Yearly Archives

2016

Uncategorized

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks – Gin Fizz, Cotton Candy, Dragonfruit, Kimchi, Radish and Sangria

March 6, 2016

There are a lot of bright cool-toned pinks in the Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche lipstick lineup. I’m not typically one who likes to wear cool-toned pinks because they often clash with my yellow/olive skin undertones. Every one of these pinks is perfect in terms of perfect coverage and smooth texture. I personally can only see myself wearing a couple of these colors comfortably (Radish or Sangria) – most are outside my comfort zone but they are remarkably gorgeous. If I’m feeling brave I will probably wear one of the lighter shades mixed with a bit of a neutral liner to tone down the brightness. In this post includes the colors Gin Fizz, Cotton Candy, Dragonfruit, Kimchi, Radish and Sangria. They are bright and creamy but don’t bleed around the edges (with or without liner). I think there are a few shades in this lineup that are extremely similar Gin Fizz and Cotton Candy look almost identical and also Dragonfruit and Kimchi are very close in color.

Color descriptions:

  • Gin Fizz is a cool-toned bright pink described as an orchid pink
  • Cotton Candy is also a cool-toned pink, described as a blue-toned violet, it’s similar to Gin Fizz but Cotton Candy is slightly lighter and has a more powdery looking feel on the lips
  • Dragonfruit is a fuchsia pink 
  • Kimchi is a bright high impact hot pink, it’s also similar to Dragonfruit, Kimchi is slightly lighter while Dragonfruit has a slightly deeper undertone and finish
  • Radish is an amazing magenta berry red, the flash brings out some of the brightness, in natural light it looks a bit deeper on the lips
  • Sangria is a rich blue-toned pink but has more warmth and red compared to the others

Lip swatches on bare lips, they have full opaque coverage with one swipe. For skintone reference I’m wearing Becca Aqualuminous Foundation in Beige on the skin.

Bite just may have changed my mind about cool-toned pink lip colors. I’ve been kinda liking the look of Gin Fizz on my lips. Radish is the perfect special occasion date night kind of lip when I’m feeling bolder. I do think some of these are very similar – but the best thing about these is that they have different undertones. I know many beauty lovers are very particular about undertone for their skintones – so even though they are similar I can appreciate the fact that Bite seemed to take this into consideration to suit different skintones – you can find one whether you’re skin undertones are olive, pink, peach or neutral or cool.

You can find the Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks at Sephora for $26 each.

Full review on formula, ingredients, texture, lasting power posted here.

Swatches of neutrals Souffle, Sugarcane, Honeycomb, Meringue, Sake, Pepper and Rhubarb in this post here. 
Lipsticks provided courtesy of Bite Beauty for review consideration.

13 Comments
Uncategorized

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick – Souffle, Sugarcane, Honeycomb, Meringue, Sake, Pepper and Rhubarb

March 6, 2016

For lip swatches of the Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche lipstick launch, up first are the neutral nudes and pinks. Shown above from left to right is Souffle, Sugarcane, Honeycomb, Meringue, Sake, Pepper and Rhubarb (same order as what’s swatched below). As a neutral lipstick lover, I was thrilled to find so many light color options available. Many nude lip colors are hard for me to pull off as I have pigmented lips and they often look concealer-like on my lips. Most of the shades in this formula have enough color to be wearable. I have swatches of these on bare lips. In lip swatches I’m often asked what lipliner I’m wearing in swatches. I have naturally pigmented lips so the outer edges often show through if I don’t swatch precisely. Unless the labels specify a lipliner shade, the gloss or lipstick swatches are just the color featured. There are some days where I’m all about wearing lipstick + liner and gloss. Other days I just do a sheer lipstick or gloss and skip the liner. If you’re in search of a good one, I swatched quite a few options in this post here.

Colors and descriptions of how the colors appear on my complexion and skintone (I’m wearing NARS Velvet Matte Skintint in St. Moritz in the photos):
  • Souffle is a super pale pink cream, this is the only color I found too pale to pull off for a natural look, it’s very pigmented and smooth but on my skin almost feels like pink white-out
  • Sugarcane is a baby pink that has enough color to show up, it’s borderline a bit too pale for my complexion, but works if you’re a fan of light pink lips that aren’t too light
  • Honeycomb is one of the most perfect beige nudes I’ve ever tried, everyone has a different definition of what they consider nude, to me it’s something that is close to beige or my natural skin color, this one is perfect!
  • Meringue is another baby pink with a hint of peach, it’s similar to Sugarcane but just a tiny bit deeper and warmer in undertone
  • Sake is a cool-toned mauve, these kinds of colors are hard to pull off for my olive skin, but it has enough pink in it to work, it’s one of the most unique mauve pinks I’ve tried
  • Pepper is a classic pinky-brown neutral, I think out of the entire collection, it’s the most classic kind of neutral pink lipstick
  • Rhubarb is a soft plum rose cream, it’s a neutral with a rosy kick to it, I think it’s a lovely color for everyday

