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October 2014

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Burberry Beauty A/W Nude Blush No. 12 and Slate Blue No. 20 Complete Eye Palettes

October 31, 2014

I’m late to the game in sharing these beautiful palettes with you, but better late than never, right? For the Autumn/Winter Collection Burberry Beauty released two new Complete Eye Palettes ($60 each for 5.4 g/0.19 oz, made in Italy) in Nude Blush No. 12 and Slate Blue No. 20. I’ve been a huge fan of Burberry eye shadows in both the single and quad formats, I have been eagerly anticipating the release of the fall palettes.
Nude Blush No. 12 is a unique palette of rosy tones. All the shades are medium-to-dark in color with various finishes. The shades in this one include a soft nude pink satin, a warm copper pink, a soft mauve blush and a deeper eggplant shimmer. The texture is buttery smooth and they adhere well to the lids. All the colors layer well together in this one. The colors are truly unique compared to most other palettes I own. At first glance, it looks similar to Plum Pink No. 06 (which I do not own). Swatches on Silverkis shows Nude Blush to be a warmer and more unique option. You can see from Color Me Loud that Nude Blush is similar but warmer than Tom Ford Orchid Haze. To me this palette is a simpler and more subdued version of Urban Decay Naked3.

Slate Blue No. 20 is a beautiful palette of cool tones. This one is way outside of my comfort zone as I almost never wear blue shadows on the eyes. The colors are smoky in undertone making it a stunning palette. I experimented with this one a number of different ways, my favorite way to wear this is to use the deeper shades along the upper lash line but combined with a more neutral palette like Dark Spice. The pigment of the Slate Blue shades is medium but layerable. The colors have a slight transparent quality giving them depth. You can apply the shades damp for more color and a dramatic look.

Both are beautiful additions to the Burberry Beauty lineup. My favorite of course is the neutral option in Nude Blush which makes me very happy that I didn’t get Plum Pink when it was released. The Burberry Complete Eyeshadow Palettes retail for $60 each. They are available online at Nordstrom and Saks (available in store at select counters). Also available online at Burberry.
Many thanks to Burberry for sending these for review consideration.
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October Beauty Favorites

October 31, 2014

October’s beauty favorites include:

SK-II Skin Refining Treatment (1) has been a miracle worker in improving my skin. It’s a night time skincare treatment that helps to refine the skin and remove dead skin cells overnight. I have been using it regularly since September and it is gentle but very effective at clearing up the complexion and giving it a more radiant look.

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Lustre Luxe Color-Lasting Lip Lacquers in Sweet Stiletto and Seduction (2) are both great pigmented neutrals. I have Sweet Stiletto swatched and reviewed here. Since then I’ve bought a few more of the glosses (and really like them). Let me know in the comments if you are interested in seeing a review.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette (3) has been a staple this past month. During my move, I had most of my beauty items packed away in bubble wrap and boxes, I kept a small handful of things in a makeup case for regular use. This was one of them, I used this almost exclusively the past few weeks. It’s versatile and goes with just about any kind of look. Swatches and review can be found here.

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Moonlight (4) is a new shade I discovered in the Mini Caviar Stick Eye Color Set for this holiday. I just reviewed it a few days ago but purchased it the first week of October (sometimes testing takes a long time for me). I will definitely be purchasing the full size of this color soon. It’s the perfect platinum warm taupe shimmer.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard and Ginger (5) are my two newest concealer discoveries. I’m super picky when it comes to concealer (I’ve used Clé de Peau Beauté and By Terry almost exclusively for years, swatches of all Cle de Peau Beaute shades here). I’ll have a full review up next week, but the NARS lives up to the hype. It’s quite incredible.

Wayne Goss Brush #16 is a large super soft domed brush (6). I bought it from Beautylish which describes it as being “designed for controlled application and pristine blending.” This brush is one of the largest shadow brushes I own. I’ve been using it to apply Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder under the eyes. It’s a soft but dense brush that picks up the powder nicely and gives smooth application.

Charlotte Tilbury Air Brush Flawless Finish Skin Perfecting Micro-Powder Shade 2 is another new favorite (7). The powder comes in three shades, I was matched to #2 which is a very good match for my Chanel 30 / Tom Ford Bisque 04 skin tone. I’m normally not a fan of pressed powders because I find that they look chalky or end up darkening my face (I prefer powder foundations instead). This one by Charlotte Tilbury changed my outlook completely. I saw it applied on my friend who is very fair in Shade 1. The artist brushed it over her skin as a touchup without adding any foundation or concealer and the effect was quite incredible.

Urban Decay Naked2 Basics (8) is the best matte eyeshadow palette I have tried. You can see swatches in this post here. I’ve been reaching for this one quite frequently as my no-fuss go-to everyday kind of palette.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Dry Oil Spray (9) has made my favorites list for a nice pick-me-up. It has a really nice soothing scent and hydrates the skin nicely without being too heavy. More thoughts on three dry oils here.

