2017

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look In a Palette Beauty Glow

May 12, 2017

Charlotte Tilbury’s latest in beauty is a new Instant Look In A Palette called Beauty Glow ($75, made in Italy). This is the darkest option of the three that have been released to date. Natural Beauty (reviewed here) was one that looked so pretty swatched on my arm but was too sheer to show up on my face. I ended up gifting it away. Seductive Beauty was launched last year with deeper options (review here) but I have not reached for it very often as I’ve found I still prefer her individual products, palette-wise I’ve found myself using the By Terry Sun Designer Palette #2 or Tom Ford Winter Soleil Palettes instead. The latest one in Beauty Glow is the best one yet. At first glance I suspected it would be too warm with the warm browns and rose gold shades but it’s actually just perfect. Quality wise everything is excellent, however I have mixed feelings about the face products. The pigment isn’t bad – just by comparison her individual Filmstar Bronze and Glows and her Cheek to Chic Blushes are so much better in terms of pigment and texture leaving me wanting a bit more for the palette. In general I feel the face products in her palettes are on the sheer side with a slightly powdery feel.

A closer look at the palette and color descriptions. These palettes are truly for the person on-the-go. It’s designed for a quick and easy look or for touch ups. It’s goof proof, simple in concept and super easy to use. If you’re into a super natural look, want as few steps as possible, but still want to look like you have some makeup on these palettes are definitely worth a look.

There are 3 eyeshadows with labeled numbers so you know what order to apply. The colors can be applied as a wash or gradient as they go from light to dark. Cheek options include bronzer/contour, two blush shades and a highlighter.

1 Eyeshadow is to brighten, it’s a shimmery peachy champagne color, I love this one!
2 Eyeshadow is a stunning shimmering copper shade, I want this in a larger pan, it has the right amount of warmth to be coppery-rose but doesn’t give me a red pink-eye look
3 Eyeshadow is a matte warm brown, pigment is excellent
4 Face is a bronze shade, it has a slight hint of shimmer but applies more like a matte
5 Cheek is a brown terracotta like blush, it looks scary in the pan but applies with a semi sheer finish and is easy to blend out
6 Cheek is a sheer coral pink with a hint of shimmer
7 Highlight is a pale off-white shimmer on my skin

Swatches with a medium hand:

Swatches with a heavier hand:

Quick five-minute face (if you exclude foundation and base application because that usually takes me a while):

Foundation is Diorskin Forever Perfect Foundation in 30 Medium Beige (I’m experimenting with both 30 and 31 as I’m changing color by the day, even 5 minutes of sun here is pretty intense but if I stay out of the sun for a couple days then I lose color just as fast as I darken)
Powder is Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish #2 Medium
Cheeks and Eyes is the Palette in Beauty Glow
Brows have the Diorshow Brow Styler in Universal Brown + Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Brows in Super Model to keep them in place
Lip color combo is Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Iconic Nude and KISSING Lipstick in Hepburn Honey
Top by Caslon (for sizing reference I went with a PXS)

A quick look at Seductive Beauty vs Beauty Glow. For some reason this round I couldn’t fit all the swatches on one arm. I’ve done it before so I don’t know why I had so much trouble this round. You can see Seductive Beauty review in this post here.

One last look:

Overall thoughts are this is a good palette. I think that it is the best one she has launched to date. I love the shadows in this palette and wish I could buy them all separately. I’m going to have to hunt for a good dupe on the Eye #2 color because it’s just perfect. The cheek colors are smooth and have sheer to medium color payoff. Again I don’t think they are bad, it’s just that her individual face products are far superior in quality and texture (at least in my opinion) so by comparison they’re just ok. I think the entire set is worth the $75 price point for a combination of factors: color selection, pigment, convenience, ease of use and quality. That being said if there are only a handful of shades you like then I’d say pass and buy something you think you’ll use more of.

You can find the Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette in Beauty Glow online at Charlotte Tilbury. Have you tried this yet? What did you think? If you have any rose-gold shadow favorites let me know! So far I still have and love the Urban Decay Naked3 which has some amazing rose shades but doesn’t have warm options. Always on the hunt for wearable rose-gold copper ones – they are hard to come by for me!

Beauty Glow Palette and Legendary Brows featured were press samples.

