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2014

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Marc Jacobs Beauty Magic and Superstar Lust For Lacquer Lip Vinyls

August 14, 2014

Marc Jacobs Beauty has two new Lust For Lacquer Lip Vinyls (Sheer) in Magic and Superstar ($28 each for 5 ml/0.16 fl oz). Magic is a sheer champagne gold nude shimmer and Superstar is a sparkling mauve pink with silvery shimmers. Both are very sheer like other shades in the same formula (reviews of Kissability, Heart Shaped and Overprotected). In case you haven’t seen the previous reviews and are new to Marc Jacobs lip glosses, the Lip Vinyl Sheers have a flexible sponge tip. There is a soft vanilla-cake scent to these but they have a slight cooling sensation and plump the lips. I found them gentle enough for my sensitive lips. The texture is smooth and shiny.

Magic applies virtually clear on my lips adding shine. I was hoping there would be a visible golden iridescent glow on the lips but on me it’s almost invisible. I expected Superstar to be really frosty based on what it looks like in the tube but it’s actually not. It’s a less frosted version of Chanel Blizzard Glossimer (which is a classic but very shimmery). I was surprised how pretty this one was.

Close ups and lip swatch of Magic, it’s a sheer gloss that will be nice to top lipsticks, but if you’re anything like me, you probably have plenty of sheer glosses in your arsenal:

Close up and lip swatch of Superstar:

Swatch comparisons to NARS Greek Holiday, NARS Gold Digger, Chanel Arlequin Glossimer (discontinued), Chanel Blizzard Glossimer, MAC Dazzleglass in Roman Holiday, Chanel Wild Rose Glossimer:

I expected to fall in love with Magic but ended up liking Superstar much more. Even though these are intended to be sheer glosses I can’t help but wish they had more pigment. Still, I’m loving the look of Superstar on the lips.

Both are currently available now at Sephora for $28 each. Have you tried any of the Lust For Lacquer Lip Vinlys? What were your thoughts? Any favorites?

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Truffle Clarity Clutches

August 14, 2014

I have an obsession with clear makeup pouches and flat clutches, so when I discovered a brand called Truffle that combined the two into one product I was beyond thrilled. I fell in love with this clear one by Bobbi Brown which was part of a GWP one year, I haven’t been able to find anything similar that I liked enough to purchase (Make Up For Ever
has similar ones but you can’t buy them online). The Truffle pouches
come pretty close but with a different design twist which I love. Truffle carries a number of different flat pouches that range in size, design, color and shape. I was particularly smitten with the shape and size of the Small Clarity Clutch ($42). It measures 7 1/2” tall X 9 1/2” wide and is designed with a luxe textured leather trim and gold plated hardware, and it’s size is TSA approved making it the perfect companion for any carry-on. Truffle kindly sent a white one for review, I loved it so much I bought another one in grey.

The small Clarity Clutches are compact enough to fit the essentials for makeup: compact, mini hand cream, lipgloss, eyeshadow stick, eyeliner, mini perfume and a lipstick. The plastic case is well made so it’s thick and sturdy yet flexible. The leather trim is well designed, it has a textured surface that is also extremely sturdy and holds the shape of the bag well. I’ve found these really good for organizing accessories and makeup. The small size helps me keep a well edited makeup bag. Those who have seen past Inside My Bag posts know I tend to have an overpacked makeup bag (even on the go).

When it comes to my purses or totes, I like bags that are flat so they slip in easily and don’t bulk up my bag. I like that these keep everything slim and compact. Here’s the Small Clarity Clutch next to my Prada Saffiano Tote which measures approximately 8 1/2″H x 13″W x 5″D for size comparison with makeup essentials stored inside:

Above shown includes: Small business cards
Chanel Glossimer Wild Rose
NARS Lip Gloss in Greek Holiday
By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Frozen Quartz
YSL Volupté Candy No. 14 Belle Cannelle
Hermes and Celine Bracelets
These are also great for the pool or beach to carry a few things with you. The clear pouch makes it easy to find things in your bag. Below is the Small White Clarity Clutch with beach and pool essentials tucked inside. For the beach the larger size would be more ideal to carry larger sunscreens, hair ties, a small comb etc.

J.crew Summer Straw Hat (similar)
Purex Hand Sanitizer mini
Tatcha Aburatorigami Blotting Papers

Overall a huge thumbs up. Even though the $42 price tag seems a bit steep for a small makeup bag, they are extremely well made clutches – the quality is definitely there in the material and design. The leather is thick and sturdy and the hardware is also very good. You can find out more about Truffle on their website www.onetruffle.com. Also follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for new on the latest releases, occasional promo codes and Truffle inspiration. There are a number of different pouch and clutch options to suit your personal taste.

