Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

Effortless Beauty For Spring to Summer

May 23, 2017

I’m all about the natural makeup look and with the warm weather here I’ve been into items that are easy to apply and effortless to touch up on-the-go. I’ve teamed up with Nordstrom to share a few new makeup bag finds along with some previously launched staples that I’ve been loving lately. I’ve always been a sheer glossy lip or tinted balm kind of person and right now I have tons inside my bag. I featured some of my favorite neutrals last week. Today I’ve rounded up some items that will give a bit more color and life.

First, as a lover of flat pouches, I’ve found that Nordstrom just launched some great simple pouches from Delfonics. Sometimes I just want a no-nonsense basic streamlined pouch and these small PVC zipped pouches are exactly what I needed. Right now there are two sizes available online – I ordered a couple colors in both sizes because sometimes multiples are necessary depending on what you carry. The exterior is on the thin side so I’d try to keep these for smaller items or flat products but the larger one is quite roomy so you can fit a lot in the pouch. The Large Pouch measures 10 1/4”W x 7 1/4”H x 1/2”D and the Medium Pouch measures 7 1/2”W x 5 1/2”H x 1/2”D. (Sandals below by Joie.)

Warm weather beauty loves, makeup beauty details and swatches below. With hot weather I’ve been using more dry shampoo simply to refresh and touch up. The humidity levels are increasing here and so I’ve been experimenting with more. The Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo has been a long-time favorite. For touch ups I also really like the Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation. It sounds like it could be heavy based on the product name but it’s one of the most lightweight powders I’ve tried and I use to set my makeup and also for touchups. It looks natural and doesn’t cake up.

Bronzer has always been a must for me. I’ve reviewed quite a few luminous bronzers, like the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzers which double as a bronzer and highlighter in one. Some of you prefer a matte finish and the one I reach for the most is the Tom Ford Small Bronzing Powder in Terra. It’s sheer to medium and one of the lightest colors I own making it wearable and effortless. Another great option is the new NARS Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzer in Seaside. It’s the lightest option and looks peachy in the pan but wears beautifully on the face for a natural wash of color. Also I know some of you prefer the no-shimmer look, but the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Global Glow is one of the prettiest glowy bronze shades I own. I wear it on both the cheeks and eyes. Anytime I wear it on the face I always get asked, “what’s that pretty glowy highlight you have on your face?” and it’s usually this one.

These look dark because I swatched them with a heavy hand but I assure you they can sheer out on the face for a more natural look.

Lip products are my weakness. I always carry so many with me even though I really only need 1 or 2 products max at any given time. The Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfectors are the definition of effortless beauty when it comes to tinted balms. I have and love all the shades, Apricot Shimmer is a light sheer peach. You can just add a bit of liner like Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk for color and you’re all set. They’re really easy to touch up too.

Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in Melted Honey is a great sheer gold shimmer to add a nice soft glow. It’s sheer so if you need more color there are others to look into like Douceur or Amuse Bouche. They’re moisturizing and add a pretty shine to the lips. Louboutin launched new Meatlinudes Loubilaques and I’m OBSESSED. All the colors are amazing! Detailed review on the entire collection to come soon but the first one I’ve put on is Bronzissima which is the prettiest flawless bronze shimmer. 100% worth the splurge.

Clarins added new shades of their Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil and two of them transform in color to your lip pH to create a unique color. Tangerine is the best kind of juicy peach red for summer.

Tom Ford launched their Clutch Sized Tinted Balms early spring and I’ve been obsessed for months. There’s a light peach shade for the neutral lip lovers in L’Odissea but I adore the sheer brights like Fathom.

Last but not least the Tom Ford Cream Powder Eye Duos have been a staple since they first launched and Naked Bronze and Golden Peach have been favorites. They’re so easy to apply even if you’re on the go. I can apply these with the fingers and it’s pretty much goof-proof. This year they launched three new shades in Young Adonis, Sun Worship and Paradiso. I’ve already reviewed these new launches but re-swatched them side by side for reference. Paradiso is indeed different from Golden Peach but they are very similar so I don’t think you need both. I prefer the cream in Paradiso and the glitter in Golden Peach.

