2018

New Sisley-Paris Phyto-Lip Twist Mattes and Phyto-Khol Star Waterproof Eyeliners

February 16, 2018

There are quite a few new launches from Sisley-Paris to get excited about! I have two to share today for makeup including the new shades of Phyto-Lip Twist Mattes ($50 each) and a new product called Phyto-Khol Star ($55). More reviews to follow for brows and hair care but today I’m excited to share a look at some products for eyes and lips.

Phyto-Lip Twist Mattes

I’ve been a huge fan of the Phyto-Lip Twists since trying my first one last July in Baby #2. I’ve since added quite a few more to my collection which I’ll share in a later post. Today’s review includes the Phyto-Lip Twist Mattes because there are four new shades that have just launched (there are two existing mattes in the lineup). These are super smooth luxurious mattes that have a velvety feel. There’s no tugging or drying out effect with these. The pigment is ultra rich and give the lips full coverage with a soft radiant matte finish.

Four new shades below include 19 Ballet, 20 Drama, 21 Ruby and 22 Burgundy:

The Phyto-Lip Twists are insanely expensive but I really love the formula for a quick and easy kind of lip. I almost always have Baby in my bag with me. There is a wide range of shades in the regular lineup, but the matte shades tend to be more on the bold side with one new nude. The shades in the current lineup plus new ones:

17 Kiss is a bold fuchsia pink
18 Tango is a deep and bold classic red
19 Ballet is a nude pink
20 Drama is a purple plum
21 Ruby is a pinkish red
22 Burgundy is a brick red

I have all six mattes swatched below, lasting power is excellent and the deep shades leave a bit of a stain so as they fade you’ll still see some color on the lips which is nice. There’s no detectable scent. They are comfortable feeling on the lips as well.

Phyto-Khol Star Waterproof Eyeliners

Next are the new Phyto-Khol Star Waterproof Eyeliners. These are probably the most expensive eyeliners I’ve ever tried but the pigment and colors are so unique to me. Although the colors seem standard classics, they have an ultra rich base and the formula glides on the skin very smoothly. There is a little bit of a drying period which allows you to blend or smudge on the eyes – it’s like the dry time of a mascara, simply try not to blink or squint your eyes for a minute otherwise there will be transfer. However once it dries I found these stayed put all day long without any smudging. I don’t line on the waterline but I did put these along the upper lashes and on the lower lash line. I have yet to test these in the pool but plan on doing so later this summer. For now the lasting power was very impressive to me.

Most of the colors have some sort of sparkle in them. It’s like micro-fine glitter flecks. Three have a smooth metallic pearl quality. Pigment is quite intense and the colors are really beautiful. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt compelled to wear anything except bronze or brown eyeliner. I usually wear a powder shadow so the lines aren’t as harsh. These have made me change my mind about eyeliner in general. The bottoms have a removable sharpener. These are the twist up kind and I really appreciate that the caps are very snug at the top – some don’t have a tight seal and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to throw away liners because they dried out. I suspect these will stay fresh because the packaging seems really well designed.

Swatched in the same order as shown above:

Sparkling Black is a true rich black with silver sparkles
Sparkling Grey is a blue grey with silver flecks
Sparkling Brown is a shimmering bronze brown with brown and silver flecks
Sparkling Bronze is an olive shimmer
Sparkling Blue is a bold blue with silver flecks
Mystic Purple is a metallic rich purple
Mystic Blue is a metallic navy
Mystic Green is a metallic forest green

Bottom line lots to love with the new Sisley-Paris launches. The price points are indeed spendy but so far I’ve been beyond impressed with everything I’ve tried from them. The quality is really there in both skincare and makeup. So many of you had raved about the skincare for years long before I tried the line. They often have good gift with purchases on their site and other retailers. I try to wait for a good one before splurging. Also in case you missed the post they have an awesome Beauty Subscription Program (the only one I’ve kept). I did a review on their 6-month program from last year. This allows you to try things before splurging on the full size.