I’d love to hear what your favorite makeup bags are. Do you have any favorites that are clear?

 
One clutch courtesy of Truffle for review consideration, the other clutch was purchased by me. For more information see my Disclosures.

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Lumira + Beauty Look Book Giveaway

August 13, 2014
http://www.atelierlumira.com/

I have exciting news for The Beauty Look Book readers. Lumira is offering a giveaway of a glass and travel candle of choice to one lucky winner. You can enter the contest via the Rafflecopter widget below. There will be up to four ways to enter (some entries will give you more entry points).

No Purchase is necessary to win.

Promotion Description: This is a Beauty Look Book Giveaway of 1 Lumira Signature Candle and 1 Travel Candle. One winner will be selected at random via the Rafflecopter widget. Entrants must be 18 years or older. Giveaway entries begin today August 13th and ends August 20th, 11:59 PM PST.

Eligibility: Open to entrants 18 years old or older. Open to entrants internationally.

There are up to four ways to enter, see terms and conditions in widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


For more information on Lumira and their candle collections, you can check out their website www.atelierlumira.com (my personal favorites are Tahitian Coconut and Persian Rose). Many thanks to Lumira for this kind offer 🙂 Good luck!
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Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick | Insatiable Ivory and Intense Nude

August 12, 2014

Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipsticks ($30 each) launched several months ago and I just got around to checking them out at my local counters. Swatches and looks kept surfacing showing beautifully pigmented rich colors. There is a diverse range of color options with this new lipstick formula. I’ve avoided Estee Lauder lipsticks for a long time due to the super strong fig scent which I could not tolerate. I’m happy to report the new Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipsticks have no detectable scent and that they come in a sleek modern-looking navy and gold tube.

These are described as a high-intensity sculpting lipstick that comes in statement classic colors. I found the ones I tested to be very creamy and highly pigmented in color. They applied smoothly and the color did stay put quite long, however on my bare lips, the formula seemed to appear a bit thick and dry in texture emphasizing my lip lines (although right now I do have lips that are a bit more dry than they normally are). I added a bit of By Terry Baume de Rose underneath and this fixed all texture issues. Of course I picked out two natural shades. Insatiable Ivory is a peachy nude beige and Intense Nude is a medium rose brown with pinkish tones.

Swatches and close ups:

Insatiable Ivory pulls more peachy on my skin. It’s a good nude shade that doesn’t wash out the complexion. You get full coverage with two swipes:

Intense Nude isn’t really nude (at least not to me). Some call shades like MAC Twig or Spirit nudes, but to me they’re really rose colors with different variations of brown. I find Estee Lauder Intense Nude to be a more pinky rose brown rather than a true nude.

Some comparison swatches:

NARS Dolce Vita Lipgloss (swatches)

I like these lipsticks but feel they are on the steep side for Estee Lauder. For some reason I feel these should be more in the mid $20ish range, but that’s just me. The quality is there but the colors, although classic statement colors, seem a bit basic for me. They do have a sculpting/defining quality which I attribute to the thicker (but smooth) texture. On me, I prefer something not quite as sculpting since I already have full lips, but I could see a difference with these as they made the lips more defined.

Bottom line, they are good basics and there are a lot of wearable colors. I like that the colors seemed to just work, no lipliner or gloss needed to tweak the colors, although it was a bit dry on its own for me. Since I haven’t tried much from Estee Lauder lately, I thought I’d try something new from the line. It’s like, but not love. I’ll still be reaching for my Burberry, Tom Ford, Edward Bess, YSL lipsticks.

I purchased my Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipsticks ($30 each) from Nordstrom. There are currently 25 colors to choose from.
Did you try any of these lipsticks? What did you think?
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Sneak Peek, Reviews Soon: NARS, Clé de Peau Beauté, Elizabeth and James, One Truffle, YSL, Chanel and more …

August 12, 2014

A quick sneak peek at reviews to be posted soon, some things I’ve been testing now for a couple weeks, others I’m working my way through swatches as fast as I can:

Stay tuned!
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Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask in Champagne

August 11, 2014

Bite Beauty has released a new shimmery rose gold Agave Lip Mask in Champagne ($26 for .52 oz/15 g). This is the first item from Bite Beauty that I’ve tried although I’ve passed by the display units at Sephora numerous times. The Champagne shade is a sheer golden color with a hint of rose tones and reports indicate it has the same effect and benefits as their best-selling original Agave Lip Mask which is clear. I haven’t tried both so I can’t compare, but I really love the texture of the Champagne version.