That wraps up some of my favorites for warm weather beauty! With the heat I’ve been experimenting with different bases and will have a roundup on those in the upcoming weeks. For now I hope you liked this post for ideas on effortless beauty. I included some non-neutrals but colors that are still easy to wear and natural looking. As always I’d love to hear your favorites. What are you loving these days as we transition from the spring to summer season? You can find all my picks at Nordstrom.

Shop the post:

Many thanks Nordstrom for partnering to sponsor this post. Press samples include lip items from Clarins and the Tom Ford Clutch Balm.

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Lips Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty Neutral Lipstick and Lipgloss Haul

May 22, 2017

I’ve been hauling some of the new lip shades from Marc Jacobs Beauty and have a roundup today of the neutrals that I’ve picked out over the past few months. New colors have been added to three of the formulas in the New Nudes Sheer Gel Lipstick, Le Marc Lip Creme and Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquer Lipgloss and I’ve been thrilled to find a lot of great nudes. I’ve reviewed each formula in depth before but I’ll recap the differences on each and describe the shades below.

Described from left to right:

New Nudes Sheer Gel Lipsticks ($30 each) come in magnetic beige tubes and are a gel formula. They’re described as being sheer nudes although in my experience the pigment isn’t really sheer but rather medium to full in coverage with a semi-thick texture. They do glide on nicely and hug the lips. Color-wise there is a wide range of nudes in the line. I like that there’s no detectable scent. Original review on older shades here.
- In the Mood is a light peach, I thought it would be too pale on my lips but it actually works well for a pretty light peachy lip.
- Screen Test is a Sephora.com exclusive, it’s a nude with slight pinkish tones.
- Dreamgirl is a medium beige nude neutral.
- Hey Stranger is a brown plum neutral.
Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquer Lipgloss ($28 each) are a high-shine glosses with a medium-sheer tint of color. All the colors previously reviewed and swatched here.
- Skin Deep is a neutral beige nude. This one has significantly more pigment than the other glosses. I quickly swatched a few of the new colors in store and a lot of them seem to have more pigment.
Le Marc Lip Creme is a full coverage cream lipstick. They have rich pigment and cover the lip entirely without looking flat but they still have a semi velvety finish. There’s no detectable scent. Texture is smooth but due to the creme texture they don’t glide quite like the gel formula. Original launch reviewed here.
- Sonic Truth is a light neutral pink.
- No Angel is a medium light beige tan.

Swatches with the flash:

Without the flash, below you can see the difference in texture/finish a bit better. The gels have more of a natural sheen while the lip cremes have a more velvety finish.

Lip swatches on bare lips, I’m wearing the Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation in Natural 5. Do note that nudes tend to pull differently on my lips and this was the case with this launch. Screen Test pulled more pink on me and so did Hey Stranger.

Comparison swatches to the other lipsticks in the Marc Jacobs range:

Moody Margot, Anais, Understudy and Eat Cake are the New Nudes Sheer Gel Lipstick formula
Role Play and Georgie Girl are the Le Marc Lip Creme Formula
Fawn Over Me is the Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme Formula

Overall some great additions to the Marc Jacobs Beauty lip range and well worth the splurge. I think the colors are all wearable and great for everyday. There is enough variety to suit different preferences for undertones in nude shades. I think every single shade is wearable for me with the exception of Sonic Truth which is a little pale for my tan right now but still wearable. Quick note – I didn’t pick up all the new colors so if you’re looking for darker/deeper options there are definitely more to choose from with the new launches.

You can find the Marc Jacobs Beauty lip products at Sephora, Neiman Marcus and Marc Jacobs Beauty (Screen Test is exclusive to Sephora.com).

Have you tried these colors yet? If not have you tried any others in the existing lineup?

