Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

Chanel

Chanel Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur Jumbo Longwear Lip Crayons

January 13, 2017

This spring beauty season seems to the season for the lips. There are a quite a few new formulas launching in lipstick, balms, crayons and liquid lipsticks and as the ultimate lip junkie I can’t help but feel super excited. Today I have a review of the Chanel Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur Jumbo Longwear Lip Crayons ($37 each) to share and thanks to the Chanel team I have all eleven shades swatched for you. Right now they are exclusive to Chanel.com but should be launching at counters and stores soon.

The Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur is a twist up lipstick in chubby stick form with a satiny smooth finish. They have a glossy shine much like the Rouge Coco Shines and Rouge Coco Stylos, but with a creamier texture. Most of the colors offer medium-full coverage with a few swipes. They glide on easily and have a nourishing feel. If you remember many years ago Chanel had a lovely lipliner called Le Crayon Gloss. They came in a traditional skinny lip pencil format but had this amazing glossy formula. The new Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur reminds me a little of those in the sense that these pencils have a lovely natural shine. I love sheer glossy lipsticks but often wish most had a bit more pigment with the same texture. I almost feel like these Jumbo Longwear Lip Crayons were made for me because it’s almost everything I could want in a lipstick. There’s no detectable scent. In terms of lasting power they stay put a long time and don’t slide off or fade quickly. However due to the glossy emollient nature of these you will see color transfer to cups if you drink anything.

The colors are just perfect:

First a look at other Chanel lip products for scale: Rouge Allure, Rouge Coco Stylo (all shades swatched here) and Rouge Coco Shine in Boy:

The 11 colors shown below with descriptions:

Nude No. 1 is a nude beige with medium coverage
Rose Violine No. 2 is a perfect soft beige rose cream with full coverage
Rose Clair No. 3 is a shimmery cool light rose pink with medium-full coverage
Rouge Corail No. 4 is a orangey red with full coverage
Rouge No. 5 is a classic red with full coverage
Framboise No. 6 is a strawberry pink red with full coverage
Fuschia No. 7 is a hot cool pink with full coverage
Cassis No. 8 is a deep plum, due to the contrast with my lip tone I found this one a bit patchy
Beige Rose No. 9 is a light beige pink with medium coverage
Tangerine No. 11 is a hot orange with full coverage
Carmin No. 12 is a deep red

Another photo for scale, they are on the short side compared to the regular Chanel lip liners. On the nails is Chanel Camelia Le Vernis.

Individual lip swatches on bare lips, for skintone reference I’m wearing Anastasia Beverly Hills Foundation Stick in Warm Natural.

Swatches all side by side:

Bottom line: right up my alley. I do think they are on the pricey side given the small size. At this time I don’t have the exact product weight as the pencils arrived as press samples without boxes. That being said I love all the colors. Cassis is the only one that I had issues with – it can be fixed with a lip liner as a base to help smooth out the color. It applies well but on me went on slightly patchy – not a deal breaker as it wears beautifully. By comparison the other colors apply flawlessly. Nude and Beige Rose are the sheerest out of the bunch but still offer full coverage with a bit more swiping back and forth. As I just received them and did swatches as quickly as I could I can’t report on whether or not they offer long lasting moisture. However they do have a nice emollient feel and my lips have experienced no peeling or drying even with all the swatching and wiping. If you like a glossy lip with pigment I think you’ll really like these. They are pricey but the formula is excellent and I’m in love with every single color.

You can find the Chanel Le Rouge Crayon de Couleurs online now at Chanel.com. Right now Tangerine and Carmin are listed as limited-edition colors.

Jumbo Crayons provided courtesy of Chanel for review. Camelia Le Vernis featured was also a press sample from last year. All other items featured from my own collection.

