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2014

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Sephora 15% off for Beauty Insiders and VIBs

April 9, 2014
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=MeQoh28EORo&subid=&offerid=322274.1&type=10&tmpid=10002&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.sephora.com%252F

Sephora is having a 15% off sale on all beauty for beauty insiders through the 10th/11th. Beauty Insiders should have already received their shopping pass in the mail (or check your e-mail for a printable pass).
  • Beauty Insiders can use code TICKET online through the 10th.
  • VIB members can use code VIBTICKET online through the 11th.
  • VIB Rouge members can use ROUGETICKET online until the 11th.

My top nail picks/recommendations:

A few other recommendations:
  • Diorshow Extase Mascara ($28.50) is one of my favorite Dior mascaras, this is always a good time to replenish or stock up on a few mascaras
  • Dolce & Gabbana Smoky Eye Quad ($60) is hands down THE best smoky eye shadow quad (review here)
  • NARS Matte Multiples ($39 each) perfect multi-tasker with rich blendable pigment that lasts all day long (Altai is my must-have for natural contouring)
  • Drybar The Chaser Shine Pomade ($28) is my holy grail hair product, I use it before or after blow drying and it works wonders on the hair for a sleek and healthy shine, my husband steals this from me all the time
  • Drybar Texas Tea Collection ($23-25) I’ve had such great experiences
    with their Happy Hour Shampoo/Conditioner, I’m so excited to see a few
    new additions to Sephora
Have you already purchased anything from the Sephora sale? I’m all ears!
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Uncategorized

Chanel Joues Contraste Vivacité #88 and Canaille #89

April 8, 2014

Chanel’s Perfection Lumière Velvet collection features two new Joues Contraste Powder Blushes ($45 each for 4g/0.14 oz, European/Asia baked version) in Vivacité #88 and Canaille #89. Both are in the baked formula and are more dramatic color than the usual traditional Chanel blush. They look quite intense in the compact but don’t go on as dark on the face. Vivacité #88 is a dark pink rose that has a matte finish. Canaille #89 is a warm shimmery orangey tan color. I think these are a nice addition for spring-to-summer. Although the colors are quite rich, the texture is easy to layer and apply without looking clown-like.

The Perfection Lumière Velvet Collection:

Vivacité #88 and Canaille #89

Vivacité #88 is a darker pink with a hint of fuchsia. The tetxure on this one a bit harder than the US versions. It applies sheer but is layerable for more color. I recommend applying with a light hand though – this is one of those colors that you can easily overdo with one swipe too many.

Canaille #89 is a stunning shimmery coppery brown peach. It’s shimmery but not frosty. It has a softer texture than the Vivacite. This one is also easy to layer for color but the pigment is on the richer side.

Here they are swatched with a heavy hand:

Swatch comparisons (all swatched with a heavy hand): Burberry Hydrangea Pink, Tom Ford Narcissist, Hourglass Radiant Magenta, Chanel Emotion, Tom Ford Savage, NARS Taj Mahal, NARS Lovejoy and MAC Sunbasque:

I wanted to hate these since they are not the US formula (which I prefer). I tested both at the counter and the artist applied them on my face when I tested the new foundation. I could not resist. Both are so different from any other blushes I own. I’ve been playing around with these for a week and the texture seems to be ok in terms of application and wear. I still prefer the soft finely milled texture of the US version blushes but these are winners for color and wear. At first glance, both Vivacité #88 and Canaille #89 look intimidating in the pans, especially to those who prefer natural colors or have fairer skin. I found them to still wear quite naturally with easy to control pigment.

Both blushes should be available at all counters by now. Also available currently online at Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Saks and Chanel.com.
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Base Makeup Chanel

Chanel Perfection Lumière Velvet | Smooth-Effect Makeup

April 7, 2014
Chanel Perfection Lumière Velvet ($45 for 30 ml/1 fl oz) is the latest foundation formula from Chanel. It’s described as a lightweight, oil-free fluid foundation that provides a long-lasting matte-velvet finish. It has what Chanel calls “soft-focus pigments” which smooth and perfect the skin for a flawless look
that lasts all day. It comes in a sleek black bottle. I was matched to 30 Beige (I’m usually either a 20 Beige or 30 Beige for Chanel). According to the Chanel rep I spoke with at Nordstrom the new Perfection Lumière Velvet is going to replace the Mat Lumière.

The Perfection Lumière Velvet is indeed a lightweight foundation with medium coverage. It has enough pigment to even out the skin but not quite as full coverage as the regular Perfection Lumière. This new velvet formula is designed for those normal to oily skin.

