Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

Chanel

Chanel Pierres de Lumiere Collection Review + Swatches

March 15, 2019

Chanel launched a new makeup collection for spring called Pierres de Lumiere. Right now it’s available only at Chanel.com and in the past if I remember correctly most of the previous Le Blanc makeup collection have been exclusive to their website and Chanel boutiques. This is the first collection in a while that has me excited about Chanel again! The colors are pretty and soft for spring mixed with some classic bold options for lips. I have swatches of everything except one of the lip colors including:

Poudre Lumiere in White Opal ($58)
Les Tissages Blush Duo Tweed Effect in Tweed Beige ($45)
Les 4 Ombres in Cristal de Printemps and Lueurs Ambrees ($62)
Ombre Premiere Cream Longwear Shadow in Gemme Doree and Pierre Rose ($36)
Rouge Allure Ink in Cornaline ($38)
Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur in Bois Rose and Corail Intense ($38)
Le Vernis in Joyau, Perle de Corail, Jaspe and Eau de Nacre ($28)

For the face the cheek colors are all about light and luminous kind of shades. The Poudre Lumiere in White Opal is a duo chrome pink violet highlighter. As with the other Poudre Lumieres it is on the intense side of shimmer for Chanel. There are a lot of other similar shades from MAC and Anastasia that have a similar effect, but this is the first duo chrome pink-violet highlighter I’ve felt I can wear without looking like a disco ball. The Les Tissages Blush Duo Tweed Effect in Tweed Beige has an overspray of gold shimmer. Underneath I still find a relatively shimmery blush, it has a lot more shimmer compared to other Tweed Blushes. On me it pulls more like a luminous blush on the verge of highlighter material versus a blush. I still think it’s gorgeous – on my skintone right now it’s like a flesh toned highlight. Both items have excellent coverage and smooth application. Lasting power is very good on the skin.

Tweed Beige swatched with the overspray included, White Opal has no overspray:

Another look at the Poudre Lumiere in White Opal so you can see the shimmer:

For the eyes they have a warm neutral and cool pink option for quads and cream shadows. For the warm options, they have:

Les 4 Ombres in Lueurs Ambrees which has a shimmering bronze, shimmery peach, metallic champagne and a matte soft bone cream
Ombre Premiere Cream Longwear Shadow in Gemme Doree is a pale white gold shimmer

For the cooler pink options they have:

Les 4 Ombres in Cristal de Printemps has a deep plum, metallic medium pink rose, metallic pale pink, shimmery white pink
Ombre Premiere Cream Longwear Shadow in Pierre de Rose is a metallic pale pink with flecks of deeper pink sparkle

I gravitated towards the warmer options. The Lueurs Ambrees is a super easy to wear kind of quad. It has all the shades you need for a complete look. Finish/formula is different from their other Les 4 Ombres. It has a softer almost creamier touch for the metallic colors. The matte is soft and flawless with decent medium-sheer coverage for a light matte. I tried the quad alone and also layered on top of the Cream Shadow in Gemme Doree and both application methods work. The Ombre Premiere in Gemme Dore is a sheer but buildable cream shadow. Once it sets it will not budge and has seriously good lasting power. I like that it has shimmer which makes it easier to blend and is more forgiving on my eyes once it dries. I can’t usually wear matte creams – once they dry they make my lids look dried out and wrinkly.

The Pierre de Rose Ombre Premiere surprised me in a good way. I typically avoid baby pinks as they don’t look good on my complexion but this was a really easy to wear fresh pink shimmer. The Les 4 Ombres quad Cristal de Printemps has good pigment and applies well – the light colors are too similar to create contrast on my eyes. On my skin tone they end up looking the same.

For the lips I have three of the four options in the collection in Cornaline, Bois Rose and Corail Intense.

I’ve hated the Rouge Allure Ink in every single color I’ve tried and I now realize it’s most likely just the light neutrals that have poor coverage on my pigmented lips. Cornaline is a bold orange and has the perfect even coverage I expected from the neutrals like Serenity and Lost. I know many of you love this formula and based on my experience with this newer color, I suspect that the darker shades are going to be worth a second look for me. Lasting power with this one is pretty good, but it’s not transfer proof.

