Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

Chanel Makeup Brushes – New Design

August 9, 2017

Chanel recently revamped their makeup brushes with a new sleek look and the ones I’ve tested are extremely well made. I had quite a few from the previous design and they’ve lasted for years. The new ones have definitely improved with a softer feel and more luxurious application. These are currently exclusive to Chanel.com and they’ve pulled all the older styles from their site.

There are four face and cheek brushes I tested. All exceeded my expectations in terms of performance and application of powders and creams.

Shown above from left to right:

2-in-1 Liquid and Powder Brush ($50) is essentially the same as the original design in shape and size. This works extremely well for streak-free foundation coverage. I tested this on the Chanel Sublimage Le Teint and it provides a flawless application. It’s very soft and makes it easy to layer and blend liquids.
Blush Brush ($50, made in Japan) is one of the most dense fluffy blush brushes I’ve tried. I feel like I can almost use it for powder. For blush it picks up the perfect amount of product for a single sweep on the cheeks. It’s dense but still extremely soft and isn’t too dense.
Foundation-Blending Brush ($50, made in France) is essentially like the previous version and also similar to MAC’s 187 Duo Fibre Brush but with all black hairs. It’s not quite as dense as the previous version or MAC’s but large and fluffy and extremely soft. It is softer than both previous versions. I’ve had this used on me for liquid foundation blending and buffing which works extremely well. I tend to use this for powders or highlighters. It’s a versatile brush though so you can really use it any way you want.
Precision Powder Brush ($60, made in Japan) is an extremely soft tapered face brush perfect for contours or detail powder application. I tried it as an all over face powder brush and it’s a bit small for big sweeping strokes. It is however great for detail application like on the nose or cheekbone area. It’s so soft and plush and picks up product beautifully. I’ve used this for bronzer and soft contouring.

For the eyes the brush options have improved significantly. Unfortunately I didn’t keep the boxes of all the brushes but for the ones I have I’ll list where they were made.

Shown above from left to right. Quick note at the moment on the Chanel.com website a couple of these are switched in the image: the Eyeshadow-Blending Brush and Rounded Eyeshadow Brush images are switched for the names. I emailed them and they said they fixed it but based on the product names they have not. I would go by the brush name which I confirmed by checking the box they came in.

Eye Contouring Brush ($32, made in France) is a detail brush perfect for a precise line with powder shadows. It’s described as one you can use to apply eyeshadow to the eye contour but to me it seems too small and tiny for that purpose. As a small liner brush it’s excellent and there’s no poking.
Rounded Eyeshadow Brush ($28, made in Japan) is the new version of Chanel’s previous #19 brush. Thew new design is significantly softer in material but just as dense. It’s perfect for smudging the eyeshadow.
Flat Eyeshadow Brush ($38, made in France) in the new version is much better than the previous one. In the older format this brush had more coarse bristles while the new one has the same shape/size but it’s more dense and a lot softer in finish. For me it’s the perfect size for lid application. I’m going to order a few more.
Eyeshadow Blending Brush ($38, made in Japan) is a soft fluffy brush you can use on the lids or crease. It’s pretty standard but well made along the lines and quality of the ones from Wayne Goss Eye Set.
Retractable Dual Tip Eye-Contouring Brush ($42) is a double ended brush for smudging shadows or defining them. I’ve used this on both powders and creams and it works really well. I love that it comes with retractable portions and caps to keep the bristles pristine if you store them in a jar or travel.
Retractable Dual Tip Eyeshadow Brush ($42) is a double ended brush with a fluffy shadow brush and more precise shadow brush on the other end. This is the perfect duo for me. It has my two favorite shapes in one brush. It’s extremely soft without any poking.

A quick look at the original vs new for the ones I own, original ones have the silver handles:

A quick look at the brushes next to product for size reference:

For the face and cheek brushes, items shown are the Hourglass Ambient Diffused Palette (review here), Hourglass Ambient Lighting Diffused Bronzer (review here), Chanel Joues Contraste Blush, Armani Luminous Silk Compact #4, Chanel Les 4 Ombres Jardins Eclat (swatched here), Ombre Premiere in Talpa (swatched here), Marc Jacobs Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Palette in Glambition.

