Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

Tom Ford Lip Color New Shades: Bad Lieutenant, Sugar Glider, Autoerotique, Spiced Honey, Open Kimono and Devore

October 24, 2017

There have been a lot of lip launches from Tom Ford Beauty this fall with the Boys and Girls and also 40 new shades of their Lip Color and Lip Color Matte. I ordered a few online sight unseen from Sephora and one turned out to be a lot lighter than the online stock photo. Since these are extremely pricey I waited until these arrived at Neiman Marcus and picked up some more shades. In total I bought six colors. There were a lot of neutrals, light nudes, light pinks and some deeper color options as well. I found the mattes to be very matte so I decided to stick with the regular lip color creams.

For the most part I’ve found the Tom Ford Cream Lip Colors formula to be fuller coverage than the average lipstick. With the new shades I tested I found a few slightly different finishes. Some were sheerer than I’ve normally experienced. If you’ve missed previous reviews on Tom Ford Lip Colors, they are among my favorites for formulas. They have smooth even coverage. They’re super luxurious and don’t dry out my lips like some formulas do from other brands. Lasting power is pretty average. They will stay put as long as you don’t have contact with snacks or drinks, but they don’t stay put all day long. I find I have to reapply within a few hours. They feel comfortable on the lips without being heavy. The creams have a very natural looking sheen to the finish which I adore. My haul picks:

Bad Lieutenant is a medium light neutral beige pink cream, this one has full coverage
Sugar Glider is a gorgeous light mauve, I’m beyond obsessed with this one! Finish with this one is semi-sheer, it’s not as opaque as some of the creams
Autoerotique is a medium peachy tan cream, this has medium coverage
Spiced Honey is a pale nude pink, this has full coverage, the contrast with my natural lip color made it look a tiny bit streaky but it smooths out nicely
Open Kimono is a shimmering light gold beige, this is the first Tom Ford shimmer lipstick I’ve tried that has some texture in the tube, the shimmer has some grit but on the lips there’s no gritty feel, this one is sheer but buildable
Devore is a sheer neutral brown with pink tones

In sunlight with flash:

In sunlight without flash:

Below wearing Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff and La Mer The Powder (loose) to set. All lip swatches done on bare lips. It’s been a while since I’ve swatched Pink Dusk and Sable Smoke. I find both to be classics and still the best two colors in the lineup so I added them in lip swatches below.

Additional swatch comparisons to Boys and Girls in Katherine (lip swatched here), NARS Audacious Lipstick in Barbara (lip swatch here) and Tom Ford Ultra Rich Lip Color in Revolve Around Me (lip swatch here):

For those curious about which colors are the 40 new shades, they are split into 9 color categories according to the Tom Ford look book I received in my e-mail:

Nude Creams: Naked Ambition, Spiced Honey, Erogenous, Bad Lieutenant, All Mine
Nude Mattes: Deceiver, Heavenly Creature
Beige Creams: Open Kimono, Satin Chic, Autoerotique, Devore, Magnetic Attraction
Beige Mattes: Universal Appeal, Wicked Ways
Pink Creams: Paper Doll, Pretty Persuasive
Mauve Creams: Sugar Glider, Night Mauve, Adora
Pop Creams: Playgirl, Foxfire, Stimulant, Electrique, Exotica
Coral Mattes: Age of Consent, The Perfect Kiss
Red Creams: Vermillion-Aire, Dressed to Kill, Jasmin Rouge, Original Sin
Red Mattes: Best Revenge, Night Porter
Burgandy Creams: Dangerous Beauty, Love Crime, Discretion
Noir Creams: Impassioned, Near Dark
Noir Mattes: In Deep, Fetishist

There was a lot to sort through at the counters and with all the new and existing colors mixed together I don’t know that I got a good look at all the new ones. I did have a list with me of what to check out so I think I covered most of the neutrals. The quality and lasting power are still on point for what I’ve experienced with Tom Ford lip colors. I would have probably passed on Spiced Honey (this is a bit pale on me) and Open Kimono (I prefer Guilty Pleasure), but luckily I can make both work with a good lip liner like MAC Boldly Bare, Whirl or Stripdown (swatched here).

My favorite colors are still Pink Dusk and Sable Smoke for everyday neutrals, but I’m really happy with my picks. As one who finds light mauves difficult to wear with my olive complexion, I’m 100% in love with Sugar Glider. For light pinks I was really tempted by Paper Doll but I wanted to limit myself to 6 max for now as holiday is coming up and there is still a lot to cover.

