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Eyeshadow

Eye Makeup

Le Metier de Beaute Breast Cancer Awareness Kaleidoscopes

November 8, 2017

Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscope Kits BCA Awareness Faces of Beauty, Flash Phenomenon and Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay

This year Le Metier de Beaute launched their third anniversary kaleidoscope in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. I featured their first one called the Stephanie Kaleidoscope a couple years ago here in 2015 but it occurred to me that I never reviewed last year’s Faces of Beauty from 2016 so I’ve included it in this year’s review. This year they have a new one called Flash Phenomenon Face & Body Kaleidoscope for 2017 which is just stunning for a beautiful glow – but I’ve used this one the eyes and it’s stunning. I have a third one to feature new this year as well, it’s one you won’t find online as it was created exclusively for Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay called Awareness. I spotted it while I was out shopping and it was love at first sight.

For those not familiar with Le Metier de Beaute kaleidoscopes, they are unique swivel and stacked compacts that typically contain 4 round pans of shadows or cream product. The top has a flip up mirror which is convenient for touch ups. They are often limited-edition and pretty pricey at $95 each but the quality, pigment and texture of their powder shadows are among the best. I used to review and collect almost every one that was released, but after a while I saw so many repeat shades I found I had a lot of duplicates. You can still find a number of palettes online, I usually shop the brand at Neiman Marcus. The powder shadows and blushes in these kits have exceptionally smooth textures with rich color. They are easy to layer with each other and blend nicely.

A quick look at all three and swatches side by side:

Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscope Kits BCA Awareness Faces of Beauty, Flash Phenomenon and Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay

Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscope Kits BCA Awareness Faces of Beauty, Flash Phenomenon and Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay swatches

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Up first is the Faces of Beauty Kaleidoscope from 2016 which has four eyeshadows in a pink seashell shimmer, a medium bronze, a deeper olive taupe shimmer and a matte black with silver glitter flecks. This has excellent pigment for the three shimmer shades but the matte black is prone to some extra powdery-ness and fall out. I find it best to apply the black shade with a damp detail brush and pat onto the eye as a liner and the powder fall out issue is solved. Lasting power is excellent with these with or without any primers.

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Kaleidoscope Faces of Beauty

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Kaleidoscope Faces of Beauty

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Kaleidoscope Faces of Beauty swatches

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Next is this year’s Flash Phenomenon Face and Body Kaleidoscope which is actually like my dream eyeshadow palette come true. It has four stunning shimmers for a perfect glow on the eyes. I actually haven’t tried it on the face as the colors are pretty intense but I love them layered on the eyes. I do find I need at least 2 more shades for more definition to complete an eye look, but it’s still beautiful and a must in my book. Colors are an ivory shimmer, peachy shimmer, soft copper pink shimmer and a bronze shimmer.

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Kaleidoscope Flash Phenomenon

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Kaleidoscope Flash Phenomenon

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Kaleidoscope Flash Phenomenon swatches

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Last but not least is the Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay exclusive which is called Awareness. Those who have used Le Metier de Beaute know they often do counter and store exclusives which can be hard to track down and find as they’re usually not advertised online. I almost didn’t find it but noticed one in the display case that looked different and asked about it. I’m glad I did because I found out they had a store exclusive. The colors pull warmer on the skin than they look in the pan and texture is a bit stiffer/harder than most of the shadows I’ve tried from the brand. Quality is still on point and pigment is good, just texture is noticeably different. If you want to purchase this one you can call the counter and they will ship it to you. Colors in here include a shimmering silvery mauve, a slightly chalky matte mauve nude, a shimmering bronze and a shimmering plum.

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Awareness Kaleidoscope Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay Exclusive

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Awareness Kaleidoscope Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay Exclusive

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Awareness Kaleidoscope Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay Exclusive

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Two eye looks, one with the Flash Phenomenon kit, one with the Tampa Bay exclusive. These are taken with a flash and lose up so they look extra shimmery in the photos. In real life the glow is a lot more natural.

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Kaleidoscope Swatches Eye Looks

Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscope Kits BCA Awareness Faces of Beauty, Flash Phenomenon and Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay

Bottom line stunning. You can wear these with a dampened brush or dry. I find they adhere well to the lids even without a primer and lasting power is excellent. Of course finding a palette with shades you like 100% can be tricky – with most palettes there is usually at least one color I am luke-warm about. I love all the shades in each of these. I think Flash Phenomenon is my favorite of the bunch. I love last year’s Faces of Beauty but the matte black is a bit more challenging to work with. That being said I find most matte black shadows are hard to work with. The Awareness Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay exclusive kit is beautiful and I like that purchasing it helps a good cause. I do find the shadows a bit stiffer in texture although performance and pigment on the eyes is still very very good. For a more affordable option I do feel that Urban Decay Naked3 Palette can give you a similar effect.

