Yearly Archives

2015

Roundup Skincare

Best in Skincare and Grooming 2015

December 31, 2015
I discovered a lot of new favorites in 2015 for skincare. I’ve compiled a list of items I consider game changers that have made a significant difference for my skin over the past year improving texture, clarity, and smoothness. I struggled over 2014 with lots of stress with some life changes and didn’t take the best care of myself health-wise. It impacted my skin and took months to recover. In 2015 my husband also went outside of his comfort zone to try more in skincare and grooming. We’ve rounded up our favorites for the past year. First up, best skincare picks for me:

Shown above featured from left to right:
  • Le Mieux 4-in-1 Ultrasonic Anti-Aging Skin Perfecter* (review here) best cleaning device tool discovered this year, helps to clean pores and with gentle extractions that won’t break the skin
  • Glamglow Supercleanse Daily Clearing Cleanser (review here) best daily cleanser to help clarify skin, clean pores and help prevent breakouts
  • Tatcha Indigo Triple Recovery Cream* the entire Tatcha Indigo Line actually should be on the list as I’ve found every item I’ve tried to be a game changer for my sensitive skin. It’s great for those who have eczema, for me it helped moisturize and soothe irritated and inflamed skin on flare up days, you can try the entire line in the Soothing Indigo Mini Set
  • Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream (review here) one of my top day creams
  • Eve Lom Brightening Cream* (review here and here) also in the top day creams which really helped with brightening the complexion and lightening dark spots and acne scars
  • Kate Somerville Dermal Quench and Dermal Quench with Retinol * (review here and here) experiencing the Kate Somerville line in person this year at the clinic in Los Angeles changed my life, I had always been interested in the line but didn’t know where to start, having an in person assessment and facial helped me pick out what would be best for my skin, the Dermal Quench items have been game changers to improve skin texture for day and night, helps give the skin a lift and also reduce redness
  • Hourglass Equilibrium Biomimetic Skin Active Serum* (review here) I wrote about this back in February after giving it a thorough 50+ day test (or night that is), it comes with a hefty price tag but I found it to be the biggest game changer for my skin, at the beginning of the year I had horrible skin texture, lots of dark spots from acne scars, breakouts on the chin area – nothing I tried seemed to restore my skin and at that point I was too scared to use anything with retinol. This completely restored my skin in a gentle non-irritating way. It’s a night treatment that helped with resurfacing and rebalancing. I continued using it weekly throughout the year as needed and I’m almost finished with the bottle. Whenever I feel my skin starting to act up this has hands down been the best treatment to help improve texture.
  • Tatcha Pore Perfecting Sunscreen* (reviewed here and here) best sunscreen I’ve ever tried that doubles as a matte primer, helps smooth skin, doesn’t look white on the face, keeps oil controlled
  • First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream* back in November, my skin suffered a serious allergic reaction to Neosporin. I put it on a couple scabs that I had picked from acne to help with the healing process, instead my face literally blew up into a serious rash with tons of deep red bumps and swelling. It took around five weeks for my face to recover (it wasn’t bad enough for any prescription treatment, I was told the only thing to do was wait for it all to heal). The First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream was one of the few creams I could use for my irritated inflamed skin. My friends swear by it. I really love it.
  • L’Occitane Divine Youth Oil* best facial oil that I like to use at night or weekends on no makeup days, helps restore the skin’s glow and moisturize without being too greasy, bottle lasts forever as a little goes a long way
  • Chanel Sublimage Eye Cream after all the eye creams I’ve tested this is still my favorite

For my husband, best in men’s grooming:

Men’s grooming favorites shown from left to right:

What were your skincare favorites? Any new discoveries that you found to be game changers?

Press samples featured with a * indicator next to the product names.
 