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Becca Bronzer + Blush

Becca Sunlit Bronzers Review and Swatches

May 10, 2017

Becca launched their new Sunlit Bronzers ($38 each for 7.1 g/0.25 oz, made in USA) at the end of April and these are hands down among the best bronzers I’ve ever tried. At this point in my beauty testing life I seriously thought that there was little room for improvement in the bronzer world. I’m a total bronzer addict and have tested all kinds – liquids, powders, creams, gels, shimmers etc. I often wear bronzer instead of blush to add depth or color my beauty look. The Becca Sunlit Bronzers have the softest sheen without any hint of frost on the skin. The texture is finely milled without a lot of fall out. They blend beautifully with the skin. I’ve historically been normal to oily but with the heat in Florida (and change in water) I would say I’ve become more normal to dry and some powders have started to emphasize lines or patches. Not the case with these bronzers. They have a rich pigment that is easy to smooth out and build. They look incredibly natural on the skin and lasted all day on me.

There are five colors and the Becca team sent all the shades for review. Those who have fair skin have often commented that they have trouble finding any bronzer that will work for their skintones. With this line I think you will finally be able to use one that won’t turn orange on your complexion. For my deeper skin tone readers there are a couple shades at the deeper end of the spectrum that have amazing pigment so you should be able to layer for a beautiful glow. The shades:

The shades have a noticeable shimmer in the pan, on the face it just glows. There’s no frost or flashback. From left to right:

Bali Sands is a soft golden sand
Capri Coast is slightly deeper but still a light bronze
Bronzed Bondi is a medium amber bronze
Ipanema Sun is a deeper brown bronze
Maui Nights is a reddish terracotta bronze

The pans comes with an embossed wave/sand like pattern. You can see the flecks of shimmer in the pan in the sunlight:

All five on me applied with a light hand. The color is layerable but I wanted to show how natural these can look. On my complexion you can’t really see Bali Sands and can barely see Capri Coast – which I think will help my fair-skin readers get a sense that these are truly lighter bronzer shades. On the face I’m wearing the Diorskin Forever Foundation in 31 and the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger on spots. Face is also set with the La Mer Powder. On the lips is Tom Ford Lip Color in Spanish Pink topped with MAC Lipglass in Beaux (the new version). Stripe tee by Joie.

Two sets of comparisons below, Set 1 includes:

Benefit Hoola Lite Matte Bronzing Powder
Marc Jacobs Tantric Bronzer
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow (Light-Medium)
Tom Ford Powder Bronzer in Terra (small one)
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Diffused Bronze Light

Set 2 comparisons include:

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzers in Radiant Bronze Light and Nude Bronze Light
Marc Jacobs Tan-Tastic Bronzer
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow Med-Dark (both sides)

Prior to testing these my top picks for bronzers included Edward Bess Daydream, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzers, Tom Ford Bronzing Powder (original formula) and Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel. Other favorites rounded up here. The Becca Sunlit Bronzer joins my list for top picks – it’s definitely one of the most natural looking bronzers that gives the skin a sunkissed look. The color options give you a decent range to pick from depending how natural or deep you want your bronzer to be. Bottom line it’s pure love and I highly recommend them.

You can find the Becca Sunlit Bronzers online at Becca Cosmetics, Beautylish, Sephora and Ulta Beauty. Have you checked these out yet?

Becca Sunlit bronzers provided courtesy of Becca for review.

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Boutique New York Packing Travel

Three Days in New York – My Packing List, Beauty Shopping Map and Haul

May 9, 2017

I’m excited to share my packing list, shopping map and beauty haul for NYC! As mentioned in my previous post I was in NYC for 3 full days. 1 day was for a conference, I had 1 full day of exploring and meetings with my friend Cafe Makeup, and then the following day I had until around 12:30 before I had to head to the airport to catch my flight. On my third day I decided to go to Soho for a quick stop at Away in the morning but most stores did not open until 11:00 AM so my shopping/browsing time was a bit limited. Next time I go to New York I will be staying in Soho – the area is just so charming and I could walk around for hours!

First a look at what I packed. The weather was mild – by Florida standards it was cold, but in comparison to the winter in San Diego it was very similar. I packed three tops, two pairs of jeans, three jackets and then also had the clothes I wore to NY which included a tank, jeans and a cotton cardigan sweater. Being a high maintenance hair girl of course I packed my hair dryer and flat iron. Since I had just come from a quick trip to Dallas I used a lot of the same beauty products and skincare. In hindsight since I only had one day in between trips I could have flown straight to New York but I was getting homesick and really wanted to see the hubby and fur babies.

Luggage, totes and accessories packed included a Louis Vuitton Neverful MM, Away Bigger Carry On (c/o), Truffle Mini Clarity Clutches (navy one c/o) , Glossier Pouch, Anya Hindmarch Inflight Case, Tatcha Travel Bag (discontinued) and a Tumi Just In Case Tote. The Tumi actually folds up into a flat compact square – I stuffed it for the photo so you could see the size. I’ve had this for years (and a few older variations) – they’re great to bring with you just in case you need an extra bag to bring home. For this trip I did check my luggage and many of you have asked how the Away luggage holds up. Between Dallas and NYC I checked it 3 times and it held up really well. No deep scratches and only surface scuffs and dark marks. I asked the reps at the store how to remove them and they recommended warm water and a washcloth or a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I did a little demo video on my Instagram stories which you should be able to see until around 6:00 PM EST. The magic eraser method really does work! Of course anything you check will get marks and eventually dents.

