Yearly Archives

2014

Base Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick | Bisque 04 and Natural 05

March 6, 2014

Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Sticks ($78 each for .5 oz/15g) are a twist up cream foundation that comes in twelve different shades. I’ve been using this for over a year in Natural 05 and more recently Bisque 04. For me, this is an exceptional product. I tested this on three different occasions at the Tom Ford counters before deciding to purchase. Each time I had the Traceless Foundation Stick on one half of my face with the Traceless Foundation (liquid) on the other. I worked with a few different artists. I asked if they could pick only one which one would they recommend and all of them recommended the stick.

The Traceless Foundation Sticks are a medium to full coverage foundation. It is a creamy kind of stick but blends out to a flawless streakless coverage. The Tom Ford Cream Foundation Blush is amazing with this in that it buffs out the foundation to a perfect finish without any visible streaks. For me anytime I use a foundation brush I end up having to blend a little with a sponge to erase any streaks or lines. The brush + foundation is really phenomenal and worth every penny. It’s on the more emollient side but a little goes a long way and it blends out to a perfect finish for my normal/combination skin. I even like to use it under the eyes as an alternate to concealer. It is a bit too emollient to use as a regular concealer but the coverage can be layered to have a similar effect.

Natural 05 is a lighter color than Bisque 04. Both are neutrals with Natural being a bit more olive/yellow. Natural used to be a perfect match but I got a bit of a tan so the artists matched me to the next darkest shade which is Bisque 04. I’m usually the 3rd or 4th color in foundation lines: Chanel B30/NARS Groenland. It’s been over a decade since I’ve used a MAC foundation (they don’t work well with my skin), but I’ve typically been in between NC30 and NC35. (See all shades swatched at The Beauty Professor.)

 

I use the foundation stick two ways. One is all over the face mixing both Natural 05 and Bisque 04 together. Sometimes I use the darker color Bisque in the center of my face and blend outwards and use Natural around the edges and blend inwards. Other times I just mix the two and blend. On good skin days I use a tinted moisturizer and then the foundation stick for extra coverage in certain spots.

Here are swatch comparisons to other foundations I have in rotation. Note that a couple of the shades are too light for me now but I still had some left over since I went to the next shade up.

Left to right: NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua B20 and B30, Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick in Bisque and Natural, Chanel Perfection Lumiere 30 Beige, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact 30 Beige, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Groenland.

Indoor lighting without flash:

Outdoors at dusk, with flash:

Overall I find the Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Sticks to be a workhorse staple in my weekly beauty routine. If I were to compare this to other foundations I’ve tried, most foundation sticks I’ve tested during makeovers and at the counter left me feeling extremely greasy and oily after a few hours. The Tom Ford lasts longer without getting greasy. I would say it’s similar to the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact but works better for my skin with a flawless finish, more controllable coverage. For me I cannot wear the Chanel compact foundation for more than two days in a row because it breaks out my skin.

This is extremely pricey but a little bit goes a very long way. I’ve been using the Natural 05 for over a year and have not used it up with regular use. Comparing the two Tom Ford foundations, I found the stick to have more coverage and be less dewy once blended. I still really liked the liquid and may eventually purchase once I’ve used up my other liquid foundations (probably not for a while).

If you’ve tried Tom Ford foundations – what did you think? If you can share what shades you use to help other readers who can’t get to a counter pick out their match I’m sure everyone would be incredibly grateful for your input and advice.

You can find the Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick for $78 each at Tom Ford Beauty counters. Online at Saks, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Bloomingdales.

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Four Ways to Follow The Beauty Look Book

March 5, 2014

In case you are new to my blog, here are four more ways to follow The Beauty Look Book 🙂
1 / Instagram @beautylookbook
Follow me on Instagram to see sneak peeks of what is coming soon, what makeup I’m obsessed with at the moment or snapshots of my non-beauty life (home, travel, kitty and accessories)



2 / Twitter @beautylookbook

3 / Bloglovin – The Beauty Look Book
I love to use Bloglovin to keep up with the latest from all my favorite reads

4 / Pinterest sabrinaTBLB
Yes, I’m on Pinterest! I won’t be pinning any of my items and you won’t see me using any pins on my blog, but I do think it’s fun for inspiration and dreaming
Happy reading and following!

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Loving Right Now

March 3, 2014

I can’t believe it’s already March. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I wanted to share a few things I’m loving right now. As always, I’d love to hear what is on your favorites list – please share in the comments below. I often discover new favorites through my readers.

