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2011

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Guerlain Holiday Parure de Nuit Pressed Powder & Blush and Rouge Automatique in Flirt d’un Jour

October 4, 2011
Guerlain seems to be the earliest with holiday releases this year. I was only planning on the Meteorites Powder, but instead caved on the Parure de Nuit Pressed Powder & Blush and Rouge Automatique in Flirt d’un Jour #169. I am still relatively new to Guerlain products but have discovered quite a bit this past year from the line. I’ve fallen in love with the Lingerie de Peau and new eyeshadow quads that were released for fall. My interest is slowly growing. For those interested, I spotted the collection at Neimans last week. It should be arriving at your Guerlain counters very soon.

After my fall highlighter post, several have asked for my thoughts on the ones for holiday. To date, I’ve only seen Guerlain’s. The Parure de Nuit Pressed Powder & Blush ($67) design was too pretty to pass up on and from a distance I thought the red circles were ladybugs, although they are in fact in the pattern of peacock feathers. This comes in a double tiered compact with a compartment for a turquoise/teal goat-hair brush. The brush feels very nice on the skin but I am not sure it’s the best for this highlighter/blush. The Parure de Nuit is a very soft and sheer pearly shimmer powder. There is a gorgeous overspray of an iridescent opal pink and I was sad to find that it disappeared after the initial application/swipe. What lies beneath is a soft pinkish pearl – even after swirling your brush in all the colors over the red circles, all that you really see is a luminous pearl. It gives a beautiful soft glow but I wish there was more pigment or more visible shimmer. I could not get a decent arm swatch to photograph. On the face it gives the slightest hint of glimmer when applied with a stiffer denser blush brush. I would not use this as an all over the face powder, although some might.

I took my fingers and swiped them back and forth three times all over the powder for this swatch. Below it’s been swatched heavily on fingers so you can see the pearly finish, but on the face it is barely detectable.

Rouge Automatique in Flirt d’un Jour #169 ($35) is a beautiful soft pink. The texture is very smooth and feels moisturizing on the lips. It has a natural sheen but gives decent coverage to cover the entire lip. The finish is the slightest bit transparent so your natural lip shows through a little bit. I’m not the biggest fan of gold packaging but the push nob in the front almost makes this lipstick feel like a toy.

Overall I love the lipstick and semi-like the highlighter/blush. I realize the highlighter was designed to give a subtle glow, but as Messy Wands wrote, I do agree that I think darker skins will find it will not show up. I’m not dark or tan, but with my medium skin, it barely shows up. It does give a nice soft luster to the cheeks but I personally prefer something that is more visibly glowy or pearly (without the frost). If Guerlain had kicked up the pigment/intensity by 1.5 notches this would have been a winner for me. The darker berry lipstick looked divine but I’m still scared of dark berries. Perhaps I will be brave enough to try it the next time I’m at the Guerlain counter.
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Juicy Couture & Deborah Lippmann Holiday Trio Comparisons: Believe, Here Comes the Queen & Jewel in the Crown

October 2, 2011

Here are comparisons for the Deborah Lippmann/Juicy Couture Precious Metals Trio which includes Believe, Here Comes the Queen and Jewel in the Crown.

The comparisons (no dupes found):
  1. Estee Lauder Extravagant Pearl
  2. Lunasol Cool Beige 19
  3. Paul & Joe Nail Enamel 01
  4. Rococo Nail Apparel R2T2
  5. Chanel Trapeze
  6. Deborah Lippmann Believe
  7. Dior Timeless Gold
  8. Chanel Quartz
  9. Deborah Lippmann Jewel in the Crown
  10. Chanel Kaleidoscope
  11. YSL 141
  12. Chanel Graphite
  13. Dior NY57th
  14. Paul & Joe 005
  15. Deborah Lippmann Here Comes the Queen
  16. Chanel Illusion d’Or
  17. Chanel Galactic Touch
  18. Chanel Gold Lame

All work is copyrighted. Please do not republish, use, hotlink or steal images.
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Juicy Couture & Deborah Lippmann Precious Metals Nail Polish Set