Overall the brushes are excellent. They have a more modern updated look and quality and performance wise it’s definitely an improvement or upgrade from the previous ones. The face brushes seem to be a bit on the pricey side but they are well made and perform well. Based on how long mine have lasted from the previous launch I do think they are a good investment as the ones I bought have lasted for years (I’m guessing at least 5 years).

Bottom line definitely worth looking into!

You can find the newly revamped makeup brushes online at Chanel.com.

Most brushes featured in this post were provided for review consideration. Ones purchased by me include the Rounded Eye Shadow Brush, Flat Eye Shadow Brush and both dual-ended brushes.

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Chanel Eye Makeup

Chanel Ombre Premiere Longwear Eyeshadows

August 7, 2017

Chanel launched new eyeshadow formulas earlier this year in the Ombre Premiere Collection. There are two formulas called the Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Shadow ($36 each) and Longwear Powder Eyeshadow ($30 each). I bought a few colors several months ago to try and fell in love with the texture of both formulas. Since then I’ve acquired more shades in the neutral category as press samples and find the formulas quite good. Chanel also launched two double-ended brushes with this launch that come with caps making them really nice for travel or to carry in your makeup bag. There is a Retractable Dual Tip Eye-Contouring Brush ($42) and a Retractable Dual-Tip Eyeshadow Brush ($42). They are a bit on the expensive side but are super soft and perform extremely well and for me they were worth the splurge.

The new Ombre Premiere Longwear Powder Eyeshadows are the among the best ones I’ve tried from Chanel in powder form. They are extremely soft but velvety in texture with beautiful pigment. The colors I tried are neutral shimmers. I’ve had Flesh for a few months and find it to be the perfect neutral champagne pinky peach for an all over lid or wash color. Sable is a lighter champagne color. Talpa is a really pretty cool-toned brown shimmer. I feel like this makeup age is the age of palettes and find it rare that single eyeshadows are released. Palettes definitely have the convenience factor but these are really good even if the price tag is pretty high. They glide on the lids beautifully and smoothly with very little fallout. Lasting power is quite impressive alone. If you layer them over the Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Shadows you get a more intense shimmer. These come with applicators but for these shadows I find it better to apply with a regualar full size eyeshadow brush.

The Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadows are pigmented cream shadows that have a softer texture and more pigmented texture compared to the Illusion D’Ombres. The Ombre Premiere formula by comparison to most traditional creams has a dry finish versus a super emollient one. This makes it one of the longest-lasting cream shadows I’ve ever tested. My lids aren’t like most others in the sense that they aren’t oily and do not tend to get oily. I find my eyes to be more on the normal/dry side if anything. Most of my readers have asked for shadow primers that work for oily lids – ones that are super popular and highly rated with customer reviews all tend to dry out my skin making it look wrinkly. Because of this – I find that the creams work best when I use a single color as a base or lid color either alone or with a powder on top. Layering cream on top of cream with this formula didn’t work so well on some occasions because they dry and set fast. These last an impressive amount of time even in hot humid weather.

Shadow labels on the bottom:

These come with a small white-hair applicator which I didn’t think would be useful. It actually performed the best in picking up pigment and applying them to the lids. I wish that Chanel made another one like it with a larger handle for easier use. Otherwise fingers work for application too. I’ve experimented with a number of shadow brushes and like the double-ended contour brush the best for a full-size option. I do think the applicator these come with is the best way to pick up the most color.

