Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

Skincare

Aesop Skincare Favorites and New Discoveries

June 30, 2017

Aesop is one of those lines where you’ll try one thing, fall in love and feel like you want to switch everything in your body care routine to their brand. I’ve been a long time devoted fan of the Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser, Geranium Leaf Body Scrub and Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque and I’ve converted quite a few of my friends to these three. The line is unisex so it works for both men and women. I have a lot of girl friends who love their masks, and my husband and also brother use the body care line. If you’re new to the brand and don’t know where to start, they have some good travel sets that can work as a great introduction to the line. I’ve partnered with Spring, a relatively new online retailer, to share a closer look at my favorites and to also try some new items. They carry a wide variety of brands where you can shop multiple items from different stores and they’ll handle the shipping and fulfillment for you like a one-stop-shop. Occasionally they’ll have some pretty good promos and sales as well. The beauty selection is quite extensive – they have Aesop, Charlotte Tilbury, Fresh, SK-II, Tarte and much more.

First are my favorites from Aesop. The Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque ($45 for 2.4 oz/60 ml) is my all time favorite purifying mask. It comes in a squeeze tube and is an anti-oxidant clarifying mask for deep cleaning. For my sensitive skin this is the most gentle but effective mask I’ve tried to refresh the skin, draw out impurities and clean pores. You only need a very tiny layer to cover the face and let it dry for up to 15 minutes and then rinse. Skin is left feeling just the slightest bit firmer (not too tight or dry) and completely clean. Sometimes I’ll just use this as a spot mask on areas like my nose or where I feel like a pimple is surfacing. I usually find it dries within 10 minutes and then rinse off with warm water.

The best body scrub I’ve tried is the Geranium Leaf Body Scrub ($35 for 5.7 fl oz/170 ml) which has a blend of bamboo and pumice to stimulate the skin from scrubbing. It has just the right amount of grittiness to remove dead skin and give the body a good cleanse. The scent of this is really natural with a geranium citrus feel. When I use it I literally feel like it’s scrubbing off any stress or anxiety that I’ve had, and the worst days it helps reset my brain to a relaxed and calm state. For hot summer months it leaves the skin feeling refreshed and you feel like a brand new person. I use this 1x per week.

Aesop seriously has some of the best gift sets that I think would suit any type of person regardless of taste or style. I’ve never kept any of the ones I bought though as I’ve purchased them as gifts and they’ve always been well received. This round I decided to keep two for myself. One is The Constant Gatherer ($72) which has two body care staples, a full size Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser (16.9 fl oz/500ml) and Rind Concentrate Body Balm (4.1 oz/121ml). The body wash is a staple that I try to keep stocked at our home at all times. It’s a low lather shower gel that just smells like an earthy citrus like kind of spa. It leaves the skin feeling clean and soft without any film or residue.

This was my first time trying the Rind Concentrate Body Balm which has the most amazing citrus grapefruit like scent in a thick balm form. Given how thick it was I was pleasantly surprised to find it did dry down nicely and didn’t leave any greasy feel. I like it on the elbows and knees or at night. It leaves the skin feeling soft and well nourished.

The set comes in a large black felt-like zippered case. There’s a cardboard divider/separator inside to keep the tube in tact until you gift it which is nice. The full size body washes always come with a pump and this one is stored inside separately. The case is something I feel like anyone would get use out of for travel as well.

Next is the Boston Travel Essentials Set for Women and Men ($75 for 8 travel-sized minis). It comes in a black zippered case that’s a bit smaller in size compared to the Constant Gatherer version but just as still functional and perfect for travel.

