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2014

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Barneys February Love Yourself Event

February 12, 2014
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=MeQoh28EORo&subid=&offerid=293189.1&type=10&tmpid=12370&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.barneys.com%2Fon%2Fdemandware.store%2FSites-BNY-Site%2Fdefault%2FSearch-Show%3Fcgid%3Dwomens-beauty

The Barneys February Love Yourself Event is here! From February 12-15, spend $250 on cosmetics and fragrances and receive a cosmetics bag filled with our favorites. Valid on U.S. orders only, while supplies last.

I ordered some items from By Terry, L’Artisan and Aesop as a pre-sale several weeks ago. I’m expecting my package soon and am very excited!

http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=MeQoh28EORo&subid=&offerid=293189.1&type=10&tmpid=12370&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.barneys.com%2Fon%2Fdemandware.store%2FSites-BNY-Site%2Fdefault%2FSearch-Show%3Fcgid%3Dwomens-beauty

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Tom Ford Spring 2014 Nail Lacquers | Sugar Dune, Coral Beach, Incandescent and Indiscretion

February 12, 2014

Tom Ford released four new limited-edition nail lacquers for spring in Sugar Dune, Coral Beach, Incandescent and Indiscretion ($32 each for .41 fl oz/20 ml, made in France). The colors together make a beautiful collection perfect for spring. Those who have read my reviews of Tom Ford Nail Lacquers know I wasn’t too thrilled with the formulas for the original release of colors. I’ve found the limited-edition releases to be much better in lasting power, finish and pigment. The new shades for spring have good pigment and last quite long (going on 4 days and counting with Sugar Dune). These four shades come with the limited-edition white caps to match the white packaging on the lipsticks for this collection.

Sugar Dune is a beautiful pink nude cream. It makes for a lovely natural manicure. I’m on the end of day four wearing this and there are no signs of tip wear. I did find this one a bit difficult to apply smoothly. I had to apply three thin coats – each coats need to dry completely before you apply the next coat. If you have patience to apply this one carefully you will be pleased with the color. It has a bit of pink in it to prevent it from being too flesh-toned.

Coral Beach is a semi-sheer coral peach cream color. It’s not quite a jelly finish nail polish but it has a tiny bit of transparency. I found it applied with near-full coverage with two coats. It’s more orangey and less pink than other medium corals but it’s not pure orange. There’s a bit of softness to this that makes it look bright but more natural on the hands.

Incandescent is my favorite color in the collection. It’s a metallic mix of pink, bronze and silver. In sunlight it looks more like a metallic golden rose, in natural light it looks more golden. With two coats you can see a little bit of the brush strokes, but it applies fairly smoothly. This one had a bit of tip wear by day three (as shown below).

Indiscretion is a standard bright pink. It’s a bit brighter and lighter than the other Tom Ford pinks in his regular collection. This one was a bit hard to photograph. On the screen it looks a bit neon but it’s really a straight bright hot pink.

Bottom line – classic shades that will be wearable throughout the entire year. I think you can safely skip Indiscretion since it’s fairly similar to other hot pinks. The remaining three colors are beautiful with Incandescent being the most unique. It has a lovely shimmer frost without being too metallic. I finally ordered nail wheels, expect a comparison post to follow shortly.

The Tom Ford Nail Lacquers for spring are limited-edition at $32 each. You can find them now at Tom Ford Beauty counters, also online at Nordstrom, Saks, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and Selfridges.

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MAC Viva Glam Rihanna Lipstick and Lipglass

February 10, 2014

MAC released two new vibrant classic reds for their Viva Glam line with Rihanna. There is a Viva Glam Rihanna Lipstick ($16 for 3g / 0.1 US oz) and a Lipglass ($15 for 4.8 g / 0.17 US oz). The colors are bold with rich pigment. I rarely wear reds but could not resist these two. I’ve missed out on previous limited-edition Viva Glam shades, I did not want to miss out again.