What I packed here ended up being similar to my Dallas trip, but slightly more edited. I wanted to make room in my luggage to bring home some things and hauls. Most everything fit inside the Away Bigger Carry On.

Clothing pack list:

Short Trench from J.Crew (old style, current classic version here)
Leather jacket by Joie (old style, similar here and here)
Black woven jacket from Banana Republic (from several years ago)
Black raw hem denim by Paige
Classic skinny jeans denim by Frame
Flats by Chloe
Chambray button down by Joie
Stripe tank from Rag and Bone
Cashmere sweater from Club Monaco (old style)

Makeup packing list:

Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation in Natural (review here)
Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation/Concealer in Natural (review here)
Tom Ford Skin Illuminator in Fire Lust (review here)
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger (swatched here)
Dior Dreamskin Cushion in Shade 30
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Global Glow
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze Light (review here)
Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi Shine Lipgloss in Skin Deep
Surratt Lip Lustre in Ensoille (review here)
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Pillow Talk (review here)
Glossier Lip Gloss (review here)
Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic in Ecstasy
MAC Blush Pro Palette Small and Blush Insert custom made with Trace Gold and Fleur Power
Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyeshadow Palettes custom made with Sateen, Gem, Birkin and Chocolate, Amber, Glisten, Comfort and Dark Chocolate Shimmer
YSL Volupte Tint in Balm #2 (review here)
MAC Brush #140S – remaining brushes same from my Dallas Trip (not shown)
Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow Sticks in Sand and Golden Pink
By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon (review here)
Charlotte Tilbury Brow Gel (review here)
Diorshow Brow Styler in Universal Brown
Tom Ford Cream Powder Eye Duo in Paradiso (review here)

Skincare and haircare packing. I hoard my minis from GWPs as much as I can. Things here that you can buy individually:

Tatcha Water Cream and Essence from the Ritual Starter Set
Tatcha Polished Rice Enzyme and Indigo Hand Cream from the Travel Shop
L’Occitane Anniversary Shea Hand Cream (limited-edition)
Moroccanoil Hair Oil Treatment (mini size)
Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow in this set
MAC Prep+Prime Travel Spray (mine is a limited-edition scented one, but you can buy the unscented one)
Bioderma Sensibio Tonic
Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Eye
Purell (I picked this up at the airport)

Before I met up with Amy we discussed where we wanted to go shopping. I told her I was open to anything she wanted to see as she was taking the train up to see me for the day. I shared a map I had made last year (minus the tourist spots). I’ve done this for almost every trip I’ve gone on – I map out EVERYTHING from coffee shops, photo spots, restaurants, breakfast places, shops etc. This is an edited version with just beauty as my full maps get very cluttered. Thanks to Amy for asking me to publish this. She did an amazing one for Paris which I highly recommend. We didn’t get to everything on the map – in the course of one day we made it to around 6 places including lunch spots. We took our time, on our priority list was Creed and Bergdorfs and then we said we’d just take the day as it came. The map should be clickable/interactive – I’m not sure how it will look or work on mobile though.

This is what I ended up hauling, mainly beauty this trip. First a look inside Bergdorf Goodman:

Next stop was Barneys New York – how cool is their Mask Bar?!

From Barneys New York I bought two Sheet Masks from Starskin in the Diamond Mask and Close Up options, Cremorlab Silk Pearl, and the Peach and Lily Sheet Mask Set. From Bergdorf Goodman I bought a couple cushions from Sulwhasoo (I also ordered the third option from Nordstrom when I got home). Will be testing and report back soon!

At Creed I bought my husband the Original Vetiver Shaving Soap and Bowl – he’s been getting more into skincare and shaving and I thought this might be a nice unique gift for him even though it’s about 3x what he normally spends on a shaving soap. They wrapped everything beautifully and even made a couple fragrance samples for him!

Some late night shopping at the Sephora in Times Square, they have Tom Ford, Natasha Denona and Pat McGrath. On Instastories a couple days ago I mentioned how many beauty insider points I had. I forgot that I had redeemed A LOT for Drybar and Supergoop goodies. I think I asked for all the sunscreen minis they had lol!