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Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Quick ‘N’ Easy 5 Minute Makeup Sets

January 11, 2017

Charlotte Tilbury launched four beauty sets called the Quick N Easy 5 Minute Makeup Looks ($75 each). These are designed to be multi-tasking sets for the woman on-the-go who wants to enhance her natural beauty with a few simple products. I think these are great options for those who are new to the line and want a nice introduction to her brand. Charlotte Tilbury products are quite luxurious and on the pricey side so it can be a bit overwhelming to decide where to start. Before her line launched in the US I placed an order sight unseen from her UK site and it took me hours of research to pick a handful of items. I’ve been really impressed with almost everything I have tried from her brand with color, foundation and skincare (one of the only items I don’t love is her mascara because it smudges on me). I will say that if you already own a lot from her line you may want to take a close look at the content listings before splurging as these sets contain existing permanent items. Otherwise these are great!

There are four options to choose from. Breaking down the price points of the individual items in the set show that most of them give you a bit of a price break rather than buying the products separately. In addition most of them contain 1-2 miniatures which are great to try out without having to splurge on the full size. On the claim that these are “5 minute sets” I will say that on their own they are. I tested each one and was able to get a complete look with each set in 5 minutes. However the pre-work for me with skincare and base usually takes me around 5 minutes, so total get ready time for my face with these sets is 10 minutes or less. But just with the sets alone yes you can definitely get a complete look in 5 minutes or less as there are a few select products that are easy to apply on the go or when you’re in a rush.

Up first is the Daytime Chic Look which contains a mini Wonderglow (review here), Mini Legendary Lashes Mascara (review here), Classic Eyeliner in Audrey, and the Beach Stick in Formentera (reviewed here). This gave the most natural look for me. Formentera is a very dewy neutral rose brown color you can wear on the cheeks or lips. It’s emollient but not overly greasy. Finish is sheer but buildable to a sheer-to-medium finish. If you need color this may be too sheer for you.

Wonderglow is swatched heavily in all the swatches but when you apply it on the face it disappears into a very smooth sheer subtle glow. I like mixing it in with my foundation to add a bit of soft luminosity. I absolutely love that it has a yellow tint to make the skin look youthful and radiant versus the pink tints you see in most liquid luminizers.

Next is the Natural Glowing Look which contains a mini Wonderglow, mini Legendary Lashes Mascara, Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria (reviewed here and here), Beach Stick in Moon Beach (review here).

The Smokey Eye Evening Look has one of my favorite nude pink lipsticks Penelope Pink (also reviewed here and here). Other items in the set are a mini mascara, the Color Chameleon in Black Diamonds, Rock N Kohl Eye Liner in Bedroom Black.

Last but not least is the Red Carpet Party Look. It’s simple but sometimes all you need to dress up a look for a party or hot date is a good red lipstick and a tiny bit of liner. This one has a mini Wonderglow, Rock N Kohl Liner in Barbarella Brown, Lip Cheat Lipliner in Kiss N Tell, Matte Revolution in Red Carpet Red.

Being the Charlotte Tilbury fan that I am I already own virtually everything in the sets. I don’t need duplicates so I swatched what I had from my own stash and I’m giving away the 4 sets to one lucky reader! Giveaway is open to US and Canada only, entry details below at the bottom of the post. Here are all four sets on me. Foundation worn is the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation in 5 and 6 mixed together. Knit sweater pullover by Soft Joie.

One last look:

I think these are beautiful starter sets that make for a nice entry to the Charlotte Tilbury beauty line. Each set comes with a zipped pouch which is super cute. For me they aren’t must-haves since I already own virtually everything in these sets so I’m happy to give them away to 1 lucky winner. All you have to do is enter via the widget below. Note it’s open to US and Canada only and you must be 18 years or older to qualify. One winner will be selected at random via the widget on 1/19 and contacted by e-mail from me to receive 1 of each set featured in this post (so 4 sets total). Please refer to the terms and conditions in the widget for all the details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can find the Charlotte Tilbury Quick N Easy sets online at Charlotte Tilbury as well as at all other Charlotte Tilbury retailers and counters. I do believe the sets are limited-edition but each item (except for the bags) are available to purchase individually in the permanent lineup.