You can find the new Phyto-Lip Twists and Phyto-Khol Star Waterproof out at all Sisley-Paris counters now. Also available online at Sisley-Paris, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Barneys New York, Beautylish and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Do you have any Sisley favorites?

Phyto-Lip Twists and Phyto-Khol Stars provided courtesy of Sisley for review.

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Lips YSL Beauty

YSL Volupte Liquid Colour Balm Review + Swatches

February 14, 2018

I’m a huge fan of YSL lipsticks and balms so when I found out they were launching a new Volupte Liquid Colour Balm I literally stalked the web daily to buy them the second they went online. Right now these are exclusive to Nordstrom and there are twelve shades total. I ordered seven of them sight unseen and they are amazing. If you like the Volupte Tint in Balms or Rouge Volupte Shines you’re going to be obsessed with the Volupte Liquid Colour Balms. YSL describes these as it having a “breakthrough formula” that is “packed with soothing shea butter, antioxidant-rich vitamin E, coconut water and jojoba oil, which soften lines, enhance lip texture and lock in moisture.”

These come with a flexible cushiony sponge tip applicator. The tips are in the cutest shape of lips! Pigment is rather impressive for a lip balm in my opinion, but they are still medium in coverage. They have an ultra smooth hydrating feel and it’s quite lush on the lips. Each balm has that distinct fruity melon/mango kind of scent which I love. One of the shades is a pale pink which is pretty much clear, but it’s an overnight lip mask instead of a tinted balm. You can wear it as a regular balm – to me it feels the same as the other shades and if left on overnight it leaves lips incredibly soft.

Lasting power is about the same as the other glossy YSL lips. They’ll stay on for a few hours and won’t fade as long as you don’t touch the lips. The formula leaves the lips so smooth and soft I don’t mind reapplying.

The colors don’t have shimmer but there is a high shine and some of them have a very subtle pearl which isn’t noticeable on but adds dimension. While these aren’t necessarily plumping for some reason on my already full lips the moisture and shine makes my lips look super full. Colors I picked were random, I literally wanted to buy all of them. After testing the shades I have I still do. I tried to show some restraint as there are a lot of other beauty releases coming out this spring. The colors are phenomenal and have a lot more color payoff than the Tint in Oils which are a lot thinner and more oily in texture.

YSL Volupte Liquid Colour Balms descriptions:

Night Rehab 1 is a clear pale milky pink
Expose Me Rose 2 is a bright rose pink
Show Me Peach 3 is a medium peach
Spy On Me Nude 4 is a peachy nude
Watch Me Orange 5 is a bright orange
Devour Me Plum 10 is a plum
Chase Me Nude 12 is a pinkish nude

Side by sides next to the Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush from a few days ago:

A swatch of the Tint-In-Oil #9 swatched here vs the Volupte Liquid Colour Balm #12:

Bottom line 100% love. If you’re a lip gloss lover and like tinted balms but want something with color these are for you! I love every single color I bought although #5 Watch Me Orange is really orange on me. I highly recommend checking these out. As a comparison of this to other YSL lipsticks that are sheer and glossy, I cannot pick a favorite formula. They’re all different in color, texture and finish. I truly love them all, but these new Volupte Liquid Colour Balms are really phenomenal. The colors are pretty, fresh and perfect for spring to summer. I’m for sure going to have at least one these in my makeup bag at all times for the rest of the year.

You can find them now at Nordstrom for $32 each. I suspect they have an early exclusive and that they’ll launch at other retailers later in the spring but I’m not 100% sure.

Have you tried any of these yet? What did you think?

25 Comments

GWP

Space NK Spring Beauty Edit Gift With Purchase

February 13, 2018

Space NK is having their Spring Beauty Edit Gift With Purchase for US in stores and online today! With any $275 purchase or more you’ll receive a gift bag valued at over $500. If you are shopping online use code SPRING18 at checkout. The gift contains deluxe sized samples of skincare, fragrance and makeup from Diptyque, By Terry, Oribe and more.