What I hauled from Sephora was more than I intended. I only was going to get the new Dior mascara but what was I thinking, I always leave the store with more than I had planned on buying:

Marc Jacobs O!Mega Bronze in Perfect Tan was sold out everywhere online but I did spot in store so I grabbed it, if you’ve been searching and wanting it, I’d recommend trying your local Sephora or Neiman Marcus to see if they have it
Make Up For Ever Artist Liquid Matte Lipstick in 101 and 103
Pat McGrath Labs Dark Star 006 in Ultrasuede Brown so I did not realize this was $130 and reviews are super mixed, but what I swatched in store didn’t seem as bad as people report, at the moment debating whether or not to keep
Supergoop Hand Cream with SPF 40
Diorshow Plump’N’Volume Mascara
Erborian Glow Creme
Milk Eye Pigment in Gig
Shiseido Cotton Mini Pack (has 40 sheets)
Beauty Insider perks I picked up included as many Supergoop sunscreens as I could get my hands on, Drybar Triple Sec minis, First Aid Beauty minis and the Tarte birthday set

Last but not least a quick stop at Byredo. I had looked for the mint Hand Cream Duo at Barneys but they were sold out so I made a trip to the Byredo store on Wooster and it was very minimalist inside. If you’re looking for this you can find it online at Byredo and also online Neiman Marcus. It was beautiful but very sparse. Online and at counters the travel size perfumes come in pre-made sets. Usually you have to buy a set of 3 with the same scents although they occasionally release mixed discover ones. In the store you can make your own 3 piece or 6 piece set but they don’t have all the scents available. I made my own with 2 Mojave Ghost (I’ve had this on my wishlist for over 2 years, I don’t know why I didn’t just buy it earlier) and 1 Flowerhead. They recommend you only carry them inside the leather cases because the glass is fragile. I’m trying to be extra careful with mine as I have broken a couple.

This is a shot of what I had with me on my way back home:

Hope you enjoyed Part 2 of my three days in NYC posts! I already can’t wait to go back 🙂 If you have any favorite spots whether it be shops, restaurants, coffee shops, hotels etc please let me know in the comments! I’ll bookmark them for my next trip!

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Boutique New York Travel

Springtime Travels – Three Days in NYC

May 8, 2017

Happy Monday lovelies! As promised I have a NYC post for you from my recent trip last month. I was in NYC for three days at the end of April. One day was for a conference and the other two days were for fun, exploration and a few meet-ups. Now that I’m on the East Coast, travel is a lot easier for me. It’s only a 2 hour flight from Tampa to NYC and I could not be happier! This was a short trip and I wish I could have had more time but I packed in as much as I could. This is Part 1 of 2. In this post I will share about where I stayed, what I saw and where I ate. In Part 2 I’ll share my full packing list and also what I hauled.

I flew into JFK and normally would have taken a taxi to the city, however my husband booked me a NY airport limousine service called Carmel Limousine. It was a bit pricier than a taxi but the fare covered tip and tolls and my husband wanted me to try it out. When it comes to travel and transportation I tend to be on the cheap side when traveling alone, my husband on the other hand always wants the best experience – he’s always really thoughtful when he helps me book my flights etc. When I flew in I was a bit worried about how I would find the car and driver. The way this works is you book your car and provide them your flight information and destination. The cars are usually waiting nearby or in the cell phone lot around the time of your arrival. There’s a number to call as soon as you land and they text you within seconds how soon the car will arrive and what model it is. In the window there will be a sign with your last name so you can tell which car is yours. My total wait time from the time I called was less than 5 minutes.

Cars were very clean, air conditioned and the drive was smooth. NYC taxis can be hit or miss with cleanliness and using this service was definitely a nice experience. If I were traveling with another person I think I would definitely use them again. On my way back my husband was going to book it again for me but since I didn’t know where I would be in the city I told him I’d just take a taxi back to the airport.

I couldn’t resist doing an Eva Chen-inspired shot (minus the fruit lol). Neverfull MM tote with a small Truffle Clarity Clutch mini (c/o) to hold all my travel essentials. Flats by Chloe. Jeans by Frame.

I traveled alone this trip so I decided try a smaller hotel. I had planned everything at the last minute and did not realize that the Tribeca Film Festival was happening the same week I was going to be in NY. In the course of a few days almost every hotel I had on my visit list was booked and almost double in price from their normal rates. Luckily I found one that was affordable with good reviews in Times Square in the theater district called RIU Plaza New York Times Square. I booked a King Size room and was thrilled to find that at check-in they gave me a room on the 26th floor (they have 28 floors). True to NYC style the room was very small, but it was clean, modern and functional. I had a pleasant stay – I would definitely stay here again, the location can’t be beat!