You can find the new shades of Tom Ford Lip Color and Lip Color Matte out now. Available online at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Sephora and all other Tom Ford Beauty counters.

Did you try any of the new shades yet? What did you think?

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Haircare

Harry Josh Ultra Light Pro Dryer

October 23, 2017

I’m excited to share a review of the new Harry Josh Ultra Light Pro Dryer ($349) which launches exclusively at Dermstore this week. For those who aren’t familiar with the line, Harry Josh is a celebrity stylist who has created a line of hair tools called Harry Josh Pro Tools. His products have a signature soft mint green color which I think is fun and unique. I was sent one to test out and this is my first time using anything from his line. Since I’ve already tried and fallen in love with a number of other great hair dryers including the t3 PROi, ghd Air and DryBar (reviewed here) I did not think this one could be better than what I’ve tested but it is.

Also shown above is the Round Brush 2-inch size.

For as long as I can remember I’ve blow dried my hair on a regular basis because I find it essential to tame my thick unruly hair with a slight natural wave. If you’ve read some of my packing posts you know that even though I’m a carry on traveler for the most part I still insist on bringing my own hair dryer with me. The two main inconveniences include the fact that they take up a lot of space and also it weighs down the luggage. The Harry Josh Ultra Light Pro Dryer is smaller than the average dryer and extremely light weight under 1 pound. A lot of dryers are design to be “lightweight” but this one is noticeably lighter but still feels like it has substance. It’s easy to hold in the hand for an extended period and easy to maneuver.

Even though it is compact, it has a very powerful motor with a speed of 94 mph which makes for super fast drying time. I set my stopwatch to time my hair drying process with this one on 12 different occasions of using this and each time I was able to get completely dried hair in under 6 minutes (usually around 5 minutes and 46 second mark). Most of the dryers I own take around 7 to 10 minutes for me to get completely dried hair.

A quick look at the drying steps from wet towel dried hair to all the way dried hair. Also held and shown for scale. I’ve tested drying with a number of hair products for prep and heat styling. Lately I’ve been alternating between the Christophe Robin Hydrating Leave-In Mist (c/o, it’s lightweight and detangles my hair), Shu Uemura Art of Hair Essence Absolue (c/o, available in a fun Super Mario packaging version for holiday) or the Moroccanoil Light. The last image shown is without any extra shine or finishing product so I could show you how the dryer performs on its own as much as possible. To finish and smooth the ends I usually add a bit of the Shu Uemura product, Moroccanoil or Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream. Also shown above: The Daily Edited Large Cosmetic Bag (review soon), Drybar Hold Me Hair Clips, Diptyque Berlin Candle (city exclusive).

My drying process includes a quick rough dry all over. Then I section it by parting my hair or by using clips. If I don’t have clips I simply flip over sections and part my hair to separate it.

For brushes I still use a CHI Turbo Small Paddle Brush to do most of my brushing or drying. Then I finish with a bristle brush to smooth everything out. I tried the Harry Josh Pro Round Brush (made of boar and nylon bristles, made in China) and it was surprisingly easy to use and very effective in smoothing out flyaways. I say surprising because even though I know boar/nylon bristle brushes are the best for smoothing out hair I find them difficult for me to use in general just because of my hair type.

I’m not the most savvy when it comes to hair dryer technology, but I do know that I see a difference in results with regards to smoothness, shine and the frizz factor. All three that I had previously reviewed provide excellent results: smooth, sleek, frizz-free finish. The Harry Josh Ultra Light Pro Dryer also delivers with ion technology and has two ion settings: off will deliver full voluminous style, on will give a smooth sleek finish. I tried both settings and feel that there is actually a visible difference with the two settings as the booklet describes.

For the settings, there are:

3 temperature control settings
2 ion settings (as mentioned above)
2 settings for speed/air flow
1 cool shot button
2 removable nozzles
removable air filter
9 foot extension cord

For other features it’s relatively less noisy than other dryers but not 100% silent. It is described as being energy efficient with the dual filtration system. The tool is made in France and with the power and settings I was particularly impressed at how fast it dried my hair without making my head feel super hot from the heat like it does with most other dryers.

