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Sabrina

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Le Metier de Beaute Corinthian Eyeshadow

August 10, 2010
It’s been a while since I’ve added anything to my Le Metier de Beaute collection, but raves and reviews from Josie and Gaia have peaked my interest. My newest discovery is their eyeshadow in Corinthian ($30) which I credit to Josie. (BTW have you checked out her new blog, The Eyes Have It?) Not having in-person access I had no idea what this looked like since there were no reviews or swatches online. She came across this at Bergdorf Goodman and e-mailed me that it was “the most beautiful taupe ever.” Immediately I was sold and ordered it online. It is indeed gorgeous. Complex, frosty, loaded with shimmer. It’s love. I can’t wait for her review and swatches to show up on her blog.


Here it is compared to some other Le Metier Eyeshadows Mulberry & Jojo. Also compared to MAC Satin Taupe and Bobbi Brown Brown Stone Metallic. No dupes in my opinion. The particles in Corinthian are so complex with silvers and taupes, swatches and photos cannot capture how beautiful it is.





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Inside My Bag

August 6, 2010

I’m the type of girl who changes my purse on a regular basis. This LV Vavin PM was my first Louis purchase back when I started my first job in 2003. I like the shape because it’s simple and streamlined. I’m always surprised how much I can pack into it considering how small it is. I do wish it was slightly bigger, but it works for me. LV had a bigger version, but both styles have now been discontinued.


Inside my LV Vavin PM:

LV Alexandra Wallet
Paul & Joe Makeup Bag
Trader Joe Candies
Sunglasses
Mini Calendar
L’Occitane Hand Cream
iPhone
J.Crew fall preview mailer booklet


Inside makeup bag:

Edward Bess Nude Satin Lipgloss
Edward Bess Eyeliner
Edward Bess Afterglow Highlighter
Chanel DPF Tender Bisque
Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Ming
Aquaphor
Diorshow Mascara
Chanel Cancun Aqualumiere

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Giorgio Armani Fall 2010 Picks For Me

August 4, 2010

When I saw that the fall collection from Armani had launched online, I knew I had to get the new Eyes to Kill Mascara in #5 Blue Grey Night ($30) and the Powder Blush Duo ($49). I’ve loved every single powder blush released by Armani and the new one for fall is exquisite. The Fall Quad ($59) purchase, I credit to Gaia from The Non-Blonde (see her sneak peek here) who has a way of creating major lemmings for me.
My sales associate called me as soon as they came in, which I highly appreciate (it pays to be a loyal customer). For some reason, Armani has been distributing extremely limited quantities of stock to the counters near me. For the past year they have received extremely limited stock and usually don’t get testers until months after they receive the product to sell. For this collection, she only received 3 blush duos and 3 quads. There were no testers, but being familiar with the quality of their eyeshadow quads and blushes, I didn’t need to test these before purchasing.


My thoughts on each item:

Eyes to Kill Mascara #5 (not swatched) – For this one they had a brand new tester so I eagerly tried this one out with a tester mascara wand. In the tube it’s a metallic smokey blue-grey. It goes on darker than it appears in the tube and looks lovely on the eyes. This is my first non-black mascara purchase. There are a number of gorgeous shades by Chanel (plum, bronze, aubergine, etc.) however, the formulas cannot compare to Armani’s Eyes to Kill (my all time favorite mascara). The Eyes to Kill Mascaras defines the lashes, thickens, lengthens and holds the curl. All without flaking or smudging or making the lashes feel brittle. It’s pure love and worth every single penny.

Maestro Eyeshadow Quad Fall 2010 – The pigment on this is incredible. The colors however are definitely out of my personal comfort zone. I think the combination of colors are odd for use all at one time. I really have no idea how I will be able to pull off all shades at once. I’m not sure that I think “fall” when I see it. The blue and navy makes me thing “nautical” which is not something I really associate with fall. Still the colors in the palette are stunning and unique to Armani (see comparisons to Maestro Singles 6, 21 and 33 below). In it there is a denim-colored shimmery bright navy, smokey deep brown with plum, pale silvery blue, shimmery olive almost khaki colored brown. The artist suggested mixing the navy and dark brown together for a smokey eye.

