Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

Diorskin Nude Glow – Healthy Glow Summer Powder in Aurora 001 and Sunset 002

April 22, 2011

The summer collections this year have some of the most beautiful bronzers I have ever seen. I’ve been trying to find Aurora and Sunset everywhere – it appears Saks received their items first in the US and finally Nordstrom just received them this week. (On Saturday Aurora and Nude Tan Quint were both sold out already.) Being the bronzer-obsessive woman that I am, I jumped on both bronzing powders, Aurora 001 and Sunset 002.

The Diorskin Nude Glow Healthy Glow Summer Powder couldn’t be better named. They both give a warm healthy glow. Each shade has a beautiful woven pattern with four different shades in each. Both have visible shimmer and if you swipe your finger into the palette you will see a highly pigmented frost. On the skin, however, the shimmer tones down and you get a beautiful glow. The shimmer, to me, is barely detectable on the face.

Aurora 001 is the lighter softer version with soft peach and different shades of brown and tan. It’s fairly warm, not quite peach, not quite brown, but a peachy-brown hybrid.

Sunset 002 is darker, warmer, deeper and it was borderline orangey when applied with a heavy hand – but I have gotten a bit of color so I think this will be gorgeous on Chanel Beiges/NC35’s (not quite there yet, but almost!). A bit of blending out and it looks just fine on me but I don’t mind a strong bronzer. I always want to be more tan, and unfortunately I’m really fair right now!

Side by side, blurry but hope you can see the undertone:

I couldn’t find any dupes. The woven pattern makes this easy to mix and blend all the colors together so you don’t end up with stripes on the face. Plus the combination of colors makes both of these unique.

Comparison Set 1: MAC Shooting Star MSF, MAC So Ceylon MSF, Dior Sunset 002, Dior Aurora 001, MAC Sunny By Nature MSF, MAC Warmed MSF, MAC Gold Deposit MSF

Comparison Set 2: Le Metier Maldives Magic, MAC Refined Matte Suntan, Dior Sunset 002, Dior Aurora 001, MAC Refined Golden, NARS Irresistiblement

Lucky girl Café Makeup has been able to play with Dior Summer for a few weeks since she found them in Paris. Definitely check out her series to see what Aurora looks like on Liz and Amy’s arm (both are lighter and cooler toned than me).

Overall I love both. I think once I get to be at NC35 I will be able to wear the Aurora 001 and have it show up. Sunset 002 is darker and more orangey but not too orangey for me. If you’re fair like Chanel Cameo or MAC NC30 – it may too much for you.

For reference, I’m currently Chanel Shell Teint Innocence, in between MAC NC30-35. My arm underneath is probably closer to a NC30 because the sun does not hit that area.

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Meeting Edward Bess

April 21, 2011

I’ve been enamored with Edward Bess since 2009 (first posts here and here) but I had never met Edward Bess or seen any of his products in person at Bergdorf Goodman. Everything I’ve fallen in love with has been ordered sight-unseen. From my first phone call (long before they knew I had a blog), I’ve been thoroughly impressed by their excellent customer service, spot-on descriptions and never ending patience with my questions about the colors, depth, pigment and texture of their products.

I’ve been dying to go to NY to see everything in person but my school and work schedules have not allowed me much travel freedom in the past 3 years. I have relied heavily on Susan from Bergdorf Goodman and Krista (no longer at BG) with their over-the-phone descriptions. They have always given me a good idea of what to expect and the products usually exceed my expectations. I was thrilled to learn that his brand recently expanded to a new location at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills and was ecstatic to learn he would be making an appearance the same weekend I had planned to be in LA.

Meeting Edward Bess was surreal. Those who have had the pleasure of working with him know how wonderful, charming and beautiful he is both over the phone and in person. My friend of Jonesy and I were delighted to meet two of his artists, Leah and Jaime – both insanely gorgeous (inside and out) and talented makeup artists (trained from the best)! While I was at the counter, I observed at least 5 other women of all different ages and skintone who had their makeup done with Edward Bess products – each left glowing. The products enhanced their natural beauty in a way that was nothing short of radiant perfection.

Even though I was captivated by Edward, I tried to take note of what was being used on others. A darker skinned woman looked glowing with Deep Lust lipstick and Night Eyeshadow. A fairer skinned girl looked gorgeous with Blush Allure Lipstick topped with Sweet Dreams Gloss combined with Island Rose Compact Rouge on the cheeks. Another was wearing what I assume had to be his Midnight Bloom lipstick, a touch of bronzer and a classic simple eyeliner. All gorgeous!