Size comparison to the T3 PROi (c/o, previously reviewed here):

I didn’t want to fall in love with this pricey hair dryer but I have. As with everything I test regardless of whether it’s a press sample or something I purchased on my own I do assess it for the price point to see if I think it’s worth it and in this case I think it is. Still it is very spendy and you can definitely find great hair dryers for less. This one wins for me on dry time, size, weight and performance. It’s truly exceptional in every way and among the best ones that I’ve tried. If there is one thing I think it’s missing it’s a dust bag or something to carry it in for travel – but that being said most of the dryers I’ve seen don’t come with one either. Performance-wise I still think the t3 PROi and ghd Air are also very good ones. The main difference for me is the weight and dry time.

A lot of you have asked me over the past year if I’ve tried the Dyson Hair Dryer and I have not. However this season there’s a Dyson Blown-A Ouai set available which might push me over the edge to try it out. Let me know if you’ve tried it and what your thoughts are or if you would like to see a review.

Bottom line the Harry Josh Ultra Light Pro Dryer gets a huge thumbs up for me. You can find it exclusively at Dermstore. Have you tried anything from Harry Josh yet? If not what’s your current favorite hair dryer? I’d love to hear what you use!

Harry Josh Ultra Light Pro Dryer and Round Brush sent by Dermstore without charge for review. Other press samples featured indicated with c/o.

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NARS

NARS x Man Ray Collection for Holiday

October 20, 2017

NARS has seriously outdone themselves with their NARS x Man Ray holiday launch this year. This season they’ve launched a collection of individual colors, palettes and sets inspired by modern artist Man Ray. This is one of the first makeup launches that has me really excited about holiday – they’ve created a nice range of options so I think there is something for everyone. The collection launched exclusively at NARS online for the first part of October and now items are starting to trickle in at other counters. There’s quite a bit in this collection and I’m thrilled to be able to feature a lot of the items, but do note there are other sets and items available exclusive to certain retailers like Nordstrom and Sephora. You may have to do some shopping around to find the color sets you have your eyes on.

I’ve split my review into product category: eyes, cheeks and lips + one set. For the eyes this season we have shadows and pencils:

Duo Eyeshadow in Debauched ($36) is a richly pigmented duo of cool-toned plums. There is a smooth plum shimmer and a blackened purple with tiny violet glitter flecks. Both have good smooth pigment, the deeper shade is probably best applied in a patting motion or liner.
Duo Eyeshadow in Montparnasse ($36) has a smooth texture of shimmers with a soft warm pale gold champagne shimmer and maroon shimmer. Both swatch well with good pigment, but on my eyes the plum shade applies on the semi-sheer side once blended. To get more pigment you either have to pack it on over a cream shadow or with a dense brush.
Velvet Eyeliner in Nagoya ($24) is one of the most beautiful violet cream shades I’ve ever seen but it’s a color I don’t see myself wearing on the eyes. Application is a bit sheer but the color is so pretty!
Velvet Eyeliner in Santiago ($24) is a sheer shimmering auburn color, it makes for a good subtle liner for the lower lash line to add definition without looking harsh. However formula is sheer which I find a bit odd for a liner where I usually think you’d want more intense pigment.
Eyeshadow Palette Glass Tears (not shown)

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For the cheeks we have beautiful highlighters, blushes and a stunning palette:

Powder Blush in Fetishized ($30) is a bright warm reddish pink, but once applied it’s not quite as warm or red as it looks in the pan. It has a subtle sheen to it but the pigment overall is very intense. I could not pull this one off alone but it looks amazing as a layering or mixing color, especially if you soften with a highlighter or warm it up with bronzer.
Powder Blush in Intensely ($30) is a very smooth matte semi-sheer orange cream color. Texture is dreamy and soft with flawless application. I often find orange blushes surprising because they can actually be quite flattering and different than what you’d expect. On my skintone alone this one just looked like orange candy, almost like Tic-Tacs. Again this is a great one for layering to warm up colors or even mixed with a highlighter. That’s the beauty of a lot of NARS colors – you can layer and mix and the result is often really pretty.
Overexposed Glow Highlighter in Double Take ($42) is a stunning highlighter, it’s all kinds of gorgeous with the warm gold with slight peachy tones. It has a smooth almost creamy feel with intense shimmer that you can blend out or layer for that super shimmery highlight. Swatch comparisons below to the Banc de Sable shades and some from Dior.
The Veil Cheek Palette with Laguna, Lovesick, Surreal ($49) is another beautiful color and if I had to pick one thing from the entire collection it would be this palette. Laguna is the Sun Wash formula which is a stiffer almost hybrid kind of formula. The full size ended up being a bit muddy on me, but as most NARS fans know – the Laguna individually (regardless of formula) isn’t always the same as the ones you get in the palettes. The palette Laguna is still very stiff and sheer, but it’s not quite as muddy. Lovesick is like a dual-intensity blush formula and is a rich coral with a sheen. It’s almost identical to the powder blush Fetishized but the formula makes it more wearable. Surreal is a similar formula to the Banc de Sable palette and the Overexposed Double Take Highlighter. It’s intense with a pretty peachy tan shimmer.