What’s inside the gift:

Space NK Limited Edition Cosmetic Bag
111 Skin Space Anti Age Day Cream NAC Y2 (0.5oz)
BeautyBlender BlenderCleanser Solid (0.58oz)
By Terry Baume De Rose Lip Care (0.1oz)
Byredo Gypsy Water Eau De Parfum (I received Mojave Ghost) (2ml)
Chantecaille Anti-Pollution Finishing Essence (4ml)
Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub With Sea Salt (1.35oz)
Diptyque Roses Scented Candle (1.23oz)
Dr. Barbara Sturm Face Cream (20ml)
Dr. Dennis Gross Hyaluronic Marine Dew It All Eye Gel (5ml)
Eve Lom Cleanser (0.7fl oz) & Muslin Cloth
Goldfaden MD Brightening Elixir (7ml)
Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo in Activist (0.05oz)
Ilia Tinted Lip Conditioner in Bang Bang (0.04oz)
Kevyn Aucoin The Eye Pencil Primatif in Basic Brown (0.024oz)
Lipstick Queen Lip Liner in Nude (0.02oz)
Malin + Goetz Advanced Renewal Cream (7ml)
Natura Bissé Diamond Extreme Eye (2ml)
Omorovicza Cleansing Foam (1oz)
Oribe Après Beach Wave and Shine Spray (1oz)
Ouai Dry Shampoo (1.4oz)
Radical Skincare Youth Infusion Serum (8ml)
Rahua Omega 9 Hair Mask (0.74oz)
Ren Keep Young And Beautiful Instant Firming Beauty Shot (0.34oz)
Rodial Dragon’s Blood Sculpting Gel (0.31oz)
Smith & Cult The Shining Lip Lacquer in Her Name Bubbles (0.08oz)
Sunday Riley Saturn Sulfur Acne Treatment Mask (0.24oz)
Veneffect Pore Minimizing Cleanser (15ml)

The minimum spend price point is the highest I think I’ve ever seen for Space NK although it does appear that the gift contents are a lot more generous this round. I love keeping these minis for travel but most of the time I end up re-gifting these to friends. Available today while supplies last online and in stores at Space NK. If you are shopping online use code SPRING18 at checkout.

Since I’m already currently stocked up on a lot of these items I’m going to give away mine to one reader. Simply enter through the widget below. Open internationally but you must be 18 years or older to quality. Giveaway ends tomorrow 2/14 at 11:45 PM EST. I usually pick a winner within 48 hours after the giveaway ends and contact them via e-mail. Prizes typically ship within one week. Not sponsored.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spring edit gift bag provided courtesy of Space NK.

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Chanel Fragrance Lips

Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush + Valentine’s Day Picks

February 12, 2018

Chanel has quite a few new launches this spring and today I’m thrilled to give you a peek at the new Rouge Coco Lip Blush along with some other picks for Valentine’s Day in fragrance, nails and lips. Right now it appears most of these are exclusive to Chanel.com, I suspect they will trickle into stores and counters soon.

First is a selection of options in the scent Chance Eau Tendre. This is a bright fruity floral that has grapefruit, green notes and quince mixed with jasmine and a bit of mush. It’s very spring-like and romantic. If you like this scent in the Eau de Toilette form you can now wear it in a number of ways including the Body Oil Spray (lovely lightweight feel with excellent packaging), Moisturizing Body Cream (luxurious smooth and cooling on the skin) and Hair Mist. My favorite is the Hair Mist because it has enough throw but is still soft enough that it’s not overpowering. The entire line smells like spring.

The Rouge Coco Lip Blush is a unique lightweight gel product for lips and cheeks. The colors are vibrant and bold in the tube but once you blend the color sheers out quite a bit for a soft tint. On the lips I can layer easily for more color – it’s not something you have to pack on to get to show up. On the cheeks however the gel is quite sheer and a tiny bit dewy for a very natural youthful glow perfect for spring. There’s no detectable scent and these come with a soft double sided sponge applicator.