Last but not least are the two dual ended brushes, Retractable Dual Tip Eye-Contouring Brush on the bottom and a Retractable Dual-Tip Eyeshadow Brush on the top. These are some of the softest eyeshadow brushes I’ve tried from Chanel. I really love the larger option as it has the perfect size/density for a brush. The smaller one works really well too but I already have my favorites for detail brushes. There is a moveable portion on each end that you push up to cover the brush tip and then place the cap on top – that way you don’t have to worry about messing up the brush if it gets fluffy from use and recapping. In the past few weeks Chanel has launched an entire line of new brushes – I’m still testing them but hope to have the review up soon.

Overall thoughts are that the formulas of the shadows are really good. I prefer the texture of the powders for that beautiful shimmer but like the colors of the creams better. For summer or hot humid weather these are very good for lasting power when it feels like almost everything is prone to melting off my face. I’m all about neutrals but there are quite a few other colors that are more edgy or bold. For me the neutrals seem most on-brand for Chanel. Some of the others (like the yellow, blue or green) seemed a bit dated but I can see how they could appeal to those who like more fun trendy shades.

Other new items have launched online as well including the Fall-Winter Collection and some new pink Lip and Nail Colors. I already ordered a few pieces from the fall line which I’ll review, for now I’ve decided to pass on the pink shades.

You can find the Chanel Ombre Premiere collection online at Chanel.com and also at all other counters now. The shadows are listed as limited-edition. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Ombre Premiere Longwear Shadows provided for review. Brushes purchased by me.

26 Comments

Eye Makeup

Mascara Hits and Misses

August 4, 2017

I have a new updated mascara roundup. I’ve been trying a few new formulas and have some hits and some misses. The humidity in Florida is pretty high and the sun feels a million times stronger here than it did in San Diego. Finding one that holds up to the humidity has been a process.

Bobbi Brown No Smudge Mascara is a formula I had purchased from a duo over last holiday. I had it sitting in the box waiting for my other tubes to get used up. I was pleasantly surprised because the reviews with this were mixed. It had zero clumping, defined lashes, volumized, coated evenly, held the curl and had no smudging. For me this is a hit.
Sisley-Paris So Intense Mascara is one I tried from the Nordstrom Color Twist Set (review here). Huge hit with this one even though the comb is so tiny it looks like it won’t grab lashes. It allows you to get right at the base without touching the skin. This usually isn’t a big deal for me if the mascara is good because a quick clean up with a Q-tip fixes it after application. However this one makes application easier. It volumizes, holds curl and doesn’t smudge.
L’Oreal Lash Paradise Waterproof is the first drugstore mascara I’ve actually liked. I’ve tried dozens and end up throwing them all away after 2 uses because they either dry to a grey looking black, smudge or don’t hold the curl. This literally was WOW with the first try. It’s everything I want in a mascara – volume, definition and holds the curl. I absolutely love the waterproof version because there is zero smudging. Blackest Black is the color I tried and it’s a true rich black. It does take more work to remove at the end of the day but is completely worth it. Huge hit.
Tom Ford Waterproof Extreme Mascara has to be mentioned again even though it’s not new to me because it’s my favorite waterproof mascara. No smudging, holds the curl, volumizes – huge thumbs up. I’ve repurchased this one the most in the past year.
Chanel Le Volume Waterproof is another classic. The regular Le Volume is good, but I prefer the Waterproof version because it holds up better in the humidity. This is one of the few rubberized applicators I like – most other brands just don’t do it for me. A classic one for me.
Dior Pump N Volume Mascara was a big miss. The first application was decent for volume, holding the curl and having a true rich black color. Every application after that was a clumping disaster – even when I removed excess from the tube by cleaning it. When there’s buildup, every once in a while I’ll take the wand and run it in between a folded piece of paper. It’s just like you would do with a tissue or paper towel but using paper makes it so those cotton fibers from tissue won’t get caught in the bristles. The volume on this one is really good and there are quite a few rave reviews on this one, if it didn’t clump all the time it would be perfect.
Serge Lutens Comb Mascara is another miss for me. I had such high hopes for this one as it came highly recommended and the online reviews on the formula were stellar. It has a similar applicator to the Sisley-Paris one. For some reason this Serge Lutens one made my lashes look spidery. It took a while to dry and smudged with a few blinks. After it dried down it had decent staying power but didn’t hold the curl and didn’t have as rich of a black finish as other ones. It wasn’t the worst but there are much better formulas for me out there.