I absolutely love this set and think it’s a pretty good deal for the price. Some items were new to me so I’ll add thoughts on what I liked and didn’t:

Classic Shampoo 50ml / 1.7 oz and Classic Conditioner 50ml / 1.7 oz – these are the only two items I’ve tried from Aesop that I wasn’t 100% in love with. They are both basic shampoos and conditioners. I’ve bought both before in the full sizes and used them up completely, but prefer something with a little more moisture. For me they are good just not great for my hair type. If you have normal to oily hair I do think these are worth trying out.
Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser 50ml / 1.7 oz – always love for this one!
Rind Concentrate Body Balm 50ml / 1.7 oz – notes on this above 🙂
Fabulous Face Cleanser 15 ml / 0.5 oz – I was particularly impressed with how clean my face felt after using this. It really took away all the excess grease and sweat from a hot day. I would definitely consider buying this in the full size.
B & Tea Balancing Toner 15 ml / 0.5 oz – Trying new toners always make me nervous because my skin is sensitive and balancing ones usually end up making my skin more oily. This one was perfect – it balanced the skin after cleansing to add a bit more moisture and freshen the skin. This is another one I will be buying in the full size.
Primrose Facial Hydrating Cream 15 ml / 0.5 oz – this cream comes in a tube in the set. It’s described as being for normal to dry skin and I was worried it would be too rich for me. With the Florida humidity but hard water my skin has become mixed. It gets oily with humidity and sweat, but the water dries it out, especially at night. I need something different for day vs night. This cream has the perfect amount of moisture without feeling thick – it’s just what I needed. Most creams that have more moisture are simply just too thick or emollient for my taste. This one has a nice dry down. I’m going to use the tube up entirely before splurging on the full size but first impressions are positive.
Mouthwash 50 ml / 1.7 oz – this is one of the most gentle mouthwashes I’ve tried. So many minty ones are really sharp and super minty. This one has a smooth taste and feel while still refreshing the mouth. It’s so different from anything I’ve tried – I’m a bit undecided on it although I do love that it’s gentle and doesn’t sting.

I really love the Boston Set and think it’s a great way to try a lot from the brand and also perfect for travel. If I could recommend just two things though, I would hands down still recommend the Geranium Body Scrub and Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque. I’ve lost count of how many tubes I’ve used up and repurchased and I love that my husband likes these too so we both get use out of them.

If you have any Aesop favorites let me know in the comments. Would love to hear if you’ve tried any of the other hair care products like the masks or any of the hand washes and if you think they’re worth the splurge. You can shop the post below – all items are from Spring.

Many thanks to Spring for partnering to sponsor this post.

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NARS

NARS Narsissist Loaded Eyeshadow Palette Review

June 29, 2017

By now the NARSissist Loaded Eyeshadow Palette ($59 for 12 x 0.04 oz/ 1.4 g, made in USA) is old news but with this one I say better late than never. It’s a limited-edition eyeshadow palette that launched in the spring back in March. My first thoughts were that the colors would be too warm and dark for my taste – but every single time I went to Sephora (which was quite often) I couldn’t help but give it another look. This went on for months and I finally decided to cave and buy it. Overall it’s one of the darkest and warmest palettes I own but the pigment and texture is by far the best one I’ve tried in a long time, definitely one of the best from NARS.

The palette has a mix of mattes and shimmers. The mattes are incredibly soft and smooth. To date the best matte palettes I own are the Urban Decay Naked Basics and Naked2 Basics (both swatched here). The mattes in this palette are just as good but with warmer colors. Colors have a really good mix of light, medium and dark. The entire second row has colors I thought would be too warm for me but since I’m tan right now I find they work perfectly, especially when layered with the other shades in the palette.

Pigment is excellent for all the colors, except one. Montaillou (bottom brown matte) is the only one that goes on chalky with a regular eyeshadow brush. For me this one is best applied with a detail brush as a smokey line.

It comes in a sturdy mirrored compact with a gold mirrored lid on top (looks just like the packaging). The only complaint I have is that these lids show all the fingerprints, but it’s not a deal breaker and the packaging is actually really quite nice.

Colors and swatches:

Newbury Street is a pale white gold shimmer
Windsor is a matte cream, it’s perfect to even out my lids
Privilege is a shimmering gold
Dover is a matte taupe
Foix is a matte warm beige
Castille is a matte warm brown
Alnwick is a shimmering auburn
Beaumaris is a shimmering cool brown
Splendor is a metallic silvery taupe
Versailles is a shimmering bronze
Montaillou is a matte bark brown
Reale is a deep shimmering black

Quick look with Windsor, Privilege, Castille, Versailles, Montaillou layered and blended. Foundation is MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC37. On the cheeks is NARS Orgasm Blush. On the lips is Bite Beauty Meringue Amuse Bouche with NARS Sweet Revenge Lip Gloss on top.