October 2, 2011

This year Deborah Lippmann and Juicy Couture have teamed up to create some beautiful holiday nail polish sets. Temptalia offered a sneak peek in early August (see her website for details on the full lineup). Yesterday I saw the two nail trios on display at a Juicy Couture boutique. I picked up the Precious Metals Trio ($48) which includes three metallic shades encased in a small pink box:
  • Believe – an opalescent silver gold metallic
  • Here Comes the Queen – a Juicy Couture/Deborah Lippmann shade exclusive, a sheer glittery gold sparkle
  • Jewel in the Crown – a Juicy Couture/Deborah Lippmann shade exclusive, a shimmering highly metallic pewter
The colors in the Precious Metals set have a slightly different packaging in the handles. Instead of the matte black top, the Deborah Lippmann/Juicy Couture shades in this set come with a metal-colored handle capped with a clear gemstone-shaped top (in true Juicy Couture bling style).

Left to right: Believe, Here Comes the Queen, Jewel in the Crown

All the shades swatched together plus close ups (Believe and Jewel in the Crown 2 coats, Here Comes the Queen has 4 coats):

Believe is not a new shade, but new for me. It’s a complex opalescent silvery gold metallic shade. Pigment is very good with this color and has minimal streaking for a metallic finish nail polish. Here it is with two coats.

Here Comes the Queen is a sheer glittery warm gold. It’s very sheer but if you apply Deborah Lippmann’s Rehydrating Base Coat first, the glitter adheres to the nail better. It has about the same finish/intensity as Chanel’s Illusion d’Or (comparisons soon). I’m not a huge fan but I suspect this will be a good layering piece for those who like to layer nail polishes (I personally do not). Below is with one coat, it does not photograph well but the finish isn’t quite as sheer as shown in the swatch.

Jewel in the Crown is the color I purchased this set for. It’s a rich metallic pewter. There were no testers at the boutique so I was not able to try this befor buying. It appears there might be tiny bits of glitter in this. They don’t really show up when you apply, but when you brush your nails with the nail polish you will see tiny little round chunks that look like small bumps. It’s not too noticeable unless you look closely. This one does have streaking like many metallics do but it smooths out with two coats.

Overall this is a cute set for the holidays but not a must-have for me. I have to admit I bought this mainly for the metallic pewter shade Jewel in the Crown. I’ve had my eye on Believe for sometime but was never able to cave in the past. If you love metallics you will love this set. If you found the metallics of Chanel fall too much, then this is something you can safely pass on. I personally feel Chanel’s metallics are more sophisticated in the shimmer and better designed with less streaking but Deborah Lippmann’s shades are still good.
Is this a good deal? Not exactly. I wouldn’t call this a “deal” since the retail price of the set is the same as if you bought 3 individual nail Deborah Lippmann polishes (unless you consider Here Comes the Queen a glitter, then you save $2). Still, Deborah Lippmann nail polishes are fairly reasonable in price for a higher-end nail polish although for a holiday set it would have been nice to have a bit more of a price break.

For availability, I am not sure where this will be available for sale. I found mine instore at a Juicy Couture Boutique and only saw the 2 nail trios. I suspect the other sets will be released in the upcoming weeks.  I’ve searched online to see if this shows up through any other retailers and so far I have not seen anything yet.

Comparisons will come in the next post.

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Wearing Lately

October 1, 2011

I thought I’d shade what I’ve been wearing on my tips and toes lately. Here are a few pairings I’ve worn over the last month. I typically wear the lighter shade on the fingers and the darker ones on the toes.
Chanel Quartz and Le Métier de Beauté Midnight Rendezvous
Rococo Nail Apparel Lab Nude 3.0 and Chanel Coco Blue
Chanel Paradoxal and Chanel Steel

Chanel Quartz and Le Métier de Beauté Midnight Rendezvous

Rococo Nail Apparel Lab Nude 3.0 and Chanel Coco Blue

Chanel Paradoxal and Chanel Steel

With holiday collections trickling in I can’t wait for the reds, pinks and golds. What have you been wearing lately?
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Chanel Foundation Brush #6

September 28, 2011

Chanel is currently revamping their US brushes and the first new one to be released is the #6 Foundation Brush ($45). Many thanks to Cafe Makeup who let me know this was released with the new foundation (the brush was not on the Nordstrom display and without her, I would not have realized this was out). The brush has a sleek and sophisticated look with a matte black handle and silver embossed lettering. I’ve tested the new one for about a week with different liquid foundations and find it performs very well to evenly blend the foundation on the face. With all foundation brushes, I find a bit of streaking because of the bristles. I typically prefer a sponge, but when I do use a brush, I always end up smoothing out my face with fingers or a sponge. This one seems to work better for me than most others because the bristles are more naturally tapered.