You can find these Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscopes online and at select stores at Neiman Marcus. They are all listed as limited-edition.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

 

Eye Makeup

New Eyeshadow Palettes from MAC Girls, Marc Jacobs Beauty and Kat Von D Beauty

August 14, 2017

Kat Von D Shade and Light Glimmer, MAC Girls Mischief Minx, Marc Jacobs Eye Conic in Glambition | The Beauty Look Book

There are some new eyeshadow palettes out and I put three to the test from MAC, Marc Jacobs Beauty and Kat Von D Beauty. At first glance the colors look really similar between the three that I have but swatching proves otherwise. They have varied undertones, different textures, finishes and pigment. I’ll say up front the new Marc Jacobs Beauty palettes win for pigment and blendability, MAC wins for the fun factor and Kat Von D is one I have mixed feelings on.

Up first is the one I had the highest hopes for which is the Kat Von D Shade and Light Glimmer Eye Contour Palette. The colors in here are just perfect but the formulas aren’t the same across the board. There are four formulas in this that Kat Von D calls:

  • Base Shades are soft satiny shimmers: Porcelain, Dusk and Dune
  • Contour Shades are perfect smooth metallics: Copper, Cinder, Rust
  • Define Shades are glitters: Bronze, Onyx, Jasper
  • Topcoat Shades are chunky glitters: Sterling, Glacier and Quartz

The Base and Contour shades are really amazing in texture and pigment. They’re velvety soft and easy to blend. The Define and Topcoat Shades are where this palette gets high maintenance. There is chunky glitter with tons of fall out in application and after application/clean up. You need to apply with either a damp brush or over a super emollient base to make the shades stick. With some glitters I find applying with a finger in a patting motion helps the shadow + glitter stick better with less fall out but with these fall out happened no matter what. If all of the shades were glitter free or in the contour formula this would have been 100% perfect. I can get it to work but it takes a LOT of extra work and clean up.

Kat Von D Beauty Shade and Light Glimmer Eye Contour Palette Sephora | The Beauty Look Book

Kat Von D Beauty Shade and Light Glimmer Eye Contour Palette swatch | The Beauty Look Book

Kat Von D Beauty Shade and Light Glimmer Eye Contour Palette Sephora swatches | The Beauty Look Book

MAC launched six personality palettes in their MAC Girls Collection and I received Mischief Minx as a press sample. I stopped by the counter and was seriously tempted by Prissy Princess and Power Hungry – some other gorgeous neutrals but decided for now to stick with Mischief Minx. It has a palette of shimmers and warm shades. Pigment is medium but buildable. This one is fairly warm in undertone but easy to wear (even the orange and red shades which I mix or blend). Each shade has a name but it’s only labeled in a removable plastic insert which is easy to lose.

MAC Girls Mischief Minx Palette Review

Swatched from left to right is: Mischief Minx (shimmering orange gold), Natural Tease (shimmering tan gold), V Frisky (light silvery gold), She-Nani-Gains (shimmering warm tan), Flaming Femme (matte rust), Schemer (satiny matte warm brown), Been There Done That (shimmering dark brown shimmer), Totally Trouble (black matte), Stride of Pride (gold peach highlighter)

MAC Girls Mischief Minx Palette Review Swatches

Last but not least is the Marc Jacobs Beauty Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette in Glambition. I’m a fan of the original Style Eye Con ones and the new ones have excellent pigment and texture which are just as good as the originals. Glambition is the most neutral option and the texture is super soft with a velvety feel. Pigment is just so SO good. Color-wise this isn’t necessarily the most exciting palette but it has easy to wear mix of neutrals and bolds that just work. They also layer well together.

 Marc Jacobs Beauty Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette Glambition

Colors left to right include She Was (satiny soft ivory cream shimmer), Infamous (soft rose tan matte), Known For (warm pigmented gold), Seeking (fawn brown matte), The Most (pale pink frost), Over the Top (matte warm brown), Glamour (matte black with gold flecks).

