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Sabrina

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Formula X Challenge with The System Kit

October 16, 2014

I’m a huge fan of Formula X line and have been particularly impressed with the way The System works to extend manicure wear. Several of you have asked for a follow up post to my original one back in May wanting to see nail shots of my Formula X manicure through the course of a week. I’ve put the color in Blazing to the test for the Formula X Challenge. My manicure lasted quite well for almost an entire week. My husband and I have been busy packing boxes and bubble wrapping fragile items for our move and my manicure still managed to survive. For those new to the Formula X System, it’s a set that comes with four easy to use items:
  • Nail Cleanser – An essential step that frees nails of residue and oil,
    optimizing base coat and lacquer adherence
  • Base Coat – An advanced
    adhesive primer containing essential bonding agents that form a sticky
    layer to fuse with your lacquer
  • Nail Color Of Your Choice – Choose from
    over 200 Formula X shades and effects
  • Top Coat – A super glossy,
    state-of-the-art, long-wearing final step that enhances your lacquer’s
    shine and performance, this helps extend your nail polish like no other

The color I’ve tested is Blazing which is a rich shimmery wine-red. It applies very smoothly with two coats. The first coat will look a bit sheer, but it levels out perfectly with the second coat. Even though it’s more of a metallic, it doesn’t have visible brush strokes which is a huge plus for me. It has a multi-dimensional look because there are different colors of shimmers infused throughout the polish. There’s a mix of deep red, bright red, pearl and plum. It looks different depending on how the light hits the nails. Sometimes it’s clearly red. Other times it looks more cool-toned and more plum. I’m obsessed.

The System is super easy to use and apply on your own. I’ve found the nail cleanser makes a huge difference in helping your polish adhere better to the nail by prepping the surface of your nails. Below are Steps 1 through 4 to apply polish with the Formula X System:

Below is my Formula X manicure over the course of 6 Days. Your mileage may vary with polish lasting power depending on nail length and everyday activity. I usually cover the end/tip of the nail with a thin dab of polish and smooth it with top coat over the edges to help the color last longer. If you type a lot for work, longer nails may be subject to tip wear faster, especially if your nails tend to hit the keys frequently. I try to keep mine on the short side and hold my hands relatively flat when I type, but the tips of my index and middle finger have more surface contact compared to my other fingers and end up getting tip wear first.

Day 4 and still perfect:

On Day 5, I started to see slight tip wear on index and middle fingers, I attribute this to packing boxes and extensive use of bubble wrap and tape for our move:

I’ve had really good results with the Formula X nail colors and System set. I know many of you have chimed in with comments on past posts and also raved. I highly recommend a visit to their dedicated website www.formulax.com. It’s a nail art destination for Formula X fans to browse images and get inspired. It’s filled with clickable images of nail products and looks. You can also click on any interesting color palette for ideas on Formula X shade color combinations. Formula X fans can then upload their own nail looks right to the website, or with tag Instagram images with #myformulaxpic and have their nail look appear on the inspiration grid.

Right now, you can visit their website for a chance to experience The System yourself with the Formula X Sweepstakes. They are giving away 150 Formula X System Kits (terms and official rules apply). Entries will be collected through October 28, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. PST (must be a US resident and 18 years or older).

To stay up to date with the latest and for more inspiration be sure to follow Formula X on Instagram @formulax, Twitter @formulax, Facebook or Pinterest.

Have you tried Formula X? What colors are your favorites?

Many thanks to Formula X for sponsoring this post. For more information, refer to my Disclosures page.