There are two new Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur in Bois Rose (perfect neutral rose) and Corail Intense (bright coral). Both have a glossy finish with medium to full coverage. These are twist up crayons so once you start using them the tip will lose its pointy shape and flatten out. Many of you have mentioned that’s a deal breaker for you. It hasn’t bothered me but I do see how having a pointy or angled tip makes application easier for a pencil. Since the formula is so emollient and glossy it will fade faster than a regular lipstick, but it’s comfortable on the lips and I don’t mind reapplying.

The four items I was most excited about were the new Le Vernis colors.

There are new shades in:

Eau de Nacre is a gorgeous pearlescent opal shimmer, unfortunately it’s sheer and requires at least 3 coats for the coverage I want, still I think the extra work is worth it, brush strokes aren’t too visible
Perle de Corail is another gorgeous metallic peach gold, this one is also sheer, I applied it with 2 coats and was a little disappointed in the finish, I think 3-4 coats would have been better, but I’m really not that into making a nail polish work more than 3 coats
Joyau is a perfect pink, it has that subtle shimmer in the bottle but on the nails looks more like a cream, it’s lighter than Camelia which is one of my favorite Chanel nail polishes
Jaspe is a perfect orange red cream, it’s not quite as orange or deep red as Espadrilles and Arancio Vibrante, you probably can get a similar effect with other corals but if you’re like me and have a serious addiction to coral shades you’ll most likely think this is a must-have

A few sides by sides next to a few other Chanel shades. The new ones have a similar vibe to previous launches.

Makeup look wearing:

Foundation – Cover FX Power Play Foundation in G40
Concealer – Armani Power Fabric Concealer in 6.5
Powder – Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder
Blush – Left is Les Tissages de Chanel Tweed Beige, Right is Tweed Beige + Poudre Lumiere in White Opal
Eyeshadow – Chanel Les 4 Ombres in Lueurs Ambrees
Lipstick – Chanel Rouge Allure Ink in Cornaline
Tee – Anthropologie

Overall pretty and soft for spring. Colors are easy to wear and nice for a fresh faced look. My favorites are the Lueurs Ambrees Quad, White Opal highlighter and Bois Rose Lip Crayon. For the nails I find myself really obsessed with Jaspe even though it’s really close to most of the other orange/corals I own. Have you checked out anything from the collection yet? What did you think?

You can find the Chanel Pierres de Lumiere Collection out now at Chanel.com.

Chanel products provided courtesy of Chanel for review.

13 Comments

Haircare

Best Hair Care Buys for Dry Hair

March 13, 2019

Today I’m rounding up some of my best hair care buys for detangling dry color-treated hair. I’ve been through two rounds of highlights treatments since last fall. This second round I’ve noticed my hair has been significantly more dry and prone to breakage which I attribute to the dry weather combined with Florida water. My hair has been a lot more sensitive to heat so I’ve taken a break from curling iron. I can still blow dry on a regular basis with a heat protectant and medium heat setting and love the Harry Josh Ultra Light hair dryer for something gentle and efficient. I’ve still been experiencing a lot of tangles after washing which makes it more prone to breakage. I’ve been testing a lot and finally found some things that have saved my hair. Conditioning treatments are tricky here because they can be near impossible to rinse out and lather in South Florida. These are my favorite recent buys that have helped restore my hair, reduce tangles and frizz while adding moisture and shine.

Olaplex

I’ve spent the last five months searching for good shampoos and conditioners made specifically for color-treated hair. I tried so many of your recommendations and loves designed specifically for color treated hair, in particular options from Kerastase and Oribe. Unfortunately none of them worked for my hair. The regular formulas are still good, but the color treated formulas don’t lather properly and also leave my hair feeling like straw. I’ve stuck with my regular go-to’s like the Sisley Hair Rituel (sooo good) but wanted to find something more affordable. My curling iron seriously weakened my hair on some parts and there’s nothing I can really do except wait for those areas to grow out. I called my friend who used to work in the hair care industry and asked her help/expertise. She said the best you could buy was Olaplex so I went to Sephora to buy Hair Perfector No. 3, Bond Maintenance Shampoo and Conditioner. The girls who worked at Sephora saw these in my little shopping basket and stopped me to tell me they were so excited I was buying it because it also saved their color treated hair.