Bottom line love and I’m glad I bought it. It’s one of the best warm smokey palettes I’ve tried and one that will definitely be wearable year round. At $59 I feel it’s reasonably priced for a luxury palette. 100% worth the splurge and one I find every color one I would wear (even the warm ones!).

You can find the NARSissist Loaded Palette at most counters now. I bought mine at Sephora. Also available at NARS, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Have you tried this one yet? What’s your favorite warm smokey eyeshadow palette to date?

P.S. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is approaching and the catalog has been released! A sneak peek at some of the Beauty Exclusives on this page here. There will be a really cute NARS mini multiple set! Will be updating as I find out more information.

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Becca Highlighters

Becca Light Chaser Highlighters and Liquid Crystal Glow Glosses

June 27, 2017

Becca Cosmetics launched a collection of shimmery colors for eyes, lips and cheeks with their Light Chaser Highlighters ($34 each for 6.5 g/0.23 oz) and Liquid Crystal Glow Glosses ($22 for 5 g/0.17 oz). There are six shades total for each formula and each color has a shifting quality with a duo-chrome finish. The quality of the powders, blendability, pigment and colors are all very good. In terms of color, these seem to be among the most trendy that I’ve seen and although I’m a die hard fan of glowy highlighters I found most of these a bit too trendy for my personal taste. That being said these are designed to be versatile to wear alone or layer on top of other makeup to take your look to a new level of glow so whether or not these are up your alley will depend mainly on your preference for colors.

Light Chaser Highlighters are multi-dimensional kaleidoscopic powder highlighters that come in a smaller compact. These are highly reflective with a duo-chrome sheen. Some have a stronger duo-chrome sheen than others. For me these are definitely best when layered with other regular blushes or bronzers. You can also wear these on the eyes for a pretty sheen. The texture is very smooth and easy to blend. Out of all the shades, there were really only 2 that I feel comfortable wearing.

Pearl x Gold is a yellow shimmer with a gold flash
Rose Quartz x Seashell is a pale pink with iridescent sheen
Opal x Jade is a pearl base with a light greenish-teal flash of shimmer
Amethyst x Geode is a cool pink lavender that flashes a violet sheen
Topaz x Gilt is a bronze olive base with a green flash
Champagne Dream x Bellini is a soft peachy opal shimmer

I think it’s pretty predictable which two I could wear: Rose Quartz x Seashell and Champagne Dream x Bellini. I don’t wear yellow or olive well as I already have a lot of yellow and olive in my skin. So when I layer olive on top of olive, it tends to make me look sallow. I also can’t wear things that flash blue or cool-toned very easily, it often has a sharp contrast that I feel doesn’t meld well with my olive skin. All that being said the colors are beautiful in the pans and texture/quality of the powders are really good. If these flashed warmer colors I think I would be able to wear them more easily.

Liquid Crystal Glow Glosses come in colors that are coordinated with the Light Chaser Highlighters. They are extremely sparkly and glowy but have a smooth cushion-like finish. They are on the thick side but don’t feel sticky and are scented with a sweet coconut vanilla tropical scent that I’d normally associate with a body oil. The good thing is the scent fades after a few minutes and there’s no taste. The sparkles in these are intense. I love shimmer but these are very glitzy. If you layer them on top of a lipstick or pencil the shimmers aren’t quite as dramatic. They have a transparent base so your natural lip color will show through. Lasting power is average for a gloss. They stayed put for a few hours until I had a snack and coffee.

Colors shown left to right:

Pearl x Gold is a white pearl with pale gold flecks of shimmer
Rose Quartz x Seashell is a pale pink with cool-toned opal shimmer
Opal x Jade is a lavender mauve with teal shimmer
Amethyst is a lavender with violet aqua shimmer
Topaz x Gilt is a mauve with blue shimmer
Champagne Dream x Bellini is a peach with opal flecks

On the lips they photograph well but the lip swatches I photographed didn’t really resemble what they looked like in real life so for this post I’m only posting the arm swatches. With the reflective pearl and semi transparent base my natural lip color showed through and didn’t really capture what the colors looked like. In real life they are what you see in the tube: lots of sparkle, crystal and glitz. A couple beauty looks below will show you what I mean about the photographs – it looks just like a shiny gloss as my natural lip color shows through.

