Yearly Archives

2014

Uncategorized

Chanel Dentelle Précieuse Illuminating Face Powder – Nordstrom Anniversary Beauty Exclusive

July 14, 2014
This year’s Nordstrom Anniversary Beauty Exclusive for Chanel is the stunning Dentelle Précieuse Illuminating Face Powder ($80 for 6 g/0.21 oz, made in Italy, limited-edition). It comes with an exquisite embossed lace detail. The powder is a gorgeous mix of beige, rose, and champagne. On the skin it has the prettiest beige glow with a hints of pink, champagne and bronze mixed in. At a glance it seems like it’s just another pretty beige highlighter with an expensive price tag. While you can get a similar effect with other illuminating powders, I do believe the mix of shimmers in Dentelle Précieuse gives it a truly amazing effect on the face. It gives the perfect glow from within that isn’t too subtle and isn’t too frosty. The mix of pink and bronze in the powder give the face a bit of color so it’s not just your standard beige frost.
It comes with a black soft pouch that holds both the powder compact and a small angled brush:
On the nails, Chanel Tapage

The color is difficult to capture in swatches but I found the photos on Color Me Loud and Indigo Kir Royale both demonstrate it’s complexity with swatches using different pressures in application. It also shows how it gives more color to fair skintones, while it acts as a highlighter for medium to darker skin. Here are a few photos at different angles to show how the light reflects on the shimmer. On my medium/olive Chanel B30 skin this is clearly a highlighter.

Here are a few comparisons to other highlighters, I have two sets to show you. On screen the effect is very similar between highlighters so I’ll share my thoughts on the differences.

Set one with Chanel, Bobbi Brown, Edward Bess and Burberry illuminating powders:

  • Chanel Mouche de Beaute (discontinued) has a more gel-like texture with a transparent quality, it has a lot more glitz and sparkle giving it a paler look since the shimmers are more on the silvery side
  • Chanel Pearl Glow Powder (discontinued) has a more matte base, it’s also more powdery and has more yellow with gold shimmers
  • Bobbi Brown Beige Shimmer Brick ($42) is significantly more frosted, the pale champagne shimmers give it a paler finish
  • Edward Bess South of France ($45) is a quad with soft pinks and pearls, it has a softer finish with less shimmer, it’s also more pink in tone
  • Burberry Golden Radiance ($48) has a lot more frost to it, it’s also darker with more taupe/tan/gold tones
Set two includes some from MAC, Hourglass and Estee Lauder:
  • MAC Shimpagne Mineralize Skinfinish (discontinued) has a high frost finish with pink/champagne tones, below you can see it pulls more pink
  • MAC Soft & Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish (original) has a paler beige shimmer, it’s less complex compared to the Chanel Dentelle Precieuse
  • Hourglass Luminous Light is one of my favorite highlighters, it pulls more pink and a bit more shimmer on the skin, on me it’s more champagne vs beige
  • Hourglass Radiant Light is more golden compared to the Chanel, the hourglass also has a less complex finish and mix of shimmers
  • Estee Lauder Modern Mercury (discontinued) is significantly more pink with a metallic finish
I didn’t want to fall in love with an $80 powder but Chanel has created the perfect beige highlighter. On my olive skin many neutral highlighters tend to pull pink or almost white with the silvery shimmers they have. The Chanel Dentelle Precieuse has a stunning mix of bronze, peach, and rose that gives this more color giving a lively glow to the face. It’s still manages to be a true soft beige highlighter without going into the gold/tan zone. It’s pure love for me and I even bought one backup.

Various countries received the Chanel Dentelle Précieuse Illuminating Face Powder highlighter earlier in the year at certain retailers. In the US it is an exclusive to Nordstrom for this year’s Anniversary Sale (available now). On me it’s a stunning beige highlighting powder with a bit of color. If you search for other reviews you may find it looks almost bronzey on fairer skintones. It’s a splurge, but in my mind worth every penny. I love it and think it’s a definite must for Chanel lovers. It is limited-edition so if you’re interested I suggest acting sooner than later.