 Marc Jacobs Beauty Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette Glambition swatches

I highly recommend the MAC or Marc Jacobs palettes if you’re looking for a new one. The Marc Jacobs palettes have the best formula out of the three I tried but MAC has more fun wearable shade options to choose from. Kat Von D is one I have mixed feelings on – I still think the colors are just so good but formulas are hard to work with and super high maintenance which is not something I have the patience for. If you’re looking for a new eyeshadow palette that’s more streamlined and simple, you might want to check out the Chanel City of Lights Les 4 Ombres – I just bought it and will be reviewing soon.

Kat Von D Shade and Light Glimmer, MAC Girls Mischief Minx, Marc Jacobs Eye Conic in Glambition | The Beauty Look Book

I had planned to do some eye looks but I’m in the midst of a move and upcoming travel so I’m a bit limited on time for the moment. Have you tried any of these formulas yet? What did you think? In case you missed it my favorite eye shadow brushes listed in this post here.

Kat Von D Palette available at Sephora and Kat Von D Beauty.
Marc Jacobs Beauty Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette available at Sephora, Marc Jacobs Beauty, Neiman Marcus.
MAC Girls Palettes available at MAC, Nordstrom, Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s.

MAC palette provided for review. Others purchased by me.

 

Chanel Eye Makeup

Chanel Ombre Premiere Longwear Eyeshadows

August 7, 2017

Chanel Ombre Premiere Longwear Eyeshadows | The Beauty Look Book

Chanel launched new eyeshadow formulas earlier this year in the Ombre Premiere Collection. There are two formulas called the Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Shadow ($36 each) and Longwear Powder Eyeshadow ($30 each). I bought a few colors several months ago to try and fell in love with the texture of both formulas. Since then I’ve acquired more shades in the neutral category as press samples and find the formulas quite good. Chanel also launched two double-ended brushes with this launch that come with caps making them really nice for travel or to carry in your makeup bag. There is a Retractable Dual Tip Eye-Contouring Brush ($42) and a Retractable Dual-Tip Eyeshadow Brush ($42). They are a bit on the expensive side but are super soft and perform extremely well and for me they were worth the splurge.

The new Ombre Premiere Longwear Powder Eyeshadows are the among the best ones I’ve tried from Chanel in powder form. They are extremely soft but velvety in texture with beautiful pigment. The colors I tried are neutral shimmers. I’ve had Flesh for a few months and find it to be the perfect neutral champagne pinky peach for an all over lid or wash color. Sable is a lighter champagne color. Talpa is a really pretty cool-toned brown shimmer. I feel like this makeup age is the age of palettes and find it rare that single eyeshadows are released. Palettes definitely have the convenience factor but these are really good even if the price tag is pretty high. They glide on the lids beautifully and smoothly with very little fallout. Lasting power is quite impressive alone. If you layer them over the Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Shadows you get a more intense shimmer. These come with applicators but for these shadows I find it better to apply with a regualar full size eyeshadow brush.

Chanel Ombre Premiere Longwear Powder Eyeshadow Sable, Flesh, Talpa | The Beauty Look Book

Chanel Ombre Premiere Longwear Powder Eyeshadow Sable, Flesh, Talpa swatches | The Beauty Look Book

The Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadows are pigmented cream shadows that have a softer texture and more pigmented texture compared to the Illusion D’Ombres. The Ombre Premiere formula by comparison to most traditional creams has a dry finish versus a super emollient one. This makes it one of the longest-lasting cream shadows I’ve ever tested. My lids aren’t like most others in the sense that they aren’t oily and do not tend to get oily. I find my eyes to be more on the normal/dry side if anything. Most of my readers have asked for shadow primers that work for oily lids – ones that are super popular and highly rated with customer reviews all tend to dry out my skin making it look wrinkly. Because of this – I find that the creams work best when I use a single color as a base or lid color either alone or with a powder on top. Layering cream on top of cream with this formula didn’t work so well on some occasions because they dry and set fast. These last an impressive amount of time even in hot humid weather.

Chanel Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadow | The Beauty Look Book

Shadow labels on the bottom:

Chanel Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadow | The Beauty Look Book

Chanel Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadow swatches | The Beauty Look Book

These come with a small white-hair applicator which I didn’t think would be useful. It actually performed the best in picking up pigment and applying them to the lids. I wish that Chanel made another one like it with a larger handle for easier use. Otherwise fingers work for application too. I’ve experimented with a number of shadow brushes and like the double-ended contour brush the best for a full-size option. I do think the applicator these come with is the best way to pick up the most color.