By Terry released six tinted shades of her cult classic Baume de Rose called the Baume De Rose Nutri-Couleur. I splurged on four of the shades but I’m smitten with the plum shade in Fig Fiction (10).

Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Oil (11) is a regular favorite. The past month I’ve been using it more frequently as my hands and fingers have been dryer than normal. It smells like lush coconut. Works like a charm to fix dry cuticles.

Tom Ford Spanish Pink (12) is my favorite nude pink lipstick of the moment. There’s nothing like it that I’ve tested. It has just the right amount of warmth in it to make it look slightly peachy but not too much. Swatches here.

What were your beauty favorites in October?
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Chanel Phenix 687 Le Vernis for Holiday 2014

October 30, 2014

Chanel Phenix 687 Le Vernis ($27, limited-edition) is the new polish for holiday. It’s part of the Collection Plumes Précieuses de Chanel. It’s a beautiful classic red cream. The formula is very fluid and applies smoothly like most Chanel nail polishes. In my mind, Chanel can do no wrong when it comes to reds, but Phenix is very similar to past nail polish releases. I don’t mind similar colors but for those who don’t want dupes, you many want to shop your stash before buying. Still, if you’ve tried a lot of different reds you know how there are a multitude of variations. Some are darker reds, others brighter, some with different undertones like blue or orange. Finding a good red that doesn’t clash too much with your skin or make it look drab can be challenging sometimes. Chanel Phenix is a bright red with the perfect mix of orange and pink in it to brighten the hands and give them a polished classic look.

More photos and swatches of Phenix, it applies perfectly with two coats:

In terms of comparisons, there are Chanel reds that are extremely similar. From arm’s length they will look identical. I tried to do some swatch comparisons, but if you’ve photographed reds before, you know the challenge in capturing the differences no matter what lighting you use. I’ll add descriptions to explain what I see the differences are, but bottom line is that many are extremely similar.

  • Chanel Coromandel is deeper in color and more opaque, it also has more orange
  • Chanel Rouge Rubis is almost blue-toned compared to Phenix, it has a cooler undertone
  • Chanel Dragon is darker and more red making Phenix look almost orange next to it
  • Chanel Rouge Flamboyant is similar but a bit darker in undertone
  • Chanel Pirate is quite a bit darker, sheerer and definitely more blue-toned
  • Chanel Enthusiast (discontinued) is the closest match to Phenix, but Enthusiast has more orange undertone and is more opaque

I find Chanel Phenix to be a gorgeous brighter red that pulls slightly warm. I think it will be flattering on most skin tones. If you already own a lot of reds, you may want to skip Phenix and opt for something more unique unless you are a die-hard Chanel fan or collector.

Chanel Phenix is limited-edition. Available at all Chanel counters and boutiques. Online at Nordstrom, Saks, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales and Chanel.com.

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Chanel Sweet Star Le Vernis

October 29, 2014

Chanel Sweet Star Le Vernis ($27 for 13 ml / 0.4 fl oz) is a new limited-edition polish described as a “unique metallic silver shade reveals an iridescent glow that changes with the light.” It’s a complex color that has a multitude of different pearly shades infused into one polish. It reminds me of a butterfly wing the way the color changes as you move your hands. It has a silver and purplish base with shimmers of silver, grey, purple, blue and violet. I bought mine at the Chanel Boutique on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. It’s also online now at Chanel.com.

Sweet Star has a beautiful smooth formula. It applies very easily on the nails and even though it has a slight transparent quality, I was able to get very good even coverage with two coats. I’ve tested a lot of different brands of nail polish and have many loves, but I always find Chanel seems to perform best for me (it’s in the top five brands for me which include Chanel, Rescue Beauty Lounge, Dior, YSL and Formula X). Many of my readers have commented that they get 2-3 days wear time out of Chanel – I usually get anywhere between 5-7 days of wear with the right base and top coat (my favorites here). If I don’t use a base or top coat, tip wear begins almost instantly. 

Three photos here show how the color shifts depending on how the light hits it making Sweet Star very difficult to capture.

Swatches in different lighting below also shows how complex the color is:

I don’t think I have anything like Sweet Star. It reminds me of some of the older Hard Candy and Urban Decay shades from the 90’s but I don’t own them anymore so I can’t compare. I did pull three other shades I thought might be similar, but after swatching them, it appears they are completely different. Below is Dior Silver Purple (discontinued), Chanel Quartz and Chanel Graphite. I highly recommend you check out Color Me Loud and Indigo Kir Royale for additional Chanel Sweet StarLe Vernis comparison swatches.

Chanel Sweet Star is one of the most unique nail polish colors I own. It’s very edgy without being too loud. I think it’s definitely worth looking into. I found mine at a Chanel Boutique, but you may find it at various counters. Online at Chanel.com.