Foundation worn is MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC37. Left photo has Light Chaser Highlighter in Champagne Dream x Bellini on the cheeks and the same shade of gloss on the lips. You can’t really see the sparkle in photographs because they catch the light nicely and the transparent base makes my natural lip color show through. In real life it’s very glittery and glitzy.

On the right I’m wearing the Sunlit Bronzer in Bronzed Bondi (reviewed here) mixed with the Light Chaser Highlighter in Rose Quartz x Seashell and corresponding gloss on bare lips.

One last look:

Bottom line the products are exactly as described. I’d call these next level shimmers with their kaleidoscope finish and to me they’re very trendy. As a conservative makeup wearer I favor the Becca x Chrissy Teigen Palette by far. It’s one I reach for frequently this season. My two favorites are the Champagne Dream x Bellini and Rose Quartz x Seashell. Quality-wise the powders are excellent. Pigment is medium and easy to either sheer out or layer for more intense color. I’ve never been a fan of light duo-chrome colors as the shimmer tends to look harsh on my skin and since four of the six options fall into the yellow or blueish sheen category which don’t work for my skin tone, I find the colors aren’t ones I’d wear on a regular basis. To sum it up, these are pretty good, but the colors are just not my style. That being said, I may be in the minority – the reviews on Sephora are overwhelmingly positive.

You can find the Becca Light Chaser collection exclusively at Sephora, in stores and online and online at Becca Cosmetics. They are all limited-edition. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Many thanks to Becca for sending these for review.

22 Comments

Beauty Favorites Skincare

Summer Body Oils for Soft and Glowing Skin

June 26, 2017

Lately I’ve been obsessed with body oils for the lightweight dry down but moisturizing feel. My long-time favorites were from Nuxe, Caudalie and Moroccanoil. They’re lightly scented but not so heavy that they will interfere with my perfumes. Unfortunately Nuxe is no longer carried in the US and with the warm weather and beautiful beaches here I’ve been on the hunt for other options including wearable shimmers. There are a number of amazing body oils out there but the main requirement I have is that it comes with a pump or spritzer (of course I have made exceptions). To this day I don’t understand why companies make oils with open tops where liquid just pours out everywhere. It’s hard to control how much you apply, not to mention gets so messy. Product oozes down the sides of the jars and it really just seems so wasteful and inconvenient. Scent-wise I prefer ones that aren’t too floral, sweet or strong as they tend to interfere with the perfume of the day.

Up first are my favorites which are the clear options. As you’ll see below I’ve already made two exceptions for my packaging and scent requirements.

From left to right:

NARS Monoi Body Glow II ($59 for 2.5 fl oz/75 ml) is the best summer time oil because it smells like a vacation in a bottle. If this had a spritzer pump it would be perfect. It has Monoi de Tahiti oil with a tiare flower inside. It smells tropical and the scent lingers for quite a long time. The packaging is the only downside but it smells so good I’ve made an exception. It’s one I’ve used up quite a few times.
Moroccanoil Dry Body Oil ($48 for 3.4 fl oz/100 ml) is another favorite and it comes with a spritzer! This has the classic Moroccanoil scent with argan, olive and avocado oils. It’s a dry oil and has a nice dry down after a few minutes. This one has a very raw earthy vibe to it. I like that this one doesn’t have a greasy feel.
Ouai Rose Hair and Body Oil ($32 for 3 fl oz/98.8 ml) is the most fluid lightweight option I’ve tried. The full size is 3 fl oz, but it also comes in a mini 0.85 fl oz version in a set called The Morning After Kit. It has a very soft rose scent but it fades nicely after a few minutes. This one has a nice dry down and won’t interfere with perfume. It leaves the skin feeling very soft without any heavy feel.
Darphin The Revitalizing Oil ($ for 1.7 fl oz/50 ml) is one of the heavier body oils I’ve tried. It’s better suited for normal to dry skin or if you want a dewy finish on the skin. It has a very relaxing almost citrus scent to it, it’s not overpowering but definitely noticeable. I like this at night time if my skin feels dry, during the day in the humidity of Florida, this one can feel a bit heavy if I apply it all over. Also because it’s ultra nourishing it doesn’t really have a dry down which isn’t a bad thing – but if you need a lightweight one this may be too rich.