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Florida Roundup Travel

Instagram Roundup / Life Lately

May 21, 2017

It’s been almost three months since we’ve moved to the East Coast and Florida is finally starting to feel like home. The time has flown by and we’re loving it here (fur babies included!). The weather has been incredibly warm and we just went through out first couple of thunder and rain storms. I’m doing an Instagram roundup with some snapshots from our time in Florida so far over the past few months. Some of you have asked for more info on items I’ve done a sneak preview on Instagram and also about some shoes I’ve featured.

I am still testing sunscreen. I know it’s taking me a long time but I’m working my way through over a dozen formulas. Recently I’ve been testing the Clarins Sunscreen Oil Spray with SPF30 which is a nice lightweight multi-purpose oil. It’s good for skin, hair and face and absorbs quickly into the skin leaving it soft, hydrated and non-sticky. I’ve also been testing the new Supergoop! Sunscreen Mousse with SPF50 and love it. It’s a unique long-wearing formula that offers moisturizing ingredients, has anti-oxidants and is water resistant. It has a very nice lightweight refreshing scent but it’s not overpowering. It does not contain synthetic fragrance or oxybenzone. Also shown above shorts from STS Blue, sandals by Havaianas, Clarins Lip Oils reviewed here, iPhone case Gray Malin, sunglasses Marc Jacobs.

I’ve found that Tampa has quite a few good beauty shops. It’s still not like San Diego or Los Angeles, but there are a couple of great Sephora stores, a Nordstrom, a Neiman Marcus and a Blue Mercury store as well. The Nordstrom beauty selection is great and I’m in love with the setup inside (peek at NARS below). We went to Orlando for a day a few months ago and stopped by Disney Springs. Inside they had the prettiest L’Occitane store with an amazing sink in the middle. This was my first time inside a Blue Mercury store and it’s just AMAZING. I was only able to go inside for a few moments to pick up sunscreen (yes more, lol). They have Darphin, La Mer, Molton Brown … basically more than a handful of my favorite brands.

The food here has been quite an experience. We’ve found some really amazing places thanks to Yelp but the reviews of course can be hit or miss. Much to our dismay we tried a couple Asian places that had high ratings but really were not good. People here are really friendly – extremely friendly! When people find out I’m from San Diego they always say the one thing I won’t find here is good Asian food like in California. There are other places to make up for it though and we love exploring. One of our favorite spots is Bartaco in Hyde Park Village. We’ve been back multiple times and love that the menu is set up a la carte so you can try a bunch of things. They have a secret menu item going on for the month so if you have a location near you definitely ask them!

Top left a closer look at Bartaco. Some other places we love include The Oxford Exchange especially for coffee and brunch (top right). They also carry Cire Trudon and Aesop in their gift shops which is a plus. The interior decor is to die for gorgeous! Bodega in Saint Petersburg has the most amazing juice bar (bottom left) and also incredible Cuban sandwiches. They’re so good my brother cried when he took his first bite when he came to visit us, lol. Life would not be complete without Sprinkles. We found one in Orlando and I was really excited to find one in Tampa as well. Their new Cookie Cupcake is the best one I’ve tried.

Two more places worth mentioning are Fresh Kitchen which is like a healthy non-Mexican version of Chipotle where you can create your own bowls. I love their juices even though they’re really pricey. Their tables inside are just the cutest! We also discovered this placed that has fresh gourmet popsicles called The Hyppo and I am obsessed. In three months even with all these food places I’ve somehow managed to lose weight. When I had my wisdom teeth removed in February I couldn’t eat anything solid for about a month. I lost around 10 pounds in a week and dropped two pant sizes. Since moving here I gained a little but lost it and then some. I’ve pretty much have maintained the same weight. We don’t eat fast food anymore and with the exception of cupcakes or ice pops, I attribute it to us cutting out a lot of sugar from our diet and the fact that we’ve started running again.

The beaches here are amazing! We took a drive to Anna Maria Florida which is about an hour south of Tampa and the water is just beautiful. We went swimming one day when my brother came to visit but we all got stung by jellyfish! Luckily it wasn’t too bad and although we did get a reaction it disappeared within 30 minutes or so. Becca Sunlit Bronzer on the right in Capri Coast. We still have Miami on our list but if you have any other beaches you recommend please let me know in the comments! We’ll put it on our weekend exploring list 🙂

My favorite beach is Clearwater Beach which has the softest white sand I’ve ever seen. It’s a bit of a drive from where we are and gets busy on the weekends but I love it.