The Viva Glam Rihanna Lipstick is a frost formula. It’s described as a blue-red but on me goes on much warmer without blue tones. It has a metallic warm red frost but on the lips it doesn’t appear too frosty like some MAC Frost formula lipsticks can. It’s a very pigmented bright red color – pigmented enough to cover the entire lip and show up true-to-tube on darker-toned lips. It’s a striking shade – something I’m not brave enough to wear everyday or to the office, although it’s a classic enough shade that I think one can.

The Viva Glam Rihanna Lipglass is a semi-sheer hot pink red infused with tiny red and fuschia micro sparkles. The base is a bit sheerish but layering with a brush will increase the pigment. When worn alone, it’s a bit transparent so you can see a bit of the lip underneath. When layered over lipsticks it adds sparkle and shine.

Both the lipstick and lipglass versions are fairly similar in color, they are almost an exact match. The lipglass flashes a bit more blueish due to the cool-toned sparkles. Swatches side by side:

I pulled a few other darker colors I have to compare. Most of my lipsticks are neutrals or peachy colors. As you can see the darker ones I have are still more on the neutral side. Below shown is MAC Viva Glam IV Lipstick, MAC Viva Glam VI Lipstick and Lipglass, MAC Astral Cremesheen Glass (discontinued), Chanel Pink Pulsion Glossimer (discontinued) and Burberry Mallow Pink Lip Gloss (swatched here).

Both are classic reds I think are truly universally flattering. I’m not sure that I think I could pull them off for everyday or for every occasion, but I do think I can wear them for more special occasions. The pigment of the lipstick is very impressive. I wish more MAC lipsticks had that kind of color payoff (although I am a huge fan of the sheers and lustres). Did you pick up the new Viva Glam Rihanna shades? What’s your favorite Viva Glam to date?

MAC Viva Glam Rihanna Lipstick and Lipglass are both available at all MAC stores and counters now. Online at Maccosmetics.com, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales and Macy’s.

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Loving Right Now

February 9, 2014
I’m living vicariously through fashion bloggers and designers as they post runway and backstage snapshots of New York Fashion Week. There are some amazing streams through Instagram. A few of my favorites above and linked below. (I’d love to hear what you’re following now too!)

@narsissist backstage at Alexander Wang & Helmut Lang
@esteelauder at Derek Lam
@lancomeusa at Jason Wu
@maccosmetics backstage at Alexandre Herchcovitch
@nordstrom backstage with Herve Leger
@neimanmarcus with Bobbi Brown at Tibi

A few fashion bloggers’ instagrams I’m also following right now for NYFW coverage:
Angel Food Style | @sophieelkus
With Love From Kat | @kattanita
Gal Meets Glam | @juliahengel
Pink Peonies | @rachparcell
One more thing I’m loving: Porter Magazine. As many of you know, Net-A-Porter released their first issue of their Porter Magazine on February 7th. I’ve been working my way through the first issue (I love it so far). You can follow them on Instagram as well @netaporter or @portermagazine.
In the beauty world here at my home, I’m loving some new items from Tatcha, I’m working my way through swatches of the Tom Ford spring nail polishes and finally found Armani spring in stores (fell in love with both highlighters). I’ve discovered some new favorites from Ole Henriksen that has worked wonders for my skin in a little over a week. Stay tuned for updates and reviews. What are you loving right now?

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Beauty Tools

The Beauty Look Book Essentials | Eye Brushes

February 7, 2014

I’m launching a series of my favorites and essentials. I’ve been asked by many of you to share what are my holy grails for hand/nail care, tools, foundations and skincare. My favorites change as I discover new products, brands and tips so for this series, so I’m taking extra care to pick out my tried and true. First set includes what my essential eye makeup brushes are.