I’ve used all three and it’s among the best I’ve tried. The shampoo is one of the few sulfate free formulas that has a decent lather. The three together have bonding and reparative ingredients to help relink broken hair. The Hair Perfector is a product you use as a pre-shampoo and conditioning treatment. It’s not a mask or conditioner, but apply it to damp towel dried hair for at least 10 minutes. Rinse out and follow with the Shampoo and Conditioner. I’ve used this 2 to 3x per week as instructed and it’s helped my hair so much. The shampoo and conditioner both are excellent too – a little goes a long way and it helps reduce frizz and eliminates tangles. I took a look at the bottles and thought they were remarkably small for the price. I’ve been using all three consistently for a little over a month and still have quite a bit left. I’d say within a month of regular use I’m about 80% finished with the bottles. I’m ordering their new Styling Creme soon and can’t wait to try it.

Christophe Robin Hydrating Shampoo with Aloe

This Christophe Robin Hydrating Shampoo is another excellent shampoo for all hair types, but particularly good for dry hair. It’s gentle but has a good lather. I can use it daily and I love that it’s hydrating but doesn’t weigh down my hair. Rinses nicely and leaves hair looking and feeling fresh. I’ve sworn by the Hydrating Leave-In Mist for a long time, I don’t know what took me so long to try the shampoo. Both have a very calming subtle fresh scent that isn’t overpowering or heavy. Scent is a huge deal for me – I can’t use heavily fragranced styling products that have a powdery or floral scent (except for Ouai).

Detangling Sprays

One thing I’ve noticed with both color treatments is that my hair is more prone to tangles. It has already more tangle prone with the water here and with highlights plus dry weather this has been emphasized. For me it’s been a serious problem because tangles + weak hair = lots of breakage when I brush or comb. The best sprays I’ve bought to combat the tangles include the Christophe Robin Hydrating Leave-In Mist with Aloe Vera to hydrate and detangle. It is spendy so I’ve tried to find more affordable alternatives (I’m not always successful with this). I bought a mini of the Living Proof Restore Perfecting Spray and it doubles as a conditioner and detangler as well. I love it so much that I 100% need the full size. It has a fresh citrus scent and allows the comb to glide through my hair without any tugging or tangles. My friend swears by the Oribe Run Through Detangling Primer – she says it is the best thing Oribe makes and says she’s literally tried everything in their line. I’ve found Oribe makes really great styling products but their shampoos/conditioners have been mostly misses for me. I bought the mini spray to try thinking I might not love it, especially for the price. It really does live up to the hype and I highly recommend it. It reduces frizz, detangles, and helps reduce flyaways.

Finishing Products

I’ve tried so many finishing products and creams. I think hair care products are among the most tried beauty category for me. There are a lot of great items for different purposes, I still love oils for this but sometimes a classic cream is better for my ends. Two areas I’ve been concerned about lately include flyaways (from shorter broken strands and humidity issues) and shine on the ends. I could probably do an entire post on my favorite finishing products, but two things stand out as hair saviors for me. I’ve never been a hair spray kind of person because they usually leave hair feeling stiff and crunchy. The Living Proof Flexible Hair Spray has really good hold without the crunchy finish. Many of you have confirmed this is one of your favorites and I also think it’s excellent to hold hair and help tame flyaways. The Chaser Shine Cream from the Drybar is one of my most repurchased hair creams ever. I’ve used this for years and always go back to it for adding shine and brilliance to my ends. Oribe’s is also really good too, but for some reason I find myself reaching for the Drybar one more.

Combs and Hair Brushes

Finding a good vent brush has been hard for me. I’ve tried so many different ones that work ok, but I’ve never found one I really truly love. I finally splurged on some brushes and combs from Yves Durif. They’ve been on my wishlist for years! I bought the Vented Hair Brush which I highly recommend. I also bought the Petite Brush + Comb Set and love them to pieces. The Vent Brush is the best one I’ve tried. It seems like it might almost be a little flimsy because it’s so lightweight but it’s still very sturdy. I like the brush and comb as well and think it was all money well spent. I ordered mine from Violet Grey. If you’re in New York City you can also find their brushes in person store at the Sisley store or Saks Fifth Avenue.