I did an Instagram post in partnership with Kopari to try their Coconut Body Glow and Coconut Melt – both are really good. Their coconut melt really does melt into the skin and adds the perfect amount of rich hydration. With the swimming, sun and different water in Tampa my body skin has felt more on the dry side and the coconut oil has been a lifesaver. If you’re unsure about what to try from the line they have a cute Coconut Multitasking Kit which has four minis of their Body Glow, Melt, Sheer Oil and Balm for $38 which you might want to check out. On the toes below was Chanel Le Vernis in Gitane.

Sunsets in Clearwater Beach:

For some Instagram roundup snippets:

Top left: we stopped by Elevage at the Epicurean Hotel for brunch one weekend. The decor inside is so pretty! Shoes are Tory Burch Millers in a color from an older season, current white leather version here
Top right: The La Mer Glowing Body Oil is just amazing, if you find it buy it immediately. By the time I decided to get it the oil has sold out everywhere. It popped up online at Nordstrom and since then it keeps coming back in stock every now and then so keep checking. I hope it restocks everywhere because it has the prettiest soft shimmer and smells like a lightweight soft floral. Shoes are the rose gold Havainas, on the toes is Chanel Le Vernis in Coralium from their cruise collection.
Bottom right: I found some new sandals from Joie A La Place Nice in Black and am obsessed. The reviews say they run small but I found they were more true to size (I’m usually a 6 and 1/2). Still I bought these in a 7 just for a little more room in the front and they fit perfectly. Toes is the same color as the photo above Chanel Le Vernis in Coralium, Rouge Coco Gloss is Douceur (swatched here), body oil is from NARS.
Bottom left: Rag and Bone launched new perfumes, I just started testing Bergamot which is a light fresh kind of scent, Ouai launched their new Rose Hair and Body Oil, the mini is from a kit called The Morning After Kit which I found instore at Sephora (haven’t seen it online yet!). Lipstick is the Tatcha Cherry Blossom swatched here. Mirror is from Anthropologie.

Last but not least a look at one of this weekend’s OOTDs. With the warm weather I’ve finally felt that I can wear off the shoulder tops. I’ve been loving this one from Paige. You can dress it up or down. I’ve been loving the STS Blue Shorts I found at Nordstrom. My YSL Wallet on Chain has lasted for over two years now and even with regular use hasn’t shown any signs of wear. A number of perfumes have been in rotation and the Byredo Bal D’Afrique is still one of my favorites because it’s so unique. And because I loved the Joie A La Place Sandals so much I ordered a few other colors (found these on sale here!).

That wraps up my Instagram/Life Lately roundup! If you have any Tampa recommendations for food, shopping, where to find fresh flowers I’m all ears! Hope you have a wonderful rest of your weekend 🙂

Press samples featured from Clarins, Supergoop, Becca, Kopari, Rag and Bone and Tatcha.

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Becca Bronzer + Blush Highlighters

Becca x Chrissy Teigen Glow Face Palette Review + Swatches

May 19, 2017

Becca launched a new palette with Chrissy Teigen called the Becca x Chrissy Teigen Glow Face Palette ($46 for 15 g/0.53 oz) and it’s absolutely stunning. It has four colors for the face including two highlighters, a bronzer and a blush – I have loved them on both the face and eyes. For a palette I think the price point is fairly reasonable – it comes in a pretty girly rose gold compact with a glossy pink exterior.

A closer look at the palette and descriptions of the colors. All the shades have excellent pigment, smooth finish and blend beautifully on the skin. The color is easy to control for either a sheerer wash or pigmented color. All the shades look like they will be universally flattering. The shimmer is visible but not over the top.

