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Sabrina

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Spring to Summer Colors for Eyes and Cheeks

March 27, 2011

Bright blushes are a definitely must-have for me, although I usually layer two colors for more depth and dimension. Most of the time I will layer a soft wash of bright over a bronzer. For eyes I don’t really wear brights. The brightest shades I have are golds or pinky-peachy shimmers. I’ll feature a few non-neutrals, but for bright eye colors I’m a bit lacking.

Bright pink blushes (L to R)*: NARS Angelika, MAC Pink Swoon, NARS Desire, Chanel Tweed Fuschia

Bright peaches (also see my peach obsession here): NARS Taj Mahal, MAC Style , Bobbi Brown Coral Shimmer Blush, NARS Gilda


Bright corals (clockwise from left): NARS Cactus Flower Cream Blush, Guerlain Série Noire Blush G, Bobbi Brown Pink Coral Shimmer Wash, MAC Fleur Power

Brighter eye colors for me (not necessarily bright for everyone): NARS Goldfinger, NARS Étrusque, MAC Pink Bronze Pigment* (note the picture has been corrected, it’s Pink Bronze, not Pink Gold), Edward Bess Escape (which isn’t bright but I put it in just for a color reference)


The next and final part of this series will include a few tips and look ideas of how I incorporate brights with neutrals.

* Those who follow me on Twitter know that I no longer have my NARS Angelika Multiple since my Jack Russell pup Lucy ate it. Thanks to all who have asked about her! She is fine and dandy just like the vet assured me over the phone. In fact she is acting like it was any other puppy treat. The picture above at the very top was taken pre-puppy-consumption.
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Spring to Summer Sheer-Bright Colors for Lips

March 25, 2011

For lips, I like to wear sheer see-through colors for brights. What I like (left to right from above): NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in New Lover, Dior Addict in Model 564, NARS Angelika Lip Gloss, Chanel Nakkar Glossimer, Chanel Pink Pulsion Glossimer (see it here) Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer in 08 Bouquet, Bobbi Brown Hot Pink Lip Gloss, Edward Bess Island Rose Compact Rouge.

Swatched on arm, same order, in direct sunlight:

One more view, with flash:

I haven’t done lip-swatches of all the colors yet, but here are the ones I do have:

NARS New Lover (also here), this is a unique shade that looks different on everyone. It looks so different on my hand compared to my lips. See it on Cafe Makeup on Liz who is fairer and slightly cooler toned (here) while this is what it looks like on me below:

Nars Angelika Lip Gloss:

Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer 08 (looks brighter in real life, flash washed out color a bit, all my Paul & Joe Lip Lacquers here they are among my favorite lip glosses, I have almost every color):

Edward Bess Island Rose Compact Rouge (also here and swatched for Karlasugar here):

I apologize if all the links have you clicking in too many places. I’ve just referenced them in case you wanted to see more detailed reviews or comparison from past reviews. Have a happy Friday!
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Spring to Summer Brights for Nails

March 24, 2011

I’m known for loving neutrals. Bright colors are usually not my thing unless its on the fingers, toes or blush {I love bright blushes}. I’m doing a three-part series for the brights that I love and adore {for Debra who requested a summer brights feature}. Part 1 features bright nails in orange, pink and red. It’s too early to be thinking about summer but brights on nails can be pulled off in any season.

I’ve linked previous reviews and features. There are a few I’ve republished below along with a few new mani-pedi pictures.
  • Chanel Riviera – reviewed compared and dupe attempts here and here
  • Chanel Coromandel – reviewed here

Dior Cabaret Pink – see it here too

Chanel Pulsion – swatched, compared and reviewed here

Chanel Enthusiast – pedicure here

Chanel Orange Fizz – manicure here

Chanel Melrose (no longer available)

Rescue Beauty Lounge Coral – shown below

I believe you can still find all the shades currently except for Chanel Enthusiast, Riviera and Melrose. Riviera is very close to Chanel’s Rose Insolent and Dior’s Cabaret Pink though. Are you wearing bright colors right now?
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The Beauty Look Book’s Guide to Edward Bess

March 24, 2011

Edward Bess has a beautifully edited, sophisticated and classic beauty line. I first discovered his products while flipping through a Bergdorf Goodman catalog and was instantly intrigued by the sleek black lipstick tubes all lined up in a row. I googled it but to my dismay, found it was only available in NYC. I could not see the items in person. Thanks to LeslieCZ, Alexa, Leanne, Blogdorf Goodman, Fab Over Forty among other Edward Bess fans, I was able to get the scoop. Several gave me wonderful recommendations and urged me to contact the Edward Bess counter Bergdorf Goodman. I’m so glad I did. I’ve never met a more helpful team of artists. On each and every occasion that I’ve called them, they have given helpful descriptions and recommendations over the phone as they listened to me describe my tastes/likes/dislikes. They put me completely at ease ordering items sight-unseen.

