All Posts By

Sabrina

Uncategorized

NARS New Order Highlighting Blush Powder and Laguna Multiple for Summer 2011

May 8, 2011

NARS has released quite a few items this summer including their Summer 2011 Collection, Portrait of Paradise mini collection, Makeup Your Mind – Express Yourself Book, a number of kits to go with their new book (on Nordstrom.com) and a new I Will Survive Kit (with a new exclusive Deep Throat Lipgloss).
In addition to the two duos, I also picked up New Order Highlighting Blush Powder ($27) and the Laguna Multiple ($39). My thoughts are mixed.

Swatched on bare skin (no base):

First up: New Order Highlighting Blush Powder. I had high hopes for this from the promo photos and descriptions. Negative reviews have been floating around various blogs with detailed descriptions, photos and swatches explaining why this blush is less than fabulous. I should have listened. There were no testers at the counter and when the sales associate opened the compact for me to see, it looked like magical fairy dust. The shimmer did not look chunky. I thought, maybe I can make this work for me, even if it’s just on the eyes. Turns out – I can’t. There is barely any color to the pink base and the shimmer/glitter while not chunky, is simply too much. It reminds me of the Night Series eyeshadows. The glitter just falls off the face & flies everywhere.

On the eyes, I applied it over a wet base (MAC’s Bare Study Paint Pot). It shows more promise on the eyes yet still mainly shows glitter. This blush had the potential to be huge if it was anything like Albatross in finish. For me, thumbs down. I don’t want to return it because it’s simply stunning in the compact. I keep thinking there will be a way to make this work. Unfortunately, I don’t think there is a way.



Next: Laguna Multiple. I used Laguna Bronzer daily through my college years. I’ve loved the Laguna Illuminator. Of course I had to try the Multiple Version which I find very close to the powder. The shimmer is very noticeable although not as shimmery as South Beach or St. Barts. It blends out a bit more so you get a visible tan, but not frost.


Compared, L to R: St Barts Multiple, Laguna Multiple, Laguna Illuminator, Laguna Bronzer Powder (swatched heavy over moisturizer), South Beach Multiple

New Order and Laguna:


Have you tried either of these? Thoughts? Have you been able to make New Order work for you, if so, please share!

11 Comments
Uncategorized

NARS Dogon & Exotic Dance Duos for Summer 2011

May 6, 2011


NARS Summer Duos in Dogon and Exotic Dance ($33 each) have been featured in so many awesome blogs I didn’t even need to test them in person to know that they would be must-haves for me. Many thanks to Makeup Magpie, Joeybunny, Karlasugar, British Beauty Blogger and Get Lippie to name a few for sneak peeks! (Links to their features have been included.)

Dogon has been an enigma to me since it looks different on each and every skintone. I believe it is universally flattering though and the beauty of this palette is that I find it unique in it’s complex shimmer undertone. In the compact you see a silvery greige that flashes a slight hint of green plus a dark smokey navy-teal-blue. On the hands and eyes, the silvery side is a complex greyish silver that flashes a hint of multicolors like green, gold, silver. It’s hard to describe. The darker shade applies true to what you see in the pan. They layer beautifully together for a smokey eye. Not really what I envision for something “summery” but stunning nevertheless. Two views with different angles so you can see what I mean with the complexity of these colors. The shimmer and pigment is rich and applies very smooth.


Exotic Dance is just as stunning with the contrasting sharp white frost (slightly chunky in texture) and the warm gold tan shimmer. It seems very basic and classic to me yet I could not find another gold neutral or white similar in my stash. I believe they are unique because of the mixture of colors. I haven’t played with this one much on the eyes but what you see in the pan is pretty much true to what you get on the back of your hand. It’s also a stunner.




Swatched in brighter light:

Just a few comparisons to help you put these new summer duos on the map for color spectrum. First, NARS Rajasthan and NARS Dogon.


I couldn’t find any bright whites with shimmer, so here is Exotic Dance next to NARS Étrusque and Chantecaille Pyrite:

Comparisons swatched:

One last view of NARS Dogon & NARS Exotic Dance:

Overall love. Definitely winners in my opinion. I know many will ask if I had to pick one, would it be Dior or NARS or Armani for summer. Please don’t ask me to choose. Both Dior and NARS are equally beautiful for me and it would be impossible for me to pick my favorite. They are all very different, designed to create different looks. If you like neutrals go with the Dior, they are more expensive but you’ll get more colors. If you like duos and something simpler and easier to use go with the NARS. But I will say the colors are not as neutral.

I found these at Nordstrom but they did not have the GWP as advertised online instore.