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Sneak Peek: New Chanel Le Vernis Shades

October 29, 2014

Chanel has released quite a few nail lacquers this season in various collections. I have a sneak peek for you today. There is a lot of red this year. I’ve run out of nail wheels for comparisons and my fingers can only take so much swatching each day, so I’ll do comparisons where I can. Many of my polishes are still in moving boxes too, so comparisons will be limited to what I can find easily. (I have a huge amount of respect for full-time nail polish bloggers who put their fingers through so much every week.)

The new shades this season include:

The Holiday and Rouge Allure Gloss collection shades can be found at all Chanel counters and retailers now such as Nordstrom, Saks and Neiman Marcus. The Collection Les Rouges Culte are a Chanel.com exclusive, Sweet Star has been spotted at various Chanel Boutiques and Chanel.com.
Here’s another shot, there is a lot of glare from the flash and sunlight but it shows the differences in undertone for the various red options. I do think they are fairly similar in effect and color so for me I definitely did not need all of the reds but as a collector of Chanel Le Vernis nail polishes, I could not pass them up.

I hope to have Phenix and Sweet Star posts completed soon (fingers crossed I can finish them today). For now, if you’ve been debating whether or not to splurge I hope this line up of all the new shades helps you gauge how they look side by side.

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Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Matte Lip Colors for Holiday 2014 – Now On Nordstrom.com

October 29, 2014
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If you’ve been waiting for all the shades of the Tom Ford Matte Lipsticks ($50 each) to show up online, all eight colors of the new lipstick formula are now available on Nordstrom.com including First Time which seems to have been the first to sell out other places and also Black Dahlia which didn’t show up for a while.

The eight colors include:
Pink Tease
Flame
Plum Lush
First Time
Black Dahlia
Pussycat
Ruby Rush
Velvet Cherry

My review and swatches on the formula and picks First Time, Pink Tease, Velvet Cherry and Pussycat here. My two favorites are First Time and Velvet Cherry.
At this time I’ve heard that First Time and Black Dahlia are the only two shades that are limited-edition, but I reports are often mixed depending on who you ask. I do know First Time sold out quickly so if you’ve been searching for it, I recommend ordering sooner than later.
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Laura Mercier Mini Caviar Stick Eye Color Set | Holiday 2014

October 28, 2014

This holiday Laura Mercier has released a limited-edition six piece Mini Caviar Stick Eye Color Set ($55, each mini stick 1.0g/0.03 oz). Over the past few years, I’ve eyed the holiday Caviar Stick mini sets but only liked 1/2 of the shades so never purchased it. This year’s set has beautiful neutrals including Rosegold, Copper, Moonlight, Khaki, Amethyst and Cocoa. All the shades are colors I know I will use, I’ve had this set for a few weeks now and love the versatility of the colors. These are perfect no-fuss cream shadow sticks that you can swipe and blend with a finger, although brushes work too for the darker shades if you want to get detail application.
  • Rosegold is a lovely soft warm champagne with a hint of rose
  • Copper is a warm but wearable soft copper shimmer
  • Moonlight is the perfect platinum-taupe shimmer with a bit of warmth
  • Khaki is a neutral khaki metallic
  • Amethyst is a soft mauve purple with silvery pearl
  • Cocoa is a basic chocolate brown with a hint of shimmer

Each shade is nicely pigmented but easy to blend and smooth on the lids. The sticks are buildable so you can control the level of color you want. My lids are on the normal-dry side, but I can apply these straight to the lid without any base or eye cream needed. If you have oily lids you will really like how these stay put. The dry time is just perfect for me. Some cream shadow sticks dry almost instantly requiring super quick blending before they set. The Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks have a slightly dewy texture which gives you more time to blend and apply slowly – but once they set, they don’t budge.

You can use these a number of different ways: a single shade alone, multiple colors layered together, or combined with powder shadow. Close ups and swatches:

Eye swatches below: top picture is just with Moonlight applied and blended on the lids, the bottom two photos are with Rosegold and Khaki layered in addition to Moonlight:

I’m smitten with this set. If you’re one who rarely gets to finish a cream shadow stick because they end up drying out before you can use it up, these minis are a good way to try multiple shades in smaller doses. I’ve had a couple of the full sizes that have lasted over a year and haven’t dried out but I’m always worried about it (many other brands have). Or if you want to try multiple shades out in a smaller travel friendly format, these are great. You can bring all six shades with you in your makeup bag or travels without worrying that they will take up a lot of space.

I highly recommend it. The Laura Mercier Mini Caviar Stick Eye Color Set retails for $55. I bought mine at Nordstrom (currently sold out). It’s also available at Space NK, Bloomingdales, Saks, Neiman Marcus, Macy’s and Laura Mercier.
Have you tried Laura Mercier Caviar sticks? What’s your favorite color? The holiday sets this year look amazing. I’ve started to make a wish list.

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