Rose Gold Highlighter is peachy rose with gold shimmer
Hibiscus Bloom Blush is a soft warm pink with a hint of gold glow
Malibu Soleil Bronzer is a medium warm bronze
Beach Nectar is a pretty champagne peach

I did a quick look a few posts back with the Tatcha Cherry Blossom lips, I’ll repost here so you can see it:

A closer look, the shimmer is just so pretty!

If you think this palette looks similar to a lot of other highlighters or palettes you’re right. There are similarities so if you already own a lot of Becca products and don’t want duplicates you may want to shop your stash. That being said I do think this one is quite stunning.

Three sets of comparison swatches for you! Set 1 includes the Becca x Chrissy Teigen vs Becca x Jaclyn Hill (from last year):

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Set 2:

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne Pop (individual, review here)
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Rose Gold (individual) – the Rose Gold in the palette seems a tiny bit darker than the individual one you can buy separately
Tom Ford Reflects Gilt (review here)

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Set 3:

NARS Banc de Sable Highlighter Palette (also reviewed here)
Becca Sunlit Bronzer in Bronzed Bondi (review here)
Becca Luminous Blush in Snapdragon (review here)

Bottom line, dupeable but still gorgeous. I see a lot of similarities between last year’s Becca collaboration with Jaclyn Hill and also with individual colors from the line. You can definitely get a similar look with other products but the convenience of having these in a single palette will be very handy for upcoming spring to summer travels. I ordered mine and have no regrets even though I have a few other Becca items. The quality and pigment is on point – it really is very very good. Also I think the price point makes this a reasonable buy.

The colors are perfect to brighten the face with a lovely flush of color and glow without being overdone or too frosty. I love that the shimmers aren’t harsh and that there is no yellow gold in them (they tend to look super harsh on my olive skin). I highly recommend this.

You can find the Becca x Chrissy Teigen Glow Face Palette now online and in stores at Sephora, Ulta Beauty, QVC and Becca Cosmetics. Have you checked this one out? What did you think?

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MAC

MAC Fruity Juicy Collection Review and Swatches

May 18, 2017

MAC launches their Fruity Juicy Collection online today and it has some of the cutest packaging I’ve ever seen. The collection has summery vibes with a mix of bright shades with bronzers and I have a few pieces to review today. Items with descriptions:

Pearlmatte Face Powder in Oh My, Passion! is a pretty soft peachy powder when swirled that doubles as a highlighter and blush for me, if you get one thing from the collection I think this should be it – the sheen is just divine on the skin without being too frosty, colors are embossed in a gorgeous floral print (individual shades swatched below)
Bronzing Powder in Baiana Bronze is a neutral cool matte brown, I thought it would be too dark/cool for my skin but the texture and finish actually works really well, I love that it has a silky smooth finish and doesn’t darken or look muddy
Prep+Prime Fix+ in Coconut has the most fun fruity design on the bottle, it has a very subtle coconut scent to it and I love that it’s not overly sweet
Cremesheen Glass in Summer Succulence is a sheer light milky beige, it’s pretty much clear on me but adds a soft light colored sheen to the lips
Cremesheen Glass in Cha-Cha-Cha is a sheer melon pink, it’s sheer but really lovely
Amplified Creme Lipstick in Love At First Bite is a super bright hot pink, it’s super pigmented with a slight sheen, texture is ultra creamy and smooth

A closer look at the items and swatches, up first are the two cheek products Baiana Bronze and Oh My, Passion!:

I swatched the colors for Oh My, Passion separately and swirled. Together it gives the skin such a pretty soft peachy tint!

A look a the lip colors and a quick beauty look, shown left to right is Cha-Cha-Cha, Summer Succulence and Love at First Bite:

Swatched left to right is Summer Succulence, Cha-Cha-Cha and Love at First Bite:

Lip swatches on bare lips, beauty look has the Oh My Passion Pearlmatte Face Powder, Honeylust Eyeshadow, Love at First Bite applied and blotted down topped with Cha-Cha-Cha gloss.

Last but not least a look a the Prep+Prime Fix+ in Coconut, I’m in love with the packaging. It’s so fun and summery and the colors matched all the flowers we have in our backyard.