On the lips I apply directly with the sponge. On the cheeks I make three to four dabs of color and then blend with the fingers. I was initially worried that my foundation and powder would get the sponge dirty but as long as you dab lightly there’s no issue. Also these work really well over foundation and powder. As long as your base isn’t super matte and super heavy you can layer on top and blend without it looking like you caked on product on your face.

The six colors include:

410 Corail Naturel sheer medium peach pink
412 Orange Explosif bright orange
414 Tender Rose sheer medium warm pink
416 Teasing Pink bright sheer cool pink
418 Rouge Captivant bold classic red
420 Burning Berry deep brown plum

To me, Corail Naturel and Tender Rose look almost identical on me. The difference is very slight with Tender Rose having just a bit more pink. Those two are also the sheerest. Swatched below blended versus layered to show how much the color sheers out:

Close up of the applicators:

Wearing each of the colors on both lips and cheeks. As you can see below the colors on the cheeks are very sheer when blended. They give just a soft hint of color with a dewy finish. Also wearing on the face is the Estee Lauder Doublewear Nude in 3W1, MAC Next to Nothing Pressed Powder in Medium Plus, Hourglass Arch Brow Pencil in Warm Brunette (I can also pull off Soft Brunette).

Everything is swatched on bare lips, nothing else is ever added unless I list it in the descriptions above. Corresponding color is also on the cheeks blended except for 414 Tender Rose which you can see dabbed on one cheek and blended on the other.

Overall lasting power is medium, on the cheeks they stay put for a few hours but due to the dewy nature they can get a tiny bit shiny looking. On the lips these feel like a weightless gel. Lasting power is good for a few hours and the deeper shades leave a tiny bit of a stain. The lighter shades fade on me fairly fast. Overall thoughts are that these are true to Chanel’s style of the simple classic kind of beauty. I wish the neutrals had a bit more pigment because the colors are PERFECT! They do make for a very nice barely there polished look though. My favorite out of the entire bunch is Teasing Pink. It’s a sheer hot pink, the sheerness makes it wearable for me.

There are a lot of other coordinating products to go with the new Rouge Coco Lip Blush in lipsticks and nail polishes. I don’t have any to review at this time but if you’re interested in anything let me know in the comments.

Last but not least are two classics, they aren’t new, but the Chanel Le Vernis in Shantung is a classic red perfect for Valentine’s Day, but really wearable for year round. Rouge Allure Velvet in Rouge Feu is a classic warm bright red fr the lips if you’re looking for something bold.

Bottom line lots to love for me. The weather is warming up here which makes me feel ready to break out the spring scents. Chance Eau Tendre to me is a perfect warm weather fragrance that’s feminine and light but not too strong. For the Rouge Coco Lip Blush I really like the colors as I think they’re going to be flattering on a number of skintones and would have bought them even if I didn’t receive them as press samples. I’m still trying to get used to the formula as I’m normally not really into gel products but I like that they give a very fresh faced look. Given the lightweight practically weightless feel I know I’m going to appreciate it a lot more once the weather warms up and humidity rises.

You can find the Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush, Chance Eau Tendre, Shantung and Rouge Feu all on Chanel.com. For a limited time they’re offering complimentary overnight shipping on all US orders placed by Tuesday February 13 at 2 PM, I do believe anything with nail products have to ship ground though.

Have you tried the Rouge Coco Lip Blush yet? If yes what did you think?

Chanel items sent courtesy of Chanel for review.

28 Comments

YSL Beauty

YSL Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow and Tatouage Couture Matte Stains

February 9, 2018

I have a few new items I’ve been testing from YSL Beauty including the new Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow Tinted Moisturizer and the Tatouage Couture Matte Stains for the lips. The Matte Lip Stains actually launched last fall but Sephora has four new exclusive shades, two of which are nudes so I picked them up to try. All of the items get a thumbs up from me. I’ve had several misses from the line last year so this was a nice surprise to find that everything worked well for me this testing round!

Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow Tinted Moisturizer

The Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow is a tinted Moisturizer that gives sheer to medium coverage with a radiant finish. For my normal combination skin this has just the right amount of moisture to add comfort but isn’t overly greasy. I’d say the closest it is in finish and texture is the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. By comparison the YSL is more dewy and the tiniest bit sheerer. For my skin it doesn’t have enough coverage to cover freckles, but it does have enough pigment to smooth out the skin. It feels natural like a lightweight moisturizer and stays on all day. I do need to set with a powder and even though it doesn’t get greasy it has a slightly luminous glow so for me any kind of cream or liquid glow will inevitably get oily looking as the day progresses. Touch-ups were definitely needed, but on warm weather days here in Florida that’s a given for any product.

So many of you had asked for me to review the All Hours Full Coverage Matte Foundation that launched last year, however I haven’t had much luck with the formulas because the alcohol content is usually high on their ingredient list and it can cause a lot of irritation on my skin. I had a pretty bad experience with their Fusion Ink Foundation (now discontinued) so I’ve avoided all the formulas since then. The Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow Tinted Moisturizer intrigued me though so when I saw that the ingredient list didn’t have Alcohol Denat high on the list or anywhere on the list I decided to give it a go. So far after a week of testing, no irritation or bumps, yay!

My shade is B40. Based on reviews of the other foundations I thought I’d be in the BD range but upon swatching them at the counter for now I’ve found the BD range is too olive/yellow for me. This is a rare thing as most foundation lines aren’t yellow enough, but the B range works for me as I’m more in the beige/golden range rather than yellow, at least for YSL.

Swatch comparisons below to Sisley Tinted Sunscreen Cream 2 Golden, NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in Groenland and St. Moritz, Estee Lauder Double Wear Nude 3W1 Tawny, Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation and Concealer in Bisque, Natural and Sable.

A quick look with just the Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow Tinted Moisturizer, no powder or concealer. I do have other makeup on the eyes (Urban Decay Naked3 Palette), brows (Diorshow Brow Styler Universal Brown) and lips (YSL Tatouage Couture #25 Beige Secret). Sweater from Madewell.

Tatouage Couture Matte Stains

I picked up two of the Tatouage Couture Matte Stains in 7 Nude Interdit and 23 Singular Taupe back in the fall when they launched. I’ve been using them on and off since then but never got around to reviewing them. Many of the shades have sold out repeatedly, for some reason both 7 and 23 are on backorder almost everywhere right now, but you can still find them online at Neiman Marcus. Since the time they launched Sephora added four new exclusive colors and I picked up two in 25 Beige Secret and 28 Nude Undercover. If you’re looking at the photo below and think they all look identical, I’m with you. They have a frosted clear exterior which kinda mutes the color. The four shades I have are nudes and in the tubes they look almost the same, but they are indeed different once you swatch them.

The applicators are amazing! It has a sponge tip that loads product and an angled flat tip with a little well inside to hold the lip product. Finish is full coverage but weightless and not drying. There’s no shrinking effect when it dries down like most matte liquid lipsticks have so lips don’t look like raisins. My only complaint is that they don’t last all day long like other liquid matte lipsticks do. After a few hours color noticeably fades or gets absorbed into the lips, but I have no complaints about reapplying because the finish, texture, coverage and colors are perfect.

I stuck with the nudes on the first testing round because products like these tend to darken on my lips once they dry. I’m a huge fan of YSL lips but given the fact that Vinyl Cream Stains didn’t work for me I didn’t know how the Tatouage Couture Matte Stains would wear. They’re a huge win! These don’t shift in color, they stay true to what you apply on the lips. If you liked shades like YSL’s Volupte Shine Oil in Stick #47 Beige Blouse or #61 Decadent Nude or even Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk Lipstick, you’ll absolutely love these.