The items from Edward Bess are classics and naturally flattering. They are reliable staples in my beauty wardrobe and versatile to create a number of different looks.

Many of you have asked for my own recommendations of what I like from Edward Bess. I thought I’d put together a resource page of what I’ve tried that has been reviewed since I can imagine what a hassle it must be to search through over 600 posts =) I’ve loved almost everything I’ve tried (with the exception of the original mascara). I hope this helps!

Where to buy & info

Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills, EdwardBess.com (prices, full collection and other locations on his website)

Eyeshadows: Ultra Luminous Eyeshadow & Trios
Lips: Ultra Slick Lipstick & Deep Shine Lipgloss
Cheeks: Compact Rouge, Blush Imperiale, Ultra Luminous Bronzer, All Over Seduction
Sets (Limited Edition)

Guest Reviews & Misc.

The Beauty Look Book’s Top Five Favorites from Edward Bess
(only because so many have asked)

Daydream Bronzer (my holy grail)
Pure Impulse Lipstick
Forever Yours Lipstick
Dusk Eyeshadow
Soft Smoke Eyeshadow Trio
Island Rose Compact Rouge (oops, six!)

* Tip – Yes, the price points are high, but Bergdorf Goodman occasionally puts together beauty events and gift-card events, many times with nice gift-with-purchases. Their GWPs are usually one full-sized item (they pick out the item) and occasionally they have a step-up gift. I think their next one is in April.
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Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Intense: 2, 4, 8 and 9

March 22, 2011

My picks from the new Armani Eyes to Kill Intense release: #2 Red Lust, #4 Pulp Fiction, #8 Champagne and #9 Rock Sand ($32 each). Armani has extended their color selection for the Eyes To Kill shadows from Holiday 2010 (#13 and #15 here). These are a hybrid powder-cream type of shadow with a lightweight almost sponge-like texture. They are highly metallic and richly pigmented with a long-lasting finish. To me these are high-performance eyeshadows – they deliver much more than the average shadow.

(click for large viewing of the beautiful multi-colored speckles)

Descriptions then thoughts: Each shade has a complex mixture of metallics. The resemble beautiful speckled eggs. #2 Red Lust is a blackened plum with red flecks, #4 Pulp Fiction is a highly metallic blueish grey with red and silver flecks, #8 Champagne is a silvery pink with flecks of metallic pink and silver, #9 Rock Sand is a champagne-peachy color with darker peach flecks and silver/gold sparkles.

I played with these over the past few days layering them on top of each other (two shades at the most, first the lighter shade then darker shade on top). Overall I’m extremely impressed with the lasting power. In terms of the colors, I prefer the darker ones for the eyes. The lighter shades are super metallic and frosty – a bit too much for my taste. I did mix a non-shimmer flesh shade (Bobbi Brown Shore) with a paler Armani ETK (#8) by mixing them together on the fingers which helped to minimize the frost. They are lovely colors and office appropriate – just not quite as finely milled as Chanel’s Ombrees de Perles from Spring {love and reviewed here}.

Close ups, swatches and one comparison set:

Close ups of 2, 8 and 9 (both 8 and 9 are similar, 8 is more pink while 9 is more peach):

New picks + last holiday’s shades arm-swatched with finger:

Comparisons of the silvery and lighter colors below. Bobbi Brown Galaxy is warmer and sheerer compared to #2 Pulp Fiction. For the lighter shades I recommend clicking below for larger viewing. MAC Vintage Selection is more pinkish/mauve, MAC Bare Study almost looks like a white gold compared to #8/#9, MUFE Aqua #13 is even more metallic and pigmented but lacks the complex multi-color sparkles the Armani have which makes it more of a silvery-champagne finish.