Blush Duo Fall 2010 – Lovely fresh hot pink with a soft pale pink. In typical Armani Blush style, soft texture/finish, natural semi-sheer finish, makes the cheeks just glow. The pale side has more color and is more pink than Blush #12. I used this blush duo as soon as I got home mixed together. It’s just so pretty. I’ve compared it below to some other pinks from D&G, Bobbi Brown, Paul & Joe and Armani. No swatch comparisons as blush shades are extremely hard for me to swatch accurately. *Note* someone mentioned this is $80+ on the armani website and is also listed under the cream-blush duo, I think this an error but I’m not certain. Mine was $49 US (before tax) and it’s definitely powder on both sides. The price can be confirmed on Nordstrom.com.

More photos.







I passed on the new Purple Eyes to Kill #7 (simply too purple for me, just as Gaia described). I didn’t see the new lipsticks, but they seem a bit dark for my taste.

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Burberry Beauty – Cameo Lipstick #02

August 4, 2010

So I’ve raved about the Burberry Beauty line and still love everything I’ve bought. Well almost everything. The eyeshadows and blush are my favorite items – all of which I’ve been getting regular use out of. The lipsticks are creamy and divine, yet I have one exception for my gushing adoration. The exception is Cameo Lipstick #02. I tried this on in the store and liked it, but after wearing it at home for a few days, I just don’t love it. I’ve finally found a lipstick that is too neutral even for me.


Cameo Lipstick is a sheer peachy-nude beige. Swatches amazingly (see here). Applies less-than-amazing on the lips, just like my lip color. Not my-lips-but-better, just like my exact lip shade. I think if the texture were a little more matte and a little less creamy, the color in the tube might show up better rather than just blending with my lip. This one seems extra creamy which leaves a more glossy looking finish on my lips. There is a subtle shimmer/sheen to it, but it’s not a full on frost. I didn’t get the Cameo Lipgloss – it was a shimmery apricot, almost orangey looking next to the lipstick.

Still, this is simply my own personal preference. You don’t have to take my word for it – if you can get to a Nordstrom counter, I still recommend you try it on. I like Cameo Pink more because it shows up better on my skintone. Those who want a natural beige nude lip without looking washed out will probably like this one. Also I feel like I’m probably *right* at that skin-tone where it looks very natural. Fairer skinned girls will like this more than me. Darker skinned girls, I think this will look stunning on you as it will contrast with your skintone better.


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Chanel Taupe-Délicat & Misty-Soft Ombres Contraste Duos & Gris Stylo Yeux

August 3, 2010
Chanel has released a new collection of Eyeshadow Duos called Ombres Contraste Duo ($42) along with a new mascara called Inimitable Intense. Also in the collection are a few repromoted Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliners ($28). I picked up Taupe-Délicat & Misty-Soft Duos and the new Gris Eyeliner. The eyeshadow duos are all on the neutral side and very basic for a neutral eye. Each duo has one side that is darker with a satin finish (not quite matte, not quite shimmer), and then one other side that is paler more shimmery. Taupe-Délicat is your basic soft neutral brown and a shimmery pale champagne with a slight pinkish sheen. Misty-Soft is has purple tones on me. One side is a brown with plum, the other is a soft light mauve-purple.

I’ve already reviewed my Stylo Yeux Eyeliners a few days ago here. Gris is their newest addition which is a light-medium cool grey. At the counter at Nordstrom, it looked like a full matte. However at home in different light, it looks like it has a subtle sheen.

Taupe-Délicat 20, Misty-Soft 40 and Gris 35



Gris Stylo Yeux 35

Swatches of Taupe-Delicat, Misty-Soft and Gris compared to my other grey eyeliners, Chanel Black Shimmer, MAC Wolf, MAC Earthline, MAC Dig It!, Laura Mercier Stormy Grey, Bobbi Brown Graphite, Bobbi Brown Gunmetal


I definitely love the Gris eyeliner. It makes Black Shimmer look black (when it’s actually more greyish compared to a true black, like here). It goes perfectly with NARS Tzarine Eyeshadow Duo. The eyeshadow duos are lovely, but I don’t think they are worth the high price tag. At $42, I personally would rather have another Burberry Blush. Just my two cents. If I didn’t have a gift card, I probably wouldn’t have purchased both. Granted, I know I will definitely get a lot of use out of both in the upcoming weeks (currently interviewing). They are perfect neutrals for everyday wear. Subtle but sophisticated to give a pretty soft eye-look.


For other swatches of the other shades, check out Yuki’s Lazy Channel here. She has amazing photos and swatches. Unfortunately, in the U.S. we didn’t get the new mascara or eyelash curler that Asia did.