Many thanks to the Charlotte Tilbury team for sending these sets for review consideration.

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Lips

Burberry Beauty Liquid Lip Velvet Review

January 10, 2017

This month Burberry launches a new lip formula called the Liquid Lip Velvet ($34 each for 6 ml). There are 14 shades total with full opaque creamy coverage in bold matte colors. They have a lightweight whipped texture that covers the lip flawlessly and beautifully. The formula is just exquisite especially given the fact that these are full coverage and very matte in finish. I ordered five shades sight unseen based on online stock swatches. In the past I’ve been smitten with a number of the neutrals and nudes from Burberry as they are typically well executed and extremely flattering. (Review of the Kisses formula here.) I had high hopes for these as they looked perfect in the tubes! However out of the five shades I ordered I felt a bit let down after testing these – the colors just don’t work for my skintone.

The Liquid Lip Velvet formula is excellent – it’s unscented, smooth, offers perfect flawless coverage. For a matte liquid lip product it’s everything that I could dream of. However I found the shades I picked lacking. There was something missing in each of the colors I tested. They looked either too light, too dusty, a bit faded, or just simply did not have the right undertone for my olive skin. Being that they are matte I do think you need a smooth lip surface otherwise flakes or dry patches will be emphasized. They are also not transfer resistant. The light airy whipped texture makes these super comfortable to wear, but once on the lips they don’t set or stick like the ones from Anastasia Beverly Hills or Kat Von D. As long as you don’t touch your lips though they last remarkably well and don’t slide or bleed.

Close up of the sponge tip applicators:

Swatches, without flash:

Light Nude is a pale light beige cream
Fawn Rose is a dusty light cool neutral rose pink
Primrose is a bright blue-based pink
Dark Rosewood is a brownish rose
Fawn is a brown nude tan

With flash:

Lip swatches, below I’m wearing the Tom Ford Waterproof Foundations in Bisque and Sable mixed. Light nude is too pale for my complexion but I like that it has smooth streak-free coverage. Fawn Rose looks ok in the lip swatch but when seen on the entire face it washes me out. Primrose is such a gorgeous pink but has too much blue for my olive skin. Dark Rosewood looks a bit dark when seen against my whole face. Fawn is the one shade I think I can wear easily.

Comparison swatches of the nude shade:

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Noble
Burberry Liquid Lip Velvet in Light Nude
Le Metier de Beaute Lip Creme in Riche
NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Stripped and Unlaced (review here)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Stripped and Pure Hollywood
By Terry Velvet Rouge #1
Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Bow N Arrow
Marc Jacobs Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme in Fawn Over Me (review here)
Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in Bestie (review here)

Comparisons of the pinks and rose shades:

Stila All Day Liquid Lipstick in Baci and Fresco
Burberry Liquid Lip Velvet in Fawn Rose
Bare Minerals Gen Nude Matte Lip Color in Slay
NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Bound (review here)
Marc Jacobs Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme in Slow Burn (review here)
Burberry Liquid Lip Velvet in Dark Rosewood and Fawn
Marc Jacobs Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme in Hot Cocoa (review here)
Cle de Peau Radiant Rouge #12 (review here)
Tarteist Quick Dry Lip Paint in Rose

Bottom line I have a love hate with these. The formula is really quite good and I love how comfortable they feel on the lips. As much as I love the long lasting power of traditional liquid lipsticks, sometimes the way they dry down just doesn’t feel all that great. The Burberry Liquid Lip Velvets feel like cashmere on the lips. I’m really bummed the colors didn’t work as I had hoped for me. I think my coloring for my skintone right now makes it where the ones I picked are unflattering, flat and dusty-looking on my skin. Based on the online stock photos I suspect I would have found the darker shades like Oxblood or Bright Plum more flattering on my olive yellow skin. I do think I can pull off the shades Fawn Rose and Dark Rosewood with a bit of tweaking if I add a soft rose or pink lipliner. On one occasion I mixed Fawn Rose with MAC Dervish and it helped warm up and deepen the color a bit.