Next up are the shimmers. When it comes to tinted or shimmer options, I really prefer something that won’t stain white clothes so in this case I’ve tried to avoid any bronzer oils. For shimmer I also look for something that has a smooth non-gritty finish. These days I don’t mind extra sparkle but for the most part, I prefer a shimmer that is more subtle and barely there.

Shown above from left to right:

Tom Ford Soleil Blanc Shimmering Body Oil ($98 for 3.4 fl oz/100 ml) this is one I bought when it first launched a year ago and I hated it. Mine was gritty and the shimmer was something I could feel. I gave it another try at my local store this year and it seems the formula has been changed to a completely smooth texture-free finish. I adore the Soleil Blanc perfume so I don’t mind the scented body oil version. This is the most sparkly one I can wear on a daily basis and not feel like it’s too much. The sparkles are noticeable though so if you work in a very conservative environment you may want to stick to the perfume or try the regular body oil version. This one has a super hydrating feel and finish. It has a light moisturizing feel without being greasy but on me it doesn’t dry down 100%.
La Mer Glowing Body Oil ($100 for 3.4 fl oz) is one that is nearly impossible to find. It sold out almost instantly and by the time I decided to splurge it was gone. I found it online when it popped back in stock at Nordstrom. It’s since restocked a few places but sold out again. This is one of the most beautiful body oils with a pretty subtle gold shimmer suspended. It has a very lightweight La Mer scent to it which I adore because the hand cream and body cream are too strong for me. The shimmer finish is very very subtle though – if you need the sparkle, opt for the Tom Ford Soleil Blanc instead even though the scent will be different. The La Mer Oil leaves the skin looking very soft and glowy.
African Botanics Marula Shimmering Gold Oil ($105 for 100 ml) is the best smelling oil I’ve tried that isn’t a perfumed/fragranced one. It’s infused with Marula Oil, Baobab Oil, Moringa Oil, Meadowfoam Oil, Kalahari Melon Seed, Neroli Oil, Gardenia and Magnolia. This one is my husband’s favorite. I walked by him after testing this one and he smelled it instantly and said it smelled amazing. It has a rich finish so doesn’t dry down like a dry oil. The gold shimmer is very subtle and almost disappears on the skin to leave a very fine shimmer.
French Girl Organics is an organic beauty line and the Lumiere Bronzing Oil and Lumiere Moonlight Oil caught my eye. Both have a super fluid texture. These come with dropper applicators and contain sunglower oil, argan oil, coconut oil and meadowfoam oil. The shimmer settles to the bottom so you shake up the bottles to mix it. They both have a very natural scent to them – one of the most natural I’ve ever tried. The pigments and shimmer are so subtle I cannot see anything on the skin, but legs and arms have a luminous glow which I think are mainly from the oil rather than the shimmer. Moonlight is scented with jasmin and neroli but smells identical to the bronzing one. They’re very hydrating and soothing. These are a bit hard to find right now. I ordered them direct from their website as they were sold out everywhere else I looked. You can find the bronze one at Beautyhabit still.
Darphin Soleil Plaisir Sultry Bronzing Oil ($55 for 1.7 fl oz/50 ml) is another beautiful shimmering body oil. I believe this one is new for summer. I picked this up at Bluemercury and fell in love at first swatch. It’s one of the softest white floral oils I’ve tried which is just so pretty. It’s not too strong or powdery like some white florals can get. It has a very hydrating feel like the Revitalizing option but isn’t sticky or greasy. It leaves a smooth veil of moisture on the skin and keeps it hydrated for hours after application. The shimmer is very subtle with a golden copper color so if you’re medium to tan or deep it doesn’t look like traditional gold shimmers.
- For Bluemercury, with any $150 purchase and code TRAVEL you get a bag filled with minis

Swatches – note that these blend into the skin to disappear almost completely. The shimmers are very fine – on my medium tan skin, only the Tom Ford really stood out for the sparkles.