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Something Old, Something New: NARS Oasis & Oasis

August 2, 2010
This past weekend, I checked out the new NARS Lipglosses ($24) released at Nordstrom (Luxor) and Sephora (Super Orgasm, Oasis, Luster, Angelika, Albatross), all inspired by various blushes and multiples by NARS. I thought I would need one of each since I love all the corresponding cheek shades (except for Albatross), but I only came home with Oasis, a beautiful pink with golden sparkles.

Here is the Lip Gloss compared to the Blush, not exactly 100% alike, but similar:




The Lip Gloss is a pretty blush pink. I found it similar in color family to Risky Business and Stella. The difference for me:

  • Oasis: most pink, has a cream pink base with golden sparkles
  • Risky Business: more frosty all the way through, shimmer is multi-colored with a silvery sheen
  • Stella: more reddish, shimmer is complex with reds & pinks
Note that the blush swatch is not exactly reflective of how this goes on the cheeks. It looks muddy-brown here, on the cheeks it’s a rose pink with brown. The lighting last night was playing tricks on me, so here it is in different lighting to give you a better idea and show you the difference. Depending on which light you look at the glosses in, sometimes the 3 glosses look exactly the same. On the lips – Oasis and Stella look extremely similar on me.



My personal thoughts on the other shades: I passed on the other glosses. Lovely, but I’m still a bit undecided. At Sephora, I was drawn to Super Orgasm and Luster but the glitter/shimmer chunks seemed a bit too big for what I’m used to. Albatross was pretty, but sheer. I’m not a fan of the Albatross Highlighter, but the gloss was pretty. Angelika was too cool for my skin, although I adore the blush. At Nordstrom, Luxor was too pale and cool toned for my taste. It looks like something that would work well over other lipsticks.
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Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner

July 30, 2010

I’m normally a gel-liner type of girl because I find it easier to get an even line along my upper lashes with a fine-tipped brush (Bobbi Brown’s Gel Liner brush is my favorite). However I also love the twist-up pencils that don’t require any sharpening. Chanel has one called Stylo Yeux Waterproof ($28) in a variety of shades. These replaced a formula called Aqua Crayon (can’t remember the exact year these were discontinued). I believe all the shades from the previous formula were discontinued except for the black and brown. The Chanel eyeliners (twist-up style) I own include:

Black Shimmer – dark cool grey (not really black)
Cassis – plum black-brown
Vert Bronze – complex, hard to describe, it has olive, bronze, gold tones
Marine – shimmering navy
Ébène – matte black
Tweed (Aqua Crayon formula) – warm golden taupe

The color strip on the end of the packaging gives you an accurate idea of what you will get on your eyes.



Swatched on bare skin in 3 different light settings. What I love about these is that they really stay put. I only line along the upper lash line though. I can’t do waterline or underneath the eyes. I am like Rachel Green from Friends: extremely challenged when trying to put anything near the eyeball (eye drops included). So I can’t say how well it lasts when applied those ways.

Note that Marine goes on the eyes a bit more subtle than when swatched on the arm. At least on me. If you want a brighter blue, check out Bobbi Brown’s Denim Ink (new from her Denim & Rose collection).

No flash, natural light:


I normally am able to simply line and go. Occasionally I will take a small smudge brush (Laura Mercier’s is my favorite) and smoke it out a bit and re-apply. They normally don’t require blending/smoothing but those who don’t have a super steady hand will find a brush will do the trick.

Although I don’t own all the shades, I have tried every single color. The bright teal green color included. One of the national artists applied it on me and it was so gorgeous. But knowing myself all too well, knew I would never be brave enough to use it on my own.

I’m waiting for a pretty brown shimmer color to be released or a black gold. Their Black Shimmer isn’t really black at all, it’s really more grey.

I cannot swatch compare these to other brands as it is extremely time consuming and tedious. I have already done an extensive smokey eye series that I highly recommend you check out if you want more eyeliner options other than your basic black or brown. There is a black/grey post that will show you how many different variations of black eyeliners there are. Click on the Smokey label on the side bar for those posts. I do ask that you please do not republish those photos even though they haven’t been watermarked. It can be extremely frustrating to put time and effort into something that gets stolen and put on other blogs and websites. All my work is copyrighted.

*Update* if you like these colors but want a gel formula instead I recommend checking out these options:

Black Shimmer – Bobbi Brown Granite or Graphite Shimmer Inks
Cassis – Bobbi Brown Black Plum
Vert Bronze – no dupe!
Marine – Bobbi Brown Denim Ink
Ébène – Bobbi Brown Caviar Ink
Tweed no dupe!
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