If I were to do this one over, I would have passed on all of the colors. I do regret buying these. That being said I am more of a gloss and regular lipstick person.

You can find the Burberry Liquid Lip Velvet online now at Sephora and Nordstrom. They retail for $34 each. I have one more liquid lipstick review to do before I do a roundup and comparison of liquid lipsticks I’ve tested. Do you have a favorite formula? If you tried these let me know what you thought!

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Fragrance

Louis Vuitton Les Parfums Miniature Set Review

January 9, 2017

Last fall Louis Vuitton launched perfume consisting of 7 scents in their Les Parfums line. I happened to be browsing the beauty department at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills the day they launched in stores and was able to test all seven in person. The rep who helped me was absolutely charming and friendly. I loved that he was patient and took the time to explain each scent carefully and I was especially appreciative of the fact that there was no pressure to make a purchase even though he took a considerable amount of time assisting me with exploring the new launch. There was a specific order in which he sampled and spritzed them on the cards. He explained that there was a “fragrance journey” and each scent had special meaning. We started with the lightest scent Rose des Vents and ended with a sampling of Mille Feux. After getting a little background on each one, the rep then asked me to pick my top two to spray one on each arm. I fell in love with three of them and since the individual bottles are quite expensive I decided to purchase the Miniature Set ($290 for 7 scents, 10 ml each) so I could try and enjoy each one.

Mirrored Tray from West Elm

The scents are each unique and distinct with a luxurious, refined and sophisticated and classic feel. Anytime I wear one I can’t help but feel like a more put together version of myself – the scents lift the mood and add a touch of luxury without being too strong of feeling overdone. I think the packaging and presentation is absolutely exquisite! The miniatures in the set come boxed in a beautiful white and gold round box, each bottle comes with a removable stopper. The minis do not have spritzers and I wish they did as it makes application so much easier. The bottles however are well designed with a sturdy cap to keep the lids tightly sealed but are still easy to remove with a bit of maneuvering.

A quick look at the miniature size compared to some other items for scale including the Replica Filter in Glow (50 ml), Chanel No 5 L’Eau (50 ml), Jo Malone Mini (9 ml), Chanel Le Vernis and Tom Ford Lipstick. At the time I bought the set the store did not yet have a tester of the miniatures so I did not know they didn’t come with spritzers. The store reps hadn’t seen it in person yet either as the box it comes in (which is a white box shown in the very top photo) is sealed with a clear plastic wrap. After purchasing it, I opened it in the store so we could all see the size and how the minis were bottled (without spritzers).

A quick look at each of the seven Louis Vuitton Perfumes below with a listing of notes and personal thoughts:

Apogee has a light spring time vibe with lily of the valley, jasmine and rose. This was in my top three picks with a light fresh and slightly green everyday kind of feel. Notes include Lily-of-the-valley, jasmine from Grasse, magnolia from China, gaiac wood, sandalwood essence. I cannot detect any wood or sandalwood notes with my nose, but having smelled other lily-of-the-valley scents it makes sense that they are there since this one has a less powdery or floral feel that most lily-of-the-valley fragrances have.

Rose des Vents is a petal rose with a mix of several different rose notes. It’s a sweet and light kind of scent like a sweet garden. There is a very soft and slightly fruity feel to it making it different from most rose scents. Notes include centifolia rose absolute, Turkish rose essence, Bulgarian rose essence, Florentine iris, Virginia cedar. This is very light and feminine.

Contre Moi has a vanilla-ish vibe but not the traditional sweet kind of vanilla scent. The orange blossom notes and magnolia give it an interesting twist. It has a unisex vibe Notes include infusion and essence of vanilla from Madagascar, Tahitensis vanilla, orange blossom, rose centifolia from Grasse, essence of magnolia, ambrette seeds.

Turbulences is one of the ones I did not care for as it smells almost dated with an aged dusty kind of feel. It smells of tuberose with leathery notes. include tuberose, jasmin grandiflorum from Grasse, absolute of jasmine sambac from China, may rose.