Here are a few closeups of the new Foundation Brush #6, the handle has a beautiful black matte finish which contrasts nicely to the silver lettering:

Compared to the original one #16, the new #6 is made of different bristles, is slightly shorter in overall length, has shorter bristles and is slightly chubbier in depth. Both the original and new versions are made in China. To me the performance is very similar but I prefer the look of the new one. It just looks cleaner and more professional. Here is the original compared to the new:

Here is the new Chanel compared to a few other brands including Armani, Prescriptives and MAC:

The other brands have worked well for me in past years. The oldest one I own is the Prescriptives Foundation brush which has held up for me since my high school days. All the ones I’ve tried have worked well, I have no complaints, but the new Chanel #6 definitely has the best design and at $45 seems  very reasonably priced (unlike their eyelash curler). Definitely worth checking out if you’re near a Chanel counter. I’m testing out the new Perfection Lumiere and so far love it but need a few more days of use to provide a thorough review.
Have you checked out the new Chanel foundation brush? Do you own the original? What are your thoughts comparing the two?
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Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Natural Lighting Powder

September 27, 2011

Koh Gen Do’s Maifanshi Natural Lighting Powder ($42 for 0.42 oz/12 g) comes in one shade: a light beige with a finely milled pearl finish. It’s not exactly a translucent powder but the finish is sheer and the color disappears once applied very much like a translucent powder. The pearl particles give a soft glowy look to the skin and while the shimmer is visible, it’s not over the top. The finish is not quite as glowy as Chanel’s Poudre Douce – Soft Pressed Powder, but the concept is similar. I would say this powder is most similar to Armani’s Microfil Loose Powder with the shimmer particles being the same size. This is a beautiful setting powder but the sheerness means that it won’t necessarily even out the skin, but rather set your foundation and add a subtle glow.

The Koh Gen Go powder comes with a puff but I prefer to apply with a loose fluffy brush over a creamy foundation. In the past few months, I’ve tried this with a number of foundations and tinted moisturizers and it works with  other brands including Chanel, Guerlain, Laura Mercier. I like that it doesn’t alter the color of your foundation but rather sets it. I’ve used Laura Mercier’s Translucent Powder for years and while I love it, I find sometimes it can look a bit chalky on my skin when I am very tanned.

Here is the Aqua foundation and Powder photographed together for a size comparison. I like that the container is large enough to easily fit a large fluffy powder brush in the top.

I’ve compared the Koh Gen Do powder to a few others. The color is different from others that I own but still sheer enough to work on a wide range of skintones due to the sheerness. Below is Laura Mercier’s Translucent, Armani Micro-fil #2, Chanel’s Naturel 30 Translucent 2.

Here it’s heavily swatched on my arm although they disappear when applied with a brush or puff on the face.

Overall the Koh Gen Do is a lovely loose powder. I personally prefer something with a bit more coverage when it comes to powders and I tend to prefer the pressed kind. I will even set my liquid foundations with powder foundations even though most might find it to be a bit of an overkill. I like my liquid foundations sheer to medium and my powders to be a bit heavier. To date, I think the Chanel and Armani are my two favorite loose powders still, but the limited shade selection make them difficult for many. I think the Koh Gen Do is more universally flattering for a wider range of skintones and adds a pretty glow. Will I ever repurchase? At this time I’m not sure, the tub is so large it seems like it will take quite a while for me to use up. I go through compact powders and powder foundations at least 5 times faster than I do for loose powders.

Have you tried Koh Gen Do’s powders? What are your thoughts? Any favorites?