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Uncategorized

Best in Beauty 2015: The Beauty Look Book Favorites for Hands and Nails

December 31, 2015

Hands and nails get their own favorites category this year. There were a lot of really good colors launched this year – unfortunately quite a few were limited-edition. My top picks for hand creams, treatments, polishes and other basics. Previous reviews linked for reference:
  1. Marc Jacobs Hi-Shine Enamored Nail Lacquer in Daisy – this is one I’ve owned for a couple years but everytime I wear it I always get asked “what’s on your nails?” it’s the prettiest soft pearly color that makes the hands look polished
  2. Chanel Le Vernis in Beige Rose – best baby pink cream nail color
  3. Dior Vernis in Lady – so sad this was limited-edition, the prettiest powder pink, I wish I bought a backup bottle
  4. Dior Vernis in Sunkissed – also limited-edition but still available at Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue, the best nude peach cream
  5. Tom Ford Sugar Dune – this was a limited-edition color from spring 2014 but made a comeback this year and was added to the permanent lineup, it’s the closest one to Dior Lady and such a polished beauty
  6. Louboutin Scarabée Nail Polish Collection – the three had to be the prettiest nail colors launched this past year, I was happy to get them before they sold out, looking forward to what they will release this upcoming year
  7. Rescue Beauty Lounge everything, in particular the R29 Collection – RIP RBL, you were one of my favorite nail polish lines, I was very sad to see the line go, but their polishes will always have a very special place in my heart
  8. L’Occitane x Pierre Hermé Hand Creams – L’Occitane launched such an amazing with their holiday collection this year, I fell in love with everything in the Pierre Hermé line and am embarrassed to admit how many shower gels and hand creams I stocked up on because they are limited-edition, right now you can still find Miel Mandarine and Pamplemousse Rhubarbe online but I don’t suspect they will be available for long
  9. Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Remover and Cuticle Oil – both of these remain at the top of my list for DIY nail essentials, I use them weekly and had to replace both because I use them so often
  10. Molton Brown Hand Cream in Pink Pepperpod – the most unique refreshing scent I’ve tried
  11. Tweezerman Pushy Cuticle Pusher – still the best one I’ve tried, although if you have any good ones to recommend I’m all ears
  12. Chanel Chataigne – from the fall collection earlier this year, initially I thought it was so similar to other vamps but it grew on me, best vampy shade launched this year
  13. Chanel Top Coat Lamé Rouge Noir – prettiest gold glitter top coat launched this year, I hope you were able to get one! It’s limited-edition
  14. Marc Jacobs Hi Shine Enamored Nail Lacquer in Wine Not – best metallic wine color released this year, it sold out almost instantly but was restocked online at Marc Jacobs Beauty, if you haven’t tried it you need to
  15. Nails Inc. 45 Second Top Coat – I don’t think I reviewed this in detail although I did mention it in this post here, one of the best top coats I tried this year and doesn’t cause shrinkage with other nail polish brands
  16. Formula X Nail Cleaner and Base Coat – I’ve found the Nail Cleaner to be a game changer, having a completely clean nail surface makes all the difference in helping polish adhere to the nails, the Base Coat has been a staple all year long, it’s what I’ve used the most and I can’t recommend it enough
Nail polish and hand cream fanatics – what were your favorites this year?

21 Comments
Roundup

Best in Beauty 2015: The Beauty Look Book Makeup Favorites

December 30, 2015

I look back on the last twelve months and can’t believe an entire year has gone by. This has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding years I’ve had yet and I have lots to look forward to for 2016. I took a quick look at my blog posts for the past year along with an inventory of my favorite beauty products. I started with a massive list – there were so many good launches this past year, especially for lipsticks. Brands have really upped their beauty game with better formulas. I’ve edited my list as much as I could to what I considered game changers this year.

I have four categories of best in beauty this year. The first up is makeup favorites. I have 20 of my top makeup picks for lips, eyes and face – nails have their own category (up next).

