2013

Summer Glow

June 2, 2013

Finding the right bronzer or illuminator to achieve the perfect well-balanced summer glow can be a challenge sometimes. There are slight differences in the undertones, shimmer factor and pigment that can make some products make the skin look muddy, too shimmery or too dark. I’ve always been one to favor stronger contrasted bronzers but sometimes I want something just a bit more subtle. This season there are a number of new bronzers and illuminators that are well balanced in both color and shimmer. The result is a more naturally flattering summer glow. A few of my new favorites mixed in with some older ones in both powder bronzers and liquid highlighters.

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Above left to right: Giorgio Armani Summer 2013 Palette $88 // MAC Temperature Rising Pro Longwear Bronzer in Nude on Board $30 // Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant $45

Giorgio Armani’s Bronze Palette (previously swatched here)
gives the perfect luminous light warm bronze highlight. It’s a goof
proof naturally flattering shade that has just the right amount of
shimmer. MAC’s Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder in Nude on Board is a
finely milled darker cooler-toned bronze that makes you look naturally
tanned. I like that it has a soft sheen and that it’s more on the neutral side for bronzers. The pigment is richer than most other MAC powder bronzers but doesn’t darken on the skin. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant is a more sparkly option, it gives a warm glow (detailed review to come soon).

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Above left to right: Tom Ford Fire Lust $65 at select Neiman Marcus and Saks stores // MAC Strobe Liquid in Golden Elixir $31 // Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer No. 10 $59 // Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel in Sunkissed $48

I usually prefer to wear illuminators over foundation and powder as a
highlight. I find most liquid highlighters either too shimmery or pale to mix in with my
foundation. The result is often a clash with my olive skin making me look like a shimmery statue. There are several peachy/bronze ones now that I find perfect
to mix in to give that all over luminous glow without looking like a
bronze statue. Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel is a classic favorite, if you haven’t tried it yet I highly recommend it. Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer 10 (see it swatched here) is a lovely warm golden shimmer (this one is the most fluid and sheer). MAC Strobe Liquid in Golden Elixir is a definite must-have that I’ve already backed-up. It just might be my holy grail bronze liquid highlighter. Tom Ford Fire Lust (reviewed here)
is a pretty sheer natural peachy highlighter. Due to the price I usually
don’t mix in with foundation but just use on the cheeks and temples as a
soft highlight for a luminous glow.

If I could only pick two items this season, it would be the Giorgio Armani Summer Bronze palette and MAC Strobe Liquid in Golden Elixir. What are your favorite items you use to get that summer glow? Do you usually mix in a highlighter with foundation? Share your skintone and favorite go-to items.

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Rescue Beauty Lounge Poppy

May 31, 2013

Rescue Beauty Lounge Poppy ($20 on Rescuebeauty.com) was released a year ago as part of the GOMM Collection. It’s a rich luscious warm poppy infused with electric red sparkles. In my mind, Ji Baek does the best vibrant reds and corals with her Rescue Beauty Lounge line. Poppy is no exception. It’s a shade I’ve put on dozens of times over the past year, I can’t believe it too me this long to review.

Here it is swatched, the shimmers are visible on the nail, but very subtle:

I couldn’t find anything quite like it. Chanel corals proved to be different, Enthusiast and Coromandel are both darker while Holiday is more orange and electric. The closest I could find is Dior Diablotine (reviewed here) which has more visible sparkles and is slightly more pink due to the multi-glitters.

Quick comparison below to Diablotine and Delice by Dior:

Even our visiting friend Coco loved Rescue Beauty Lounge Poppy, she wouldn’t leave my side while I was taking pictures (testing the Chanel top coat over it, read the review here).

If you’re in the market for a killer coral poppy red with some shimmer, RBL Poppy is definitely a must-have. It’s a classic shade that will never go out of style. You can find it now on Rescuebeauty.com.

Do you have Rescue Beauty Lounge Poppy? What’s your favorite coral red by her line?

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Chanel Collection Avant-Première Le Vernis: Starlet, Paparazzi, Cinéma and Provocation

May 29, 2013

The Chanel Collection Avant-Première has arrived in the US with three new shades of Le Vernis in Starlet 575, Paparazzi 579, Cinéma 581 and one repromote of Provocation 599 from Fashion’s Night Out 2012 (each $27 on Nordstrom). I purchased the three new ones. Each shade has rich flawless coverage. They are beautiful classics with a modern twist. I am particularly happy that the shimmers in Starlet and Paparazzi aren’t the typical secret shimmers Chanel does sometimes. They actually show up this time without being full on frosts.

Starlet 575 is gorgeous rich peach shimmer. There is a slight hint of pink mixed in which prevents it from looking lobster-like on your hands. This is limited-edition and hands down a definite must-have.

Paparazzi 579 sounds familiar but is actually a new shade. There was another Paparazzi by the number 208 previously released. The two are completely different shades. The new Paparazzi 579 is a stunning dusty bronzey mauve rose shimmer. I love it. I thought it would be similar to April but this has a softer quality (scroll down below for comparisons).

Original 208 vs New 579 Paparazzi:

Cinéma 581 is a classic red. As Café Makeup noted, Chanel has mastered the perfect reds (see her swatches here). I found Cinéma to be very similar to Dragon. Cinéma is slightly cooler-toned and slightly more jelly-like in texture.

Provocation was previously featured in September when it was released during Fashion’s Night Out. Chanel has now added a number 599 to the color. See the prior feature here.

Comparisons on the nail wheel show Starlet and Paparazzi are fairly unique. Cinema is very similar to Dragon. Same set on both wheels just different lighting.