At the counter the Chanel artist prepped my skin by cleaning first with the Creamy Cleansing Milk and then followed with the Hydra Beauty Creme. She tested 20 and 30 on my skin. We decided to go with 30 which was a perfect match. She applied the Perfection Lumière Velvet with the foundation brush and then finished with a light dusting of Les Beiges in No. 20 to set. I loved how the foundation blended on the skin with a smooth no-makeup feel. The Perfection Lumière Velvet adheres well to the skin but still lets it breathe. On my normal/combination this lasted all day long and the smooth velvety finish remained the same from the time it was applied well into the late evening. I like that it’s not a full-matte finish which prevents it from looking too flat.
Chanel had some amazing matte foundations back in the early 2000’s which they discontinued and replaced with Mat Lumiere (which I hated, I found it did not blend well and caked a bit on my skin). I’ve since tried to find a good matte-finish replacement, the closest is By Terry’s Hyaluronic Face Glow but it still doesn’t have the same velvety finish as the older Chanels. This new Perfection Lumière Velvet is a must- have foundation for those looking for a long-lasting natural makeup with a slight matte finish. I find it has been released at the perfect time of year as we start getting warmer weather. The color stays put on the skin without oxidizing. Below you can see how well it blends into the skin and evens out the texture:

I’ve been using this over a number of moisturizers, I like it right now over Le Jour de Chanel and set with the Les Beiges powder.



Here are some swatches for comparisons: By Terry Hyaluronic Face Glow No 2, By Terry Cover-Expert in 9 Honey Beige, Tom Ford Foundation Stick Bisque 04 (review here), Chanel Vitalumière Aqua in B20 and B30, Chanel Perfection Lumière Velvet 30 Beige, Chanel Perfection Lumière 30 Beige, NARS Tinted Moisturizer in Groenland.

In terms of formula comparisons to the new Perfection Lumière Velvet to other Chanel foundations:

  • Chanel Vitalumière Aqua is sheerer and more lightweight in color. The new Perfection Lumière Velvet goes on smoother onto the skin and also is more fluid in texture. I found it much easier to squeeze out of the tube.
  • Chanel Perfection Lumière is heavier in texture and has more full coverage, I find the Velvet version to work better with my skin, the Regular version was a bit too heavy for me.
Packaging comparisons:



I’ve been testing this for a week and I’ve been really pleased with the results. I’ve always been a huge fan of Chanel foundations (except for a couple formulas) and I highly recommend you check out the Perfection Lumière Velvet foundation. I’ve had no issues with breakouts or clogged pores with this formula. It blends well, lasts all day and doesn’t change color. The velvety finish is natural but still matte-looking.

The new Perfection Lumière Velvet foundations should be at all counters now. Check out Natural N Chic Makeup for swatches of all shades. I purchased mine at Nordstrom. It’s also available at Bloomingdales, Saks and Chanel.com.
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Uncategorized

Monday Morning Beauty

April 7, 2014

Today’s an almost-all Chanel kind of day. Here are a few new items I’ve been testing along with some tried-and true favorites. Stay tuned for reviews of the new Chanel Perfection Lumière Velvet Foundation in 30 Beige and Vivacité 88 and Canaille 89 Powder Blushes.

Featured above from left to right: J. Crew ceramic tray, Le Jour de Chanel (full size or new trio here), Chanel Perfection Lumière Velvet in 30 Beige, Chanel Foundation Brush, Chanel Bliss Glossimer (swatched here), Tom Ford In the Buff (swatches here), Chanel Canaille 89 Powder Blush, Chanel Les Beiges (review here).

Have a lovely Monday morning!

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Uncategorized

NARS Paloma Contour Blush, Altai and Vientiane Matte Multiples and Contour Brush #21

April 5, 2014

NARS has been killing it with some amazing new releases this year. New items on my radar focus on contouring: Matte Multiples in Altai and Vientiane ($39 each for 7.5 g), Paloma Contour Blush ($42 for 8.2 g) and the new Contour Brush #21 ($42).

The new Contour Blushes are powder duos with shades that create dimension
for the face while giving a luminous finish. Each compact has a deeper shade to create definition and contour and a lighter shade to highlight and blend. There are three color options and I picked the middle option Paloma. The powders are very similar in concept to the MAC Sculpt and Shape powders. I find the NARS slightly more velvety in texture. Paloma has a neutral cream powder with a neutral tan. It’s described as having a rose undertone which is nice because it prevents the colors from turning too brown or orange on the skin. I found Paloma to be dark enough to show up on the skin but it is still very natural looking. I’m not a contour pro, but I like to apply contouring/bronzer powders in a 3 shape on each side of the face starting at the temples and down to the jawline. You could use this as a nude blush, however adding a swipe of a brighter blush on top like NARS Torrid really brightens the face after using the Contour Blush first.

