Monthly Archives

March 2010

Uncategorized

New Dior Addict Glosses & Lip Polish

March 31, 2010
Dior has released a new lipgloss called Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss which comes in a larger tube than the regular Addict Ultra-Gloss Reflect formula. Does this mean the original Addict Ultra-Gloss Reflects are going away? I’m not sure. There are quite a few of the same shade numbers in the new packaging/formula, just with different names, my SA did not know when I asked her.

The new formula retails at the same price as the old, even though the newer tubes have slightly more product. Both retail for $26.50, the new tubes have 6.3 ml/.21 fl oz versus the older tubes which have 6 ml/.19 fl oz.

Also, new and exclusive to Sephora for Spring 2010, there is a new Lip Polish called Petal Pink in #004 for $29.50. I wrote about the other 3 lip polishes last June, click here for the review/swatches.

L to R: Lace Beige, Pink Silk, Negligee Pink, Petal Pink

Close up:


Overall lovely with nice soft-medium pigment and smooth texture. The new Addict Ultra-Glosses range from cream non-shimmer to soft iridescent to super sparkle, so there’s a wide range to suit your sparkle needs. I picked the ones that were more subdued. (From Nordstrom.) If you own any Dior glosses, I suggest you go through your current stash and write down the numbers of the colors you own so you don’t experience the same “do I already have this shade” that I did while playing with all the colors.

(FYI those not familiar with Dior, most of their lipglosses are labeled by number at the bottom, the product name is typically only on the boxes, making it a challenge to remember what colors you have.)

The new Lip Polish in Petal Pink is fairly sheer. If I had tested it in-store, I probably would have passed. It is very dupable from other milky pinks, although it does give your lips that pretty youthful looking glow. These are pricey at $29.50, but this is due to the roller-wand and unique ingredients. I personally find the rolling wand a bit awkward to use since I’m not used to it. (From Sephora.)

Uncategorized

Color Focus: Dove Grey Eyeshadows

March 30, 2010
I find it incredible how many different variations of grey there are. One particular color I don’t come across very often is dove-grey for eyeshadows, but perhaps this is because I don’t look for it very often. I personally define dove-grey as a blueish grey, but even the ones I pull out are probably subject to interpretation. I didn’t think I had many dove-grey shadows, but I managed to pull out a number of barely used dove-grey shadows from my stash. I need to use these more often. Even for something I would define as “dove-grey” there are quite a few variations. Some of them look more blue than grey. And I was surprised how neutral/warm Apres Ski looks on my skin compared to what I see in the container.

Armani Cream #2 (LE from Spring 2005), NARS Notorious (discontinued), Jouer Truffle, MAC Scene, Becca Chinchilla, Laura Mercier Stone Suede Satinee, Stila Shore, Laura Mercier Sable, Laura Mercier Twilight Grey, MAC Copperplate, MAC Apres Ski




Some of these you might even describe as taupe. I don’t use these a lot, but I think pairing these with a soft pearl shimmer would be pretty.

Uncategorized

Sneak Peeks from Paul & Joe and Edward Bess

March 28, 2010

Two of my favorite brands Paul & Joe and Edward Bess have some great new things coming out! I have some information on a few upcoming new products I am super excited about and wanted to share the details with you!

Paul & Joe has posted a preview scan of their upcoming Summer Brochure on Facebook, so check out their fan page. There are:

  • 3 lipsticks – Caravan (a natural coral pink), Sahara (a sexy vivid pink), Morocco (a warm golden pink)
  • 3 nail polishes – Marrakesh (a stunning exotic coral red), Mirage (a soft neutral sand brown), Oasis (a sophisticated earthy blue)
  • 2 shimmer powders – Dune & Desert Sand
  • + more: body shimmer oil, blotting papers, nail files

Jocelyn from Paul & Joe was kind enough to send me a few sneak peek photos:

* photos from Paul & Joe

* photos from Paul & Joe

Also coming in April (before the summer collection is released) are 5 new double-sided lipliners and 10 new wand lipglosses which I believe will replace the current wand glosses. I was lucky enough to be able to swatch testers of the lipliners! The lipglosses were lovely, but unfortunately I didn’t swatch those. The packaging is similar to the older wands but the tubes have the flower design embossed. (Disregard my scribbles to the right, I meant to say that lipglosses are being released in conjunction with the lipliners.) Each lipliner has 2 formulas on each pencil, one more creamy and slightly glossy and the other more opaque.

* Photo from Paul & Joe

Edward Bess has released some new products! I spoke with both Susan and Edward last week to get the 411 on the new products. They sent a swatch card in the mail which made me even more excited.

Soft Smoke Eyeshadow Trio which has:
* a pale color similar in concept to their Nude eyeshadow, but brighter less creamy/beige
* a soft dove-grey which is described as EB’s first true grey (a sister shade to Dusk which isn’t a true grey since it has a more mossy finish)
* a deep dark charcoal not quite as dark as Night Eyeshadow

Soft Orchid Blush: soft cool pink (see Amy’s lovely review for photos and description on CafeMakeup.com)

After Sunset Compact Rouge: described as a burned rose, almost bronzey, darker skinned girls who want more color, I think you’ll really like this!