Beauty breakdown:

Foundation is La Prairie Skin Caviar Concealer and Foundation in Satin Nude (review coming soon)
Concealer is NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger
Powder is La Mer Pressed Powder in Light
Cheeks are NARS x Man Ray The Veil Cheek Palette, all three shades in Laguna, Lovesick and Surreal applied with a very light hand
Eyeshadow is Montparnasse Eyeshadow Duo
Lips is NARS Audacious Lipstick in Barbara
Brush shown is Wayne Goss #14 from The Face Set (reviewed here)
Nail polish is Diorific Ruby

Some highlighter swatch comparisons below. If you own Banc de Sable the new holiday highlighters have a very similar effect in terms of formula, texture and shimmer. Colors are close and similar but not identical. I’ve also included two of the Diorskin Nude Air Luminizers (all on my face here). The NARS vs Dior both have that intense shimmer but smooth almost creamy feel (yet they are still powders).

Update 10/21: I re-swatched the comparisons with a denser brush. The original comparisons above looked a little washed out due to the curve of my arm combined with blending using a larger brush. A more dense application shows that Surreal is closer in color to Embruns than it looks when it’s blended out more. Same order below just swatched with a MAC 239 brush.

This year the Becca x Chrissy Teigen palette has been my favorite face palette launch (review + beauty look here). It’s wearable, easy to layer and I love the color combinations. At first glance I thought the NARS might be exactly the same, but it’s deeper, warmer and a bit more intense. If I had to pick one it would be a tough call. Both are extremely versatile and you can increase or soften intensity depending on what brushes you use or how much you layer product.

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For the lips, the Man Ray collection has four glosses in a new formula called Photogloss Lip Lacquer then there are lots of sets with a mix of colors:

There’s a new formula called Photogloss Lip Lacquer ($26 each) which is super opaque and glossy without being thick or tacky-feeling. These have serious pigment and smooth finish. Lasting power is excellent for a gloss and there was no color bleeding along the sides.

Photogloss Lip Lacquer in Zambeze is a yellowed-beige cream
Photogloss Lip Lacquer in Off Limits is a bright sparkling fuchsia purple
Photogloss Lip Lacquer in Kiki is a blood-red semi-sheer, the sheerness made it a tiny bit streaky looking, it can be smoothed out if you apply over a liner or lipstick
Photogloss Lip Lacquer in Muse is a shimmering gold, the color and shimmer was a bit patchy looking once applied but there is no gritty texture and you can blend it out for a smoother finish

The Kiss Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Set ($49, Sephora exclusive) has four full-sized Velvet Matte Lip Pencils, I really love this set – they look better in person than in these photos. Pigment is smooth with a soft matte finish. They have a very airy feel to them and glide on the lips nicely. Lasting power is about average for a lipstick, they will fade after a few hours and transfer to cups if you drink, but I don’t mind reapplying. This set comes in a shiny gold zippered pouch:
- Endangered Red is a soft muted deep vampy red
- Spellbound is a pretty shimmering pale pink
- Toundra is a muted plum-brown with shimmer
- Wild Ways is a shimmering soft tan bronze

Audacious Lip Coffrett in Noire Et Blanche, not shown ($55, Sephora exclusive) with Lee, Dolores, Josephine and Charlotte Audacious Lipsticks
Audacious Lip Coffrett in Les Amoureux ($55, Nordstrom exclusive) with pretty neutrals that aren’t boring. I had forgotten how much I loved this formula of lipstick, Barbara was a staple for a long time for me. I need to use it more often. The lipsticks in these sets are miniature sized. The coffretts come in a round dome case.
- Ady light peachy orange cream
- Ardon medium rose
- Jane coral
- Barbara perfect nude pink beige

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Then there are a number of duos with minis called Love Triangle ($24 each). Different color combinations are available at different retailers. I have the Deep Throat + Barbara duo which is available at Sephora. These aren’t full-sized, they’re minis and I think they’re great options for stocking stuffers or something under the $25 mark.