That rounds up the pieces I have from the collection. Everything is limited-edition. The items launch online today at MAC Cosmetics and Nordstrom. It should be available at other counters and MAC stores as well.

Most of the Fruity Juicy items featured provided as press samples. Oh My Passion purchased by me.

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Beauty Favorites Loving Right Now Roundup

Spring Neutrals and Staples

May 16, 2017

I’m obsessed with fresh pretty neutrals for spring and I have a roundup today of some old and new things in beauty. Over the past few months some new formulas in lips, eyes and cheeks have launched and of course I had to check out the nude options. I feel like we didn’t really see any trends for spring makeup but rather more mini launches and a lot of reformulations on products. I’ve teamed up with Nordstrom today to share a look at some things I’m loving right now along with some first impressions on new formulas.

First up my favorite category for lips. I’m a gloss girl at heart even with the liquid lip trend still going strong. I have dozens of neutrals and even though so many are similar I just can’t get enough. Glosses are more forgiving on dry lips compared to lipsticks or liquid lipsticks. A few I’ve been obsessed with, shown below left to right:

Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in Caresse 714
Burberry Kisses Lip Gloss in Nude Beige
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Lip Gloss in Rose Gold (a long time staple)
Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss in Buff

My most-used lip liner these days is MAC Lip Pencil in Boldly Bare – it’s the perfect go with everything kind of rosy tone. MAC repackaged their Lipglass and changed some of the colors. I’ll do a full review soon but for now the neutrals I have top to bottom are Love Nectar, Spice, Lust, Beaux and Oh Baby.

All of these have medium coverage that shows up on the lips with the exception of Bobbi Brown Buff which is on the sheerer side.

Swatches below (I added Chanel Caramel to the mix). If you’re looking for a less expensive option to the Chanel Caramel or Caresse, I’d say MAC Lust and Spice are pretty close in color. I do think the Chanel formula is superior, the MAC ones can settle in lip lines if you don’t have a base, liner or lipstick underneath. (My go-to lip base is the MAC Prep+Prime Lip.)

Next for eyes, I still think one of the best neutral shadow palettes is Urban Decay Naked2 but I’m always looking forward to new formulas and colors. Chanel launched two new formulas called Ombre Premiere Longwear Powder Eyeshadow and Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadow. I ordered three sight unseen and WOW they are truly long-wearing. In the powder I ordered Flesh which is a satiny soft champagne with a very soft finely milled sheen. It’s just gorgeous! For the creams I ordered Scintillance, a peachy champagne and Undertone, a neutral brown taupe. Both have the most beautiful shimmer I’ve ever seen.

The powder has a super soft texture and has rich pigment that is easy to blend. It wears well alone or over the cream. The creams have a stiffer texture than you’d normally think of in a cream but the color is easy to pick up and blend with the little brush or with fingers. These stayed put all day from morning to evening through a hot day (it ranged from 80’s to low 90’s). I have dry lids so I don’t recommend layering the creams over each other – they set quickly to a long-wear finish without any emollient texture. I do think any powder layered over them quickly will help intensify the powder color.

I also checked out the NARS counter recently and a Velvet Shadow Stick in Siros caught my eye. I don’t know if it’s new or an older color but it’s a soft copper bronze. For those who want a tiny bit of shimmer but not frost this is a great option.

After playing around with the new Chanel and NARS I thought they looked really similar to some Tom Ford and Burberry options I had. I had to pull them out to compare for you. There are similarities but the formulas and finishes are very different. I love the Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes but I know some of you find them a bit too emollient in which case I’d recommend you check out the Chanel Ombre Premiere because they stay put longer. The Burberry Eye Contour Shadow Stick in Pale Copper has more shimmer and is more pigmented compared to the NARS Velvet Shadow Stick in Siros.

For cheeks my go-to neutral blush is the Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic in First Love. It has the prettiest soft sheen and two colors to swirl together. I loved the formula so much I bought almost all the colors. It occurred to me that I never swatched them all so I’ve added them below. My next favorite is Ecstasy which is a pretty peach option.

