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Sabrina

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Dior Mystic Metallics: Constellation 864 Couture Color Eyeshadow Palette (Nordstrom)

July 16, 2013
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Dior Constellation 864 Couture Color Eyeshadow Palette ($61, limited-edition, Nordstrom exclusive) is the second quint release for Dior Fall this year. It’s a stunner in the compact and the colors translate onto the skin true to pan. If you can pull off cool-toned colors and brighter plums or purples on the eyes you will love this. For me, some purples appear too blue against my olive skin leaving me with a punched-eye or pink-eye look. This is one of those purple palettes – it requires a bit of layering with a warm terracotta or sheer bronze (Le Metier makes some nice ones from their limited kaleidoscope kits, NARS Fez works well as does Urban Decay Lost). The lighter shades pull very cool on my skin, if you’re very warm or tan you may find this one pulls very cool-toned on you, more so than when you swatch on the arm.

The colors include a pale mauve, a frosted silvery-platinum, a cool pink opal, a plum with silver flecks and a purple satin. Most of the colors pull very shimmery. Each color is very pigmented. I liked that the colors applied very well on the eyes and stayed put well throughout the morning and afternoon.

Overall, not my favorite … at least for now. Part of me thinks it’s the warm summer weather that is making me crave warmer colors for eyes (versus cool purples). Once autumn arrives I think I’ll like this more as is. For now, it will be reserved for days I have extra time to get ready in the morning or evening. It’s going to be a higher-maintenance palette that requires some warm color layering to make it work for me.
Constellation is available now at Nordstrom and Nordstrom.com as an Early Access item to Nordstrom Cardholders. It will be available to all this Friday when their Anniversary sales starts. Do note it’s a limited-edition product. You may want to call your local Dior counters to pre-sell if you don’t have a Nordstrom card. They can reserve one and set it aside for you.

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Dior Mystic Metallics: Bonne Étoile 384 Couture Color Eyeshadow Palette

July 14, 2013

Dior Bonne Étoile 384 Couture Color Eyeshadow Palette is this season’s star product for eyes ($61, limited-edition, at Nordstrom). The palette has the most beautiful embossed star patterns. Each color is richly pigmented with varying degrees of shimmer and sparkle. Even those who avoid shimmers will love this one. I am not usually brave enough to wear bright teals or greens on the eyes but the colors in this palette are deep enough to not be over-the-top. The colors include a deep rich khaki olive gold, a chocolate brown with gold flecks, a sparkly silvery-taupe, a deeper green-teal sparkle and a soft seafoam green shimmer. The shimmers adhere well to the eye, but you still need a good primer to avoid fall out from the teal and taupe (I experienced just a slight bit). Five colors on one eye can be challenging to pull off, but the colors layer nicely together. I played with this today and found the combinations to be endless. Applying the darker shades with a slightly damp brush intensified the colors nicely for a more dramatic look.

Swatched:

I don’t own any other palette similar, although I suspect each shade is similar to other individual colors. I think you can probably achieve a similar effect with some Urban Decay or even MAC singles, although I do think this Dior palette will be a bit more conservative and easier to wear for those who prefer neutrals. I don’t own many teals or greens so this was perfect for me. I’m still testing out the other option Constellation 864, but I can say right now that I definitely prefer this Bonne Étoile 384.
You can find Bonne Étoile 384 in stores at Nordstrom now and also online at Nordstrom.com.

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Dior Bonne Étoile 384 and Constellation 864 (Preview)

July 14, 2013
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Dior has released two stunning quints for fall this year in Bonne Étoile 384 and Constellation 864 ($61 each, limited-edition). Both are listed as exclusive to Nordstrom (for now). You can purchase Bonne Étoile now in stores and online, however Constellation is listed as an Early Access item for Nordstrom cardholders only (available to everyone on July 19th). I picked up both of mine in store today so I haven’t had time to play with these extensively. I did have my Dior artist apply Bonne Étoile on me, and although greens usually aren’t my thing for eyes, I’m already in love with this one (it’s a bold pick for me). The teal and green layer beautifully with the khaki and bronze shades. Detailed swatches and photos to come very soon. For now, check out these awesome bloggers for swatches and details:

Bonne Étoile 384

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Constellation 864

Some more preview photos of both side by side:

With flash:

In direct sunlight, no flash:

In direct sunlight with flash:
 

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On Instagram @beautylookbook

July 13, 2013

These days I’ve been quite swamped with projects at work, leaving little time for blogging fun. I try to get in a few photos everyday to build towards a full post. Sometimes it takes me several days before I can get things organized. Here are a few recent snapshots from Instagram. Thank you everyone for your follows! I’m literally floored I’ve reached 5,000+ followers for @beautylookbook. Your sweet comments brighten my day each time I log in although I don’t always have time to respond (work gets in the way of the fun stuff). Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

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Diptyque

Diptyque Minä Perhonen Collaboration: Joie, Ciel and Infini

July 12, 2013
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Diptyque has collaborated with Minä Perhonen to release new special-edition candles inspired by poems written by Akira Minagawa. There are three scents each encased in a beautifully designed white brushed glass jar. The three Diptyque Minä candles are Joie, Ciel and Infini ($65 each). The scents are lighter than most Diptyque candles are. I wasn’t quite sure how these would burn since I’m not typically a fan of airy florals when it comes to home fragrance but am happy to report they burn quite beautifully – both individually, or all three at the same time.
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Joie is a floral described  as “a fresh floral fragrance, bucolic and delicate, with dewy and aromatic notes.” It’s a lovely fresh soft floral, not overpowering. It almost has that baby-skin feeling to the scent due to the delicate nature. It’s both refreshing and soothing.

