Did you pick anything up yet at your local Chanel counters? Or did place an order online already? If you haven’t seen it the Illusion d’Ombres are TO-DIE-FOR! If you’ve checked it out tell me if I need the Blush Creme, I keep going back and forth on it. Happy Friday!
I’m very excited to introduce Lumira today. My readers know I am an avid fan of luxury home candles. A well designed and crafted candle can add that perfect little accent to your home or office decor as well as make your entire room smell amazing. I’ve been following several Australian candle designers on Instagram loving the beautiful decorative imagery and inspiration from their Australian followers. I was ecstatic when Lumira reached out to provide an introduction.
For those new to this line, Lumira is a luxury lifestyle brand based in Sydney, Australia that specializes in hand-made soy candles. The line made it’s debut this year by founder Almira Armstrong. The first products in the line include a range of eight scents including Oriental Jasmine, Tuscan Fig, Persian Rose, Tropical Gardenia, Tahitian Coconut, Sicilian Citrus, Cuban Tobacco and Balinese Ylang Ylang.
The Signature Candles currently come in two sizes:
A large elegant, ebony hand-filled glass with beautifully scented creamy soy wax, $55 AUD for 450g/15.8oz, approximately60 hour burn time
A compact travel tin with a twist-off lid, perfect for travel, on your desk or on-the-go, $19.95 AUD for 100g/3.5oz, approximately 15 hour burn time
image via Lumira
The line is currently available in Australia and select international locations. You can purchase items online at Atelier Lumira (they ship internationally). According to Lumira they plan to expand their line into the US at more locations later this fall (stockists listed here).
Lumira kindly sent the Persian Rose Signature Candle and Tahitian Coconut Travel Candle for review. Readers know I am extremely particular and very selective with scents (my husband calls it “super picky”). I am pleased to report Lumira Candles are extremely well made. Both scents are high quality with an amazing blend of luxurious oils. I’ve been burning these for over a week now and everything is quite exquisite.
Persian Rose comes in a heavy black glass container. It’s the largest candle I own at 450g/15.8g. Persian Rose has a mix of rose absolute, blended with subtle notes of Jasmine, Soft Musk and
Bois de Rose. This one is designed for turning any home into a relaxing sanctuary. It’s a relaxing soothing rose that isn’t too floral and far exceeds my other rose candles in composition and blend. Yes, this is my new favorite rose. It has a really clean burn that fills up the entire room.
Notes:
Top: Sparkling Mandarin, Bergamot Zest & Sweet Orange
Mid: Budding Persian Rose & Geranium Essence
Base: Soft Musk, Patchouli & Dark Amber
Tahitian Coconut was sent in a travel size. I’ve been smitten with the Henri Bendel Travel Candles for their convenience, compact size and portability. Often times these candles are strong enough that you don’t have to burn them to enjoy the scent (I often just leave one opened). I like the concept of the travel candles with lids by Lumira. Tahitian Coconut is similar in concept to Henri Bendel’s Beach in the sense that it takes you away to a tropical getaway vacation. Tahitian Coconut is a blend of Coconut, Frangipani and Mandarin. It’s described as a scent that gives the feel of a mini-escape to be enjoyed all year round. It truly does. I find Lumira Tahitian Coconut to have a more rounded creamy feel, while Henri Bendel Beach is a bit sweeter and sharper.
The Lumira collection is available online at Atelier Lumira and within a handpicked selection of retailers across Australia and Internationally.
Lumira candles can be enjoyed as a full-size Ebony Glass Jar candle or in a convenient Travel Tin perfect for the office, when traveling, or in smaller spaces.
Have you tried Lumira? A shout out to my Australian readers! I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences 🙂 I can’t wait for the line to be available at more US locations. I’m already panicking about what I will do once they are finished burning.
You can find out more about Lumira on their website. Also follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (to see beautiful home decor ideas) for the latest news and to find out where they are launching.
Samples were provided by Lumira for review. All opinions are my own. Photos of Persian Rose and Tahitian Coconut all taken by me.
The NARSissist Eyeshadow Palette ($79 for 0.03oz x 15 shades) is a glorious palette of 15 neutrals. It comes in a large mirrored compact and includes a wide range of colors, textures and finishes. I’m late to the party with the NARSissist Eyeshadow Palette (it launched back in January). I thought long and hard for months about purchasing this one because I already owned many of the colors individually and also thought the Urban Decay Naked eye palettes might be duplicates. The Sephora VIB sale earlier this month pushed me over the edge. I put it to the test for several weeks. It was also the only powder eyeshadow palette I brought with me on my recent trip to Dallas. I’ve been really happy with this palette, the versatility is impressive. This one palette has all the colors you need for a multitude of looks: natural, smokey, bronzey, etc. It will take you from day to night.