Swatches:

7 Nude Interdit is a medium neutral nude pink beige
23 Singular Taupe is a warm pink brown
25 Beige Secret is a nude pink (Sephora exclusive)
28 Nude Undercover is a nude pink, cooler than Singular Taupe (Sephora exclusive)

The flash adds a bit of reflection, but they dry down to a more matte finish than what you see below. I still think of these as a semi-matte or a radiant-matte kind of finish.

Bottom line solid wins for me. That being said it’s still winter weather here in Florida, I know in a matter of a couple weeks we will be back to 80 degree warm sunshine so I don’t know how the tinted moisturizer will hold up for me in warm weather.

You can find the YSL Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow and Tatouage Couture Matte Stains at all counters now. Available at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora and YSL Beauty along with other retailers. Two shades featured for the lips in 25 and 28 are exclusive to Sephora.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

36 Comments

Gift Guide

Valentine’s Day Gift Guide for Her

February 7, 2018

Valentine’s Day is just a week away! I’ve put together a little gift guide whether you’re looking for a little inspiration, hint ideas or something to treat yourself! A year ago this time I was still in San Diego busy packing up our loft and recovering from wisdom teeth removal. Not a fun time! As a surprise Andrew bought me the most beautiful boxed roses from Venus Et Fleur (you can see them here). They’re real roses that come in boxes that are preserved to last an entire year. I did not think it was possible but here we are a year later and they still look amazing! So many of you asked for a full year review. I did a February through August month by month snapshot. In August we started living the nomadic life and they went into a climate controlled storage unit until January. You can read all about them on their website – they stay inside the boxes and you don’t need to water them!

Venus Et Fleur Roses month by month

Today, one year later they are still in nearly perfect condition. The edges have started to become a little ragged looking but there has been zero browning and the colors have remained the same. We were a little rough with them because quite frankly we had a challenging year last year. These went through a 3,000 mile 5-day drive in the back of a moving truck (with no AC) from San Diego, California all the way to Tampa, Florida. They also survived a few more truck moves and stayed in a storage unit for several months. Both Andrew and I are truly impressed!

At the 1 Year Mark

Byredo for Valentine’s Day

Byredo has a few fun offerings for Valentine’s Day this year including a Limited-Edition I Love You Travel Case ($120). They have a few assorted travel spray trios this season, La Selection Florale ($110) has 3 x 0.4 oz./ 12 mL in Blanche, La Tulipe and Rose of No Man’s Land. There are a few other variations including the La Selection Boisee, La Sélection Best-Sellers and a six piece set La Selection Byredo ($220) as well. Trio and travel case shown above next to a 50 mL perfume and hair perfume for scale. I’ve bought the minis before and it’s highly recommended that you purchase a case for them. I’ve had a few break in my purse without it.

Pink Treats

Three super cute pink beauty things include the Chanel Chance Eau Tendre Hair Mist, Nuvola Rosa Nail Polish and the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask mini. There are a lot of perfume brands out there that have hair perfumes to match their regular scents. I just recently tried hair mists last year and I think they’re a fun way to wear scent. Chanel Eau Tendre is a youthful bright spring scent with a mix of Grapefruit, Jasmine and White Musk. They have the perfume and other body products at a number of places but the Hair Mist is a Chanel.com exclusive.

Nuvola Rosa Le Vernis is one of the prettiest baby pinks I’ve ever tried! In case you missed it review here. And yes! I’ll be reviewing a lot of the newer launches very soon.

Glow Recipe launched two new things recently. Their Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask has been super popular and for good reason! It has the most delicious smelling watermelon scent. I’m still in the early stages of testing this. I’ve tried it 3 nights so far and it has a nice lightweight bouncy texture that doesn’t feel super thick. When I wake up skin feels noticeably softer! The two new things include a Mini Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask (shown below) and also a moisturizer version called Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer (not shown). I’ll have a more detailed review soon, but I think the Mini Watermelon Mask would make for the cutest Galentine’s Day Gift for girlfriends!

Sweet Treats

When in doubt, I don’t think you can go wrong with candy or a luxury candle. I’m the biggest junk food junkie and can never resist anything Sugarfina. They have some cute sets out for Valentine’s Day with some fun labels on the tops. The XOXO 2-Piece Candy Bento Box is $18. There’s also a 3-Piece Box for $26 and a 4-Piece Box for $34.