Matte Multiples have been all the rage lately. I purchased a handful and have been really impressed with the velvety pigmented texture that is really easy to blend. The Matte Multiples have more pigment than the regular Multiples. The only downside is the new matte multiples are smaller in size than the regular versions and priced the same. Altai is the lightest bronze option which I find perfect for contouring. For those familiar with the older flesh-colored multiples from several years ago, Altai is a close duplicate for Tuomota. Vientiane is a darker warmer bronze. The NARS artist at the Melrose Boutique used this to contour my face in the temples, nose, cheek bone and jaw. The velvety texture of these adheres well to the skin and the formula allows for precise control of pigment. I found these to last on the cheeks quite well (much longer than the regular multiples).

I have swatches and also comparisons, first up swatches of the three new items  I purchased from NARS – Paloma Contour Blush, Altai Matte Multiple and Vientiane Matte Multiple:

Paloma Contour Blush comparisons to MAC Accentuate Shaping Powder, NARS Zen Blush, NARS Douceur Blush, MAC Sculpt Powder, Chanel Les Beiges in 30 and MAC Strada Blush.

Altai and Vientiane Matte Multiple comparisons to other cream contouring products (unfortunately I think all have been discontinued) St Barts Multiple, MAC Naturally Defined Pro Sculpting Cream, MAC Pure Sculpture Pro Sculpting Cream, NARS Tuomota Multiple and NARS Laguna Multiple:

Last item I wanted to feature includes one of the newly re-designed brushes: Contour Brush #21. This is a sturdy basic black angled blush. The bristles are very soft yet dense. It has a medium-sized handle that fits my hand well. It’s not too short but not too long. It picks up powder really well and helps to apply it evenly on the face.

Dior Tra La La on the nails
Views of the Contour blush from different angles:

Overall really pleased with these new discoveries from NARS. You can find the items at NARS counters and boutiques now. Online now at Nordstrom (gift with purchase now), Bloomingdales (also has a gift with purchase now), Barneys and Narscosmetics.com.

What’s your perfect contouring product or tool? Have you checked out the new Contouring Blushes or Matte Multiples? What did you pick up?

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Boutique California Travel

NARS 8412 Melrose Boutique

April 4, 2014

I made my first trip to the NARS Boutique in Los Angeles on Melrose last weekend (follow them on Twitter @NARS8412Melrose or the official NARS account @NARSissist). The boutique has a sleek and modern design with large wall-sized NARS prints, clean crisp kiosk displays and individual mini booths in front of large mirrors for makeup application. One of the artists helped show me how to use the new contouring powders. In addition I loved playing with the new brush line and matte multiples. The Melrose store opened in late 2012 – if you haven’t been to a NARS boutique before,  I highly recommend visiting one.

Some snapshots the store kindly let me take of their beautiful store:

Have you been to a NARS boutique before? If so, which one?
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Base Makeup

Primers and Smoothers

April 3, 2014

I’ve been testing out a few new primers and smoothing products and thought I’d share my favorite staple primers along with some new discoveries. I’m not typically a primer kind of person. I’ve found most that I’ve tried don’t really do much to extend the wear of makeup and end up adding an extra layer of product on my face that I don’t really need. I’ve tried dozens of primers at makeover events and from tiny sample packets. There are so may different options on the market these days it can be a bit overwhelming. Different products offer a multitude of effects. Some will smooth the overall look of your skin, add a glow, give a matte look and then there are some that are just basic primers to help the application of your foundation. I have normal and sensitive skin. For your reference I’ve broken down my primer picks into two main different categories:

  • Tom Ford Illuminating Primer ($72 for 1 fl oz) is one of the best glow primers I’ve ever tried. I tested this on numerous occasions each time I was able to visit a Tom Ford counter under both the foundation stick and liquid formula. The counters kindly made a few small samples for me to test before I caved and purchased the full size (I’m still in price shock). The Tom Ford primer is packaged with a clever twist pump dispenser. It has a soothing fresh scent with a slight herbal undertone. What I like about this one is that has a more yellow-like pearly glow which I found perfect for my needs (most I’ve seen have a pinkish glow). It helps extend the wear of makeup and adds a glow without making you greasy. It helps smooth the skin and adds an all over glow to prevent your makeup from looking flat. Be aware that this is on the dewy side, if you’re oily I wouldn’t recommend this one. I also found this one works best with the Tom Ford Foundations. See The Convenient Beauty’s review.
  • NARS Pro-Prime Radiance Enhancing Primer ($34 for 1.1 oz) is the next best alternative to Tom Ford’s primer at a more affordable price. It has a reflective pearl quality that is the perfect mix of opal, gold and champagne. It has SPF 15 and a little goes a long way. I find this one photographs well with a flash. It has a creamy but thin and easy to blend texture to give an all over glow without being too glowy. Lasting power is better than average for me but it won’t make your makeup last all day long (you will need a touch up in the afternoon). I really like this for the effect it gives and how it helps makeup look smoother.
  • MAC Strobe Liquid ($32 for 1.7 fl oz) isn’t really a traditional primer, but I like to use it as one over moisturizer and underneath liquid or powder makeup. It’s another great smoothing glow product with a super thin liquid texture. It dries well to help makeup stay in place and prevents it from sliding around – but note you only need a tiny bit on the face. It’s on the more glowy side so I would recommend topping with a regular powder or foundation. This one is also good for mixing in with foundations to add a glow without making you look white. It has a more opal/blueish sheen.
  • Chanel Base Lumiere Illuminating Makeup Base ($45 for 1 fl oz) is one of the most fluid primer/bases I’ve ever tried. (I’ve repurchased this multiple times.) It has a blueish violet sheen but it disppears into a clear finish on the skin. The key to using this is to make sure you use a thinner lightweight moisturizer underneath otherwise it will make the skin oily. If you’re a serum + moisturizer kind of person, I would recommend skipping one of the items before using this one. I like this best with Chanel foundations as it helps prime the skin with a subtle glow and also helps extend the wear of foundation. Make sure you use as little as possible – if you overdo it it will be too heavy and feel thick on the skin.

  • Lancome Visionnaire 1-Minute Blur ($55 for 1 fl oz) is currently available at Sephora locations in the US. I received a press sample of this (hence the white lab tube). It’s a skin smoother/finisher designed to smooth the skin, erase imperfections and pores. It has a creamy neutral colored texture that disappears on the skin. This video has a good visual of what this will do for the skin. I suggest testing at the store if you can, reviews indicate this is either a hit or miss. I saw a noticeable difference in my skin texture when using this and used it under a liquid foundation (tested with Chanel and NARS). I loved the results for the overall look and it truly erased any signs of pores on my face. It helped my makeup last all day long (quite impressive) well through the evening. There is a very light fragrance to this which I found on the subtle side. The only thing I didn’t like about this was that I could actually feel the layer of product on my face – not necessarily a bad thing, but I tend to prefer face makeup that is more weightless and thinner in texture.
  • Clinique Superprimer Color Correcting ($27 for 1 oz) I bought this at Sephora after reading rave reviews about the Superprimers. I was a bit overwhelmed with the color options and honestly have no idea if I picked the right one for me. I decided to go with the peach color corrector since traditional white ones are often too pale and white for my olive skin. I didn’t notice any color correcting quality with this one but the color matched my skin pretty well once blended. It has a thicker airy creamy texture that has a velvety feel on the skin. The result: long lasting makeup all day long from morning until late at night (around 11ish before I took it off). The peach color disappeared and gave the skin a smooth matte look. If you test any of the options at the store you will see a noticeable difference on the back of your hand. I like that the primer didn’t change the color of my foundation even though it has a peach tint. I’m not sure I picked the right option, if you’ve tried the any of the Clinique primers I’d love to hear your thoughts.
  • Dior Pore Minimizer Skin Refining Matte Primer ($42 for 1 oz) is a primer that wins for most innovative packaging. It’s a tube with a pump dispenser. I have not purchased this after testing a couple counter-made samples but wanted to share my thoughts. This offers the most matte finish that I’ve ever seen. It smooths the skin out similar to the Lancome but has a thicker feel on the skin (at least for me). I found this blended well on the skin and provided a lovely smooth look. There was a huge noticeable difference. I felt it was too dry for my normal/combination skin even though it didn’t look dry at all. I suspect if you have skin that is on the oily side, the Dior Matte Primer will work wonders for you.
Packaging and dispenser details:

My top three picks:
  1. For the best glow, I like Tom Ford’s Illuminating Primer
  2. For the price and performance I like Clinique’s Superprimer
  3. For the most visible smoothing result, Lancome Visionnaire 1-Minute Blur is a winner

Do you have any favorite primers, smoothing products or glowy bases? I’d love to hear about your thoughts and experiences for what has worked on your skin tone or skin type.
 

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