Chanel Dual Tip Eyeshadow Brushes | The Beauty Look Book

Last but not least are the two dual ended brushes, Retractable Dual Tip Eye-Contouring Brush on the bottom and a Retractable Dual-Tip Eyeshadow Brush on the top. These are some of the softest eyeshadow brushes I’ve tried from Chanel. I really love the larger option as it has the perfect size/density for a brush. The smaller one works really well too but I already have my favorites for detail brushes. There is a moveable portion on each end that you push up to cover the brush tip and then place the cap on top – that way you don’t have to worry about messing up the brush if it gets fluffy from use and recapping. In the past few weeks Chanel has launched an entire line of new brushes – I’m still testing them but hope to have the review up soon.

Overall thoughts are that the formulas of the shadows are really good. I prefer the texture of the powders for that beautiful shimmer but like the colors of the creams better. For summer or hot humid weather these are very good for lasting power when it feels like almost everything is prone to melting off my face. I’m all about neutrals but there are quite a few other colors that are more edgy or bold. For me the neutrals seem most on-brand for Chanel. Some of the others (like the yellow, blue or green) seemed a bit dated but I can see how they could appeal to those who like more fun trendy shades.

Other new items have launched online as well including the Fall-Winter Collection and some new pink Lip and Nail Colors. I already ordered a few pieces from the fall line which I’ll review, for now I’ve decided to pass on the pink shades.

You can find the Chanel Ombre Premiere collection online at Chanel.com and also at all other counters now. The shadows are listed as limited-edition. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Ombre Premiere Longwear Shadows provided for review. Brushes purchased by me.

Eye Makeup Highlighters

Bobbi Brown Peace, Love and Beach Highlighting Powders and Eyeshadow Trio

August 2, 2017

Bobbi Brown Peace, Love and Beach Collection Highlighting Powder and Love Eye Shadow Trio | The Beauty Look Book

For summer Bobbi Brown launched a few mini collections and my favorite one is the Peace, Love and Beach. In this collection are three new Highlighting Powders ($48 each for 0.28 oz/8g), three Eyeshadow Trios ($40 each for 0.25 oz/7.2 g) and two Nail Colors ($16 each). I picked up all of the highlighters in Sunrise Glow, Sunkissed Glow and Tawny Glow and the Love Eye Shadow Trio. At the time I bought these there was a little Beach GWP going on at the counter so I stocked up on a couple glosses as well and was able to try a couple of the Beach body items from the gift.

Up first is the Love Eye Shadow Trio which is the neutral taupe option. At first glance this reminded me of the Tom Ford She Wolf Trio launched a few years ago. Once I compared them at home I found the Bobbi Brown version to be warmer or more on the neutral side. You get a shimmering dark bronze, a glitter silvery taupe and a lovely beige taupe tan shimmer. It’s literally my taupe palette dream come true. I’ve also swatched it next to the Tom Ford Young Adonis Cream Powder Duo for reference (review here).

Texture is smooth for all three. The middle glitter color does have some chunky texture to it because it’s a glitter but it’s very smooth and adheres well to the lids. I had minimal fallout when applying and the shadows stayed put all day long.

Bobbi Brown Love Eyeshadow Bobbi Brown Love Eyeshadow vs Tom Ford She Wolf and Young Adonis swatched

 

Next are the three new Highlighting Powders. I had last year’s versions but never got around to reviewing them. They are really lovely highlighters that have the perfect in between shimmer of subtle and high frost. You can layer for more intensity but applied with a soft hand alone or over blush gives one of the prettiest glows I’ve ever seen. This year’s colors have a similar vibe to last year’s. I’ve swatched them side by side in case you already own them. As a quick note you can find Afternoon Glow in this Nordstrom Set. You can find Telluride and Afternoon Glow individually at Neiman Marcus. These were limited-edition so I don’t think those will be around for long.

New shades are limited-edition as well. This year’s shades are Sunrise Glow a soft warm pink, Sunkissed Glow the perfect subtle bronze shimmer and Tawny Glow a cool-toned mauve shimmer. Each one is just perfect – texture is ultra smooth and they have an almost creamy texture but are definitely powders. Lasting power is impressive and they stayed put for hours. I like to use these on the eyes as well.

Bobbi Brown Highlighting Powder

Bobbi Brown Highlighting Powder Swatches

Two looks with the Love Eye Shadow Trio. For the cheeks, on the left is Sunkissed Glow, on the right is Sunrise Glow. I applied them with a light hand alone (just over my foundation/base).