The Agave Lip Mask is a hydrating lip treatment. I’ve worn this during the day, for me it seems a bit too thick to wear overnight while sleeping. It really hydrates the lips well and helps mine recover after lip swatching and testing (the wiping and reapplying of lipsticks sometimes dries out my lips).

Pouch by One Truffle (review soon)
It’s thick but very smooth and adheres well to the lips. I love the emollient quality in lip balms but am really particular with texture, feel and scent – for me I need one that adheres well to the lips so they don’t feel like they are sliding off. The Agave Lip Mask fits the bill on all fronts. It’s hydrating, sticks to my lips but isn’t too tacky, and it has an delicious soft cookie-like vanilla scent. The scent does fade after a few minutes and I love that it’s not overpowering.

Champagne swatches like a gorgeous gold shimmer similar to MAC Nymphette Lipglass, but it sheers out on the lips to an almost clear tint. The Bite Agave Lip Mask gives the lips a healthy shine but virtually no color.

On my lips it’s practically clear:

As a lip treatment I love it. The formula is really good and hydrating. It comes in a metal squeeze tube which dispenses product easily without getting messy. Some metal lip tubes I’ve tried end up dispensing too much product once squeezed but this one is well designed so there’s no excess.

Ingredients:

Update: a few color comparisons in case you like the color of Bite’s Champagne but want more color in a gloss, left to right: NARS Orgasm (new formula), Chanel Twinkle Glossimer, MAC Nymphette, Bite Champagne, Chanel Bon Bon 73 Glossimer (discontinued):

Bottom line love. The Agave Lip Mask in Champagne is currently exclusive to Sephora where I ordered mine. I’ll have a roundup of lip balms I have in rotation in the next couple weeks but this one has made it into my top 5 picks.
Have you tried anything from Bite Beauty? Do you have the Original or Champagne Agave Lip Masks? What did you think?
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Night Time Treatments: First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Overnight Mask and La Nuit de Chanel

August 9, 2014

I’m usually very picky when it comes to night time skincare treatments whether it’s for the face, eyes or body. I don’t like the heavy feel of product while I sleep. Scent also plays a big part in what I can tolerate for night time treatments as well, if it’s too strong I find it interferes with my sleep. I’ve tested a number of minis and samples and due to the sensitivity of my skin and nose, I stopped using most of them after two uses. Two night time facial treatments I’ve fallen in love with that work wonders for my sensitive skin include First Aid Beauty’s Facial Radiance Overnight Mask and Chanel’s Le Nuit de Chanel.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Overnight Mask ($38 for 1.7 fl oz) is a super hydrating facial treatment that brightens and nourishes the skin overnight. It has a white gel-like texture that feels on the thick side but blends into the skin smoothly. If you feel it being goopy or sticky on the face you’ve applied too much. It took a few tries for me to get the right amount without overdoing it. It has a wonderful fresh clean skincare-like scent. After using this I wake up with amazing skin like I just had a facial. The morning after my skin glows, looks brighter and feels smoother and looks well hydrated. It’s good for my super-sensitive skin. It’s gentle enough to use nightly but I’ve used this 1 to 2x per week for the past month. It’s the only thing I’ve tried that gives me that perfect skin look when I wake up.

Ingredients:

Chanel La Nuit de Chanel ($85 for1.7 fl oz) is something I’ve been using for over a year now. Even after regular use I still haven’t used up a full bottle. For those new to this, the La Nuit de Chanel is part of their Resynchronizing Trio. It’s a night time treatment designed to recharge the skin. It has frankincense extract to calm the skin and hyaluronic acid and shea butter to moisturize the skin. It works wonders on my face to calm flare ups, fix any dry spots, and helps clear up the skin. It has a white cream texture that blends in well with the skin. This one is scented (it’s hard for me to describe) but it smells good and doesn’t interfere with my sleep. I use this one almost every night. I like the pump it comes with which makes it super easy to dispense and mess-free.

Ingredients:

Do you use any night time facial treatments? Or masks? What are your favorites? I’ll be sharing some other hydrating and clarifying mask favorites in the upcoming weeks. You can find First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Overnight Mask in stores and online at Sephora and also at Firstaidbeauty.com. Chanel’s La Nuit de Chanel can be found at all Chanel retailers, I purchased mine from Nordstrom.

photo FirstAidBeautyFacialOvernightRadianceMask_zpsa894b91c.jpg photo LaNuitdeChanel_zpsb232dc40.jpg



First Aid Beauty provided press samples for review consideration. For more information, refer to my Disclosures.

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