A couple others I wanted to mention are from Gisou and Mason Pearson. The Gisou Texture Comb is one I always get questions about. It’s available only on the Gisou website and comes in a pink pouch. I love it and carry it with me to the beach, in my gym bag and pretty much everywhere. I need to order another one so I can always have one with me. Mason Pearson makes a similar one called the Rake Comb. This is a nice wide-tooth detangling comb for me. These are more gentle on my hair compared to brushes on wet hair and work out tangles better. I use a brush to blow dry once all the tangles are out with a comb. I’ve also owned the Mason Pearson detangler comb for quite some time and like it but don’t love it as much as the others. I would not recommend this type for super thick or curly hair. The teeth are too close together for super thick dense hair. I like that it has a handle for easy grip but the wider ones work better for my hair type.

I hope you enjoyed this roundup! If you have tangle prone hair or dry hair I can’t recommend the detangling sprays enough. I’m hard pressed to pick just one, all three I featured are really good options. I also think Olaplex makes an excellent system. I wish I had discovered it sooner because I love how it strengthens and restores my hair. This list doesn’t cover all of my tries or favorites, just my recent favorite buys. If you want more hair care posts and reviews you can click the Haircare CATEGORY TAG to see more!

I’m going through a few hair masks that I’m testing. Roundup to follow once I’ve tried more on my list to see if I’ve found a better one than the Briogeo or Christophe Robin options (I haven’t yet but I’m still testing out your recommendations).

Shop the post:

Style notes and accessories:

If you have color treated or dry hair what are your favorite products?

71 Comments

Loving Right Now Sephora

Spring Makeup Bag Refresh

March 12, 2019

Spring beauty launches are here in full swing and there is so much to explore this season! I love that there is literally something for everyone this season whether you want something glowy or matte, sheer or full coverage etc. Most of my new discoveries are from Sephora so I’ve teamed up with them to share my top beauty picks for a spring makeup bag refresh.

Spring Base Favorites

The Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Radiance Perfecting Foundation is one of the best new bases that launched this year. (My match is Latte). It’s luminous and radiant without looking too dewy and feels like second skin. Coverage is medium and buildable to full coverage and looks very natural! Complexion is brightened and evened out beautifully. I love this with any of her primers like her Radiance Primer or Protect SPF 30 Primer to help extend the wear. Make sure you set a powder. Any loose setting powder will do but my two favorites are the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose or Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder. Sometimes I’ll add the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose in Glow on the cheek bones for a little more radiance.

Lightweight Brightening Concealers

I feel like my go-to concealer is always going to be the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger but I still love trying out new formulas. Many of you like the ones that are creamy and lightweight for under the eyes. I’ve recently discovered the Armani Power Fabric High Coverage Stretchable Concealer in 6.5 and think it’s an excellent alternative for a similar blendable feel but with a semi-matte finish. It has a creamy easy to blend feel making it really nice for under the eyes. I am a 6.5 in the Luminous Silk Formula and usually like to match my concealer shade, but you might want to go a shade down if you need extra brightening. The Laura Mercier Flawless Concealer is another great lightweight option that isn’t quite as creamy as the NARS but still blends nicely. I wear 3W in this formula.

Three Go-To Cheek Products

There are a lot of great cheek palettes out this season but I’m really liking what I already own for this spring transition. I find the best natural bronzer to warm up the skin without looking overdone is the Becca Sunlit Bronzer. The shade options go from light to deep so there is something for everyone – even super fair skin girls who feel like they cannot wear any bronzer. I also think for spring anything peachy or pink-gold is universally flattering. You can’t go wrong with something like NARS Orgasm. For a natural cream highlight that won’t look greasy or too sparkly I highly recommend the NARS Super Radiant Booster.

Neutral Eyeshadow Colors

The eyeshadow palette I’ve been most excited about is the Urban Decay Naked Reloaded Palette. It’s a really pretty updated version of their original Naked and I’m 100% obsessed. For something deeper with more mattes opt for the NARS Skin Deep. If you want something simpler for an easy everyday wash of color on the lids I’ve always sworn by the Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Sticks. I often layer 2 colors together and then add a liner for a super quick and easy eye.