White lacquered tray is from West Elm
  1. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat – this is the perfect glowy pink-poppy flush (see my swatches from yesterday here)
  2. MAC Cremesheen + Pearl Glass in Floating Lotus – these were released a while ago with the Cremesheen+Pearl collection, I’m so glad MAC made the lipsticks and glosses permanent, there are some really gorgeous classic pinks, Floating Lotus is a lovely sheer natural pink
  3. Giorgio Armani Gloss d’Armani #513 – this is one of the prettiest cool beige shimmers, it has a hint of pink and it doesn’t wash out the complexion (swatches here)
  4. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse – see my review on body oils here, I usually prefer the Caudalie, but right now I keep reaching for the Nuxe
  5. Tom Ford Foundation Sticks in Bisque 04 and Natural 05 – I started with Natural 05 but got a bit of a tan so was in need of one shade darker, it was a good thing I asked the artists at the counter for their help because the odd thing with these is Bisque 04 is actually darker than Natural 05 even though the shades are supposed to be in sequence (lighter shades are supposed to be the lower numbers) I’ll have a more detailed review soon, this is very pricey but it’s an amazing product and worth every penny
  6. L’Artisan Mûre et Musc – a discovery thanks to one of my long time friends, this is a beautiful blend of blackberry and musc, it’s not overly sweet, my review on this from a holiday the trio a few years ago here
  7. MAC Viva Glam IV – this is a classic rose frost, not too red, berry or neutral, just the right mix of pink and rose
  8. Malin + Goetz Lip Moisturizer – this came in last month’s Barneys Love Yourself gift bag, it’s my first time trying anything from the brand, the price seems very reasonable for a lip balm, I’m incredibly impressed, it feels amazing on the lips
  9. Tom Ford Lip Sheer In the Buff – I’ve been wearing this non-stop, some have mentioned it doesn’t show up or is too pale, but for me, it’s my perfect everyday nude (swatches here)
  10. Chanel Glossimer Sonate 179 – from the spring collection, this is a lovely coral gloss from Chanel that actually shows up on my pigmented lips (swatches here)
  11. Tom Ford Eau de Parfum Oud Wood – I don’t wear a fragrance everyday, I’m often rushed in the mornings and this is often last on my list, if I were to have an everyday fragrance this would be it, it’s neutral enough to not be overpowering at the office (review here)

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Bronzer + Blush Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush

March 2, 2014

 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes ($35 each for 0.15 oz/4.2 g) have arrived in stores in six stunning glowy shades. These are a hybrid highlighter/blush powder that have what Hourglass calls “Photoluminescent Technology“ which gives your blush depth and dimension giving a perfect glow. I’ve been a huge fan of the Ambient Lighting Powders (previous reviews here and here) so there was no question in my mind that I would fall in love with these new Blushes. If you look at the pans in person you may think some shades will be too light but the pigment of the color in these blushes is quite intense and swirling your brush into the color creates a mix of color and highlight to give you the perfect amount of color/glow. A little swipe will go a long way. The result: radiant natural finish with buildable color for an ethereal glow.
Hourglass sent me Diffused Heat for review and I purchased four shades in Radiant Magenta, Luminous Flush, Dim Infusion and Mood Exposure from Sephora. I tested each shade for 2-3 full days each which is why this has taken me so long to write this review. Lasting power of these blushes is particularly impressive, most of the colors lasted from morning to evening without fading. The only shade that seemed subtle and less dramatic was Dim Infusion which applies very very naturally on the cheeks. Much like the Ambient Lighting Powders, these blushes have a soft powder texture. It’s lightweight and easy to blend and layer. I’ve been applying these with either Chanel Blush Brush #4, MAC #129 or Tom Ford Cheek Blush brush, but really any blush brush will do. Two soft brush swipes is really all you need with these.

 

 

 

Radiant Magenta is one of the most pigmented and one of my favorites. It’s described as a golden fuchsia blush combined with Radiant Light for a summer glow. This is a beautiful glowy fresh pink. The golden bronze of Radiant Light mixed in creates a perfect pink that won’t darken or turn muddy on the skin. This one had the most impressive lasting power. The shimmer is very fine in this. It’s not frosty, just a perfect glow.

 

 

 

Luminous Flush is a champagne rose blush fused with Luminous Light (my holy grail highlighter) to evoke a candlelit glimmer. Since these are all hand-made, some will have more pink, others like mine will have more champagne color. I was worried this one would be too light but the pink is quite pigmented so it does show up on my face.

 

 

 

Dim Infusion is one of the lighter colors. It’s a subdued coral blush fused with Dim Light to add warmth. I found it showed up quite well on my skin, it gives a soft peach glow. Looks fairly light but I recommend you test in store if you can. I think it will show up on medium-tan skin, but may look nearly invisible on darker skintones. I’ve noticed from some comments that those with very fair skin found this did not show up on them. It might be one of those shades that shows up better if you’re skin does not match the Dim Light powder. If it does, this may just blend in with your skin and disappear. If you’ve tested this please share your thoughts in the comments.

