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Sabrina

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Zoya Sabrina + Rococo Metal Jacket

May 25, 2010
As soon as I found out there was a nail polish with my name, I knew I had to get it since it’s not that often that I find things with my own personal name. Today’s mani + pedi is Zoya Sabrina on fingers + Rococo Nail Apparel Metal Jacket on toes.

Zoya Sabrina is a sheer pale cream off-white-pinkish color. I think it’s a nice classic cream color for the nails. The color is rather sheer, so the manicure has 3 coats for a more opaque look. It actually looked a lot better with a more natural finish with 2 coats, but my manicurist thought it could use one more coat. Next time I’ll just ask for 2 coats for a more natural look. Otherwise, it just feels a tad too contrasted with my skin.

Rococo Metal Jacket is a complex mixture of taupe-brown-silver. This one is an odd one for me. When I tested it at Space NK, it was clearly brown, much like you see on Vampy Varnish’s review. However, the one I received from my online order pulls more silver-taupe on me. If you haven’t read the first article I wrote about Rococo Nail Apparel (here), to recap, I’ve experienced some inconsistencies with the colors – which seem to differ slightly based on which batch the product was made from. Which may explain why Metal Jacket looks brown on others and looked brown from the tester I saw in the store, but looks more silvery taupe in the bottle I received. (More explanation in the original post.) The pigment is amazing though and didn’t really need more than just 1 coat, however 2 coats were applied at the nail salon.


Zoya Sabrina:

Rococo Metal Jacket:


Zoya Sabrina:

Zoya Metal Jacket:


Zoya Sabrina looks really similar to OPI Bubble Bath and Chanel Allegoria in the bottles – but I haven’t swatched them on the nails to see the actual difference. I don’t have a dupe for the Rococo, but then I don’t have many taupey sparkles for nail polishes. Overall, I have to say I’m not completely in love with either shade. My nails look nice and polished, but the colors on me just feel a bit bland.

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Dolce & Gabbana Fascination Shine Lipstick

May 24, 2010
* natural light, no flash

Dolce & Gabbana’s Fascination Lipstick is part of the mini collection that was released back in March called The Roses which consists of five new lipsticks inspired by different roses. Today I wanted to do a lip-swatch of Fascination, a cool cream pink.



As a disclaimer, I don’t know that the rose I have pictured is an actual Fascination Rose, but it was close in color to the lipstick. I like the texture and finish of this D&G lipstick, however, it’s a bit too cool for my skintone by itself. So while I think it’s pretty in the tube, on the lips, it just looks to fake. The other two I purchased, Shine On and Baby Darling, are easier for me to wear (they were previously featured in March here).

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NARS Beverly Hills & Cadaqués Multiple Tints = Pure Genius

May 23, 2010
The new limited edition Multiple Tints from NARS finally arrived at my local Nordstrom and much like Amy from Café Makeup and Karla from Karlasugar – I too fell in love, but with all three!

My Nordstrom is having their Trend Show in a couple weeks with an amazing GWP (will post details on this next month) – but I had the need-to-have-this-now itch, so I brought home two of the colors on Friday, Beverly Hills and Cadaqués, and left Turks & Caicos for my pre-sale among other things for the GWP, so I will review that color later in June. Also new from NARS were 2 primers for the face and eyes, but I decided to wait until the June to test those products out.

Everything about these is incredible from the colored lettering on the package and the multiple tube to the finish, texture, and color of the actual product. It’s PURE LOVE. I used Cadaqués for my commencement ceremony this morning on the cheeks and it blended out like a dream and gave my cheeks a nice cool pinkish tint. Here are my thoughts below . . .


Colors: Beverly Hills is a coral reddish color on me. Cadaqués is a lovely cool pink. Turks & Caicos (which I will review in the next couple weeks) is a lovely sheer orange. All look frightening in the tube but go on natural enough and are extremely flattering on the skin. Those who love color will love these. Those who are a bit wary of color on the cheeks will still like these because you can blend them out to give a nice healthy tint.

A few close ups . . .


Texture & Finish: These are an almost gel-like cream blush stick that has the perfect texture. Not too sticky or tacky (so it doesn’t pull the skin) but not too creamy (so it doesn’t feel greasy or oily). Super easy to blend. I did 2 swipes on each side of my face and blended out with my finger. I love how they blend out smoothly and flawlessly. The finish on the skin is natural and glowy. They truly are goof-proof.

Pigment: These Multiple Tints are truely incredible in that you can control the color by how much you layer. As much as I love the regular Multiples, sometimes I find they color disappears after blending. Not so with these new Tints. My SA who has the most gorgeous tanned complexion (about NC40-45ish) showed me these swatched on her hand and I could definitely see the color show up. She had one on her cheeks (can’t remember which one), but it gave her a natural glow with a pop of color ala Eva Mendes. Karlasugar’s review does an excellent job at showing how you can control the pigment.