  1. NARS Chelsea Girls Lip Gloss is this year’s best creamy nude (review here)
  2. Charlotte Tilbury Penelope Pink, Iconic Nude + Seduction make for the best nude lip combo ever, I used up an entire tube of Penelope Pink this year! (swatched here and here)
  3. Marc Jacobs Hi-Shine Enamored Lip Glosses = the best lip gloss launch (swatches here)
  4. Rouge Louboutin Silky Satin = most luxurious lipstick formula created and the best red lipstick I’ve ever swatched (3 formulas swatched here) 
  5. MAC x Ellie Goulding Lipsticks were the best pinks launched (swatches here)
  6. Burberry Kisses Lipstick = the best lipstick formula launch this year huge plus that they are unscented and also non-drying on the lips (my picks swatched here) 
  7. Tom Ford Lip Color Sheers in Skinnydip and Rose Soleil (swatches here) were the best new colors launched for the entire year (so good I have backups even though they are permanent)
  8. Hourglass Lip Treatment Oil in Icon is best new tinted lip treatment formula (swatched here)
  9. Urban Decay Naked3 was my most-used eyeshadow palette of the year (swatches here)
  10. Burberry Wet & Dry Glow Eyeshadow in Shell = best all over eyeshadow shimmer color for the lids ever made (review here)
  11. Clio Kill Bill Liquid Liner was the best liquid eyeliner discovery (review here)
  12. NARS Yeux Irresistible Palette wins for the best smoky eye palette of the year (swatches here)
  13. Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise colors are the best cream shadow launched this year for formula and color selection (swatched here)
  14. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer wins for most luminous bronzer + highlighter combination (swatches + review here)
  15. Tom Ford Moodlight is the best highlighter launch of 2015 (look + review here)
  16. Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow in Medium Dark = the best bronzing duo launched and also the one I used the most this past year (look shown on face here)
  17. Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder in #2 is best setting powder of the year, if it ever gets discontinued I will literally want to die (thoughts + review here)
  18. Sephora Pro Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation Brush #53 best foundation brush discovery for flawless streak-free coverage (review here)
  19. Wayne Goss Anniversary Set = the best brush set launch of the year (review here)
  20. Edward Bess All Over Seduction = most-used cream highlighters of the year (swatches here)
What were your favorite makeup picks this past year?

26 Comments
Charlotte Tilbury Skincare

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Skin Trilogy

December 29, 2015

I’ve been a huge fan of Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream for everyday and I’m thrilled that she has expanded her skincare line with two new additions for spring. Her Magic Cream is a great everyday moisturizer that works well with my super sensitive finicky skin type. It hydrates, plumps and smooths the skin and I really like how it works well under a wide range of foundations. The pot is huge and I’ve had it for a little over a year and still haven’t finished it (although I had used up 2 of the mini travel size ones). I was lucky to receive an early preview of the Magic Night Cream and Magic Eye Rescue and have been putting them to the test for 12 days now and have some first thoughts and impressions to share with you today.

There are now three skincare products in her Magic Line which she calls her Magic Skin Trilogy. You can buy all three in her Magic Skin Trilogy Set for $285 or the items individually:
  • Magic Cream $100 (50 ml/1.7 fl oz) is a white cream moisturizer for day. It has ingredients to stimulate collagen and protect skin from environmental toxins. I also contains Vitamin E to heal skin and reduce inflammation. I found that it smooths the overall complexion and creates a glowing base to prepare skin for makeup. I do find it soothing and it absorbs nicely. The texture is creamy enough to feel moisturizer but as a cream it’s not heavy. It does have a sunscreen smell which takes some getting used to.
  • Magic Night Cream $145 (50 ml/1.7 fl oz) is a super concentrated rich night cream. It contains Red Algea Marigel to smooth and protect skin, Winter Daphne Stem Cell Extract that comes from the Winter Daphne Plants to moisturize the skin and give it a youthful firm look, Olus Oil for the texture and Caster Seed Oil to add moisture.
  • Magic Eye Rescue $60 (15 ml/.05 fl oz) is a moisturizer designed to brighten dark circles, reduce puffiness and improve the texture of the skin. It contains what Charlotte Tilbury calls Time Released Retinol molecules that help boost the rejuvenation process of skin cells to give the skin a more radiant look.

A closer look at all three and some thoughts on my experience with each skincare item:

The Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream is one of my favorite day creams. I acquired a couple deluxe sized travel sample at a couple events (gift with purchases). I ended up using up two of them although in hindsight I should have stuck with using the full size and kept the minis for actual travel trips. A little goes a long way. This has been one of my top four most-used face creams I tested this year which also include the Eve Lom Brightening Cream, Tatcha Indigo Soothing Triple Recovery Cream and First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. It smooths and hydrates the skin. I like that it’s heavy enough for dry skin days but light enough that I don’t feel it once it sets on the skin. It works well with every foundation I’ve tested. It really does give the skin a more youthful appearance.