 

 

 

Diffused Heat (press sample) is the color that surprised me the most. This is a vibrant poppy blush combined with Diffused Light for a subtle halo effect. Poppy colors can be hard for me to pull off for blush. They often look so gorgeous in the pan but then darken and look muddy-ish on my olive skin. In the pan Diffused Heat looks like it could be too orange or warm but the mix of colors turns a pretty coral pink and brightens the entire face. This is one of my top 2 picks. It is a color I think will be universally flattering.

 

 

 

Mood Exposure is another surprise. It looks like it might be a flat and boring neutral rose based on what you see in the compact. It’s a soft plum blush fused with Mood Light to brighten the complexion. The plum is almost bronzey on my skin and gives this wonderful rose-bronze-pink. It  looks different on everyone I’ve seen this on. For some it pulls more rose, for others like myself, it pulls more warm. I would describe it as unexpectedly gorgeous. I highly recommend this color as well. It is highly pigmented, I think this one will show up on everyone.

 

 

 

Swatches below, note these apply much better on the face than any arm or hand swatch can show:

 

 

 

 

Comparisons to corresponding Ambient Highlighting Powders. The blushes are smaller in size but have the same style packaging. Each compact is mirrored.

 

 

Click photo for better viewing:

 


Bottom line: Truly amazing. Everyone needs at least one. (Yes, everyone!) I normally blend blush with highlighters to create some kind of depth, these new Hourglass Ambient Lighting blushes save me the extra step. You can control the level of pigment or color depending how you apply these.Over a powdered face the effect will be softer. If you have dry skin or a well-powdered face you may find these won’t show up as well. I have normal skin and found these applied just fine over powder. If you need more color, I recommend using these over a slightly dewy face or cream highlighter (such as Armani Fluid Sheers, NARS Multiples or Edward Bess Afterglow Highlighters). A sheer cream base will help the pigment show up better if you’re on the dryer side without impacting the color too much. The pigment will be richer and more dramatic. I don’t have a preference for either application – both ways will give a lovely effect. (I didn’t test the lightest shade Ethereal Glow because I thought it would be too pale, but I may try it the next time I’m at Sephora.)

 

For reference I put together a collage on all the shades for you to see how each blush has a mix of each corresponding with a particular highlighter. Although I already own a number of the Hourglass Ambient Light highlighters, I do think these blushes are unique enough to justify owning.

 

 

My top three picks are Radiant Magenta, Mood Exposure and Diffused Heat.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes retail for $35 each. These are free of parabens, talc, fragrance, nanoparticles and gluten. No Animal Testing. Available at Barneys New York, Net-A-Porter, Sephora, Space NK and Hourglasscosmetics.com.

 

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Chanel Aqualumière Glosses | Eau de Rose 86, Rosace 87, Pink Pivoine 88, Baie Rose 89

March 1, 2014

Chanel has brought us four new shades of Aqualumière Gloss in the Jardin de Camélias collection ($29.50 each, 6 ml/0.20 fl oz). Eau de Rose 86 is a pale silvery pink, Rosace 87 is a shimmery light peachy pink, Pink Pivoine 88 is a sheer coral pink and Baie Rose 89 is a cool pink. All the shades are extremely sheer and offer a slight hint of shimmer or tint to the lips. They have a high shine smooth glossy finish.

Lip swatches, for skintone reference, I currently use Tom Ford Foundation Sticks in 04 Bisque and 05 Natural mixed with Dolce & Gabbana Powder Foundation in Warm 100 on top:

Comparison swatches below to: Chanel Colbri Aqualumiere Gloss (discontinued), MAC Nectarsweet Cremesheen Glass, Chanel Bliss Glossimer, Dior Bed of Roses Addict, Bobbi Brown Pink Lily (discontinued), Tom Ford Sugar Pink Gloss, Chanel Imaginaire Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss (discontinued). 

Overall beautiful fresh colors that are lovely for spring. I wouldn’t call them must-haves since there is very little color payoff. These are extremely sheer glosses but that is expected with the Aqualumiere Gloss formula.
Eau de Rose 86, Rosace 87, Pink Pivoine 88, Baie Rose 89 are currently exclusive to Chanel.com. Will you be purchasing any of these? If you already ordered, what did you think?