The best candle you can give as a gift this season (in my opinion) is the Diptyque Rose Delight which I reviewed a few weeks ago! It’s just so so pretty!

New YSL and Chanel Lip Preview

There are usually a lot of new lip products launched during this time of year. I’ve already reviewed the new Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Lip Glosses on the blog. Two other new launches include the YSL Volupte Liquid Colour Balms and Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush. I’ll have a more detailed review in the next few days. In the meantime here’s a sneak peek of swatches in case you want to see what they look like and can’t wait.

First impressions are the YSL Volupte Liquid Colour Balm are decently pigmented for a balm! They are super cushiony but have less slip than the twist up stick balms. There is the same fruity scent. On my lips they seem to have a slight plumping effect but without any tingle, but then a lot of balms make my already full lips look fuller. #1 is supposed to be a night mask which is interesting. I haven’t tried that one yet but will report back once I do.

The Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush is a hydrating lip and cheek color. Colors are bold but once you blend it the color sheers out quite a bit for more of a stain. They feel weightless but a bit dewy. I’ll have to do more testing to do a proper review. They come with a sponge tip applicator. A more detailed review to follow as soon as I can!

Swatched from left to right:

YSL Volupte Night Rehab Lip Mask #1 Night Rehab
YSL Volupte Liquid Colour Balms
- #2 Expose Me Rose
- #3 Show Me Peach
- #4 Spy on Me Nude
- #5 Watch Me Orange
- #10 Devour Me Plum
- #12 Chase Me Nude
Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush
- #414 Tender Rose
- #410 Corail Naturel
- #416 Teasing Pink
- #418 Rouge Captivant
- #412 Orange Explosif
- #420 Burning Berry

That wraps up my Valentine’s Day Gift Guide! Do you have any fun Valentine’s Day traditions? Anything you do with your significant other or a group of girl friends? Stay tuned for another giveaway this week. Details will be posted on my Weekly Giveaway Page later this afternoon.

Press samples include the Byredo Travel Case, Byredo Trio, Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush, Chanel Chance Eau Tendre.

157 Comments

Monthly Favorites Skincare

Monthly Favorites in Skincare

February 5, 2018

I have my first monthly favorites of the year! I’m going to try and do more of these roundups and in the future will include both hits and misses. January included two moves which was a bit chaotic but it did not stop me from trying lots of new launches in skincare. There were quite a few new launches that I’ve been dying to share with you! I’ve been putting them to the test for an extended period of time in order to see if I could actually see results. My favorites list:

Tatcha The Essence
Tatcha Water Cream
Tatcha The Deep Cleanse
Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Rescue Mask
Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream
L’Occitane x Rifle Paper Company Shea Butter Trio
L’Occitane Shea Butter Cuticle Oil
Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Mask
Aesop Redemption Body Scrub
Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm and Hand Wash from the Mind Sway Kit
Kate Somerville Exfolikate Gentle
Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen
Chanel Sublimage La Brume Mist

Tatcha Favorites

Tatcha launched a new cleanser called The Deep Cleanse. It’s a gentle daily cleanser that has natural fruit exfoliants to cleanse the skin. It’s oil-free, gentle and lathers nicely with warm water. Leaves the skin soft and cleansed without any tight feel. The only thing I wish it came with was a pump although I’m not sure the thick formula is something that can be pumped easily. I’ve also continued using the Tatcha Water Cream which is one of my favorite daily moisturizers. I use it after I apply the Tatcha Essence which is my favorite essence out of all the ones I’ve tried. It’s lightweight and doesn’t have any sticky residue but makes a big difference in helping other products sit on my skin better. If you want something for travel or don’t want to buy the large size first, there’s a super cute mini Pore-Perfecting Moisturizer and Cleanser Duo available at Sephora.