Bobbi Brown launched these new Glow Sticks which are cream twist up sticks. I fell in love with Island at the counter because of the pretty soft gold sheen it has. They are emollient similar to the texture of the RMS Mix Master and Living Luminizer so if you can wear those you will like this formula/texture. If you’re super oily you may want to skip or try before you buy. On my skin Island has a barely there kind of glow. I’ve gotten tan so this one almost matches my skin tone. I wore it under blush the other day and it stayed put without getting oily. I haven’t tested it by itself yet but will keep doing so in the upcoming weeks.

Ouai launched a new Rose Hair and Body Oil and it comes in a pink tinted oil. I’m obsessed with this as a body oil. Compared to the original Hair Oil the Rose version has a less powdery scent and has a lighter more fluid texture. For the hair I feel the original Hair Oil is more versatile to use as a pre or post styling treatment. For the Rose version I tried it several different ways – the best results for me were to use it on the ends of either towel dried hair or blow dry hair that was about 70 to 80% dry. Sometimes I just want my roots to dry first so it doesn’t irritate my scalp but I want the rest of my hair to air dry. Leaving it on ends of damp hair left the hair looking soft and shiny. A little goes a very long way – it’s fluid and absorbs quickly so I thought I wasn’t getting enough the first few tries, I applied too much and it left my hair looking stringy. I only use 1 pump and evenly distribute. On the body it leaves the skin feeling lightly hydrated and soft. It’s a win for me.

Last but not least a few beauty staples that I love from Tom Ford Beauty. I’ve been playing around with different bases for the past few months but regardless of weather the Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation and Concealer wins. The name makes it seem like it might be too opaque or too heavy, but I assure you it’s not. It is full coverage but looks very natural, doesn’t cake, doesn’t oxidize and lasts all day. I love the finish and the colors in the Tom Ford line are always great for my olive/yellow skintone. My most-worn neutral polish is Sugar Dune which I highly recommend. It’s the best neutral nude pink with good smooth coverage. You do need 2 to 3 coats but the color is perfect and formula is excellent. With the hot humid weather more mascaras have started to smudge on me. The Waterproof Extreme Mascara is pure love. I need to buy another tube soon because this one is hitting the 3 month mark. It volumizes, holds the curl, doesn’t smudge and lengthens. Last but not least I think the best nude lipstick from Tom Ford is the Lips and Boys Lipstick in Bradley. I’ve featured it so many times on the blog – it’s the perfect peachy beige neutral and doesn’t wash me out. I lost mine and after looking for it for a week decided it was lost for good and bought another one.

Quick beauty look with:

Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation and Concealer in Natural
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation in #4 to set
Bobbi Brown Glow Stick in Island on cheeks
Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic in First Love mixed
Chanel Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Shadows in Scintillance and Undertone layered
MAC Lip Pencil in Boldy Bare topped with MAC Lipglass in Lust
Off shoulder top by Paige

That rounds up my latest testing of spring neutrals and new beauty launches from Nordstrom. I hope you enjoyed and if you’re on the hunt for a good neutral nude lip gloss I hope the side by side swatches help! Also be sure to check out their Gift With Purchase page. There are a lot of great GWPs going on 🙂

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Many thanks to Nordstrom for partnering to sponsor this post. Press samples include the Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation and Ouai Hair Oil (original). All others purchased by me.

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Lips Tatcha

Tatcha Cherry Blossom Lip Contour Trio

May 15, 2017

Earlier last month Tatcha launched new lip products in their Twilight Cherry Blossom Lip Contour Trio ($85) and it sold out almost immediately. If you missed out I have exciting news to share from Tatcha that the set and the individual items will be restocked today at 1:00 PM PST. The Cherry Blossom collection is exclusive online to Tatcha.com and per the team it’s going to be available only on their site. If you like natural fresh looking beauty I highly recommend you check the entire collection out. Tatcha calls this “a fresh take on nude lips” with a “universally flattering pink blush.” An FYI for this restock – the trio won’t have the purple makeup pouch as they wanted to bring the collection back as soon as they could.