Swatched on the lips:

Out of all the neutrals, it’s hard to pick a single favorite. The only color I can’t see myself wearing on a regular basis is Souffle. If you pressed me to pick my top three in the neutral category I would say my top picks would be Honeycomb, Meringue and Pepper.
You can find the Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks at Sephora for $26 each – all shades are permanent. They have apparently launched in stores now, but I’m not sure if all stores have received all colors yet (I stopped by one last week on a Thursday and they only had 5-7 colors on display). Full review on formula, texture and wear in this post here.
Do you find any of the neutrals calling your name?
Lipsticks were provided courtesy of Bite Beauty for review consideration.
17 Comments
Uncategorized

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks – A First Look + Swatches of All 34 Shades

March 4, 2016

Bite Beauty reformulated their Luminous Creme lipsticks into a new and improved formula called Amuse Bouche ($26 each for .15 oz/4.35g, made in Canada). There are 34 shades total that are exclusive to Sephora (instores and online). I had a few favorites in the original Luminous Creme formula (they had some really good neutrals) which I found to be a creamy lipstick with a glossy finish and medium coverage. The new Amuse Bouche Lipsticks offer a lot more pigment and coverage while still maintaining that creamy feel. I feel like the new ones are creamier in texture with a super lush finish and look but they are lightweight in the way they feel. I teamed up with Bite to feature one of the shades Sorbet (a gorgeous watermelon pink) – if you follow them on Instagram @bitebeauty you will see a new shade showcased each day in a fun way by different digital influencers and swatches on different skintones too.

I have a first look at all the shades plus thoughts on the formula as I’ve been playing with all 34 shades over the past few weeks. I’ll say upfront that I give the new Amuse Bouche lipstick formula an A+ rating. They are one-swipe wonders with a luminous full coverage finish that doesn’t look flat. As one who often finds nude shades hard to pull off, I was thrilled to find a number of good wearable neutrals in this launch (although there are a couple that are too pale for my liptone).

My thoughts by category:

  • Formula / Texture / Pigment – The Amuse Bouche are creamy and smooth. The texture is very soft and glides on the lips but there’s enough thickness so you can feel it adhere well to the lips. Pigment is incredibly rich – I can get full smooth coverage with one swipe, but as with most lipsticks I do at least a couple so I can get even application around the edges and then fill in. I like applying these straight from the tube. Some of the darker colors require a lip brush to get the edges precise. For me it’s always hard to apply dark colors evenly around the edges of the lips so I recommend lining with a lip pencil first if you’re dark-lip challenged like me. Texture is super creamy but still lightweight so you don’t get a heavy feel.
  • Lasting Power –  Lasting power is very good. If you look at my Sorbet review, I have the initial application shot and another lip swatch of the color 5 hours later. Some of the darker berry colors do stain the lips so the color will last longer even as it fades. I had on Eggplant yesterday while swatching and decided to leave it on to see how it would wear. It lasted from around noon until late evening and didn’t budge at all. Colors in general last a long time without budging or bleeding. I did have a tiny bit of smudging with Liquorice – it kept migrating on one side of my lips, but it could be easily fixed with a lip pencil first.
  • Color Selection – Color selection is incredible. All the colors are creams (so no shimmer). They are full pigmented creams but don’t look flat on the lips. I think Bite did an amazing job at color selection. There is a shade for everyone in this launch. The only category I can think of where the shades are a bit limited are browns and there are no taupes – but I don’t really wear colors in either category so I’m really thrilled with the selection of neutrals and mauves.
  • Overall Feel – These are creamy, lightweight, hydrating and have an incredible slight citrus scent. It smells delicious but they do not have a noticeable taste.
  • How it compares to other bold creamy lipsticks:
    • Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Cremes by comparison have a more velvety finish. The color selection for the Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Cremes in general is bolder and more edgy in color selection. There were a lot of reds and orange options while the neutral category was limited. The texture of the Marc Jacobs lipsticks is a bit thicker while the Bite Beauty formula is more creamy and luminous. Both are equally good in terms of full coverage pigment and lasting power.
    • Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G has a similar full coverage creamy texture, I would say the Bite Beauty formula has a more creamy feel and hydrating texture while the Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks aren’t as moisturizing. Color selection of Bite is a lot better and the shade range has more edgy options.
    • Buxom Bold Gel Lipsticks come in a Satin and Matte finish. I’ll compare the Satin Formula which I find creamy like the Bite Beauty Lipsticks. The finish and formula are different between the two. The Buxom Bold Gel Lipsticks in the Satin Finish being gels are more lightweight in texture. I can’t say I have a preference for one over the other, both are really good. Both have a creamy feel, a semi-glossy finish, good pigment, great color options.
I will have lip swatches for each set in upcoming posts. Since there are 34 shades in total I wanted to split up the posts into color category so it would be less overwhelming with the amount of photos. Here’s a quick repost of the packaging and ingredients in case you missed my feature on Sorbet.