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Nordstrom + Estée Lauder Fall Gift With Purchase

October 15, 2014
http://rstyle.me/n/bb3qmubf6

Nordstrom has an awesome Estée Lauder Gift With Purchase going on right now. With any $45 Estée Lauder purchase, you get a sleek cosmetics bag filled with deluxe travel-size items and your choice of a lifting or repairing moisturizer duo. Be sure to use code LIFT or REPAIR at checkout to redeem the gift. The makeup bag is a two-toned zip pouch with a textured surface. It contains:
  • Perfectly Clean Multi-Action Foam Cleanser/Purifying Mask (1 oz.)
  • Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II (0.3 oz.)
  • Full-Size Pure Color Lipstick in Rubellite
  • Pure Color Gloss in Orchard Passion (0.2 oz.) 
  • Sumptuous Bold Volume Lifting Mascara in Black
For the skincare duo minis, you have two options:
  • Lift option (use code LIFT)
    • Resilience Lift Firming/Sculpting Face and Neck Creme (0.5 oz.)
    • Resilience Lift Night Firming/Sculpting Face and Neck Creme (0.5 oz.)
  • Repair option (use code REPAIR)
    • Advanced Time Zone Reversing Line/Wrinkle Creme (0.5 oz.)
    • Advanced Time Zone Night Reversing Line/Wrinkle Creme (0.5 oz.)

I replenished on some favorites including the Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Multi-Action Foam Cleanser (for normal/combination skin) and the Perfectly Clean Multi-Action Toning Lotion which I find good for my sensitive skin (both are regular staples). I also picked up two new items from Aerin Beauty including the new Weekday Lip Gloss (a neutral mauve pink) and the Cool Gel Eyeliner Pencil in Essential Brown (a shimmering cool brown).

In case you need some ideas of what to try, some of my tried and true favorites below (each item is clickable). I find the Estee Lauder prices reasonable for a high-end line, two items will most likely be sufficient to qualify for the $45 min purchase.

The Estee Lauder Intensive Smoothing Hand Cream is one of my favorite hand treatments to smooth lines and hydrate dry hands. I also like the Aerin Bronzers for a natural bronze glow. If you need to replenish on skincare items, now is a good time to shop. I actually like the makeup bag this time, it’s something I will actually use 🙂

What are your Estee Lauder favorites? I’ve discovered so many things because my mother is a huge Estee Lauder fan and passed along numerous recommendations to me over the years. The Fall Nordstrom Gift With Purchase is available online and in stores with ant $45 Estee Lauder purchase, while supplies last. If you order online, be sure to enter code LIFT or REPAIR to redeem the gift.

Thanks to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post, all items purchased by me. For more information refer to my Disclosures page.

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Lipstick Queen Silver Screen Lipstick in You Kid

October 15, 2014

Lipstick Queen’s latest Silver Screen Collection which features seven new shades of lipstick cased in a super glamorous silver bullet tube ($50 each for 0.12 oz/3.5 g, made in Canada). The Silver Screen Collection lipsticks have a rich lush formula that give rich coverage with a glossy finish. According to Lipstick Queen, these contain a high percentage of an innovative new active ingredient Pomegranate Sterols derived from the pomegranate fruit, which improves the barrier-function of the lips, keeping them soft and hydrated for longer. It’s further enhanced with anti-oxidant vitamin E, moisturizing plant oils, beeswax and skin-perfecting vitamin A, which ensure lips stay nourished and comfortable all day long. These have a high quality peppermint oil which gives this a fresh feel to the lips without tingling or irritation.

I have the shade in You Kid to share with you today. It’s described as an “understated yet eye-catching nude” and I couldn’t find better words to describe it. It’s a beautiful full-coverage lipstick that has a naturally glossy finish to make the lips look like they have a natural shine. It might seem quite basic but, I actually find You Kid to be a unique nude. It has a good mix of pink and beige in it so in some light it looks more pink while in others it looks more nude. It has enough color that it doesn’t wash out the complexion or make the lips look too pale. This is probably one of the easiest-to-wear nudes I’ve ever tried. There’s no shimmer in it, it’s a straight cream with a super moisturizing feel.

At $50 each, you may be super hesitant to jump and buy one. I’ve tried a number of Lipstick Queen lipsticks and the Silver Screen formula is definitely superior to the Saint and Sinner formulas. Silver Screen is super moisturizing, lush and glides on the lips flawlessly. Lasting power is quite good for me lasting several hours if the lips remain untouched. The price for these lipsticks is rather steep but Lipstick Queen went all out with design and formulation of these lipsticks. The formula is one of the best I’ve tried. It feels absolutely amazing on the lips. The packaging is heavy in weight and luxurious in design with a magnetic base so it snaps shut when you put the lid on it.