Mille Feux notes include leather infusion, raspberry, osmanthus from China, iris from concrete, saffron. This is in my top three – it has a sweet kind of feel without being overly sweet or fruity.

Dans La Peau is a scent described as skin-like. This was also in my top three. It is a difficult one for me to describe but it smells very clean with a mix of floral notes, leather and a slight hint of apricot. It has a raw and earthy feel in the sense it is very natural. Notes include infusion of natural leather, Jasmine from Grasse, absolute of narcissus, musk, Magnolia from China.

Matiere Noire is a darker evening type of scent with blackcurrant and white narcissus. It has a deeper more complex feel compared to other blackcurrant scents like L’Artisan Mure et Musc or Diptyque L’Ombre Dans L’eau. With Matiere Noire I smell blackcurrant, musk and patchouli the most. Notes include Laos agarwod, Sambac jasmine, narcissus, rose centifolia, cyclamen, patchouli and incense. I think this one could pass as a unisex kind of scent.

There are several different ways to purchase the scents. Individually they come in a 100 ml size for $240 and 200 ml spray for $350. There are also travel sized sets with four 7.5 ml cartridges and a travel bottle with magnetic closure for $240. I fell in love with the Miniature Set because it allows me to sample each one. Also as I already own a lot of perfumes and it takes me forever to use one up the minis were the way to go.

I’ve been playing with these for several months now and while I’ve found three that I really like although due the high price I haven’t felt compelled to buy the full size in any particular option. On me the strength of each scent is just perfect – not too strong but still strong enough to last all day without fading. A few dabs on the wrist is all I need. I do wish the Miniature Set had spritzers on the top for easier application like the full size bottles which are just absolutely beautiful in design, but I have no regrets splurging on the minis.

My top favorites are Apogee, Dans la Peau and Mille Feux. You can find Louis Vuitton Perfumes in stores and online. If you are able to visit a store I highly recommend you give them a try in person! The Miniature Set retails for $290.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

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On My Radar

On My Radar / New in Beauty

January 6, 2017

Happy Friday! New beauty launches have started to trickle in and there are a few things on my radar this week. Most brands have yet to launch their spring color collections but I’m eager to see what everyone has in store for the season. Chanel launched theirs first with the Coco Codes and I’m loving everything so far.

Chanel Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur ($37 each) just launched online at Chanel with eleven color options, these are jumbo crayons for the lips and are retractable, I will have a review and swatches on these in the upcoming weeks
Guerlain Happy Glow Pearls ($74) and Happy Glow Blush ($54) just launched, I think there are a few additional items launching for spring but these are the only two I could find so far, they look so pretty!
Giorgio Armani Powder Fabric Foundation ($64) is Armani’s latest in base launches, I’m really intrigued by this and have high hopes for it to work for my skin type, I’m not sure when it launches in stores but will be keeping my eye out to see if I can find a good color match
Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm ($18) comes in stick form now! I love the tube version formula in Smashed, so I ordered the stick, it arrived yesterday and the testing will start this weekend
KNC Beauty All Natural Collagen Infused Lip Mask ($24.99 for a 5 pack) from Violet Grey is something my bestie texted me asking, “have you tried this yet???” – I have not but the concept is intriguing so I had to order to test it out, I will definitely keep you posted! I don’t know how I feel about a sheet mask for the lips but I’m super curious!
Tatcha just launched a new product called The Essence ($95) which is a resurfacing softener, when it comes to essence or softening lotions I have to say that I’m 100% confused about what they’re supposed to do, when to use them and what the difference is between the options, I’ve tried the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence which did help improve texture and softness of my skin (I got lazy and stopped using it after I used up my minis), alternatively one of my friends swears by the La Mer Treatment Lotion which is also another softener – if you have any insight on essences or lotions I would love some insight!
Burberry Liquid Lip Velvets ($34) have launched in 14 shades online at Sephora and Nordstrom, I have five that I ordered and will be swatching and reviewing them as fast as I can for you
beautyblender just launched their beautyblender bubble ($20) and micro.mini bubble ($18) as a Sephora exclusive to celebrate their 15th Anniversary, they sent a lovely package over the holiday and I can’t wait to use them!
Diptyque launches a special-edition Rosamundi Candle ($35 to $68) for Spring 2017, review to follow soon on this beautiful launch
Charlotte Tilbury launched four Quick N Easy Sets ($75 each) designed with an edited selection of beauty products to create a look in 5 minutes, I’ll have these reviewed next week and will be hosting a giveaway so stay tuned for the post and details!