22 Comments
Uncategorized

Dolce & Gabbana Nail Lacquers in Daphne and Maia

July 13, 2014

This summer there are a few new lip and nail shades for Dolce & Gabbana Beauty. There are five new Passion Duo Gloss Fusion Lipsticks ($36 each) in Lotus, Jasmine, Amaryllis, Lily and Orchid and three new Intense Nail Lacquers ($25 each) in Daphne, Maia and Gaia (you can see the details on Makeup4All). I purchased two of the nail lacquers from Nordstrom:

  • Daphne is a beige gold with multi-colored shimmer flecks of gold, silver, champagne, rose gold
  • Maia is a metallic shade that’s a rich a rose gold peach frost

Both shades apply very smoothly. The brush design of Dolce & Gabbana nail polishes has improved over the years. It’s shorter and more dense with a better tip for flawless application. Both of these applied nicely with a few strokes. They are two-coaters but the pigment is rich and smooth with the first coat. They both have removable gold caps.

Daphne has a nude-beige base that is similar to my skin tone. I found it naturally flattering for a conservative polished look that’s work-appropriate. I found it to be a slightly darker beige compared to most other neutral nudes I own. I suspect those with tan skin will really like this one as a perfect nude that doesn’t look too pale. The pigment and coverage is very good.

Maia is a rich cantaloupe-colored metallic. Metallics sometimes worry me since brush strokes can be very visible and streaky looking. Maia has a smooth finish with minimal brush strokes showing. It’s very warm on my skin but the hint of pink in the shimmer prevents it from being a pure orange.

Comparisons below (swatches on prior reviews linked below):
Laura Mercier Organza (discontinued)
Chanel Sahara Beige (discontinued)
Dior Spring Ball 343 (discontinued)
Rescue Beauty Lounge Starfish Patrick
Rescue Beauty Lounge Nails and Noms

I wasn’t able to test these for an extended period of time, but based on my experience with recent releases like Oleandro, I’ve been able to get at least 5 days wear without any issues. I’m in love with Maia – the iridescent quality was impossible to capture with a camera, it has a lovely blueish pink shimmer that makes it really unique. Daphne is a lovely color as well – these days I’m preferring a bit more contrast and color but it’s a great everyday kind of nude with a gorgeous shimmer.

I found both Daphne and Maia at Nordstrom. Also available at Saks.
4 Comments
Uncategorized

Date Night Details

July 13, 2014

I have a quick moment to share a snapshot of some details for tonight’s date with my husband. It’s a warm summery evening which calls for a lightweight dress and open-toe sandals. I’m keeping everything simple with a few accessories as accents:

Dress – Iro (old)
Sandals – Banana Republic (sold out online but I’ve spotted them in stores)
Purse – Prada Saffiano (small)
Eyes – NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadows in Himalia and Subra
Cheeks – NARS Matte Multiple in Vientiane
Perfume – Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black (beauty insider mini)
Bracelet – Hermes
I spent a good part of the day swatching the new Fresh Sugar Shines, Dolce & Gabbana Nail Polish and Chanel highlighter. I hope to get some editing done tonight to have posts up soon. I’ve also received a lot of requests about the cute little Fujifilm that I have been featuring. I’ll work on a review on it as well and share the research I did to decide which brand/version to go with (there are quite a few options out there!).

I hope you are enjoying the weekend with some relaxation and fun!
9 Comments
Eye Makeup NARS

NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows | Dione, Callisto, Himalia and Subra

July 11, 2014
I picked up four more NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows in Dione, Callisto, Himalia and Subra ($29 each). I’ve been using the more natural Europa and Andromeda on a regular basis for a natural glowy eye. The other shades in the line are more intense in color and sparkle. It was hard to narrow down my picks and I will probably pick up at least one more shade sometime in the future. All the colors are phenomenal in texture, pigment and lasting power. They have a sort of creamy finish but act like a powder. The texture makes these adheres well to to the skin and while I wouldn’t call them budge-proof, they last quite long without fading. 
  • Dione is a sparkly silvery taupe, it pulls very cool on my arm but on the lids it’s more neutral
  • Callisto is a very sparkly cool lilac champagne, it’s similar to Dione, but on me Callisto is more pinkish/lilac and paler in color
  • Himalia is a neutral warm and cool kind of gold, it has a warmish base but the shimmers are cool, on me it’s a neutral tan-nude golden color, it’s shimmery but not frosty
  • Subra is a dark purple, red, brown shimmer, it also has a subtle shimmer finish
Dione and Callisto are similar on my arm and in the pan but the difference is noticeable on the lids. Both have a high shimmer factor that borders on frost but aren’t too frosty. I was really happy to see that there was no fall out on the face during application or throughout the day. Himalia and Subra are shimmers as well but the shimmer is more subtle in finish.