If you’re unsure about spending $100 on the full size, she has it available in a few trial sets this holiday. You can find it in a mini in her Gift of Goddess Travel Trio Kit ($59 for three minis of Magic Cream, Wonderglow and Clay Mask) or her Gift of Red Carpet Travel Kit ($85 for give deluxe-sized skincare minis of Magic Cream, Wonderglow, Glay Mask, Multi Miracle Glow, Supermodel Body and Take it All Off). I ordered this cream over a year ago when it launched and can say that it will last you a long time.

Ingredients: WATER (AQUA/EAU), HOMOSALATE , GLYCERYL STEARATE SE, ETHYLHEXYL SALICYLATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERIN, BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE, OCTOCRYLENE, CETYL ALCOHOL, C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, DIMETHICONE, PHENOXYETHANOL, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER, STEARETH-21, AVENA SATIVA (OAT) KERNEL EXTRACT, CARBOMER, DIMETHICONOL, POTASSIUM CETYL PHOSPHATE, CHLORPHENESIN, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, XANTHAN GUM, HYDROLYZED VIOLA TRICOLOR EXTRACT, ALLANTOIN, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE, DISODIUM EDTA, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, CAMELLIA OLEIFERA SEED OIL, ROSA CANINA FRUIT OIL, ROSA DAMASCENA FLOWER WATER, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, MICHELIA ALBA LEAF OIL, SODIUM LACTATE, COCO-GLUCOSIDE, PEG-8, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, SODIUM HYALURONATE, TOCOPHEROL, PALMITOYL OLIGOPEPTIDE, PALMITOYL TETRAPEPTIDE-7, ASCORBYL PALMITATE, PLUMERIA RUBRA FLOWER EXTRACT, ASCORBIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, NICOTIANA SYLVESTRIS LEAF CELL CULTURE, LINALOOL, CITRONELLOL, GERANIOL.

When I heard there would be a Magic Night Cream launching I had very high hopes. Sometimes with skincare I think I set my expectations too high and am let down when my skin shows no signs of improvement. I am relieved to say that after testing this for over a week, this is something I will use up to the end. The Magic Night Cream is a super rich night treatment. It has an almost gel-cream hybrid texture. It is scented which I find hard to describe but it’s extremely unique and almost spa-like. If she made this in a body lotion I would totally wear it.

The first night I used the cream I used too much and my face felt like I was literally wearing a thick sticky face mask to sleep. A little goes a very very long way – I found that two dabs on the tips of two fingers is really all I need to cover the entire face. I take two fingers dab it lightly into the cream and then apply it to the palm of my other hand. I rub my hands together and then apply. If your skin feels sticky or goopy you’ve applied too much.

After figuring out the right amount to use, I find that it gives the skin a veil of moisture. It is slightly heavy but it does absorb well into the skin. In the mornings when I wake up, the skin is noticeably soft, very smooth, feels plump and looks well rested. I’m the worst when it comes to applying night treatments on a regular basis because I don’t like the feeling of product on my face when I sleep. The dry and cold weather has made my skin itchy and in need of extra moisture. This does just the trick. I highly recommend you watch Goss Makeup Artist’s Video on this one. It shows how glowing his skin is.

Ingredients:GLYCERIN, AQUA/WATER/EAU, RICINUS COMMUNIS (CASTOR) SEED OIL, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, SUCROSE STEARATE, ETHYLHEXYL STEARATE, OLUS OIL (VEGETABLE OIL/HUILE VÉGÉTALE), DIPENTAERYTHRITYL HEXACAPRYLATE/HEXACAPRATE, HYDROXYSTEARIC/LINOLENIC/OLEIC POLYGLYCERIDES, C20-40 ALCOHOLS, ISODECYL NEOPENTANOATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, PHENOXYETHANOL, MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE, CERA ALBA (BEESWAX/CIRE D’ABEILLE), ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, CHLORPHENESIN, CELLULOSE GUM, HYDROXYPROPYL CYCLODEXTRIN, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE), TITANIUM DIOXIDE, XANTHAN GUM, CHONDRUS CRISPUS EXTRACT, SQUALANE, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, RETINOL, PEG-8, CARAMEL, TOCOPHEROL, DAPHNE ODORA CALLUS EXTRACT, ASCORBYL PALMITATE, NICOTIANA SYLVESTRIS LEAF CELL CULTURE, PLUMERIA RUBRA FLOWER EXTRACT, UBIQUINONE, LECITHIN, ASCORBIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, ASCORBYL TETRAISOPALMITATE, BENZOIC ACID, HEXYL CINNAMAL, BENZYL BENZOATE, LINALOOL, HYDROXYCITRONELLAL, CINNAMYL ALCOHOL, EUGENOL, RED 33 (CI 17200), YELLOW 6 (CI 15985), YELLOW 5 (CI 19140).

The Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream is another winner. For me it’s on par with the Chanel Sublimage Eye Cream and Tatcha Under Eye Cream in terms of moisturizing effects. I would say the Charlotte Tilbury is somewhere in the middle of those two with the Chanel being more hydrating for day and excellent for night and the Tatcha being more lightweight and better for day. I’m super picky with eye treatments – so many sting my eyes if it creeps the slightest bit into the corners. The Charlotte Tilbury Eye Cream is very good and doesn’t interfere with eye makeup or concealer. There are a lot of eye creams I can use alone on no-makeup days but cannot use under makeup because it either makes eye color slide off or foundation look cakey if I apply it on top (examples include ones from Fresh, Philosophy, Clinique to name a few). The Charlotte Tilbury one true to the quality and style of her Magic Cream works well for day under makeup to give a glowing lit from within look under the eyes.

I will need to test it more to see if it really does brighten the skin over the long term. But just with a week + of use I can see the texture has improved and it does lift and firm under the eye area and adds the perfect amount of moisture + glow. I give it a thumbs up. On this one there is a soft skincare scent but it’s not fragranced.

Ingredients: AQUA/WATER/EAU, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, POLYSORBATE 60, OLUS OIL (VEGETABLE OIL/ HUILE VÉGÉTALE), PEG-7 GLYCERYL COCOATE, GLYCERIN, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA BUTTER), PEG-8, ETHYLHEXYL STEARATE, DICAPRYLYL ETHER, SORBITAN STEARATE, HYDROXYETHYL ACRYLATE/SODIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE COPOLYMER, OLIVE OIL PEG-7 ESTERS, PHENOXYETHANOL, SACCHARIDE ISOMERATE, C12-16 ALCOHOLS, CERA ALBA (BEESWAX/ CIRE D’ABEILLE ), GLYCERYL STEARATE, HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, SQUALANE, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, CHLORPHENESIN, , HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, HYDROLYZED RICE PROTEIN, PALMITIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM, CHONDRUS CRISPUS EXTRACT, DISODIUM EDTA, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, GLYCINE SOJA (SOYBEAN) PROTEIN, HYDROXYPROPYL CYCLODEXTRIN, SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE, CITRIC ACID, TOCOPHEROL, SODIUM CITRATE, SODIUM BENZOATE, SODIUM PCA, ASCORBYL PALMITATE, RETINOL, DAPHNE ODORA CALLUS EXTRACT, SODIUM DEXTRAN SULFATE, NICOTIANA SYLVESTRIS LEAF CELL CULTURE, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, PLUMERIA RUBRA FLOWER EXTRACT, BORAGO OFFICINALIS SEED OIL, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, ASCORBIC ACID, LECITHIN, POTASSIUM SORBATE, RETINYL PALMITATE, ASCORBYL TETRAISOPALMITATE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI77491, CI 77492).

Overall both the Magic Night Cream and Magic Eye Rescue have exceeded my expectations. I do think both of them are items I will use to the very end. Out of the two I have to say I am most impressed with the Eye Cream – especially with the way it wears under makeup and has enough moisture without feeling greasy. The Night Cream does such an amazing job at moisturizing the skin over night and improving texture – but I suspect the texture or scent won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. I think it’s perfect for this time of year – especially when I feel like my skin is lacking in luster and glow because the weather seems to suck the life of my face. Both have performed really well with my super sensitive skin and I highly recommend both.

Let me know if you’re interested in another update on these next month. I’m testing a few other items in skincare and testing takes time, so I try to split up my testing into segments so I can see the effects of items separately. If you haven’t tried her Magic Cream I highly recommend you do. 

You can find the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Night Cream and Magic Eye Rescue exclusively online at Charlotte Tilbury and Nordstrom right now. They will launch at other retailers next month.

Have you tried any of the skincare from Charlotte Tilbury yet? What did you think?

Press samples reviewed include the Magic Night Cream and Magic Eye Rescue.