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Chanel Charmeuse #142 and Fleurie #139 Rouge Allure – Jardin de Camélias Collection

February 28, 2014

There are two new Rouge Allures in the Chanel.com Jardin de Camélias Collection ($34 each, both limited-edition). Charmeuse #142 is a neutral nude beige with a slight shimmer and Fleurie #139 is a soft bright pink with fuschia sparkles. Both are buildable lip colors with a slight transparent quality so you can see a bit of your natural lip underneath. True to Rouge Allure formulas, they are creamy and easy to apply.

Swatches on the hand show that while Charmeuse is a straight beige nude in the tube it pulls a bit pinkish on my olive-toned hands:

Lip swatch of Charmeuse #142:

Lip swatch of Fleurie #139:

Comparisons swatches for reference: Tom Ford In The Buff (review here, swatches here), MAC Touche Huggable Lip Color (review here), Tom Ford Paradiso (review here) and MAC Out for Passion Huggable Lip Color (review here):

Charmeuse #142 and Fleurie #139 Rouge Allures are both easy to wear lip colors that require no additional fixing. They work straight from the tube and lasting power is quite good. I like both colors but they are very similar to other colors from Chanel and other brands so you may want to skip if you already splurge on MAC Huggables or Tom Ford Lip Sheers. I ordered them sight unseen so I did not  know exactly what to expect from online photos.
Both colors Charmeuse and Fleurie are in the Rouge Allure formula and are limited-edition. In the US they are both exclusive to Chanel.com.
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Chanel Sakura #87 Blush and Jardin de Camélias Illuminating Powder – Chanel.com Exclusive

February 26, 2014

There are two new cheek products in the Chanel Jardin de Camélias collection Sakura #87 Joues Contraste ($43 for 4g/0.14 oz, made in France) and Jardin de Camélias Illuminating Powder ($70 for 16g/0.54 oz). Both products are lovely classics true to Chanel form. It appears that the blush has already sold out online but I’ve pulled quite a few other blushes in attempt to find a dupe. Scroll to the bottom for comparisons.
Sakura #87 Joues Contraste is a soft peachy pinky color with a soft shimmer. This is the baked Euro/Asia version of blush which I’ve found to be hit or miss. Some are powdery on the surface with a hard texture underneath which can be difficult to apply. I’ve had better luck with some of the more recent releases but prefer the US formula. Sakura applies quite nicely on the skin with a soft pink glow. It’s a softer sheerer color but you can build it. It’s still very very natural on the skin. Lasting power is medium from morning to the early afternoon (like most powder blushes). There is a slight shimmer to the blush, on the cheeks the shimmer doesn’t show up but it does give the blush depth. This is a much-needed in between shade in Chanel’s line. Most blushes are either more rose or a straight peach. This is a good in between color with a mix of pink and peach.

Jardin de Camélias Illuminating Powder is a very pale ivory tinged with a hint of light rose pink. The color of the product in real life is true to what you see on Chanel.com. There is a slight iridescent quality to the powder when applied on the skin. On my face it just looks like a sheer pale white with a hint of pink pearl. It resembles a soft finishing powder with a hint of an opal pink glow. I personally wouldn’t use this all over the face for me. It can be used to tone down harsh edges of blush. I didn’t remember to photograph swatches of this next to Hourglass Dim Light but the effect is similar. The difference is Hourglass is more beige while the Jardin de Camelias is more pink. The first time I tried this I did not like it. I found it extremely subtle and almost invisible on my skin. I’ve been testing it some more and find it adds a lovely glow when applied on top of any blush (powder or cream). Still, the $70 price tag is hard to justify something that is extremely subtle in effect.

Swatches:

I have two sets of comparisons below. First set shows the colors next to Chanel Rose Initiale (review here), Fleur de Lotus (Nordstrom Exclusive, miraculously still available for sale), Poudre Signee de Chanel Powder (discontinued), Hourglass Luminous Light (review here) and Chanel Rose Tourbillon (discontinued).

I later pulled a few more blushes after someone emailed me asking if the #87 Sakura was the same as the recently released #87 Émotion blush. Although they have the same numbers, the colors are completely different.

Left to right: Chanel Rose Petale, Chantecaille Laughter (discontinued), Chanel Emotion (review here), Chanel Narcisse (US version, discontinued), Inspiration Blush Creme (apparently discontinued now as well, more swatches here), MAC Dainty Mineralize Blush and Tom Ford Frantic Pink.

There’s no dupe from what I’ve found although MAC Dainty and Tom Ford Frantic Pink (my all time favorite natural pink blush) are very close. If you click to enlarge you might be able to see that the Chanel is more satiny with less shimmer while the MAC/Tom Ford have more shimmer. I tried Sakura on one cheek and Dainty on the other and they were almost identical on my skin.

Did you order anything from the Jardin de Camélias line? What were your thoughts? Or if you were waiting for my swatches, has anything caught your eye?

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