Here they are swatched next to Europa and Andromeda. They are swatched dry with fingers.

Close ups of each shade show how they have a good base color and different colored shimmers. It gives these shadows a multi-dimensional look.

 
Some comparisons, two sets with:
MAC Coco Pigment (discontinued)
Tom Ford Platinum Cream Color (discontinued)

Chanel Magic Night Eyeshadow (discontinued)

Huge thumbs up. The Dual-Intensity shadows have a really smooth pigmented finish. They apply easily with fingers or a brush. I’ve found them extremely versatile – you can wear these alone with a liner, layered together, under or over powder shadows. The uses are really endless. Applying with a damp brush intensifies the color. Between Dione and Callisto, I prefer Dione because it has less contrast with my skin and therefore looks less frosty.
The Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows retail for $29 each. There are currently twelve color options and every color looks amazing. I bought mine from Nordstrom.
Have you purchased any yet? What are your favorite colors?
27 Comments
Uncategorized

On Instagram

July 11, 2014

I hope everyone had a great week. I can’t believe we’re already into the second week of July. I’m currently playing with the new NARS Dual Intensity Eye Shadows (in four more shades) and the new Fresh Sugar Shine Lip Treatment Tints just arrived at my house yesterday (I can’t seem to stay away from Sephora, their emails keep getting me). I’ll have swatches up soon (check back this afternoon). I stopped by Nordstrom yesterday and picked up 2 of the Anniversary Beauty Exclusives, the Chanel Dentelle Precieuse Highlighter and the MAC Look in a Box – All About Coral lip and eye set (will photograph this weekend). Still debating a few other items. In the meantime here are a few snapshots from Instagram over the past few weeks.
2 Comments
Uncategorized

2014 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusive Highlights – Early Access for Cardholders