First a quick look at some of the older Luminous Creme formula compared to the Amuse Bouche formula. I only had a few of the Luminous Creme Formula in Musk, Fig and Pepper. Below are some comparison swatches. You can see it clearly with Pepper the new formula is a lot more pigmented and creamy while the original has more of a glossy sheen.

________________________
Neutrals:
  • Souffle
  • Sugarcane
  • Honeycomb
  • Meringue
  • Sake
  • Pepper
  • Rhubarb

________________________
Corals and Oranges
  • Picked Ginger
  • Gazpacho
  • Persimmon
  • Cayenne
  • Gingersnap
  • Sweet Cream
  • Maple

________________________
Purples
  • Spritzer
  • Eggplant
  • Jam
  • Beetroot
  • Liquorice
  • Tannin
  • Sour Cherry
  • Black Truffle

________________________
Cool-toned Pinks
  • Gin Fizz
  • Cotton Candy
  • Dragonfruit
  • Kimchi
  • Radish
  • Sangria

________________________
All the others
  • Verbena
  • Sorbet
  • Fig
  • Chai
  • Molasses
  • Nori

________________________

Overall a solid lipstick launch. There’s lots to love and play with in this new formula. I think Honeycomb, Meringue, Sake and Pepper are the perfect neutrals (even for my pigmented lips). I can’t get enough of Honeycomb these days. I do wish I had been able to grab a few of the original formula before they were pulled from stores. There were a couple of shades I had on my wishlist for a while but they weren’t repromoted in the new launch.

Have you checked out the formula yet? I think you should! Lip swatches and lipstick photographs to follow in each of the five categories soon. You can find the Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks for $26 each exclusively at Sephora.

Many thanks to Bite Beauty for sending all the colors for me to play with.

20 Comments
Armani Base Makeup

Armani Maestro Glow Nourishing Fusion Foundation and Maestro UV Skin Defense Primer

March 3, 2016

This is the season of glow foundations and many of you have been anxiously waiting for my review on the new Armani Maestro Glow Nourishing Fusion Makeup Foundation SPF 30 ($64 for 30 ml/1 fl oz) and the Maestro UV Skin Defense Primer ($64 for 30 ml/1 fl oz). I’ve been putting these to the test for a few months now – I appreciate your patience as it has taken me a long time to post this review. I had very high hopes for both as I’ve been a fan of a few Armani foundation formulas. The description of the Glow Foundation seemed absolutely perfect described as a bi-phase foundation that gives a rich glow with a thin silky texture. It’s infused with oils and pure pigmented to nourish the skin. As soon as I saw it launched, I stopped by my local Nordstrom for a shade match, after trying a few shades I found 5.5 was the best for me. At the counter the artist also applied the Maestro UV Skin Defense Primer which has Broad Spectrum SPF 50. I explained my hesitation with white sunscreens because they almost always leave a white cast on my skin. She assured me this one did not have any residue or white cast and she was right.

The combination of both resulted in a very natural luminous glowy look. The formula of the Maestro Glow is very sheer but it evened out the skin to a soft dewy glow. Even with powder foundation set on top, it looked natural and glowy without being too greasy. Coverage-wise it’s too sheer for my personal taste, but it still evens out the skin. By the time I got home I saw tiny little red bumps surface on my face. I thought it was possible the cleanser and toner she used to remove my makeup caused it (it’s often something I react to). So I let my skin clear up for a week before I tested the new foundation and primer just to make sure.