A few notes on other mascaras I’ve loved but didn’t feature in this roundup. Other long-time favs have included the By Terry Mascara Terrybly, Chantecaille Faux Cils, Stila Huge Lash and Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara. Most of these still work for me in the humid hot weather, I’ve just been rotating through different options recently. If you’ve had your eye on the Chantecaille one I highly recommend you check out the Touch-Up Essentials Set while it’s still available for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale because it’s a great deal. The only one that doesn’t work so well for me in humid weather is the By Terry option, but they do have a waterproof version which I want to investigate.

For makeup removal longer lasting formulas and waterproof ones are going to be more difficult to remove in the evenings. Most of these I have to use a multi-step process to take them off in the evenings. Regardless of whether I double cleanse with a cleansing oil or cleansing water, I always use a cotton pad and soak it with eyemakeup remover first. My favorite formula used to be the Chanel Gentle Bi-Phase Eye Makeup Remover but these days I’ve found it’s just ok. Some of the longer lasting formulas don’t come off anymore with this one and I don’t know if the formula of the makeup remover has changed or if I’m simply finding formulas with better lasting power. Some thing goes for the Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover. It used to be a long-time go to but my last bottle didn’t perform as well as I remember it did in past years. My current go-to is the Lancome Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover (available in this value set from Nordstrom here and here). For cotton I’ve tried a number of brands but my favorites are from Chanel and Sephora.

If I had to pick one mascara to use for the rest of the summer that would be a hard choice. I would be able to narrow it down to three: Sisley-Paris, L’Oreal and Tom Ford.

What are your favorite mascaras for the summertime?

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Eye Makeup Highlighters

Bobbi Brown Peace, Love and Beach Highlighting Powders and Eyeshadow Trio

August 2, 2017

For summer Bobbi Brown launched a few mini collections and my favorite one is the Peace, Love and Beach. In this collection are three new Highlighting Powders ($48 each for 0.28 oz/8g), three Eyeshadow Trios ($40 each for 0.25 oz/7.2 g) and two Nail Colors ($16 each). I picked up all of the highlighters in Sunrise Glow, Sunkissed Glow and Tawny Glow and the Love Eye Shadow Trio. At the time I bought these there was a little Beach GWP going on at the counter so I stocked up on a couple glosses as well and was able to try a couple of the Beach body items from the gift.

Up first is the Love Eye Shadow Trio which is the neutral taupe option. At first glance this reminded me of the Tom Ford She Wolf Trio launched a few years ago. Once I compared them at home I found the Bobbi Brown version to be warmer or more on the neutral side. You get a shimmering dark bronze, a glitter silvery taupe and a lovely beige taupe tan shimmer. It’s literally my taupe palette dream come true. I’ve also swatched it next to the Tom Ford Young Adonis Cream Powder Duo for reference (review here).

Texture is smooth for all three. The middle glitter color does have some chunky texture to it because it’s a glitter but it’s very smooth and adheres well to the lids. I had minimal fallout when applying and the shadows stayed put all day long.

Next are the three new Highlighting Powders. I had last year’s versions but never got around to reviewing them. They are really lovely highlighters that have the perfect in between shimmer of subtle and high frost. You can layer for more intensity but applied with a soft hand alone or over blush gives one of the prettiest glows I’ve ever seen. This year’s colors have a similar vibe to last year’s. I’ve swatched them side by side in case you already own them. As a quick note you can find Afternoon Glow in this Nordstrom Set. You can find Telluride and Afternoon Glow individually at Neiman Marcus. These were limited-edition so I don’t think those will be around for long.