Are these must-haves? I think I am happier with the shades from Holiday mainly because I found them more wearable but there are quite a few lovely shades from this new collection. The shimmer/metallic/frost factor isn’t a deal-breaker (like Bobbi Brown Metallic Creams were for me) – I just think those iffy on high-metallic finish shadows should definitely try these on the eyes first (not just on the hand) before deciding whether or not to buy. The upside of these is that they are super long lasting. I had no fading or smudging on the days I’ve tried mine. I can’t report on the crease-factor as I have no crease in my lids.
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Dior Vernis Perfecto 804 Comparisons

March 21, 2011

Dior Perfecto ($21), part of the Rock Your Nails Collection, is a dark grey-black cream with a slight blueish undertone. On the nails it goes on fairly dark and almost looks black. All the newly released shades have been swatched with and without the new Rock Coat here. Since Perfecto is already dark, I didn’t see much of a difference with the Rock Coat on top.

Here are a few swatches on the fingers to show you depth/intensity of Perfecto. L to R: Gris Montaigne, NY57th, Perfecto and Sephora by OPI Break A Leg-Warmer (two coats each for the Diors, but three coats for the Sephora by OPI)

A few more swatch comparisons all lined up: 1) Gris Montaigne, 2) NY57th, 3) Perfecto, 4) Blue Label, 5) Sephora by OPI Break A Leg-Warmer, 6) Chanel Black Velvet

Two coats each except the Sephora by OPI which needed three coats:

Overall Perfecto is a lovely dark cream finish grey. It’s so dark I can’t really get in the mood to wear it right now for spring or even summer. It’s not a pure black (when compared to something like Chanel Black Velvet) but pretty close. Not a must-have in my opinion unless you’re looking for a dark color that doesn’t scream pure goth. The texture and finish is wonderfully smooth and opaque though.
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Latest From Edward Bess: Mirage & Storm Eyeshadows

March 20, 2011

I have been eagerly waiting for the new eyeshadows Mirage and Storm to arrive from Edward Bess. Like many of his fans, I already own all his other shades in Nude, Intimate, Escape, Dusk, Night, Mystery (see here for swatches) along with both his trios Island Escape (here) and Soft Smoke (here) – all of which I get regular use out of. Those of you who have tried these know how luxurious, classic and naturally flattering they are. As much as I adore these, I have been looking forward to see something new. Gaia from The Non-Blonde and Charlestongirl from Best Things in Beauty satisfied my curiosity while I was waiting for these to arrive at my doorstep. Details, swatches and comparisons below.

Here they are finger swatched: Mirage is a soft luminous peachy shimmer with a slight hint of bronze and Storm is a satiny cool mauve grey silvery color. The pigment is natural but visible. I prefer to apply these with a soft brush but you can see how just my fingers pick up a lot of pigment.

There has been a packaging change with these shadows. The size of the compacts are the same, the only difference is the pan shape. I know many of you are wondering if the texture has changed. From my testing, I believe it has not – these are just as soft, luminous, glowy and blendable as ever. However the two shades for spring do have more shimmer than his previous shades. These retail for $30 each.



Mirage is a beautiful neutral peachy glow with a slight golden/bronze sheen. If you are looking for a true soft peachy-champagne, this is it. I would say this has a higher shimmer intensity compared to his other shadows, but it’s not overly frosty. Below is a comparison to Bobbi Brown Golden Peach Metallic Eyeshadow (which is similar, but more frosty and has a more whitish cast on the skin) and Edward Bess Escape (just for comparison purposes).

Storm is a cool grey color that has a slight mauvish-blue tint on my skin. It goes on a bit more shimmery on the skin than it looks in the compact, but like Mirage, it’s not overly frosty. I’ve compared it to Intimate and Burberry Rosewood. Swatches all the way at the bottom.

Swatched over Urban Decay’s Primer Potion (applied lightly on the arm):

Overall love. These are timeless colors and I am very excited to wear them this spring. Edward Bess can be found in the US at Bergdorf Goodman in NY. Check online at EdwardBess.com for a full list of retailers.

As a side note, many of you have asked me which are my top picks for his eyeshadows. That is a question I cannot answer as I love them all equally. I will say that his Soft Smoke Trio is the one of the few smoky-eye trios that I can pull off. Most traditional smoky eye palettes with cream/grey/black end up being too cool resulting in a tired-look. EB Soft Smoke is pure magic which is difficult to explain – it looks very basic in the compact but gives me the perfect smokey eye.

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