A few notes on formulas I tested in store but did not buy:

Bobbi Brown Beach is another amazing scented option. It smells just like a beachy scent would I found this option too strong for me as I really do like my perfumes. This one you could just wear on its own and smell great. It also does not have a spritzer which was a deal breaker for me.
Caudalie Divine Oil is still one I really like, I have a mini but just don’t reach for it as often as I used to.
Clarins has a number of great body oils all in the pour container. These had a more herbal scent to me. I tested all three at the counter and fell in love with the Contour Body Treatment Oil. If this had a different dispenser I would have bought it. However since I had already bought quite a few other formulas decided to pass.
Herbivore Botanicals Jasmine Body Oil was on my radar as I love the line – they have great body products. I was glad I tried this before jumping to splurge. If you love jasmine then you will love this. Since I prefer non-florals for oils I found this one too floral and passed.
L’Occitane Shea Fabulous Oil had all the things I wanted in an oil. It has great packaging and it smells great. I’ve tried this on numerous occasions though and it’s one that is just too heavy for my skin type. I suspect it would be amazing for me during the winter months or for those with dry skin. For me it was too rich and heavy feeling. If they come out with a lighter version I would definitely try it again.

In summary, thoughts and favorites:

My best body oil for summer for lightweight finish is the Ouai Rose Hair and Body Oil
Favorite shimmer options are the Tom Ford Soleil Blanc or Darphin Soleil Plaisir
Best smelling body oils are the NARS Monoi Body Glow, Tom Ford Soleil Blanc and African Botanics
Most hydrating and moisturizing oil is the Darphin Revitalizing Oil
Most natural smelling and naturally glowy oils are the ones from French Girl Organics
If I could only wear one for the rest of the summer, it would be Tom Ford Soleil Blanc

Many of these oils are multi-purpose so you can use a lot of these on the face and hair. I tend to keep things separate, so for the face I really prefer oils designed just for the face and same for the hair. Out of all the ones I tested I found each one left my skin feeling soft and well hydrated, some were just heavier than others in the dry down or finish. If you have any favorites or thoughts please leave them in the comments. I’d love to hear what your favorite body oils for summer are!

22 Comments

Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin Metalinudes Review and Swatches

June 23, 2017

Christian Louboutin launched new shades of shimmering Loubilaque Lip Lacquer ($85) and Nail Polish ($50) in their Metalinudes Collection. There are three new shades of each and they are absolutely stunning. As a huge fan of both formulas from Christian Louboutin Beaute the new shimmers do not disappoint. The colors are highly reflective with shimmery pigments. Glosses have a high shine and luxurious smooth and semi-thick feel without any grit from the shimmer. The nail polishes are highly metallic shades enriched with chrome-like pigments of aluminum and tan opal mica making them ultra shimmery but completely smooth without any visible brush strokes. I’ve been playing with these for weeks and love every single item. Two of the glosses were sent courtesy of the Louboutin team, the rest was purchased by me. I have swatches of all six items today.

The three Metalinudes Nail Polishes have stunning pigment with metallic sheen. Because of the shimmer they do go on my nails to show the metallic chrome more than the base color when they dry down. I find one coat sufficient but prefer two. Below we have Preciosa which is a metallic silver rose, Goldissima which is a shimmering gold with silver flecks, and Irisa which is a cool-toned silvery mauve. I don’t often wear silvers well because it clashes with my olive skintone but this one is really pretty. Out of the three my favorite is Goldissima.

Swatches with two coats each:

Three Metalinudes Loubilaque Lip Lacquers are just breathtakingly beautiful. They’re like the opposite of that matte liquid lip trend and as a lipgloss lover I could not be more happy with these. Preciosa is a pale shimmering pink, Goldissima is a shimmering warm peachy gold, Bronzissima is a shimmering bronze. Pigment is medium with a slight transparent finish so my natural lip color shows through. If you have less pigmented lips the color will show more true to tube on you. Texture is slightly thick but still smooth – if you’re familiar with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss formula, I would say texture and thickness is about the same. These have shimmers but absolutely no gritty feel. Lasting power is very good – it will transfer if you drink or snack, but if you leave the lips untouched they last for hours. There’s also no sliding around or slipping.