BONUS NOTE: Note that Bergdorf Goodman is having their giftcard event coming up starting April 18 – I believe both counters are doing a promotion in addition to their $25 off $100 purchase.

Uncategorized

Color Focus: Soft Peach & Peachy-Gold Eyeshadows

March 27, 2010
You can’t go wrong with a soft peachy-gold eyeshadow for an all-over easy & quick eye look. For girls with medium skintone, there are tons of your-lids-but-better options out there for a no-fail shimmery peach. My all time favorite is Chanel Abricot which I hear has now been discontinued. Luckily you can probably still find it at one of your local counters. Some of the peachy shades look pale on my skin even though they look peachy in the container.

Dior Beige Select, Chanel Abricot, Trish McEvoy Golden Apricot, Bobbi Brown Golden Peach, Laura Mercier Guava (old formula)

MAC Rubenesque & Shu Uemura Cream P Beige

MAC Hush, Motif, Jest, Arena (in pro-palette form)

Urban Decay Blaze, MAC Evening Aura, MAC Say Yeah

Paul & Joe #22, Paul & Joe #003, Armani Maestro #19

MAC Jardin Aires Pigment, MAC Melon Pigment, Laura Mercier Gemstone Mineral Eye Color, Laura Mercier Peach Luster Mineral Eye Color

All the shades grouped together (note, I apologize for the error below, but the color labeled Dazzleray is actually Jardin Aires):



Uncategorized

Chanel Coromandel Le Vernis

March 26, 2010
Last August, Chanel released their Rouge Allure Laque collection in the US which included new rouge allure lipsticks, a new liquid lipstick and new nail polishes. I wrote about Ming, Dragon, Santal and Mythic last fall, but I soon added Coromandel Nail Polish to my collection – a very bright and very warm tomato-orange with slight red tones and has the slightest bit of iridescence in the bottle. The shimmer doesn’t really show up once you apply it. I don’t know that I can pull it off on the fingers but I love it for the toes even though it’s pretty vibrant. It’s one of those colors where I can’t really tell if it’s more orange or more red. It’s one of those right in-between colors.





I tried photographing a comparison of Dragon v Coromandel, but they pictures turned out pretty much the same so you can’t tell the difference. In real life, Dragon is similar, just more red and less orange.
Chanel Coromandel – 2 coats. Sandals by Tory Burch from Nordstrom.
Uncategorized

Trish McEvoy Natural Lipstick & Irresistible Petal Lipgloss

March 25, 2010
Trish McEvoy’s latest release, The Bronze Collection, is trickling into stores and I am really excited to report that the Irresistible Petal Lip Gloss that was in the Turquoise Petite Python Planner is available separately!
Products featured include: Dual Matte Bronzer in Medium, Mistake-Proof Sheer Application Brush, Classic Lip Color in Natural, Irresistible Petal Lipgloss.

Check out her website, TrishMcEvoy.com – The Bronze Collection for more details on each item. Even more exciting – Trish has done a video on the look which can be viewed on her Trish McEvoy FaceBook Fan Page. I just discovered her FB resource and it has a lot of great features! I like the look on the model from the video, although she’s quite a bit darker in skintone than I am, it’s nice to see how the products look on her.

And even better, another view for their promotional photo on the collection. I love that the look is simple and gorgeous and fresh. Photo from Trish McEvoy:

I found some of the items at Saks – the display unit was up, but the products were not yet featured for testing. Thanks to my iPhone, I was to check online for the product names and my SA kindly checked the drawers to see if they had any of the colors in-stock. They had the lipstick and lipgloss. I know Trish products pretty well now, so I didn’t need to test them out before buying. Seeing them in the tubes was enough for me to say, “yes, one of each please!”

Top: Irresistible Petal
Bottom: Natural


* Natural Lipstick ($23) is a new formula which is more matte than her other lipsticks. According to her video, this is the first of her new Classic Lip Color line which will consist of shades that are here to stay. It’s a natural pinky your-lips-but-better color. If you found the Chanel Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle too warm for you, I think the Trish McEvoy Natural might be a similar but less warm alternative for you to check out.

* Irresistible Petal ($25) is the third color in her Irresistible Lip Gloss formula (Irresistible reviewed back last July & Irresistible Pink, tried but not purchased) which all have a reflective sparkle quality. These have quite a bit more shimmer with tiny micro-sparkles than her regular lipglosses. I found Irresistible to be just as sparkly as MAC Dazzleglasses, but the newest Irresistible Petal has a more subdued sparkle. It’s a sheer light pink sparkle which has a faint minty scent and smooth glossy finish. The gloss gives me really full lips.