New shades are limited-edition as well. This year’s shades are Sunrise Glow a soft warm pink, Sunkissed Glow the perfect subtle bronze shimmer and Tawny Glow a cool-toned mauve shimmer. Each one is just perfect – texture is ultra smooth and they have an almost creamy texture but are definitely powders. Lasting power is impressive and they stayed put for hours. I like to use these on the eyes as well.

Two looks with the Love Eye Shadow Trio. For the cheeks, on the left is Sunkissed Glow, on the right is Sunrise Glow. I applied them with a light hand alone (just over my foundation/base).

Last but not least a couple thoughts on the Beach items. Bobbi Brown’s Beach scent is one of the best beachy scents I’ve ever smelled. It is fairly strong so I’ve never splurged on the perfume. It has a blend of jasmine, white florals, mandarin and sea spray. The Body Lotion is quite amazing – it’s smooth and soft and transports me to vacation mode (full size here). The Shower Gel is also lovely, but right now it appears you can only find it in the Beach Collection Set. I would have bought the shower gel separately if I could find it but the set seems to be a good deal and I’m seriously considering it especially for the last few weeks of summer. This was part of the GWP I got below:

Bottom line not really a full color collection, but it has some great options. I’m 100% in love with everything I purchased. When I was at the counter there was a makeover event going on – the highlighters were being applied on women of various ages, 30’s, 40s and 50’s (by my guess) and they looked pretty wearable and naturally glowy on all of them. If you don’t mind glitters the trio is really pretty. I’m almost tempted to get a backup. There’s a pretty beige neutral nail polish I was tempted by, but I swatched it on the counter and it was a bit too warm for my current skintone shade.

You can find the Bobbi Brown Peace, Love and Beach Collection at counters now. All the items are limited-edition. I bought mine at Nordstrom. Also available at Bobbi Brown, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Have you checked these out yet? What’s been your favorite summer beauty collection to date?

33 Comments

Nordstrom

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives Haul: simplehuman, Space.NK and Jo Malone

July 31, 2017

I have a roundup of three more beauty exclusives from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale today. There’s still approximately a week left for the sale, it ends August 6th.

One of the best value sets is the The Best Of Collection from the Nordstrom x Space.NK.apothecary line. The set is priced at $159 and for a $237.50 value and you get four full sized items and two travel sized items. Often times value sets have really small sizes which I don’t mind because it allows you to get a good sampling – this set has full sized items and really good travel sizes that will give you a really good sampling.

Inside the set you get a travel size Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray and Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment. For the full size items you get a Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara, By Terry Baume de Rose, Eve Lom Cleanser and Lipstick Queen Frog Prince Lipstick. This was my first time trying a green lipstick – it’s a color changing shade that adapts to your natural pH and on me it transforms into a deep pink within 5 minutes. On me it also left a stain so once it fades off the color still stays on like a pretty berry stain.

I picked up the Jo Malone Cologne Collection from the sale as I really like to keep travel sized mini perfumes with me on the go. The heat and warm weather have me wearing more perfume than ever – partly because I also use these on mosquito bites to stop the swelling. I’m super sensitive to bug bits and for the most part we’ve been able to avoid them except at dusk and night. There are two Jo Malone perfume sets, the one I picked includes Nectarine Blossom and Honey, French Lime Blossom, Orange Blossom, Nashi Blossom and Silk Blossom. I’ve shopped these sets for years and don’t remember ever seeing Nashi Blossom or Silk Blossom in the minis so this was a nice one for me. There’s also a Men’s Cologne set which is a little more expensive as it has some of the intense sets. If you’re shopping the sale – don’t forget to check the GWPs online. Had I known about it while browsing in store I would have picked up something else to take advantage of it. If you don’t think these are up your alley – I’d say wait for holiday which is just a few months away. Jo Malone always launches the cutest holiday sets and I can’t wait to see what they have this year.