Spring Lip Must-Haves

I’m still really loving the Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip. They’re probably my most reached-for lip products this year. Mixing and layering the colors will give the best effect – I love mixing Lychee Baby with Juicy Date or Peach and Quiet. For a tint and balm in one you really can’t find anything better than the Dior Addict Lip Glow. I’ve loved the classic shades like Coral for years now, but my favorite is the Rose Gold option. If you want to splurge on a tint + oil the Hourglass N. 28 Lip Treatment Oil in Adorn is a really pretty pink rose.

That wraps up my spring makeup bag roundup refresh for the best things I’ve seen so far this year. If you’re shopping at Sephora make sure you take advantage of their Beauty Insider Program! You can accumulate points every time you shop for minis and early access to launches and events throughout the year. As always I’d love to hear what you have in your spring makeup bag right now! Or what you have on your spring wishlist/radar!

Shop my favorites:

Thanks to Sephora for sponsoring this post.

30 Comments

MAC

MAC Boom, Boom, Bloom Collection Review + Swatches

March 10, 2019

MAC’s latest is the Boom, Boom, Bloom Collection which has some of the prettiest cherry blossom petal packaging I think I’ve ever seen. The limited-edition collection feature a lot of pink tones for lips and cheeks along with a neutral shimmer x9 eyeshadow palette. I have swatches of all the new items. They’ve also repromoted one of their Strobe Creams which I didn’t swatch for the post but you can see my original post on these here. In the Boom, Boom, Bloom Collection:

Prep + Prime Fix+ Cherry Blossom ($28)
High-Light Powder ($34 each) in Fleur Real and Spring Bling
Lipglass ($18.50 each) in For the Frill of It, Pink-A-Boo, Cherry Mochi and Heartmelter
Lipstick ($19.50 each) in Hey, Kiss Me!, Wagasa Twirl, Hi-Fructease, Framboise Moi, Tsk Tsk!
Eyeshadow x9 Kabuki Doll ($33)
Strobe Cream ($28) in Pinklite

The best thing in the collection is the Eyeshadow x9 Palette in Kabuki Doll. It has a beautiful mix of neutrals and warmer brown gold shimmers and one pinkish bronze. It’s neutral warm but isn’t too warm, pink or red. The shimmers have a really good color payoff and smooth shimmer. To me it has the perfect mix of colors and has everything I need for a complete eye look. If you check out one thing I highly recommend this one.

For the face there is a lightly scented Prep + Prime Fix+ which has a very soft cherry blossom scent. As a huge fan of the Fix+ (original and scented ones) I think this is another must. The packaging is so pretty and it’s not too strong in the smell. I use this to either prime the skin before I apply my base. I also like to use it as a setting spray to reduce the powdery look of my setting powder. There are are also two High-Light Powders which have a pretty overspray on top of a semi-matte satin powder. Fleur Real is a pale light pink. It’s too matte and light for me to wear as a highlighter, I can kinda pass it off as a blush but it’s on the light side (scroll to bottom for how this one looks on the face). Spring Bling is a soft medium brown that looks a little dirty on my skin right now. Once I have my tan back I think it will make a nice contour powder.

The lips are hit or miss for me. I think the concept and color scheme had such potential to be perfect spring pinks but since they are so opaque they are a little hard for me to pull off. I do like the Heartmelter Lipglass but the others are just ok on my skintone. Boom Boom Bloom Lipglasses include:

For the Frill of It is a pale shimmery pearly pink
Pink A Boo is a pastel pink cream
Cherry Mochi is a bright raspberry pink
Heartmelter is a mauve rose pink cream

Boom Boom Bloom Lipsticks are all super opaque and a little flat looking on me. Also I can’t wear a lot of pink colors that have a blue undertone because it clashes with my olive/yellow/gold skin tone. The formula is really good coverage-wise. It has smooth full opaque finish as most of these are the matte finish. Colors include:

Hey Kiss Me! is a pastel pink
Wagasa Twirl is a medium rose pink
Hi Fructease is a peachy mod pink
Framboise Moi is a raspberry pink
Tsk Tsk is a bright fuchsia pink

Below wearing:

Natasha Denona Transformatte Foundation in 30W
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus
MAC Highlight Powder in Fleur Powder
MAC Lipglass in Cherry Mochi
MAC Eyeshadow x9 Palette in Kabuki Doll

Overall my top two favorites I think are musts are the Kabuki Doll Eyeshadow Palette and Cherry Blossom Fix+. The Lipglasses in For the Frill of It and Heartmelter are also really pretty but not must-haves in my opinion. All the lipsticks were a miss for my complexion but I usually find super opaque pastel-like pinks or anything with a blueish undertone are a miss on my skin tone. Formula-wise everything is well made and excellent. For me the misses were a matter of color preference.