Edward Bess:

I could go on and on gushing but I know everyone has been dying to know what Edward used when he did my makeup (yes, the highlight of my day!!). I was so caught up chatting with him I barely noticed he was applying my makeup. His makeup skills are phenomenal – have you checked out his video tutorials yet? (See them on EdwardBess.com.) What he used on me:

Skin:
Sheer Satin Foundation in Beige
All Over Seduction in Sunlight to highlight here
Ultra Luminous Bronzer in Daydream here, here

(everyone wanted this applied on them!)
Blush Imperiale in Soft Orchid here and here

Eyes:
Eyebase in the lightest shade (not yet released, to be named soon)
Ultra Luminous Eyeshadow in Storm on lids here
Ultra Luminous Eyeshadow in Mirage to highlight here
Defining Eyeliner in Deep Black (not shown)
Bess-Lash Mascara in Deep Black (not shown)

Lips:
Deep Shine Lip Gloss in Nude Satin here

I believe I’ve reviewed most of the listed items before – it will require a bit of searching through the archives if you want more details but below are pictures and swatches of the items that he used on me – only of the items I own. Disclosure: all items have been purchased by me. Brushes and foundation are new, they will be reviewed at a later date. I do not have the eye base, black eyeliner or black mascara so I supplemented the swatch with Urban Decay’s Zero. The foundation has been swatched in the corner to show you it’s not quite as dark as an untouched compact looks.

Three views of the swatches:

I left with great ideas on how to coordinate his products in ways I hadn’t thought of before. Hours later when I arrived back at home, my husband said he loved the makeup Edward used on me – a huge compliment as he typically says “they used too much” after most makeovers. The look was husband-approved all the way 🙂

Having his entire line in front of me for the first time, I should have played with more but in my excitement I forgot to try his concealer and the lipsticks and glosses I do not own. I will have to save them for my next visit, hopefully at the Bergdorfs counter in NYC. Women were swooning over the counter and all his products eager to try each and every item and his bronzer was selling like crazy. I believe it has reached holy grail status for more than just myself – and rightly so.

I had so many questions I wanted to ask Edward – unfortunately they all went right out the window. I was simply too caught up in the excitement speaking with him and his staff, seeing his line in person for the first time was overwhelmingly fun. I forgot all the things I wanted to ask him. I was floored when he told me practically everyone who visits his counter in NY mentions my blog and that even UK bloggers at his Zuneta launch event were buzzing about my small Beauty Look Book blog. Thank you to my readers for your support!

To Edward, Leah and Jaime – thank you so much for your kindness and help! Laura and I were thrilled to meet each of you and were happily noted your counter was the busiest at Neimans! It’s fabulous the Edward Bess brand is doing so well in Beverly Hills and we wish you all the best and are eagerly looking for your eye bases to be released very soon 🙂

Have you met Edward Bess? Please share!

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Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Lipstick – Barneys New York

April 20, 2011

Barneys New York is always nice to browse every now and then to check out brands that are hard-to-find such as Lipstick Queen, By Terry, Serge Lutens and Eve Lom to name a few. This weekend I made a new discovery: Koh Gen Do, a Japanese brand that had its beginnings from a salon in Tokyo. I was surprised to learn 2011 marks their 25th anniversary. According to their company website, it appears they have had IMATS exhibits since 2008 and launched at Barneys Beverly Hills and Madison Avenue in 2010 – but I had never heard about this brand before.

I was drawn by their clean simple display and once I saw the Asian name, I stopped to ask if they had a makeup brush line (I found out not yet). I decided to start small with two of their Maifanshi Lipsticks in Pink Beige BE01 and Pink Rose PK01 (supposed to be their best sellers), but soon found out the prices weren’t so “small.” These come in a small sleek black tube retail for $39 each (0.12 oz. / 3.5 g) and contain no artificial colors, fragrance, petroleum-based mineral oil or paraben. I could not detect any scent. These have a sheer smooth soft glossy finish but the pigment on the lips is just incredible.