Lasting Power: It lasted all day from 6:30 am past 5:00 pm (although I did layer a bit of Edward Bess Soft Orchid Blush on top, so I’m not sure how much the powder + cream combo contributed to the lasting power). Still, given my experience in layering powder blushes over regular NARS Multiples, the Multiple Tints + Powder Blush lasted a quite a bit longer.

Miscellaneous Thoughts: I didn’t notice any scent. There was no clogging or streaking or uneveness. Finish is not sticky at all and you can barely feel anything on the skin after you blend it which is a plus for a cream product. No irritation after the entire day (I usually react immediately to anything I am allergic to). I haven’t tried these on my lips yet. Are these worth the $38 price tag? In my opinion, definitely yes.

Here are some swatches compared to a few other cream products from Armani, MAC, Becca and Stila (swatched on a bare arm).

If you’ve bought these, I’d love to hear how you’re using these and what lips/eyes you are pairing with the colors you picked out.

For commencement, I used Cadaques with Soft Orchid Blush, Chanel Island + Le Bronze Eyeshadows, Trish McEvoy Baby Pink Chubby Stick + Pretty Pink Lipgloss (will review soon).

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Bobbi Brown Beach Shimmer Brick + Shore Cream Eyeshadow

May 15, 2010
I’ve been eagerly anticipating the summer Beach Collection by Bobbi Brown for months ever since I saw the preview sheets at my local counter and it’s finally arrived instore at Nordstrom! The collection also features a few new cream shadows in the metallic and regular formulas. I picked up Beach Shimmer Brick and Shore Cream Shadow.

Beach Shimmer Brick ($38) and Shore Long-Wear Cream Shadow ($22)


The Beach Shimmer Brick is a stunning neutral like many of her other highlighters. It’s a bronzey beige with slight peach tones. The shimmer factor is high in my opinion, so if you like subtle, this may have too much shimmer for your liking.

I compared it to a few other shimmer brick shades when I got home and they all seemed extremely similar. Even after swatching them, I could barely tell the difference – so note, these swatches may indeed be worthless in giving you a good comparison, so I’ll try and compensate by description.
  • Beach is the most peachy with no pink tones (at least on me)
  • Sandstone is the most neutral and tan
  • Beige is the lightest color
  • Nude is very similar to Beach, just more pink, less brown


Shore Long-Wear Cream Shadow is the perfect nude skin-toned cream eyeshadow I have been searching for. I have quite a few other nude cream shadows, but those who are around Chanel Shell/NC30ish understand the challenge of finding a good nude. Painterly can be a bit pastey looking, Groundwork is a good contour but not quite nude, Layin’ Low can come off orangey if applied too heavily, and Malted can look a bit greyish on our skin.

Shore has a very slight sheen to it, it’s not a full on shimmer like Galaxy, but not a full on matte like Malted. I love it. I would say it’s one step up (darker) than MAC Soft Ochre.

One last view without flash:

Overall thoughts: I really like both, but if you already have Nude or Sandstone Shimmer Bricks, then Beach isn’t really a must have. I do like the shades in the Beach Shimmer Brick individually though – I think they’ll suit darker tan skintones a lot better than her previous shimmer bricks because they have more color.

I personally love Shore, in the container it looks very bland, but I like it on the skin/eyes blended out. I’m a fan of her regular cream shadows because they just melt onto my skin and look very natural.

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Le Metier de Beaute Persephone Eye Kit

May 11, 2010
Some have asked me how and why I started blogging. There were several reasons why I started and I have many to thank for their inspiration and help getting me started. Karen at Makeup and Beauty Blog occasionally asks for guest writers and being a regular reader, I thought it would be fun to submit an article to her.
At that time, about a year ago, I had recently discovered Le Metier de Beaute and I had scoured the web to find photos, swatches or reviews but could not find anything other than press release images and stock photos from Neimans and Bergdorfs online. I decided it would be fun to write about my thoughts on the products I had tried from the line to see if anyone else shared the same love.

My experience doing a guest post for her was so much fun as we wrote back and forth brainstorming ideas I decided to try and start my own. So I have Karen (among many others) to thank for helping me get started! This post is a spinoff of that post focusing on the Persephone Eye Kit by Le Metier de Beaute.

Those familiar with the line are well aware of their high quality, beautiful packaging and stunning colors. I can’t say I love everything in the line, but most of the products I’ve tried I have fallen in love with. It’s exclusivity makes it a bit difficult to locate and often times colors are sold out and are on back order due to the high demand.

They have a few kaleidoscope kits in the form of a stacked swivel type design with a flip top mirror. Very innovative, a bit bulky, a bit complicated to use, but fun nevertheless. The Persephone Eye Kit is no longer available, but it is one of the few kits that contained colors permanent from their regular line, so luckily you can still find these shades.