Quick thoughts on the Maestro UV Primer – it disappears completely on the skin but makes the foundation apply better and smoother. Not just the Maestro Glow but a number of other formulas as well.  Unfortunately both the primer and foundation caused a really bad allergic reaction on my super sensitive skin. Tiny little red dots and bumps form along my cheeks and forehead. I tested both on my face for 4 days to make sure and my skin just got worse. After that I took another week break from both to let my skin heal and tried the foundation separately, hoping perhaps I was just allergic to the primer. No luck. I’m allergic to both formulas – so for these I have to give them a thumbs down which is a shame because the finish and look of both is really really good. It looks like skin but better and even though these are very hydrating and moisturizing I found the formula wasn’t too rich for my normal combination skin and the lasting power was pretty good. I haven’t tried every Armani foundation formula, but the ones I have tried didn’t cause any allergic reactions – however it’s probably been at least 4-5 years since I’ve tried one of the regular foundations and since I haven’t kept up on new launches I don’t know if the formulas of any have changed.

In case you still want to check these out  a closer look at both and swatches. For the Maestro Glow foundation since it’s bi-phase you have to shake it up to mix the oil and pigment:

Both come in a dropper style bottle:

Comparison swatches below to:

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation (review here)
Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation (review here)
NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tints (review here)
Becca Aqualuminous Foundation (review soon)

Ingredients on the boxes:

Because the formulas don’t work for my skin, I can’t give these a positive review. In testing these I tried application with a beautyblender sponge which I found was better than any foundation brush. After the last round of testing it took my skin around 2-3 weeks to heal completely and for the bumps to disappear. If you have very sensitive skin you may want to do a patch test first. I do recommend you read other reviews though because this new formula has worked on a number of other people. Depending on your specific skin type your mileage may vary. Allergic reaction aside, if my skin didn’t get bumps I still would give this a lukewarm review – I personally need coverage for foundations. I don’t need 100% full coverage but something that can be built up to medium is what I look for. The Maestro Glow is sheer – it’s not transparent, but just a tiny bit too sheer for my taste.

Have you tried either of these yet? Do you have a favorite Armani foundation formula? I purchased both of these from Nordstrom but you can also find these at all Armani retailers now. I’m undecided whether or not to return these even though Nordstrom has a good return policy. One of my friends has super dry skin and loves all the Armani formulas, I’m going to ask her if she want to give these a try.

(P.S. Gray Malin’s Prada Marfa prints are on sale today and tomorrow!) 

22 Comments
Sales

Space NK Explore Promotion for Spring, March 3 – 9, 2016

March 3, 2016
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=MeQoh28EORo&subid=&offerid=417140.1&type=10&tmpid=11586&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.spacenk.com%252Fus%252Fen_US%252Fwomen-3%252F

The Space NK Explore Promotion starts today where you can save $20 off orders $100 or more online with code EXPLORE16 at checkout. If you’ve had any pricey items on your wishlist from Diptyque, Oribe, By Terry etc. now is a good time to save as they are brands that rarely ever go on sale.

Terms and Conditions apply, sale items and gift cards are excluded, but it looks like everything else qualifies. From Space NK:

‘Explore Something New’ offer is $20 to spend on any product on the website as we would like you to try some of our other carefully selected products. Your order must total $100 or more on full price/non-sale products before delivery has been added and the promotional code EXPLORE16 must also be entered in the promo code box on the shopping bag page, before checkout. One use per customer. The $20 discount will be applied at checkout where the order total equals $100 or more. This offer can be used in conjunction with our free shipping over $50. This offer applies online only on the us.spacenk.com site, not the UK site and is not available in-store. This offer is only available online between 12:00am EST Thursday, March 3rd, 2016 through 11:59pm PST Wednesday, March 9th 2016 and we reserve the right to end it early or extend it without notice. Please note that all items from the sale and all gift card purchases are excluded from this promotion. The offer is not refundable and there is no cash value/alternative. The offer cannot be exchanged in stores or online for another product.

Let me know if you end up ordering anything! Be sure to enter the code at checkout EXPLORE16.
2 Comments
Barneys New York By Terry

By Terry Baume de Rose Nutri-Couleur New Shades in Coral Stellar 7 and Mauve Moon 8

March 2, 2016

I made a quick stop to Barneys a couple weekends ago and picked up up the two new By Terry Baume de Rose Nutri-Couleurs in Coral Stellar 7 and Mauve Moon 8 ($56 each for 7g/0.24 oz). I intended to take a quick peek, but it was love at first swatch for both shades and I could not resist the smooth lush texture and pretty colors that made me go “ooooohhh.” According to my rep at the counter, Mauve Moon is a limited-edition shade, but she wasn’t sure about Coral Stellar. She suggested I wait for the Love Yourself Beauty Gift Event coming up just around the corner (starts March 8, details soon), but I decided to go for it and am beyond thrilled with both. Each shade comes with a steep price tag, but the formula does not disappoint. I’ve reviewed and featured a number of other colors before which I will link at the bottom of this post. These are very expensive for a tinted lip balm. Anything over the $40 mark for lip products in general is pretty hard for me to justify, but there are a few brands where I’m willing to splurge and By Terry is one of them. The formula, colors and texture make it worth the splurge to me.