These feel amazing on the lips (think along the lines of Dior’s Serum de Rouge). I don’t think my lips have ever felt better. Compared to a few other sheer glossy lipsticks, the Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Lipsticks have:

less slip than Chanel Rouge Coco Shines
more shine than MAC’s discontinued slimshines
softer texture than the new Dior Addicts

Size comparisons:

They make the lips just glow and are moisturizing yet lightweight. The packaging recommends that you do not twist up the tube too high to avoid breakage. These swatched sheer on the hand but applied flawlessly on the lips for a natural tint. There is not really any shimmer in these but if you look at the tubes closely you can see a slight hint of shimmery sheen.

Sheen, not shimmer:

Pink Beige BE01 is a sheer soft peachy beige:

Pink Rose PK01 is a lovely soft rose:

Overall these were extremely pricey but the texture just can’t be beat. However, the high price points will most likely prevent me from exploring this more in the near future. I didn’t find the colors super unique, but they do look flawless on the lips and require no extra tweaking (always a plus). Have you tried this brand before?

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The Scent Bar – Los Angeles (Lucky Scent)

April 18, 2011

My dear friend Laura has been raving about The Scent Bar – Lucky Scent for years and this weekend we finally made a point to visit it together. This was my first visit and it was truly wonderful (aka perfume heaven). When it comes to fragrances I am overwhelmed, slightly intimidated and utterly lost. If you ask me what I like I will be at a loss for words – I just know it when I smell it. I have recently started to explore the world of scent a bit more with simple fragrances from Chloé, Tocca and Jo Malone, but perfume is something I know little about. If you are ever in LA, make The Scent Bar a top priority to visit for the ultimate perfume experience. I highly recommend reading Nathan Branch’s Interview with Franco Wright (co-owner of Lucky Scent) and another interview from We Heart This: Behind the scenes with Lucky Scent/Scent Bar.

For my experience and thoughts: The retail space is small and quaint but they carry walls of perfumes organized by notes. Seeing all the bottles lined up was just beautiful. There is a bar to sample fragrances. We spent about two hours with Rachel and Steve – both walking encyclopedias on fragrances. Rachel’s knowledge of all the scents and brands was astounding. Her ability to pick out the right fragrances for the two of us (Laura and me) was almost magical. It was almost like a two hour tutorial on fragrance. Those who have been to Lucky Scent know that no words can really describe the experience.

Walls of heaven:

After each whiff we would analyze what we smelled. Then Rachel and Steve would pull something else for us to compare with different undertones. They made both of us feel completely at home. I think we could have spent all day there.

I cannot remember all the brands we sampled but the two that stood out to me were Serge Lutens and Keiko Mecheri. Amy from Café Makeup, Josie and Laura have all gushed, swooned and raved non-stop about Serge Lutens. I felt drawn to the Bois de Violette, Fleurs d’Oranger, Louve and Un Bois Vanille – but I was looking for something a bit lighter and less complex. Something without too much spice.

I discovered Keiko Mecheri’s fragrance line for the first time. I’ve read about some of her scents on The Non-Blonde and Nathan Branch before but since this is a hard to find brand, I had never paid much attention. Every fragrance we smelled from Keiko Mecheri was exquisite. Her website KeikoMecheri.com has an interesting sampling program which I am anxious to explore.

Hours later (yes hours), Laura and I had narrowed down our selection to several Keiko Mecheri fragrances. I personally loved:

Les Nuits d’Izu (part of the Les Hesperidés line) – with notes of Yuzu, Rose japonica, jasmine, littoral moss, hinoki, musk
Hanae (part of her Les Eaus Tendres) – notes include white petals, Japanese grapefruit (yuzu), wildberries, crystalline musk
Peau de Péche (part of her Les Eaus Tendres) – notes of white peach, orris powder, sandalwood, amber wood

I left with Les Nuits d’Izu and a few samples of other Keiko Mecheri and Serge Lutens. I am not the best at describing fragrances, the Les Nuits d’Izu is light and fresh with a subtle hint of rose. The musk, jasmine and citrus hint from yuzu blends well with the rose so it’s not too floral. The musk and citrus stay the longest on the skin while the others fade, but overall I found the lasting power to be extremely good.

I already have my eye on Hanae which layered beautifully with Les Nuits d’Izu, but I must be good and use up what I have acquired. I cannot rave enough about our perfume experience at The Scent Bar. It was truly unique and the attention and service we received was phenomenal.

Have you been to The Scent Bar before? What are your favorite discoveries from Lucky Scent? I’m all ears to hear about your experiences there.