Bobbi Brown Love Peace Beach Look Highlighting Powders

Last but not least a couple thoughts on the Beach items. Bobbi Brown’s Beach scent is one of the best beachy scents I’ve ever smelled. It is fairly strong so I’ve never splurged on the perfume. It has a blend of jasmine, white florals, mandarin and sea spray. The Body Lotion is quite amazing – it’s smooth and soft and transports me to vacation mode (full size here). The Shower Gel is also lovely, but right now it appears you can only find it in the Beach Collection Set. I would have bought the shower gel separately if I could find it but the set seems to be a good deal and I’m seriously considering it especially for the last few weeks of summer. This was part of the GWP I got below:

Bobbi Brown Beach GWP

Bobbi Brown Peace, Love and Beach Collection | The Beauty Look Book

Bottom line not really a full color collection, but it has some great options. I’m 100% in love with everything I purchased. When I was at the counter there was a makeover event going on – the highlighters were being applied on women of various ages, 30’s, 40s and 50’s (by my guess) and they looked pretty wearable and naturally glowy on all of them. If you don’t mind glitters the trio is really pretty. I’m almost tempted to get a backup. There’s a pretty beige neutral nail polish I was tempted by, but I swatched it on the counter and it was a bit too warm for my current skintone shade.

You can find the Bobbi Brown Peace, Love and Beach Collection at counters now. All the items are limited-edition. I bought mine at Nordstrom. Also available at Bobbi Brown, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Have you checked these out yet? What’s been your favorite summer beauty collection to date?

 

Base Makeup Chanel

Chanel Les Beiges Collection Summer 2017

July 28, 2017

Chanel Les Beiges Collection Summer 2017 | The Beauty Look Book

The Chanel Les Beiges Collection this year brings us a some new products including a new foundation formula, new brush, two new cheek colors, a natural eyeshadow palette and some repromotes. I have four items I’ve been testing this month thanks to the Chanel team and am happy to report the collection exceeded my expectations. There have been mixed reviews about this year’s launch, after testing this I do think it’s going to be a hit or miss for you depending on how natural or pigmented you like your makeup. For me it’s a hit. In today’s review:

The Les Beiges Gel Touch Healthy Glow Tint is an interesting base. If you like BB creams or dewy sheer bases you will love this one. I had expected this to be a cushion – but it’s not really cushion like. It has a soft flexible mesh top where you press a sponge into to absorb product. There was some excess that had oozed out around the edges when I opened and I swatched with my fingers and barely saw any coverage. Quick tip is to use the sponge – it’s amazing what a difference there is in application when you apply it with the sponge. I’ve been a long-time fan of the original Les Beiges Healthy Glow Colour Powder in 20 as a setting powder but subsequent Les Beiges launches have often let me down – the newer bases and tints have been tricky to work with sometimes.

Chanel Les Beiges Gel Touch Healthy Glow Tint 30 and 40 | The Beauty Look Book

The Gel Tint compact is smaller around in size compared to other Les Beiges compacts, but it’s also taller.

Chanel Les Beiges Gel Touch Healthy Glow Tint 30 and 40 | The Beauty Look Book

Swatches of 30 and 40:

Chanel Les Beiges Gel Touch Healthy Glow Tint 30 and 40 | The Beauty Look Book

Comparison swatches to the Dior Dreamskin Cushion in 30 (which looks dark but actually matches once blended out), Saturday Skin All Aglow Sunscreen Perfection Cushion in 5 Honey and 6 Goldie, Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion in 25.

Chanel Les Beiges Gel Touch Healthy Glow Tint 30 and 40 vs Dior Saturday Skin Sulwhasoo | The Beauty Look Book

Coverage is sheer but still noticeable. There’s enough coverage to cover redness, even out skintone and see color on the skin. Shade-wise I wish there were more yellow-toned options. 30 looks a bit light and pink on my skin but it does adjust and darken on me – my skin is weird these days, some foundations darken quite a bit after they dry down. 40 is the right undertone but it matches when I have a tan. As mentioned in a few recent posts, if I’m out of the sun for even 2-3 days I lose my tan very quickly. Since there is sun everywhere in Florida it’s impossible to avoid the sun – so my skintone changes frequently. Long story short – I can wear either 30 or 40.

I think the Gel Touch Cushion is better suited for normal to dry skin, but even in the hot humid weather I’ve found it stayed put all day and didn’t slide off in the humidity. You do need to set with a powder – when testing this I set with the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Powder in 20 and it helped to tone down the glow but still keep the skin looking radiant and glowy.