Coral Stellar is a stunning soft iridescent peach and Mauve Moon is a unique lilac color that flashes violet, pink and blue. By Terry now has eight shades of her tinted lip treatment, these are the first ones that have any shimmer in them. The shimmer is luminous and glowy and not frosted.

The texture is smooth and creamy with a lush thick finish. They glide on the lips and have the signature By Terry rose scent. The formula does have some added skincare elements designed to nourish, smooth and help regenerate the lip. It’s also described as having Shea Butter, Essential Rose Wax, Vitamin E, Filling Spheres. I’ve used a number of lip balms and treatments (most recent lipbalm roundup here). The By Terry is one of the most lush formulas I’ve tried. For tinted balms, hers are among the best. A closer look at both shades with swatches at different angles to show the luminous glow these have:

Coral Stellar is a lush peachy shimmer. It has a deeper brighter orange base which makes it look bright, but it has a pretty soft shimmer to it which lightens the color and gives the lips the most luscious soft peachy glow. It is on the sheer side but it’s not so sheer that it’s invisible on my pigmented lips. If you love the color and aren’t focused so much on the treatment aspect, I’ve swatched a few gloss colors that I think have a similar effect.

Mauve Moon is a stunning violet lilac shimmer. It’s a color I’ve always been obsessed with for lips. If you used Trish McEvoy in the 90’s or early 2000’s you might remember she had a gloss called Lilac. It was a straight up soft purple in the tube but on the lips it was the prettiest soft cool pink ever. This reminds me of the color.

Not sure if you can tell the difference between the two swatches on your screen, but the first one is swatched sheered out a bit. It has a soft pinky lilac glow.

Here it is a little heavier where the blue undertones are more visible.

Some swatch comparisons below to some similar colors:

Featured above from left to right:
  • MAC Cremesheen Glass in Imperial Light
  • Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquer in Uproar (swatched here)
    MAC Lustreglass in Love Nectar
  • Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquer in Pink Steam (swatched here)
  • MAC Lipglass in Cultured
  • Buxom Full-On Lip Creme in Purple Haze (lip swatches here)

One last look (on the nails RMS Luminizer):

Both are stunning colors and I’m smitten with both shades. The pots have a pretty decent amount of product which will make these last a long time. I think they are both worth checking out although the high price tags will put these into the luxurious treat category versus a must-have. There are a couple events you might want to look into if you have these on your list. Barneys New York Love Yourself Event happens 3/8 to 3/12 (details soon). Space NK Discover promotion starts tomorrow on 3/3 thru 3/9 where you can save $20 off orders $100+ online with code EXPLORE16 at checkout.

Other By Terry Baume de Rose Nutri-Couleur swatches linked below:
Rosy Babe and Mandarina Pulp here and here
Cherry Bomb here and here
Bloom Berry, Fig Fiction and Toffee Cream here
You can find both Coral Stellar and Mauve Moon at Barneys New York, Beautylish and Space NK.
14 Comments
What's In My Bag

Inside My Bag

March 1, 2016

 

February flew by so quickly, I cannot believe it’s March but I’m excited for spring. I’ve been working my way through swatching all of the Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks and hope to have the post up by the end of the week (fingers crossed my lips can handle the swatching). A few of you have asked for a review of my Celine mini belt bags (seen here and here) – I haven’t really done purse or accessory reviews but will definitely do one on both in the upcoming weeks so stay tuned!

 

Here’s a peek of what I have in my bag right now. I’ve been loving my Prada Saffiano still – I think I’ve had it going on 2.5+ years now and it’s held it’s shape remarkably well, hasn’t shown any signs of wear or scratches and is extremely versatile for a number of different occasions and outfits. I’ve had my eye on the Saffiano Cuir Double Bag in black ever since I saw that they started carrying a small one on Extra Petite. She has a really good review and comparison (although my camel tote is a different style and has different dimensions compared to hers). It takes me months to decide on a splurge – I’ve been looking for a classic black leather tote for a long time, but cannot make up my mind because size and structure is really important to me.

Inside my Saffiano Tote this week:

What’s in your bag this week? Any new beauty discoveries from the weekend?

 

Press samples featured include the Tatcha beauty papers and Truffle clutch+case.
20 Comments