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The Dry Bar – West Hollywood

April 17, 2011

My friend from Jonesy Loves and I have been planning our one-day LA extravaganza for weeks. She has a knack for discovering the most interesting things in fashion and hair styling and on the list of must-do’s was to try out the DryBar – a blow dry bar concept salon. Before going, we did our research. I found these resources helpful:

The Honeybee {Andee, we love your blog!}
The Fresh Fiends {cute video}

Johns Journal {great review and photos}

Arizona Foothills Magazine {nice before & after video}

The experience at the Drybar in Hollywood was amazing for me. The atmosphere was so inviting and the results were great. We went on a Saturday morning and it was packed when we got there. Luckily we had appointments early in the day and did not have to wait at all.

What is the Drybar? Their tagline is “No cuts. No color. Just blowouts. Only $35.” I can’t find a better way to describe it.

What happens at the Drybar? The staff does everything to make you feel welcome and at ease. When you walk in you are greeted and offered a drink (water, tea, coffee, mimosas or plain juice). There is a cute waiting area in the front and once your stylist is ready, they sit you down in a bar area and show you a menu and lookbook with style options to choose from. They have options ranging from straight and sleek to messy beachy to lots of loose curls. Each style has a fun bar-themed name like Mai Tai or Cosmo. There are step up options such as an extra 10 minute head massage that they call the Floater. After you pick what style you want, they shampoo and wash your hair

What I loved: The decor is bright and beautiful. The stylists make your hair look amazing. Every girl that came into the salon left with gorgeous hair that just shined and looked so flowy. The price is right. You can’t beat $35 even if you just try it once. They pamper you with magazines, a beverage of your choice and a movie while styling your hair – I could not have asked for a better experience.

Entrance area for check-in:

The menu:

The waiting area:

The dry bar area, complete with flat screen (they were playing Pretty Woman) & hooks underneath for your purses!

I asked for a combination of the Manhattan (sleek and smooth) with a little bit of Mai Tai (messy beachy) at the ends. The result was a lot more volumized and curly than I’m used to so I asked my stylist to smooth it out for a more straightened look. I’m super low maintenance and super chicken when it comes to hair experimentation and have my hair cut 2 times (maybe 3 times) per year. At the Drybar I probably could have done something more curly or wavy – maybe next time.

The left is photo is right after our appointment. The right side is late evening.

Another close up from late evening:

Bottom line: I’m now a fan! I would definitely go again for a special occasion or with girlfriends just for fun. Check out their website TheDryBar.com for more photos, info and locations. All photos taken by me.

Have you been to a Dry Bar yet? If so what were your thoughts?

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Today Was Epic

April 17, 2011

Today was an amazing girls’ day out in Beverly Hills packed with of all sorts of goodness. We hit up the Dry Bar, Lucky Scent, Barneys, Saks, Neimans and fit in a delicious lunch in between. LA can be very interesting and as many have noted, it is its own universe. I’m deliriously exhausted, but in a good way. Definitely glad to be back home but already looking forward to my next trip 🙂

Today’s highlight: I met my idol, THE Mr. Edward Bess today and he did my makeup! More to come soon. {Photo above should be labeled “The Beauty Look Book was here”, they wanted to put my Miu Miu in Edward’s display case, lol!}

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Chanel Summer Glossimers in Pink Peony, Pensée and Aurore

April 16, 2011

I’ve been eagerly waiting for the Chanel summer glossimers ever since I saw them on Karlasugar’s preview. Thanks to a few others, we got a sneak peek from Best Things in Beauty and The Bethesda Bliss – both of whom described them spot on. Also check Karlasugar’s swatches. The colors this summer are super sheer with lots of sparkle. I agree with Best Things in Beauty when she describes these as “lipstick toppers.” Alone they will give a slight sparkle and sheen. Over lipsticks they will enhance and illuminate and give that extra oomph for a pretty pout. I’ve taken a few different shots in different lighting hoping you’ll be able to see how the sparkles catch the light. (Above photo is in direct sunlight.)

Pink Peony 267 is a rosey shimmer
Pensée 277 is a brighter coral peach
Aurore 287 is a light pink-opal with a gold sheen

Swatched you can see how they blend out for a sheer finish, I’m finding these glossimers smoother and less tacky/sticky feeling than the traditional glossimer, has anyone else noticed the thinner texture?