Next up are the two Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Sticks in 23 (sheer warm pink) and 24 (sheer apricot). Both have a very natural sheen to them and I believe 23 and 24 are new shades. I tried these when they launched a few years ago and found the pigment lacking once you blended them out on the skin. The pigment in this years’ has improved significantly – but they are still very natural looking. They have a satiny almost velvet finish so they’re not like regular creams. I found they lasted and stayed put all day.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Stick Blush | The Beauty Look Book Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Stick Blush | The Beauty Look Book

Last but not least is the Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette. Reviews on this have been all over the place in terms of reviewing the pigment. I found all the colors performed well with good pigment – they are all sheer to medium for a soft natural eye though. If you’re looking for high impact rich pigment this is not the palette for you. For me it’s a great fool-proof everyday kind of palette. If you have dry lids or us a matte primer the shadows most likely won’t show up as well as they are very soft – try using a more emollient base and the colors will show up better. I used the Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Rose Gold to prep my lids.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette Review Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

In the palette you have a sheer beige base, a soft cool brown, a soft warm brown, a satiny charcoal brown and a shimmering champagne. Everything is soft with a diffused look to them. For the person who wants natural definition to their eyes this is just perfect.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette Review Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette Review Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

It has a similar vibe to the Dior Eye Reviver Palette which I found way too sheer and natural for me. It also reminded me a bit of the Urban Decay Naked2 Basics so I swatched them side by side.

Dior Eye Reviver vs Chanel Les Beiges Natural Eyeshadow Palette vs Urban Decay Naked2 Basics | The Beauty Look Book

A beauty look with just the Les Beiges Gel Touch Healthy Glow Tint in 30 on the left side. On the right look:

Chanel Les Beiges

Chanel Les Beiges Collection Summer 2017 | The Beauty Look Book

Bottom line I like the collection a lot more than I expected. For me the winner is the Natural Eyeshadow Palette – it’s great for everyday when you just need a little color or a fool-proof conservative palette to add definition without looking like you have a lot of makeup on. I really like this year’s launch of the Blush Sticks – the pigment is a lot better than it was a few years ago but they still look natural. For a cream they stay put for a good amount of time but that being said they’re still creams so if you’re going to be outdoors in humid weather for an extended period of time they’re not going to be budge-proof. The Gel Touch Tint is going to be hit or miss for you depending on skin tone and skin type. I think if you like moisturizing dewy bases you’ll love this. I like it more than I expected and I found a few color matches although I would prefer it to have more of a yellow/olive undertone. I did just buy the Dior Forever Perfect Cushion in 21 and Forever Undercover Concealer in 30 and 31 and I’m testing some bases from Sisley-Paris so you may want to stay tuned for those reviews.

You can find the Chanel Les Beiges collection now online at Chanel.com and at all Chanel counters. P.S. The new brushes have launched as well along with some new nail and lip colors! I’ll be reviewing some of the brushes soon – I’m currently putting them to the test.

Have you tried anything from this year’s Les Beiges collection?

Press samples include the Chanel Les Beiges Gel Tint in 30, Les Beiges Blush Sticks in 23 and 24, Les Beiges Eyeshadow Palette and Le Rouge Crayon in Beige Rose. All other items purchased by me.

 

NARS

NARS Narsissist Loaded Eyeshadow Palette Review

June 29, 2017

NARSissist Loaded Eyeshadow Palette Review | The Beauty Look Book

By now the NARSissist Loaded Eyeshadow Palette ($59 for 12 x 0.04 oz/ 1.4 g, made in USA) is old news but with this one I say better late than never. It’s a limited-edition eyeshadow palette that launched in the spring back in March. My first thoughts were that the colors would be too warm and dark for my taste – but every single time I went to Sephora (which was quite often) I couldn’t help but give it another look. This went on for months and I finally decided to cave and buy it. Overall it’s one of the darkest and warmest palettes I own but the pigment and texture is by far the best one I’ve tried in a long time, definitely one of the best from NARS.

NARS Narsissist Loaded Eyeshadow Palette | The Beauty Look Book

The palette has a mix of mattes and shimmers. The mattes are incredibly soft and smooth. To date the best matte palettes I own are the Urban Decay Naked Basics and Naked2 Basics (both swatched here). The mattes in this palette are just as good but with warmer colors. Colors have a really good mix of light, medium and dark. The entire second row has colors I thought would be too warm for me but since I’m tan right now I find they work perfectly, especially when layered with the other shades in the palette.