Above: SS Print Shop Print, Gucci 54mm Sunglasses, YSL Fall Nail Lacquers in Gris Underground and Beige Gallery
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Ciel is classified as an herbal scent described as “ice vapor, iris powder, sweet dew, an enveloping and nostalgic fragrance.” To me this doesn’t quite fit the herbal category. It’s a soft airy fragrance with a hint of licorice. This one is calming.

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Infini is described as woody, “recalls an association of woods, incense, and spices, for a mystic fragrance.” There is a green-ness to this scent. It reminds me of GAP’s heaven and dream scents (from the 90s) mixed together. It has an earthy but fresh linen-like feel.

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Some decor and desktop photos of each candle, they make lovely accent pieces for the home. I love re-using the jars for brush or pen holders after they finish burning.

 Above tray by West Elm

I found mine at Nordstrom (gift with purchase going on online) and also spotted them at Barneys NY in Beverly Hills. I love each one, although my favorite is Joie. These are limited-edition, if you can get to your local Diptyque store or counter soon to smell in person I recommend it.

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Dior Mystic Metallics Vernis: Destin 382 and Galaxie 992

July 11, 2013
Dior Mystic Metallics brings us three new nail polishes, one in a magnetic-wave formula, two in the regular Dior formula. I purchased the two regular Dior Vernis shades in Destin 382 and Galaxie 992 ($24 each for 10 ml/0.33 fl oz, made in France). Both are stunning shades for fall. Destin 382 is a beautiful neutral mauve-grey shimmer with slight pinkish tones. Galaxie 992 is a beautiful plum metallic. Both are very smooth in finish with full coverage. Each shade has the perfect amount of shimmer – enough to be visible on the nail, but not too frosted or metallic. You may find similar colors in your collection however each shade is just so stunning – they are like updated classics, I think they are definitely must-haves for fall.

Swatches and comparisons for each shade, first up Destin 382. It’s a mauve but the complex shimmers make it look pinkish on the nails depending on the light. I love the color, it’s natural but not nude.

Galaxie 992 is a stunning berry vamp. I was hoping it would be a dupe for the limited-edition Love 928 shade from years past, but it’s not quite the same. Still, Galaxie is beautiful.

More comparisons on the full nail wheel in different light: Deborah Lippmann Good Girl Gone Bad, Dior Shadow, Dior Love, Dior Galaxie, Dior Icone, Chanel Gondola, Chanel Taboo, Chanel Vamp, Chanel Malice, Le Metier de Beaute Faraday, Deborah Lippmann Glamorous Life, Deborah Lippmann Modern Love, YSL Beige Leger, Dior Destin, Chanel Violette, Rescue Beauty Lounge Grunge, Guerlain Petite Robe Noire and Chanel Quartz.

I wore Destin over the weekend and I have Galaxie on my nails now. I can’t stop looking at my nails. Definitely must-haves. Demure enough for conservative offices, but enough oomph to not be completely boring. The formula is beautiful and the brush makes the shades extremely easy to apply. I didn’t test either for more than 5 days since I usually like to change nail colors frequently. I didn’t experience any tip-wear with Destin after 3 days of wear (using Deborah Lippmann’s Rehydrating Base Coat and Chanel’s Top Coat).
I found the colors in store at Nordstrom. They are both limited-edition.

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Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator

July 7, 2013
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Laura Mercier’s Dark Spell Collection for fall features a stunning glowy Face Illuminator in Spellbound ($42 for 10g/0.35 oz). Run immediately to your closest Laura Mercier counter to pick this one up. You may remember Rose Rendezvous (released back in 2011) sold out instantly. I suspect this one will be a fast seller as well.
Spellbound is a stunning rose-gold highlighter. It has incredible pigment that is visible on the skin even when brushed and blended. The shimmer is highly visible but it’s not quite as frosty as MAC’s Extra Dimension Skinfinish highlighters or Estee Lauder’s Gelee Highlighters. I’ve worn Spellbound over and under blush or bronzer and also as a highlight for the eyes. This is just so so gorgeous, words cannot describe this one. Lasting power is quite good and doesn’t turn your face into a glowy mess. I love that this one doesn’t emphasize pores like some metallics can. The application is quite smooth and lightweight.

Compared to other highlighters below. I find it most similar to Chanel Mouche de Beauté minus the glitter/sparkle and with a bit more finely milled shimmer/pigment. You can see that the shimmer isn’t quite as sharp as with some of the other highlighters. Pigment is hard to show because it blends in with my skintone but the pigment is very good with Spellbound.

Bottom line: back-up worthy. Be sure to check out the lovely reviews and swatches on The Non-Blonde and Best Things in Beauty.
Laura Mercier’s Dark Spell Collection has arrived in stores now. You can find Spellbound now online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Lauramercier.com. It’s listed as limited-edition so I suggest you order sooner than later so you don’t miss out.

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