You can find the MAC Boom, Boom, Bloom Collection out now. Available at MAC Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty, Bloomingdale’s and all other MAC counters and stores. Have you checked out the collection yet? What did you think?

MAC Boom Boom Bloom products provided for review consideration.

20 Comments

Highlighters Natasha Denona

Natasha Denona Bloom Blush and Glow Palette Review

March 7, 2019

Natasha Denona launched a new glow palette called Bloom Blush and Glow ($55 for 13.7 g/0.48 oz, available at Sephora and Beautylish). I ordered this a few weeks ago and think it’s one of the prettiest cheek palettes I’ve seen. It comes in a medium sized compact with four cheek colors. I love the smaller compact size and find the pans are still large enough that I can dip a regular blush brush in the compact easily. (On the nails is Chanel Le Vernis in Jaspe.)

There are two creams and two powders:

Glow Cream Base is a sheer peachy champagne shimmer, this is a nice glow product, not too sparkly or frosty
Cream Blush is a super pigmented cranberry flush, a little goes a long way but it’s easy to blend
Glow Extreme is a extreme glow shimmery peachy champagne highlighter, it has large shimmer particles and is very glowy
Duo Glow is a duo chrome peach gold shimmer powder highlighter

All four layer nicely together for the ultimate glow. If you’re conservative on the shimmer you may find Glow Extreme too glowy and sparkly for you. I think it makes for a really nice eyeshadow too. Application is smooth and easy to blend. Pigment is perfect. You can sheer out for a lighter wash or layer for more intense coverage. Lasting power is very good although we’ve had a cold week so I haven’t tested this in full humidity.

Close ups and swatches below.

There’s a nice plastic lid inside to cover the two creams and protect them from the powder kick up of the other two shades. I really appreciate little details like this!

Swatches:

Makeup look wearing all four shades. The top left photo is just the glow cream blush base, other three have the other cheek colors layered on top (press samples have a *):

Foundation – Natasha Denona Transformatte Foundation 30W * (review here)
Concealer – Armani Power Fabric Stretchable Concealer in 6.5 (review soon)
Powder – MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus
Eyeshadow – Natasha Denona Mini Star Eyeshadow Palette * (review here)
Mascara – L’Oreal Lash Paradise Waterproof
Brows – Hourglass Arch Brow in Soft Brunette * (review here)
Cheeks – Natasha Denona Bloom Blush and Glow Palette
Lips – Pat McGrath LUST Gloss in Belladonna* (swatches here)
Top – Anthropologie
Nails – Chanel Le Vernis Jaspe * (review coming soon)

Overall glowy and beautiful. Compared to other Natasha Denona coral/peachy shades her Duo Glow in Alba is lighter and more golden compared to this palette’s blush. Her Diamond and Blush Palette in Darya is more coral/cool toned while this palette has more warmer tones and more glow/shimmer. I do think The Bloom Blush and Glow is different enough to justify owning if you have the others, although if you’re super conservative on shimmers and glows this will probably be too glowy for you.

You can find the Natasha Denona Bloom Blush and Glow Palette out now. Available at Sephora and Beautylish.

I bought mine and then also received a press sample so I’m going to give away my extra to one reader. To enter for a chance to win, use the widget below. Open internationally but you must be 18 years or older to qualify. Giveaway is going to run through Monday March 11 at 11:59 PM EST. ONE winner will be selected within 72 hours of giveaway end and contacted by me via e-mail. Not sponsored or affiliated. Note the first two options are mandatory. Other entry options will get you extra entries.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

104 Comments

Lips Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty Lip Lacquer Luxe Vinyl + Matte