During my stay the weather was cloudy with some rain. I had checked the weather beforehand. Since moving to Florida I feel like I’ve been living in shorts and tanks and I knew the rest of the US was most likely not going to be in the high 80s. I packed an umbrella, several sets of layers, a few jackets and one pair of flats. The only thing I would have done differently for packing would have been to also pack some running shoes for easier walking. My flats were comfortable but there was a point where I wanted to walk through Central Park to find all of the cherry blossom trees (it was my first time seeing them in person!). I only made it about 1/2 a mile before I decided my feet and flats would not make the entire 2.5 mile walk in the rain.

One of the days I spend the entire day attending a conference in Soho. The conference was held by a company called Fohr Card and while I was dying to explore Soho, I was really happy to meet some other bloggers and make a few new friends. I ran into another blogger Kali from In Spades Blog and found out that we were both from San Diego, went to the same college and graduated the same year as me! Such a small world! We grabbed some dinner afterwards at Totto Ramen which I had been dying to try to catch up on life since graduating from business school. It was delicious! A quick snapshot of some other quick eats – on this trip I was on the go most of the day until late evening so relied on places open late. My brother made me promise to try this Indian street food place called Kati Roll and it was pretty close to my hotel so I did. It was also pretty good. One of the nights I grabbed some pizza by the slice near Times Square – I have really high expectations for pizza and even though it had really high ratings on Yelp I thought it was just ok. It hit the spot though – unfortunately I don’t remember the name of it.

The following day was the highlight of my trip. I met up with long-time blogger friend Amy from Cafe Makeup. We’ve been pen pals for years and I’ve followed her blog for as long as I can remember. We spent the day exploring and shopping and had the best time! A look our stops below. We covered a lot of ground in one day: light breakfast at the Palm Court, a trip to B&H Photo (amazing!), a stop at the Creed Boutique, fun at Bergdorf Goodman, search for By Terry at Barneys New York, lunch and a meet up with Edward Bess, and then another trip back to Bergdorfs because we decided we needed more bronzer in our life.

Palm Court breakfast:

Perfume heaven at Creed:

Shopping heaven at Bergdorf Goodman:

Excited to see the entire line of Christian Louboutin Beauty in person!

Walking into the beauty level at Barneys New York, can you spot the By Terry counter?

Afternoon dessert with Edward Bess, I look so tan next to him! Thanks Cafe Makeup for the snap 🙂

Beauty playtime with Edward:

Quick snapshots of Soho, Laduree, Repetto, Byredo:

Had to make a stop at the new Away store in Soho. They will deliver anywhere in New York and often have same day delivery which is genius! For those who know they’ll need an extra bag to take home items with them but don’t want to fly into the city with extra luggage this is perfect! They’ll deliver to your hotel 🙂

Bryant Park at night:

Selfie at my happy place Sephora Times Square, short trench by J.Crew (old style, current Icon Style here), denim by Frame, iPhone case by Gray Malin.

I hope you enjoyed this mini travel diary! I had so much fun in the short time I was there. Have you ever been to NYC for a short trip? What recommendations, tips or advice do you have for quick short trips? Give then amount of time I was there I was happy with what I booked in. I did waste some time by getting lost (I did a lot of walking) but sometimes getting lost takes you some fun unexpected places.

Part 2 to follow tomorrow with my packing list and haul!

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Gift Guide

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

May 7, 2017

Mother’s Day is approaching and if you’re looking for a gift I have a roundup of some fun ideas! I think any mom would be happy with something simple like flowers or a nice brunch date, but just in case here are some ideas.