20 Comments
Uncategorized

Le Metier de Beaute Ibiza & Ibiza

May 5, 2011

With all the new lipsticks coming out in sheer or glossy formulas I was craving something different for a change. I’ve had a few lipsticks from Le Metier de Beaute for quite some time but never really got into using them because the texture is more of hybrid matte-stain/lipstick kind of formula. They can be a bit dry when applying on the lips, even if the color is rich and the texture smooth once you actually have them on. So I pulled out my favorite Le Metier gloss in Ibiza and it’s counterpart in the lipstick formula – hence Ibiza and Ibiza. Both are soft warm shimmery pinks. The Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss ($32) version is very sheer and gives a soft tint with a high shine. The Colour Core Lipstick ($32) is a high frost complex coral-pink with silver shimmer (think along the frost lines of MAC Lamé, Sequin or Plastique).






Overall: I like Le Metier de Beaute Ibiza and Ibiza. The gloss is one of my favorites from the line. The price is high and formulas are ok though – nothing I feel is a must-have. I still prefer Chanel, Dior and Edward Bess.

7 Comments
Uncategorized

Loving Right Now: Spring Pinks

May 5, 2011


I’m loving spring pinks right now. I can’t get enough of them. They make me feel polished and brighten my skin in a soft and feminine way. A few favorites right now:

  • Chanel Riviera Le Vernis – reviewed here, featured here, compared to Rose Insolent here, duped here
  • Chanel Morning Rose Le Vernis – reviewed here and compared here
  • Chanel Aventure Rouge Coco Shine
  • Edward Bess First Kiss Lip Gloss – featured here
  • MAC Pleasantry Mineralized Blush – from 2008ish



Compared to Bobbi Brown Pale Pink (old packaging) for color reference:

Morning Rose feels like it’s a bit faded looking – I think it’s because of the top coat I used which is the Dior from the Electric Tropics duos, I feel as though it doesn’t help colors last and makes them look slightly faded. It looks amazing on the Dior, not so much on Chanels.

All swatched on the arm for reference:


What are some of your favorite pinks?

17 Comments
Uncategorized

Dior Summer 2011 Eyeshadow Palettes in Rosy Nude 534 and Rosy Tan 754

May 2, 2011

Dior hit it big this summer with their bronzers and quints, in particular with and Rosy Nude 534 and Rosy Tan 754. I’ve featured Aurora and Sunset here along with Aloha here and Paradise here. Many of you ask me season over season “who did it best this season?” For me it typically depends on product category. Often times I cannot pick my favorite because I tend to fall in love with multiples. But to answer the question: who did it best for the eyes for summer 2011? The answer: hands down, is DIOR! I haven’t been this excited about a Dior Quint since Iridescent Leather (Fall 2008) and Goldfever (Summer 2008). The quints for summer 2011 do not disappoint.

Rosy Nude 534 and Rosy Tan 754 ($58 each) are both the prettiest palettes of shimmery neutrals I think I have ever seen. Both are medium to high frost but look lovely on the eyes without being too glitzy. The texture is soft and smooth. Pigment is rich and easily blendable. I typically can only wear 3 shades at one time per quint – I consider my eye lid space small and especially since I have no visible crease – contouring abilities are limited without looking fake. With these quints, I still prefer 3 shades but the texture is layerable and blendable enough so I have been able to wear all 5 shades at once.

How do I wear these? There are a number of ways. In the few weeks I’ve had these, I’ve typically worn 3 shades (just pick 3 in any palette) and you can layer them together:
  • Method 1: apply lightest shade first 1/2 way up the lid, smudge darkest shade on top along lash line, apply medium shade above dark color to blend upwards
  • Method 2: apply any medium shade first and mix with the darkest color in each palette blending on lids, then apply a wash of a lighter color on top to give a glow
  • Method 3: just layer lightest to darkest in a gradient pattern (lightest all over, and blend each progressively darker shade on a smaller portion of the eye, ending with the darkest shade along the lash line smudged over a pencil liner)
Rosy Nude 534 is the lighter option with: shimmering cream, shimmering sandy champagne, glowing fawn, glittery peach-pink, soft candy powder pink.

Rosy Tan 754 has a high frost pink, shimmering deep chocolate with gold flecks, frosted cool creamy white, warm frosty taupe-tan, warm cocoa satin.


They are both must haves in my opinion. Even at the high price they are still must haves. To put it into perspective for product/cost.

  • Dior costs $58 for 5 shades, approximately $11.60 for 1.2 grams
  • MAC for a shadow pan costs $11 for 1.5 grams
While I’m always one to have an eye on brands who skimp on product, I do recognize that there is so much more to a product than just the quantity of product. Yet, even a high quality product that is way overpriced is like a punch in the stomach. That being said, to me, the Dior Quints are reasonably priced for the quality, packaging, color, texture, uniqueness and convenience. I don’t need a cream base for these to apply well, although layering over a cream shadow does extend the wear for me.