March 4, 2019

Tom Ford Beauty launched their new Lip Lacquer Luxe Vinyl and Matte in 20 shades ($57 each). These are full coverage high pigment lip products. I have 10 colors swatched, five I purchased on my own, five are press samples. I’ve been a long time fan of Tom Ford lip products – anytime someone asks me to recommend one item to splurge on I always pick the Tom Ford Lip Color. After testing both finishes of the new Lip Lacquer luxe, I find that I really like them, however have mixed feelings on these mainly because there are some packaging issues. The product itself is very good in my experience. Quick thoughts on both formulas:

The Lip Lacquer Luxe Vinyl is a thick glossy full coverage lip product. Because it’s thicker it does take some blending but this adheres well to the lips and once blended does not feel super heavy. I can feel the product like I would a regular gloss but it’s not uncomfortable.
The Lip Lacquer Luxe Matte is a soft lightweight matte. It has buildable coverage but some blending is required as well to smooth it out. I like that it’s super lightweight and has a soft velvety matte that doesn’t make the lips look shriveled or dry.

In terms of lasting power the Vinyls stay put better. For the Mattes they don’t slide off and do stay put, but not as long as their Lip Lacquers they launched last year. I actually prefer the packaging style of the Lip Lacquers however with the new Lip Lacquer Luxe you do get 6 ml of product while last year’s slim tube has only 2.7 ml.

There’s a slight scent to them but it’s not really a fragrance, it’s more of a lipstick scent. Once applied the scent fades. As soon as some of you saw I bought these on Instagram stories I received a number of messages asking about the applicator. Many of you were really upset that it broke when you opened it. I do find the sponge tip applicator seems a little too wide for the lacquer opening so there is a bit of tugging to pull it out. Luckily only one of mine broke and I didn’t twist or bend when I tried to open it. If yours broke I hope you will be able to get a replacement. I’ve since opened and used all the other shades multiple times and none of them have broken.

I’ve split the swatches by color grouping from neutrals to bolds. Group 1:

All swatched on bare lips, descriptions:

Insinuate (vinyl) is a medium peachy pink
Softcore (vinyl) is a high shine beige
Intimate (vinyl) is a medium light pink
Darling (matte) is a nude pink, looks beige in the tube but on me pulls more pink
Quiver (matte) is a nude mauve

Group 2 with deeper and bold colors:

Descriptions and swatches, all done on bare lips:

Pussycat (matte) is a mauve rose that deepens and darkens
Unzip (vinyl) is a bold warm bright glossy pink
Infuriate (vinyl) is one of my favorites, it’s the perfect deep red on me!
Jaguar (matte) is the one that broke, it’s a bold warm red matte
Habitual (matte) is a deep bright slightly blue-based red

All the colors side by side:

A few comparison swatches and thoughts:

NARS Velvet Lip Glides are lighter weight and sheerer than the Tom Ford Lip Lacquer Luxe Mattes, I included some swatches of the neutrals for comparison in Bound, Swing, Roseland and Xenon.
Tom Ford Lip Lacquers (in the skinny round tubes from last year) are longer lasting, more matte in the dry down and budge proof once dry. Universal Appeal is still the best liquid lipstick nude from Tom Ford, on my lips in this post here. Pussycat is darker than the luxe version.
Tom Ford Lip Color in Sugar Glider is a similar color to Quiver if you want a lipstick instead of the matte formula.
Tom Ford Satin Matte in London Suede is a more browned neutral and has a soft diffused matte compared to the Lip Lacquer Luxe Mattes.

Aside from the packaging issues I think the formula makes for a solid luxury lipstick. I really love the formula and finish even though they do take a little bit of extra effort to blend because of how pigmented they are. My favorites are Softcore, Quiver and Infuriate. I’ve worn Softcore the most so far and love it for a nude but not washed out lip. I do think that opening a gloss shouldn’t be challenging and it definitely should not break at the tip. Based on the design of the applicator and opening I don’t know if mine will break eventually. I was lucky I had issues with only one of mine. I have splurged on many Tom Ford lipsticks and think that it has been money well spent since I really do love the formula. I do think that $57 is really steep even if it is Tom Ford and luxury. They seem to have a similar vibe to the Bobbi Brown Luxe Liquid Lip High Shine and Velvet Mattes which are $37 each by comparison. I never tried those even though they seem to be really popular. I still have the By Terry Lip Expert Shine and Mattes I’m working on swatching for you so you might want to wait on swatches before splurging on the Tom Ford ones unless you’re a Tom Ford addict and there’s a color you think you’re absolutely in love with.