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That wraps it up for my look at NARS x Man Ray for holiday. There’s a lot to pick from! My top picks include The Veil Cheek Palette trio, Double Take Highlighter, Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Set and the Audacious Lipstick Set. Quality and pigment is on point for everything except the two Velvet Eyeliners (a bit sheer) and the gold lip gloss (just a bit patchy-looking on application). The blushes are excellent quality but for me require layering to work, alone they don’t quite look right on my olive skintone but they are beautiful if you mix them.

All the items are limited-edition. You can find them available now although you’ll have to do some hunting to find all the pieces as some are exclusive to certain places. Online now at NARS, Nordstrom, and Sephora. They should arrive at other retailers very soon.

Have you tried anything from the collection yet? What did you think?

NARS x Man Ray items provided courtesy of NARS for review.

46 Comments

Christian Louboutin Fragrance

Christian Louboutin Parfums – New Sizes

October 19, 2017

Last fall Christian Louboutin launched three perfumes in Tornade Blonde, Bikini Questa Sera and Trouble in Heaven. I was able to review Tornade Blonde here. This has been one of the most luxurious perfumes with the strongest lasting power that I’ve tried. Those who have followed me along on with my what’s in my bag features and Instagram stories know that I tend to prefer smaller sizes so I can carry them with me to touch up or bring them on travels. The original sizes were 2.7 oz/80 ml ($275 each) which came in a large exquisite bottle perfect for display or to but on your counter top but not one that you could carry around easily. One year later they’ve added a new smaller size 1 oz/30 ml ($135 each) and while they aren’t roller-ball small, they are more travel friendly. The perfumes are available individually but I was gifted all three in a special box and am beyond grateful for the opportunity to try all three.

First a quick look at sizing for scale, one next to a Loubilaque lipgloss (review + swatches here and here) and one in my hand:

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Tornade Blonde is a rich warm floral with some spice to it. It’s the one that feels more for special occasions for me. Notes include Rhubarb, Violet Leaves, Ambrette Signature, Cassis, Bulgarian Rose, Jasmin Sambac Absolut, Orange Flower Petals Firnat, Gardenia from Brazil, Ambregris, Cedarwood, Australian Sandalwood, Patchouli. It’s extremely potent with a rich garden-like feel to it.

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Bikini Questa Sera is my favorite of the three. It’s the most green out of the options with notes of Paradisone, Green Nectars, Jasmin Absolut, Tuberose Absolut, Australian Sandalwood, Vetiver Haiti, Ambregris. As one who really loves tuberose it’s no surprise that this one I’d gravitate towards. If you like Frederic Malle Carnal Flower but want something with a different twist you might want to consider trying this one. The Louboutin Bikini Questa Sera has a similar vibe but it’s less powdery and less floral than Carnal Flower.

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Trouble in Heaven is another rich option with notes of Bergamot, Cascalone, Rose Bouton, Iris Firabs, Amber, Patchouli, Tonka Absolut, Labdanum. There’s a strong amber and patchouli feel making this feel very warm and very spicy. To me it smells feminine but pulls on the masculine side a little – it’s an intoxicating seductive kind of scent that doesn’t feel like one for everyday but more for date nights.

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All three have extremely long lasting power. They stayed on my skin from the first spritz until late evening. As scent and fragrance preferences are really so personal my recommendation would depend on your preferences for notes and overall feel. These are true to Louboutin’s branding – rich, warm and bold. For everyday I personally tend to gravitate towards lighter scent options. With the extreme heat of Florida I’ve found that since moving here I cannot wear warmer scents and many of my florals during the day simply because the heat shifts how these wear on my skin. It has finally started to cool down a little (only a little) so I’ve been able to pull out a few fall transition scents. For me these Louboutin perfumes are more special occasion kinds of wear. Back in San Diego by now I would have 100% been able to wear at least one of these for day, but for now in Florida I find Bikini Questa Sera to be best for me while the other two will be saved for winter.

If you’re interested in these but don’t want to splurge on the full sizes quite yet they still have the adorable miniatures trio set available (they don’t come with spritzers though). These are a great way to try all three or keep one in your purse for touch ups.