Indoor lighting shows it to be a bit more pinkish:

Swatches:

Some comparisons to Tom Ford Indian Rose Lip Color (review), Nudestix Soul Lip & Cheek Pencil (review), Lipstick Queen Pinky Nude Sinner and Pinky Nude Saint (swatches).

You Kid is bottom line flawless, but I don’t know how I feel about the $50 price tag. For any lip product priced over $35, I am usually very picky with color, formula, texture and scent and no matter how amazing it is, I still can’t really get over the sticker shock (except for items from Tom Ford). The Lipstick Queen Silver Screen formula is really phenomenal, but I’ll have to investigate the other shades in person and do more testing before I splurge. That being said, if these interest you, you might want to take advantage of the Space NK Discovery Promotion (online for US) which offers $20 off any $75+ order with code DISCOVER20 at checkout, good through the 21st of October. 

You can find the Lipstick Queen Silver Screen Collection online at Lipstick Queen, Space NK and Space NK stores. Have you tried any of the Silver Screen collection lipsticks? 
The Lipstick Queen lipstick was a press sample provided for review consideration.
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Space NK Discover Promotion, October 14 – 21

October 14, 2014
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=MeQoh28EORo&subid=&offerid=211083.1&type=10&tmpid=11586&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fus.spacenk.com%252Fwomen%252F

Space NK launches their Discover Promotion for US online shoppers to discover something new with a limited-time offer of $20 off a purchase of $75 or more. The promotion begins Tuesday, October 14 at Space NK and ends midnight EST on Tuesday, October 21 with code DISCOVER20 at checkout.

Space NK is also offering free ground shipping and three samples of their choice with your order for this promo.

A selection of the latest introductions at Space NK includes:

  • By Terry Densiliss Collection: It began with a serum-foundation, which launched to great acclaim last year. Now, By Terry extends the Densiliss collection with four new products that combine advanced skincare with makeup
  • Lipstick Queen Silver Screen Collection: Color-rich, long-wearing, super moisturizing lipsticks inspired by the golden age of Hollywood. Founder Poppy King says, “If this lipstick could walk, it would sashay.”
  • Diptyque Ambre Candle: The warm, woody fragrance with vetiver and patchouli is presented in a new amber-colored handmade glass and sets the perfect mood for fall
  • JINsoon Tess Giberson Collection: “The five new polishes transform a classic color palette by adding cool, subtle effects like shimmer and speckles to give the hues a completely new dimension,” said founder Jin Soon Choi.
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=MeQoh28EORo&subid=&offerid=211083.1&type=10&tmpid=11586&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fus.spacenk.com%252Fwomen%252F

To enjoy the Discover Offer, be sure to enter promo code DISCOVER20 at checkout.

Tag your discoveries on Instagram and Twitter @spacenkusa using #DiscoverSpaceNK. 

Terms and conditions apply: US customers only. Online only at Space NK (US). One per customer. Sale and gift cards excluded from promotion. The limited-time offer of $20 off a purchase of $75 or more promotion begins Tuesday, October 14 at Space NK and ends midnight EST on Tuesday, October 21 with code DISCOVER20 at checkout.
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On My Radar / New in Beauty

October 13, 2014

I’ve been busy with a move, I didn’t plan to take a break from blogging but ended up having to take a few days off. I have quite a few new things I’m excited to share with you and hope to get everything unpacked from boxes in the next few days. In the meantime, here are some new things that have popped up online in the beauty world. Holiday collections and new releases are trickling in each day.

Diptyque has three new scents coming out this holiday in Spice, Winter and Resin (1). Three are available online at Neiman Marcus in the large size. If you are near a Diptyque Boutique, they will have an exclusive in-store one-day preview this Wednesday October 15 before it is released officially in November. (These will also be available in the smaller sizes too.)

Marc Jacobs Beauty The Sky-Liner Set (2) has 7 mini Highliner Gel Pencil set for the holidays. It has in O(vert) (forest green), Brown(out) (bronze with shimmer), Th(ink) (deep navy), (Plum)age (vivid purple), Blacquer (black), Sunset (golden bronze shimmer), Midnight in Paris (inky indigo blue). This is on my wish list.