42 Comments
Lips Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Lips and Boys Preview Event + Beauty Look Book Picks

December 28, 2015

Tom Ford Beauty launched 25 new shades of Lips and Boys Lip Colors ($35 each) alongside 25 re-promoted colors from last year. I was fortunate to attend a preview event with my friend Rae from the RaeViewer last month at the boutique in Beverly Hills. If you haven’t visited the store before and are ever in the area I recommend stopping by – it’s beautiful inside! At the event there were small displays of lipstick testers scattered throughout the store. Rae and I had the best time searching the store for the new shades. At the event I picked out 6 colors (3 were gifted) – it was hard not to buy the remaining colors because they were all stunning! I did a bit of research over the next week and ordered 6 more. In total I’ve ended up with 12 of the new shades and am beyond thrilled with them.

First a few thoughts, impressions and more preview pictures of the store event. The 25 new shades launched this year all seem more shimmery compared to last year’s launch. Most have a smooth shimmer, a few had sparkly chunks (some of the deeper brights). Out of all the ones that caught my eye, only one is a cream (Austin). The finish of the shimmers is smooth and creamy. Smooth like the Lip Sheers but with more pigment and color payoff. The good news is all the colors are permanent!

Repromoted shades include (swatches of my last year’s picks here):

Addison, Alejandro, Beau, Cary, Collin, Flynn, Giacomo, Guillermo, Henry, Holden, Ian, James, Julian, Justin, Leonardo, Liam, Luciano, Michael, Pablo, Patrick, Rafael, Richard, Starvos, Wes, Xavier

Newly launched colors are:

Alex, Ansel, Austin, Daniel, David, Demsey, Derek, Drake, Eddie, Egon, Eric, Hiro, Jake, Jay, Joaquin, Jude, Kingston, Louis, Malik, Roberto, Rocco, Roman, Theo, Tony, Vladimir

A few more snapshots of the beautiful store, could an evening of playing with lipstick, champagne and small bites be more fun?

My picks, mostly neutrals of course with a couple brighter shades. Left to right below is Ansel, Austin, Daniel, Demsey, Drake, Eddie, Egon, Eric, Jake, Jude, Malik and Vladimir.

Descriptions of each of the colors and then a few close ups:

  • Ansel is a shimmering bright but neutral pink
  • Austin is a creamy nude pink (lighter than Addison/Pink Dusk)
  • Daniel is a mauve neutral shimmer
  • Demsey is a warm peachy shimmer (less frost and more peach compared to William/Sweet Mystery)
  • Drake is a shimmering cool mauve plum with silver shimmer
  • Eddie is a neutral beige shimmer
  • Egon is a cool beige shimmer
  • Eric is a medium warm rose, on me it pulls very warm
  • Jake is a medium rosy shimmer pink
  • Jude is a cool-toned light baby pink
  • Malik is a complex mauve pink with gold shimmer
  • Vladimir is a cool taupe nude shimmer
A few more close ups and swatches:

For skintone reference, I’m wear Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation in Bisque 4 (swatches of all colors here, review + comparisons of shade 4 here):

In case you’re wondering how the new neutrals compare to other colors, I pulled some other Tom Ford shades to compare by color grouping. There are a couple repeats in some sets. Many of these I’ve swatched before. I’ll link the previous reviews where applicable for reference. Below are six sets of comparison swatches.

My desktop clutter:

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Lips and Boys in Peter was discontinued but replaced with Lip Color in Sweet Mystery
Lips and Boys in Orlando was discontinued

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As a huge fan of Tom Ford lip colors in general, I’m smitten with the new colors. I think for the neutrals there’s a lot to love. I like that there are new neutrals that aren’t repeats of other existing colors. I didn’t pay too much attention to the deeper shades or brights but from what I remember swatching in the store – there is a lot that looks different from last year’s launch. From this year’s new batch of colors, my top picks:

Jake
Ansel
Demsey
Daniel
Eddie

The Lips and Boys launched this year are permanent so the good news is there’s no rush to run out and purchase a color for fear it will sell out. They retail for $35 each, or you can find some colors in the 10 Piece Set for $350 or all 50 Shades in a set for $1,950. Available at Tom Ford Boutiques and counters. Online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdale’s.

