barney's NY newly revamped beauty floor and I got to test drive almost all of them. Insert loud squeal here.
I cannot tell you what a delightfully, sweet, kind and caring gent Troy was and he more than happy to swatch both on his own hands and let me delve into his collection without any hesitation or rules. I could look at the lippy's, eyeliners, glosses, you name it- I saw color ranges from nudes to incredible shimmers and I swatched whatever I could. The blendability of his concealers ($ 50 each) was beyond belief as they melted right into my skin. He was also the first to market this amazing Expressioniste Brow Pomade ($25) to which I asked to try on my hand as you and I both know my eyebrows are inked. It was clear and non tacky like others I have tested in the past. No glossy, gooey texture- just clear, clean and the brush was a design I had never seen before. I then swatched the Smokey Eye Baton ($ 35) and my chin nearly hit the floor. It's double sided yet the line it makes was so precise I could not believe my own eyes. The other end which I thought was for smudging actually was a sheer shadow of the same hue that highlighted the look even more to create true smoky eye. The liner is also buildable to boot! I could wear it thin, thick, darker, less intense- all by going over it again or not. This is why this line is so personalized as you can chose how to use the products and also how to build on them or not. Note this was a private meeting so I can tell you that I have a true penchant for his collection as see why it's an exclusive to Barney's. It's chic, sleek and wearable.
The colors seem universally flattering and the Autographique Liner in Chat Noir ($ 42) is to die for. It's precision allowed me to write in calligraphy on my own hand with such intense clarity in such a small area. I also fell hard for the way the products slide into their own compacts. You can buy shadows, blushes, etc by themselves and customize a magnetic palette for your own personal look. No room between products allows for maximum sized product. I could take 6 shadows with me ( $ 20 each), or three blushes ( $ 32 each) depending on what I need for that specific occasion. I could also stack, yes stack, the single eyeshadows if I chose to! The magnetic palette is so user friendly that I continued to swap out different shadows with different blushes to create endless look possibilities. Did I mention the Automatique Lip Crayon ( $ 34- each). While swatching it was so precise that Troy and I were able to make a hairline thinness with the swipe of the crayon tip. I was also able to use the side as a filler so both Troy and I created eyes and lips- all on our hands!
I know Troy has worked with celebrities such as Adele, Charlize Theron, Adriana Lima yet his humbleness makes me believe he will continue to grow his business and create even more fabulous products. The fact that his concealers go from the lightest of lights to the deepest of deeps makes me like him even more. Troy thought of all different types of people when creating this line and it certainly shows in his variety of color options across each beauty category.
As a gift, Troy gave me a new Lipslique ( $ 34 each) he had just created called Hevyn. My eyes welled up, his eyes welled up and we both looked up to the sky above and said a prayer for his mentor, Kevyn Aucoin.
Available exclusively at Barney's and
www.barneys.com, go and see for yourself the luxury of these fine beauty products.
Just a small taste of Surratt Beauty
Hevyn on my lips! The perfect natural lippy!
The uber talented Troy Surratt