The colors in the NARSissist Eye Palette include (from left to right, from top row to bottom)
All About Eve (1 side) – shimmery champagne
Madrague (both sides) – matte cream and matte tan
Fez – shimmery copper
Bali – matte soft brown
Coconut Grove – matte brown
Nepal – shimmery peachy pink
Ashes to Ashes – soft grey shimmer
Brousse – shimmery soft plum
Mekong – dark blackened brown with gold flecks
Bellisima – white base with gold sparkle flecks
Lhasa – shimmery light grey mauve
Bad Behavior – shimmery gunmetal
Dogon – darker blue-grey metallic
Pandora – matte sheer black
There have been mixed reviews about the palette, some have reported a different quality and texture of the palette shades compared with individuals colors. Overall I found the palette to be very good quality on par with the individual colors. There were a couple shades I found to be sheerer in texture and harder to work with (my personal experience). Colors I found to perform different in this palette included:
the matte colors of Madrague (the regular duo applies smoothly, this palette’s version was a bit chalky)
Ashes to Ashes (the singles I have are more pigmented and smoother in texture, but the palette applies ok, just different texture)
Dogon (individual is creamier in texture while the palette is drier)
The palette still worked well with no issues for application from what I tested. The colors I noticed differences for still applied well, it just took a little bit more work for me. Close ups and swatches below of the NARSsissist Eye Palette:
Many have asked how this compares to the Urban Decay Naked and Naked2 Palettes. There are similarities in the concept – all have a mix of shimmer and matte neutral-ish colors. I find that my Naked Palettes (1, 2 and 3) are the ones I reach for the most frequently out of any of the eye shadows that I own. The differences between NARS and Urban Decay are mainly in packaging and texture. Both brands have distinct shadow formulas, I can’t say one is better than the other, they are just different.
I’ve swatched them below for your reference. There wasn’t enough room for labeling the swatches but the colors are in the order of the palettes. (To have enough room on my arm, I skipped one of the Madrague shades from the NARS palette because it didn’t show up on my skin in the photograph.)
Overall love. As you can see above there are similarities between the NARSissist and Urban Decay Nakeds. Your preference will depend on a number of factors, such as packaging preference, if you own a lot of the individual colors already, texture preference (Urban Decay is softer and more buttery, NARS is more like traditional shadows in texture with more complex shimmers).
I believe the NARSissist Palette is limited-edition. It may take a bit of hunting to find it in stores, but you can still find it now online at Sephora, Beauty.com and Saks.
Did you buy the NARSissist Palette? What did you think?
NARS has extended their 413 BLKR Collection with two new items in a Blush ($30) and Illuminator ($30). Items are currently exclusive to NARS Boutiques and Narscosmetics.com. (If you missed it, you can check out my feature on the Melrose Boutique.) Both are lovely classic shades suitable for everyday wear.
413 BLKR Blush is a satiny rosebud pink color. It’s a neutral pink rose leaning slightly cool on the skin. It has a soft sheen but isn’t shimmery. The pigment is quite rich with this color but it is easy to blend. I’ve been applying with a super fluffy brush since it packs in a lot of color with a few swipes. It’s a soft rosy color compared to other NARS rose colored blushes which tend to have a darker undertone.
413 BLKR Illuminator is a champagne colored highlighter. The color is exquisite on the skin without being too frosty or pale. I have and use Copacabana on occasion but find it has a sharp contrast with my olive skin. This new 413 BLKR Illuminator has a bit of yellow/gold in it to make it a bit warmer on the skin.
____________________
Some more photos, swatches and comparisons. 413 BLKR Blush and Illuminator:
Illuminator comparisons: Koh Gen Do Beige (review here), Estee Lauder Tom Pecheux (discontinued), Giorgio Armani Belladonna (discontinued, review here), NARS 413 BLKR, NARS Copacabana, Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer #2 and Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer #13 (discontinued, review here)
____________________
Overall lovely classic pieces that are luminous but glitter/frost-free you can easily wear everyday. The 413 BLKR blush swatches warm on my arm but applies cooler and more neutral on the face. It’s a good medium rose pink without being too cool toned or dark. It stays put all day and I like that there is no brown in the color – it doesn’t darken or turn muddy like some rosy colors do on me.
The 413 BLKR illuminator will probably give you a very similar effect to other highlighters, but I like that this one has a very fluid texture that dries to a non-dewy/moist finish (perfect for warmer weather). This prevents it from sliding around. I’ve been using the illuminator a number of ways – on the eyes, under blush, over blush, dabbed over bronzer, and as a regular highlighting product. I own a lot of highlighters already and could probably have skipped this one but I really like it for a liquid.
These are a bit harder to find and test in person if you’re not near a NARS boutique (I ordered mine online) but these two are versatile and neutral enough that I think most skin tones will find these flattering in a good way. They are classic colors with a bit of a kick.