You can find the Tom Ford Lip Lacquer Luxe Matte and Vinyl at counters now. I bought five from Nordstrom. Also available at Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and all other Tom Ford Beauty Counters.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Press samples include Unzip, Infuriate, Jaguar, Habitual and Softcore. The other five shades purchased by me.

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Fashion Lifestyle

Spring Transition Essentials

March 1, 2019

It’s been two years now since we’ve moved to Florida and I cannot believe how fast time flies! It seems like it was just yesterday we drove across country from San Diego to Tampa. It’s been quite a transition for us but we’ve really fallen in love with everything here. We love the beaches, the people and the casual relaxed vibe. Every week I get questions from readers asking what to pack for vacation trips to Florida and my answers usually depend on what time of year they’re visiting and where they’re going. Florida is a big state and the weather varies depending on how far north or south you’re visiting (it’s more humid and hotter the further south you go). There is a long distance between Tampa, Orlando and Miami so temperatures and humidity changes depending on how close you are to the coast. Weather is also fairly unpredictable depending on what time of year. Right now the weather is mild in the Tampa Bay area with temperatures ranging from low 60’s to low 80’s. Last week weather was in the high 80’s! I’ve teamed up with Nordstrom to share some of my go-to warm weather essentials for South Florida.

My favorite layering piece is a good denim jacket. For me the best ones are from Madewell because they come in a wide range of washes and fits whether you want something classic, loose or cropped. Temperatures can change from morning to mid-day to night. Also indoors they love to put the AC on full blast making it icy cold. I like that you can dress up or dress down any outfit with a classic denim jacket. I typically size up for a more slouchy relaxed look.

Good shorts are absolutely a must in Florida. Since moving here I’ve tried so many different brands and styles. For those who want a true mid-rise with a casual look I highly recommend checking out the STS Blue Raw Denim shorts. They’re the best affordable denim shorts I’ve found. Even the light blue distressed ones hold up remarkably well after lots of washes in the washing machine. I also love these ones from 7 For All Mankind and Blank NYC.

A simple small crossbody bag is perfect for just carrying the essentials. When it’s hot and humid out it’s nice to have something light and small that you don’t even notice is weighing you down. I splurged on the Chloe Mini Marcie and love it to death. The Tory Burch Marsden Crossbody is a less expensive alternative and I have also been contemplating the Madewell small crossbody as well for something simple.

The tees and tanks I pretty much live in are the Madewell Whisper Cotton V-Neck Tank, V-Neck Tee and Northside Vintage Tee. They’re lightweight, super comfortable and come in so many different colors. I am a little embarrassed to admit how many of these I own. They’re great as a casual tee by itself, layered with a sweater or jacket, nice for the beach, also perfect for at-home lounging. They’re not really designed for workouts but sometimes I’ll wear the tank during a run or at home when we’re lifting weights too. I also have and love the Stripe Version.

For shoes I live in the Tory Burch Miller Sandals and Converse Sneakers – they go with everything! I find the classic Converse Chuck Low Tops to be among my favorite and most comfortable sneakers. They don’t give me blisters and are nice to walk in for extended periods of time. I think they’re a super cute sneaker even for the girls who feel like they aren’t really sneaker girls.

One last essential I have to mention is sunscreen. We have tested dozens and our favorite that isn’t heavy, doesn’t smell like sunscreen, has no flash back, is lightweight, easy to apply and also is the best at preventing burn is the Supergoop! Everyday Sunscreen. No matter what we try, this is the one we keep going back to.

Outfit details, for sizing reference I’m 5’3″ – petite!

Jacket – Madewell (Size S)
Tee – Madewell Whisper Cotton V-Neck (Size XXS)
Shorts – STS Blue (Size 25)
Bag – Chloe Mini Marcie
Sneakers – Converse (runs TTS)
Sunglasses – Marc Jacobs Semi Rimless (also love the rimmed version)
Lipstick – MAC Patisserie

Hope you enjoyed this post! More of these to follow since I’ve been getting so many questions about my everyday basics. A few other favorites linked below.

Sponsored by Nordstrom.

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