Aesop Favorites

Aesop continues to be one of our favorites, a lot of the products work for both men and women. They have some really great sets for gifts but I always end up buying them for myself. I bought the Enigmatic Mind Sway Kit twice (one for my brother and one for me). I love everything in it, but my top two favorites for January included the Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm and Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash for the scent and formula. I just discovered they have a Resurrection Hand Sanitizer in a rinse-free version that I need to check out soon.

The Redemption Body Scrub also made my favorites list. This is Andrew’s favorite and for me tied with the Geranium Leaf Body Scrub. Both are really good for cleaning the body and getting rid of dead skin cells. The scents are really relaxing too.

My obsession with the Parsley Seed Cleansing Mask is still going strong. I always try keep a backup on hand because I don’t want to ever be without it. The mask helps draw out impurities like no other but doesn’t strip or sting the skin. Sometimes I’ll just apply it on the T-zone. It’s gentle enough I can use it multiple times a week if I’m having troubled skin.

L’Occitane

L’Occitane x Rifle Paper Company teamed up to launch some cute products this year. A lot of the sets have sold out online but you can definitely check your local store for some items. The solid Shea Butter was the first thing I tried from their line many years ago and it’s perfect for the cuticles. There is a limited-edition Petite Shea Butter Trio with three scents: Classic Shea, Apricot and Rose. The classic one remains my favorite. Another recent discovery is the Shea Butter Nail and Cuticle Nourishing Oil. This winter my cuticles have been really dry. They are normally fine year round but we had some extra dry weather here in Florida and this was the first time they cracked. This rescued them. There’s a little brush applicator which I love.

Supergoop!

Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen is one of the latest launches from Supergoop! I rely heavily on their Everyday Sunscreen and was thrilled to find they launched something for the face. 100% excited that the formula is clear because the biggest challenge I have with face sunscreens is the white tint. Even though most of them say it will absorb into the skin and disappear I find so many leave that hideous white cast. This one is lightweight, long lasting, non-irritating and works well with makeup. I apply my skincare first, then the sunscreen and then foundation + powder on top. There’s no oily feel, no greasy residue, no white cast and no scent.

Other Loves

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream is my newest obsession for face moisturizers. I picked it up at Sephora and it was love at first use. It’s a hydrating cream but not heavy and absorbs beautifully into the face. It just feels amazing on the skin. I love that it comes with a pump/press packaging that makes for easy application and keeps the cream itself free from any hand germs. It’s worked well with all of my foundations so far. I highly recommend you give it a look if you have normal/combination skin.

Fresh launched a new face mask called the Lotus Youth Preserve Rescue Mask. I’ve tried the Lotus Youth Preserve cream before and thought it was just ok, but the mask is quite amazing. It has a very nice soothing, calming and relaxing feel to it. It’s a five minute mask that leaves the skin soft and radiant. It contains kombu seaweed which to me almost has that refreshing cucumber feel. I absolutely love it.

Two staples that continue to be staples for me include the Kopari Coconut Melt and Kate Somerville Exfolikate Gentle. Kopari Coconut Melt is my go-to for dry winter skin. I apply it at night before I go to bed and it helps with tightness and any itchy spots. The Kate Somerville Exfolikate Gentle is still one of my favorites that I use multiple times per week. I find regular exfoliation keeps my skin looking smooth and helps clear away dead skin. Andrew’s favorite is the Jack Black Face Buff which he insists is the best one on the market. It’s definitely a good one that I borrow occasionally, but I still like my Kate Somerville one because it’s more gentle.

Last but not least, face mist story and roundup still in the works but the Chanel Sublimage La Brume has been the best for me the past month with dry winter weather. It has the perfect mix of moisture and lightness to hydrate and refresh the skin without being too much.

That wraps up my January Favorites! What were your favorite items the first month of the year? I love reading about what you love in beauty – can be anything for makeup, tools or skincare! Let me know in the comments.

Press samples include Tatcha Water Cream, Essence and Deep Cleanse, Supergoop! Unseen and L’Occitane products.

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