Have a wonderful Friday! What’s on your beauty radar right now?

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Fragrance Lips MAC

MAC Shadescents Review and Swatches

January 5, 2017

Over the holiday season MAC launched a Shadescents Collection with six perfumes inspired by six of their most iconic lip colors. They re-launched the lipsticks with special limited-edition packaging in tinted caps to match the lipsticks themselves along with color-coordinated fragrances. The concept is just genius and as soon as I opened up the package I just couldn’t wait to see what Crème d’ Nude or Velvet Teddy would smell like in perfume form. The scents are all Eau de Parfums and run at $57 each for 50 ml/1.7 fl oz. The Lipsticks are $17 each for 3 g / 0.1 oz with special edition packaging.

The six options include Heroine (purple, matte), Ruby Woo (deep red, retro matte), Lady Danger (bright coral red, matte), Candy Yum-Yum (bright neon pink,matte), Velvet Teddy (neutral nude, matte) and Crème d’Nude (pale beige, cremesheen).

Crème d’Nude Lipstick is one I could never wear alone and still can’t. It’s more of a layering color for me whether I mix it with another deeper lipstick, gloss or liner. The Crème d’Nude Scent is described as an amber velvet musk which I find accurate. This one is my favorite and the only one I can see myself wearing on a regular basis. It’s almost like a daytime version of Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black. The throw is extremely strong and lasts all day from morning to late afternoon without fading.

Velvet Teddy is a classic nude lip color. I was interested to see what it would smell like in perfume form. The scent is described as oriental amber with wild honey and creamy musk. This is definitely a sweet honey like scent with a bit of spice. If you like honey scents this will be right up your alley. The spice notes are prominent giving it a velvety feel. On my skin it pulls very strong and very rich. This is my second favorite.

Candy Yum-Yum is a neon pink in color, bright and vibrant. The scent is extremely sweet described as fruity floral gourmand with pink guava. It’s distinctly sweet and when I spritzed it I was 100% sure I would not be able to wear it. Surprisingly on my skin it works for a fun and pretty scent. I still don’t think it’s really my cup of tea due to the sweetness but the times I wore it I was pleasantly surprised.

Lady Danger is a bright coral red. The scent is described as a woody oriental floral with patchouli. It’s very spicy and masculine with a strong incense kind of vibe. It’s too dramatic and rich for my taste. The scent is definitely a head-turner as described.

Ruby Woo is described as a woody floral. This has leather notes that makes it even deeper and more dramatic than Lady Danger. It’s rich, dark and deep – not something I would wear although I do think it could make an interesting home scent in candle form.

Left is Ruby Woo (darker shade), right is Lady Danger:

Lady Danger Lipstick worn below on a full look, foundation shade worn is Studio Fix Fluid in NC30 which is just the slighted bit too dark on my skin as it pulls really olive but many of you have asked to see my MAC shade on my face. On the cheeks is Global Glow Mineralize Skinfinish, on the eyes is Honeylust Eyeshadow. You can see swatches and comparisons of NC25, 30, 35 and 37 to other foundation brands for reference in this Tom Ford Face Collection post here:

Heroine is a purple cream lipstick. It’s not one I had ever looked at before as it’s more dramatic and purples really aren’t my thing. The scent is described as woody leather with a primal feel. It’s the most masculine scent out of the lineup, definitely not something I would wear. Although after spritzing it in our house as a room spray in a small area the dry down is interesting and actually pleasant.