Here they are both swatched on my lips:


I wrote about the Python Planner set from Blue Mercury back during Christmas. The set was intended as a gift, but luckily I got to keep the actual python print planner since my friend liked the regular black quilted petite planner instead 🙂

I have too many planners to count in various sizes. The pros to using these include the fact that they keep you organized, they help you sort all your makeup items and tools, and it’s convenient to carry if you have a larger purse or for travel. The downside is that since it’s designed for Trish McEvoy products, you have to find pan eyeshadows/blushes to fit in her page to make full use of the planner. But if you’re not a 100% Trish user, not to worry, you can still fit quite a bit of other items from other brands into the sets.

This is what I have in mine today:

This is everything I was able to fit into the planner and there was still plenty more room to fit more stuff. Includes a variety of mini brushes, Chanel mascara, Paul & Joe lipliner, Edward Bess Afterglow Highlighter, Trish Eye Base + Lipstick + Luminizer + Petite Page + Lipliner + Lipgloss, Laura Mercier cream eyeshadow, Le Metier eyeliner etc.

How the planner fits neatly into my purse:

My purse contents (I have no idea why there is Splenda in my bag):

Overall thoughts: Both are pretty for spring. The Natural lipstick is indeed very natural looking. It gives me my-lips-but-better with a soft rosey tint. If you want more color, Trish definitely has some brighter lipsticks which are flattering and have a pretty finish. The lipgloss is very sheer, but I love the way it adds a bit of sparkle and it smells and feels great.
Uncategorized

Ten Things I’m Loving Right Now

March 21, 2010


1. Paul & Joe Alice in Wonderland Fantasy Set – So cute, I can’t help but smile everytime I look at my P&J Alice sets. I wish I could take it with me in my purse, but it’s not really practical for toting around. The lipbalm goes on basically clear even though it has a pink tint. I haven’t seen the new movie – anyone who has, what are your thoughts?


2. Chanel Sillage Eyeshadow – From the spring collection, this is a lovely shimmery light highlighting color. It’s along the same lines of Lotus, Liberty and Island eyeshadows but has a bit more pink with slight peach to it. It gives a lovely glow to the lid.


3. Chantecaille Sel Eyeshadow – Yes, of course, I’m always loving at least one taupe shade every month. This month my favorite is Chantecaille Sel – a complex color that has shades of silver, taupe, grey, and gold making this very uniquely stunning. It looks different depending on what angle you hold the compact at. I have a hard time pulling off most silvers. Taupes I can do, but pure silvery shades end up making me look tired. On my skin Sel is more silvery but the gold in it makes it wearable for me which is a plus. I love this over Laura Mercier’s Platinum Metallic Cream Eyeshadow.


4. Giorgio Armani Maestro 23 – This color replaced the original Eyeshadow #4. It’s a deep navy-black with a satin finish that has a slight shimmer. There are definitely other similar colors, but I like that the Maestro 23 isn’t too harsh like most blacks or navys which are typically flat matte shades. The texture makes the finish a bit softer since you can blend and layer it to the intensity you prefer.


5. Lancome Pop Petrol 014 Nail Polish – See the full review plus some other views here. Such a lovely murky steel green blue shimmer. I prefer it on the toes rather than fingers, but I’ve never received so many head-turns, compliments and random women coming up to me to ask “what color is that you’re wearing?” just from a nail polish.


6. NARS Ophelia Lipgloss – Also from spring, this is a sheer healthy pink with shimmer. Looks lovely over the new Cruising lipstick or Tutti Frutti lipstick. (Pictured below, swatch is at the top.)


7. Chanel Maline 141 Glossimer – From the spring 2010 collection, it’s on the sheer side and basically goes on clear, but I love the sparkles in this. It looks great over lipsticks to add a pretty sheen. I really like this over nudes like Chanel Como Aqualumiere and MAC Marquise D. (Pictured above, bottom swatch.)

8. Chanel Gardenia 13 Rouge Coco – This is exclusive to Neiman Marcus. It’s a soft shimmery warm pink on me. I’ve already reviewed/featured this before, but here it is on me below again. It might be replacing my Chanel Waikiki for HG (holy grail) status.


Also check it out on Tali at The Gloss Goss here to see how it looks on a different skintone. It’s gorgeous on her!

9. Chanel Caprice Blush – This came out years ago in the US and is by far the prettiest pink blush I have ever seen. I was really sad that it was discontinued but luckily I have a back up! It’s like a soft pink version of Chanel Rose Bronze/Armani Blush #10 without the bronzey looking finish that these have sometimes. There’s no dupe for this that I know of and I’ve searched hi and lo through almost every high-end brand. No luck.


10. Chanel UV Essential – For the past week, I’ve been using this on top of my moisturizer, underneath foundation as a primer. It’s very liquid and has a thin texture so a little goes a long way. The recommended use is to apply it as the last step of your daily skincare regimen. It works really well for me to make my makeup last all day.