The Summer L’Été Papillon de Chanel shades (see them swatched here) was fun and different but the Avant-Premiere shades are better suited for my neutral loving self. I adore each shade.

All Chanel Avant-Première nail colors are available now for $27 each online at Nordstrom and Chanel.com. They should be arriving at all Chanel counters across the US very soon. I found the three new colors in store at Nordstrom last week.

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YSL Rose Baby Doll La Laque Couture

May 27, 2013

YSL released a new nail lacquer called Rose Baby Doll ($25 for 0.34 fl oz/10ml) as part of their Rose Baby Doll collection. It’s a stunning deep hot pink rose cream that is perfect for summer. The color has an impressive amount of pigment which provides full coverage with just one coat. It also comes with a well designed wide flat brush that allows for near-perfect application with a single brush stroke. I’ve been testing Rose Baby Doll for several days and it works extremely well with top coats from Chanel, Dior Gel and Posche. I’m on Day Three with no signs of chipping or tipwear. The color is a classic rich sophisticated rose pink that is bright and vibrant but still deep enough to not look neon. However since deep fuschias are fairly standard colors and easy to find among most brands, you will definitely be able to find something similar in color.

Here it is swatched against the YSL Rose Baby Doll ad. The bright sunlight washed out the magazine photo a bit but I found the color to be pretty close to the ad. The color is mostly a fuschia rose, sometimes it looks warmer and with visible red undertones, others it’s more cool-toned.

Some comparisons showed that YSL Rose Baby Doll is closest to Chanel Pulsion. The difference is Chanel Pulsion is cooler and YSL Rose Baby Doll is warmer. The next closest option is Chanel Rose Exhuberant which is just a few shades lighter.

Bottom line: I can’t stop staring at my nails – the color is really stunning. The quality, pigment and lux packaging make this worth every penny. YSL Rose Baby Doll has the perfect mix of fuschia, rose and red to give a deep yet modern looking pink. However given the fact that deeper fuschias have been done frequently with permanent and limited releases, you may want to shop your stash first.

YSL Rose Baby Doll Nail Lacquer is limited-edition, available at Sephora and other YSL retailers while supplies last.

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RMS Solar Cream Eye Shadow

May 25, 2013

I had my first experience with RMS beauty at Woodley and Bunny Apothecary (now in Los Angeles on West 3rd Street). I’ve been intrigued by this brand for quite some time but it’s been near impossible for me to find and try in person. I picked one cream shadow to buy, Solar Cream Eye Shadow a stunning warm gold shimmer ($28 for 0.15 oz, 4.25g, made in USA) and worth every penny. Solar has a complex mixture of shimmers making it metallic-looking on the lids but not over-the-top. There is no detectable scent. The cream shadow has a dewy finish but stays put for a surprisingly long time on the lids. The pigment is extremely rich but blendable. Although there is a dewy sheen and rich pigment, the colors are surprisingly lightweight in texture. I found Solar very easy to apply. The golden color is neutral enough to go with virtually any look.

Close at an angle shows the rich warm gold base, so many different colored sparkles gives Solar that gorgeous golden sheen:

Here it is swatched, due to the complex shimmers make it look different depending on the light, here it is with and without flash. I love how it’s easy to layer for a rich metallic look. It’s also easy to blend out for a more subtle glow.

Swatched with a heavy hand in sunlight, the more you apply, the more metallic the color:

Some gold comparisons show that RMS Solar is quite unique and different from other golds. It has enough warmth to make the brighten the eyes but it’s not too warm. Armani Eyes to Kill Shadows in 28, 26, and 15, MAC Paint Pots in Cash Flow (discontinued) and Rubenesque, Chanel Illusion d’Ombre in Apparance.

Swatched:

Overall very impressed. I can’t wait for my next trip to test out other RMS colors. If you’re new to the brand like myself check out the detailed RMS reviews on Café Makeup and London Makeup Girl.

You can find RMS Solar Cream Eye Shadow for $28 online at Woodley & Bunny and in store at both their NY and LA boutiques. Have you tried RMS Beauty? What are your favorites?

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Dolce & Gabbana Smoky Eyeshadow Quad

May 23, 2013

Dolce & Gabbana has released a new eyeshadow quad called Smoky ($59 for .8 g/0.16 oz). It’s part of the new True Monica Collection (more details on Makeup and Beauty Blog, Style Bistro and Refinery29). I ordered mine from Saks Houston sight unseen and was thrilled with this beautiful neutral palette. The colors have enough warmth to create a stunning smokey eye that isn’t too harsh. This palette has a soft matte black, a chocolate brown shimmer infused with gold flecks, a soft sandy beige and a white pink-gold shimmer. Layered from lightest to darkest creates a goof-proof smoky eye. This might just be the best smoky eye palette I’ve tried yet. Each shade has a beautiful blend of different colors and shimmers to create depth.

In full sunlight:

The pigment is rich but natural. Each shade applies very smoothly and are layerable with each other. The pale pink is a white-pink-gold that flashes different shimmers. I couldn’t capture the complexity of the color but it’s stunning on the skin. Some swatches – this may look like a boring palette at first glance, you have to try it to see how pretty it really is on the skin:

The colors can probably be replicated with other singles and shadows however there is a beautiful softness to each shade that I’ve fallen in love with. It’s quite different from other Dolce & Gabbana quads, I pulled Femme Fatale (formerly called Champagne) to compare.

Bottom line gorgeous. The Dolce & Gabbana Smoky Quad ($59) from the True Monica collection is available at select Saks locations and online at Saks Fifth Avenue and Sephora.