You can find Christian Louboutin Parfums available now in both sizes. Online at Christian Louboutin, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Sephora and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Have you tried these yet? If not what’s your go-to perfume right now? I’d love to hear about what you are wearing right now!

Perfumes gifted by Christian Louboutin Beauty.

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Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette Smokey Eye Beauty

October 17, 2017

Charlotte Tilbury just launched her fourth Instant Look in a Palette in a neutral-cool toned option called the Smokey Eye Beauty. This is currently a Beautylish exclusive and in terms of color options this is one of the deeper ones that she has launched. The colors themselves are pretty basic and standard but the quality is on point and colors are easy to use so it makes for a good everyday option.

These Instant Look in a Palettes are designed for a basic five minute face. They have enough colors that you can do a quick look with or use on-the-go. In concept the number of colors in the palette is just the right amount for a full look for makeup color (minus base, concealer, lips, mascara, brows etc.). I’ve found that I still need 2 more eye products to really finish the look for me as I tend to do a lot of blending and I need some kind of creamy shadow stick as a base to help the powders adhere or blend better. My previous reviews of the other three linked with Natural Beauty, Seductive Beauty and Beauty Glow.

Smokey Eye Beauty has three eyeshadows, one bronzer, two cheek colors and one highlighter. The top three eyeshadows include a pale champagne shimmer, medium cool brown matte, dark matte black with navy tinge. All three are extremely smooth and well pigmented. They are easy to blend and apply but they are on the powdery side with powder kick up. The contour bronzer is a light to medium brown, it has a subtle sheen to it which makes it natural looking. It’s cool-toned on my skin. The two cheek colors are a light warm pink and a medium warm pink, both soft and also natural looking. The highlighter is a pale gold which is supposed to be the Bar of Gold. I never tried it so I can’t compare it to the original. This one has a stiffer texture which makes it look sheer on my skin. Long-time readers know how I feel about yellow golds. This one is pale enough that you can’t really see the yellow tone once on the skin so for me it’s actually a lot more wearable than I anticipated just from looking at it in the pan.

Below wearing:

Foundation is MILK Makeup Blur Liquid Matte Foundation in Golden Sand
Concealer under eyes is MILK Makeup Flex Concealer in Medium
Powder to set is the La Mer Loose Powder in Translucent
Cheeks + Eyes are the Smokey Eye Beauty Palette
Lip Color is Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Pillow Talk + Miss Bloomingdale mixed
Nail Polish is Diorific Ruby (review here)
Top from H&M

Bottom line a solid performer. Colors, texture and pigment are all very wearable. As with powders there will be some powdery-ness and kick up, this one seems to have a little more than most but it wasn’t problematic. Color-wise the shades to me aren’t the most unique or exciting but they show up in a natural and soft way that is 100% wearable. I do think the combination of colors is great for ease of use. Sometimes an effortless palette is just what I need – this one is versatile enough to wear for a number of occasions and will go with all kinds of lip colors, light, deep, warm and cool. I give it a thumbs up. I will be reviewing the Instant Eye Palette soon (waiting on my order) – reviews have been really mixed, so it will be interesting to test this in person.

You can find the Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette Smokey Eye Beauty exclusively at Beautylish right now. It retails for $75.

Thanks to Beautylish for sending this to me to review.

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Base Makeup Dior Highlighters

Dior Makeup Holiday, Lip + Base Haul

October 13, 2017

I have a collective haul post today with some Dior bits. Over the past few months I’ve been using a lot of their base products and found some new favorites. Some mini collections have launched new products such as the Rouge Dior Liquid Lip and Metalizer for Eyes that I’ve been testing. So many of you have asked about the Rouge Dior Liquid Lip Stains and I picked out two (thoughts below). Holiday has also launched and I picked up three items from the collection to review today. So there’s a little bit of everything in today’s roundup post. I hauled these items from both Nordstrom and Sephora but you should be able to find most everything at all Dior counters now (I think holiday is still trickling in stores).