July 10, 2014

The 2014 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale has arrived for Nordstrom Cardholders. Early access starts today July 10 and runs through the 17th. You will need to sign into your online account linked to your Nordstrom Card in order to shop the sale online or see sale prices. There are over 200 Nordstrom Beauty Exclusives for the Anniversary Sale along with some Gift With Purchase Items as well. (Some of the GWPs are available at select stores or online only.) The focus seems to be almost exclusively on value sets rather than exclusive collections. Here are a few select items I wanted to highlight (left to right, top to bottom):
  • Chanel Dentelle Précieuse Illuminating Powder ($80) is finally in the US as a Nordstrom Exclusive, it’s currently not listed as an Anniversary Exclusive online (although that is what my sales associates have told me)
  • La Mer Refreshing Collection ($295) includes the Moisturizing Soft Cream Smooth, Weightless Cream (1 oz.), the Moisturizing Soft Cream Smooth, Weightless Cream (1 oz.). Eye Balm Intense (0.17 oz.) and 1 Hydrating Facial Mask
  • NARS Dolce Vita Lip & Nail Set ($52) comes with a Dolce Vita Lipstick, Dolce Vita Lipgloss and Limited-Edition Dolce Vita Nail Polish in a lacquered keepsake box
  • NARS Schiap Lip & Nail Set ($52) comes with Schiap Lipstick, Limited-Edition Schiap Lipgloss and Schiap Nail Polish in a pink lacquered box
  • NARS Limited-Edition Cheek Palette ($49) comes in a black mirrored compact with Orgasm, Laguna, Mistinguette and Goulue
  • Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude Color Set ($85) comes with a 12-pan eyeshadow palette, Full-size Perfectly Defined Gel Eyeliner in Black and Full-size Smokey Eye Mascara in Black
  • Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Killer Cheekbones Set ($110) comes with a Powder/Sculpt Brush and Bronzer/Highlighter compact
  • Lancôme Mascara Wardrobe ($39.50) comes with minis of Artliner Precision Point Eyeliner in Noir (0.4 oz.), Cils Booster XL Super Enhancing Mascara Base (0.07 oz.), Hypnôse Custom Volume Mascara (0.07 oz.), Hypnôse Drama Instant Full Body Mascara (0.13 oz.), Définicils High Definition Mascara (0.07 oz.) and Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover (1.7 oz.)
  • Kiehl’s Since 1851 Creme de Corps Home & Away Duo ($75) has one Creme de Corps with Pump (33.8 oz.) and one Travel-size Crème de Corps (2.5 oz.)
  • Deborah Lippmann Recipe for Love Set ($29) comes with You Got Me (0.27 oz.) a dusty dove grey crème, Make Someone Happy (0.27 oz.) a blooming blush bling glitter, Let’s Stay Together (0.27 oz.) a mysterious mauved plum crème
  • Moroccan Oil Moisture Repair Hair Set ($85) has Moisture Repair Shampoo (16.9 oz.), Moisture Repair Conditioner (16.9 oz.) and Oil Treatment (1.7 oz.)
  • Diptyque Baies & Figuier Candle Set ($120) comes with two 6.5 candles in Baies and Figuier with a wick trimmer and candle snuffer
  • Laura Mercier Flawless Expressions Set ($85) has an Eye and Cheek Palette, Deluxe-size Caviar Stick in Rosegold (0.03 oz.), Full-size Full Blown Volume Suprême Mascara in Black (0.2 oz.) and Full-size Lip Glacé in limited-edition Gilded Rose (0.15 oz.)
  • Giorgio Armani Ultimate Eyes to Kill Set ($85) includes Smooth Silk Waterproof Eye Pencil in #1 (0.03 oz.), Eyes to Kill Mascara in #1 (0.23 oz.), Flash Lip Lacquer in #107, Perfection Eye Makeup Remover (1.35 oz.), Luminous Silk Foundation in #5.5 (0.17 oz.) and Fluid Sheer in #7 (0.17 oz.)
  • Jo Malone Cologne Collection ($88) comes with six 0.3 oz mini spritzers of Nectarine Blossom and Honey, Orange Blossom, Blackberry and Bay, Pomegranate Noir and Grapefruit
  • Lorac Nude Skinny Eyeshadow Palette ($15) is a seven pan palette with warm nude shades
  • MAC Look in a Box All About Coral ($39.50) comes with Lipstick in Passion Charge (luster finish), Lipglass in Stoke the Flame (frost finish), Veluxe Pearlfusion Eyeshadow in Collective Chic and Technakohl Liner in Brownborder
  • MAC Look in a Box All About Pink ($39.50) comes with Lipstick in Embrace Me (matte finish), Lipglass in Unlimited Style (frost finish), Veluxe Pearlfusion Eyeshadow in Fabulous Three and Technakohl Liner in Photogravure
  • MAC Look in a Box All About Beige ($49.50) has two blushes, six eyeshadows and two lipsticks in shades of soft tan, copper and pewtered bronze
  • L’Occitane Shea Butter Softness ($48) includes Ultra Rich Shower Cream (2.5 oz.), Milk Shea Butter Extra Gentle Soap (3.5 oz.), Shea Ultra Rich Body Lotion (16.9 oz.), Shea Butter Hand Cream (0.3 oz.) and Shea Butter Foot Cream (0.3 oz.)

I have my eye on two things: the Chanel Highlighter and NARS Dolce Vita Box Set, but that may change once I see the items in person. I love the look of the Diptyque sets since you basically get the candle snuffer and wick trimmer for free with the purchase of the two candles. My mom loves L’Occitane and Bobbi Brown so I might pick up a couple sets for her since her birthday is this month.
What do you have your eye on for the sale? Will you be shopping the sale for early access?
17 Comments
Uncategorized

Tatcha Indigo Minis – Travel-Sized Hand and Body Creams

July 10, 2014

Today Tatcha launches two extensions to their Travel Sized Beauty offerings with minis of the Indigo Soothing Silk Hand Cream ($8 for 10 mL / .34 fl. oz.) and Soothing Silk Body Butter ($12 for 30mL / 1 oz). They are perfectly sized for your purse or makeup bag and travel-friendly. I brought two of the Tatcha minis with me on my recent trip to Minneapolis (see my Travel/Trial Sized Beauty post).

For those new to Tatcha, the Indigo line is super hydrating and good for those with dry skin that gets easily irritated. I carry the hand cream with me on-the-go on a regular basis but the new travel size is easier to carry. The body butter is a must-have for travel since my skin always gets dried out on airplanes. For more details on these items you can read my review of the two Indigo items here. 
Tatcha currently offers ten items in a mini travel/trial size. They are perfect for testing out before committing to a full size product that can be on the expensive side. You can shop their Travel Beauty here. Be sure to follow Tatcha on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter for updates and special promo codes. They offered this duo as a gift with purchase a couple months ago and their gifts are usually offered at really reasonable minimum purchase thresholds.
This post contains samples sent courtesy of Tatcha for review. For more information refer to my Disclosures.

1 Comment