These come with the sponge tip applicator for easy application. The ribbon is removable.

Swatches:

Close up of the shimmers:

Swatches next to the other two neutral Loubilaques in Akenana and Altareva reviewed in this post here:

These are swatched on bare lips, foundation worn is the Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation and Concealer in Natural.

Bottom line gorgeous and well thought out colors and formulas. I give them all a 100% thumbs up although I do understand that this line with the packaging and price points is not for everyone. For me, I felt these were completely worth the splurge. I have yet to be disappointed with a nail polish or lip product that I’ve tried from the line. The quality and pigment to be very good. Still $85 for a gloss is indeed extreme, as is $50 for a nail polish. That being said it’s expected from a luxury line like Christian Louboutin. I get asked over and over again if I think the prices are worth it – I think prices of many things aren’t really worth it, but it won’t stop me from splurging.

All the Metalinudes items are limited-edition. You can find them now at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora and Christian Louboutin. Have you tried these yet? If yes what did you think?

Preciosa and Bronzissima Loubilaques gifted courtesy of the Christian Louboutin team. All others purchased by me.

14 Comments

Barneys New York GWP

Barneys New York Summer Beauty Bag Event

June 22, 2017

Barneys New York is having their summer beauty bag event this week until the 24th of June and I’m thrilled to share a sneak peek of the gift with you today. With any $150+ order online from their beauty department you will receive a gift bag filled with some of their summer beauty favorites. There are two color options of bags to pick from, either pink or blue. Inside mine I received:

Foreo Luna Play in Sunflower Yellow
Molton Brown Bath and Shower Gel Dewy Lily of the Valley and Star Anise 30 ml/1 fl oz
YSL Touche Eclat Glow Shot 3 ml/0.1 fl oz
Natura Bisse Neck Cream 5 ml/0.16 oz
Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask 10 ml/0.38 oz
Moroccanoil Treatment Light 10 ml/0.34 oz
Diptyque Do Son Eau de Toilette 2 ml/0.06 fl oz
Maison Margiela Replica Beach Walk Spray 1.2 ml/0.04 fl oz
Rene Furterer Paris Sublime Curl 15 ml/0.5 fl oz
Starskin 7-in-1 Miracle Skin Mask Pads (sample 1 time use)
La Mer Moisturizing Cream 3.5 ml/0.12 oz
3LAB Perfect Cream 8 g/0.29 oz
111SKIN Cryo Activating Hydra Gel 15 ml/0.5 oz
Rodin Olio Lusso Luxury Face Oil 2.5 ml/0.08 fl oz
Kevyn Aucoin The Eye Pencil in Basic Brown .69 g
Malin+Goetz Lip Moisturizer 0.3 fl oz/10 ml
Acqua di Parma Eau de Cologne 5 ml/0.16 fl oz
lilah b. Divine Duo Lip and Cheek in b. real, b. fearless and b.sassy sampler card
Allies of the Skin 1A All-Day Mask x2 (1.5 ml/0.05 fl oz each)
Woven cosmetic bag

There’s so much to to pick from at Barneys in the beauty department. It’s like beauty heaven. They have Byredo (and still have that gorgeous mint green hand cream duo in stock), By Terry, Tatcha, Peach and Lily and more. Quick update – the gift is available online only.

There’s no code needed. There will be a pop up option once you fill your cart with the minimum $150 amount. Available while supplies last until the 24th of June online at Barneys New York.

If you’re shopping the event let me know what you haul! I love hearing about your beauty splurges 🙂

Gift bag provided courtesy of Barneys New York.

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Lips Sephora

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip + Beauty Insider Birthday Minis

June 21, 2017

I’m a sucker for minis so when I saw the Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip Set ($28, limited-edition) it didn’t take me long to buy one. It sold out online but just restocked so if you haven’t seen it yet I hope these swatches will either help you decide to splurge or save $$$. I also got their Beauty Insider Birthday Gift and redeemed my points for a Tarte mini so I thought I’d round them all up in one post here.