A look at the collection which includes:

TWILIGHT: A Cherry Blossom Contouring Lip Liner is my favorite piece of the collection, it’s an ultra creamy, full pigment perfect pink beige that glides on the lips
TWILIGHT: A Cherry Blossom Silk Lipstick is a stunning soft petal pink, it has a glossy sheer to medium finish, it has a different formula that is lighter, sheerer and more glossy compared to their Plum Blossom and Kyoto Red
CHERRY BLOSSOM Camellia Lip Balm is a sheer soft tinted pink balm, on my lips it’s pretty much clear with a smooth hydrating feel

Swatches:

Lip swatches, foundation worn is Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation and Concealer in Natural (out of all the bases I’ve tried I still think this is the best foundation I have). Setting powder used is the Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation in #4. I also re-swatched the now discontinued limited-edition Sunrise Plum Blossom to compare for you!

The Cherry Blossom Lip Balm is clear with a very soft sheen on my lips. The Lip Pencil pulls warmer and slightly beige on my skintone. The Lipstick is a neutral pink. Plum Blossom is a lot deeper, more pink and brighter.

All three lip items applied. I applied the balm first to prep the lips, then followed with the lipliner to line and fill and then topped with the lipstick. On the eyes and cheeks I’m wearing the Becca x Chrissy Teigan Glow Face Palette (which is pure love!). Dress is an older style from Rag and Bone, similar here, here and here. When I layer all three lip products in the Cherry Blossom Lip Trio I get a soft petal pink with a beige and slightly peachy sheen. Also I am in desperate need of a hair cut – in San Diego I used the same two stylists for nearly 10 years. I’m debating whether or not to wait until I go back to visit, although I suspect I’ll have to try someone new. If you have any Tampa hair salon recommendations let me know.

And because I know you girls love comparisons, I pulled a handful of neutrals to compare. I did find a couple shades that look similar but the gorgeous presentation, packaging and formulas from Tatcha just simply cannot be matched. First a look at Cherry Blossom vs Plum Blossom (previously reviewed here), I have an untouched backup because that shade was also limited-edition:

Lipstick comparison swatches to:

Tom Ford Moisturecore Lip Color in Mustique (review here)
MAC Cremesheen Pearl Lipstick in Peach Blossom
MAC Lustre Lipstick in Patisserie
MAC Liptensity Lipstick in Medium Rare (review here)
Charlotte Tilbury KISSING Lipstick in Bitch Perfect (on the lips here)
Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips in Liv It Up (on lips here)
Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Douglas (review here)
Tom Ford Lip Color in Spanish Pink
Tom Ford Lip Color in Pink Dusk

Lipliner swatches:

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Peyote
Edward Bess Defining Lip Liner in Barely (c/o)
Bite Beauty The Lip Pencil in 010 and 020
MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in Staunchly Stylish
MAC Lip Pencil in Boldly Bare and Dervish
Hourglass Panoramic Long Wear Lip Liner in Eden
MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in In Control
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk (review here)
MAC Lip Pencil in Soar

Last month I saw Cherry Blossoms for the first time in NYC and the packaging of this collection matches the petal color perfectly!

I love all three – how can one resist the pretty pink tints and packaging? For the liner and lipstick there is no detectable scent. There is a very subtle scent in the lip balm but it’s barely detectable. If I had to pick one favorite it would be the lip pencil, although the other two are also very special. I’m dying for the pink lipstick packaging. Tatcha Lipsticks are made with the most exquisite details and have a gorgeous heavyweight feel. I know many women who hate paying a lot for lipstick but still think their Tatcha splurges were well worth every penny spent (myself included).

The Cherry Blossom Lip Contour Trio retails for $85. Individual items are expected to be listed online exclusively at Tatcha this afternoon. The collection is scheduled to restock today 5/15 at 1:00 PM PST. Have you tried these yet? If you were able to get them the first round what did you think?

Many thanks to Tatcha for sending the Cherry Blossom set for review.

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