Pigment is excellent for all the colors, except one. Montaillou (bottom brown matte) is the only one that goes on chalky with a regular eyeshadow brush. For me this one is best applied with a detail brush as a smokey line.

It comes in a sturdy mirrored compact with a gold mirrored lid on top (looks just like the packaging). The only complaint I have is that these lids show all the fingerprints, but it’s not a deal breaker and the packaging is actually really quite nice.

Colors and swatches:

  • Newbury Street is a pale white gold shimmer
  • Windsor is a matte cream, it’s perfect to even out my lids
  • Privilege is a shimmering gold
  • Dover is a matte taupe
  • Foix is a matte warm beige
  • Castille is a matte warm brown
  • Alnwick is a shimmering auburn
  • Beaumaris is a shimmering cool brown
  • Splendor is a metallic silvery taupe
  • Versailles is a shimmering bronze
  • Montaillou is a matte bark brown
  • Reale is a deep shimmering black

NARS Narsissist Loaded Eyeshadow Palette | The Beauty Look Book

 

NARS Narsissist Loaded Eyeshadow Palette | The Beauty Look Book

NARS Narsissist Loaded Eyeshadow Palette | The Beauty Look Book

Quick look with Windsor, Privilege, Castille, Versailles, Montaillou layered and blended. Foundation is MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC37. On the cheeks is NARS Orgasm Blush. On the lips is Bite Beauty Meringue Amuse Bouche with NARS Sweet Revenge Lip Gloss on top.

NARS Loaded Eyeshadow Palette | The Beauty Look Book

Bottom line love and I’m glad I bought it. It’s one of the best warm smokey palettes I’ve tried and one that will definitely be wearable year round. At $59 I feel it’s reasonably priced for a luxury palette. 100% worth the splurge and one I find every color one I would wear (even the warm ones!).

You can find the NARSissist Loaded Palette at most counters now. I bought mine at Sephora. Also available at NARS, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Have you tried this one yet? What’s your favorite warm smokey eyeshadow palette to date?

P.S. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is approaching and the catalog has been released! A sneak peek at some of the Beauty Exclusives on this page here. There will be a really cute NARS mini multiple set! Will be updating as I find out more information.

NARS

NARS Haul: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzer and Velvet Eye + Lip

June 13, 2017

I’ve hauled some pieces here and there from a few NARS collections. The haul has been pieces I’ve accumulated from the Charlotte Gainsbourg Collection, a couple Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzers, a Velvet Eye Shadow Stick in Siros and one of the new Velvet Matte Lip Pencils in Intriguing. I took this photo about a month ago and it’s been quite a while since I’ve been able to swatch and test everything.

NARS Charlotte Gainsbourg Collection features sheer tints for the face and lips with bold high pigment options for the eyes. I bought all of these from Nordstrom but some colors have since sold out so I’ll link where you can still find them. Everything is limited-edition. Shown below from left to right:

  • Multiple Tint in Jo (all shades available at Neiman Marcus) – the cheek tints come in three colors and they are super sheer with a dewy transparent sheen. I loved the color of Jo which is a light very light watermelon pink but ended being too dewy on my skin. It does give the face a fresh glow of natural color. To me this entire lineup seems more like something for fall – if you are living in a more mild cooler weather compared to South Florida I think this will still be ok to wear, for me it was too dewy.
  • Hydrating Glow Tint in Medium (all shades still available at Saks) is something I hated when I first tried it. The product oozed out all over the place as soon as I opened it and the colors looked so limited I thought for sure I would not find a match. I didn’t like the tip because it seemed like product would pool in the tip. I gave it a test run and love the formula. It’s a super sheer formula so colors are a bit forgiving. Still I do wish they made this in more colors. I prefer the Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer formula by far, but the hydrating glow tint gives sheer even coverage and makes the skin look fresh and glowing without being too dewy or shiny.
  • Lip Tint in Ephelide (all shades available at Neiman Marcus) is a sheer berry mauve. It has an almost jelly like finish. It’s sheer but still very pigmented to give the lips a soft tint. I bought the most neutral color option and love it for everyday or for something a bit more dressy than nude. Lasting power is so-so because it’s a gloss like formula but with no sticky or tacky feel, but it does staying power is decent.
  • Old Church Street Eyeshadow Duo is something I knew in my gut that I might not like 100% yet I broke my rule for eyeshadow purchasing and bought it anyways. I personally can’t wear teal without looking super tired. This one is no exception. I adore the left side which is a shimmering soft champagne, the other is a smooth matte teal. Both are excellent in pigment and apply smoothly so formula and color wise it’s an A+. I just don’t do teal well so I can really only wear half of it. I suspect I’m going to gift it away to a friend.