Did you pick up any of the new shades this year?

Three of the Lips and Boys shades featured were gifted, the remaining purchased by me.

36 Comments
Fragrance

Byredo La Sélection Parfum Set – Holiday Discovery Collection

December 26, 2015

For Christmas, I had the Byredo La Sélection Parfum Set ($145) on my wishlist so my husband ordered it for me as a gift this year. I’m one who adores exploring new perfumes and I’ve had so many from Byredo on my wishlist but it takes me forever to use up an entire bottle and I switch things up frequently so this little set is the perfect way for me to enjoy a lot all at once. This set comes with six fragrances all 12 ml/0.4 fl oz each (made in France). These are the same size vials as the Travel Spray Trios ($110), so I consider the set a value.

There have been other discovery sets launched from Byredo but I don’t believe they had spritzers. I adore perfume sets because they allow you to try a lot of different scents over time, but the downside of some is that they don’t come with a pump to spritz. I’m one who doesn’t like to dab – I find it gets messy. The set comes in a beautiful white box. The presentation is clean, crisp and just stunning in its simplicity.

There are six scents in this set. I’ve owned Black Saffron and Gypsy Water in the full size bottles before and the Bal D’Afrique in a rollerball version:
  • Blanche is like fresh clean linen floral to me. It’s a lightweight white floral that has a slight powdery feel. This one is hit or miss with the fragrance for me, sometimes it feels too powdery. I really like it in the Hand Cream and have been tempted by it in the roll-on oil version. Now that I have the spray it will give me some time to test.
    • Top notes: white rose, pink pepper, aldehyde. Middle notes: violet, neroli, peony. Base notes: blonde woods, sandalwood, musk.
  • La Tulipe is another fresh spring floral. It also has a very clean feel with noticeable freesia notes. It has a similar vibe to Blanche, but La Tulipe is more floral feeling.
    • Top notes: rhubarb, cyclamen, freesia. Middle notes: tulip. Base notes: blonde woods, vetiver.
  • Bal D’Afrique is amazing, it’s a sweet mix of musk, violet, amber, cedar and smells like it has a hint of peach. I have this in the roll on oil and have been spritzing this since I got the set. I like this one so much, I indulged in the Body Cream (review soon).
    • Top notes: bergamot, lemon, neroli, African marigold, bucchu. Middle notes: violet, jasmine petals, cyclamen. Base notes: black amber, musk, vetiver, Moroccan cedarwood.
  • Gypsy Water is one I had a few years ago. It’s the most amazing mix of sweet vanilla, berries and sandalwood. It gave me a horrible migrane if I didn’t spray it just right  – I found I had to spritz it in a very fine mist. I’m going to give it another go – I’ve since acquired some sample minis from a few visits to the counter and tried them. They seemed to be ok, I’ll report back.
    • Top notes: bergamot, lemon, pepper, juniper berries. Middle notes: incense, pine needles, orris. Base notes: amber, vanilla, sandalwood.
  • Black Saffron is one I own in the full size. It’s my favorite berry fragrance. Review here.
    • Top notes: pomelo, saffron, juniper berry. Middle notes: black violet, accord cuir, cristal rose. Base notes: blonde woods, raspberry, vetiver.
  • Oud Immortel is the one I thought I tried at the counter and hated. I must have mixed it up with a different one because I just spritzed this one and it reminds me of Tom Ford Oud Wood and Jo Malone Oud and Bergamot, both of which I had and adored as unisex scents. My husband disagreed and said it was too masculine for me and decided to borrow it for himself instead lol. I asked a girl friend for her input and she agreed that they were both too masculine so I decided to acquiesce. I’ll have to wear this one more to see whether or not I can pull this one off, but it smells amazing.
    • Top notes: limoncello, incense, cardamom. Middle notes: patchouli, papyrus, Brazilian rosewood. Base notes: tobacco leaves, moss.

For size comparisons and reference, below the 12 ml vial next to the 7.5 ml Roll-On Oil and 50 ml Bottle:

Held in the hand – you can see the bottles give you a decent amount of product for a proper sampling (on the nails Burberry Military Red Nail Polish):

Comparisons to a few other minis:

Byredo Roll-On Oil in Bal D’Afrique
Jo Malone Mini Cologne (from the Cologne Gift Set)

Bottom line, this set = love. I think it’s a great sampler set for those new to Byredo or anyone who has been wanting to try a bunch of scents but doesn’t want to spend the $145+ on the full size bottles just yet. I still have a long ways to go before finishing my Black Saffron, but after this set is used up I suspect I will be splurging on Bal D’Afrique.