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Base Makeup

Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation in OC-2

September 26, 2011

In the past few months I’ve been testing out new skincare, powders and foundations from Koh Gen Do, Le Metier de Beaute, Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana. Even though I’ve been getting regular use out of Guerlain’s Lingerie de Peau, Chanel’s Vitalumiere Aqua and Chanel’s discontinued Teint Innocence, I’ve still been on the hunt for new foundations to try. I’ll be writing a review on each item in the upcoming weeks. First up is my experience with Koh Gen Do’s Aqua Foundation in OC-2 ($62) from Barneys New York.

 

I first read about Koh Gen Do’s Aqua Foundation ($62 for 1.01 fl oz.30 ml) on Into The Gloss earlier this year and noticed it was featured again on her Top Shelf series this past July. When she described it as “foundation heaven” I knew I had to try it. I’ve heard nothing but raves about Koh Gen Do and having fallen in love with their face masks, cleansing water and natural light loose powder, I had the Koh Gen Do foundation on my list of things to check out.

Back in August, I was in LA and stopped by Barneys Beverly Hills. The Koh Gen Do artists recommended that I try the Aqua Foundation for my skin type (normal, fairly clear, slightly oily in the T-zone in warm weather, but overall normal). They swatched OC-1 and OC-2 on my jawline and after seeing them side-by-side I was shocked at the difference. There’s quite a big jump in between shades. OC-1 was definitely too pale, OC-2 looked like it would be too dark but on the skin blended well with my skin. Ideally I would have liked something right in between the two colors and at $62 a bottle I wasn’t really keen on buying both to custom mix my own shade. OC-2 was a pretty good match and with the combination of the Moisture Milk, Aqua Foundation and Natural Finish Powder, my skin never looked so naturally flawless I was sold.

The Koh Gen Do Aqua foundation is a liquid formula and comes with a pump. It’s rather pricey at $62 but the finish is naturally beautiful. It evens out the skin and has a slightly dewy finish but it’s not too dewy like some tinted moisturizers. If you read the details on Koh Gen Do you will learn that they designed this with something they call “the golden ratio” which consists of 45% water, 35% emollients, and 20% powder to balance perfectly with one’s skin. The finish is sheer to medium and slightly transparent so the skin shows through. It’s not a pearly finish foundation but not completely matte either. I would say it’s somewhere in between the texture and finish of Chanel’s Teint Innocence Liquid foundation and Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer.

Here is OC-2 pumped next to Edward Bess Beige, Guerlain Lingerie de Peau 03 and Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B20 and B30. I was initially matched to Chanel B20 but is now clearly too light for me (will have to save for winter). I did not blend these out because I could not photograph them fast enough before the liquids dried and then darkened on my arm. Two things to take into consideration: 1) the inside of my arm is lighter than my face and 2) my skin is weird because so many different colors of foundation work on my skin (as long as it doesn’t have a pinkish base).

Here on the back of my hand (which is closer in color to my face) you can see it blends out to disappear but give a dewy finish. This was the sharpest photograph I could get while still showing the slight sheen. Clearer photos make the hand look like it’s nothing but bare skin.

I’ve been using this foundation for a month and a half now and have overall been pleased with the results.  No irritation, no break outs, no streaking or darkening. It lasts all day but I found that it works best when layered of the Macro Vintage Royal Massage Milk (see more on Kohgendocosmetics.com). I received a small sample that lasted me about 1 week of daily morning use. It’s an amazing product and made my skin look and feel like baby’s skin. I haven’t caved to purchase this since I just bought a cream from Le Metier but it is definitely on my watch list for the future.

For use right now I apply over Le Metier’s day cream and then use Cle de Peau’s concealer in Beige on areas that need more coverage. Sometimes I will finish with Koh Gen Do’s powder, other days I will finish with Chanel or D&G’s powder foundations.

My only wish is that the foundation came in more shades. Since it is a sheer formula, the colors are slightly more forgiving if you can’t find an exact match. Since I am a bit more tanned right now OC-2 works well for me, but just barely. If I become even 1/2 a shade lighter I know this will be too dark, yet OC-1 will definitely be too pale. For more information, a list of ingredients and list of shades, I highly recommend you check out Koh Gen Do’s Website. They have detailed diagrams and descriptions of each product (all of which I find extremely informative, useful and non-gimmicky).

Have you tried Koh Gen Do’s foundations? Which formula did you try and what were your thoughts?

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