Makeup gifting can be a tricky thing unless you specifically know what makeup and colors one likes. Edward Bess’s line is one exception as I truly feel he’s made a lot of universally flattering options. You can’t go wrong with his Deep Shine Lip Gloss (reviewed here) or All Over Seduction Afterglow Highlighter (swatched here).
Accessories like small leather accessories or cute makeup bag are always fun. I don’t know anyone who would object to receiving a new Tory Burch cosmetic case or Gucci Marmont Card Case.
Scent is another tricky one because it’s so personal. I think Chanel has a number of classic options like the Chance Eau Vive. If you’re a Les Exclusifs fan the Les Exclusifs de Chanel Discovery Set with 15 miniatures is back in stock! I am so tempted to order this as the minis are just to die for adorable. My personal favorite right now is Creed Spring Flower – until the 10th there is a special Creed x High Camp Gardenias gift set (reviewed here).
Some safer scent options include bath and body products or scented hand creams. You really can’t go wrong with the Fresh Sugar Lychee Bath Cubes or the Fresh Sake Bath. I’ve loved both and there’s a GWP going on at Nordstrom (I think it ends today May 7th for their triple points).
Molton Brown makes some of my favorite shower gels and hand washes. Their latest is The Perfect Picnic Bathing and Hand Gift Trio. They always have good GWP promos on their site. I planned on gifting this to my mother-in-law and I really want to keep it for myself.
Byredo came out with a Hand Cream Duo for Mother’s Day – I picked this up for myself in New York at the Soho boutique a couple weeks ago and think the aqua green tint is just SO pretty. You can also buy it at Neiman Marcus. I believe it is limited-edition.
Skincare is another tricky one as it’s also very personal but you can’t go wrong with sheet masks. Also while in NYC I picked up the Peach and Lily Sheet Mask Trio from Barneys New York at their Mask Bar which has 3 to try. It’s super cute and really affordable. Just pair it with a box of Godiva Chocolates or flowers and it will make a nice gift. (You can also find it at Macy’s or Peach and Lily)
If you have a mother or mother-in-law that literally has everything, you can always stock her up on beauty staples, like if you know what her favorite perfume is or mascara is, there’s no need to be super creative. Tried and true staples are always a safe bet. Chanel Le Volume is a classic you can’t go wrong with. I’m putting this in a gift set for my mother-in-law.

I hope you found this gift guide roundup helpful! Do you have any fun traditions with mothers, grandmothers or mother-in-laws?

Press samples include items from Creed, Edward Bess, Molton Brown, and Chanel.

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MAC

MAC Lipsticks #MACxLarLarLee and #MACxGabrielZamora Review + Comparisons

May 5, 2017

MAC partnered with 10 YouTubers and Instagram influencers around the world to create custom made lipsticks this spring. These special collaborations have been done in the US, UK, Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, Australia and the Middle East and you can only find the lipstick from each region specific to the area the influencers are from. For the US there were two launched for YouTube stars Laura Lee with #MACxLarLarLee (matte finish) and Gabriel Zamora for #MACxGabrielZamora (satin finish). Both were online exclusives and if you’re like me you blinked and then saw them sell out pretty fast. I’m hoping MAC will restock but won’t hold my breath as they were listed as limited-edition. As a MAC fan I would have loved to be able to buy all 10 as I think it’s so cool these influencers were able to make their own unique shade.

I know not being able to get these now is a bit heartbreaking (they were online exclusives to MAC’s website). I was traveling over the past few weeks and wasn’t able to get the review up early but thought it might be helpful to swatch these next to other lipstick colors. Many of you love the comparison swatches and if I can help you find a dupe or something similar (and even save you $$ in many cases) then my day is made. First a look at both shades.

On the nails is Essie Spin the Bottle (my fav neutral nail polishes here)

Both of these are beautiful neutrals but as many of you know, nudes and neutrals can be tricky to pull off depending on your lip tone and skin tone. I personally love shades like MAC Blankety, Angel, Creme Cup and Creme de Nude on my hand, but on my lips alone they are a complete disaster. #MACxLarLarLee is described as a universally flattering neutral pink with a matte finish. On me it pulls a bit cool as there is a tiny bit of mauve undertone. I think it photographs decent but in real life it’s too cool and tad too light for my olive skintone especially since I have darkened a couple shades since moving to Florida. Right now I’m a solid NC35-NC37 in the Studio Fix Fluid (NC25, NC30, NC35 and NC37 swatched here). Topping it with a gloss or adding a bit of liner like MAC Whirl makes it wearable for me. The closest option I could find is Yash which is nearly identical, but Yash is the slightest bit deeper and warmer with more beige.

#MACxGabrielZamora is the warmer and deeper option of the two. It’s described as a brown nude shade and I love the way this looks on Gabriel. On me it pulls slightly terracotta-ish. Almost like a 90’s version of nude but a lot more wearable than the classic MAC Spice Lipliner. This is another one I think photographs well but will look completely different depending on your skintone. I suspect if you are lighter or fairer than me it will definitely pull more red. On deeper skin tones or lip tones this will look more nude.

Swatches:

Close up lip swatches:

I couldn’t really find dupes but pulled what I had to compare, Set 1 has all MAC shades. I suspect that the Gabriel Zamora shade might be close to Creme in Your Coffee but I don’t own that one so I couldn’t swatch it.