For holiday Dior has a mix of items with shimmers and mattes. The eyeshadow palettes look gorgeous in the formulas but colors aren’t really up my alley like they were in previous years so I limited my picks to three things:

Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer in Precious Rocks 001 is one of the smoothest shimmer highlighters I’ve tried. It’s so unique with an opalescent shimmer quality. To me it has a pinkish beige tinge and depending on how the light catches it, sometimes it will look more warm/gold but if you see it in person I think you’ll see it’s definitely more pink. On my olive medium tone skin this has a light opal pink finish. If you are fair this may look more peachy/deeper on you. When I first swatched it I thought it was going to be a near dupe for the regular Nude Air Luminizer in 002 but it’s not (comparisons below).
Diorific Matte Fluid Lip & Cheek Velvet Colour in Charm is something I had high hopes for since last year’s options were just perfect and festive for holiday. I picked up one shade in Charm which is different from last year’s Charm. This year is a nude pink but it dries down to a dusty finish. If you are lighter in complexion than me or darker I think it will look more flattering. On me it just makes me look a little dead. Drydown is nice for a matte, but it’s more of a satiny matte.
Diorific Vernis Nail Lacquer in Ruby is a metallic pink ruby red and the shimmer is smooth and free of brush strokes. It has some pink which gives it a more youthful effect compared to a traditional red.

Comparisons below to some older Dior Highlighters, turns out I had Glowing Gardens from a million years ago in my backup stash.

Additional pink highlighter comparison swatches to Laura Mercier Face Illuminator in Devotion, By Terry Compact Expert in #3, Diorskin Nude Air Glowing Gardens 001 in Glowing Pink (discontinued), Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer 001, 002 and 004.

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I’ve been a long-time fan of the Dior Airflash Foundation but anyone who has tried it knows it’s one that takes a bit of time to apply. I tried some other foundations and concealers from the line and love everything I’ve bought. My base picks and testing include:

Diorskin Forever Perfect Foundation in 21 and 31 – this isn’t a new formula but for some reason it escaped my radar for a long time. I’ve featured it in my summer base edit here. I matched myself and in store 30 was perfect. When I got home I applied it and found it oxidized a full shade darker and looked very pink. I went back and found that 21 and 31 have a more yellow undertone and since I tan easily (and loose my tan just as easily) I decided on both to mix the colors. The formula is medium but buildable to full coverage and looks natural. It holds up well in the humidity here and I love the way it covers everything up evenly.
Diorskin Forever Perfect Cushion Foundation in 21 and 30 – this was a newer launch last month in the US and is one of the best in-between cushions for coverage. Most cushions I’ve tried are either very sheer or very opaque. This is a good in the middle option. Colors are very limited though – I wish they would expand the line! I was lucky to find two matches. Again I picked out two shades 21 and 30 (since they don’t have a 31).
Diorskin Forever Undercover Concealer in 30 and 31 – is also a new launch, I can’t remember the last time I tried a Dior concealer so I can’t compare this to others, but this has impressive coverage with smooth creamy texture. It is similar to NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer but the Dior isn’t quite as creamy or emollient and it has a slightly more matte finish. I use this both under the eyes and on spots. 30 is more neutral and 31 is more yellow.

Additional misc items below, I saved the worst for last. Sorry to be harsh but these weren’t up my alley. I had such high hopes for these too!

Rouge Dior Liquid Lip Stain in Vibrant Metal and Delicate Satin – I am a huge fan of the Rouge Dior Brilliant Lipshine & Care Couture Colour so I thought I’d like these. There are a few finishes: Satin, Matte and Metal. I knew I wouldn’t like the mattes so I tried the other two. The Vibrant Metal shade looks so pretty in the tube and swatched on the hand but on my lips it’s like I straight up applied this hideous copper orange foil onto my face. Delicate Satin is a more wearable color and I actually like it for a warm neutral rose pink brown. I just find the formula too airy and mousse-like, it has that silicone powdery feel which I don’t like on the lips. It also wears off really easily. I suspect that matte ones wear better but since I really don’t like mattes on my lips because they make them look like raisins I passed.
Metalizer Eyes & Lips Cream Shadow in Platine Fusion – is a metallic cream shadow that you can use on the lips or eyes. I felt these were best suited for eyes. It has a very fluid texture in a squeeze tube that doesn’t retain its shape well. The color is swatched in the top swatch photo and you can see the color is very standard and basic. I will say that it does have great lasting power – once you put it on it doesn’t budge, but I’m just not the biggest fan of the finish (it is sheer but buildable) and the packaging style just wasn’t my cup of tea.