Did you find any good perfume sampler sets this holiday? If so which ones? The Jo Malone Cologne Collection and Cologne Intense Sets are always great each year. I think it was awesome Diptyque launched one this year as well. I’m happy to see more lines offer these sets and hopefully next year more will incorporate the spritzer because I think it makes all the difference.

You can still find the Byredo Discovery Set at a few retailers, I do suspect it is limited-edition for holiday as their sets usually are. Online at Net-A-Porter, Barney’s New York and Lucky Scent.

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Diptyque Holiday Gift Guide

Diptyque Advent Calendar Reveal Part 3

December 25, 2015

Today is the last reveal of the 2015 Diptyque Advent Calendar contents from Days 19 through 25. Several of you have mentioned you were surprised that Baies hadn’t made an appearance yet, but Diptyque saved the best for last and on Day 25 they calendar reveals a small Baies Candle. For those who missed the previous posts you can see Part 1 and Part 2. The Diptyque Advent Calendar was launched this year in extremely limited quantities. Being the die-hard fan that I am I tracked one down even though it was extremely spendy at $390. To recap on all the contents, it contains:
  • 15 (1.2 oz) mini candles in Ambre, Feu de Bois, Santal, Genevrier,
    Opoponax, Vanille, Cypres, Noiseter, 34, Oud, Geranium Rosa, Pomander,
    Figuier, Rose, Benjoin
  • 1 (2.4 oz) small candle in Baies
  • 6 (0.34 fl oz) perfumes in Oud, Florabellio, Do Son, Tam Dao, Philosykos, 34
  • 1 (15 ml) mini Precious Oil
  • 1 (15 ml) mini Rich Body Butter
The 15 baby sized candles are ones that are typically the ones with gift with purchases or in holiday sets like the 5 Piece Set (still available at Barney’s New York) or the 10 Piece Set (Nordstrom Exclusive). 

Size comparisons reposted here for reference:

This week from Day 19 to 25 the contents revealed candles in Roses, Baies, 34, Noisetter, Pomander and Benjoin and one fragrance Tam Dao. I’ve owned all the candles in the full size with the exception of Pomander.

Out of all the Diptyque candles I’ve tried (I haven’t tried them all, but I’ve tried quite a few), there are only two that I am not crazy about Benjoin and Feu de Bois. If you’re new to Diptyque or don’t have a store near you to smell the scents in person, I think the 10-Piece Set or this Advent Calendar is the best way to try the most without having to splurge on the full sizes which range from $32 to $60. Buying the individual smaller sizes at $32 each is more economical than splurging on the $60 standard size, however not all the scents are available in the small size.

In hindsight, I think the calendar was a luxurious splurge and I am really happy I was able to track one down however, given the fact that I’ve already tried most of the scents (candles and fragrances) I can’t say that it was something that allowed me to discover lots of new items – although there are quite a few that I hadn’t repurchased in a while so it was a nice way for me to rediscover some items. I did try two new body products that I hadn’t tried before which was nice. I will use them up to the end as they are minis but probably will not repurchase in the full size (still a fan of the Diptyque Shower Gel though).
In the end, did I think it was worth it? Yes it was worth it to me – the presentation is beautiful and it was really fun to open up a new item every day this past month. Do I think it was a good value? I do think it’s the best set yet as a way to try a little bit of everything from Diptyque, but in terms of value or savings, I don’t think I could say this was a good deal. Will I be tracking one down next year? I don’t know – it depends on the contents. I think it would have been nice if they included a sneak peek of upcoming launches for the next year, but I do understand some brands don’t launch items or information ahead of time.

As with the other reveals, I have one last giveaway for the year. One lucky winner will receive a $100 e-gift card to Nordstrom – enter via Rafflecopter below. It’s open internationally but you must be 18 years or older to enter. The giveaway runs today through 1/1/2016 and winner will be selected randomly through the Rafflecopter widget and contact by me via e-mail. All Terms and Conditions are listed through the widget as well.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

 

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