Chanel Holiday (3) has arrived in stores and online. I bought the Volage Rouge Allure, Phenix Le Vernis, Les 5 Ombres Palette and Envol Illusion D’Ombre. I’m in love with the peachy lipstick and eyeshadow, more thoughts on the other items soon.

Oribe Liquid Gold Set (4) has mini 50 ml sizes of the Gold Lust Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair Oil. I tried a couple sample packets of the shampoo and conditioner and fell head over heels. I have some other shampoos I’m currently using now, so I may wait and get this set once those are used up.

Dior has added more shades to their 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette line (5). I have Cuir Cannage and Versaille to share soon. There will be two limited-edition options for holiday as well in Golden Shock and Golden Reflections.

Tom Ford Beauty has new matte lipsticks for the holiday (6). I am normally not a fan of matte lips but saw these last week and splurged on four shades. The colors currently available are Pink Tease, Pussycat, Ruby Rush, Plum Lush, Flame, First Time and Velvet Cherry.

Bobbi Brown has several holiday items and sets this year (7). There are some really pretty items from the Scotch on the Rocks collection. I played with these briefly at the counter a few days ago. I have my eye on the Bronze Glow Highlight Powder, Black Scotch Gel Liner, Scotch Nail Polish, Bellini and Gold Glitter Lipgloss, I will need to play more before deciding whether or not these will be too shimmery or not.
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I will resume posting as soon as I can, in the meantime I’d love to hear what’s on your beauty radar 🙂
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A First Look At Gucci Makeup | Beauty Look Book Picks

October 8, 2014

Gucci Beauty has arrived in the US. I ordered several items sight unseen from Saks based on online stock swatches, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. After a few days of testing I am happy to report that I very pleased with my purchases, especially since I ordered everything without seeing them in person first.

The items I ordered:

My favorite items out of my first look at Gucci Beauty include the Magnetic Color Shadow Mono eyeshadows. The colors I ordered are all shimmery with a very smooth and velvety texture. The shimmer is finely milled and the colors have a complex mix of sparkles making them multi-dimensional and quite naturally stunning on the lids. I find them to have medium to full coverage. These apply naturally on the lids but have buildable and layerable pigment. I used all three shades together and found that they layered on top of each other quite nicely. Starlight is a cool champagne with slight taupe notes, Sunstone is a warm peachy champagne in the pot but goes on neutral-cool on my olive skin, Oxydus is a warm bronze with a hint of olive.

The Magnetic Color Shadow Duo in Aristocratic has a soft matte neutral-cool brown and a medium-toned purple shimmer. Both of these are also very soft and easy to blend with decent pigment. Aristocratic ordered has a softer look and finish compared to the singles I ordered, but still shows up on the lids. It’s a good basic everyday kind of duo although if I had seen it in person I would have probably skipped it. If you’re a lover of matte shades or colors with a slight hint of shimmer this is a good option. For me, I need something more pigmented with more pop, I find NARS Brousse to be a similar but better choice.

For the lips, I ordered Spring Rose in the Audacious Lipstick and Lip Lacquer. Both are very nice. The Spring Rose Audacious Lipstick is a neutral pink beige rose cream that gives rich smooth coverage. I found it glided over the lips very easily and covered the entire lip with two swipes. Some full coverage lipsticks can look dry and I found the Gucci Lipstick gave a nice soft lush velvety finish. It has a noticeable sweet floral-candy like scent which I found nice and non-irritating. The scent fades on the lips after a minute. Lasting power of the lipstick is quite good. I’m very impressed. I have mixed feelings about the Spring Rose Vibrant Demi-Glaze Lip Lacquer. I found mine to be very sheer. It is similar in color to the lipstick, but sheerer and lighter in color and has a little bit of sparkles mixed in. Based on the name, I expected a full coverage or at least medium coverage gloss. Spring Rose isn’t invisible, but rather in the sheer-medium range. I would have liked more coverage but it does show up alone and it layers nicely over the lipstick. The scent of the gloss is significantly stronger than the lipsticks. For me, it’s not a deal-breaker and I’ve been able to wear it with no issues. (I can’t wear older Lancome or Estee Lauder lipsticks, glosses, juicy tubes etc. because those are too strong, but I am able to wear the Gucci.) Those who are super sensitive to fragrance may want to wait to try before buying.