The Sephora Favorites sets have a lot of great options to sample products in mini sizes. I have my eye on the Ultimate Travel Bag because it looks like it has a little bit of everything. I bought and reviewed their spring version back in January. The one for summer is just as fun. Quick note first – the current set still comes with the black stuffing, but I swapped it out for some white stuffing I had from a different set simply because it was easier to see the product.

How cute are the minis?! (On the nails is Essie Spin the Bottle)

Inside the Give Me Some Nude Lip Set you get 6 lip products, all are minis except for the Urban Decay lip which is full-sized:

Tarte Lingerie Lippie Matte Tint in Revealed is a mocha brown shade. I love the formula, pigment, texture and finish – I just found the color too dark for my personal preference. It’s a smooth finish chubby stick with a semi velvety finish. It says matte but it’s not flat looking and feels super lush on the lips. I will definitely try to check out other shades in this formula.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss in Kristen is one of my favorite opaque glosses, I already own it in the full size. It’s a neutral pinky brown color and perfect for any occasion. I love the rich opaque pigment and high shine. The color is just perfect.
Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored Hi Shine Lip Lacquer in Sugar Sugar is a light nude champagne color. For me this one is best when worn over another lipstick or liner. Alone it has a sharper contrast to my natural lip tone making it look like I have a dark rim around the lips when I wear this because my lip shows through. The glosses in line have a lush cushiony feel without the tacky sticky finish.
Too Faced Lip Injection Glossy in Spice Girl is probably the most painful lip product I’ve ever tried. Tingles scare me because I’ve tried a few in the past where my lips literally flare up from an allergic reaction. This one started to sting within 10 seconds in such a sharp burning manner. I couldn’t wear it long enough to test because it hurt so much. I had it on probably 5 minutes just swatching and photographing it. The color and finish is really pretty but I just couldn’t tolerate the tingle.
NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Bound is another one I own in the full size. I definitely should have read the labels on the box to see if I already owned most of these, but the minis got me. This one is a perfect soft mauve color. It has the word “velvet” in it but on me these still have a slight sheen to them.
Urban Decay Vice Waterproof Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick is a full size metallic rose color. I’ve tried this one before and it was a total fail for me. The color dried on the lips in a way that make them look dried out and shriveled. In the past when I tested this one it dried out my lips so bad they peeled for several days after. They do last a long time as in they don’t budge all day long so if you don’t have sensitive lips this formula might be worth a try. Based on my one experience with this color though I’m passing on all the rest.

Next are some Beauty Insider Perks. This year you have a couple options for the Beauty Insider Birthday Perk. You can pick between skincare from Caudalie and makeup from Tarte. I opted for the Tarte options but in reality I should have gone with the skincare as they would have been perfect to travel with. The Tarte set comes with the Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Paaarty (1.5 g/0.05 oz) and a Creamy Matte Lip Paint in Birthday Suit (1 ml/0.034 fl oz). Both are really pretty neutrals, the blush is a matte pink brown and the lip paint is a creamy nude pink that doesn’t wash me out. I also picked up a mini Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in Rose (1 ml/0.034 fl oz) as a 100 point perk. I actually already own this one in the full size but couldn’t resist the mini. It’s a warm rose peachy color on me. I’m not the biggest fan of matte lips or matte liquid lipsticks but the colors from Tarte are pretty good and I can add a bit of balm or gloss on top.

In summary I like Tarte Birthday Suit enough to consider buying the full size. It’s a good neutral nude color that works for my skin tone and doesn’t wash me out. For the Give Me Some Nude Lips set turns out I like the colors I already own the best (NARS Bound, Marc Jacobs Sugar Sugar and Anastasia Kristen). The others were nice to try and even though I didn’t like the colors or formula so much at $28 it was worth it for me to try. That being said $28 could still have gone towards a full size gloss or lipstick that I really wanted – but I never use the lip testers in store on my lips because of all the germs so sometimes it’s hard to guess what a color will look like. I’ll swatch lip products on my hand and then hold it up to my face to see if I can kinda tell what it will look like, but I’m one who cringes when I see others using store testers on their lips.

Bottom line not a total win, but not a total fail either. You can find the Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip set at Sephora. It’s limited-edition and they’ve launched a few variations over the past few seasons.

Have you picked up any Sephora Favorites sets lately? If so which sets did you try and what did you think?

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