Make sure you check Amy’s gorgeous reviews if you missed them on Café Makeup. Here they are swatched on my arm without any moisturizer or base (applied with fingers):

Here are comparisons to a few other neutral quints by Dior. First set has Endless Shine (Holiday 2010) and Crush Glow (Summer 2010):

Second set has Elegante and Parisian Lights (Spring 2009):

Third set has Iridescent Leather (Fall 2008) and Earth Reflection (2008):

Swatched next to Crush Glow in sunlight:

Iridescent Leather, Earth Reflection and Rosy Tan:

Elegante, Parisian Lights, Endless Shine (note these aren’t as sheer as they look on my arm, the swatches are crummy plus I think these apply wonderfully on the eye – they just need a base for better application on the arm):

Those who are interested in a nice points program, check out the Dior Diva US program (save your original receipts, authorized retailers are listed on the website). I redeemed a bunch of receipts last year for the highest tier and the gift they sent was very generous.

Overall: Dior wins my heart for eyeshadows this summer. I didn’t even test Chanel’s summer quad (because of that lime green), although I did think Chanel won for spring. Dior’s Rosy Nude and Rosy Tan are versatile, gorgeous, and wearable for year round and for any occasion. The neutrals balance out well with brights for lips and cheeks but also work as the perfect accent for neutrals on the rest of the face.

21 Comments
Uncategorized

Giorgio Armani Mediterranean Eye Palette Summer 2011

April 28, 2011

Armani has established a long standing tradition of releasing a collection in their Bronze Mania/Mediterranean theme for summer each year. Armani has released their latest edition of the Mediterranean Palette in a four-pan eyeshadow quad for Summer 2011 ($59).

Going back as far as I can remember, Armani has released different variations of double-decker palettes for summer usually a bronzer and eyeshadow combination. I am excited this year they have released a full sized quad. Even more excited that this summer is one of the first seasons I’ve seen something appears to be something truly Armani. Something gorgeous, glowing and gloriously neutral. You might find these links interesting to see the history of Bronze Mania in the following awesome reviews:

The Summer 2011 Mediterranean Eye Palette has four shimmery summery shades. From top to bottom I would describe them as:
  • warm shimmery deep bronze
  • complex apricot champagne infused with a warm gold shimmer
  • warm coppery gold frost
  • warm champagne cream glow
The texture is soft. Pigment is rich. The colors are easily blendable. It’s stunning in the compact and on the back of the hand. The shades are amazing when you pick them up with your fingertips. There is a little instruction card that comes with the palette to give you ideas on how to create a day or night look. The verdict? I don’t think it’s a must-have. I’ll explain why below. First, here are the photos in direct sunlight and with a high flash:



Instructional card with helpful diagrams:

Swatched on a slightly moisturized arm, although no base was really needed to pick up the color:

Closer swatches so you can see the sheen:

So why am I not raving like crazy about this one? For some reason, warm shades like the ones in this palette simply blend together and melt into my skin so you can’t really see much. I need a good moist base and a slightly damp brush to apply wet for them to show up on my olive skin. Plus, I can only use 3 shades at most for these colors. Another thing – I noticed it looked very familiar and went through my quads in search of a dupe. I found it virtually identical to Chanel Spices. The Armani is more intense and more pigmented, but the effect is strikingly similar.

The differences are noticeable, but subtle:

I just know on my eyes, both quads will look identical. If you have pinkish undertones or fair skin, I think this will be *the perfect* combination of colors for you. I envision it will be stunning on blue-eyed and green-eyed girls. As much as I love neutrals, it doesn’t really show up on my eyes. Your mileage may vary. I worry when some really take to heart when I say I’m not in love with something. I don’t want you to write something off simply because I do. As other bloggers have noted in their reviews, this is a beautiful palette. Indeed it is. Due to the vastness of my stash, I knew there was a likely chance that I would have something similar.

If you liked the colors in Chanel Spices but don’t like Chanel quads, this Armani is the one for you. The texture is more blendable than the Chanel and more visible on the skin so it will stand out more on most of you (even if it just blends away into nothingness on me). Armani is more pigmented/intensified so it’s slightly better for the wear.

All in all the quality is still amazing. The pigment is surprisingly good. The texture is to die for. I’ll figure out a way to play with the colors and layer them to make them show up better. I already have ideas of layering these with a few of those powder/cream Eyes to Kill Hybrids that I think will be interesting.