The colors include range from frost, to satin to matte:

  • Rose Champagne (frost) – a complex but soft shimmery pale rose-pink
  • Alexandrite (frost) – a beautiful a sparkly eggplant amethyst
  • Canvas (satin) – a soft, satin, neutral beige-yellow with subtle shimmer
  • Sequoia (matte) – a medium-dark chocolate brown

Rose Champagne:

Alexandrite:

Canvas:

Sequoia:


The eyeshadows are highly pigmented and easy to blend. My favorite shades are Rose Champagne and Canvas, but all shades work well together. What I typically do is:

  • Step 1: Use canvas on the lid (from lash to 1/2 way up the eye)
  • Step 2: Apply Alexandrite with a small shadow brush on the outer corners of the eye blending inward and up towards the middle of the eye
  • Step 3: Take a smudge brush, mix Alexandrite with Sequoia to line along upper lashes
  • Step 4: Take Rose Champagne with a light bluffly brush and blend over the eye from brow bone down to blend everything together

I like that the kit has a mix of neutral and cool making it extremely versatile to coordinate with other colors for lips and cheeks. Today’s look combines the Persephone Eye Kit with the new Tenne Tint (reviewed here) and Ibiza Lipgloss (which I thought I had swatched but haven’t yet).

Le Metier de Beaute was exclusively available at select Neimans and Bergdorf Goodman, but they are expanding their distribution. Check out their website for details on locations.

Do you have any favorites from the line? I’d love to hear your favorites 🙂

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Chanel Rouge Cocos Revisited: Perle, Secret & Cashmere

May 7, 2010
My current favorite lipsticks are all from Chanel and I’ve been enamored with the new Rouge Cocos, particularly the lighter more natural shades Perle, Secret & Cashmere. Compared to the Aqualumiere and Rouge Allures, the Rouge Coco has a different texture. I can’t say that one is better than another, they are all simply different. Aqualumieres are the glossiest, Rouge Allures are the creamiest and smoothest, Rouge Cocos seem to be a combination of Hydrabase + RA + Aqualumiere mixed together (in my opinion). I’ve scattered features on the lipsticks I picked out over the past few months. I thought it was time to try a few swatches of these three, note that they all do look very similar:

Perle 02 is a nautral pink with a pearly-champagne shimmer

Secret 03 is a nude beige-peach cream (without shimmer)

Cashmere 04 is similar to Secret, but a peachier version with slight shimmer

My lip swatches are all just the lipstick, but I added a few lipliner swatches of colors I thought would match well with these (see below). What I love about the Rouge Cocos is that they really are a nice “swipe & go” lipstick. The formula is sufficient to give full coverage and the color blends out so nicely, I don’t need lipliners with these.

About the arm swatches, I tried swatching these on my arm/hand but they all ended up looking exactly the same no matter what lighting I tried. But here they are anyways. Oddly enough, my Secret swatched darker on my arm than Cashmere, even though in the tube and on the lips, it’s the opposite (Secret = lighter, Cashmere = darker). I think the shimmer in the Cashmere reflected more in the flash.

These are different in the tube but the difference is very slight. Unfortunately the swatches all look very much the same. I highly recommend you check out other blogs such as Karlasugar, Temptalia, Makeup & Beauty Blog for more swatches, photos etc.
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Do You Have a Beauty Emergency Kit?

May 3, 2010
Last week I had one of those days where I had a million things to do during the day with no time to stop by home before a special occasion dinner. I packed my car with my laptop, papers, textbooks, backpack, purse, a change of clothes and an extra pair of shoes (to transition from day to night) but neglected to pack my makeup bag and brushes to touch up.
Luckily, I had my Edward Bess Compact Rouge in Island Rose (for lips/cheeks) and a mini Diorshow mascara tucked away in my backpack which was enough to freshen my look a bit. But it made me realize I needed to put together an emergency beauty kit to keep in my car for those times I need a last-minute touch up or days I forget to bring my makeup bag with me.

I looked to one of my favorite beauty books by Trish McEvoy “The Power of Makeup” for her tips on what to include in a beauty emergency kit. This is what I put together for my own using my trusty quilted planner:

  • Trish McEvoy Power of Makeup Simply Chic Page (Pink Innocence Lip + Cheek, Nude Innocence Lip + Cheek, Golden Peach AOC, Peony Pink Blush, Sand/Pink Shimmer/Snow/Blackberry Eyeshadows)
  • Laura Mercier Eyemakeup Remover
  • Edward Bess Love Always Deep Shine Lipgloss
  • NARS Luxor Multiple
  • Diorshow Mini Mascara
  • MAC Fix + (travel size)
  • Chanel DPF Compact
  • Chanel Spices Quadra Eyeshadow
  • MAC Cremestick Lipliners in Sublime Culture and Beurre
  • Chanel Ebene Waterproof Eyeliner
  • Laura Mercier Brown Copper Eye Kohl
  • Chantecaille Crystalline Gloss
  • Shu Uemura Tweezers
  • A bunch of mini brushes

My so-called “emergency kit” turned out to be quite a bit more than I intended. It’s probably the equivalent to a travel kit or a weekend-away kit. Yes, I am rather high maintenance, so this will probably be a work in progress. But at least I know that by having this tucked away in my car, I will always be well prepared to touch up, redo or refresh my makeup and not have to worry about finding the time to try and get back to the house before a last minute appointment or spur of the moment evening out.

Do you have a beauty emergency kit? What do you have inside yours?

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