I built my brush collection bit by bit over many years. My first brushes (MAC, Stila and Trish McEvoy) were purchased during my college years and with careful storage and care, most have lasted quite well since then. Over the years, I’ve added more one by one. I prefer to purchase brushes individually because I usually find the quality to be much better than brush sets from the same brands. I’ve compiled a list of my top picks for eye brushes. When it comes to eye makeup, I’m usually a minimalist and I like to blend a lot.

There are literally hundreds of options out there. If you are new to eye makeup or feel like you’re a novice with application, I’d recommend attending one of your local events at your Nordstrom or Bloomingdales. I’ve learned so much from artists, in particular NARS, Chanel and Le Metier de Beaute. Many of the artists have worked with multiple brands are are free-lance artists. They can help show you different techniques and often can help compare a few different brushes from mainstream brands. If you’re just starting out or have a smaller budget for tools, I’ll share my top 3 picks to get started below.

Brush storage idea:

My Eye Brush Essentials:

What I look for in brushes:
Long handled brushes are easier for me to pick up so I prefer brands that have longer handles (rather than all short). I also look for a brush that will not shed or fall apart after washing. I usually won’t pay more than $50ish for an eyeshadow brush, although I have made the exception for Tom Ford. I prefer brands I can access in person since for me it’s very important to try the brush in person before buying. The brand with the best brush selection and price is MAC, although they don’t have every kind of shape or material (if they did, all my brushes would probably be from them).

My picks:
  • Edward Bess Luxury Eye Brush ($40) is hands down the best fluffy all over eye shadow brush. There are dozens of other brushes with a similar shape, but most are not dense enough (the less dense the sheerer the application of color is). The Edward Bess brush is well designed and has enough bristles packed in to really pick up and layer color.
  • Chanel Brush Large Eye Shadow Brush #25 ($38) is my favorite large/flat eyeshadow brush for a sheerer all over application. It’s a good brush to give your lids a wash of color and applies it evenly.
  • Trish McEvoy Medium Laydown #40 ($43) is a good brush for cream shadows or blending bases all over the lid. I like that it’s a bit thicker than most cream shadow brushes which makes the blending process easier for me.
  • MAC #217 ($24) is one of the best multi-purpose brushes. You can use this to apply shadow all over the lids, blend colors together or use this for your crease area. It’s super soft but still well packed to pick up color.
  • MAC #239 ($25) is another staple. I wish MAC made more brushes this size with different materials because this is the perfect shape for your basic eye shadow application. It’s soft and dense and blends well. It picks up more color than the #217, but I usually use both together.
  • MAC #226 (discontinued) has been released and re-released a couple times. It’s now discontinued, but it makes the perfect detail brush and for those with creases, is the ultimate crease brush.
  • Chanel Large Tapered Blending Brush #19 ($38) is the closest I’ve found to MAC #226. It’s a bit shorter and more domed-shaped though. This one is good for a smokey eye or blending darker shades.
  • Tom Ford Eye Contour #12 ($55) is one of my favorite multi purpose brushes. It never fails me. You can read more about it in my review here.
  • MAC #219 ($25) is another great detail brush for smokey colors or to highlight inner corners. It’s pointy at the end for good detail but soft enough for those with sensitive eyes.
  • Laura Mercier Smudge Brush ($24) is my favorite smudge brush. There are a number of smudge brushes from other brands but this one picks up color the best out of any I’ve tried.
  • Bobbi Brown Angle ($30) this one was from a set but is the same quality as the individual ones. For liner or brows I usually prefer brushes like the smudge brushes, but this one is great for a thin liner with shadows or creams.
  • Tom Ford Definer #15 ($50) is another smudge-like brush. The end is really thin but dense which makes for a good cream or gel liner application. I have a weak spot for white haired brushes because they are generally softer than others.
  • Bobbi Brown Gel Liner ($27) is my favorite gel liner brush, it’s a classic.

If I could only pick five brushes for the most basic level, my top picks would be the Edward Bess Luxury Eye Brush, MAC #217, MAC #239, Tom Ford Eye Contour #12 and the Laura Mercier Smudge Brush.