At the time of this post, I don’t think it’s online yet. I found mine at Neiman Marcus instore. I did not check out the other items in the collection so I can’t comment on those. I’m still smitten with Chanel and Dior. More on the Dior quints soon. If you have an Armani counter near you GO and play with this to decide for yourself 🙂

13 Comments
Uncategorized

A Few Questions Answered

April 27, 2011
What kind of camera do you use? I use a Sony Cyber-Shot Carl Zeiss 8.1 Mega Pixel digital camera, I’m not sure of the exact model but the top says DSC-N1. The lense says 2,8-5,4/7,9-23,7. It was given to me as a gift around 2005. Update – all photos are taken with either the auto or forced flash settings. Photoshop is used for all photo editing. As many have noted, you don’t need a super expensive camera to take decent photos! Play with lighting, angles, zooming – the fun is in the experimentation.

What’s your favorite brand? I don’t have one favorite, but these are my current top picks: Chanel, Dior, Edward Bess, NARS.

Can you post pictures of your eye makeup? I’ve tried numerous times and they just don’t turn out so great. So, no, sorry.

Have you written your update on Chanel Vitalumière Aqua? Yes. See it here. It’s no replacement for Teint Innocence, but it’s the next best thing in my opinion. I am still crying over the discontinuation of Chanel’s Teint Innocence Liquid Foundation. I’ve stocked up on 4 back up bottles.

How do you find the right nail polish for your skintone? My answer is two-fold. 1) I don’t think there is a right or wrong color for skintone, it’s just a matter of personal preference 2) My personal preference is subject to occasion, mood and mostly a matter of being brave to try almost anything (except certain green, blue and yellow). But then I could be completely wrong in what I like. I’ve definitely had occasions I’ve fallen in love with a color to be told by close ones I trust, “that’s not good with your skintone.”

How do you like Edward Bess Daydream Bronzer? I feel like a broken record saying this yet again, but it is my holy grail of bronzers. If you do a blog search, you will find a number of features, swatches and reviews on this beauty. Note I am a Southern California girl who loves the sun and always prefers to be tan. My personal style is natural but for bronzer I will do anything from a soft to a dramatic bronzer. I don’t stick to one look for anything, bronzer included. The Edward Bess bronzers are extremely versatile and layerable.

Is the EB Daydream better than the new bronzers from Chanel or Dior? I cannot say whether I think one is better than the other – they are all unique and different in their own way. I find EB Daydream is my go-to staple (my personal current favorite) but the Chanel and Dior are equally gorgeous. I do personally believe the Daydream is more universally flattering for fair to medium skintones. Everyone has a different preference for what they envision the perfect bronze to look like, I cannot tell what will look best on you, I only know Edward Bess’ Daydream looks good on everyone I’ve seen it on (I’ve probably observed it on about 10 different faces). This is not to say the EB Daydream is better or the best. I think there are a number of other great bronzers out there. I lived on NARS Laguna through my college days and still love it. MAC Golden and Bronze are fabulous natural looking bronzers that are soft and glowy (and very affordable). Armani has great bronzers. Right now my favorite is the Edward Bess.

Can you link my blog and/or website or can I write a guest post for you? At this time I do not take guest posts and I like to keep my blog advertising free other than consumer to consumer. I will link outside of my blog when I feel it is relevant to what I am writing about. I do not appreciate aggressive bloggers who pressure me to link them. This is one reason why I do not publish comments with spam links.

Do you receive special perks or treatment for being a blogger? No, I do not. I’ve only told a very small handful of people who I am (literally less than I can count on my fingers). They kindly respect my privacy. For PR lists, I think I’m on a total of only 4, which may be surprising to many of you. I have not actively requested to be added to PR lists. I’ve been invited to a small select few and of those few, I am very selective (you will note if you search hard through my blog I have only featured 2 items that were sent for review).

I’m a new blogger, can you check out my blog and tell me what to change and how to get more traffic? First, welcome to the blogging world! Second I think all of us always wonder about hits and web traffic. I’m not one who has really figured it out. Patience is key and I will say if you’re mostly concerned about traffic you’re starting off on the wrong foot. Third, I’m flattered you would ask for my opinion about your blog – but I believe blogging is a personal process you need to discover on your own. Even after a couple months, many are impatient wanting to get it perfect right away. Appreciate that you are doing something creative on your own and be original. Don’t try to mimic someone else. Almost 2 years later, I’m still developing my own blogging style.

Can you show more pictures of your dogs? It’s hard to get both my JRTs to sit still together in one spot. I would love more photos of my pups, but I tend to get pictures of only one at a time. They just have way too much excitement! Here’s one with their baby from several years ago. His first baby steps.

12 Comments