All items swatched side by side with different lighting (please excuse the typos below, the Aristocrat Duo label is supposed to say Aristocratic Duo):

Close ups:

Without flash:

Overall I’m really pleased with the items I bought. The quality of the Gucci Beauty line is quite excellent and I think the lasting power and textures are exquisite. I will definitely be purchasing more of the lipsticks after I see the line in person. I’ll be investigating the eyeshadows more as well, but the online swatches make it difficult to tell the true color or complexity so I’ll be testing before buying any more. If the rest of the glosses and duos are as sheer as the ones I bought I’ll be skipping the rest of the other options. I’m undecided about the packaging designs. They are distinctly Gucci and quite sturdy, but I’m not sure I like the look of the beauty line packaging. It seems flashy to me, but I shouldn’t be so judgmental about it since it’s functional, sleek and well-made.

You can find Gucci Beauty online at Gucci, Saks and Neiman Marcus. I ordered mine items from Saks. If you’ve tried anything from Gucci, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Rouge Dior Baume | Kew Gardens 258, Spring 468, Milly 640 and Escapade 740

October 7, 2014

Dior has released 15 shades of their new Rouge Dior Baume Lip Treatment ($35 each for 3.2g/0.11 oz). They are currently exclusive to Saks, Sephora and Dior.com but will available at all retailers later in November. The Rouge Dior Baumes have medium-pigment like a natural lipstick but with a moisturizing formula. The ones I swatched in store seemed to have sheer to medium coverage on the hands but applied better on the lips. There is a diverse range of pinks, peaches, reds and plums. I picked out four of the neutral shades from Saks in Kew Gardens 258, Spring 468, Milly 640 and Escapade 740.

Dior describes these as being “created for a modern woman who loves the intense pigment of a traditional lipstick as well as the ease and moisturizing properties of a balm.” They are indeed a blend of the two. I found these to have less shine and gloss compared to other balm-like or sheer lipsticks (such as Chanel Rouge Coco Shine, YSL Rouge Volupte Shine, Tom Ford Lip Color Shine). They do have a dewy semi-glossy finish, but it gives more of a natural look compared to the glossy finish many other lipsticks do.

Kew Gardens is a sheer sparkling transparent peach shimmer. Spring is a sheer but brighter peach. Milly is a neutral beige pink with a shimmery sheen. Escapade is the perfect neutral pink-brown. I’m in the middle of a move so I have most of my things packed in boxes, I don’t have easy access to other lipsticks to compare but I do feel that Milly is a more wearable version of Tom Ford Bare and Escapade is a warmer version of Tom Ford Nubile. Spring reminds me of Insidious without the shimmer and with a bit more pink.

I initially thought Milly would be too pale for my lips and skin tone based on the counter rep’s advice. Many thanks to one of my readers Jo who suggested I give it a try anyways stating it didn’t wash her out. She was right. It’s a lovely pale beige that gives perfect nude pink lips with a slight shimmery silver sheen but doesn’t wash out your face. Milly has enough color in the base to give the lip balm some life.

As a lover of natural-looking lip products, I’m smitten with these. I do wish I had picked up a pink or plum shade instead of the two peaches for variation, but I tend to gravitate towards peaches anyways. I love that these have no detectable scent (good for my sensitive nose). They do have a moisturizing feel on my lips, but I didn’t really notice extra hydration like I do with lip balms like By Terry or Malin + Goetz. I definitely think they are worth a look, especially if you want something less glossy compared to Chanel Rouge Coco Shines and something less pricey compared to Tom Ford Lip Color Shines.

The new Rouge Dior Baumes currently retail for $35 each. They are exclusive to Saks, Sephora and Dior.com right now, but will available at other retailers later this season in November.

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