Last but not least is the simplehuman round sensor mirror pro in Rose Gold. I already own the simplehuman Countertop Sensor Makeup Mirror and it’s probably the best beauty tool I own. I’ve had mine for years and you can read my review from 2014 here. It’s lasted since then and worked perfectly every time. I think it’s funny that with this mirror my male friends and family are the ones that were most impressed with this – funny as I think of it more as something women would use, but my husband uses this frequently and my brother was so impressed he bought one too. If you don’t own one the sale is a great time to save on it. If you want a comparison review of the two models I can do one in the near future, let me know in the comments. The Round Sensor Mirror Pro has the same size circumference but is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled with controls to change the lighting color, set timer on how long light stays on and also has a clock feature with an alarm. I’m not really the type to get ready every morning at the exact same time like clockwork to use the alarm feature – if you use it let me know! Also the pro version doesn’t have an adjustable base so you can’t make it taller like you can with the countertop version. I like both – the app feature is really neat as it also tells you how much battery life is left which comes is super convenient.

This version has a magnetized detail mirror and there’s a magnet on the back for you to store it when you’re not using it. Note – I just checked online and UPDATE Tuesday 8:23 AM it’s back in stock! You also might want to check your local store.

That wraps up my three more things from the Nordstrom Sale! In case you missed my previous posts:

Beauty Haul Part 1 here
Beauty Exclusives Neutral Lip Haul + swatches here
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Diffused Light Palette here
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Blush Glow reviewed here
Tom Ford Golden Rose Eye and Lip Set here
Sisley-Paris Color Twist Set here

What have you hauled from the Nordstrom sale? Let me know in the comments! I want to live vicariously through your hauls – beauty and everything else 🙂

Space NK Set gifted for review. Other two purchased by me.

20 Comments

Base Makeup Chanel

Chanel Les Beiges Collection Summer 2017

July 28, 2017

The Chanel Les Beiges Collection this year brings us a some new products including a new foundation formula, new brush, two new cheek colors, a natural eyeshadow palette and some repromotes. I have four items I’ve been testing this month thanks to the Chanel team and am happy to report the collection exceeded my expectations. There have been mixed reviews about this year’s launch, after testing this I do think it’s going to be a hit or miss for you depending on how natural or pigmented you like your makeup. For me it’s a hit. In today’s review:

Les Beiges Gel Touch Healthy Glow Tint in 30 and 40
Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette
Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Stick in 23 and 24

The Les Beiges Gel Touch Healthy Glow Tint is an interesting base. If you like BB creams or dewy sheer bases you will love this one. I had expected this to be a cushion – but it’s not really cushion like. It has a soft flexible mesh top where you press a sponge into to absorb product. There was some excess that had oozed out around the edges when I opened and I swatched with my fingers and barely saw any coverage. Quick tip is to use the sponge – it’s amazing what a difference there is in application when you apply it with the sponge. I’ve been a long-time fan of the original Les Beiges Healthy Glow Colour Powder in 20 as a setting powder but subsequent Les Beiges launches have often let me down – the newer bases and tints have been tricky to work with sometimes.

The Gel Tint compact is smaller around in size compared to other Les Beiges compacts, but it’s also taller.

Swatches of 30 and 40:

Comparison swatches to the Dior Dreamskin Cushion in 30 (which looks dark but actually matches once blended out), Saturday Skin All Aglow Sunscreen Perfection Cushion in 5 Honey and 6 Goldie, Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion in 25.

Coverage is sheer but still noticeable. There’s enough coverage to cover redness, even out skintone and see color on the skin. Shade-wise I wish there were more yellow-toned options. 30 looks a bit light and pink on my skin but it does adjust and darken on me – my skin is weird these days, some foundations darken quite a bit after they dry down. 40 is the right undertone but it matches when I have a tan. As mentioned in a few recent posts, if I’m out of the sun for even 2-3 days I lose my tan very quickly. Since there is sun everywhere in Florida it’s impossible to avoid the sun – so my skintone changes frequently. Long story short – I can wear either 30 or 40.