Both are part of the 413 BLKR Collection. The Blush and Illuminator are both in NARS Boutiques now and online at Narscosmetics.com.
Have you tried anything from the 413 BLKR collection? I have the eyeshadow single and love it but haven’t looked into anything else.
After years of blogging I’ve finally launched The Beauty Look Book Facebook Page! So many of you have asked for me to start one and I finally have to share more of my beauty loves with you. Stay tuned for a contest giveaway that will be posted for Facebook followers in the next couple weeks.
I was so excited to be invited to the rewardStyle conference this year in Dallas, Texas. They hosted an incredible event and I felt so lucky to meet so many talented individuals. Personal highlights (and fan-girl moments for me) included meeting the lovely ladies from Beauty Professor, Liana Beauty, Essie Button, Fleur de Force – all of whom I’ve followed and admired for years. I didn’t get as many pictures as I had hoped during all the excitement but if you search for #rsthecon on Instagram you can see snapshots of the past weekend’s events from those who attended.
Many have asked for me to share what I brought with me on my trip. For me packing is somewhat of an ordeal and I’m in awe of those who travel frequently. I usually bring what will fit into my Bobbi Brown travel case which helps me limit what I bring and keeps everything organized. This case was one of the first gifts my husband gave to me when were dating in our early 20’s. (Black version is not currently available, but there is a gold Bobbi Brown Old Hollywood Train case version available.) All liquids are usually stored in a clear quart sized bag. If you have any travel beauty tips I would love to hear what they are. It always pains me that I can’t bring what I love for hair and skincare. My skin often turns into a nightmare-ish wreck by the end of my trip (no matter how short).
For this 4 day trip I was totally unorganized with my beauty. I packed in a rush, didn’t plan in advance and ended up with duplicate brushes, tools, way too many eyeliners and highlighting products. How this fit in one case is a mystery to me, but it did. Be warned this is a lot. I’ll be sure to tell you which items I actually used.
_________________________________________
Giorgio Armani Regenessence Lotion – I keep a mini sized container from one of the many gift with purchase events, I use it to refill with the full-sized version of toner when I travel
Ole Henriksen Truth Serum – part of The Works Set, I’ve been testing this for several months now and have added it to my daily skincare routine, I apply under moisturizer and found the serum helps extend the wear of my foundation and keeps moisture in better
By Terry Cellularose Blush Glace in Frozen Petal 3 – the perfect natural glowy peachy color in a gel blush formula with long wear (these sell out on a weekly basis both online and in store, it took me several months to track down all three shades)
Tom Ford Fire Lust in a mini Chanel sample container (another one I didn’t use, but review from last year’s version here)
NARS Narsissist Eye Palette – the only eyeshadow I brought with me, this palette did it all for me, I didn’t use all the colors, only 7 of the shades were used during this trip, but I found it served me well as a one palette to do-it-all kind of thing, many have asked if I found issues with pigment or application, I found them to be very good in quality, the matte shades were a bit difficult to get a large brush in but I swished it around (let me know if you want a full detailed review in the comments)
NARS Larger Than Life Eyeliner in Via Appia – part of my eye essentials post here
A few more snapshots of my makeup mess scattered throughout the week, let me know if you want the breakdown of the tools I brought, I kinda just threw a bunch of random clean tools into my makeup box before I left.
Recap of what I used: Aside from the staples (mascara, foundation, powder, skincare) I found I got plenty of use of the NARS Eye Palette, Chanel Illusion d’Ombres, MAC Fairly Precious, Edward Bess Daydream and Tom Ford Flush blush.
What I could have skipped: I could have skipped all but one eyeliner, most of my tools were redundant, I probably only needed 5 brushes at most. I had highlighter overload as well and grabbed a bunch of minis that I had made over the past few weeks.
What I wish I brought: More skincare, more hair care products. Next time I need to do better planning with finding or collecting small sample containers that I can use for travel. Also I rarely use mattifying products – the warm humid weather wasn’t something I was used to in Dallas and definitely needed something to help keep the face more matte.
Do you travel a lot for work or fun? What are your beauty travel packing tips? Do you have a checklist to help plan or a travel pouch that helps organize and limit what you bring with you? Or are you the kind of person that checks bags so contents/limits don’t matter?
I’m all ears for your tips, tricks and experiences. I haven’t had to travel frequently in the past but it’s on my list to do this year (for fun of course). If you want to see what I brought on past trips, click on the TRAVEL tag below the post.
Quick update for those who asked about my Bobbi Brown train case, there is a luxury Gold Old Hollywood version available now (quite pricey), the one I have is from over 10 years ago, keep an eye out for similar versions around holiday or seasonal releases. For now a few other suggestions below.