Thoughts on the shades from left to right (P.S. Nordstrom has MAC on 10% off today, not sure how long it’s going on but they are price matching):

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Japanese Maple is a lot lighter and glossier almost white-looking by comparison
MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Pure Zen is more peach and warmer
MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Modesty is a more wearable version of #MACxLarLarLee on my lips, it has a similar vibe but since it has more pigment it gives me the look I hoped #MACxLarLarLee would be on me
MAC Matte Lipstick in Yash is slightly deeper and more beige but really close
MAC Amplified Lipstick in Half n Half is a shade lighter and less warm compared to #MACxGabrielZamora
MAC Lustre Lipstick in Hug Me is in between both shades in color, a lot sheerer and glossy
MAC Liptensity in Doe is a lot more beige compared to either and Toast and Butter is more brown-based (both on the lips here)
MAC Matte Lipstick Velvet Teddy is deeper than #MACxLarLarLee and not as red/warm compared to #MACxGabrielZamora (Velvet Teddy on the lips here)

Set 2 has a mix of other brands from NARS, Tom Ford, Kat Von D, Tarte, Bite and Charlotte Tilbury.

Thoughts on colors from left to right:

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Barbara and Raquel both pull on the lighter/neutral side on me, so if you find the #MACxLarLarLee too light for your skin and lip tone, try either of the NARS ones, they are more wearable (both lip swatched in this post)
Tom Ford Lip Color in Sweet Mystery is something I thought would have a similar undertone to #MACxLarLarLee, I was really wrong! (on the lips here)
Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lip Color in Ophelia is deeper and slightly warmer than #MACxLarLarLee, Bow n Arrow is a lot darker by comparison (both reviewed here)
Tarte Creamy Matte Lip Paint in Bestie is a lot deeper but still neutral cool-toned like #MACxLarLarLee (Bestie in this post here)
Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche in Chai has more blue compared to #MACxGabrielZamora (Chai reviewed here)
Charlotte Tilbury KISSING Lipstick in Stoned Rose is more orange compared to #MACxGabrielZamora (Stoned Rose swatched here)
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Pillow Talk is what I’d consider truly neutral, it has the same intensity as #MACxGabrielZamora without the brown but it’s deeper than #MACxLarLarLee (Pillow Talk on lips here)

I do think both the #MACxLarLarLee and #MACxGabrielZamora are unique and special in their own way. On me I can make them work but since I have pigmented lips and am really picky with neutrals find that these both need a tiny bit of tweaking to make them more wearable. #MACxLarLarLee is a bit too light for my complexion, the next best options for me are MAC Modesty or NARS Raquel. #MACxGabrielZamora is a gorgeous brown nude but pulls a bit warm on me so I prefer something with a bit more blue like Bite Beauty Chai or something more neutral like MAC Velvet Teddy.

At any rate I hope that this post helps you if you missed out on both. Fingers crossed that MAC restocks these or that they launch all the collaboration shades everywhere, but I don’t think that will happen.

Did you order any of the MAC Influencer Lipsticks? If so which shades and what did you think? P.S. today’s the last day to enter my Antica Giveaway!

MAC #MACxLarLarLee and #MACxGabrielZamora provided courtesy of MAC for review.

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Beauty Favorites Loving Right Now

Loving Right Now

May 4, 2017

Happy Thursday everyone! It’s almost the weekend 🙂 I have a roundup of some things I’ve been loving right now. So many of you have been asking for lightweight foundation recommendations. I’ve traditionally been a medium to full coverage kind of person and those who have met me in person are usually surprised that I’m wearing full coverage foundation set with a powder foundation. I suppose this is a good thing because that means it doesn’t look heavy or caked on! With the Florida sunshine and heat I’ve found that I have been loving lighter sheerer foundations. I’ve really liked the MAC Next to Nothing Foundation and Powder combination. I do still need concealer since the formula is so sheer but I love the weightless feel. I just bought some cushions from Sulwhasoo and Saturday Skin and also the NARS Hydrating Glow Tint (it was available online at Nordstrom a few days ago but looks like it’s been pulled from the site). I’ll have a warm weather base roundup in the upcoming weeks.

For highlighters I really can’t get enough of the gorgeous NARS Banc de Sable Highlighting Trio. I love the packaging, the sturdy compact and the finely milled smooth shimmers in this formula. The size of the pans is decent too so it’s easy to dip a cheek brush into them or swirl together. Swatches of this beauty here and here.

I haven’t always been a fan of RMS Beauty but the more I try the more I love. My first product I bought was the Living Luminizer years ago and even though it has cult-status it just wasn’t for my skintone or skintype. The second item I bought was the Solar Eye Polish which is a golden shimmer. It’s a dewy kind of shimmer which I absolutely love. I used it up entirely many years ago and never repurchased until I saw the line pop up at Nordstrom and I’m thrilled to see it available at Sephora now too 🙂 I bought Mix Master a while ago and it’s what I wanted the Living Luminzer to be on my skin. It has a peachy tint which blends in with my skintone to give it the softest dewy sheen. Because I liked it so much I ordered the Magic Luminizer sight unseen which is paler and gives my skin more of a highlight. I think the Magic Luminizer will be better suited to lighter/fair skins but I still really like the glowy effect it gives. If you want glow without the shimmer these are definitely worth looking into.