I think the Gel Touch Cushion is better suited for normal to dry skin, but even in the hot humid weather I’ve found it stayed put all day and didn’t slide off in the humidity. You do need to set with a powder – when testing this I set with the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Powder in 20 and it helped to tone down the glow but still keep the skin looking radiant and glowy.

Next up are the two Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Sticks in 23 (sheer warm pink) and 24 (sheer apricot). Both have a very natural sheen to them and I believe 23 and 24 are new shades. I tried these when they launched a few years ago and found the pigment lacking once you blended them out on the skin. The pigment in this years’ has improved significantly – but they are still very natural looking. They have a satiny almost velvet finish so they’re not like regular creams. I found they lasted and stayed put all day.

Last but not least is the Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette. Reviews on this have been all over the place in terms of reviewing the pigment. I found all the colors performed well with good pigment – they are all sheer to medium for a soft natural eye though. If you’re looking for high impact rich pigment this is not the palette for you. For me it’s a great fool-proof everyday kind of palette. If you have dry lids or us a matte primer the shadows most likely won’t show up as well as they are very soft – try using a more emollient base and the colors will show up better. I used the Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Rose Gold to prep my lids.

In the palette you have a sheer beige base, a soft cool brown, a soft warm brown, a satiny charcoal brown and a shimmering champagne. Everything is soft with a diffused look to them. For the person who wants natural definition to their eyes this is just perfect.

It has a similar vibe to the Dior Eye Reviver Palette which I found way too sheer and natural for me. It also reminded me a bit of the Urban Decay Naked2 Basics so I swatched them side by side.

A beauty look with just the Les Beiges Gel Touch Healthy Glow Tint in 30 on the left side. On the right look:

Face with the Gel Tint set with the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Powder in 20
Les Beiges Blush Stick in 23
Le Rouge Crayon de Chanel in Beige Rose (all shades reviewed here)
Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette all shades used
Diorshow Brow Styler in Universal Brown
Le Volume Mascara Waterproof in Black

Bottom line I like the collection a lot more than I expected. For me the winner is the Natural Eyeshadow Palette – it’s great for everyday when you just need a little color or a fool-proof conservative palette to add definition without looking like you have a lot of makeup on. I really like this year’s launch of the Blush Sticks – the pigment is a lot better than it was a few years ago but they still look natural. For a cream they stay put for a good amount of time but that being said they’re still creams so if you’re going to be outdoors in humid weather for an extended period of time they’re not going to be budge-proof. The Gel Touch Tint is going to be hit or miss for you depending on skin tone and skin type. I think if you like moisturizing dewy bases you’ll love this. I like it more than I expected and I found a few color matches although I would prefer it to have more of a yellow/olive undertone. I did just buy the Dior Forever Perfect Cushion in 21 and Forever Undercover Concealer in 30 and 31 and I’m testing some bases from Sisley-Paris so you may want to stay tuned for those reviews.

You can find the Chanel Les Beiges collection now online at Chanel.com and at all Chanel counters. P.S. The new brushes have launched as well along with some new nail and lip colors! I’ll be reviewing some of the brushes soon – I’m currently putting them to the test.

Have you tried anything from this year’s Les Beiges collection?

Press samples include the Chanel Les Beiges Gel Tint in 30, Les Beiges Blush Sticks in 23 and 24, Les Beiges Eyeshadow Palette and Le Rouge Crayon in Beige Rose. All other items purchased by me.

32 Comments

Loving Right Now

A Few Things I’m Loving Right Now

July 27, 2017

Happy Thursday! Quick roundup post today of some things I’ve been loving lately. Summer is in full swing here and the humidity levels here in Florida keep rising. I’ve experienced summer thunderstorms for the first time and so much here is completely new to me as I’ve lived in Southern California for most of my life. Even with the heat, we’ve been loving the sunshine and seeing real weather although lately we’ve stayed indoors to avoid sweating from the heat. At this point in my life fall fashion is something I cannot even start to think of and there are times I wonder if I will ever wear a leather jacket again while in Florida. Seven things I’ve been loving lately:

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger is the best for me these days with this warm weather. It works for under eyes and redness. The creamy texture melds well with my skin and blends easily with other foundations. For my under eye area it definitely works to give a brightening effect and I like that it doesn’t crease as long as I set it with a good powder. Swatches of Custard, Macadamia and Ginger here.
Sisley-Paris So Intense Mascara in Deep Black is just so amazing. I bought it from the Nordstrom Sale reviewed here. I love it for the thickening and deep black color it has. No smudging and it holds the curl. It has the tiniest comb I think I’ve ever seen but it allows me to get the lashes right at the base without touching the skin around the eye area.
Bobbi Brown No Smudge Mascara is another winner. I had a tube I bought from a set a while ago still sitting in the box. I was waiting for my other mascaras to hit the 3 month mark to toss them and try some new formulas. This one has no smudging. It lengthens, holds the curl, defines and doesn’t clump. Huge thumbs up.
Replica Beach Walk Dry Body Oil Spray is summer in a bottle! A little goes a long way and even with a lot of spritzing I’ve barely made a dent in this one. The spritzer dispenses the perfect amount of product and sprays it evenly. I use a couple sprays on each leg to cover them entirely. It smells like the perfect beachy vacation. Compared to the perfume this one is almost identical, the oil just has a slightly salty scent to it making it more beach like. It’s just perfect for warm weather.
Tatcha The Body Mist (Limited-Edition) is a new lightweight hydrating body spray. It smells like the Indigo line with a lightweight feel. I’ve used face mists before for moisture but haven’t really explored body mists unless they are oils. This one has a cooling feel and nice lightweight finish. The scent has a calming effect and I love the way it absorbs into the skin in a light way. I wish it weren’t limited-edition as I’d probably like to restock when this is finished, unfortunately by that time it will probably not be around anymore.
Sisley-Paris White Ginger Contouring Oil for Legs is one of the most luxurious and most expensive body products I own. I tried this in a sample packet from one of the subscription boxes, fell in love and ordered the full size. The sample packet lasted several days for both legs. I found it had enough uses for me to decide I needed it. At $190 per bottle this is insanely expensive but it feels amazing on the legs and has an energizing feel. Right after I ordered one, the Sisley team sent one in a press package so now I’m double stocked on this. I don’t know how this works in terms of the contouring effects – there are quite a few body creams and lotion on the market that claim to have this effect. I feel like you would have to use this for months to notice results. For me the finish, scent and feel is enough to justify the price. It’s the best silky feeling oil I’ve used on the legs ever. It is emollient but it does absorb into the skin after a few minutes. If you’re looking for an oil with a dry down, this may be too emollient for you.
Shu Uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil is something I’ve rediscovered. I’ve been experimenting with the Shu Uemura cleansing oils again and will do a roundup review of all of them in a couple weeks. Right now I’ve been loving the Balancing One as it’s designed for sensitive skin and for me it leaves the skin clean and soft and removes all traces of makeup. There is also a new one called nutri:nectar cleansing oil in emulsion which has a thicker almost gel-like texture so it won’t run into the eyes like most fluid oils. It’s very gentle and effective. A more detailed review to follow on both – but these days double cleansing and starting with a cleansing oil for me is a must. The Shu Uemura team is offering Beauty Look Book readers a promo of 5 deluxe samples and free shipping on orders $50+ with code BLBXSHU (samples include mini laque supreme rd01, mini maxi:hydrability essence-in cream, sakura-rose-petal-mask, ultime8 cleansing oil mini, nutri nectar sample) – promo is valid online at both Shu Uemura USA and Shu Uemura Canada.

Don’t forget there’s still a few more days to enter my Charlotte Tilbury giveaway. Coming up next are reviews on new launches from Chanel and Bobbi Brown. What are you loving right now? Any favorite body care products you rely on during the summer months?

Press samples include the Tatcha Body Mist, Shu Uemura Cleansing Oils and Sisley-Paris Ginger Contour Oil.

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