I hope this helps you find some new favorites!
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Uncategorized

Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation Illuminator in Beige IL01

February 5, 2014

Koh Gen Do released two new liquid highlighters called Aqua Foundation Illuminator ($39 for 0.61 fl oz/18 ml, made in Japan). I tested both at Barneys in Beverly Hills – the White IL00 is very white and pigmented while Beige IL01 is a sheerer luminous beige shimmer. I picked the Beige shade – it’s a stunning complex mix of beige and champagne colored micro-sparkles. On my arm and hand it appeared extremely sparkly, however on my face it blended out to be a very natural luminous sheen. The shade matches my skintone closely and almost disappears upon application but it enhances the skin in a unique way.
I’ve used this a couple of ways. One method is to mix in one pump with a liquid foundation and apply all over the face. I’ve found my skin seems to lack luster and look a bit dull during the past couple of months. This method adds just the right amount of glow to give a radiant natural look to your foundation. Another way is to dab and blend over foundation and powder over the temples or cheeks. This gives a very natural sheen. The Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation Illuminator is one of the best liquid illuminators I’ve tried to give that candlelight glow.

Here are swatches shown a few different ways to show how the color blends out. It looks frosty on the hands and arms but it melts into the skin beautifully.

In natural light:

With a flash, lighting highlights the shimmers:

I pulled Giorgio Armani’s Fluid Sheer #2 ($62 for 1 oz) to compare for packaging and size. Koh Gen Do’s is smaller but also less in expensive in price. The concept of both products is similar. You can use liquid highlighters a number of different ways: alone over foundation to highlight the cheeks, temples or eyes, mixed in with foundation or applied all over as a luminous base. I would say the Koh Gen Do Beige is slightly more luminous while Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheers tend to be very sheer.

Comparisons below to a few other pale highlighters. I like the Koh Gen Do Beige because it’s the darkest and matches my skin the best. Koh Gen Do White Illuminator, Armani Fluid Sheer 10, Armani Fluid Sheer 2, NARS Copacabana Illuminator, MAC Strobe Liquid, MAC Golden Elixir Strobe (discontinued).

Blurry but allows you to see the undertone and level of sparkle that reflects with light:

Sharper set:

Overall very impressed. The Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation Illuminator has no detectable scent, blends out very smoothly and stays put well through the afternoon. I still found I needed to touchup my makeup mid-day as I usually do, but the highlighter stayed put with minimal fading.

You can find the Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation Illuminator at Barneys and Sephora. I bought mine at the counter in Barneys Beverly Hills.

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Valentine’s Day Splurge Ideas

February 5, 2014

Some Valentine’s Day gift idea inspiration whether you are looking for a splurge for yourself or a gift for others. Some options for those who like soft pinks or dramatic reds, plus a few universally appealing items to suit all ages.
  1. YSL Rose Scabiosa La Laque Couture (review here)
  2. Diptyque Eau Rose Hand Cream
  3. Aerin Rose Balm in Pretty (I want one of each shade, these feel so amazing on the lips)
  4. MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Fairly Precious (review here)
  5. By Terry Rose Balm Coffret – 10th Anniversary Limited Edition
  6. Bobbi Brown Baby Pink Lip Gloss (review here)
  7. Tom Ford Lip Color Sheer in Incorrigible for those who like a strong vivid pink (swatches here)
  8. Tatcha Kissu Valentine’s Kit (Gold Camellia Nourishing Lip Balm + one bag of Tatcha sweets)
  9. MAC Viva Glam Rihanna Lip Glass such a gorgeous sheer hot pink
  10. Tory Burch Lipstick Case
  11. Tom Ford Indiscretion Nail Polish
  12. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Fiction a stunning natural but semi-bright red/plum
  13. YSL Rouge Pablo La Laque Couture (swatches here)

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