Tom Ford recently launched a smaller newly packaged version of Skin Illuminator in Fire Lust and I received an overwhelming amount of e-mails asking if it was the same as the second one launched in the square bottle. Having multiples is redundant but I decided to order it for my readers who don’t have access to the brand or want to know. I assumed they would be the same but since so many of you asked I had to find out for myself. Below left is the new Fire Lust 0.5 oz ($50) and right is the original Fire Lust 1 oz ($72).

Swatches below next to the Shimmer Shots in Spin Spin Sugar and Lust for Life. Also the small vs large Fire Lust swatched. I deem them to be almost identical. In the swatches the new small Fire Lust is slightly more peach while the original Fire Lust has more visible gold. However once blended on the face the difference is impossible to see. Formula-wise they have the same feel, same pigment, same texture and finish. Based on the price per oz the larger one is the better buy but you may like the packaging design of the smaller one better. At any rate I hope this saves you money if you already have a Fire Lust from previous years.

For lips neutrals and nudes are always winners in my book. A few favorites include YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Oil in Stick in Beige Blouse (previously reviewed/lip swatched here). I’ve also been loving the Surratt Lip Lustres in Au Naturelle and Ensoille (both swatched here).

Last but not least some skincare, fragrance and haircare loves:

Some thoughts on the items shown above from left to right:

Chanel Huile de Jasmin is a beautiful face oil. It has Camellia Oil, Limnathes Alba Oil and Jojoba Oil. It’s wonderfully lightweight and has a beautiful soft floral scent. I’ve been loving this at night but find it also wears well during the day under foundation. My personal preference is to not wear oils under foundation because sometimes they can break down makeup. My super sensitive skin loves this for one of the more lighter weight oils that offers nice hydration without any heavy feel. I received this as a press sample and it’s pricey but I would have no regrets splurging on this and will definitely repurchase once mine is used up.
Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt is something I finally splurged on and I’ve been obsessed. It’s perfect alone and for layering. It’s a great year-round scent and I love it as a great alternative to spring florals. I know that not everyone loves florals and it can be tricky to find a scent that isn’t floral, spicy, or beachy. This is a unique option that’s different.
Verb Ghost Oil has been a favorite for months. I’ve already gone through one bottle. I love the size, the pump and it’s the best smelling fresh hair oil I’ve smelled. I love that it’s lightweight and won’t make the hair look greasy. Review of this one along with other hair oils in this post here.
Last but not least I’ve discovered some new favorites from Tatcha. The Essence is something I’ve already featured and I love it. I’ve also loved the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence but never repurchased due to the price. The Tatcha is similar in concept but it feels just a tiny bit more lightweight and doesn’t leave a film on the skin like some other essence products do. I know the point of some essence is to feel it, but I’m all about weightless and the Tatcha is one I’ve been using daily for several weeks now and it really helps other skincare absorb better into the skin. There were two new creams that they launched including The Silk Cream and Water Cream. I didn’t know which one to try for my skin type so I bought the Starter Ritual Set for Normal to Oily Skin and love it. I brought these along with me on recent trips and the size is just perfect. For Tatcha moisturizers I’ve only found one that I love for my normal combo skin which is the Pore Perfecting Water Gel Moisturizer. I love their serums and sheet masks but in general the line seems more geared towards those with dry skin. The Water Cream has a more lightweight feel that almost has a water like feel on the skin. Tatcha describes this as being a unique water-burst cream that breaks upon application and it does just that. It’s so lightweight it feels like it might not do anything but I put it to the test and absolutely love this one. It’s the lightest cream I’ve ever tried and it offers just the right amount of hydration for my normal skin. If you’re unsure of which moisturizer to try they have four different Ritual Starter Sets for Normal to Dry Skin, Dry Skin, Sensitive Skin and the one I bought for Normal to Oily Skin. I’m buying more for upcoming trips as they’re great for travel.

Shown in top and bottom image, mirror from Anthropologie, black marble trivet from Willams-Sonoma, table from Crate and Barrel. Rose-gold eyelash curler from Charlotte Tilbury. Card case by Gucci. Recycled candle by Byredo (color is limited-edition).

That wraps up my Loving Right Now roundup for this week! What are you loving right now? P.S. I’m doing a fun giveaway on Instagram with Antica Farmacista – details on how to enter here.

Press samples featured include MAC Next to Nothing, Tom Ford Fire Lust (larger size), Chanel Huile de Jasmin Oil.

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