Overall a really interesting concept. I do think the creators of this collection managed to capture the lipstick in a scent that made sense. Scents are so personal and everyone has different tastes so I do not think these will be everyone’s cup of tea. My favorite is Crème d’Nude but my husband is not a fan of it on me. If you’re near a MAC Store I’d recommend you definitely give these a look. They’re worth checking out and it’s always fun to play at the freestanding stores. If anything I love the special edition packaging of the lip colors – I’m tempted to buy another Velvet Teddy although I will probably resist because the lipsticks usually last a very long time. The color-coordinated caps and black base are so sleek and pretty!

The collection is available at MAC Cosmetics. Have you checked it out yet? What did you think?

Many thanks to MAC for sending these for review!

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Fashion What's In My Bag

What’s In My Celine Belt Bag Mini

January 4, 2017

Happy Wednesday everyone! I have the first what’s in my bag post of the year. Lately the purse I’ve been carrying the most frequently is the Celine Belt Bag in the mini size (review of what fits inside plus thoughts on style in this post here). I own two of the same style, just in different colors. I alternate between the Light Taupe (shown) and Black. For the spring 2017 season they added another size called the Micro which is smaller, has a longer removable strap and can be worn as a crossbody. I took a quick peek while in LA at one a couple months ago and promptly walked away so I would not be tempted – but I will say it’s really cute!

I picked up some new sunglasses from J.Crew called the Irving Sunglasses in the Smoke Olive color. I love the ones that come in lighter colors because they’re fun and different. These frames are small enough for my face size and shape so I could not resist! The store near me only carried it in two colors otherwise I would have probably bought the light clear pink ones.

I’m currently carrying multiples of the Clarity Clutch in the mini size from Truffle. I ordered the Nude and White last fall during one of their sales and like that they are small enough to throw in most of my purses. They’re just the right size and proportion to fit what a few things and keep contents edited.

As usual I have one too many lip products carried with me. I have my two favorite balms of the moment the Dior Addict Lip Glow Pomade and Lanolips in Strawberry. I’ve used them repeatedly for weeks now. The weather has been on the cold side so we’ve cranked up the heater in our place which makes everything dry. Plus I’ve still been trying to get over a cold so my lips have been extra dry. These have kept my lips from peeling and cracking – I’ve been sure to apply on clean fingers instead of directly on the lips to keep them clean and free of germs.

Other staples for lips include NARS Lip Gloss in Turkish Delight which I like to layer with MAC Lip Pencil in Boldly Bare, Whirl or Dervish (neutral nude lip liners swatched and compared in this post here). The Marc Jacobs Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme (c/o) in Truth or Bare and Slow Burn have been worn frequently the past week. The Chanel Gloss Volume is pretty basic but it’s one of my favorite clear lip glosses for the pretty shine it gives and cushiony feel.

For fragrance I’ve been reaching for Byredo options a lot, I’ve been loving Oud Immortel although I probably need to switch things up to something a bit lighter and more cheery to lift the mood. I’ve still been dreaming about splurging on the Unnamed Perfume. It’s one of those scents I spritzed at the counter back in August and it still haunts me even months later. However I have promised myself to save up for the Creed Virgin Island Water before I buy any other perfume. Right now I don’t think it’s quite appropriate for the current weather or season, but in a couple of months I think it will be perfect and by then it will be mine! It’s the ultimate dreamy tropical vacation kind of scent I want to wear all spring to summer.

Last but not least I can’t help carrying the Tom Ford Soleil Eye and Cheek Palette. It’s not really all that practical to carry around but I love the sturdy compact and large mirror makes reapplying lipstick so much easier compared to the tiny mirrors you get in most compacts. If you haven’t checked them out I recommend you do (review on both colors here). They are both 100% worth the splurge.

Hope your first week of the new year is going well! I’ll have some reviews on MAC Shadescents and the Louis Vuitton perfumes coming up next! They’ve been on the to-do list for weeks now – I know many of you have been waiting so thanks for your patience!

What’s in your bag right now?

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