One last look wearing the following items:

Foundation is Diorskin Forever Perfect Foundation in 21 and 31 mixed
Concealer under eyes and around nose is Diorskin Forever Undercover Concealer in 30
Powder to set is the La Mer Loose Powder
Highlighter is the Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer in Precious Rocks 001 on the cheeks
Eyeshadow is the Metalizer Eyes & Lips Cream Shadow in Platine Fusion
Lip Color Rouge Dior Liquid Lip Stain in Delicate Satin (also shown in this post here)
Mascara is the L’Oreal Lash Paradise Waterproof
Nothing on the brows because I forgot to do them!

You can find the Dior items online and in store now. I bought holiday items from Nordstrom and some other items from Sephora. So far I’ve only seen Dior Holiday online at Nordstrom, Dior.com and Neiman Marcus but it should be up on other sites soon!

Have you tried the Dior foundations or concealers yet? If not what’s your current favorite? If you picked up anything from holiday let me know!

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Holiday Gift Guide Ulta

Cute Affordable Gift Sets From Ulta + Benefit

October 11, 2017

This is probably the first year that I’ve seen holiday collections and sets out this early and I’m excited to be able to share my first holiday gift guide/review with you today! I’ve teamed up with Ulta Beauty to give you a look at four affordable gift sets from Benefit. There are a lot more options to choose from online and in store and the best two things are 1) they are all under $60 and 2) the packaging is fun and festive so there’s no extra work required to wrap it up. The four I’m featuring today include:

Cable Car Cuties ($19 – Ulta exclusive)
Beauty and the Bay ($39 – Ulta exclusive)
GALifornia Love ($29 – Ulta exclusive)
The Great BROWnanza Blockbuster Set ($59)

Up first is the Cable Car Cuties Set which has three minis of the Rockateur Rose Gold Blush, Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel in Shade 3, POREfessional Face Primer. This is an Ulta exclusive and is great for an affordable stocking stuffer set or for holiday gift exchanges. All three items are easy to wear and can be a fun way to test things out. This was my first time testing out Rockateur and it’s one of the prettiest soft rose blushes I’ve tried – truly natural and doesn’t darken on the skin.

Up next includes the Beauty and the Bay Set which has 4 full-size items and one mini. This one is on the left with the High Brow Highlight & Lift Pencil, They’re Real! Mascara in Jet Black, Hoola Matte Bronzer, High Beam Liquid Face Highlighter Mini. Hoola is one of the most under-rated matte bronzers (in my opinion).

GALifornia Love Set has a full-size Roller Lash Super Curling and Lifting Mascara in Black, full-size Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel in Shade 3 and a mini GALifornia Sunny Golden Pink Blush. It’s been a while since I tried Benefit blushes and have to say I’m really impressed with the finish and quality, especially for the price. GALifornia smells like candy peaches (in a good way). Whenever I ask for mascara recs a lot of you mention the Roller Lash and I finally tried it – pretty impressed that it had no smudging and was truly a deep rich black color. No clumping either!

Beauty and the Bay Set swatches, I swatched Hoola with a very heavy hand, on the face I promise it doesn’t look this dark. If you’re ultra fair definitely checkout their Hoola-Lite, I’ve tried that one too and it’s the best light colored non-grey non-orangey powder bronzer I’ve tried.

GALifornia Love set swatches:

Last but not least is the Great BROWnanza Blockbuster Set which is a great value for the price. If you’re brow novice and don’t know what formula works best for you this is a great way to try all the different formulas. It’s priced at $59 but the retail value is $151. Note there are two shade options in 3 and 5. I picked up the 5 for darker hair.

Long-time readers know I’m a super minimalist when it comes to brows – I have thick dark hair but my brows are lighter in color so I struggle with whether I should match color to my brows, or my hair or somewhere in between. I’m still learning and do think brow application gets better with practice. I tried all the brow items in the set and my top two picks are the Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel (it’s so easy to use!) and the Brow Zings set because it comes with a usable travel applicator and the cutest mini tweezers. The Ka-Brow! gives me the most coverage and fills in the best, the Brow Pencil is easiest to use for precise feathering layering. The spoolie is a really good one and I don’t know why I didn’t find it sooner.

Here’s a quick look at the Benefit Hoola and the Brow Zings Shade 5. On the left photo you’ll see half my face is before with just my base (powder, concealer and foundation) and the other side has a more polished look with the Brow Zings and Hoola on the cheeks. On the lips is MAC Lipglass in N-U-D-E over Lip Pencil in Boldly Bare.