NARS Charlotte Gainsbourg Collection Picks | The Beauty Look Book

NARS Charlotte Gainsbourg Collection Picks Swatched | The Beauty Look Book

A closer look at the Hydrating Glow Tint:

NARS Charlotte Gainsbourg Hydrating Glow Tint Review | The Beauty Look Book

I was able to get samples at my counter of all the shades:

NARS Charlotte Gainsbourg Hydrating Glow Tint Review | The Beauty Look Book

My best match is Medium:

NARS Charlotte Gainsbourg Hydrating Glow Tint Review | The Beauty Look Book

Swatch comparisons to the Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in St. Moritz and Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard, Macadamia and Ginger:

NARS Charlotte Gainsbourg Hydrating Glow Tint Review | The Beauty Look Book

Swatched next to a few MAC Next to Nothing foundation shades (all of them reviewed here), I don’t have the lighter ones any more since I gifted them away to a friend as I’m more in the medium range:

NARS Charlotte Gainsbourg Hydrating Glow Tint Review | The Beauty Look Book

Next I picked up a couple things from the regular line including the Velvet Lip Pencil in Intriguing and Velvet Eye Shadow Stick in Siros. Intriguing is a warm rose with a velvet finish. Pigment is medium to full and covers the lip entirely. There’s no detectable scent and it lasts a long time. I’m still a glossy girl at heart but these still wear nicely for me. Siros isn’t a new shade (I believe it was launched in the spring) but I picked it up. It’s a gorgeous light bronzey shimmer which I’m obsessed with. Swatch comparisons below.

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Intriguing and Velvet Eye Shadow Stick Siros

Lips compared to the following. The NARS Intriguing pulls the warmest on me (lip swatch a bit lower). For a pencil kind of product I prefer the Hourglass out of the three I swatched for the formula/color. The last three are traditional lipstick formulas, all a lot more pink and cooler-toned than the NARS, but still in the same color family.

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Intriguing Comparison Swatches

Shadow swatches below in other shimmery shades. Siros is the most coppery and the lightest.

NARS Velvet Shadow Stick Siros Comparison Swatches

Lip swatches:

NARS Velvet Lip Pencil Intriguing Lip Tint Ephelide

Last but not least are two of the Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzers in Seaside and Laguna. I tested these immediately as soon as I bought them and fell in love with the soft matte finish they both had. It’s since gotten more humid and wet for weather and suddenly these now look a bit muddy on my skin unless I apply with a super light hand. I suspect I’m just too light for these even though I have a pretty good tan right now. Seaside is the lightest option and also the warmest. Laguna is not the same as the original. If you don’t have the original and are deciding between the Sun Wash version and the other, I’d go with the original. It has a prettiest glow to it without looking overdone.

NARS Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzer Seaside and Laguna

NARS Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzer | The Beauty Look Book

That wraps up my NARS hauling. Overall thoughts on the Charlotte Gainsbourg collection are that it’s a very pretty collection of products and formulas but seems better suited for fall. If this were THE summer collection for NARS I’d be pretty disappointed as I usually love the fresh warm bronze and peaches they launch. That being said I’ve been plenty busy with the Banc de Sable Palette (now available on NARS) and the Liquid Blush (review here) for my summer beauty fix. I saw a preview of some summer newness on Instagram from @bubblymichelle and hope we get this in the US!

For the two permanent items, I think the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils are great for a matte product. They’re not heavy or cakey like traditional mattes. They glide on the lips nicely and stay put longer than a sheer glossy lip or balm. Siros is pure love for me. I love those kinds of shades and finding a nice copper/gold/bronze that isn’t too warm can be a challenge for me.

For the bronzers at this point I’d say they’re a pass. I’ll be gifting these to a friend as well. I really loved them when the weather wasn’t so humid but it’s just the start here in Florida and it will be months before it cools down. I’m more smitten with the Becca Sunlit Bronzers because they have a nice soft glow to them which don’t oxidize or look muddy on my skin.

You can find NARS online at NARS, Nordstrom, Sephora, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus.

Have you tried any of these things yet? What did you think?